Learning to take it easy on yourself at work is more important than ever. The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on everyone’s routines, but sometimes we fail to adjust our expectations accordingly.
Having high standards is a cornerstone of excellence, but we must learn to balance our quest for results with our emotional needs. From embracing patience to finding the confidence to learn from your mistakes, these are some strategies you can use to cut yourself some slack at work.
Be Patient With Yourself and Others
Being patient is one of the best ways to navigate stressful situations. And this patience must begin with you. Accept that it may take you more time than usual to complete some tasks. Understand that everyone (including you and your coworkers) is likely overwhelmed right now and some emotional reactions may be easily blown out of proportion. Adopting patience as your default mental state will reduce stress and make it easier for you to combine your professional and personal responsibilities.
Find Time to Laugh
If you are an overachiever or a person who tries to get it completely right every time, this may prove difficult to do. You may feel that the best way to solve a problem is being serious about it. To some extent, that’s true. However, finding time to laugh is essential to your mental balance and to your leadership style. Laughter can defuse any stressful situation and is a better approach to problem-solving than blaming or finger-pointing.
Learn From Your Mistakes
We all know that learning from our mistakes is important, but this is sometimes easier said than done. Under duress, we tend to focus on our own negative feelings instead of paying attention to what caused the mistake in the first place. If you make a mistake or make a decision you have second thoughts about, reflect objectively about the situation instead of feeling guilty or exasperated. When you identify the way you respond to certain situations, and how your response may lead to mistakes, you will be better equipped to handle the problem next time.
Get Support if You Need It
We hope that you are getting enough sleep and eating healthy food. These are some basic, common-sense steps to ensure that you have the energy you need. However, you should also pay attention to your emotional wellbeing. You may have internalized the idea of a capable person as a person who never needs help. That’s simply not true; the truth is everyone needs support. Seek assistance if you feel you need it. Talk on the phone with a relative or friend you trust, or get advice from a professional, if you consider it necessary.
More Resources to Navigate the Virtual Workplace
These are some previous posts you can explore to get more ideas to improve your remote working experience.
- 4 Time-saving G-Mail and Google Docs hacks
- How to manage frustration in the virtual workplace
- How to deal with transitions during COVID-19
- Communication with your team is key during a crisis
- How to keep a great company culture when working remotely
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