The impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic reach much further than just the risk of viral infection. Work life, social life, family life, and living arrangements may be much different for most of us than just a few short months ago, and many of us are feeling the stresses of these changes. This is a completely normal response.
If you are an employer with team members who are managing these big changes in their lives, we’d like to share a few suggestions which may bring some peace of mind, whether your teams are working from home, working onsite, or not working at the present time, with hopes of returning to work when it’s safe to do so. Since acronyms can be handy tools for remembering, we offer this one: CARE, with some suggestions on how to care for your team as well as yourself in the weeks and months ahead.
- Communicate
Demonstrate your leadership through frequent, accurate communication. Let your staff know they are important to you and your business. Keep them informed on details relevant to their work life such as progress being made, backlogs and other ramifications of the sheltering in place, challenges you are facing. A weekly email is a great way to augment any day-to-day conversations you are already having with your staff. Offer an example of calm reassurance. Avoid expressing political views and off-topic opinions. Leave the statistics about COVID-19 to the many news outlets already extensively covering the topic.
- Adapt
Prepare yourself and your team for changes that may be coming. The landscape ahead may call for adjustments, both large and small, to business as usual. These might include teleconferencing rather than meeting in person, revising office hours, implementing new safety and sanitation protocols, scheduling clients differently to minimize contact, just to name a few. Encourage and demonstrate flexibility.
- Re-evaluate
Realize that our response to the pandemic is a constantly changing landscape. Plans and approaches will need to be evaluated and re-evaluated frequently in response to these changes. How will your clients’ needs change? How will your staff needs change? Consider taking a gradual approach if you are able, in order to give your team and your clients time to adjust.
- Educate
Inform your staff of any benefits and resources available to them as staff, or more generally through local, regional or federal programs. There are many low-cost, no-cost methods for reducing stress, such as: meditation techniques, yoga, exercise, breathing techniques, to name a few. If it feels authentic to do so, you can encourage your staff to explore these techniques. You may find that one or more of the following links resonate with the circumstances within which you and your staff are operating:
- The University of Arizona Health Services: Making your Stress Response Work for You
- Colorado State Resources for Businesses in Colorado: Public health guidance & resources for COVID-19
- CDC: Resources for Businesses and Workplaces
One last thing about applying the CARE process……keep in mind that your own self-care is important, too. Your leadership by example, taking good care of yourself along with your staff, will provide a solid source of support during these challenging times.
Contact Satori Integrative Medicine Clinic
Satori Integrative Medicine Clinic, located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, serves the Roaring Fork Valley and Western Colorado with integrative medicine, ketamine infusions and acupuncture treatment. Our clinic specializes in treatments for those suffering from depression, anxiety, psychiatric disorders and chronic pain conditions. If you or someone you know might benefit from our services, please contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
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