What is the "new normal" like for you now, especially as related to your workday? Do you believe you will ever go back to business as usual, or work in the same manner you did, now that you have learned how to adapt and work in a different manner? Are you feeling that you are able to cope with conditions related to your job, or is a matter of just surviving each day of your work week?
Life for many has become a matter of adjusting and adapting, and doing this at a rapid pace, sometimes with the proper tools and resources, and often on the fly. The initial sense of confusion and uncertainty is now growing into panic and increased agitation for many. Those who are employed are attempting to work at home, in spaces they never imagined they would be working, and feeling somewhat off balance.
Right now, the demands and responsibilities have shifted for many people in a significant manner, some for the better and for others, it has become much more challenging. The thought of turning on a computer now may not be that exciting, and in fact, there may be a sense of foreboding, as many try to navigate working in a virtual environment for the first time. It may also be challenging to translate many jobs to a remote position, and this will compound the amount of anxiety experienced. For those who did not have a strong working relationship with their colleagues or managers to begin with, the separation or distance now can strain these relationships even further.
I realize there has been much written about the topic of stress already, and it may seem as if there is nothing more to write about it, yet I would like to once again consider how to master it from an internalized perspective. Most people are thinking about their jobs, responsibilities, and how to cope. I want to have you also consider what is going on in your thoughts as well, and how you are processing the situation and events around you. Whether you realize it or not, you are internalizing the events you are experiencing and the related emotions along with these events, and if you are not careful, you can quickly build up negative emotions. This is what leads to stress, anxiety, depression, and worse.
It doesn't matter what type of job you have; everyone has an ability to experience pent up negative emotions as a result of what they are experiencing, just by trying to adapt to a new environment. This can be the culmination of small events, such as failing to access needed online files, building up to computer issues, resulting in built-up frustration. If you finally recognize you are frustrated, it may be at a point you are already feeling completely overwhelmed and have not taken care of your well-being. This is what I want to help you prevent, and I have some strategies you can implement to take care of your internal thought process.
The Internal State of Mind
Everything going on around you can potentially cause an emotional reaction within you, depending upon your connection with it. Right you are experiencing heightened emotions because of the events of our current crisis. You are more likely to become emotionally engaged the longer you watch or read the news and the headlines. You will also experience many emotions within as you attempt to adjust to new or adapted working conditions.
If you have never worked as a remote employee, or an employee who must now work within specified health conditions, you may react emotionally. These emotional reactions may not be noticeable at first, but if you are not happy with the changes, the negativity will build up slowly over time, until the residual effect culminates in a feeling of stress or anxiety. By the time you feel or experience any of these indicators, you may need significant self-work to recover and re-balance yourself.
Perceptual Influences
There is something else to consider and it is how you perceive the circumstances around you. During a time of crisis there is information and misinformation being shared. In the search for updates, you may find yourself perceiving events as they actually are or as you believe they are. There is a difference and it is based upon your worldview or mental model. What happens is that your emotions begin to influence what you see and hear, along with what you believe, creating a perceptual filter. This is also true for your job and the responsibilities which are associated with it. In your position you may perceive it to be challenging, or you may accept it is easy to adapt to before and now.
Strategies to Master the Stress of Every Day Life
Stress and anxiety, which are indicators of a problem, do not appear all at once. Both are a result of ongoing negative feelings which have been internalized for several days and/or weeks. It may gradually manifest in your job, perhaps in the tone of emails or other communication. Or it may result in feelings of being afraid, experiencing fear, or a general sense of hopelessness about your situation. If you do not manage what you are experiencing, not only can it become more challenging to resolve, it can eventually appear in your performance. You can use the following strategies to help you master what you are feeling and control the potential for stress.
Strategy #1: Am I experiencing a negative reaction?
As you are going about your regular work day, look for anything which produces a negative trigger. Pay attention to it. This is an emotion you are feeling right now. You do not have to analyze it, rather you just need to acknowledge you are experiencing it. This may occur during a busy work day, so for the time being, just make a note of the time and a general description of the triggering event.
Strategy #2: Do I need to examine why I experienced a negative reaction?
At the end of the day, take a look at the list of your events. Then examine in more detail what caused the trigger and led you to experience a negative reaction. To what degree did you react? How strongly did you feel negative emotions? You may find it helpful to write this out, depending upon the complexity of the triggering event. The purpose is to take away the negativity of the situation, so you are better able to understand it and give yourself a sense of relief as you take action.
Strategy #3: What do I have within my power to control now?
One of the challenges associated with built-up negative emotions is the feeling of hopelessness. It is possible to begin to feel so bad about the culmination of occurrences, you believe nothing is going to get better or change. Or worse, you may feel as if no one is going to help you. But what you always maintain control of are your thoughts. You can decide how to respond to each and every situation which arises, even if you are challenged at times. What you can do is to learn to stop before reacting, and use logic before emotions to evaluate situations. This gives you the power of control, acting in a controlled manner.
Strategy #4: How can I maintain a positive attitude?
If you are going to become proactive and master every day conditions which can lead to stress, you can also change your attitude as part of this approach. You can decide to face each day as it presents itself, good, not so good, or otherwise, and be able to manage it effectively. Why? Because whatever the day brings, you will find a way to be successful. If you cannot address something, you will ask for assistance. If you need a break, you will take it. But you are stronger than you can imagine, you have an ability to persevere, and you will rely upon your internal GPS to guide you through any time which requires you to be adaptable, flexible, and proactive.
Strategy #5: How can I make my present situation better?
Now that you have examined your triggering events, and your disposition, you can decide what steps are needed next to make your working conditions or job more manageable. As an example, do you need to have a conversation with your supervisor about how to adapt to the new normal? Or should you speak with your colleagues and ask for tips and recommendations related to the position? The purpose is to ask for assistance and relieve any potential for negative feelings which you have become accustomed to feeling. You may also need to consider how your home working environment needs to change or become better adapted to your required job responsibilities.
How You Feel Becomes Who You Are
Can you remember your jobs from a perspective of the time when you enjoyed it the most? Perhaps it was the first day you were hired and you loved arriving at work, eager to complete your job duties. But now the job responsibilities have changed to a new normal. A job you loved, or possibly grew to loathe, has now produced feelings of frustration, exasperation, and worse, because you are attempting to adapt to different working conditions. If you are experiencing negative emotions, and these feelings persist, it can decrease your ability to perform your very best. When you no longer feel a sense of peace or stability about your job, it can show up in your disposition and work product.
What you can do is control what you think about your situation, including your job and your adapted working conditions. If you look at this time as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, and discover more about your ability to grow, you will change how you view your job responsibilities. Without a doubt this is an extraordinary time in our lives, and yet it is time for you to re-engage with yourself and discover the best of your abilities. You do not need to deny or feel bad about the natural reactions you experience. But what you can do is to acknowledge your feelings and then be alert to address them, to prevent continued distress. You have incredible talent within you, the sum of your career and what you have learned. Once you adapt and view your job and yourself anew, you can once again return to enjoying your every day.
Dr. Bruce A. Johnson is an inspirational author, writer, and teacher.
Dr. Johnson's background involved helping others, including people and organizations. His roles have included Manager of Training and Development, Human Performance Improvement Consultant, Online Instructor, Career Coach, Curriculum Developer, Manager of Faculty Development, and Chief Academic Officer.
Since 2005, Dr. J has specialized in distance education, adult education, faculty development, online teaching, career management, career development, and human performance improvement. He has a Ph.D. in Postsecondary and Adult Education, a Certificate in Training and Performance Improvement, and a Master of Business Administration, MBA. Presently Dr. J is a Core Faculty member for one of the premiere online universities.
As a scholar practitioner, Dr. J was published in a scholarly journal and he has been a featured presenter at an international distance education conference. He has also published books, eBooks, and over 200 online articles about adult learning, higher education, distance learning, online teaching, and professional development, helping to fulfill his life's mission to teach, mentor, write, and inspire others.
To discover resources available for educators, along with professional development, please visit: http://www.drbruceajohnson.com/
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