Life is not all blue skies.
To quote poet-philosopher Dolly Parton, “if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”.
The dark clouds of COVID-19 and its aftermath have plunged many people into a deep state of introspection following the shocking realisation of how quickly the rain can set in, and the uncertainty of whether calm weather will return any time soon.
Work can provide routine and stability amidst the dark storm clouds of life. Regardless of what is going on personally, or in the wider society, you must still turn up to work and perform your job. In recent years, this necessity to work has for many people been a shining light standing atop basalt cliffs, standing firm against relentless waves of change and uncertainty.
Although modern workplaces are more empathetic to the way in which changes in your personal life can impact work, if you want to consistently perform at a high level you have to remain calm and focused in the workplace. This seeming paradox – the need to remain calm when all around you is darkness and chaos – can sometimes seem impossible.
Below we explore four (4) ways to remain calm at work, so that you can continue to successfully discharge your duties, whatever else may be going on around you.
1. Find the silver lining
It is important to focus on the good things that can come even out of difficult situations.
Draw a line down the middle of a blank page, and write two lists.
The first list should be titled, “Things I’m grateful for”. Listing these is an important part of putting things into context, focusing on the present, and being thankful for what you have. As the late Zig Ziglar once said, “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”
In your first list you might include things like family, friends, a hobby you enjoy doing, or your 30 minute commute when you sit alone and listen to self-help books or your favourite music.
The title of your second list should be “Opportunities”. Every period of personal, social, or economic turmoil is painful because it is accompanied by rapid and unplanned change. This is also the time when the greatest opportunities present themselves. As Peter Drucker, the famous management writer, once stated, “The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.”
The last few years of COVID-19 was a period that saw great opportunity for businesses in certain sectors including delivery, teleconferencing, remote learning, and pharmaceuticals. What kind of opportunities present themselves in the post-pandemic world? Be creative. Think outside the box.
2. Compartmentalise your tasks
After finding the silver lining in the situation, it is important not to get lost in the clouds. Focus on the present, and create a number of task lists. Start by identifying your top 3 goals for the next 5 years and for the next 12 months, and then backtrack by writing a list of necessary tasks. Divide your tasks based on whether they are routine tasks (important but not urgent) or daily tasks (important and urgent).
Being able to do this may at first seem difficult. However, just as with meditation, or running a marathon, a fundamental aspect of time management and organisation is about training and perseverance.
Get stuck into and really focus on an absorbing task. Train yourself to focus on one task at a time, and when you notice your mind wandering, take a deep breath and return to the task. After a while, you may find that you are able to focus on the task that you are doing completely, leaving any other forms of distraction in the background.
3. Be Patient
It is important to be patient. As Benjamin Franklin said, “He that can have patience can have what he will.”
It is understandable that we want hard times to pass as quickly as possible. However, feelings of impatience and anxiety for a challenging situation to end can serve as an additional source of pain. Trying to rush a resolution can lead you to make decisions in haste and ultimately produce a worse outcome.
Instead of rushing, compartmentalise your tasks. Focus on what needs to be done each day (step 2), and focus on the positives and opportunities that the situation offers (step 1).
Resolution typically comes with the passing of time, and by being patient you can enjoy a more considered and better executed result. Thus, fight the urge for urgent resolution. Often, the best solutions come to those who wait for them.
4. Have faith
You cannot control every aspect of your environment, and so it is easy to lose confidence in your ability to resolve the situation successfully.
It is important to hold on to belief that a resolution is possible. Remind yourself of situations that have been resolved in the past, look at all that you are still achieving in the present, and let that inform your belief that challenges will be overcome.
Final thoughts
Given the inevitable fluctuations in life, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to know how to deal with dark, chaotic, and uncertain times.
Following the four tips outlined in this article – finding the silver lining, compartmentalising your tasks, patiently awaiting a resolution, and keeping the faith – will positively impact your ability to remain calm and competent at work, life’s one true constant.
Sukhi R. is a graduate from Warwick Law School currently studying an MSc in Business with Consulting at Warwick Business School. She has a keen interest in the business psychology of consulting and plans to enter the industry in the near future.
Image: Pexels
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