Challenging times create anxiety for us all and when we are anxious, we don't perform at our best. Sometimes it almost seems impossible to do the basics. It's quite natural and the most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. We all feel like this sometimes. 

2020 was been incredibly challenging for us all and with 2021, we now see more challenges occurring. 

Do you ever wonder why you can’t focus when you’re anxious? Why you can't make effective decisions, or think clearly? We all have periods of time when things overwhelm us & we feel a heightened anxiety, an inability to cope & increased stress. This often has a negative effect on our ability to think effectively and to do our work.

This email newsletter will hopefully help you to gain a few tips to feel calmer, be more in control of your emotions and start getting things done again.

This response is useful sometimes, like in an emergency, but it takes some control away from the parts of our brain that we need for effective work and that isn't useful. These include the parts of the brain that help us to think clearly, make good decisions, control our emotions and communicate clearly with others. The result is that we often can’t focus & act irrationally when stressed.

The key is is be aware of when you are starting to experience stress & anxiety and understand that this ‘Fight or Flight’ response may occur if you don’t ‘step back' and change things.

Try the following:

✅ Firstly, remain calm
✅ Give yourself a break from the situation - turn off the news, do something you enjoy
✅ Exercise - keeping your body active helps produce chemicals that make you feel good
✅ Breathe - 3 or 4 deep breaths from the stomach will help calm your nervous system
✅ Meditate - close your eyes and slowly focus on your breathing and let your mind relax

These things help the stress chemicals & hormones reduce in your body & for your brain to come back into balance, which allows you start re-gaining control.

Don't worry if you are not feeling very effective today or if you can't focus as much on your work as you normally would, it's a natural reaction to stress. But be pro-active and help yourself to re-gain control by trying the following simple things:

1. Prioritise your physical and mental health - you can't do your job without it
2. Make sure you are eating healthy food - we often eat junk food when we are anxious
3. Get enough rest at night - your brain & body needs it - it's incredibly important
4. Set some small goals each day & try to achieve them - when you achieve things your brain produces chemicals that make you feel good

If you're a Manager or Leader, you may also sometimes feel the same way. It's natural! You're human and you also have a brain! Be aware that you can't expect everyone to function at 100% right now and emotions will be running high.

✅ Keep communicating with your teams - over communicate if you can, don't stay quiet

✅ Be honest & open about the situation - it shows true leadership

✅ Keep the team relationships strong. Humans need to feel connected and valued

Please be extra patient and kind with your family and your colleagues. When people are emotional, they sometimes say or do the wrong things, without meaning to. We all need extra support right now.

Stay safe everyone and look after yourselves and those around you

The Team Thinking Asia Team

Please feel free to forward this email on to anyone else it may help

AND LASTLY ......

If we can assist your team with a 90 minute virtual wellbeing workshop, that helps give takeaway actions to be calmer and more effective in challenging times please let us know. We can run sessions in English and Myanmar language.