Managing Your Energy Through the Next Phase of Recovery
As summer days get shorter, this is an ideal time to take a moment for yourself, before zooming ahead into the fall. Many companies and organizations are instituting hybrid work environments that include both in person and virtual scenarios - but many are remaining entirely remote.
What can you do to manage your energy in such an overwhelming sea of change and uncertainty?
Manage Video Meeting Expectations
We all got a little video-trigger-happy during the first few months of the pandemic. For a while there, it seemed as though almost every meeting we were having, big or small, was automatically made into a video conference.
As we move into this next phase of our recovery, go through a meeting audit with your office. Which meetings can be moved to email? What about using live document sharing platforms? Or perhaps switching to a phone call or social distanced walk?
Whether you have a hybrid or fully remote office environment ahead, communication around the norms of participation is crucial to being effective with everyone’s time. Videos on? Attire? What resources can you share with your colleagues around virtual presence best practices?
If you are hosting a hybrid meeting with some participants in person while others are conferencing in, practice inclusive language that will ensure everyone feels they are included, seen and heard.
Physical Anchoring
Your physical body is always in the here and now. While our minds can easily race ahead or ruminate on something in the past, our bodies are always present.
If you are able to practice solidifying an on-demand mind/body connection, your ability to stay in the present moment and focus your attention on the conversations and tasks at hand will dramatically increase. This goes for in person as well as virtual meetings.
Breathe, stretch and meditate to practice strengthening your connection to the present moment. It should also be noted that these tools increase your blood flow, which increases your energy. If at any point you begin to feel tired and stagnant, introduce some of these simple concepts into your day.
Use Your Vacation Days
It can seem very strange to use your vacation time when you can’t go anywhere interesting. Being connected to your work without a pause is an express ride to burnout.
Use your vacation days. Turn off your gadgets, stay away from screens. Do something tactile, do something physical. Connect with local nature. There are many simple and small things we can do that make a big difference and will leave you feeling refreshed and energized.
For more practical tips and tools around elevating your virtual presence and some canny techniques that will help with your in-person presence too, download a copy of my newly release eBook - When You Can’t Meet in Person: A Guide to Mastering Virtual Presence and Communications.