We are now all too familiar with the worldwide pandemic of the COVID-19 virus; an invisible biological contagion that continues to spread around the world. But did you know there is another invisible contagion spreading alongside the COVID-19 virus?
This invisible virus is an emotional contagion known as secondhand stress.
Imagine for a moment you are preparing to lead a team meeting. Just before the meeting starts, you receive an update on a major project that is running way behind schedule. This is compounded by the emails you read earlier highlighting how the uncertainty in the economic market is impacting your company.
Combine this intensity with working from home for weeks, throw in a sprinkle of anxiety and overwhelm, and you find yourself in a perfect storm of heightened stress.
As a leader and business executive for thirty years at multiple Fortune 500 companies, I know the stress you are experiencing and how it is impacting you.
Do you believe your level of stress is impacting your team? Do you think your stress makes your team feel more stressed?
I have discovered the answer to both questions is a resounding “yes”.
In a Harvard Business Review article entitled “How to Cope with Secondhand Stress”, it was reported that secondhand stress is almost impossible to avoid due to living in a hyper-connected world. According to Shawn Achor, a scientific researcher, secondhand stress can be transmitted “from verbal, nonverbal, and written communication, which means we can pick it up even via cellphone” (HBR, October 2018).
We are now living in a time of hyper-connectivity that supersedes all of our previous experience. The impact of the pandemic has resulted in millions of us working from home, finding ourselves immersed in a constant stream of never-ending Zoom meetings, and Google Hangouts. Similar to the scientists racing to discover how we can boost our physical immune system to diminish the impact of COVID-19, we as leaders are tasked with boosting our mental immune system to minimize the transmission of secondhand stress to our teams.
How do you boost your mental immune system to better manage your stress?
Before you hit the Start Meeting button, here are two simple strategies you can start using today:
1. A Personal Strategy: Take two minutes before you press the Start Meeting button and have a personal Mindful Moment.
While sitting, simply close your eyes and begin to focus your attention on your breath. There is no need to alter your breathing in any way. As you focus on your breath, you will notice your mind will wander to different distractions including thoughts, sounds, and feelings. Whenever you notice your attention has wandered away from your breath, gently bring your awareness back to the breath. After two minutes, open your eyes. How do you feel? In just two minutes, you may experience a reduction in your stress level, feel more centered and peaceful, and more focused on the task at hand. Now it’s time to start your meeting.
2. A Team Strategy: When your meeting begins, invite your team to take a Mindful Moment together with you for two minutes.
As their leader, guide them through the simple strategy above that you used prior to the meeting. Ask them to close their eyes (if it feels comfortable) or shift their gaze to their hands in their lap. Focus their attention on their breath for two minutes. Explain their attention may wander and when it does, gently bring their awareness back to the breath. Before you have them open their eyes, state the intention of your meeting to focus everyone’s attention on that purpose. Then invite them to open their eyes and start your meeting.
Simply Start
To integrate mindfulness practices into your workday, I recommend that you begin simply. Make the decision to practice your personal Mindful Moment once a day. Then, expand your commitment to two times a day; once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The same approach can be used with the team meeting Mindful Moment. Begin with one meeting, and then introduce it in two meetings a day.
Mindfulness practices are referred to as practices because it is through the actual practice that you experience the benefits. Just like you can boost your physical immune system with exercise, you can boost your mental immune system by integrating mindfulness practices into your daily routine.
Mindfulness at work could be a non-negotiable.
In summary, mindfulness at work training programs are proving necessary to support personal mental health and team wellbeing as the impact of stress continues to escalate.
If you would like to discover more about mindfulness and resilience and how it can benefit your workplace or team, sign up for a free benefits analysis with MMI Mindful.
Submitted by Dr. Laurel Geise