by Marion Aufseesser | May 8, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear Readers
Another confinement week flew by.
I promised myself to be at your side all through COVID-19 with an article per week.
It’s my contribution to being supportive to the community.
I first described PET’s & ANT’s in my book written in French (Link) and I read something similar in a book by A. Grant.
Positive Expected Thoughts (PETs), if you have more of these you may be more of an optimist, and Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT’s), if you have more of these you may be a little bit more inclined to be a pessimist, a worrier or anxious.
Most of us are a bit of both and that’s ok, as long as our ANT’s don’t interfere too much with on getting on with life.
Our lives are made up of good and not such good times. (See the Rollercoaster article)
Life’s rollercoaster can be compared to a child’s toy, the yoyo. A yoyo goes up and down. Sometimes knots form in the string. In life, these “knots” are the obstacles we meet. They can be internal, such as health problems, or external, for example unwanted situations we find ourselves in and then have to cope with.
During COVID-19 many of us are experiencing both internal and external events impacting our life and/or closes one’s lives.
Understanding ANT’s and PET’s helps us identify the mechanism that triggers our reactions given any situation and breaking away from the vicious circles PET’s entails.
Being able to adapt to the ups and downs of life is what brings us serenity and prevents negative stress building up.
A child usually instinctively knows what to do when his yoyo gets into a knot. As adults, we don’t always know how to react when “life knots” appear. Should we carry on trying, or stop and ask for help?
If you are stuck, asking for help is far more beneficial.
People with PETs are usually energetic and enthusiastic. Their Positive Expected Thoughts, help them see that doors will soon be opening. PETs get us moving in search of solutions.
When we have ANTs, or Automatic Negative Thoughts, we are stuck in vicious circles. Our “engine” is at a standstill and we have trouble rebooting it again.
We go around in circles, without being able to do anything to get moving again.
Many of us experience periods in life when nothing goes the way we want it to go.
“My company is in a bad way. Lots of employees are going to get sacked… If I’m one of them, I’m sure I’ll never be able to find a new job… at my age… with the same salary! What on earth am I going to do? I’ll never be able to cope!”
Which path to take: ANTs or PETs?
Transforming automatic negative thoughts into positive expected thoughts is similar to changing one’s outlook on the half empty glass into a half full one!
It’s all a matter of perspective, and positive projections.
If you are more PETs than ANTs keep it up. Being realistically positive is a great way to face life’s challenges.
If you are more ANTs than PETs become a “copycat”, watch and imitate that person who is always so positive. Talk about it with that friend. Start small. Give yourself time. Changing old ingrained behaviors and thought patterns is hard work. If you’ve been living with lots of ANT’s it may take some time to lose the habit.
If you need support, do get in touch with me.
Maybe in your country’s deconfinement is starting. Take the opportunity of this new beginning to stick to the PNKR’s (click here) you described a few weeks ago when you did the exercise described in the PNKR article.
Post Covid-19 gives us all an opportunity to do things differently. It’s a new era.
“Just do it now “and let go of those internal barriers you have put up and may have been fighting against for years.
Take care and do remember, your comments and shares are important to me.
Marion Aufseesser
www.transitionkit.com COVID19
Coaching Psychologist FSP/ASPCo
Mob: +41(0)79 342 50 92
by Marion Aufseesser | Apr 27, 2020 | COVID-19, Training
How to optimize your networking during and after COVID-19
Dear Readers,
After the success of my video training 10 days ago, and my other articles on coping with COVID-19, here’s 6 tips for COVID-19 and post COVID-19 networking written for you.
I am sure you know a lot about networking already. Hopefully the info and insights I am about to share with you will add value, supporting you specifically in these pandemic times.
6 Tips for networking during COVID-19
Tip 1:
You can’t go outside, so go inside: Go on LinkedIn and follow webinars…
If you’re not on LinkedIn, now is the time to join. This platform is catching tremendous momentum and is a must! And free. We can help you with teaching more about LinkedIn in our booster tailor-made virtual and other workshops.
- How do LinkedIn and “Zoominars” work for networking?
- How are we each other’s “net workers”?
- Why is it vital to network now?
Networking through LinkedIn and webinars:
- From the reader’s point of view:
- You get to share your opinion and also get known and hence grow your network as people will reach out to you too by leaving comments and participating in the chats. Even better, they might even repost your message.
- From the author’s point of view:
- The author needs food for thought to keep the fire burning: Please give me feedback allowing me to know your needs and then respond to those needs.
Tip 2:
Ask yourself: Do you or don’t you like to network?
- If your answer is NO you may be more of an introvert, or shy. If it is blocking you, do get in touch and we can work on the issue and help you in private sessions.
- If your answer is YES you may be more of an extravert and appreciate meeting new people. If you thrive on networking you may be a connector, networking comes naturally to you.
Tip 3:
Network NOW!
- Now is the time to reach out and meet new people, even make new friends and colleagues via LinkedIn and all the different webinars, events online being offered.
- Our physical social interactions are still very limited right now. Use LinkedIn and video conferencing to socialize in the meantime.
Tip 4:
How can you network successfully during COVID-19?
- Join online events that are meaningful to you.
- Join events where there is interaction, break out groups
- Join events where you can chat individually with participants and strike up a conversation.
(I needed to send flowers to another city and found a great florist like this, and a “Zoominar” participant found a dentist)
Tip 5:
Practice makes Perfect
- The more you network, usually the better you become at it. It’s often the first step that is difficult when “entering a room”.
- In today’s virtual world, networking events may be easier to “go to” than with in person networking. Check my PNKR post: Positive aspect of confinement.
- So, go out and onto your platforms and practice. It’s like learning to swim. You won’t drown, you may get wet.
- The risk you are taking is negligible. You won’t be distracted by unexpected disturbance, and in the comfort of your home office, you will feel empowered to go more towards people that you might have avoided in a physical meeting or convention.
- If your apprehension of networking gets worse and you have to network, get in touch and we will sort it out. Usually in a few sessions you will understand why you hate networking and overcome that fear of failing.
Tip 6:
Know who you want to connect with
- Shortlist and identify people you want to interact with.
- First try and contact people on the shortlist.
- Know your 20 sec pitch for each person you want to meet. (Elevator Pitch)
- Be sure to be able to reconnect after the event via LinkedIn.
- Give first before asking for something. You will either receive in return from that person or… in some other way, at some other time good will come of it.
Looking forward to your comments and I will be back next week.
Best regards
Marion
Please follow me on www.transitionkit.com
Pour le français merci d’utiliser la fonction traduction de LinkedIn
Vous pouvez commander mon livre Rebondir : Réussir votre transition professionnelle, Odile Jacob sur le site de la FNAC ou commandez-le chez votre libraire préféré.
by Marion Aufseesser | Apr 21, 2020 | COVID-19, Training
Sorting out Positive and Negatives: Write up your COVID-19 PNKR sheet…
Dear Readers, Friends, Colleagues and Family,
Once again thanks for reading me.
To those of you who have lost a family member my condolences. To those of you who were ill I hope you are feeling better or are on way to recovery.
Check my first article on the confinement roller coaster emotions. It may be helpful to better understand and cope with all your emotions. (https://www.transitionkit.com/covid-19the-confinement-roller-coaster-wave/)
These are very hard times for you.
COVID-19 confinement will however provide valuable feedback on how you coped, reacted and evolved.
How are you adapting and reacting to the confinement?
Where do you live and what kind of confinement are you in?
In France a stricter confinement is much more difficult to live with, especially if you are in a big city and small apartment with three young children for example.
In Switzerland we are fortunate enough to still be able to walk around our neighborhoods freely, making sure to obey to social distancing rules.
What about all of you in USA, UK, Australia, Africa or wherever you are! Do let us know how you are experiencing your confinement.
We are starting to hear about the progressive deconfinement in certain countries. How do you feel about deconfinement? Are you looking forward to it? Does the idea of deconfining add stress and anxiety to your current life now?
No matter where we are and however we feel about it, we are all on the emotional roller coaster.
We may be reacting both positively and negatively depending on the day or the issues we are having to deal with on a given day.
There may be some positive aspects in your life right now. Therefore, in this post, I am inviting you to write up a balance sheet (we call it PNKR-read pinker) with the positives you want to keep in post COVID-19 life the negatives you will be pleased to see leave your current life.
If you live in a household with others, I suggest you all write your balance sheet and then discuss. It can be an interesting discussion. No arguments please – just calm discussions, which make us wiser, warmer and more caring.
I would be delighted to host a zoom meeting on POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF COVID-19 Where we could meet and discuss YOUR balance sheets.
Please send me an email if you wish to participate on FRIDAY 24th April at 17.00 ZURICH/GENEVA time zone and we will send you a zoom invitation to participate.
Click here to send us your email for the Zoom Session
Take care – stay safe- when deconfining follow best practices-
Marion
by Marion Aufseesser | Apr 13, 2020 | COVID-19, Training
HOW TO OPTIMISE YOUR VIDEO RECORDINGS
The 6 step program to make successful video recordings from working@home (and a pleasure for those watching you!): Do’s and Don’ts
Dear Readers,
Once again thanks for spending some of your precious time with me.
I originally wrote this article for my candidates going through remote interviewing for jobs some years ago!
COVID-19 has changed business practices, therefore I have adapted this short video training manual to the current working@home situation.
This information should be of value to many readers, even seasoned TV presenters and big-time celebrities could benefit from it when I see their home-made videos!!
Many people have an interesting message to share, but many don’t come across well. That’s a pity…
So, let’s dive in!
Any form of filming demands a lot of preparation. Virtual meetings and interviews need careful preparation as the interaction will be different given that you and the other parties won’t be in the same room (by definition). The “chemistry” or human bond that one might usually feel will be missing.
It is important to do the best to make up for this missing “human factor”. We are all – and I mean practically all – telecommuting all over the world. Work practices have changed literally overnight for many of us. All meetings are taking place through the various video conferencing software. Many of us are using Teams®, Zoom®, Skype®, Meet®, etc. or secured inhouse systems.
Master rule for all meetings: Be on Time!!!
STEP 1: SOFTWARE
What software are you using? Is it secured and encrypted? Are you familiar with it?
STEP 2: SET UP
Internet connection, make sure it is optimal from your work station
Back Drop: Think of it as an element that will enhance your appearance. It should be neutral and should not interfere with you. Avoid a messy background.
Video positioning: Keep an “arms’ length” from your camera. Avoid image distortions.
Height: check the height of your installation- often times one will see more of the ceiling of nostrils, than the face of the person! As a general rule, you always want the lens of your camera to shoot you slightly from above, not the opposite and your face and shoulders are what you want people to see in this type of situation.
Noise and interruptions: Choose a quiet place for your video, no phones, doorbells, children, work colleagues, etc.
Lighting: Take light conditions into consideration. Avoid reflections and glares.
Dress code: It is important to wear an outfit with solid colors. Not too flashy. Watch any good TV presenter and you will remark that they usually wear a top with solid colors, not too bright.
For ladies: I recommend a shirt or round collar and sleeves. The advantage of the round collar: it usually stays in place. Be careful with dangling earrings and choose any jewelry carefully. Understatement is preferred.
For men I recommend a solid colored shirt- stripes, squares, etc. are distracting – unless you want to make a statement. Either with or without a blazer or as many doctors (if you are one) with your white hospital blouse.
Branding: Unless you are an influencer and being paid for wearing a brand I suggest keeping away from branding on your shirt – true for ladies and gentlemen alike.
Step 3: IDENTIFY THE MEETING YOU’RE HAVING
What is the nature of the meeting?
Regular weekly business; meeting with the usual participants; meeting with someone you know well and often work with; meeting with someone you have also had email/phone calls with but no visual contact; meeting with a person you have never had contact with…
Being interviewed by television, Youtube®, self-promotion…
Job interview…
Adapt your speech and message to every audience
Step 4: PRESENCE OPTIMIZATION
Most people don’t speak loud enough. You want to convey an image of confidence and a stronger voice will help. Maintaining a clear and strong voice will allow your diction to be clearer as you want to avoid stuttering or munching your words.
Test it with someone before, fine tune as you don’t want to shout either!
Along with a strong voice, looking directly at your camera is important. Don’t look at a particular person. This is important to understand when there are several people in the video meeting.
During introduction of meeting attendees, think about acknowledging the entire audience, (Hi Mrs. Daniels, nice to see you again, Hello Mr. Osborne, etc.). This is when you can be personal when several people assist in the video conferencing.
When video recording always focus, look at your camera and not your screen.
Step 5: WHO WILL YOU BE SEEING? BE PREPARED!
Know as much about the other parties participating as possible. This is especially important in job interviewing and/or negotiating through video conferencing.
Get names of people attending the meeting beforehand whenever possible. Most business people will be on LinkedIn® or Google® with a photo.
When zooming for example, be aware that some people may appear with an ID number and not their name.
Step 6: Questions and Answers
Imagine the scenario of the video meeting you will shortly be having.
Write down at least 10 questions you expect to discuss.
Your answers:
Write down in full the answers you would give if you are not used to live videoing.
For every question you should know exactly what the KEY MESSAGES are that you need to deliver in very brief and clear short sentences.
If English is not your mother tongue and the video recording is in English this is even more important.
Each question has a key message in its answer. One question: one message in your answer! The more technical the question, the more this is important for the answer.
Practice makes perfect: REHEARSE!!
Read /talk your answers into your computer, tablet, smartphone … The important thing is to record yourself – preferably with the image. Then listen to yourself.
Do the same exercise for questions you would rather NOT be asked. These are the hard ones. Again, do the exercise in writing. Practice and record.
It is important to realize that most people think they know what they will answer. However, if they have not prepared the KEY messages they want to convey in a very brief answer, people have to think during the interview.
The trick of the methodology of this interview training is that you prepare BEFORE the interview. In the interview you should not be “surprised” by the questions the interviewers are asking you.
It is the interviewee’s job, your job to think beforehand WHAT will the interviewer ask, how will he ask it.
In the case of a video interview, where there may be a panel of interviewers, you will need to have done exercises with a panel team and see how you come across, how you focus on the interviewers, where to look in the camera.
INTERVIEWERS QUESTIONS
It is also extremely important to LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY to the interviewer’s questions.
In an interview we may be nervous. The better prepared we are, the less nervous we will be.
Listening carefully is like reading the questions of an exam.
If you are not sure you understood the interviewer’s question, repeat the question to the interviewer for example.
« If I understood correctly, you would like me to explain why I am so interested in this position »; “You would like to know how I managed to….” ; “You would like me to describe in detail…. “; “You would want me to evaluate…. “
Best Regards,
And do Keep in Touch with me. I value your likes, shares, recommendations and most of all your suggestions you would like to hear about.
Marion
by Marion Aufseesser | Apr 10, 2020 | COVID-19
Chers lecteurs,
Encore une fois, merci de m’avoir prêté un peu de votre précieux temps.
Pour beaucoup d’entre nous, ce sera un long week-end et/ou une “période de vacances” car c’est le week-end de Pâques qui, cette année, coïncide avec la Pâque juive.
Permettez-moi d’adresser mes meilleurs vœux à tous ceux qui célèbrent l’une ou l’autre de ces fêtes ou les deux.
À tous les autres, je souhaite également un week-end reposant, où que vous soyez !
En ces temps difficiles de COVID-19, nous devons faire preuve d’ingéniosité afin de maintenir notre énergie positive à un niveau élevé et notre STRESS négatif aussi bas que possible.
Chaque fois que vous le pouvez, soyez attentifs aux changements positifs qui se produisent au milieu de cette crise. Espérons que la plupart d’entre vous seront en mesure d’en identifier quelques-uns.
À ceux d’entre vous dont la douleur, la tristesse ou les circonstances dramatiques vous frappent, j’adresse mes pensées les plus sincères.
Peut-être qu’aujourd’hui vous êtes plus proches en tant que famille, peut-être avez-vous, ce que j’appelle des “discussions sérieuses”, des discussions significatives, peut-être que comme beaucoup, vous prenez réellement mieux soin de vous et des autres, vous parlez et vous vous occupez de vos connaissances plus âgées et solitaires, de vos voisins, des membres de votre famille, de vos collègues…
Donnez du temps aux autres pour réduire votre PROPRE stress négatif lorsque vous vous occupez d’eux. Outil majeur pour prévenir l’anxiété et la dépression, c’est ce que nous appelons la GRATITUDE. C’est un modérateur de stress très efficace.
Faites-vous plaisir aussi : prenez ce livre que vous dites depuis des lustres que vous vouliez lire ; peignez ce tableau ; écrivez ce poème, apprenez cette compétence, ce langage ou ce qui vous convient. Réconciliez-vous avec la personne avec laquelle vous vous étiez brouillé et pardonnez…
C’est mon message psychologique positif et réaliste pour cette semaine !
La semaine prochaine, je vous ferai part de mes réflexions sur le PROGRAMME EN 6 ÉTAPES visant à améliorer votre image lorsque vous utilisez toute forme d’ENREGISTREMENT VIDÉO.
Joyeuses Pâques! Profitez de votre long week-end, et restez en sécurité !
Marion
by Marion Aufseesser | Apr 10, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear Readers,
Once again, thanks for lending me some of your precious time.
For many of us it will be a long weekend and/or a “vacation period” as it is Easter weekend which this year coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Let me extend my best wishes to all of you celebrating either of these or both of these holidays.
To all the others, may you also have a resourceful weekend wherever you may be!
In these challenging COVID-19 times, we need to be resourceful so as to keep our positive energy UP and our negative STRESS as low as possible.
Whenever you can, look out for the positive changes taking place amidst this crisis. Hopefully, most of you will be able to identify some.
To those of you, whose pain, sadness or dramatic circumstances are grave, I send my heartfelt thoughts.
Maybe today you are closer as a family, maybe you have, what I call “serious discussions”, meaningful discussions, maybe like many, you are actually taking better care of yourself and each other, talking and taking care of older, lonely acquaintances, neighbors, family members, colleagues…
Give time to others reduce your OWN negative stress when you look out for them. It is a major tool to prevent anxiety and depression. This is what we call GRATITUDE. A very efficient stress moderator.
Treat yourself as well: pick up that book you have said for ages you wanted to read; paint that painting; write that poem, learn that skill, language or whatever suits you. Make up with that person with whom you had fallen out and forgive…
This is my positive, realistic psychological message for this week!
Next week, I will share insights about the 6 STEP PROGRAM to improve your image when you are using any form of VIDEO RECORDING.
Enjoy your long weekend, and stay safe!
Marion
by Marion Aufseesser | Apr 3, 2020 | COVID-19
Cher lecteur,
Encore une fois, merci d’être avec moi ! Je me rends compte que tout le monde est inondé de nouvelles, de propositions, etc. Je ne considère donc pas comme acquis que vous preniez votre temps pour me lire.
Nous terminons notre troisième semaine de travail en mode confinement COVID-19 à Genève, en Suisse.
Chaque pandémie change profondément la société.
Découvrez ce que Fabrice D’ALMEIDA et Yuval HARARI ont à dire sur la pandémie actuelle et l’histoire des pandémies.
Il est trop tôt pour dire ce qui va changer après COVID-19…pour de bon.
Comment vous sentez-vous en ce moment ?
“Je ne pense pas qu’on puisse généraliser ce qui va changer. Peut-être que des changements se produiront en fonction des différentes cultures mondiales, de nos personnalités et nos propres valeurs.
Je pense que nous avons déjà tous changé. Pour de bon ? Retournerons-nous dans le passé ? Jusqu’à quel point ? L’avenir nous le dira.
Après trois semaines de confinement, je trouve qu’il y a une qualité de silence dans la ville, ou plutôt dans la banlieue où j’habite, à 10 minutes en voiture du centre de Genève.
Il n’y a pratiquement pas de circulation.
J’habite près de l’aéroport : là encore, il n’y a pratiquement pas de trafic aérien. Peut-être un vol toutes les 40 minutes. En général, un avion toutes les 2 minutes.
ROMPRE LE SILENCE
Qu’est-ce qui brise le silence de nos jours ?
Les voitures de police et les ambulances.
Et même celles-ci semblent être devenues assez rares de nos jours.
Chaque soir, les gens à leurs fenêtres tapent des mains, remerciant ceux qui travaillent encore. Et pas seulement le personnel médical.
Les spécialistes de la santé mentale appellent à protéger le personnel médical en respectant les règles : Rester chez soi ; ils nous disent que saluer le personnel médical comme des HÉROS n’est pas une si bonne idée que les HÉROS, par définition, ne devraient pas se plaindre.
Le personnel médical devrait cependant pouvoir dire : “Arrêtez – j’ai besoin d’une pause !
Il est donc contre-productif de les appeler HÉROS car cela ne leur permet pas de suivre la courbe émotionnelle dont j’ai récemment parlé. Les HÉROS n’ont pas de pauses. C’est pourquoi nous ne devrions pas les appeler ainsi, mais des gens extraordinaires, en fait, tous ceux qui continuent à faire tourner notre société pendant que nous sommes confinés.
Tous ceux qui s’occupent des patients COVID-19 ou d’autres personnes qui s’occupent de maintenir nos infrastructures en état de marche sont comme nous : des êtres humains, avec des émotions.
Ils n’ont pas de boutons rouges sur lesquels ils peuvent appuyer sur STOP et ne rien ressentir.
Ils peuvent même ressentir plus d’anxiété et de peur que nous, assis dans nos maisons, bien que confinés mais seulement avec une liaison télévisuelle vers les services de soins intensifs ou tout autre endroit où nous pourrions être confrontés au virus, que ce soit dans les transports publics, dans un magasin ou à la poste.
MA ROUTINE
Après quelques semaines d’enfermement, je peux dire sans me tromper que j’ai une routine bien définie. Je me lève à mon heure habituelle et je suis à mon bureau à 9 heures du matin. Les seules différences à l’heure actuelle sont que mon mari (de 35 ans) travaille également à la maison et que nous nous occupons à peu près des tâches à faire avant de commencer notre journée.
Nous avons la chance d’avoir deux postes de travail distincts. J’ai gardé mon bureau et mon mari a trouvé son propre endroit préféré.
Nous déjeunons ensemble, ce qui est une nouveauté.
En fin d’après-midi, nous essayons généralement de faire une pause santé et d’aller faire une bonne promenade.
Encore une fois, nous avons de la chance et faisons de ces promenades des “safaris urbains” en essayant de faire une autre promenade chaque jour et en essayant de découvrir à chaque sortie de nouveaux endroits.
J’envoie chaque jour une photo QUIZZ de ces promenades à certains groupes d’amis. Ils peuvent deviner où nous étions, c’est une façon de briser la journée pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas sortir du tout.
C’est à nouveau vendredi.
La semaine dernière, je vous ai invité à commencer le week-end en faisant quelque chose de spécial.
Aujourd’hui, je vous invite pour la quatrième semaine à réfléchir à un hobbie, ou à un projet de maison que vous avez toujours voulu faire mais que vous n’avez jamais eu la chance de réaliser. C’est le moment ! Ou bien commencez à acquérir une nouvelle compétence, qu’elle soit liée au travail ou plus personnelle, à vous de décider ! L’idée est de garder un emploi du temps organisé et équilibré. Gardez les activités de la semaine équilibrées comme vous le feriez pour votre nourriture !
Restez à la maison, mais restez en contact avec moi et avec les autres pour nous dire ce que vous faites pour rester en sécurité, pour vous sentir bien et peut-être même pour vous épanouir.
Prenez soin de vous
Marion
by Marion Aufseesser | Apr 3, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear Reader,
Once again thanks for being with me! I realise everyone is flooded with news, propositions etc. So, I do not take it for granted that you are taking your time to be with me.
We are ending our 3rd business week in COVID-19 confinement mode in Geneva, Switzerland.
Every pandemic changes society profoundly.
Check what Fabrice D’ALMEIDA and Yuval HARARI have to say about the current pandemic and the history of pandemics.
It’s too early to say what will change after COVID-19…for good.
How do you feel right now?
“Different folks – different strokes” I don’t think we can now generalise what will change. Maybe changes will occur according to different cultures around the world and to our specific personalities and values.
My guess is we have all changed already. For good? Will we go back to the past? How far? The future will tell.
Three weeks into confinement I find there is a quality of silence in the city, or rather the suburb where I live, a 10 minutes’ drive from Geneva city center.
Hardly any traffic at all.
I live near the airport: again, hardly any air traffic. Maybe one flight every 40 minutes. Usually a plane every 2 minutes.
BREAKING THE SILENCE
What is breaking the silence these days?
Police cars and ambulances.
And even those seem to have become quite rare these days.
Every evening people at their windows are clapping their hands, thanking those who are still working. And not only the medical staff.
Mental health care specialists are calling out to protect the medical staff by following the rules: STAY AT HOME; they are telling us that hailing the medical staff as HEROES is not such a good idea as HEROES by definition should not complain.
The medical staff should however be able to say “Stop – I need a break!”
It is counterproductive therefore to call them HEROES as it does not allow them to follow the Emotional Curve I recently wrote about. HEROES don’t have breaks. Therefore we should not call them heroes but amazing people, in fact, everybody who keep it going while we are confined.
All those involved in either taking care of COVID-19 patients or other people involved in keeping our infrastructures up and running are just like us: human beings, with emotions.
They don’t have red buttons which they can press on STOP and not feel anything.
They may even feel more anxiety and fear than we do, sitting in our homes, albeit confined but only with a television link to ICU wards or any other places where we may be confronted with the virus, be it in public transportation, a shop, or the post office.
MY ROUTINE
After a few weeks into confinement I can safely say that I have a set routine. I get up at my usual time and am at my desk by 09.00am. The only differences right now are that my husband (of 35 years) is also home working and that we pretty much take care of the chores to be done before we start our day.
We are fortunate to have two distinct working stations. I have kept my office and my husband has found his own favorite spot.
We have lunch together which is a novelty. It is breaking the silence!
At the end of the afternoon we usually try to make a health break and go for a good walk.
Again, we are fortunate and are making these walks into “urban safaris” trying to do another walk every day and trying to discover some new spots every day.
I send a QUIZZ picture from these walks every day to certain groups of friends. They can guess where we were, it’s a way to break the day for those who can’t go out at all.
It’s Friday again.
Last week I invited you to start the weekend doing something special.
Today I am inviting you for week 4 to think about a hobby, or a home project you always wanted to do but never got a chance to get to it. Now is the time! Or start learning a new skill, be it work related or more personal, you decide! The idea is to keep an organised and balanced schedule. Keep the week activities balanced just as you would for your food!
Do stay@home, but please do stay in touch and let me and others know what you are doing to stay safe, well and maybe even thrive in some ways.
Take care
Marion
by Marion Aufseesser | Mar 27, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear reader,
In my previous post this week, I introduced you to my :
COVID-19, THE EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER OF CONFINEMENT…
Thank you all for your interest.
“THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY!”
It’s FRIDAY!
For most of us, that means the work week is… finished.
At this very confusing time, I suggest you clearly separate your work week from your weekend and make sure there is a DIFFERENCE between the two. The same goes for working time in general and resting/leisure time.
Long Haul :
From what we know so far, it looks like it will be a long journey. This is why it is vital for all of us – adults and children – to integrate and maintain excellent mental hygiene in our daily lives.
As part of our ROUTINE, before the pandemic, we usually had a working week followed by a weekend.
Let’s see how we can introduce a special routine into our new life despite the fact that we are all confined to our homes, day and night.
Marking the weekend:
I invite you to end your work week, probably by teleworking, in a special way. For many of us, this is a big first.
I also suggest that you prepare yourself and your family for the weekend.
Organizing a special event on Friday night to mark the start of the weekend might be a good idea.
You might also want to think of something special for Sunday night to mark the end of the weekend.
It is equally important for children to establish new routines and this could help them participate in family life in these very special circumstances.
Many people suffer from the Sunday night blues . How will not going back to the office or school on Monday morning affect us? This is why you should try and focus on the few benefits of staying home. I can think of at least one for a lot of us: No commuting, no traffic jams, for starters…
Share your experiences with me on these positive points you discover!
What if you live on your own?
If you live alone, the idea of saying goodbye to your colleagues on Friday after work can be even more important than if you live in a group.
If you’re alone all weekend, you might be able to team up with friends via virtual media and enjoy some dinner together or organize a special event to get the weekend off to a good start. We’ve done this with my family and it’s actually very touching and moving. And most of all, very pleasant.
Needless to say, if you are in strict confinement, have tested positive and are not even allowed to do essential errands or go for a short walk, try to have virtual social contacts during the weekend with people you love and care about.
Take time off from your team for the weekend :
If possible, hold an informal meeting on FRIDAY to mark the end of the working week. I won’t say at what time, as it may depend on the type of place and country you live in.
In my country, Switzerland, some professions finish early on Fridays, especially construction workers and professions related to this sector.
You can work with the virtual team meeting programme you use, provided that you can all be seen.
A toast to a healthy world, that there is serenity everywhere, that we understand what changes we need to make …
Apparently pollution is decreasing everywhere, and the canals of Venice are clear …
Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Life is precious and it will be beautiful again. The world has already changed. I’ll write about it soon.
Check out: https://www.ynharari.com/fr/
Thank God it’s Friday! You all have a good weekend,
Marion
by Marion Aufseesser | Mar 27, 2020 | COVID-19
Chère Lectrice, cher lecteur,
Dans mon post précédent de cette semaine, je vous ai présenté mon :
COVID-19, LES MONTAGNES RUSSES ÉMOTIONNELLES DU CONFINEMENT
Merci à tous pour votre intérêt.
“THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY !”
C’est VENDREDI !
Pour la plupart d’entre nous, cela signifie que la semaine de travail est … terminée.
En cette période très confuse, je suggère de séparer clairement votre semaine de travail de votre week-end et de veiller à ce qu’il y ait une DIFFÉRENCE entre les deux. Il en va de même pour le temps de travail en général et le temps de repos/loisirs.
Longue Durée :
D’après ce que nous savons jusqu’à présent, il semble que ce sera un long parcours. C’est pourquoi il est vital pour chacun d’entre nous – adultes et enfants – d’intégrer et de maintenir une excellente hygiène mentale dans notre vie quotidienne.
Dans le cadre de notre ROUTINE, avant la pandémie, nous avions généralement une semaine de travail suivie d’un week-end.
Voyons comment nous pouvons introduire dans notre nouvelle vie une routine particulière malgré le fait que nous soyons tous confinés à la maison, jour et nuit.
Marquer le week-end :
Je vous invite à terminer votre semaine professionnelle, qui s’est probablement déroulée en télétravail. Pour beaucoup d’entre nous, c’est une grande première.
Je vous suggère également de vous préparer, vous et votre famille, pour le week-end.
Organiser un événement spécial le vendredi soir pour marquer l’entrée du week-end pourrait être une bonne idée.
Vous pourriez également imaginer quelque chose de spécial pour le dimanche soir, pour marquer la fin du week-end.
Il est tout aussi important pour les enfants d’établir de nouvelles routines et cela pourrait les aider à participer à la vie familiale dans ces circonstances très particulières.
Beaucoup de gens souffrent du blues du dimanche soir… Comment le fait de ne pas retourner au bureau ou à l’école le lundi matin nous affectera-t-il? Essayez de vous concentrer sur les quelques avantages de rester à la maison. J’en vois au moins un pour beaucoup d’entre nous : Pas de trajet quotidien, pas d’embouteillages, pour commencer…
Partagez-moi vos expériences sur ces points positifs que vous découvrez !
Et si vous vivez seul ?
Si vous vivez seul, l’idée de dire au revoir à vos collègues le vendredi après le travail peut être encore plus importante que si vous vivez en groupe.
Si vous êtes seul tout le week-end, vous pourrez peut-être faire équipe avec des amis via un média virtuel et profiter d’une partie du dîner ensemble ou organiser un évènement spécial pour bien démarrer le weekend. Nous avons fait cela avec ma famille et c’est en fait très touchant et très émouvant. Et surtout très plaisant.
Il va sans dire que si vous êtes en confinement strict, que vous avez été testé positif et que vous n’êtes même pas autorisé à faire des courses essentielles ou à faire une petite promenade, essayez d’avoir des contacts sociaux virtuels pendant le week-end avec des personnes que vous aimez et qui tiennent à vous.
Prendre congé de votre équipe pour le week-end :
Si c’est possible, organisez une réunion informelle le VENDREDI pour marquer la fin de la semaine de travail.
Je ne dirai pas à quelle heure, car cela peut dépendre du type de lieu et du pays dans lequel vous vivez.
Dans mon pays, la Suisse, certaines professions terminent tôt le vendredi, notamment les ouvriers du bâtiment et les professions liées à ce secteur.
Vous pouvez travailler avec le programme de réunion d’équipe virtuelle que vous utilisez, à condition que vous puissiez tous être vus.
Portons un toast à un monde sain, qu’il y ait de la sérénité partout, que nous comprenions quels changements nous devons apporter …
Apparemment la pollution est en baisse partout, et les canaux de Venise sont clairs …
Prenez soin de vous et de vos proches. La vie est précieuse et elle sera à nouveau belle. Le monde a déjà changé. J’écrirai bientôt à ce sujet.
Allez voir : https://www.ynharari.com/fr/
Passez toutes et tous un bon week-end,
Marion
