For many of us, it’s been almost a month we work from home and go through a situation that might be uncomfortable. Many things are going through our minds. Anxieties about future survival, about the fate of the company, conditions of our colleagues and even our own. At this point our sense of ego and emotions are often tested.
It is natural that in difficult times like now we are quickly carried away emotionally, unstable and easily offended. As social beings, humans are accustomed to gathering and socializing, but now we are likened to birds in a cage, unable to go freely and gather as they pleased. Nobody knows when this situation will improve.
What can we do to dispel our fears and worries? There are several things we can do in the current situation, namely applying at least four of the 30 principles of managing anxiety from Dale Carnegie’s famous book. “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”.
- Remind yourself of the exorbitant price you can pay for worry in terms of your health
The more we are haunted by a prolonged sense of worry and fear, our body’s immune system will decrease, and we will get sick easily. Do we want to be harmed by that in the current situation? We might become victims of an evil virus that is sweeping the world. One question we can ask ourselves is will prolonged worry and fear can make this situation better? If the answer is no, stop worrying.
- Try to profit from your losses
We may feel something “abnormal” because we cannot come to the office for work, on the other hand, we can be closer to the family as our new “normal’. Children are happier to see their parents nearby all day. We can also do hobbies that we haven’t been able to do so far. Let’s profit from all of that and be thankful.
- Do the very best you can
Focus on doing the tasks that have been given to us the best we can. Example: if we are given a target to call clients every day, try your best to meet these targets.
- Pray
Submit our life to God. We have done the best we can to help the company. The rest we leave it to the One who gives sustenance, because our soul mate, death and fortune have been set by our Creator.
Those are the things we can do to calm ourselves down in facing the present situation. After we calm ourselves down, take time to review our behaviour towards others. Just meeting virtually with colleagues does not mean we cannot establish good relations and work with them.
Here are some tips from Dale Carnegie written in the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”:
- Give honest, sincere appreciation
If the team has reached its target, give appreciation because they have tried as hard as possible to fulfil their obligations. Even saying “thank you” can make our team members happy. At the instance of our team members were not been able to reach their target, we can still appreciate their efforts to do their best. Avoid burdening them with nagging because the target is not achieved because there may be situations that hinder them to achieve the target.
- Become genuinely interested in other people
Asking about their situation or asking if team members need help is just some ways to give attention. When team members complain or inform about challenges they face, try to listen and provide solutions. If we can’t give a solution, be empathetic with what they say.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves
When calling other people (customers, clients, or colleagues) sometimes we tend to focus only on getting information that can benefit us. We also feel we want to finish quickly to save money on telco costs. For the other person, however, it might feel rude. It is better not to cut the conversation but try to listen to their complaints about the current situation. Maybe at that time he needed some to talk to, so be a good listener for them. Who knows we can lighten their burden? By doing so we improve the relationships, put us in a better position to work with them once all this is behind us.
- Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “you’re wrong.”
No one wants to be blamed for expressing an opinion or suggestion. Listen, think first before reacting. If our team members’ suggestions are good, do it. If it can’t be done, even if the opinion is good, give an acceptable explanation. We can also respond like thanks and ask ‘why’ to find out the reasons behind their opinions, to understand them more.
- Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view
In this life, the problems faced by each person are different, it is better not to quickly think negatively towards other people. Put ourselves in their shoes and try to understand what he is saying. If you don’t understand, it’s best to ask because if we don’t understand the person’s point of view, we might jump into a wrong conclusion or look selfish.
In the current situation, many people are depressed either because of workloads or uncertainty about the future. News that is heard, read and seen every day always raises deep concern. People become more sensitive, irritable, emotional and angry. The tips above can be applied so that we are calmer and still have a good relationship with others. It’s not easy, and we should try it first without expecting anyone else to do it with us.
Besides that, let’s keep praying that this situation will pass quickly so that we can work normally again.
Siti Mutiara Aisyah – Class Management Dale Carnegie Indonesia
