Due to the rise of COVID-19, mental health and self-care have come to the forefront of workplace conversations about morale and productivity. But the declining emphasis on self-care is more than just a workplace issue. In this episode, Emily Elrod and Brandon Laws offer tangible tips for proactively navigating these unprecedented times, both personally and professionally. They emphasize that if we don’t prioritize mental health, we will struggle to lead and serve others effectively in every area of our lives.
GUEST AT A GLANCE
Emily Elrod is President of Workzbe, where she teaches business leaders how to create safe spaces for real discussions, hold one another accountable, foster human connection, and prioritize self-care and mental health. She is also the host of her own podcast, Unapologetically Bold, where she digs deep into what it means to be a human at home and at work.
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST
🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, Sponsored by Xenium HR
🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws
📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.”
TOP TIP FROM THIS EPISODE
Let’s not give sway to the negative thoughts that rule our behaviors.
According to Emily, we should apply techniques that help us prevent — not react to — our negative thinking, or the thoughts that “own us.” We need to “own our environment — and some of that is coming from a physiological basis — so that things don’t own us.” Our thoughts lead to our feelings which lead to our actions. That’s why Emily says we’ve “got to control this thing upstairs first.”
Emily went on to explain that, especially for high performers and top leaders, no one needs to tell them what they’re doing wrong because they already know it. Instead, they need help “getting past that hurdle of that negative thought.” Fixing the apparent problem is only temporary because you haven’t dealt with the source.
PODCAST EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Here are just a few of the self-care tips from Emily’s and Brandon’s conversation:
#1 Cherishing the moment
Emily: Whenever there’s a moment of chaos, ask yourself, “what can I cherish now?” If 80% of our thoughts go to the negative, we’re going to have to do something about it. So in your area today, right now, look around. What can you cherish?
#2 Regular Journaling
Brandon: This is something I wish I was doing more often because I think it’s so therapeutic. I think especially when people are stuck home amidst the health pandemic. […] I love being able to talk to your former or future self through journaling.
Emily: The impact of journaling [comes from] releasing that stress — at least you’re getting it out. The energy is getting out of you in some form or fashion.
#3 Getting the blood flowing
Brandon: It doesn’t even have to be something crazy or elaborate. Just 20-30 minutes on the elliptical, going out for a walk, doing a couple planks, walking between meetings. I think it’s so refreshing for the mind. When you’re sitting there staring at a screen all day or sitting down, the lack of blood flow cannot be helping us.
Emily: Well, they’re saying now that sitting is the new smoking. […] So whenever you’re exercising, it actually releases some of those things that we talked about earlier, like the loving grandmother, oxytocin, dopamine, the cheerleader, the body, serotonin safety cop of the body, as I call it.
#4 Escaping through reading
Brandon: I love reading. It’s an escape. I don’t read a lot of fiction, but I read a lot of nonfiction and it just gets my brain turning in a way that inspires me. I especially like it when I can pair it with something that gives me some sort of relaxation, like a tea or a cuddle up with a blanket on the couch or something.
#5 Me-time
Emily: My me-time is people time. It fills my soul. Whatever your me-time is, do it. What fills you up? In the line of work that I do, I have to empty my cup into so many other people.
Brandon: What I’ve also found about me-time is if you can schedule it, especially if you’ve already gone through the exercise of asking for what you need. Then you’ve got an agreement with somebody and [you can say] “I need this; I’m going to schedule it in my calendar at this time, and I’m going to stay committed to it.” I think that’s really important. I don’t do that enough.
#6 Breathing exercises or meditation
Brandon: I think it’s necessary to just pause and clear your mind. Clear out the noise and just live in the moment, even if it’s like a couple of minutes. I don’t do it a ton, but when I do it, it’s so therapeutic. Nothing else matters. Just live in the moment.
Emily: Breathing is so important. We can multitask, but we can not multi-focus. So I can be talking with you, I can be writing, I could be doing some other things, but our bodies are trained to go at one thing at a time, one thought pattern at a time. And so that is very important whenever you’re just focusing on one thing so intently, like your breath.
#7 Connecting with a loved one and showing appreciation
Brandon: Not only does it feel good to give appreciation, but you know, people are gonna give it right back. […] it fills me up. I love seeing people’s reactions. Maybe it’s a selfish need on my side, but it’s a win-win because they’re benefiting from my appreciation, like whether I’m sending a note or holding the door open or randomly calling or texting somebody.
Emily: They need that experience. They need that love. They need that connection. So calling on your people, loving them, sending text messages, physically talking to them. Hearing people out is beyond important, especially right now, because a lot of people don’t feel heard, they don’t feel seen, and they don’t feel listened to.
LEARN MORE
If you’d like to hear even more tips from this conversation, check out the full podcast here. To learn more about Emily Elrod, you can find her and send her a message on LinkedIn. You can also check out the work that Emily is doing at workzbe.com or by listening to her podcast, Unapologetically Bold.