Like many people, my life now revolves around the computer. I work from home, I socialise with friends and family online, and most of my entertainment is online. So, the title of our April event, Leadership during the age of Covid-19, had me wondering if we were going to be educated on how to lead via conference calls and webinars?
However, the experts from Mindful Life Training believe that in this difficult time we need to focus on the fundamentals of self-care, including our mental health and thought processes.
Jen Bishop, founder of Mindful Life Training, shared some statistics of how Australians are experiencing more stress and anxiety during the COVIC-19 lockdown. Jen suggested that ‘perfection is the enemy of crisis leadership’ and perhaps a more useful strategy is to practice kindness to ourselves and those around us. Jen suggested 6 practical tips to support our wellbeing during the Covid-19 lockdown:
1. Exercise for 30 minutes per day
2. Read often and widely
3. Boost vitamin B and D
4. Challenge intellect and memory
5. Take up a hobby
6. Engage in stimulating conversations
Emma Saccomani is a mental health and wellbeing facilitator and discussed the need to focus on all that we can control or influence – and let go all that we can’t control. Covid-19 is affecting all of us in a way we cannot control. We can reduce the stress this causes by focusing on simple things around the house that we can control; like keeping the place clean, sorting photos or finishing odd jobs around the house.
Tim Altman, a paddling champion and breathing expert, helped us to reset our nervous system by asking us to slow our breathing, breath through our nose and focus longer on the out breath.
Mindful Life Training has some excellent free resources on their website at www.mindfullife.com.au. They also offer a number of corporate training programs with a focus on evidence-based mindfulness practice.
This is our second monthly event online and again we demonstrated that it is possible to create a space of connection and shared learning whilst being physically scattered across the country. Thank you to the ODA community for keeping our practice alive.
Written by Carol Hautot
Leadership Team
OD Australia