The Cheshire Cat says in Alice in Wonderland, “We are Mad Here”. Sometimes over the last few months we have all felt a bit mad, odd, weird and unsettled as our sense of normalcy vaporized. We can equate ‘being mad’ to being upset, feeling negative and even a bit zany in the face of the ‘crazy times’ started by COVID 19 pandemic. Now that madness extends to other happenings world-wide.

As the COVID 19 Pandemic continues to ebb and flow across the nation, protests happening in some communities, a hurricane wreaks havoc on already hard hit communities and the news feeds bad news to us like a fire hose, how do we keep our wits about us? If you feel like you have dropped into the Mad Hatter Tea party, it can be disconcerting and disorienting.

We have all heard, “its crazy” out there, and it has never been ‘crazier’ when you are running a business. Business owners struggling to find any footing and keep moving forward a mid all the negativity and new normal conditions. How do you help your employees, your team stay focused in these trying times?

Here are a few things you can do to keep your organizational wits intact:

• Build up your community – That is creating a community among your employees. Ensure you are doing daily check ins, not to just talk business but to chat. Let your employees express themselves and feel like they are a part of a community. Especially for those employees working remotely, these daily checks give them a moment to connect to a larger collective. Set up theme days, virtual show and tells and ‘get to know you’ sessions so that every employee has a positive time to share.
• Catch them doing something right – That is finding wins even in the smallest of things. Now is the time to turn your attention and notice employees making positive contributions to the organization no matter how small. In this bizarre world, giving a shout out to someone for a positive act goes a long way to keeping morale high and motivating the team.
• Find ways to create positive – That is finding ways everyday to spread ‘positive’ through the world. Sending note of thanks, paying for some stranger’s coffee in a drive through behind you or sending birthday wishes on social media all spread positive energy in the world. Within your organization encourage your team to build up their peers by sharing positive feedback each other.
• Celebrate the small stuff – That is celebrate any thing that even remotely feels normal. Taking a hike, having a picnic, going to an outdoor café, anything you can do to bring back a sense of what use to be “normal” should be celebrated and shared.

“Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. Everyone reacts differently to difficult situations, and it’s normal to feel stress and worry during a crisis. But multiple challenges daily, such as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, can push you beyond your ability to cope” (MayoClinic.org, 2020)

The Mayo Clinic again outlines key steps you can take to mitigate the negative impact of the stress of dealing with the lingering effects of COVID 19. We may have covered some of these before, but reminding your team of easy ways to stay positive and keep them in the game, is paramount.

• Get enough sleep
• Participate in physical activities
• Eat healthy
• Avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs
• Limit screen time and unfriend or block negativity on your social media platform
• Relax and recharge
• Keep a routine
• Limit exposure to new media
• Stay busy
• Set priorities
• Make connections
• Get professional support when necessary

“Hoping mental health problems such as anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms. If you have concerns or if you experience worsening of mental health symptoms, ask for help when you need it, and be upfront about how you’re doing” (MayoClinic.org, 2020).

If you feel like you are falling through the rabbit hole, The Mayo Clinic also outlines specific things to do to keep your mental health as positive as possible.

• Call or use social media to contact a close friend or loved one — even though it may be hard to talk about your feelings.
• Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
• Contact your employee assistance program, if your employer has one, and get counseling or ask for a referral to a mental health professional.
• Call your primary care provider or mental health professional to ask about appointment options to talk about your anxiety or depression and get advice and guidance. Some may provide the option of phone, video or online appointments.
• Contact organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for help and guidance.

For more specific information or find more resources visit https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/mental-health-covid-19/art-20482731

It’s a crazy, bizarre, weird, odd time for sure. It is in these times, that staying positive and finding the silver lining as never been more important. Helping your team stay positive and keeping their and your head in the game is the only way to get over through this rabbit hole. Focus on the positive opportunities a and alter the reality your are experiencing, because the Cheshire Cat also says, “I’m not crazy. My Reality is just different from yours”.

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