You’ve probably heard the expression, “We’re all going through the same storm but we’re in a different boat.” People are facing a range of challenges right now as they try to learn, work, and be connected with others. We wanted to share best practices and tech-related tips with you to reduce anxiety and stress in May, Mental Health Awareness Month.
Maintain a schedule
A set schedule can help you feel more relaxed and in control of your day. To plan your day and take care of yourself, you can use a basic calendar, Outlook, or the Microsoft To-Do (it syncs to Outlook). These are some ideas to include in your schedule.
Get ready to shower and change. This simple ritual will help you get your day started.
Focus time. When you’re not on the conference call, this is when you can focus and get work done.
Daily movement. Listen to your body and determine what you need.
Social time. A chance to catch up with family and friends over video calls.
“Me time.” “Me time.”
To read, play a game or puzzle, or enjoy your hobby and other activities.
Mental health should be a family practice. Your kids should be involved in creating a shared schedule in Outlook. This will give them a sense of ownership and control. Your children will benefit from the best self-care practices over their lifetime if you help them to find it.
You can check out how others are doing
Make it a habit to check in regularly with family, friends, or coworkers with data-bi-id=”n1c2c2c1c1c1c7c1c1c1c1c1m1r2a3″ href=”https://forms.office.com/”>Microsoft Forms. Create a free survey, quiz, or poll and get a quick read on how everyone is doing today. Marc A. Brackett (Ph.D.), author of Permission To Feel says that the more accurate we can be with labeling our emotions, the easier it will be to regulate them. You can create your poll by using words from his book, the Mood Meter. Brackett is the founder of the data-bi-cn= “yale center for emotional intelligence. data-bi-id=”n4c2c2c1c1c1c7c1c1c1c1c1m1r2a3″ href=”https://www.ycei.org/”>Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
Every poll does not have to focus on people’s emotions. You can have some fun by creating polls about music, food, TV, or any other topic you choose.
Keep your children on the right track
To ensure your children are finding balance, you can use the Family Safety app preview and website. To ensure that your children are finding balance, set screen time limits for certain apps, sites, and games. Also, make sure they are viewing sites that are appropriate for them.
Do it
It’s a good thing to check off things on your list. This includes cleaning out your basement or garage, setting up your backyard or deck space, or your indoor plants, digitizing family photos or other projects that were put off. It’s possible to find joy in accomplishing something. The Microsoft To-Do App is completely free and can be used to keep track of your tasks at work and at home.
Get in touch with your family and friends. . . remotely
You can connect with others by creating fun Microsoft Teams video calls. data-bi-ct=”text” data-bi-id=”n6c1c8c1c1c1c1c1m1r2a3″ href=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/remote-resource-center/creative-ways-to-connect-and-social-distancing-activities”>creative ways to connect.
Learn something new
You don’t have to be a hobbyist or a pastime, but now is a great time for you to start one. Are you unsure what to do? These are some suggestions:
Hobbies and Crafts
Online classes
Art projects
Plan for the future if it seems uncertain
It can be helpful to write down your thoughts and make a plan for the future when things are very uncertain. Instead of worrying and letting your mind wander, you can open Word or OneNote to create mitigation plans for what you are concerned about. You don’t have to explain everything. No one can predict the future so it is best to use broad strokes. You can rest easy knowing you have a plan that you can refer back to later, should you need it.
Write 3 things you are grateful for each day. These templates will help you organize your thoughts.
Write a journal
Mindfulness journal
Bullet Journal
Present anxiety should be kept at bay
It is possible that you will be immersed in new ways of working remotely and need to quickly adapt to technology. With a Presenter coach and PowerPoint, you can reduce remote presentation anxiety and online jitters. Practice runs through your slides with Presenter Coach. You will receive a report along with suggestions on how to improve packing, pitch, filler words, and culturally sensitive terms.
Be done when you’re done with your work
It’s tempting to check your email once more, either in the evening or on weekends, to ensure that you have addressed all issues and are ready to go tomorrow. Instead, create an automatic reply in Outlook so that you can let your coworkers and friends know you are done for the day. This will let people know what to expect and allow you to relax knowing you have set expectations.
You want to know how successful you are in unplugging. You can track the days that you disconnect from work using My Analytics Wellbeing. My Analytics offers many useful statistics that will help you to improve your focus, focus, network, collaboration, and overall well-being.
Recharge and disconnect
Screen fatigue is real with so many online meetings and happy hours, calls with family, and binge-watching. For a time, put down your devices. This is a great way of winding down before you go to bed at night. Here are some alternatives:
Read a book or a printed magazine.
You should be working on a project.
Enjoy the view from your deck, yard, or porch.
How to make a healthy meal.
Listen to music –listen with no distractions.
