Author Archives: kate

Apr14

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 5: How to stay optimistic and resilient in the face of uncertainty

Posted on April 14, 2020 by kate

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 5: How to stay optimistic and resilient in the face of uncertainty

Many of us are experiencing anxiety over the uncertainty that the next few days will bring. Not even the world’s health expert can say for sure how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is going to affect us in the foreseeable future. This is why a lot of us are struggling with keeping our mental health and our optimism in check.

Our brains like predictability and order. Which is why we look for patterns, rhythms, and routine. When we go out of this comfort zone, our brain perceives this as a threat and tells our body to go into stress response mode. We feel agitated and on high alert because our body responds as though it is under attack.

We might feel worried, short-tempered, distracted, unable to focus, temperamental, or scared. We might even exhibit physical symptoms like insomnia, muscle aches, headaches, faster heartbeat, tension, neck pains, etc. All of which are stress responses. It’s our mind and body going through its fight or flight programming in response to stress.

We won’t be able to cure uncertainty for we will never know what the future holds. However, there are some things that we can control. We can teach our brain to actually reframe our way of thinking and create a few strategies to build resilience and keep our focus.

Rest
Restful sleep is the first thing to go when your mind is full of worry. However, rest is essential in order to boost your resilience. A well-rested mind and body is more equipped to combat stress than a tired one. Make sure to prioritize sleep by working out how many hours of sleep you need to feel well-rested and then make that a daily target.

Move
Outdoor activities may be hard to come by when you’re in quarantine or self-isolation. However, there are exercise videos on youtube that you can move along to. There are also a lot of movement apps that you can follow along. A few things you can do at home include yoga, Zumba, Kinect games (if you have an Xbox Kinect), bodyweight exercises, jump rope, etc. If you’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where outdoor exercises can be done while still practicing social distancing, then go for a quick run, hike, or even walk the dog. Exercise will help you release those valuable feel-good hormones called endorphins. You will need that so that you can stay resilient and optimistic.

Connect
For the sake of our mental health, all of us need to feel that we are part of something greater than ourselves. Our sense of belonging and of the community suffers when we put ourselves in quarantine or self-isolation. This is why we have to stay connected. Schedule calls to family and friends. Commit to giving back to your community. Find ways to help out, even from your homes. You can donate, help organize a feeding program, purchase and send protective gear to frontliners. Thinking of others helps build resilience, and being able to help creates optimism and spreads hope. We all need those during these dark and uncertain times.

What are your tips to stay optimistic and resilient? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Apr6

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 4: How can Employers Support their Workforce?

Posted on April 6, 2020 by kate

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 4: How can Employers Support their Workforce?

The Covid19 Coronavirus is spreading fast and has reached global pandemic levels. It doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon and more and more countries go on nationwide lockdown. To mitigate the spread of the virus, the most sensible precaution is to self-quarantine and practice social distancing. So for everyone’s health, working from home is going to be the new normal.

This is why a lot of businesses are encouraging their employees to work from home. Not a lot of businesses have the capacity to allow their workforce to work remotely though. So some might be making huge adjustments to the work from home setup.

To keep the economy running, the workforce has to be operational. For employers, it has to be business as usual. That means adapting to online ways of working and taking steps to support a remote working workforce.

While running a team from home, employers need to evaluate and recalibrate their remote working strategy. From time to time. Plan to do regular “health checks” to see if your business continuity plan is still aligned and working. Do you need to assess your readiness for supporting work from home employees? Here are a few questions to ask:

How are the employees working from home?

Do they have the devices that will enable them to work from home? (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc)
Do they have the correct digital tools? (Enterprise apps, Learning systems, Collaboration suites, etc.)
Do they have a dedicated workspace or are they just making do with working off a side table? (Quiet space, spare room, etc.)
Do they have a stable network? (Hardwired internet connection, mobile data, etc.)

What else do they need?

Send out an online survey (which they can complete before a deadline)
Send them private feedback forms (which they can choose to answer anonymously)
Encourage them to send real-time messages for suggestions on how you can help them

How do we improve collaboration?

Use project tracking and management tools (Wrike, Trello, Zoho Projects, MS 0365, etc.) and make sure to invest in the right collaboration software (one that doesn’t have a steep learning curve and is practical for the company – in short, you don’t need all the bells and whistles of collaboration software so carefully consider the features you need)
Encourage innovation and idea-sharing
Deploy Subject Matter Experts to teams
Use a common language (especially if you work with different departments or lines of business)
Encourage real-time project updates and feedback
Celebrate wins, big or small
Facilitate continuous communication (instant messaging or video conferencing)

How do we improve communication?

Encourage feedback and discussion (now is the time to over-communicate, not only to keep the workforce focused and productive, but also to encourage social contact – it can get lonely in self-quarantine sometimes)
Use the right tools (small business unified comms like Office 365, Slack, Zoho Meeting, BlueJeans, Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, etc.)
Hold regular meetings (morning check-ins, water cooler discussions, end of day virtual huddles, etc.)

How are you supporting your work from home team? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Mar30

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 3: How to Stay Healthy While Working from Home

Posted on March 30, 2020 by kate

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 3: How to Stay Healthy While Working from Home

As the pandemic situation worsens, a lot of employees are being told to work from home to limit social interaction and help #flattenthecurve. While many of us are taking vitamins and boosting our immune system like crazy, we might forget that our mental health is also important.

Our health can take a downturn when we’re cooped up in a house for a long period of time. We are social creatures, and keeping a social distance is highly unnatural for us. However, it is essential during these times. In this light, here are some important mental health practices that you can do while you’re on self-quarantine:

Setting a schedule and taking breaks
Now that most of us are working from home, it could be hard to draw the line between work and personal time. The line where work ends and your personal time begins can be blurry. It is extremely important for you to assign a “core schedule”. This is a period of time where you start work and stop working (for example 9am to 6pm). Stick to this work schedule as much as you can. Set yourself an alarm for a “hard-stop” where you must walk away from work and leave it for tomorrow.

Remember to schedule breaks throughout your workday. Just like on-site work, two 15 minute breaks and a lunch break can refresh your body and mind and improve your productivity and focus.

Sleep
The blurry boundaries between work and personal time can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule. You might not be able to leave your work stress at the office because home is now the office. To combat this, you must practice proper sleep hygiene. Studies show that having a consistent routine of waking up and going to bed at the same time each day, helps regulate your sleep schedule. Also, don’t work from your bedroom so that you don’t associate it with work. Have a separate work area. You’re also probably chugging a lot of coffee so watch your caffeine consumption. Experts advise to stop drinking coffee at least seven hours before bed.

Exercise and fitness
It is scientifically proven that too much sitting can lead to a lot of health complications. So, try to pencil in workouts into your work from home schedule. Take advantage of online workout classes. Don’t forget to set yourself a reminder to get up and stretch once every hour.

Stock your pantry with healthy snacks and meals. You can’t go wrong with leafy greens, whole grains, and fresh fruits and veggies. Stock up on foods that are fortified with vitamins A, B, C, and minerals Selenium and Zinc. Take note that you cannot get Vit D from supplements. You can only get it through sun exposure which could be extra challenging when you’re cooped up at home. If feasible, open a sunny window for a few minutes to get some sun exposure.

How do you stay healthy during a lockdown? We’d love to hear your staying healthy tips. Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Mar23

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 2: What You Need To Know To Start Working From Home

Posted on March 23, 2020 by kate

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 2: What You Need To Know To Start Working From Home

The global pandemic has now affected the way we work. Since major cities encourage self-quarantine, many employees have, by now, been given the go signal by their employers to start working from home in order to practice social distancing.

Now, a lot of on-site workers are very excited to experience the comforts of working from home and the schedule flexibility that comes with it. Little do they know that it takes more than bringing home a laptop to get the hang of working from home. You are going to need self-discipline and laser focus to stay away from the 3 WFH temptations: the fridge, the bed, and the tv.

Kidding aside, on-site workers are going to have to get used to a few changes in their daily routine. While a work from home set up offers more time since daily prep and commute are taken out of the equation, remote workers might just find themselves trying to fill that void with activities to keep them “busy for the sake of being busy”.

If you’re new to working from home, here are a few things you should know:

You have to get into the right mindset

Many people have this idea that remote workers lounge all day in their pajamas and work off of their kitchen tables. This is not true. When you work from home, you have to make the mental shift from personal time, to work time. That means dressing up for work and having a designated workspace.

Create a workspace

As mentioned, a dedicated workspace is important for you to be able to get into a productive and focused mindset. That means not working from your bed or off the kitchen table. If you have the space, plan to set up a home office. If not, designate a quiet and clutter-free space away from distractions.

Have a core schedule

The topmost complaint of remote workers is that they have a hard time unplugging from work. This is because when you work where you live, it’s hard to know when your shift ends and your personal time starts. Those lines blur at times when you’re too busy to notice. This is why it is important to stick to a routine and assign start and stop times for yourself. Set an alarm for a hard-stop and walk away from work. It can wait for another day.

Stay connected

Use technology to your advantage and stay connected with co-workers. Take note that chat and instant messages need an extra layer of clarity as people won’t be able to see your body language and hear your tone of voice.

Have you just recently started working from home? How are you finding it so far? What tips can you give employees who are new to remote working? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Mar17

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 1: Myth Busting and PSA

Posted on March 17, 2020 by kate

Coronavirus Quarantine Preparations Part 1: Myth Busting and PSA

As of writing, most of the major cities, capitals, and even nations are locking down due to the coronavirus or Covid-19. Countries such as France, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, and the very hard hit, Italy are all on country-wide lockdowns as the death toll climbs. Land, air, and sea travel in and out are prohibited.

Naturally, this worldwide pandemic made people scared to go out in fear of contracting the virus. Many Americans have already received updates from their employers advising them to work from home and schools have already canceled classes. So, most of us are all quarantined in our homes. Panic, isolation, plus very easy sharing methods in social media make a perfect recipe for fear-mongering. This is why a lot of fake news permeates the social media scene.

As a public service, The Help will be sharing some coronavirus quarantine preparations to help you and your family get ready. In part 1, we share facts to help dispel the myths that are circulating on the interwebs. These facts are all sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Myth: Antibiotics can prevent and treat Covid-19
Fact: Antibiotics do NOT work on viruses. They only work against bacteria. Since Covid-19 is a virus, antibiotics WON’T work in preventing or treating it.

To date, there is no medicine specifically approved to prevent or treat Covid-19, yet. For people who have already contracted the virus, antibiotics can be used to treat any bacterial co-infection as part of supportive care.

Myth: Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will kill the new coronavirus
Fact: Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will NOT kill the new coronavirus. You can use chlorine to disinfect surfaces and 70% rubbing alcohol to sanitize your hands when soap and water are not readily available.

Remember that these substances are still harmful when ingested at full strength. So don’t get them in your eyes or mouth.

Myth: Covid-19 can be transmitted through mosquito bites.
Fact: Covid-19 CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites. Covid-19 is spread through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. So avoid close contact with people who are coughing or sneezing.

It is a good idea to practice social distancing, which is maintaining at least a six-foot (approx 2 meters) distance between yourself and others. No cheek to cheek kisses, no hugs, no handshakes. Avoid crowds and large gatherings such as weddings, concerts, conferences, sporting events, and mass transit.

Myth: Hot weather kills Covid-19
Fact: COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates. Actually, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS regardless of climate. Hot weather cannot kill the virus, nor can cold weather and snow.

Frequently cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water is still the most effective way to protect yourself against the virus.

Have you heard anything that turned out to be fake news regarding the coronavirus? What’s the real deal? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!