The COVID-19 pandemic and the multiple shutdowns have created financial stress for so many. That, combined with fears for our health, has resulted in so much psychological stress for most everyone. Never before has protecting our mental health been this important.
Let’s get this out of the way right upfront … I’m not a mental health professional! Truth is, I’ve even struggled with my own mental health at times. Maybe that’s why I’m so passionate about doing everything we can to protect our mental health and opted to first publish this blog in March 2020, however, it is just as relevant today.
Here are 7 things that have worked for me:
Self-Care
Your family needs you. Your work needs you. You get pulled in a lot of directions. But you need you too. Find the time every day to do something special for yourself. Create your own little ritual that’s just for you. For me, when I’m at my little shack in the woods, that means playing some vinyl records while sipping a great scotch for an hour or two. For my wife, it’s the beautiful ritual of soaking in the tub each night, headphones on listening to music.
Vision
It’s not where you are now. It’s where you’re headed. What’s your vision of where you want to be in the future? Write it down. Do a collage maybe. Post it where you’ll see it every day. Spending a few minutes every day focusing on where you’re going to be in the future often gives better context to the present (and let’s be honest, the present kind of sucks!)
Goals
Finding progress and success every day does wonders for the mind. Have a couple of short-term goals to accomplish every day. Maybe it’s a home project. Maybe it’s cleaning the garage. Start each day with a goal or two and accomplish them. For me, one of my goals during this period is to connect with a minimum of 3 people every day…clients, family, friends…who are important to me and that I care about. Remember, we are all hard-wired for connection. The sense of progress helps so much.
Personal Development
Fire up your mind by learning something new. After all, we all have a bit more time on our hands right now. It’s amazing how my mind gets refreshed every time I dig into learning. Reading, listening to audiobooks, podcasts, documentaries…there’s no shortage of things you can do. Currently, I’m reading Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. Amazing read. Give Netflix a break for a couple of hours every day.For those who have access to our online Get Selling and/or Get Managing programs, now may the time to dig in. Your mind will love you for it.
Exercise
I probably false-started 100 times on getting a daily workout routine going. I thought I was going to get back into fitness for the benefits to my body (if you know me, you know mine needs it!)What I discovered is that the benefits to my mental health dwarfed the physical benefits. Stress goes down, focus improves and confidence skyrockets. No matter what you do, just do something physical every day.
Meditate
I wish I would have invested in a meditation app before this crisis hit! From all accounts, thousands of people are discovering the benefits of daily meditation. I’m a bit of a rookie at it, but I can attest to the immense value of disconnecting so that you can self-connect. 10 minutes a day. Maybe more. Calm. Peace. Clarity. Find a meditation app and give it a try.
Gratitude
This one may be the most important, albeit the most difficult for many right now. It’s pretty scary out there. There’s loss. There’s fear. There’s uncertainty. It’s far from perfect these days. Yet, look around you and you’ll see amazing things all around you to be grateful for. Maybe start a gratitude journal. Or, just begin and end each day thinking about 3 things you’re thankful for.
I’m typically a very positive person, but when times go bad for too long, I can often forget to have an attitude of gratitude. By beginning to remember all the big and little things I should be grateful for, it makes it easier to see the sun shining brightly each day.
Writing this was way outside my usual comfort boundaries. I’m typically ranting at you to sell more, manage better, be a better retailer. It just seemed to me that given the circumstances of today, our mental health is far more important than trying to improve your Average Sale results.
We’ll all get through this. Together. And with strong and healthy minds.
At Graff Retail, we create leading-edge retail training programs specifically designed and customized to increase staff knowledge and performance with innovative teaching methods to drive sales and revenue for businesses.
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Blog Authors: Kevin
Kevin Graff is the main guy behind all things Graff Retail. A renowned retail expert, Kevin is recognized in the retail industry as a speaker, author and expert trainer. Kevin's main passion is to help retailers drive staff performance.