How to Help Your Remote Team with Anxiety đ„
During times of uncertainty or stress, conscious leaders can help their teams cope then thrive
One of the core characteristics of conscious leadership is looking at everyone they interact with as a holistic person, not just the particular role theyâre in at that moment. For remote teams, that means leaders who not only assist employees with their work projects, but helping develop them overall. During times of crisis or uncertainty, many people struggle with anxiety. The following five steps can help conscious leaders help their remote teams with anxiety.
Rise from Catabolic to Anabolic Energy
There are two types of energy that we each experience at any given time: catabolic and anabolic. Catabolic energy is destructive, dense energy that produces cortisol. It is the âfight or flightâ response that is necessary in certain situations, but staying in this energy long term can cause serious physical and psychological issues.
Anabolic is constructive, lighter energy, that builds and boosts. It produces more of the happy hormones that make us feel good and provide confidence. We fluctuate between these two energies all day, depending on our thoughts and responses to whatâs going on around us. Most people desire to remain in higher anabolic energy as much as possible.
Right now weâre being bombarded with heavy, dense news that drags down our thoughts and energy towards negativity and sadness. This impacts our overall response to work, family, and anything else important to us. Conscious leaders can help their teams increase anabolic energy in a variety of ways; a few of which follow below.
Acknowledge and Validate
There are probably no greater skills for helping with anxiety than acknowledging and validating. Acknowledging means letting others know you are truly, deeply listening to them. This is a rare experience for most. Oftentimes they are used to talking to someone who has an opinion, and only half listening. The gift of being fully present for someone is unequaled. Acknowledging is mirroring back what youâve heard in a way that deeply connects with the other person.
Validating is a powerful companion to acknowledging because it recognizes the emotions tied to whatâs being expressed. By validating someone, we make it okay for them to experience the emotions theyâre feeling in a nonjudgmental way. Itâs rare for someone to be able to completely share their feelings with someone else who doesnât have an agenda, bias or opinion. The purpose of validation is releasing negative energy and emotions and helping the expresser feel normal for what theyâre experiencing.
By acknowledging and validating your team members when they are feeling anxiety, you can help them process and move past catabolic thoughts and energy that could be weighing them down.
Understand Locus of Control
The âlocus of controlâ concept is popularly used in psychology. It refers to the inherent belief a person has about whether it is internal or external matters that determine their success or failure. Those who believe external factors have the greatest influence on their outcomes have a higher propensity towards anxious thoughts. During a time of a truly external threat such as a pandemic, even those who normally believe they can determine their outcomes can grapple with anxiety. Help them understand that while they canât control these external factors, they certainly can control their internal responses to the threat. Determining what they can control about themselves and their environment helps restore a sense of purpose and can ease anxiety.
Provide coaching or therapy
Some organizations have recognized that what weâre experiencing right now is emotionally-draining. This reaches far beyond work and normal life. It can feel like a trauma because of the sudden impact and change to life. Some companies are either offering therapy sessions with professionals, or paying for apps or other therapy-type service for employees. Offering some form of therapy for employees is certainly conscious leadership of caring for the whole person.
Coaching is another fantastic way to help employees process what theyâre experiencing. It helps them draw on their inner strength and prioritize what really matters to them in their life and career. As a coach, I lead clients dealing with anxiety through a Safety Net exercise. We talk about their worst-case scenario, then talk about how realistic it is (often times our mind exaggerates situations, which produces great fear), then we discuss their safety net plan. This exercise helps the client create awareness around their fear, accept what could happen, then step into choice. This greatly relieves anxiety because the client has processed the fear and developed a plan for their worst-case scenario.
Evoke Humor
Anxiety tends to make us very serious. We canât relax or enjoy what we used to enjoy in life. So evoking some humor with your team can help relieve some anxiety. Talk about the fun things in life that they find enjoyable. Share some funny jokes or cat videos. Whatever helps your team step out of their anxiety for a few moments and engage in some laughter.
These are the five items I recommend for conscious leaders guiding their team through anxiety in difficult times. Youâll also find specific ways unique to your team to help guide them through this and any future crises. The key is to remain present, engaged, and ready to serve your team so they can cope then thrive through the experience.
I will soon be launching a training series for employers and employees to hone their remote work skills and bring more conscious leadership to work. Stay posted for these exciting and timely new courses!Â
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