Discussing another aspect of Personal Resilience is Consultant Monica Habo. She explain how Self-Care influences business Continuity
Although the post-Covid world is our new normal, working practices are a long way away from what they used to be. For the majority of people, working 9-5 meant working 5 days a week from the office, no question. However, in this new hybrid working world employees are given the flexibility to work both from the office and at home interchangeably depending on their employer’s office working policy.
There are lots of benefits to working remotely, such as improved work-life balance and reduced commuting time. Ultimately this ensures more time for self-care and as a result, reduces stress. A study by Buffer found that remote workers experience less stress than those who work in a traditional office setting. On the other hand, hybrid working can also create the problem of being unable to separate work and personal life, with some feeling isolated.
To be able to counteract and adjust to both the pros and the cons of hybrid working, there needs to be a sense of personal resilience around how you face-up to these in order to find balance.
If we, as business continuity professionals are serious about building businesses which are robust to all sorts of crisis, then we need to acknowledge that all businesses are only as robust as the human beings who work for them. Sickness, burnout, and stress all contribute to absenteeism and/or reduced productivity among key personnel which can restrict companies’ ability to respond to a business continuity crisis. Self-care practices to build personal resilience are therefore essential to business continuity. With this in mind, below are a few of the things that I’ve built into my life in order to maintain my own personal resilience:
Change your environment
For me, this means going for a quick walk at lunchtime as a non-negotiable. Getting up and moving whenever you can is a great way to take a mental break from work and means you can come back to your desk feeling recharged. For others, this may mean working from a different location if their diary allows, for example, going to a local café to sit in, or finding a shared working space separate from their normal office.
Keeping a good routine
I like to make sure I keep a solid morning routine even when I am working from home. I know it can be more tempting to hit snooze when you don’t need to do much to prepare for the working day, but I always start my day off with a form of exercise, so I have time to gather my thoughts before starting work. This begins the night before, as getting adequate sleep in preparation for the day ahead ensures I wake up with the motivation I need to maintain my routine.
Keeping connected with colleagues:
It is beneficial to keep in touch with your colleagues whilst working alone, either through messages or over the phone. This can ensure that yourself and others still feel supported no matter where you work from. Work aside, we all need human interaction to some extent to remain vitalised and engaged with what’s going on around us.
Self-awareness:
General self-awareness allows me to be honest with myself about my needs and the things that help and hinder me in fulfilling them. For example, I know that my phone is an always available mode of distraction, so I make sure to put it on silent and stay away from social media during the working day. I also know that eating well throughout the day benefits my work performance, so I try my best to prepare my meals in advance of coming to the office. This is a great way to make sure that my work and a healthy lifestyle work together and don’t conflict with each other.
Together, these self-care techniques ensure I am as productive as possible during the working week and allows me to continue to develop as a young professional. I hope this serves as a good reminder to all that failure to prepare is preparing to fail, and that preparation begins with taking care of ourselves as individuals.
