In the first of our BRC Learning webinar series we welcomed Evelina Dzimanavičiūtė a Leadership Trainer, Consultant and Coach to explore the impact that the pandemic has had on our lives and our leadership.
Here are the key takeaways:
- A crisis (such as COVID-19) can trigger our most basic survival instincts. The result can be that responses and behaviours become irresponsible, impulsive, emotional, and either over-protective or reckless. Unfortunately, the rational, logical part of our brain is the most energy-consuming, which we cannot afford if we need to fight imminent danger.
- Our brain cannot define what is real, and what is imagined danger. We are capable of switching on our stress response just by thinking about the worst-case scenario, even if we are not physically under threat at that moment.
- Our stress response can mean that we are not able to think creatively, be productive, and learn new things until we have a sense of safety and belonging restored.
- During a crisis we also become dependent on others and go the extra mile to help and support our network. If we are not able to maintain our sense of connection and contribution, this has a detrimental effect on our mental wellbeing.
- Through evolution, we have developed a set of basic needs which can be described as the S.E.A. of Human Needs:
- SAFETY. This is our most basic instinct – we are hard-wired to survive, as a primary concern. In a modern environment, this manifests as our need for familiarity, repetition and routine, having a home and our own belongings, having clear expectations about what is going to happen, and having a level of control over it.
- EVOLUTION. In contrast to the safety, we are also driven about curiosity to explore what's beyond the boundaries of our safe territory, venture into the unknown in search for new resources, learn new skills, explore new possibilities. In the modern world, this translates into our need for novelty, excitement, challenge, improvement and growth, learning something new, engaging in creative work, and our love for travelling.
- AFFILIATION. We are also wired to avoid exclusion at all cost. Many of our modern fears and anxieties (such as fear of public speaking, meeting new people, being judged) are rooted in this evolutionary need to belong. In our working environment, this manifests as the need to be part of the group, sense of belonging and community contribution, being liked, noticed, appreciated, as well as the importance of being needed and valued by others.
- While all of these needs are required people will typically only expect one of them from their work life, based on what is occurring in their personal lives. This will play a key role in what motivates that person to come to work and perform at their best. For example, a person who has a stable family and home routine will expect more personal challenge at work, while someone who has difficulties at home will want the same role, familiar environment, and mundane tasks at work to fulfil their sense of safety.
How can we increase individual resilience to cope, restore capacity to learn and innovate?
There are 3 ways we can bring back the balance in our physical and emotional wellbeing:
- Top-down. This means utilising our top parts of the brain to calm down and regulate lower, more primitive, emotional parts of our brain. It can be done through positive thinking, mindset, visualisations, focusing on what is in our control, mindfulness meditation, having the right facts, knowledge, and positive self-talk.
- Bottom-up. This means calming down our brain through our body. It is done through physical exercise, adjustments in our posture, our habits, routines, diet and sleep.
- Outside-in. That is regulating our physical and mental responses through the external environment. It involves having separate space for work and rest, being in nature, listening to music, connecting to other people, surrounding ourselves with positive images and objects that help us to relax, feel connected and inspired.
You can view a recording of the webinar here.
Next Webinar
The Impact on ‘Our Business’ with Katie Mabbett, Deputy Store Director at Harrods - Wednesday 27th May | 2pm – 3:30pm
During the next session we will be exploring the impact on our people and our customers through the crisis. How has COVID-19 affected the businesses we work for and what does this mean for us and our teams?
Attendees will gain:
- New insight into how the crisis continues to impact retail brands, it’s people and its customers
- An understanding of how businesses can live it’s values when the external environment is unpredictable
- A view on how their own businesses have responded and what role they can play in supporting its recovery