Mind, Emotional Intelligence, Wellbeing, and Spirit

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Mind, Emotional Intelligence, Wellbeing, and Spirit

The following text is a little different to the blasting of financial information from this strange new world we have stumbled into and may provide ideas and thereby assist you, your friends, family, employees and fellow Park Owners in a different way.

These are turbulent times, particularly for the Holiday and Home Park Industry.

Many Park Owners like order and controls, yet now we have a business, social and community environment which is anything but under control.

In these difficult times our need to do the best job possible whilst under this pressure can feel overwhelming and our Mind, Emotional Intelligence, Wellbeing, and Spirit for us all, including our family, friends and employees are of paramount importance and below are four thoughts to help you to thrive.

Mind and Mindset

It’s OK not to be OK.

We all have mental health the same as we all have physical health.

Sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s challenging.

If current events are giving you sleepless nights and leaving you with a heightened state of worry, just remember it’s OK not to be OK.

These times will test the resolve of all of us.

Talking about your new routine and encouraging the sharing of ideas may help.

It’s important to put your energy in to things you can change and not to dwell on things you cannot change.

Limit access to the news and social media to set times of the day so that there is the brain space for the work you need to do.

Encourage having a designated working area at home so you can “go to work” and leave work at the end of the day.

This also sets the expectation for family members that when you are there, you are working.

It may be an idea to have a lock on the inside of the door to stop the interruption of little people during the certain times but be clear when you can be disturbed.

If anxiety is running high, remember to talk rather than ignore any issues.

Check out rethink.org and mind.org.uk for helpful support and resources.

Even before this crisis, 1 in 4 of us lived with anxiety and depression, so you are in good productive company and there is a way through this.

If you are constantly anxious, try writing an “Anxiety Diary” by writing down the things which are concerning yourself the most at the moment.

Check on it in two week’s time, did any of it actually happen?

To counteract anxious feelings, also make a list before you go to bed of 10 good things in your life.

They could be as simple as the sun coming out today, or something which made you laugh or what you are grateful for?

By doing this just before bedtime you give your brain a chance to refocus on the positive and to create some dopamine to help you to relax.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence starts with self-awareness and being able to identify your emotions as they arise.

If you are feeling “stressed” is it really fear, overwhelm or confusion?

Describe to yourself in as much detail as you can, how you really feel.

Write it down if it helps you to get your thoughts straight.

Acknowledge that they are justified and understand that emotions are not good or bad, they are just emotions.

If you feel you can share it with someone else, it may help to get clarity.

Understanding what it really is may help you to avoid being in that position too often and allow you to build an appropriate response mechanism.

When you feel this emotion rising, pause and acknowledge it.

Then decide what outcome you would like.

Whilst lots of our buttons may get pushed, we can always choose how we react.

Focus on the long-term result and the bigger picture.

You can also improve your emotional intelligence by:

• Controlling your self-talk. What are you telling yourself? Replace judgement statements such as “I’m an idiot” with factual statements such as “I made a mistake” and accept responsibility for your actions.

• Speaking to someone who is not emotionally invested to get a wider perspective

• Visiting your personal values and deciding if your actions or responses reflect your values.

The bottom line here is showing up as a whole human being, being unafraid of transparency and working towards improving communication and relationships.

Create a New Wellbeing Routine

So, you’ve had to adapt to a new way of living and working, now is the time to make sure your wellbeing habits adapt too.

Review your current habits around food, hydration and sleep.

Are you eating a variety of foods which are good for you?

If you are living off of caffeine remember to take plenty of water with it and to avoid it in the afternoon to get better sleep.

Consider your wind down routine before you go to sleep.

Switch off the tech, take a bath, listen to soothing music and make sure the room is dark enough for you to sleep.

Getting good quality sleep helps with all areas of productivity.

Try Rain Rain as an App to play to help you to get better sleep with natural sounds, or Insight Timer Meditation App.

Small changes can have a huge impact.

Whatever you decide to do, now is not the time to berate yourself for how you feel or for making “bad choices”.

Let it go and embrace tomorrow with a different approach.

There are many online fitness courses to try, from personal trainers to yoga.

Choose one to try for a week.

Maybe if several of you try the same fitness class, you can compare notes afterwards to encourage connection.

Create a wellbeing area at home or online with employees and fellow Park owners containing ideas and courses found.

It must be beneficial not group pressure lead, if it’s not right for someone let them find their own path.

You can also use this area to post helpful hints about nutritious snacks and foods to build immunity.

There are many useful articles to signpost people, and you can use this space to share what is working.

Consider hosting a webinar for everyone to attend.

There are courses in lots of areas of wellbeing available.

Spirit

This is about community, connection and creativity.

Encourage all things creative and share what you have discovered!

From online music lessons and learning new recipes to exploring the top 10 museums via virtual means.

These things lift your spirits and help with broadening your thought process and ability to problem solve.

Keeping in touch with family and friends or finding new supportive groups on Facebook to interact with all give a feeling of belonging.

Having coffee as a group at a certain time of the day to check in with how things are going, also helps.

Consider practical development tools such as online Emotional Intelligence talks and webinars as suggestions.

We sincerely hope the above will be of some use – stay safe and well.

Kindest regards to you.

David Prince FCCA

Director