Microdosing wellness?
I've been reading quite a lot around team structure, growth and diversity, as a result I think the frequency illusion may have been kicking in - but its lead met to interesting places.
One place I found something interesting was in a blog post titled The Growth Equation: Stress + Rest = Growth where they quoted Matt Dixon a world-class triathlete and coach who said:
“Anyone can work their asses off,” ... “But it takes real courage to rest."
- Matt Dixon
This seems especially important as May is Mental Health Month in the US, and the next week (May 10th - 16th) is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK.
This got me to thinking about a miss quoted idea from Gandhi:
Be the change you want to see in the world
- Not Gandhi
So what can I do? Be public about taking time off - absolutely. Remind my teams to do the same - yes. But what about others who are not in my teams, or what about situations where you just need a pause, a moment to collect yourself?
One area of stress, especially in a COVID world has been meetings, endless back to back calls. In a physical world, you have time between meetings even if it's just walking from meeting room A to B - you get time to switch context, grab a drink etc. With all meetings happening from your desk, that's no longer there. Back to back calls can mean not even getting up from the desk for hours.
Enter #firstfiveminutes
The idea is simple. When you start your meeting, give the first 5 minutes back.
There are (of course) already tools to help with this, Outlook has a feature to start meetings late/end them early but only on Windows. Also, if there is a 10-minute gap in your calendar, someone could just schedule another meeting into that slot!
You could also try to end your meeting early - but, lets be realistic that is much harder than it seems, especially if the conversation is flowing. Fewer meetings, meeting free days/afternoons etc are all great options too - but sometimes or for some teams/people, that's just not an option.
I have decided to take matters into my own hands, to give people a microdose of calm, a moment to get water, stretch or take a bathroom break - seems silly, but the response so far has been extremely positive. I wonder if it's like giving thanks to make you happier, if giving wellness/mental health can make you healthier?
Can't hurt to try - right?
