Navigating the Lockdown Part 1: Maintaining a Positive Mindset Whilst Working from Home

In the first of a series of HR-focused blogs on Navigating the Lockdown, Riverbed’s HR Operations Manager for APJ, Venkatesh Subramanian, looks at how employees can make the most of their time working from home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has all of us standing at a crossroads wondering how to get through the unprecedented time ahead. Quite suddenly, we have moved into a new workplace culture of ‘working from home’ away from our familiar office environment and colleagues. And not just for an occasional day avoiding distractions from a major project with a tight deadline—but for the foreseeable future. This calls for resilience, and procrastination must be avoided.

When it comes to maintaining a positive mindset, the choice has always been ours, individually. We either surrender to the global negativity and let it pile up on top of us, or take a positive stance by upping our commitment to contribute to the business we work for and support its customers through difficult times—with the bonus of developing invaluable experience as a result.

Avoid the negative

Believe firmly that you are not a victim of the situation you find yourself in—it’s an opportunity for strengthening your work, family and community commitments and interactions.

Limit the negative news you hear, watch and read. Be open to the brighter side of lockdown—many news outlets and social media sites are full of positive stories and ideas. Start evaluating yourself and your reactions, as self-awareness helps you discover a new part of yourself. Learn to walk away from distressing news.

Set your own limitations on how aware you should be of the news. We have to learn to not get caught up in the constant hourly and daily cycle on the developing pandemic with the potential anxiety that it can bring.

Practicing yoga and meditation keeps your body healthy and the mind calm—as does a physical exercise regime, even if it’s just walking in the local park or down the street with a neighbour, your children or dog. The state of your body and mind is key to conquering dread and anxiety.

Embrace the positive

Begin to look at the situation from a new perspective. Have the courage and the determination to lean towards the positive. While you might miss the physical companionship of your team, WFH also helps you learn and practice valuable time management skills.

Start prioritising your daily tasks and learn to give yourself some ‘self-time’ away from your busy work schedule and endless video conferences. Also factor in the time you spend on home—schooling your children, as well as necessary household tasks. In this dedicated self-time, focus on a hobby or activity that adds joy to your living and avoid electronic devices and media. The more you shift your focus to positive thoughts, the more potential fears and worries will dissipate.

Gratitude builds a feeling of joy within oneself. Be grateful for all that you have today. Your existence, momentary pleasures, work, social and family relationships are all part of your grateful list. When we are thankful, we release positive emotions, keeping us and those around us, positive and happy.

Last but not least, remember that we will only recover from the stress of this pandemic by constant effort and mindfulness. In the years ahead, when we look back on this uncertain time, we will pride ourselves on our ability to carve a positive path through tough times. So, let’s begin today!

Working at Riverbed Technology

The truth is, with IT teams across the world now supporting innumerable WFH employees and shifting more workloads into the cloud, there has never been a greater need for Riverbed’s solutions to maintain performance and manageability. With organisations expecting to see a 25% increase in employees working remote event after COVID-19, the need for Riverbed’s technology will only increase in the months and years to come.

If you’d like to learn more about working at Riverbed, including current roles, visit our website.