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Leigh-Ann Larson is founder and CEO of Bellingham mental health provider Elevate Counseling Services.
Updated: September 27, 2021
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Beyond COVID: Get your mind ready for business
By Leigh-Ann Larson
There is no denying the enormous financial and emotional toll COVID-19 has taken on business owners. Worries over the ability to keep their doors open, employee safety, and what their post-COVID business will look like are among the many stressors keeping entrepreneurs awake at night.
The corner to a return to normalcy is starting to turn now that more than 65% of all Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, with some 59% of those living in Worcester County as of mid-September likewise protected against the virus.
Live music events, art exhibits, and botanic garden venues throughout Central Massachusetts greeted a population hungry for social and entertainment sustenance this summer while businesses of all varieties are beginning to return to an in-person workforce.
This return to routine is unquestionably positive, but it won’t be without its challenges. So, how can business owners make the road forward a little less bumpy for themselves and employees as we move toward re-integration?
As you tackle the challenges ahead, remember the adage, “One day at a time.”
“One day at a time” is a great mindset to keep yourself in the here and now as you contemplate these next steps. When we stay in the moment and engage in here-and-now activities including meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer, for example, our brains begin to relax.
The chemical response is to calm down our arousal center and experience decreased release of cortisol and adrenaline, two of the hormones at the root of stress.
Whatever uncertainty and anxiety you as a business owner may feel about re-integrating to a more normal work environment, those feelings are probably shared by your employees. It’s important to be thoroughly clear in communicating your plans. If you are shifting back from remote to in person, provide as much detail as possible. Listen to concerns employees may have and take positive steps to assure them they are being heard.
When planning your company’s re-integration, be as flexible as possible. It’s important to consider your employees’ childcare needs, and their own concerns about health and well-being. Take the time to genuinely listen and accommodate as you can. These conversations provide an opportunity to address what the company has been through over the past year – and how it impacted your employees both professionally and personally.
“We’re all in this together” is much more than a cliché. One of the greatest gifts I have come to embrace as a counselor is the realization I am never alone. I have never gone through nor will I ever go through anything someone else has not overcome. And right now, your employees may need to be reminded they are not alone. You are, indeed, all in this together, working toward a common goal.
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