It’s essential to maintain a healthy mindset during COVID-19, especially for financial advisors striving to normalize their operations. Prioritizing your own health and wellness will help to keep your mindset positive despite all the changes occurring worldwide and help you stay in the right frame of mind to continually serve your clients. Here are some tips to help keep a healthy mindset under the current circumstances:
Break Up Your Work into Manageable Chunks
One of the most challenging aspects of COVID-19 is keeping yourself motivated when so many external challenges keep popping up. While you can’t neglect your business, it’s important to be empathetic with yourself and understand that you may need more time to accomplish tasks during this challenging situation. To keep yourself motivated, break your workday into short, manageable chunks and take small breaks in between. By interspersing work with relaxation, you can keep your work on track while still taking time for self-care.
Express Gratitude
A lot is going sideways right now across the world, so it’s essential to take a step back and remember what truly matters in your life. Focusing on the gratitude you feel for your family, friends, and passions will help you remember what you’re working for, allowing you to stay motivated throughout the coming weeks. To remind yourself of all the things you might be grateful for, make a long list and keep it next to your workstation. If you haven’t already, I recommend you surround your workstation with photos of your friends and family to brighten your workday. Whenever you feel stressed or helpless, look at this list and the photos to remind yourself of your motivations.
Try to Establish Routine
One of the biggest challenges of this stay-at-home order has been the interruption of the daily routine. People have been conditioned to drive to work in the morning and follow a strict schedule, and this routine provides a sense of stability and comfort. Though you may have to adjust your usual routine, it’s important to schedule your day to create a sense of normalcy. Having a set time for making coffee, exercise, meditation, answering emails and scheduling regular meetings can help you adjust more easily to the new normal.
Remember You’re Not Alone
All across the world, people are experiencing the same dilemmas that face us every day. While this may not make the immediate situation better, it does help to maintain compassion for everyone you cross paths with. Take the time to support your friends, neighbors, and those in your network from afar, and let them know that they aren’t alone. By working together and maintaining compassion, our communities will make it through this unprecedented situation.
Take a Breather
The one downside to remote work is that it blurs the lines between your office and home. While it can be tempting to sneak in some emails on the weekends, be sure to create distinct chunks of time off to maintain your mental health. Dedicate at least one day and ideally two days a week where you “unplug” and don’t check your work email. To further improve your mental health, I challenge you to take a complete break from the news and social media during your day(s) off. By separating yourself from the demands of the modern world, you’ll actually rejuvenate yourself and be more energized throughout the rest of the week.
Conclusion
Since COVID-19 presents a new set of challenges for financial advisors, it’s essential to commit more time to self-care. By setting boundaries throughout your work week, taking time off, and focusing on what you’re grateful for, you’ll be in a better space to efficiently run your business!
Related: How Financial Advisors Should Maintain Their Business During COVID-19