Indoindians joined hands in collaboration with Ananta to host Indoindians’ first ever Ask Me Anything (AMA) with coach/facilitators Lalit and Shalini Matai. During this session, participants are allowed to ask about anything that concerns them or solutions to problems that they are facing.
On Being Sustainable Inside and Out
At this difficult time, many asked questions about the state of their company. Particularly how to survive in such situations where the world around us is in state of emergency. Shalini Matai answers this question, “every company has to practice being sustainable during these hard times. Do what it takes to withstand the pressure and survive”. But changes are not only expected within the company, but also externally. It has to work in synergy, including clients who become cooperative towards the company.
During these times, it will also be useful to upscale procedures to employees, such as online facilitation. You can train people to work in zoom, or any other skill sets. These days, learning does not have to be one-on-one, but can be done online. So, everyone has to decide on themselves what they can do to learn online.
On Staying Positive and Optimistic
Other than that, they also offered tips to remain optimistic and staying positive for the next six weeks. The trainers recommend to be aware when fear takes over our minds, as it is the beginning of spiral of pessimism. Instead, try to look at the bright side of it all by looking for opportunities. At dire circumstances such as these, the only way to deal with it is to reframe your minds. Yes, many of us can be fearful but it’s more important to be aware of the situation and your own state of mind. One way you can do this is to creating goals for the next 5-10 years to stay positive.
Resiliency and Finding Meaning of Life
Resilience is also needed to survive these dire times of need. It can be found in the mind, emotions and body. Creating a resilient space can be found by taking care of your mind, emotional space and health of the body. You can do this by taking care of how you respond to emotions, being mindful and taking care of your health. The state of your body can change your moods and even your state of mind.
In fact, one of the examples of staying resilient is through Viktor Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’. While he was in concentration camps, he made three promises to himself. First, he will get out of this alive. Second, he would do anything in his power to help people. Third, he will use this opportunity to learn what makes one resilient. Within years, he achieved all three of his goals. Building resiliency is something that can be practiced upon as long as you find something that gives you meaning and purpose. Do this by preparing a pen and paper, then writing down things that give you meaning and joy.
Fundamentals of Seeking Opportunity
Other than resilience, opportunity is abundant during times like these. It may seem impossible, but seeking opportunities is still possible. The fundamentals to finding opportunity is to find out what people value and seek more collaboration with others. All in all, try to focus on more ‘we’ than ‘I’ and find tools that facilitate that. Technology and healthcare are the sectors that are coming out as the winner.
Staying Focused While Working from Home
Besides asking how to stay positive during these difficult times, participants also asked how they could stay focused while working from home. All of this depends on how we frame our minds. Rather than thinking “I am more productive at work”, change your mindset to “I am more productive at work and at home”. After all, working at home is a blessing, as you will have time to work and taking care of children. This can be done as long as everything is scheduled and you are disciplined at implementing the schedule.
Creating Human Connection Through Video Call
As videos are becoming the mode of communication these days, it also poses a question: How can we find ways to connect humanely when videos are turned off? The answer is to try to connect to others emotionally, such as by asking how they are doing, the problems they might be having and more. This is an effective way to create an emotional connection as a temporary replacement of face-to-face connections.
Feeling Bored
Boredom is also something we all experience during the quarantine sessions. In fact, we may be feeling like we are stuck in a rut. The solution is to become more compassionate towards yourself for feeling unproductive while at home. You don’t have to BECOME productive at home, as this is the time when you are expected to stay home. But there are also many things that you can do, as this is the ideal time for improving your skills using the internet.
All in all, many of the participants learned a lot and were able to bond through the online session. The program was a huge success as there was a large turnout of participants who asked numerous questions.
