The Stress of COVID and Politics

Everywhere you look, you’re likely to see people facing an unprecedented amount of stress. Mental health experts know stress during times like this can impact people in many different ways and may be exhibited by:

• Fear and worry about ones’ own health and the health of your loved ones, the financial situation or job, or loss of support services relied on.
• Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
• Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
• Worsening of chronic health problems.
• Worsening of mental health conditions.
• Increased use of tobacco, and/or alcohol and other substances.

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to stress during these unprecedented times can depend on your background, social support from family or friends, your financial situation, your health and emotional background, the community you live in, and many other factors. 

As a leader in the family business, how do you help your family and employees navigate the current situations?

Part of the answer needs to lie within each individual. Each individual needs to have a level of self-awareness so as not to react inappropriately. Respond, don’t react. As Families in Business it is important to help all family members and employees to understand themselves. They, after all, represent the family and the business. Inappropriate reactions are not healthy.

Another part of the answer lies within the structure of the organization. Are the processes, procedures, workflow, reporting dynamics, or structures creating a toxic environment or contributing to the stress levels? 

Leadership needs to look in the mirror and honestly explore their contribution to the crisis.

-       How much added stress are we creating in our family, or in our business, or for our employees?

-       How are we helping our family and team members gain higher levels of self-awareness? 

-       What are we doing to provide proper and acceptable ways of dealing with stress?

Grit and resilience are critical to personal care. Taking care of your family and employees can be a stress reliever, but it should be balanced with care for yourself. 

Leading a successful family business through unprecedented times requires a clear understanding of positive family relationships and a clear understanding of business relationships (known as employees, management, vendors, and customers). 

 

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