In my previous life I was an HR Manager, and I have to say that in some ways the unpredicability of this current situation reminds me of being in HR!
And so this has made me think of management theory…. Stephen Covey’s famous book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ says there are things we can control and things we cannot. These are the ‘circles of concern’ and the ‘circles of influence’.
‘Circle of concern’ includes global warming, the economy, attitudes in society, the organisation you work for, other people’s actions etc. And this current unprecedented situation.
There may be little you can do to have large impact on many of these things. Therefore expending your finite energy/time on them may be a waste of time – the equivalent of shouting at the TV.
‘Circle of influence’ is much smaller. It’s the things you can do something about.
The size of the circle and what’s in it varies from person to person.
The key is to focus your energy on these things that you can influence – this will enable you to make effective changes.
Proactive people focus on what they can do and can influence, and reactive people focus their energy on things beyond their control.
Focussing your energy on the things you can influence enables you to make effective changes, which leads your circle of influence to increase.
Conversely, if all your energy goes into those things you cannot change, your circle of influence will shrink. Not only will you drain your mental energy, other people may start to see you as unduly negative.
The present situation and the government’s response to it clearly falls out of your own circle of influence, so if you are to preserve your sanity and respond in the most effective way for your limited mental and physical energy, you need to focus on the things within your circle of influence.
So here are some examples within your circle of influence:
Healthy diet
Limiting social media use
Good hygiene practices
Supporting local and small businesses
Daily gratitude
Daily exercise
Adequate sleep
Keeping to a routine
Positivity
Kindness
Being a good neighbour
Safeguarding the vulnerable
Keeping up your stepcount
Keeping in touch via phone
Playtime with kids
Smiling at people
Financial audit
Housework
Meditation
Hobbies
Focussing on your circle of influence will make you feel more in control and therefore safeguard your mental health.
In what ways will you be proactive within your circle of influence today?