This document discusses maintaining well-being and professionalism during difficult times. It outlines the speaker's experience with quarantine and social distancing due to COVID-19, and the resulting emotions of feeling overwhelmed, lack of control, and disrupted routines. Methods are then provided for managing emotions, such as mindfulness, meditation, reframing negative thoughts, habit stacking, and focusing on physical health. Wellness trends discussed include the brain benefits of meditation, cognitive restructuring, and increasing physical intelligence. Resources for these methods and for part two of the discussion are also listed.

1. BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL PART 1:
Maintaining your wellbeing and
professionalism while fighting for your
business
with Vasiliki Prestidge, eCPD webinars and CIOL
Friday, 10 April, 2020

2. OVERVIEW
Remaining healthy & positive
Methods
Resources

3. My journey
Work trip in February
Quarantine: 01/03 - 14/03
Social distancing: 14/03 - to-date

4. My emotionsNOT IN CONTROL
food shop delivery
gym and studio closure
ANXIETY
loss of income streams
key industry clients struggling
OVERWHELMED
flow of news
friends & family calls
exercise content
mobile phone use

5. Result
Emotional eating
Routine disruption
Lack of sleep
Conflict and friction
Excessive exercising
Collapse

6. IT TAKES TIME TO ADAPT
BUT FIRST YOU MUST ACCEPT THE NEW SITUATION

11. Don't let your emotions
RAINs on your parade

12. R
A
I
N
S
ecognize
cknowledge, accept, allow
nquire, investigate
on-identification
elf-compassion

13. SONDER
NOUN. (UNCOUNTABLE) (NEOLOGISM) THE PROFOUND
FEELING OF REALIZING THAT EVERYONE, INCLUDING
STRANGERS IN THE STREET, HAS A LIFE AS COMPLEX AS ONE'S
OWN, WHICH THEY ARE CONSTANTLY LIVING DESPITE ONE'S
PERSONAL LACK OF AWARENESS OF IT.

14. My routine
LUNCH BREAK
Cook
1 hour off
PM
Work
Cook
AM
Silence, affirmations
Cardio, HIIT workout
Planning
Work
EVENING
Yoga, pilates, reading, movie

15. Changes
INCREASE
Water intake
Herbal teas
Pomodoro technique
Stairs up & down
DECREASE
Food intake
Flow of news
Phone calls
Screentime

16. Prioritizing mental health
MINDFULNESS
MEDITATION
PRESENCE
The psychological
process of purposely
bringing one's attention
to experiences occurring
in the present moment
AWARENESS
Integre awareness into
your everyday life, slow
down racing thoughts,
let go of negativity, and
calm both your mind and
body

17. Agent in control of their circumstances
I am safe at home
My friends and I are protecting each other
I have relinquished my freedom for a noble
purpose
I am increasing my gratitude for the things I
love
Opportunity to reflect and grow
Live in the present, be mindful
We are in it together
What can I control?
Victim of a threatening situation
I am stuck at home
My friends and I cannot see
each other
I have lost my freedom
I miss the things I love
Lockdown
Worry about the future
I am isolated
I lost control over my life
Language
reframing/
cognitive
restructuring

18. Decades of research show
that people who feel a
sense of control over their
surroundings experience
less anxiety, depression,
perceived stress and
illness. It’s particularly
helpful to assist children in
this reframing
effort because when they
feel they’re part of an
important mission rather
than being deprived of
their former routine, they
will often rise to the
occasion, complain less,
and be more cooperative.

19. Your
brain
likes
#indoorphines
Control your weight
Improve mental health
Get your heart-rate up
Sharpen your focus
Increase your productivity
Improve your sleep
Strengthen your immune system
BMI vs COVID-19

20. start where you are
with what you have
do what you can

21. PHYSICAL INTELLIGENCE (PQ)
The ability to listen, identify and respond to
internal messages about one's physical self.
Pain, hunger, depression, fatigue, and
frustration are examples.
GOING DEEPER
Aligned mind and body. Using your body in
an intelligent manner that serves your
purpose.

22. PQ
exercises
EXERCISE 1
Breathwork to increase focus
and reduce sleepiness
EXERCISE 2
Star pose to boost
confidence and positivity
EXERCISE 3
Forward fold shake to
release anxiety

23. “If you listen to
your body
when it
whispers, you
won’t have to
hear it
scream.”

24. Habit stacking
A STRATEGY
you can use to group together small changes
into a routine that you follow daily. The key to
consistency is to treat a habit stack like a single
action instead of a series of individual tasks.

25. Habit
stacking
examples
After I pour my cup of
coffee each morning, I will
meditate for one minute.
After I open my eyes in the
morning, I will take three,
long, mindful breaths.
After I put my head on the
pillow, I will list three
things I am grateful for.

26. Finding the
right cues
Get out of bed
Take a shower
Brush your teeth
Get dressed
Brew a cup of coffee
Eat breakfast
Take the kids to school
Start the workday
Eat lunch
End the workday
Change out of work clothes
Sit down for dinner
Turn off the lights
Get into bed

27. after/before/while [CURRENT
HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]
I WASH MY HANDSWHILE I WILL DO TEN SQUATS
your template

28. Wellbeing trends?

29. Meditation
Stanford University team found that MBSR brought about changes in brain regions involved in
attention, as well as relief from symptoms of social anxiety.
Harvard found that mindfulness meditation can actually change the structure of the brain: Eight weeks of
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was found to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus,
which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that play roles in emotion regulation
and self-referential processing.
UCLA found that long-term meditators had better-preserved brains than non-meditators as they aged.
Yale University found that mindfulness meditation decreases activity in the default mode network
(DMN), the brain network responsible for mind-wandering and self-referential thoughts – a.k.a.,
“monkey mind.”

30. Habit stacking
When comparing newborn brains to the normal adult human, the researchers realized that the average
adult had 41 per cent fewer neurons than the average newborn.
Oxford University study, 2007
The Power of Synaptic Pruning
Synapses are connections between the neurons in your brain. Our brain prunes away connections
between neurons that don't get used and builds up connections that get used.
Synaptic pruning occurs with every habit you build. As we've covered, your brain builds a strong network
of neurons to support your current behaviours. The more you do something, the stronger and more
efficient the connection becomes.

31. Language reframing/
cognitive restructuring
Key CBT technique
The American Psychological Association recommends it to help with: eating disorders, depression,
anxiety, PTSD, substance use, disorders, mental illness, marital problems.
It can also help you navigate difficult transitions like divorce, a serious illness, or the loss of a loved one. In
any life situation where negative thought patterns develop, cognitive restructuring can help you challenge
and change unhelpful thoughts.

32. Physical Intelligence (PQ)
Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, came up with seven types of
intelligence. One of which is Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence.

33. Resources
PHYSICAL INTELLIGENCE (PQ)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=UwewxVWgn_M
Physical Intelligence: Harness your body's untapped
intelligence to achieve more, stress less and live more
happily, Claire Dale, Patricia Peyton
MEDITATION APPS
Headspace
Calm
UCLA mindful
Insight Timer
EXERCICE APPS
MyFitenssPal, Nike Training Club (NTC)
Asana Rebel, Couch to 5K
HABIT STACKING
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good
Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear
EXERCICE YOUTUBE CHANNELS
MadFit, Pamela Reif, Cat Meffan, Mindful Sonder

34. I believe that in addition to celebrating the gritty human drive to rise
above our circumstances, we need to give each other permission to
grieve. To be afraid. To sit with our emotions. To slow down. To slow
way down, if we need to (and are able to).
There’s nothing wrong with being productive or creative. It can be a
helpful, constructive way to cope. But we must also allow ourselves
space to not be “amazing". Our world has not faced anything like this
in over a century. It’s big. It’s ok, and even appropriate, to not be ok.

35. BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL PART 2:
Maintaining your wellbeing and
professionalism while fighting for your
business
Friday, 17 April, 4 pm BST

36. Let's chat
vp@grtome.com
@greektometranslations
@Greek_to_me