The Mindset it takes to “go on Furlough”
Managing yourself on Furlough in a time of a global pandemic (*7 Min Read)
This is the third part in the 3 part series on managing Stress. This blog will look at the impact of stress on a furloughed employee. Being employed has perceived and actual benefits, such as, you do work that you like - “hopefully”, you get paid, you get the opportunity to learn and develop and you make some great work friends. On the other hand let’s face it being employed if you don’t like your job - is a total drain and nightmare! In any case we all have to survive and pay our bills! You may identify with the lyrics or not from the Thundamentals song aptly titled, “Quit your Job”. (Warning: Strong Language and swearing are contained in this song and some people may not find the language used in this song appropriate.)
“You make me want to quit my job, but I can’t
So instead I wrote this song about you
So when you hear it I hope, you understand
The whole world knows you’re a fool.”
In part 2 we looked at Stress from a Manager or Business Leader’s point of view. I urged Business Leaders and Managers to communicate empathetically and sensitively at this time. As well as to reflect upon how their own stress will be impacting their behaviour “at work”. So now we’re going to look at what “mindset it takes to go on furlough”. So first up what does to be “furloughed mean?
What is being “furloughed”?
According to the BBC, “Furlough supports firms hit by coronavirus by temporarily helping to pay the wages of people who can't do their jobs”. This means that the Government has committed to providing 80% of an employee's wages providing they meet the criteria for eligibility to the scheme.
In plain English Please?! It means that your employer is “paid to pay you whilst you can’t work” for your employer. So are you saying that I am being paid to be “doing nothing”? Well that is one way to look at it! We’re going to explore the different layers and emotions tied to this concept.
Have you “mourned” about being “furloughed”?
So what I mean by this is, you will feel a lot of emotions about being “furloughed”. It’s a deeply personal experience and you may go from joy, sadness, depression, anxiety, apathy, disheartened to disappointment. The list of emotions could go on. Notice, I have given a fair spread on the more “pessimistic” feeling words. This is because whilst, you know that you are “getting paid to be furloughed”, this may leave you feeling:
Dejected
Hurt
Angry
Hopeless
Alienated
Disgusted
De-valued
This is why this section is focussed on “mourning” for the shock of however you feel about being furloughed. You should take some time to “sit with” and reflect on those feelings, so that you can let them go. If you don’t acknowledge these feelings it will be hard for you to progress with using your “time” actively for personal development, family or caring responsibilities.
How do I create “a daily routine” while being on furlough?
It is really important to create “a daily routine” while being on furlough, so that you can be present and use that time actively. So before you even get to creating a “routine”, we need have to think about the following:
My Mental Health - Have I Really dealt with my emotions?
My Physical Health - Am I taking the opportunity to exercise?
My Learning - What skills can I develop for the company and myself?
My Professional Goals - Am happy with my current career goals?
My Relationships - Have I been honest with my significant other/best friend about how being furloughed makes me feel?
So once we have considered the above list, we’re good to start constructing “a furlough daily routine”. So let’s think about the things we need to consider to make a great routine! Here are some things you may like to consider:
SLEEP - Making sure your routine gives you enough time to rest
Starting your “furlough day” - Suggestion 9AM or in the Morning
Closing your “furlough day” - Suggestion 5PM or in the Afternoon
Morning “Self Time” - Suggestion you consider having time to set yourself up positively for the day with meditation, yoga, positive affirmations, exercise or something that helps you to get in a positive frame of mind.
“Furlough Breaks” - Build in breaks in your day - LUNCH, EXERCISE, Connecting with family, friends, pets and people!
Managing yourself while “being on furlough”
You might feel like you are “feather in the wind” while being furloughed and lack motivation. I mean who can blame you! You are being paid to seemingly do nothing and it might seem quite de-motivating. So here’s where I’m like let’s talk about Mindset and self management. What do we mean by mindset?
So here’s the low down on mindset:
Fixed Mindset
A fixed mindset is as it sounds. A person that seeks instant results and neglects the opportunity to learn from failure. They are very hard on themselves and constantly striving for perfection and are not as resilient when they encounter setbacks on the way to completing their tasks. They are also quite risk averse and don’t seek to challenge themselves or to strive to learn new things and or push themselves towards positive personal growth.
Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is something that we should all aspire to and work towards. A person with a growth mindset is someone that accepts that change is constant. They are open to learning, undertaking new experiences and challenging themselves to reach their goals. They are open and know challenges will come, crucially they seek to overcome them and to personally develop.
You need to work towards being in the “Growth Mindset” camp. We’re going to look at how to keep yourself motivated during a pandemic and “being on furlough”.
How to motivate yourself?
So there is no silver bullet here, I totally wish there was and I’d be there for you with HERE IT is, DO THIS! So again, I am going to say your experience is deeply personal. You may not feel that it’s worth doing much or that you really needn’t bother with it all. However, I would urge you to think and consider the following:
Having the benefit of company time to personally develop for the company is a “WIN, WIN!”
Being “afforded” the time to slow down on company time is good for your mental health, physical well being
Seeing the “opportunity” of this time to volunteer and work on passion projects or hobbies is fantastic for your creativity and well being
So in terms of goal setting “in this time”. Keep it Small! Here is my top tip on achieving “pandemic sized achievable goals”! Check out the details below:
Setting “pandemic sized achievable goals”
1 “Timebox” your goal. Some examples: In this 1 hour I will call a friend. I will “Google PPC Courses”. I will “Google a dinner recipe”.
2 When you have completed that action, tick it off! Tell everyone that you’d like that you have achieved your goal!
Finally, Always Be Kind to yourself. Embed weekly, daily or whatever frequency works for you, of some kind of self care activity.
Resources
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Gov.uk)
Mental Health UK - Supporting Furloughed Employees
Address Stress - Mental Health First Aid England
Mind Mental Health Charity - How to manage stress
Contact the Samaritans - Confidential advice