We’re not all in the same boat: why it pays to get personal about wellbeing

While we may all be facing the same COVID-19 storm, we are certainly not all in the same boat. This crisis will impact each and every one of us in our own way. Some of us will experience loss and isolation; others may find connection and even joy.

Rather than struggling to remain resilient and strong during this pandemic, I believe we should focus on being buoyant. If you think of a buoy, it moves with the waves, but it never gets swept away. And this is because it is tethered to the ocean floor by an anchor.

When it comes to wellbeing, while we can’t control the waves crashing around us, we can all find ways of strengthening and bolstering our wellbeing anchors in terms of our actions, beliefs and behaviours.

Here are five evidence-based ideas to boost your buoyancy:

1. Be yourself – we will all deal with these uncertain times differently. There's no right or wrong way to do this. It's ok and normal to be anxious.
2. Be deliberate – be conscious of where we are spending our time and energy. Is it on things that we can control and influence?
3. Be kind – be kind to ourselves and others. We need to be more empathetic and patient with others than ever before.
4. Be connected – look at ways to foster and maintain social connections with people who matter to us most.
5. Be curious – explore how we will learn, grow and develop from the current situation – greater connection, deeper gratitude, personal growth.

Rob Baker is the author of Personalization at Work and Chief Positive Deviant of Tailored Thinking, a positive psychology, wellbeing and HR consultancy.

To find out more about these 5 ideas you can check out a slideshare here.