I provide market analysis & administrative support to our Managing Director, who leads South Asian countries with head office in India, Mahindra World City, Chengalpattu. Our company is a multinational company with a global head office in Switzerland. Along with submitting periodical market reports, I organise meetings, workshops, conferences, team building activities etc, nationally and internationally. I am specialised in Crisis Management, People Development & Employee Engagement.
During the pandemic, the physical meetings and visits were restricted internationally but the same schedule continued through online platforms. Though it was challenging to connect all the stakeholders in different countries together on one platform through different time zones, with support from our leadership team across the world and with the help of new technologies, we were able to manage our timelines successfully, which helped our business sustainability. The option of Work from Home was very helpful during this period as I was able to work long hours according to the different time zones.
In our region (South Asia), the impact of the pandemic was very huge for my colleagues during the first and the second wave. As a part of employee engagement, and to reassure them that they are part of a bigger family, my team and I conducted a lot of online training programmes on technical, non-technical, and soft skills along with some interesting sessions & entertainments virtually for their family members too. They really appreciated our efforts in making them feel comfortable and safe about their future.
This pandemic has given a lot of life lessons to me, personally and professionally. First and foremost, this critical period made me understand and rethink the importance of utilising time, maintaining genuine relationships and lifestyle changes. We were so busy living the ‘life,’ but we had lost those real, genuine moments we have with our loved ones due to our busy schedules and running around to make ends meet.
The national lock down during the first wave was a real eye opener for me with having more time to do things I enjoyed, like peaceful learning, being myself, doing physical activity, more attention to personal health and appreciating things done by our family and friends usually taken for granted. Thanks to technology, I was in constant touch with our family members in different parts of the world sharing best practices and together we succeeded in handling the situation.
The option of work from home encouraged me to continue my passion of learning on subjects related to people management and behavioural science. I have completed many online courses from different universities on Psychology, Counselling, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness etc., These helped me understand and support my family, friends and colleagues to handle these unforeseen circumstances and also encouraged me to become a part of Chennai Counsellors’ Foundation, from where I get to learn about practical experiences on mental health through experienced professionals.
Having greater flexibility in working arrangements removed many of life’s routines and demands and led to a less busy life. This has improved the quality of my life and I am glad that I am able to continue the same pattern of my life even now, even with full time work.
In spite of a lot of negative emotions and challenges that surrounded the pandemic, I have taken only the positive side in the time given to me to cherish and move forward. I am sure these experiences will definitely help me in creating a roadmap of becoming a good counsellor in future, which is my long-term vision.
Here are some specific self care measures that I adopted to keep myself grounded and emotionally safe when the whole world went through this crisis:
- Below are the words of my mother which we have been hearing since childhood.
- Being hygienic is not just a good habit, but the very skill you need for survival.
- When you feel yourself getting caught up in fear of what might happen, try to shift your focus to things you can control.
- Take time to listen to what your body and mind needs.
- Go to your kitchen for medicine, not the pharmacy.
- We, in our family, have been following these mantras for decades and this has helped us to survive this situation physically as well as emotionally. Having elders around us is God’s gift to us and understanding their experiences will always help us handle any crisis.
- Eating healthy food, being active and getting enough sleep helped me to overcome the effects of stress and anxiety which was around and encouraged me to think positive. I took this opportunity to remember and acknowledge all the good things that have happened in my life and shared the same with all the stakeholders.
- I also followed a very important health practice of showing my gratitude and focusing on the good, which includes – my health, my family, my home, healthy food whatever it may be – rather than giving undue importance to negative things happening around me.
Sripriya Balaraman
June 2022
