Are you starting to feel like it’s Groundhog Day every day? With most events and activities on hiatus, gyms closed, schools closed, and many people working from home, our days seem to run endlessly into each other. Even the green space where we once retreated to soak up nature’s restorative benefits is temporarily off-limits in some cases.

This is no doubt a small price to pay for those of us fortunate to be healthy and home with our families.

But there is no denying physical distancing can be draining and have a detrimental effect on our mood. If you are noticing this in yourself and others, now is a good opportunity for a reset.

How we show up at work and in life absolutely affects our colleagues and our loved ones.

When we are surrounded by a strong network of friends, family and colleagues, there is no limit to what we can achieve. A strong network can challenge us, champion us, collaborate with us – and empathize with us.

And we are equally capable of doing the same for our network.

When we bring our best to those around us, our positive energy strengthens their own experience whether at work, home or in line to grab a coffee (when we used to do that).

How are you showing up at work and in life? What kind of energy are you bringing to your day-to-day interactions?

Here are 2 simple ways we can bring our best to every situation.

  1. Be Aware

We all face challenges others may not be aware of. And the challenges we face are all relative. What boosts my stress level is not going to be the same as what may trigger your stress response. Simply being aware of how these challenges are affecting you can go a long way toward avoiding your response spilling over into other situations.

If you are having trouble parking your challenges, call it out. No need to go into all the details (please). This may be a bit much to dump on others at work and can sour the workplace. But you can help people understand why you may not be yourself if you simply say, “Sorry, if I seem off, it’s because I’m having some challenges with my teenager right now.”

  1. Be present

Running from one stressful or overwhelming situation into another is tough. It’s easy to bring the negative energy from one situation into another. Where possible, try to cue yourself to shift your mindset to the present situation. This may be as simple as taking a moment to write down what you need to revisit later if you are transitioning from one meeting to the next. Writing it down will help to clear your mind. Or your mindset shift may mean pausing to take a breath and be aware of your breathing if you are about to lose your temper with that same teenager in #1.

The emotions we bring to work are equally important as our cognitive skills but we always want to be authentic and true to ourselves. Sharing our positive energy does not mean we put on a happy face and pretend everything is fine when it’s not. But being aware of our energy means we demonstrate the best of ourselves and in turn, we bring out the best in others.

Related reading: The power of staying connected even when we’re apart