Negative pressure airlocks now compulsory for all leadership roles

This is part of LIFT 7 part #ConnectionKindness series 
For Tip #1, click here

Lately, there’s been a fair mention of negative pressure rooms and airlocks. For the benefit of all LIFT’s healthcare clients, I’m going to skip the science and simply say that they’re spaces which allow isolation from contamination due to air pressure.

^{Image: Now that's an airlock! (Thanks Wikipedia)}

Soooo...? Well, this is a vitally important metaphor for which the purpose should become clear very soon!

Yes, here's the second in my 7 part #ConnectionKindness Tips for leaders, sharing practical ways to stay connected with yourself, your teams and your organisations (and your family, friends and community too).

Tip 2 is all about taking a “third space,” compliments of peak performance researcher, Adam Fraser.

Third space? Why, yes! In this season of limited opportunities to go anywhere except home and work and then perhaps to the supermarket or pharmacy (or just home - for some of us), there’s not too many extra spaces, right now. And certainly not always where we can ensure the right physical distance.

But in dealing with any constantly changing leadership challenge (like right now!), “third space” remains a mental and emotional key practice to wellbeing that all successful leaders routinely undertake.

In this time of upheaval with its myriad of constraints, your leadership role is probably taking on more than ever before. Which means that you need a way to separate your work-self from your home-self in order to function at your best in both environments.

Yes, it’s about compartmentalising but in a nurturing, compassionate way where you can truly finish the day because you’ve actually dealt with it — meaning: not ignoring and squashing down a load of traumatic thoughts and feelings from earlier, where they threaten to bust out at the most inopportune moment like when you’re trying to enjoy, or at least function, at home… or say, tomorrow in a meeting!

Because let’s be honest, how many of us have had all kind of frustrations at work and no matter how they went, we blow up at those we least want to take it out on? Or we spend the time outside of work obsessing / re-thinking / questioning ourselves or simply not being able to be present at home and: Just. Let. It. Go.

This practise means that you take time, just a small amount of time, to p-a-u-s-e before you enter your home in a space that is (ideally) not in it. You might easily identify somewhere or you may perhaps need to utilise a microspace (seems everything’s going micro these days, isn’t it?) but probably not a broom cupboard…

I’m thinking it could be your car, your garage, front garden, hallway, maybe you have an agreement with your family that when you arrive home, you go straight to your formal living area or home study and you aren’t disturbed for a few minutes. Whatever works for you.

Just considering this possibility of a third space will create change for you.

And then you follow this three-part technique to process your workday and... Let. Go. 

Best of all this same technique can be used in just a few minutes (maybe in the micro-space of a restroom or stairwell or just at your desk with your eyes closed and headphones on!) as you move between all those ZOOM meetings we are now doing. Science has proven taking a third space improves your ability to B-R-E-A-T-H-E, maximise clarity, calm and — I’d add — it lifts your courage during what is currently a very anxiety filled, constantly changing life at work and home.

Your 3-part "Third Space" Technique:

1. REFLECT

Here is where you ask the reflective questions of yourself between work and home OR between meetings

What happened today/at that meeting that was important? What would’ve been better? What did I learn? What will I do differently or the same?

What did I do well (proud of) today/in that meeting?  If you’re quite harsh on yourself, think instead: what would my best friend (or someone who loves and supports me) say I did well today/at that meeting?

2. REST

Relax your body, especially the parts where you hold tension (lower back, upper back, shoulders, and necks are typical for most of us)

Consciously breathe in and out SLOWER and DEEPER into your lower stomach. As you do this, consider: is this the first time you’ve done that today?

Take at least 3-7 breaths like this…don’t make yourself dizzy 😊 Then enjoy the calm, peaceful, centred feeling for a few minutes longer as you naturally breathe and rest.

Total - at least 3 minutes.

3. RESET

Gently open your eyes and chat with yourself!

State your intention to reset. Here’s what I use:

“I’m here now. I have reflected and put the workday to the side.  I am now rested. Now I reset to go into my home and be whoever I am in that space. Here’s how I’m going into that role now…”

OR between meetings:

“My role in the next meeting is ……. My purpose here / outcome I need to achieve is ….. What else I need to consider is……”

Unlike a negative pressure room that keeps it all IN, the third space lets you let it OUT so you can go home or to your next meeting — at your best.

So, if you don’t already do this, PLEASE give it a try. Identify where you can carve out a space (or microspace!) and commit to doing this the next time you get home. If you do it for a week, I promise you’ll really notice results.

 Stay courageously connected,

Cherelle