“Challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
When the future feels uncertain, we have a tendency to overextend ourselves – and to quickly burn out. At its core, this urge is about trying to regain a sense of control and progress. Here are three questions you should ask yourself when your anxiety manifests as a way-too-long to-do list:
- Do you create an urgency when there is none? When you are stressed, do you tend to assume that you need to respond to every request right away? This question from yourself will help you slow down, confirm whether something actually needs to be completed at lightning speed, and set better boundaries for yourself and for your team.
- What are you afraid of: (1) Is it being incompetent? (2) Missing a big deadline? Clarifying exactly what’s driving your anxiety makes it easier to identify when you’re catastrophizing, or you can map out some specific steps to take to address your fear.
- What are the three topmost priority things you need to accomplish today? It feels much better to take a break at the end of the day if you know you’ve made progress on the right things. If you realize you need more heads-down time that day, you’ll also move non-urgent meetings or see which calls can be turned into emails.
Here are more ways you can combat uncertainty-fueled anxiety at work!
A Platter of Fun @ Cafeteria
Game 1: Ball Pass
Space Required: A spacious rectangular room
Materials Required: 4 cardboards, 2 table tennis balls
Group Size: Two teams of 2-2 members each.
Total Time: 5 – 10 minutes
This game required two groups of 2 members each so that they can compete against each other. This activity required a fair bit of space, reasonably active participants, 2-2 cardboards for each team, and 1-1 table tennis ball for each team. As the game started, two members of each team faced opposition to each other. They had to pass the ball amongst each other and proceed to the other end of the room, without letting the ball fall down. The team that accomplished it earlier was the winner.
Game 2: Team Pen/Pen Rope
Space Required: A square or rectangular table
Materials Required: Two sketch pens, 8 ropes/ribbons, two square tables
Group Size: Two teams of 4-4 members each.
Total Time: As soon as possible
This game involved 4-4 players each on two square tables. Each team was given a pen that was tied with 4 strings. Each person grabs a string and pulls simultaneously to draw a geometric figure on the paper, kept under the pen, based on the instructions given by the HR. The team that was able to do it earlier was considered the winner. They had to communicate and work together perfectly in order to accomplish the task.
Game 3: Pen Ball Challenge
Space Required: A spacious rectangular room
Materials Required: 10 Sketch Pens, 2 softballs, 2 pens stands/2 paper cups
Group Size: Two teams of 5-5 members each.
Total Time: As soon as possible
Here the challenge was to lift the ball from one part of the room, take it to the other part of the room, and come back to the original place and place the ball in the paper cup/pen stand. Teams were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands. They had to use the tip of the pen. if the ball touches the ground, they had to restart. This team-building activity required a lot of patience and a high level of teamwork. The team that finishes first was declared as the winner.
Game 4: Musical Chair Variation
Space Required: A spacious rectangular room
Materials Required: 15-20 chairs
Group Size: Two teams of 5-5 members each.
Total Time: 15-20 minutes
For n number of players, n chairs were arranged facing inside, in a circle. All players were seated, facing inside. As the music played, one player got up and had to move clockwise, inside the circle, pulling up one player of their choice. One chair is quietly squeezed out of the loop. As the music stops, players have to grab one chair. The players left standing are out of the game. The remaining players continue with the process until one player is left. The last one standing is declared as the winner.
Lucky Draw Winners
- Prafull (QA)
- Jitendra Singh A (UX)
What was the reward?
Dairy Milks’ for winners, a wholesome dose of entertainment, a heartful of excitement, and loads of learning. You could practically see teamwork in action during this activity. Even after the activity finished you could find powerful energy of bonding and a spirit of harmony amongst the teams. Cheers!