The 8 vaccines against stress during the Coronavirus

Holcim Azerbaijan shares tips gathered from all group companies

Today everyone asks questions to themselves: how to protect him/herself from coronavirus, how to cope with living in unusual conditions of self-isolation and restrictions, how to avoid losses, how not to be afraid of tomorrow? There are hundreds of thousands "how" and not a single answer. These are important questions that everyone asks themselves - schoolchildren, teachers, mothers, fathers, leaders, and subordinates.

Business owners ask themselves these questions because people's health is an essential aspect for a solid entrepreneur who appreciates personnel. That's why Holcim starts all the online meetings with a topic about people. In essence, they discuss the occupational health and living conditions of workers and their families regardless of which country Holcim operates. They do it not for formal reporting, but for making rights decisions. The exchange of best practices and lessons learned in different countries helps to keep positive spirit and mood within the company. At one of the online forums, eight rules/tips introduced to Holcim employees developed based on the WHO's recommendations. They do not contain any unique, specifics, or difficulties. Some of them would seem too primitive, but due to this simplicity, they turned out to be so effective that they began to pass from country to country. "We are sincerely ready to share our experience and will be glad if they prove useful and help to ease daily quarantine for everyone who cares - businessmen, journalists, housewives, officials, postmen, etc.," PR manager Rena Tahirova says.

Tip No. 1. Strange as it may sound, it is best to read and watch the COVID-19 news as few as possible. Do not spend your day searching for information about it or share another "portion" of that heard and read about the coronavirus' 'horrors' with neighbours and relatives. Believe that watching the news 1-2 times a day is enough to grasp the situation.

Tip No. 2. Be precise about the source of information. It is better to trust official sources or WHO since today they are more than ever interested in conveying the truth and real situation to people. On the contrary, do not believe the 'top-secret' or 'confidential' information. Well, what is the secret if two people know it: the one who has written and published it and you? It is just a fake, which means it does not pay to spend time or emotional energy on it. However, you can laugh heartily at the fake news mongers' efforts. Avoid especially the threatening WhatsApp messaging.

Tip No. 3. Communicate virtually with people you have always been pleased to mix up in a pre-quarantine life. Do not limit this communication, especially since the contemporary technical means allow it. Call relatives, friends, and colleagues. Call them even if you used to do this on occasion and holidays only. Share the joys, even small and insignificant ones with them, rejoice in their messages.

Tip No. 4. Take care of the household daily. Is it routine? Yes. Is it boring? Maybe. But it distracts, mobilizes, and disciplines. In any case, keeping the house in order is harmony in your soul, mood, and head. But housework should not be impulsive and chaotic. Plan the work for the next few days: when to wash the windows, sort out things, look through papers, change something in the interior, diversify the menu… the list is endless. Most importantly, do not load yourself with all the work, but distribute it among all family members. After all, you don't even suspect that your husband bakes the world-best pancakes, your little son is a great expert in sorting out things, and your daughter is very good at wiping the dust and arranging the cookware in the cupboard in a fresh, original way, as a true designer. And be sure to praise each other for beauty, tasty treat, uniqueness, or cleanliness at the end of the day.

Tip No. 5. Many of you work remotely. But please, it's not that you get up in the morning and are already at work and leave the table only when you go to bed. Do not spread the work for the whole day, as in "why all this hurry?! Anyway, I am at home". After all, we still have an 8-hour working day, so keep to this rule. And for the rest of the time, see Tip No. 4. Will ever such an opportunity arise not to spend time to get home from work. You can devote time on your hands to the family or yourself.

Tip No. 6. Remember that you are not just sitting at home but carrying out an important mission. You protect yourself and your near and dear ones from negative consequences. Let all your family members know about it because you protect each other, and it is important to remind.

Tip No. 7. A weekly shopping plan is required. Arrange where and what exactly you will buy and cook for a few days.

Tip No. 8. Don't knock yourself into stress with questions for which you still don't and can't know the answer, no matter how obtrusively they get stuck in your head. These are: "what will we do tomorrow", "what impact will it have on my work", "what if the situation gets from bad to worse", etc. If you still have or have acquired a habit of feeling sorry for yourself, (very!) urgently get rid of it. This habit casts a gloom over your life more than all viruses put together. And the consequences can be sad. Sooner or later, the vaccine will be found, the coronavirus will pass as all viruses do, but the nerves are irreparable. You can cope with melancholy, only yourself.

Do not feel sorry for yourself! You should love yourself! And most importantly, remember that through thick and thin, come hell or high water, life goes on, and it may be difficult, but it is exciting and diversified.

***************************************************************************************************

Holcim is a member of LafargeHolcim Group, which is operating with a labour force of 80.000 workers in 80 countries. LafargeHolcim is one of the leading companies in the world with its experience of more than 180 years in the production of cement, finished concrete products and aggregates.