“I can’t seem to focus…”

“I’m just so distracted…”

“It’s all so much to process…”

If your workplace is like mine, the mood starting this week was decidedly different from the last. By noon on Monday, comments like these began showing up in meetings, over Teams, and on Slack, as we watched a massive Russian invasian on Ukraine take over our feeds, our conversations, and our mental focus.  As Ellen McGirt noted in her Fortune column this week, “A real-time fog of war has descended on the world, and observers struggle to process events on the ground while deadly scenarios are anticipated and discussed.”

The reality is, this situation is complex and heartbreaking and bound to get worse before it gets better.  The harder reality is that it’s not the only pressing matter on our minds these days. These days, in fact, there are no shortage of pressing matters and each one of us is experiencing our own set of them, each in our own ways.

But how to acknowledge or communicate this truth in the workplace, if even you should?

Short answer, yes, you should. What is happening in Ukraine is affecting us all in many ways and for those with family or friends in the region, it’s a deeply personal issue. What we are experiencing is heavy and hard to process, made no easier by trying to actually understand the situation. By checking in with your colleagues, and acknowledging that it is normal and expected to be feeling the effects of a faraway conflict on our own hearts and minds is a compassionate and empathetic response in a time when many are just simply trying to process it all.

If you’re struggling to find the words to check in with your colleagues, I’ve offered some starter words below. They’re not perfect, but designed as a reminder of just how important it is to communicate with compassion and empathy in the workplace, these days and every day.

• I can feel how much you’re holding on your heart and mind these days.  Would it help to talk?
• I know we called this meeting for other reasons, but I wanted to start simply by checking in. How are you feeling today? 
• I know how difficult it can be to focus in uncertain times like these. Perhaps we can consider shifting some timelines to give us all a little more mental breathing room?
• It is normal and expected to be feeling this way. Is there anything I can do to support you?
• Processing emotions in times like this can be hard. If you need some extra space this week, know that I support you, and will back you up as needed.

This isn’t everything, but it is something. As my daughter says, “One kind act matters, but many kind acts can change the world.”  Do what you can, where you can, from wherever you are, to check in on those around you this week. It won’t change the big things, but it will matter deeply to those around you. And maybe that’s something good to hold onto in these uncertain times.

This is week 9 of the Finding The Words column, a new series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe  to ensure you receive this each week.