1. Keep communication clear, frequent, and honest.
Share information and feelings freely. Talk about your intentions before taking action. Use proper terminology. Discuss when your or others' actions were not as expected. Take time to debrief after success or conflict. Listen, then restate messages to ensure they are understood. Admit when you are wrong.
That means if you are living with others during this time, don't assume that you each immediately know what the other is thinking. Err on the side of sharing your thoughts and feelings, without oversharing if your fellow housemate is sensitive to the situation. And if you are alone, call friends and loved ones or use FaceTime or Skype.
2. Know when to take the lead and when to follow.
Accept responsibility. Adjust your style to your environment. Assign tasks and set goals. Lead by example. Give direction, information, feedback, coaching, and encouragement. Ensure your teammates have resources. Talk when something isn't right. Ask questions. Offer solutions, not just problems.
This falls right in line with communication. Put yourself in others' shoes and aim for as much empathy as possible. Pick your battles and know when to be decisive and when to go with the flow.
3. Be aware of your own feelings and how they affect others.
Realistically assess your own strengths and weaknesses, and their influence on the group. Learn from mistakes. Identify personal tendencies and their influence on your success or failure. Be open about your weaknesses and feelings. Take action to mitigate your own stress or negativity (don't pass it on to the group). Be social. Seek feedback. Balance work, rest, and personal time. Be organized.
This is self-explanatory, but don't try to be a hero and pretend that everything is OK. And also, don't take on more than you can handle.
4. Practice patience and compassion.
Demonstrate patience and respect. Encourage others. Monitor your team for signs of stress or fatigue. Encourage participation in team activities. Develop positive relationships. Volunteer for the unpleasant tasks. Offer and accept help. Share credit; take the blame.
Take the high road and be a team player, especially if you see a conflict brewing!
5. Work together and keep calm.
Cooperate rather than compete. Actively cultivate group culture (use each individual's culture to build the whole). Respect roles, responsibilities, and workload. Take accountability; give praise freely. Then work to ensure a positive team attitude. Keep calm in conflict.
Before our patience is completely fried and our fuses are on overloaded, think back to that person floating above us in that capsule who is daydreaming of hugging their family members or a pet and just relishing the day that they too can listen to the chaos that we deem as isolation.
It is up to us as individuals to cherish this moment in time, for this too will pass and before we know it, we will be in the rat race again we call life.
Remember it is all in perspective.