How you can empower employees to take control of their mental wellbeing when working from home
2020 has transformed what a working environment means. Too many of us have struggled and felt the dark clouds of mental unwellness loom overhead as the days roll into one another, as our homes become our new offices and what was once a safe place, a refuge from the stresses of work, is now where that very stress exists and perpetuates.
It’s clear that Covid-19 is already amplifying the stress points of life, from financial and job security to concerns over familial and personal health. Those personal stressors alongside the siege that holds our social lives at ransom in the form of social distancing and lockdown, which has all led to an unnaturally significant increase in anxiety and decrease in mood across the population.
Instead of adding to the seemingly unending list of all the problems we face as a result of Covid-19, let’s take a proactive approach. Let’s highlight the potential for personal agency, for corporate action that can empower workers and enable them to prioritize their own wellbeing.
Talk to your people
How many zoom calls have you had at this stage with the same people, seemingly having the same conversation over and over again? At least in Groundhog Day, Bill Murray had the opportunity to go out and about the community and actually do things.
At least in Groundhog Day, Bill Murray had the opportunity to go out and about the community and actually do things.
However, at the start of Lockdown 1, we all focused on one another, asking our friends how they were doing and taking about the importance of mental health during this time. But we have grown weary now, just wanting to get stuff done and finish our work, move on to the next zoom, the next email, the next task. Cases are up and restrictions are increasing once more, just as the weather grows dark and the season grows cold. We need to start asking again, checking in on one another and reminding ourselves that it’s okay not to be okay.
Celebrate the wins
It has never been more important to focus on personal and team wins. The constant reality of being restrained in our movements, of each day blending into the next has had a significant impact on our mood. Smaller wins are often overlooked or forgotten, diminished against the unending passing of time. In short, we’re not celebrating the little things enough anymore and we’re getting lost in the negativity as a result.
Which means it’s time to ask people about their victories, even little ones like having a good call with a client. Ask your team what they’re grateful for and what they’ve accomplished. Focusing on positive messaging and experiences can be a really effective way to refocus the conversation towards optimism and positivity.
Everyone has mental health
Just as we all have physical health, we all have mental health — the highs and lows of daily wellbeing, the stresses before a deadline and the slump on a Monday afternoon. Acknowledging and recognising that it’s okay not to be okay all of the time is important. Most of the companies we work with who have a leadership that openly discuss their mental health struggles have proven to have a higher morale and more aware company culture. As lockdown has persisted, however, most of us often forget to reinforce the narrative that “it’s okay not to be okay”. Take the time to reaffirm this messaging and make sure your team knows of the supports available to them.
On a personal level, the most important thing we can do is to be utterly honest with ourselves during this time. Identify the times when you feel most stressed and develop a toolkit to tackle the stress, figure out what works for you and focus on building these new behaviours into your day.
Fresh Air
Feeling your eyes grow weary from sitting in front of a computer for hours at a time, having to focus on endless zoom calls and feeling yourself becoming one with your chair are just some of the problems that have arisen out of working from home.
The solution is simple, go for a walk! Each morning, work with your team to schedule in 5 or 10 minute breaks between meetings to take a break and go outside to get some fresh air. It is important that this scheduling comes from leadership or management, as it increases it’s importance and the ‘acceptability’ of such breaks.
Post work
Are we working from home or living in our workplace? When working from the kitchen table, it can often be hard to separate our work life from home life. Too many of us transition from the work day to more work or screens by watching netflix or slogging away in the kitchen. By continuing the work or screen time, you are not allowing your brain to rest — which can lead to feelings of continuous stress, low mood and reactionary behaviours, or poor sleep quality.
Consequently, the best way to separate the two is to change your mindset from ‘working’ to ‘home’ — whether its building a routine of going for a run or walk, changing your clothes or even dancing around your room. Encourage your coworkers to make an effort to ‘close out the day’ is an effective way to develop a concrete mental break from the stresses of work.
Encourage your coworkers to make an effort to ‘close out the day’ is an effective way to develop a concrete mental break from the stresses of work.
Build routines
One of the reason’s lockdown has been acknowledged as being so damaging for our mental health is because of it’s disruption to our daily routines. As animals, we thrive in a routine and structured lifestyle. But with the new world, our daily commute, the chat’s with friends when making our morning coffee, the bonds we build over lunch, the ability to offer help to people who might be struggling and all the little moments in between, have all been taken from us.
A huge part of lockdown is to build new routines that work for you and your team. This can be in the form of ‘walking breaks’, enforcing an end of day time or banning any meetings before 9:30. Work with your staff to identify the routines that work best for them during this difficult time and establish a clear pathway for communication when it comes to these new routines.
In summary
- Openness in leadership is important for building a culture of mental health awareness and acceptance
- Establishing gratitude and appreciation for the little wins is important for boosting team morale
- Building a routine that incorporates breaks, a separation of work life and personal life, as well as building a clear definition between ‘work hours’ and non working hours are all key to assisting people in this new world
While most of us have now adjusted to the work from home lifestyle and felt the benefits of less commutes, more time to bond with family and friends, and the ability to engage with more hobbies or interests, it is nonetheless important to continue to focus on encouraging a clear mental health strategy for your team and employees.
Our brains are our greatest asset in the working world. But when they are constantly exposed to stress and overworking, just as an athlete can overwork themselves, employees can overwork their biggest muscle, our brain. Developing a mental health strategy with your team is the best mechanism for preventing burn out and enhancing wellbeing.
Our brains are our greatest asset in the working world.
Co-authored by Aimée-Louise Carton
