19 Mar Working from home, doesn’t mean working on your own.
Some of us are or will be lucky enough to be able to continue working from home at the moment, some people may always have worked from home. We have put together a little guide to make sure that even if you are working from home or even self-isolating and not working you can still feel connected and part of the community and team usually around you. Working at home, especially with the kids off school, it can be easy to get lost in your own bubble and miss the colleagues and employees you used to have that chat with over the boiling kettle or by the photocopier. Making sure you inject some normality and connectivity into your daily routine will ensure we look after our mental well-being during this time and beyond.
As I type I am in the comfort of my own home, but do you know what its weird! Whilst we can carry on as normal and our service will not be affected, its odd not seeing the faces of our team on a daily basis.
We now have a daily morning team video call to catch up on projects and life generally! So we aren’t actually in the same room but are in regular contact. What can you do to help your team and yourselves to get through the coming weeks:
- Have a virtual cup of tea – I don’t know about you but cups of tea and coffee are a staple in our office, just because you aren’t together doesn’t mean you can’t remind everyone to take a break and have a cuppa and even a biscuit!
- Working Hours- Just because you can work longer doesn’t mean that you should, you need to ensure that you and your teams are not over working and increasing their stress levels. It you wouldn’t normally work late then don’t.
- Flexibility – Where possible offer flexibility around working hours, we are lucky that the majority of our work can be completed at any hour as long as deadlines are met, and we understand that this is not the case for all. With the looming school closures, working parents are going to struggle with childcare and working from home. Try to be understanding and offer as much flexibility as you can, let employees print off a few activity sheets if they don’t have access to a printer
- Exercise and fresh air – The evidence between exercise and mental health is one that is widely known and whilst we aren’t on complete lock down we can get out. Go for a walk or jog if you can, if not just get out in the garden or simply sit outside for your morning tea break!
- Have a chat – at the start of your calls take a few minutes to have a general chat, what has everyone been doing. We have a whats app group for our team and most of the time (actually all) our messages are about un-work related stuff – hence renaming it the ‘Gin. Garden and Tender Team’ Group – but is great for putting a smile on your face with the hilarious stories or shares.
- Make a call rather than send an email – Whilst technology is great and means we can work from home sometimes it can isolate us even further. Actually, take the time and pick up the phone, you might just make someone’s day!
Together is how we will get over these uncertain times, so remember your ‘Together’. Working from home should not mean you are working on your own. Take time to implement simple steps to ensure you keep in touch and ensure positive mental health.
If you need any advice on virtual meetings or if we can help, please pick up the phone and call 01908 382414 email info@bidandtendersupport.co.uk
