I woke up and cried every day for over a month when I was working corporately, there wasn’t a particular issue so I put it down to hormones as I was pregnant at the time, but when it happened again after I returned from maternity leave, I knew something had to change and I had to address why the thought of work drove me to tears. For me, it was a sign that it was time to make my side hustle my full-time business.
As its World Mental Health Day tomorrow, I’ve got some tips for taking care of the mental health of your team (and yourself):
Set the ground rules for working from home
Research has shown that employees are working longer hours from home and feeling pressured to respond to emails and calls at all times. Agree working hours, Encourage your team to log off and take a lunch break and to take breaks from their screens.
Be clear about objectives and timelines
This gives you team to the ability to prioritise their workloads, always check that the timelines are reasonable and offer support if it is needed. Your team may not ask for the help they need, so try to prompt them.
Have regular team meetings
It’s important to keep the lines of communication open with your team. Have a regular team huddle, keep your team informed of what is happening in the business and give your team the opportunity to share knowledge and interact.
Schedule weekly 1-2-1’s
Check-in with your team weekly, use video so that you can look for any signs of fatigue or overwhelm. As well as checking on their workload, be mindful of the pressures of living and working in the same location. Ask about how they are coping with remote working and social distancing, talk about their weekend activities and ask about their family and friendship group.
Do something fun
Have a virtual team bonding session, my favourite activity is a cooking contest. Each individual received a basket of ingredients and something to wash it down with. We were instructed to make a meal by a chef and eat our work! There are tonnes of options from beer and wine tasting to talent contests find something that will work for your team.
Show your appreciation
Let your team know that you appreciate them and their hard work. Don’t forget to plan something for Christmas!
Monitor working hours
Check that your team aren’t working additional hours constantly. Be aware of late night and early morning emails. I’ve been clear to my team that I clear my emails at night but I’m not expecting a response outside of our agreed working hours.
Remind your team to use their annual leave
Although the government has said that statutory holidays can be rolled over to December 20201, taking a break from the challenges of work is essential.
Let me know how you take care of the mental health of your team in the comments.