Wellness starts at home

Wellness could be contested as one of the hottest buzz words for 2021 and beyond. With October being Mental Health Month, we thought it would be a good idea to share a few tips to keep the screen fatigue away and help improve the remote working life.

Like the rest of the world, we have adapted to the “new normal” and have been navigating the remote ways of working together! Here are a few tips to help you navigate the new Virtual Office:

Stay connected

If you find yourself staring down the barrel of another Zoom meeting, we salute you! It looks like this will be a part of the new norm for the time being. While virtual meetings have become a standard practice for remote workers – staying connected is more important than ever. If you’re starting to turn your camera off or find yourself contemplating what to make for dinner that night (guilty as charged), then mix up your meetings – take a walking meeting, walk and talk around the local park or neighbourhood. If walking and talking isn’t your thing, why not take a meeting outside but in the comfort of your home?

Step it up team challenge

Take team meetings to a new level and get fit in the process. Why not have a little step challenge with your team and have a target of steps to get to each day? We’re simply not doing the leg work we were when we commuted to and from the office, so this is the perfect opportunity to get those steps up and make it a friendly competition amongst your teammates. 

Slack – “donut” worry about a thing, buddy

Are you missing the water cooler chats and morning coffee runs?  If your company is using Slack while working from home, there is a great little feature called “Donut”. It randomly pairs you with a colleague to have a virtual coffee date every couple of weeks – it’s a great chance to take a break, put work aside for a moment and have a good old chinwag. If you don’t have Slack and have a smaller team, improvise with Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts or Zoom and just book in a virtual coffee date in the calendar with your workmate. 

Style up the home office

Jazz up the home office and make it a zone that inspires you. This can be as simple as decluttering your desk, adding a plant or some photos and pictures of things that motivate you. Also, why not mix up your work zones? As the weather warms up, sit outside and send some emails! The fresh air will do you good and the Vitamin D is good for your overall health and wellbeing.

Spotify Playlists that lift your mood

Music has long been a mood lifter. So why not put on your favorite sounds? Make it fun and invite your colleagues to collaborate on a team playlist in Spotify – these can be themed too for every occasion e.g., Holiday Classics, Manic Mondays, Feel Good Fridays. If you need some inspiration, have a listen to Torii’s Working From Home Playlist.

Employee wellness starts at home and in the daily practices we create for ourselves. It also communicates that we care about remote staff and gives your workers the tools and resources to live a more well-balanced and beneficial lifestyle. Over time, these practices can result in higher productivity, employee engagement, better retention rates and lower absenteeism.