15 Ways to Continue Supporting the Mental Health of Remote & On-site Teams
Almost overnight, remote work transformed from a niche benefit to the norm for millions of employees. And looking out for the mental well being of your workforce – both remote and in the office – is now more critical than ever. As many states and cities begin the 'yellow phase' of returning to work, there are still many people who will be working remotely for quite some time and will need support and guidance from their organizations and managers. COVID-19 has impacted remote and on-site teams in all sorts of ways: the cognitive load of processing the rapidly changing world in addition to work; the loss of the familiar scents, sounds, and sights of the office; our inner critics always watching us on camera in virtual meetings; the perceived need to be "on" 24/7; the cognitive dissonance of managing virtual communications; and virtual fatigue from the verbal and nonverbal demands of being "on" for video calls. So, what can we do about these changes that our teams and we are experiencing? Here are some recommendations for providing ongoing behavioral health support for yourself, your team, and your organization. Schedule Breaks. Without regular routines to bookend the day, it can be hard to delineate the hours allocated to our jobs and the hours we save for ourselves and our families. Intentionally [...]