As a Life Coach and Owner of Red Balloon Life Coaching, Laura Wetherill has trained in psychology, NLP, counselling, stress management and autism awareness. She is also a Member of the Association for Coaching.

Here she shares 8 valuable tips for you to pass on to your team to keep them happy and healthy as they work from home.

Working from home and commuting from the bed to the desk has become the new normal for many. It can be hard to keep motivated and ensure there is a work life balance, when everything is contained in the same four walls. To keep motivated and fresh it is important that you and your team make appropriate adaptations and consider new methods of working.

As a manager of team members all working remotely, it can be hard to navigate the various issues relating to working from home, whether this is technically, personally, practically or motivationally. Being aware of how these can affect your team is paramount to keeping everyone engaged and well.

Here are my 8 tips to help you help your team stay well:

  1. Set expectations early

Ensure your team keep a healthy work life balance by setting expectations clearly and from the start. This helps with productivity and planning. Keep everyone up to date with changes, successes and news to maintain a feeling of belonging and team membership.

  1. Be flexible

Flexibility with hours and working patterns can lead to more productivity and consistency.  Adapting meetings and replacing them with virtual group discussions relating to planning and action management can work better in this new working environment.

  1. Listen to your team

Communication is vital and asking team members how they would like to be managed will take into account individual needs. Listen to your employees, be available and respond to their concerns when applicable, to maintain a healthier working relationship.

Working from home burnout may now need to be addressed as the amount of time that people have been remote will be taking its toll, especially if there are children to be homeschooled, family members to take care of and feelings of isolation building.

  1. Encourage the ‘separation’ of work and home

As the morning commute is so short now it is important to have a separate workspace where a team member enters ‘work mode’. A desk and a chair, rather than the sofa, in a room or a separated space lets the brain know that it’s time for focus.

  1. Take regular breaks

Taking regular breaks from the screen is particularly important and incorporating some exercise in the day will help break the monotony and increase mood and productivity. A mixture of indoor and outdoor activities works well.

  1. Bring a little joy

Try to include something new into the day to bring a little joy. This could be as simple as ordering lunch to be delivered and supporting a local business. Make your home working space more personal with photos, prints or plants to cheer up a slow day.

  1. Switch off from work out of hours

Have a set start and finish time to the working day and a divide between that and personal time to aid the work life balance. Switch off notifications and keep the laptop shut to help to switch the mind away from work.

  1. Stay connected

Try to keep as connected as possible with work colleagues, family and friends. It is so important to share any concerns and talk to others whether it be business or personal.  A friend, family member or professional can help you to know that you are not on your own and you are not the only person struggling. Feeling supported and listened to is invaluable at any time, but especially now.

Stay well

Laura

redballoonlifecoaching@mail.com
www.redballoonlifecoaching.co.uk