In as little as 15 minutes a day
Over the past few weeks, we’ve hosted our weekly Wednesday morning Shift Series, as well as our HR Trailblazers round table discussions. In these conversations, the overwhelming theme has been people: how to support people and concern around their well-being, as we all navigate virtual work and this ongoing global pandemic.
Stephanie Woodward, one of our Workplace Culture Architects, sat down (virtually, of course!) with Greg Swaine, Director at NoStigma Canada to discuss ways to introduce, or further embed, well-being within teams and organizations. Both Stephanie and Greg are certified CMHA Psychological Health and Safety Advisors and passionate advocates for this work. Why? Because psychological health is great for your people and great for business – it is proven to support a healthy bottom line.
Of course, right now, many of us have a lot on our plate. We’re juggling new ways of working, children in our workspaces, makeshift workspaces in our homes, not to mention prioritizing and re-defining business objectives and essential business activities.So, we’re pointing here to some resources that are practical, straight forward and ready to bring to your teams, at no-to-low cost. Based on what you may want to accomplish and the time investment you have, here are some of our recommendations.
If you have 15 minutes…
Connecting with your teams about how they’re feeling and managing through these changes can go a long way. It signals that it is ok to speak into what is real. It doesn’t require you to be a therapist, nor does it require team members to disclose specifics about their personal lives. It can be as simple as each team member sharing a word or a phrase for how they’re coming into the meeting. Here are some ideas for questions you can ask in your team meetings:
20 questions to ask instead of “how are you doing”
If you have an hour…
One of the best things you can do for yourself and your teams’ well-being is take breaks. Lead by example – be sure to take your breaks, and encourage your team members to do the same. The following resource provides healthy break activity ideas based on whether you want to relax, get energized, or access a feeling of calmness:
If you want to provide support…
You can’t expect yourself to have all the answers, nor can you expect team members to come forward and speak into challenges they may be facing. Sharing resources and support in a way that allows your team members to access information that may be useful to them can be helpful, and also signals that you care about their well-being. Here are some tools to access for yourself or to share:
Self-assessment tools
Stress management tools
Virtual wellness program for stress reduction and relaxation
CMHA recommended mental health apps (broken down into free, one-time payment and subscription)
Burnout response
Child Mind Institute (access a free 30 minute counselling session, assessments, information and more for parents and their children)
Bounce back (access workbooks, videos and coaches to support you in managing your well-being)
If you want to spark joy…
Sometimes, levity and lightness are precisely what our minds need – especially in times of stress. Here are some ideas to spread virtual joy that you can share with colleagues, friends and family:
Up to date virtual concert listing
Free museum tours
Free zoo tours
Free virtual field trips
Free virtual globe trotting
How will you manage your well-being in the weeks to come?
We’d love to hear from you: which of these activities are of most interest to you? What challenges and successes are you having with your teams right now? If you’d like to talk about well-being and further embedding psychological health and safety in your workplace to create a thriving culture, you can reach us at [email protected]
