The last few months have forced many of us to get used to new ways of living. From cultivating socially distanced relationships, to learning how to keep ourselves entertained amid shop and restaurant closures, there’s no doubt that 2020 has taken life and given it a huge shakeup.

However, if we were to pick the one thing that has changed the most, it has to be the ways that we work. With so many businesses temporarily closing offices, a lot of us have had to move our teams to remote ones. And quickly. Zoom meetings in PJ bottoms have fast become the norm and the idea of actually having to wear shoes to work may feel like a distant memory to many of your employees!

Despite becoming a part of our lives so quickly, it’s unlikely that it will end with the same speed. Christened “the new normal”, it seems that lockdown has pushed more and more businesses to give better remote working opportunities, even as rules ease. We’ve seen just how possible it is to work successfully from home, so why would we abandon it, right?

Here at Yougi, we’re all about helping people to reconnect and find balance. That’s why we decided to take this strange opportunity as a chance to share our tips for fostering connection for your remote workers. We know how easy it could be to let wellness slide as working from home becomes more common, so we wanted to arm you with the knowledge to support and inspire the people that work for you.

Promote flexible working 

With remote working looking like it’s not going anywhere soon, now could be the time to embrace a more flexible approach overall.

In order to build a culture of wellness, it’s crucial to recognise that an employee’s life exists beyond the work they do for you! They may have families, other priorities or personal struggles they are going through. By offering flexibility as far as working hours is concerned, you are able to support your staff through anything. Plus, one study found that those with the option to work flexibly were not only happier, but also got more done (Forbes). 

Support your employee’s physical health 

Investing in your employee’s physical health is, of course, an important part of their wellness. Prove that you value and care about them by buying them the equipment they need for a healthy and happy workday. We recommend things like blue light glasses or screen covers, which promote less eye strain and better sleep. This is a crucial part of maintaining good mental and physical health.

Wrist rests are also one way to make those working at computers more comfortable and, as such, happier at work. 

Also support your employees’ mental health

We believe that mental health needs to be treated with the same importance as physical health within companies. After all, 1 in 6.8 people experience mental health problems at work (mentalhealth.org). They need to be supported, to encourage a happier experience working from home, for all.

Firstly, we recommend offering mental health days in the same way that you offer “sick days” both to those in office and working from home. This will begin to encourage a culture of openness and will also ensure that your employees are always feeling their best whilst working.

You could even buy them a membership to some kind of meditation app to take things one step further! Calm and Headspace are two great choices. However, even encouraging your staff to use free options on YouTube is a brilliant step in the direction of employee wellness. 

Don’t forget about the value of team building

Working remotely means less chance for Friday lunchtime trips to the pub for food and post-work drinks which, if not managed properly, can mean less connection between team members. Whatever you do, don’t forget about the importance of team building!

If you’re looking for a way to connect remote workers, we offer workplace candle making workshops, which can either be done online or at a London based location of your choice. Our aromatherapy candle making workshop is perfect for startup and corporate teams, as we can cater from groups of 8 to 500 via a live online workshop!

Helping staff to reconnect with themselves and with each other, we teach the benefits of different essential oils and walk you through making your own soy wax candle with therapeutic properties. These kinds of events are a brilliant way to foster teamwork and happier staff, so make sure to put them in the calendar at regular intervals. 

Set virtual office hours 

It’s important that your staff know when they can check in with you. Just like an open office door means they can come to you with any problems, they need to know when they can contact you remotely!

Ensure that all of your employees know when they can reach out to you and get a quick response. That way, they’ll understand when to reach out to connect with you about anything, be it work-related or personal. 

There’s no denying that remote working has forced us to adapt the ways that we work and how we engage with our employees and colleagues. However, by following these simple steps, you can help to create a working environment that is positive, fulfilling and connected, whether in an office or through a screen!

Do you have any tips for maintaining wellness whilst working remotely? We’d love to hear them in the comments.