Wellbeing and Hybrid Working
Many of us have changed the way that we work following the Covid-19 pandemic. Amey's Freedom to Perform strategy gives you, and your manager, responsibility and accountability at local level by letting you choose to work in a way that is best for you, the business and our clients.
As you and your manager shape the way you work, your social wellbeing is more important than ever.
Here are some ways to support your mental health, reduce feelings of isolation, and consider how you connect with colleagues at work.
There is a higher prevalence of remote working following the pandemic, and this often brings many benefits, including no busy commute, greater flexibility, and for some even increased productivity. However, there are also many downsides, which often are subtle and have an effect on our wellbeing and mental health over time.
We know you are at your best when you can bring your whole self to work and we want to support you to do that. We want you to have time to do the things that are important to you both inside and outside of work. We would encourage you and your manager to review the new guidance on Flexible Working alongside some of the information on this page to ensure that you are considering your health and wellbeing as we navigate the 'new normal'.
Get set up
Waking up
Although you may have some extra time in bed without a commute, aim to wake up around the same time every day. This helps stabilise your internal clock and improve your sleep overall. You’ll feel less tired, more refreshed, and find it easier to concentrate throughout the day.
Getting ready
Keep to your established morning routine if you can – get ready, washed, and dressed as if you are going to the work. This will help you get into the mindset that you are at work. Why not go for a walk, cycle or run before you start work for the day? This can help you to feel like you have mentally ‘arrived’ at work and create space between your home as an office and your home as a home.
Setting up and closing down
Try to set aside a work area separate from your sleeping area, as this will help to prepare you for work mode and make it easier to switch off at the end of the day.
Clear your work surface of clutter and set up your equipment to avoid physical strain and speak to your manager about doing a homeworking self assessment. There is also some useful guidance on the NHS website.
When you’ve finished for the day, pack away your work area and move out of your workspace if you can. Even something as simple as putting your laptop into a drawer at the end of the day can help you to leave your work behind and switch off. You can also set limits on your screen time and app usage on smartphones and tablets that connect you to work outside of your normal working hours.
Adapt your working style
Disconnecting is just as important as connecting. You could try removing your work email from your phone to help you disconnect in the evening and encourage your team not to respond to emails out of work hours.
Make sure you take regular breaks throughout the day and try to keep your lunch break free from meetings. You could experiment with taking ten minutes off your hourly meetings to grab a drink or stretch your legs.
Get moving
Including some movement into your work from home routine will help maintain your physical and mental health. You’ll feel more awake and alert, and your concentration and sleep will improve.
Outdoors
Try walking and talking meetings, using your phone if you spend a lot of time on a screen. Make the most of lunchtimes and the end of the day to get some fresh air and put a natural pause in your day.
Indoors
If you’re indoors, why not join one of our Yoga sessions from our very own Felicity Pryke by visiting our Wellbeing Ambassador sessions page. Or look online for an activity that suits you, such as a home yoga video or a fitness class. Some gyms are now live streaming their classes, so you could join a fitness community in your local area. No matter what exercise you choose, try to take regular screen breaks and stretch throughout the day. Try to take a clearly defined lunch break and move away from your workspace.
Get connected
Adapt your working style
Make sure you keep communication open with your team, as often and frequently as possible. Senior leaders should role model healthy working from home habits and behaviours. Here are some suggestions:
- Video calls instead of emailing
- Short check-in and check-out calls between managers and their teams, at the start and end of the workday
- Optional Q&A sessions for colleagues to dial in and chat through any concerns or queries they have about working from home
Virtual Wellbeing Wednesdays
If you usually schedule time in the month for Wellbeing Wednesday, continue to make time for this over Teams. Visit our Wellbeing Wednesday Ideas page for some inspiration. And share what you're doing on Yammer!
Relationships and support
During times of stress, it helps if we stay connected. Keep in touch with friends and family where you can. Use Teams to communicate with your colleagues if you are feeling out of the loop or need to talk to someone.
Connect with your team
You may be in regular contact with your immediate team, but what about the rest of your colleagues? Making the time to socialise with people from across your organisation can help you see the bigger picture, stay connected, and boost morale. You could try coffee mornings, a Friday ‘happy hour’, team quizzes, or ‘three at three’, where three people are randomly allocated to meet at 3pm for 10 minutes and the only rule is not talk about work. Or join the conversation on the Wellbeing Yammer group.
Spread kindness
Make the time to do something that will bring joy to a colleague’s day. You could drop them a note to say thank you or send them a message to check how they are doing; virtual cards or themed video calls can be a great way to celebrate milestones. If you manage a team, you could try sending a gift to their homes to mark the success of a project. The Action for Happiness calendar always has some great ideas.
Check in with yourself and your colleagues
Regular wellbeing check-ins with colleagues are a vital way to support people’s mental health during the pandemic. Keep your team updated with your circumstances and what is and isn’t possible for you to deliver at work. Check out the Mental Health First Aid England Whole Self MOT to help you regularly check in on your own and others’ mental health and wellbeing. Also don't hesitate to get in touch with our Wellbeing Ambassadors and Mental Health First Aiders using the buttons to the right of this page.