Posted on September 8, 2021
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Strategies for mental wellbeing
This month, Australia’s attention turns to mental wellbeing as R U OK? Day rolls around and reminds us of the importance of human connection. With as much of Australia and New Zealand in lockdown and restrictions remain in place across the Asia Pacific region (or even around the world), it’s more critical than ever to take stock of your emotional state and check in with your friends, family and colleagues.
Athena Chintis, Cliftons Head of People and Culture, joins us to share some tips and strategies you can put into practice.
Don’t underestimate the power of a conversation
A lot of the conversations that you’d usually take for granted daily – like the casual chat with your barista when you get your coffee, the joke in the lift going up to the office, the banter with your desk neighbour about the latest news story – just isn’t happening.
That’s why one of Athena’s suggestions is to remember how powerful a phone call can be. “In this time of texting and emails, a lot of us have forgotten how nice it can be to get a ‘just because’ phone call to catch up with someone. It doesn’t need to have a purpose, and it doesn’t need to go on for ages, but a simple phone call can provide a moment of human connection that’s incredibly valuable,” she says.
And speaking of conversations, it’s important to remember that people are trying hard to do their best during a challenging time, but that effort can often go unnoticed. With World Gratitude Day on 21 September, we’re encouraging all our staff to take the time to thank fellow team members. “It’s about more than saying ‘thank you,’” says Athena, “it’s also important to specifically state how someone helped you and the way their effort made a difference.”
“Humans are social creatures. It’s important to recognise that for those of us in lockdown, it truly is an unnatural state,” says Athena.
Harness the substitutions that are available
OK, so we can’t work together in the office. But there is technology available, so make the best of what we have. “Just turning cameras on for your team meetings and presentations – even if the voice is on mute – can make a big difference to the feeling of connection,” says Athena. “And if you’re worried about the state of your ‘home office’, try using one of the virtual backdrops, or create your own.”
You could also try using online tools for a co-working session with your colleagues. Here’s how it works:
Schedule the meeting time and set up the video conference link
Have a five-minute chat to check in and say what you’re working on
Turn off cameras and voice chat and work for a stint (say 30 minutes)
Check back in for another chat to report on progress, any issues etc
Repeat for a few blocks of time, as appropriate.
‘Lockdown lunches’ are another idea to fill in some of the social gaps that currently exist. Book a time with your co-workers and get together for lunch and chat at an agreed time. You could even set a theme or try to re-create a takeaway from a favourite place you’d typically go to together when you’re in the office.
You could also consider novel ways of combining learning with virtual games. We held virtual trivia quizzes to upskill in product knowledge and an Olympics themed competition to role-play scenarios. It’s a great way of bringing your teams together and have fun as well as learning while they’re working from home.
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