As the Institute of Government and Public Policy states in an article published in June 2024, there has been a positive cultural shift in our attitude towards physical and mental wellbeing in the workplace.
Here at DSC, we continually look to improve our colleagues’ wellbeing. Since 2021, we have conducted an annual wellbeing survey. We use it to identify common issue areas and to collate recommendations that the wellbeing team can discuss and potentially put into practice. These five tips have been taken from what our DSC colleagues have shared in the annual survey.
Outline what you want to achieve each day
To keep yourself on track, and to create a sense of fulfilment, it may be helpful to plan the tasks or activities that you are going to focus on each day. We use Microsoft Teams, which comes with a calendar function; we plan our day with this tool. Your organisation may not use Microsoft Teams, but there are other platforms offering similar tools.
By outlining what you wish to accomplish, you may feel more organised and it may reduce your feelings of stress. Visualising what you need to do reduces the amount of thoughts and ideas going around in your head!
Host online socials
Teams that work face-to-face in the office often socialise during lunch or after work. For those of us that work from home, it can sometimes feel like a lonely endeavour because it is likely not possible to meet in-person with colleagues. At DSC, we have daily check-ins and check-outs towards the start and end of our working day. It is also a good idea to do things like a quiz or virtual after work drink to help lighten colleagues’ moods. Socialising remotely requires us to set aside time, but our social wellbeing is important so this is worth it. Hosting special event socials is particularly fun when it comes to times like Christmas or bank holidays.
Reinforce your boundaries
When working from home, it is especially easy for the boundaries between our work and our personal life to blur. If possible, try to establish a physical boundary – this could be a separate room to work in or a room divider, or even dressing as if you were working onsite. This will reinforce a boundary between work and personal life.
Furthermore, try to stick to your office hours and to take proper breaks for lunch and recharging. Schedule your breaks on your calendar so your colleagues can see when to not bother you! Working from home contributes to higher levels of productivity because there are fewer meetings, less office distractions and better flexibility so there is no doubt that we deserve rest and recuperation!
Introducing a three-day weekend is another way to strengthen the boundary between work and personal life. Here at DSC, we introduced a a three-day weekend (or a four-day week) in response to the COVID pandemic. Colleagues have reported this as having a beneficial effect on their morale and wellbeing, allowing them to have more time to themselves and with their loved ones. For further information about this initiative, please read this article.
Take regular eyesight breaks
If working primarily on a screen, it is important to take regular eyesight breaks to look after our eyes. Prolonged use of screens without breaks may lead to eye strain or computer vision syndrome. To combat this, the RNIB recommends the 20, 20, 20 rule: take a break of at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes to look into the distance at least 20 feet away.
Our colleagues in our wellbeing survey also suggested that every hour, for a couple of minutes, you could read a book, do some doodling or look outside your window! Not only does this benefit your eyes, it also benefits your mind by giving you a break from those spreadsheets or emails.
Connect with different colleagues
To combat the risk of isolation when working from home, which has been cited as one of the main negatives of remote working, it may help to connect with a colleague, or colleagues. In particular, one of our colleagues suggesting connecting with colleagues with whom you don’t interact often one-to-one. This can be as simple as an email or message on Teams, or perhaps even arranging a quick catch up!
Similarly, setting aside time to regularly meet for a catch up as a whole organisation encourages socialising. For example, at DSC, we all meet every Wednesday before lunch to have a catch up via Zoom; we get assigned randomly into break out rooms, which means that we get to talk with different people each week!
Another way of socialising with a variety of colleagues is setting up a virtual space to emulate ‘water cooler chat’. On Teams, we have a dedicated wellbeing channel that we use to share tips or TV show recommendations, basically anything that is not directly work related!
Our wellbeing team
Please note that this list is not exhaustive: there are many ways to maintain your wellbeing at work! However, we hope that you find these tips helpful. If you would like to know more about our internal wellbeing team, check this article out.
