Lockdown has taught us many things, from the power of remote meetings to the idea of not having to commute daily. Still, at the same time, the repetitiveness of the last year has left us all feeling slightly ‘meh’, with the New York Times describing that feeling as languishing.
This feeling of ‘meh’ has affected us all in unique and different ways, from perhaps just getting to the end of the day and feeling particularly low to something more serious.
At Whitecross, we are determined to alleviate those feelings for everyone in the business as we gradually emerge from lockdown.
This won’t necessarily be an overnight approach, but we want to highlight that we are cautious and aware of everyone in the Whitecross family and are making it a priority to protect their physical health in their day-to-day work but almost more importantly, their mental health.
So what steps are we taking?
The ‘do something new’ day
We want to encourage all our team to take a moment to go and experience something new and then share it with the team.
This may seem an funny approach, but according to Head to Health research spending time on an activity that you enjoy can improve your mental health and wellbeing. Research shows that people who take up new hobbies are less likely to suffer from stress, low mood, and depression. Activities that get you out and about can make you feel happier and more relaxed.
Team get together
After a year and a half of conversations through screens, it is a unanimous feeling amongst our team to have a get-together and a catch-up.
The power of authentic communication is significant and is essential to us as humans, so we will be planning a team-wide get together, to not talk about work and just to generally be together as a team again.
Flexible Working
It has become apparent that traditional ‘9-5’s’ are becoming less prominent as we emerge into a more adaptable working style.
We want to allow our employees to take the time when they need it. As long as deadlines are met, we want to encourage those at Whitecross to adapt their schedules to make sure they are looking after themselves, whether that be taking a long walk over lunch or spending some deserved time with their family.
Each day is a new one as the ripples of Covid-19 get smaller and smaller, and we continue to find new ways to approach things to help us. Although there is light at the end of the tunnel, we mustn’t ignore how we feel in our head and should continue to communicate, care and consider ourselves and the team around us.