The idea of teambuilding generates images of happy hours, trainings, and trust-falls, yet one critical way to build up your team is to support mental wellness by finding ways to help alleviate stress during a busy time. According to SHRM, top contributors to stress are heavy workloads, long hours, and unrealistic job expectations.
While it’s impossible to make a difficult project disappear or hit the fast-forward button through the busy season, there are still ways to help your employees manage the stress they experience on the job. Here are five simple things you can do today, that cost nothing, to support your employees and foster their wellness in the workplace:
Warmer weather is here! Go for a walk, meet in a park, make lunch a picnic — by getting your team into a new space away from their desks, they have the chance to clear their heads, move around, and possibly see a challenge differently.
Reading for enjoyment is known to reduce stress. Easy to implement virtually, allowing your teams to opt into reading will get them talking about new topics and bonding over shared ideas. Start with thought-leadership books that apply to business and life. Need a recommendation? Summit’s Recognition Team started a book club! We are currently reading Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab.
Encourage them to speak up when their workload overflows due to deadlines or special projects. Pulling in co-workers to assist will strengthen the connections among the team and will also help you cross-train. Just remember: when co-workers step in during a crunch time, make sure to recognize them so they feel appreciated (see number 5).
It’s important for employees to re-charge and have time to think creatively in order to do their best work. Back-to-back video calls and meetings are exhausting, so encourage your team to add some quiet time in their calendars. Best practices for this include adding an away message or a “do not disturb” feature so their limited availability is noted to their colleagues.
Recognizing employees for their efforts not only shows them how much they are valued as individuals, but it also bolsters happiness in the workplace. At Summit, our teams give a shout-out at the end of our team meetings to acknowledge those who have gone above and beyond. It’s a simple slide at the end of the deck, and highlighting our individual talents to the group not only recognizes their hard work, but puts their name on the minds of others who may need that type of expertise in the future.
Are you looking for more ways to recognize your team and support them in doing their best work?
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