It’s been a year since WHO announced that we were in the midst of a global pandemic and working from home suddenly became the new norm for many of us as we start 2021. For some, this simply accelerated a long-term trend and has helped to discover a new preferred way of working we’d be happy to continue into the future. According to a recent YouGov 2020 survey, most people, 57% have said they want to continue working from home either full-time or part-time post-COVID-19 restrictions. However, it’s not for everyone.
As anyone who has joined virtual work drinks or team quizzes will tell you, there are those who love life on the small screen and those who simply mute and camera-hide their way through! So when coming up with ideas to encourage your team to maintain a good work-life balance and look after their wellness in their now home-office, flexibility is key.
Steph Mandeville is co-founder of the Challenge Accepted app, winner of BBC Dragon and Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday competition, and a finalist for Natwest Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020 pitch competition. Steph shares 5 Challenge ideas that can help your team manage their wellness and work-life balance whilst working from home.
Get moving challenge
Encourage your team to do something active every day to support their mental health. There are numerous benefits to regular physical activity, with one of the most important being a reduction in the risk of depression by up to 30%. Challenge Accepted is currently supporting RED January, a campaign encouraging you to do something active every day to look after your mental health. This can be anything from a walk, run, or even cleaning the house.
Get outside challenge
Whilst keeping within the rules, do get outside at least once every day. Without the regular commute, shops, or restaurants to go to, it can be easy to go a day or more without stepping out of the house. Try a team challenge to go outside every day whether it’s for a walk around the block, a run, or just to get some fresh air away from your desk. Stay safe, keep a few spare masks and hand sanitizer in your bag or pocket so you don’t forget. Make it interesting with a daily photo challenge e.g. find a building of historical significance or funny street name.
Take your lunch break challenge
Taking breaks reduces stress and can improve productivity. With working from home the traditional lunch break is a bit different with even more of us blurring the lines between work and rest. Try taking a long-lunch to allow for a workout in the daylight or reduce your meetings from an hour to 45-minutes for lots of mini-breaks away from a screen throughout the day – make sure your team is building rest into the new way of working that they’ve shared with you.
One more thing challenge
Change doesn’t happen overnight, take one step at a time. ‘One More Thing’ challenges were created on Challenge Accepted to break down these huge goals we set ourselves into manageable chunks, whether we’re looking to get healthier, more environmentally friendly, or simply looking out for our wellbeing. Changes to our lifestyle aren’t always things we can change quickly. For most, it requires lots of small changes turned into regular habits that eventually combine to transform our lifestyle. See if your team can pick a few mini-tasks to contribute to greater wellbeing. Even something as simple as drinking a glass of water each morning or putting your phone aside an hour before bed can make a big difference.
Team fundraising challenge
If you’re looking for a challenge that all your team can do and need some extra motivation, try a fundraising challenge. Each team member can pick a different 30-day challenge that works for them and complete the challenge for a charity of their choice. Remember to share your challenge progress as you go. Working together for a good cause can contribute positively to our sense of wellbeing and make us feel that bit better about the world.
