As the novelty of working from home starts to wear off, it’s more important than ever to look after our mental health and those we work with, says Claire Clifford.
Like many, back in March when home working was pressed upon us, the excitement of avoiding the smelly cramped tube, the over-priced national rail sardine tins called trains and the novelty of grabbing that extra 30-minute snooze was bliss and a dream come true.
Now, seven months on, I find myself speaking to a variety of people who are struggling with the concept of working from home for a possible further six months, especially with darker nights and winter weather looming.
The direct Covid-19 impacts are well known and thankfully the NHS is continuing to support us all as best they can. ‘Long-Covid’ has today been recognised as a real issue, which is a huge step forward. But we must make sure that we look after our family, friends and colleagues who may not have directly been affected by Covid, but instead slowly the indirect effects are starting to rear their ugly heads.
Isolation is a silent best friend of depression and anxiety. We all like our own time, but as we find ourselves home alone, disconnected from work colleagues for longer, or home with others but no space or freedom, our mental wellbeing could be significantly impacted - and we may not even know it!
We, as a community, friend, colleague or manager must make it our mission to stop the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Simple steps to check in with one another is easy. Please don't think that somebody else will do it - it's better to be too busy than being too lonely.
The NHS has a great article on taking care of your mental health whilst working from home and below I’ve highlighted a few reminders of what we can do for one another.
Claire Clifford runs the HR consultancy CC in HR. For further advice or support on remote management or supporting mental health see www.ccinhr.co.uk or contact Claire at claire@ccinhr.co.uk.