22 / WORKING REMOTELY
Looking after
mind and body
Maintaining a connection
When you’re not working face to
face, it can be hard to feel connected
to colleagues, which can impact
your mental health for the worse.
Maintaining a positive bond with
your team will buoy your resilience
and confidence, making you a
stronger leader. If you’re struggling,
seek the support of your manager,
or a trusted colleague or friend.
Some people love the autonomy and peace of working away
from their colleagues. Others struggle with the lack of contact.
As a remote manager, you need to look after your own mental
health and well-being, and to watch out for that of others.
In terms of the people you manage,
keep in regular virtual contact
with them (both as a group and
individually) and try to make yourself
approachable. Doing your utmost
to maintain a happy, supported
team will help their focus, their
ability to meet deadlines, and also
their general outlook. This, in turn,
will make your life own easier and
reduce your stress.
ASK YOURSELF…
YES NOIs my well-being suering?
1 Am I unusually forgetful? .................................................................
2 Am I feeling irritable or lethargic? ..................................................
3 Do I feel worried or tired all the time? ............................................
4 Am I suering from regular headaches? .........................................
5 Do I feel overwhelmed?.....................................................................
6 Do I have persistent body aches and pains? ...................................
7 Have I gained or lost a significant amount of weight recently? ....
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LOOKING AFTER MIND AND BODY / 23
Encouraging good health
Think about introducing ideas that
promote everyone’s health and
well-being. For example, you might
start a healthy-eating regimen or
arrange a delivery of nutritious
snacks; provide subscriptions
to mindfulness apps; or encourage
initiatives to build exercise into the
workday. You should also champion
the importance of regular screen
breaks and proper lunch hours for all.
Chatting socially
If you or your colleagues find aspects
of remote working stressful or lonely,
consider introducing a daily or weekly
social video call. The only rule? You can’t
talk about your job. It might sound like
a distraction from work tasks, but a
15–30-minute nonwork chat can have
the opposite eect, providing a moment
of human connection that leaves you
refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
BE SUPPORTIVE
If you need to provide emotional
support to a colleague, ask them
how they would prefer to talk—
by video, phone, or in person if
appropriate. Reassure them
that any conversations will
remain private. Listen fully,
repeat back the details, and
be positive about finding
solutions to the problem.
Tip
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