COVID-19 has changed the way we work forever. Once a lifestyle for a very small number of people, hybrid working has now become the norm and employers have had to make a very quick adjustment to ensure this works commercially for their business and also for their staff.

But when it comes to looking after your employees when you aren’t anywhere near them and ensuring their mental and physical health isn’t suffering, how easy is this and how can you empower your staff to help themselves?

Below are a few suggestions to benefit employees, or yourself if you are a newly established hybrid worker:

Get your steps back up:
When you don’t have a commute any more, you may be walking less, moving less around an office and on screen based Team’s calls as opposed to moving to physical meetings. The steps you would usually walk naturally in your working day have likely been reduced, so the first thing to do is schedule in time in your day to increase your steps back up. Add in a walking telephone call with a colleague, add a walk with the dog into your lunch break and walk to the shops to get your lunch ingredients as opposed to just having everything for the week in your fridge already. Increasing your steps each day even by another 2,000 will add up pretty quickly in a week.

Use your ‘commute time’ efficiently:
If you have gained time back because you don’t need to commute any more, use it wisely. If you get up at the same time as you used to when you had a commute, then you can use this time for a little exercise, some mindfulness to prepare you for the day ahead or or food preparation for some delicious, nutritious, homemade meals as opposed to expensive processed take-aways.

Look after your food:
As we have been working often right next to our fridges, it has been very easy to just eat what and when you want. When you are in a routine, you tend to eat the same sorts of things at the same time. But from home, there has been a tendency to consume more. If you can be more mindful of what you are eating, track it a little more so you are aware of the amount and ensure that you are eating the right balance of food groups. You will feel more energetic, more productive and more in control.

Be Social
Don’t forget to embrace the world outside your home office and make time to connect with people face to face. Zoom fatigue can quickly set in so make time in your working week to meet with friends and loved ones and don’t just leave it for the weekends. Take advantage of the light mornings and try an early morning walk or lunchtime coffee. This is especially important if you live alone and don’t have the benefit of a partner to download your day too when your working day has ended.

Schedule home to work transition time
Don’t underestimate the physical act of travelling to and from an office. That time spent sitting in traffic or on the train was invaluable for your mind to process your day and make the transition from work to home. If you find yourself incapable of switching off in the evening or struggling to motivate yourself in the morning try to incorporate a physical or mental transition. This could be as gentle as a short yoga flow, a swift walk round the block a few times or step it up a gear with a 5k run, HIIT class or bike ride. You’ll find yourself refreshed and ready to face the working day or able to ease back into home life without the distraction of work continually running around your brain.