But every new challenge breeds creative, confident and supportive solutions to workplace wellness – we’ve shared a few here that have worked for us and our peers that you can take forward into the office now the world is reopening again. 

Repurpose your commute 

Not everyone had access to the ideal work environment at home, and lines can be blurred between work and play when your usual place for relaxation at home is repurposed as an office space. So now that we’re getting back into the office – flip the switch on that and use your commute as relaxation space. There are so many apps and podcasts that focus on headspace (and many offer corporate subscription packages, including Calm and Headspace), allowing you to take back the time spent getting to and from the office to positive effect. Productivity doesn’t just mean getting a head start on the day or constantly checking your emails on the train – you can’t take care of your work without taking care of yourself first. 

And if you’re still not ready to return to the office, you can still put your ‘commute’ to good use. Just because you can roll out of bed, into the shower and over to your desk 10 minutes before you log on doesn’t mean you should! Get back into a habit of setting your alarm as if you were travelling in to work, and use that time to your advantage. Read that book that’s been gathering dust on your bedside table, do an energising yoga flow or take a walk or run with a motivating podcast to wake you up and help to separate your home and work life again. 

Increased connectivity 

Being able to be present at work when and where it suits you has been beneficial to many, but to others, the pressure to be available and ‘always-on’ has proved intimidating and overwhelming. When you’re in the office, how much of your time is really spent behind your desk, concentrating on nothing but your work? Chances are you’re taking tea breaks, bumping into colleagues from another department or project in shared spaces for a chat or clearing your head with a stroll to the nearest park or coffee shop – or empty meeting room! This is so important to staying creative, open-minded and level-headed as we return to the workplace and slip back into old routines with fresh eyes, so make sure to prioritise logging off as well as logging on. 

And if you’re still working from home – making an extra cup of tea doesn’t make you a slacker! Take time to recreate the organic breaks you’d take in the office, with a walk around the garden, a trip to the post office, taking the dog for a walk or just a sit down somewhere away from your desk! And don’t forget to take your full lunch break – getting away from work in the middle of the day is a great reset button to keep you sharp in the afternoon. 

Flexible working 

Flexible working was a godsend for many people during the coronavirus pandemic, and that flexibility doesn’t need to stop, even as you return to the workplace. It can come in many different guises – from a change in working hours to a combination of home and office working or even just using a different desk each day – but establish a routine that works for you (and those you work with). Flexibility and taking control of your work is here to stay and if we can harness this correctly, it will have a huge impact on the wellbeing of your teams.  

As we learn to manage the virus and businesses return to some normality, expecting employees to return to the same way of working as pre-pandemic without any reservations could be incredibly detrimental. After a difficult year – and counting! – staff have worked hard, stayed loyal and adapted to every challenge that’s been thrown at them (not only professionally, but the impact that’s had on personal lives too) and turning a blind eye to that just to ensure an office floor is full can have a huge impact on your mental health and your organisation’s reputation.  

Try to open up conversations with your HR team to discuss the true necessity of being in the office five days a week – many organisations are aiming for two or three days in the office, with the others still at home or elsewhere. If you've lost your office in the pandemic, think about meeting colleagues in a co-working space or a neutral space like a coffee shop a couple of days a week. Not only will this be productive from a work perspective, but changing the environment for your team will spark inspiration, improve motivation and keep creativity flowing. 

Refresh with a hot-desk 

Moving from a dedicated workspace to a hot-desking system can seem daunting especially if you have a set routine or specific desk configuration. But it can be a huge help in terms of offering a refresh after the last year, and is a useful (and therapeutic!) exercise in streamlining what you truly need on your desk to be productive, removing any distractions in your eyeline or on the tabletop and means you get to meet and work with people from other departments, increasing your collaboration and sense of belonging at work, without it feeling forced or unnatural – clear desk, clear mind!

Team development 

Workplace wellness doesn’t just cover ways to make your current position more manageable – think about where you’d like to be in six or 12 months’ time and build a personal development plan to help to keep you inspired and motivated to get back to a more ‘normal’ working life. A huge number of businesses struggled to make ends meet over the lockdown restrictions, and so budgets for development may be tight – or even completely paused – but without some forward movement you may feel stuck and undervalued, so take advantage of affordable, and free, options where you can to get going before cementing your progress and next steps when finances allow.  

Whether you’re brushing up on existing skills with online webinars or trying something new like a language or something creative or artistic, there are free resources and apps out there to suit everywhere. Professional development doesn’t only count when you get a certificate at the end either – team building activities after such a long time away from each other without sharing each other’s knowledge, insights and skills can be a great way to feel refreshed and inspired. Go for a walk, arrange a game of football, netball or rounders in the local park for free, plan your next big summer or Christmas party or have a skill swapping session where you learn from each other’s weird and wonderful talents and you’ll feel motivated and connected in no time. 

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