Across the globe, social distancing measures are now in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. With these changes comes a substantial increase in the number of people working remotely. Leaders are now re-thinking their approach to management to maintain business as usual and minimize disruption.

To offer leadership teams support, we have explored the research on leading remote workers, and offer some tips to keep teams on board and engaged. 

Before the outbreak of COVID-19, one study found that 70% of workers globally were working remotely at least once per week. 

Leadership in a remote work setting was also a concern for many organizations. In the Deloitte Human Global Capital Trends 2019 report, “the ability to manage on a remote basis” was believed by 50 percent of respondents to be a unique requirement for 21st-century leaders. 

In an article for the MIT Sloan Management Review, Whitney Johnson explains that managers of remote teams need to be aware of the challenges involved. She summarises the potential pitfalls into the following categories:  

When members of your team work in different countries, communication can become complicated. Employees share information at a slower rate, and managers need to be aware of how this affects productivity. 

Text-based communications also limit the meaning we can derive from a conversation. According to research, 93 percent of communication occurs nonverbally through body language and tone of voice. We only receive seven percent of understanding through words. Managers need to be aware of the moments where a phone or video call would be more appropriate. 

There are many tools to support project management, but it can still be difficult for managers to know who is doing what. When workers are in the office, managers can wander through the room and check-in with employees, which isn’t possible remotely. 

In this case, leaders need to encourage employees to reach out to them more often and to highlight their achievements. 

When building a remote team, it can be tempting to seek out employees who are experienced and can deliver with little guidance or instruction. This approach has its benefits when employees are working remotely, but leaders do miss out on the energy and creativity of less experienced, but perhaps more enthusiastic employees. 

It is essential to keep a balance here and to accept that you may be in contact with new hires who work remotely more often than seasoned professionals. You will also need to develop a robust training system. 

When it comes to technology, managers must understand that not all employees have access to a high-speed internet connection or the latest technology. Even those who do might have technical difficulties. Be patient and understanding in these circumstances, and support your team members as best you can. 

Reflecting on this information, the following tips will help you to get your remote team operating successfully:

Working with others face-to-face has many benefits. We can collaborate more efficiently, connect with others, and their intentions become more transparent.

Instant messaging is undoubtedly useful, but it is crucial to be aware that much of what is said is lost when we communicate in this way. If there is conflict or tension, misunderstandings can happen quickly.

When communicating with your team, be aware that sometimes a call would be better to avoid misinterpretation. 

While it is relatively easy with modern technology to connect with a team member or a small group of people on a conference call, it can be harder to get the whole team together. Team members might be used to after-work drinks on a Friday night, or regular dinners with colleagues.

In this case, it might be worth putting it to a vote and seeing whether your staff would like to do an end of week call. Using video call software, everyone can dial in when they are ready. Employees who feel comfortable could take it in turns to lead the call. This strategy works well to connect the remote members of the team at Go1! 

Before employees can work efficiently in a remote setting, organization leaders need to develop the appropriate culture. This process includes building trust between team members at all levels.

Doing so can be challenging when you don’t see your employees on a day-to-day basis, but the work they deliver will give you an idea of how well they are performing. 

Focus on monitoring which team member is delivering what, and only chase up if they fail to meet their targets. 

Linked to building a culture of trust is encouraging your team members to become more autonomous. As a manager of a remote team, it can be hard to keep track of the different projects happening. The more employees can lead themselves and keep you informed, the better.

On a systemic level, independent thought can be challenging to manage, particularly in a large organization. Nevertheless, autonomous work is a necessary part of progress, and organizations need to embrace it to keep up with the pace of change. 

Autonomy also gives employees the headspace and confidence they need to make creative contributions - an essential skill in today’s work landscape. 

5. Ask your team for regular feedback on their experience

Although there is a growing bank of research on remote work, managing a team offsite is a relatively new concept. COVID-19 has also forced many unprepared organizations into remote settings. 

If your team is new to remote work, it is crucial to check in with them regularly at the beginning. Ask them about team cohesion, and whether they know what projects they are assigned to. If there are problems with communication, project management, or IT support, they will let you know, and you can make adjustments accordingly. 

Take a look at our Go1 Leading Remote Workers pathway, a curated pathway of courses to equip yourself to work comfortably from home, while maintaining productivity and supporting your team successfully.	

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Sophia is a freelance writer who specialises in thought leadership, opinion pieces and content creation for learning publications. Her work focuses on the latest research in learning theory and practice. She regularly contributes articles on workplace learning and personal development to the Go1 blog. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. 

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What to look out for when leading your team virtually

We are so excited to announce the latest improvements to Go1: offering learners a simpler, easier means of finding quality learning content, the ability for managers, administrators and content administrators to download historical course enrollment records, a streamlined process to access content through our 1-Player content player, and new API documentation for developers.

You can now expect a dramatically improved experience when searching for a particular item of learning within the Explore page of a Go1 Portal. 

Learners can now search across multiple content types from the one display, reducing the need to skip between tabs. Search for content across all formats, or use the Content Types filter available through More filters to target one or more specific formats.

Our most popular filters, Topic and Provider, are now front and center: reducing the noise and allowing learners to quickly find the learning they need. 

Learners can also now filter by Duration -the length of time required to complete that learning- allowing them to find the content appropriate to their situation and the time they have available, whether that be a short video, or a more in depth course. 

Selecting options within a filter will now only update search results once you tap away from that filter, resulting in a search that feels faster and smoother.

For those looking for a specific topic or piece of content, our More filters popup provides additional options so that you can further refine your search: Content types, Tags, Price, and Language.

Once you have submitted a search, for learners on portals with Go1 Premium, finding popular, quality content is now easier than ever, with results prioritising top rated learning content. 

Find out more about how to use our new search and filter functionality.

Learners searching for content can now also preview learning before enrolling. Within the search results on portals containing the majority of Go1 Premium within their Portal Content Selection, learners can click to preview the description for an item of content, without having to navigate away from search results. Learn more about how to preview learning. 

Organisations often have the need for staff to complete recurring training -whether to achieve compliance, or in alignment with organisational policies and procedures. To support the monitoring and reporting of this recurring training, administrators, content administrators and managers now have the ability to export all historical enrollment records for a specific course or user from the Enrollments report within Administer. Learn how to export historical course enrollments.

The learning experience available through Go1 continues to improve, with adjustments to our content player, 1-Player, simplifying the process so that they can focus on what's important to them: the learning. 

Based on feedback provided by our customers, you can expect no more unintentional enrollments or re-enrollments, fewer steps to access learning content, and less confusion for learners on what to do next within a course. Learn how to experience the 1-Player updates.

We are proud to launch new documentation for the consumption of technical members looking to integrate with Go1. Whether you are just getting started with your integration, or are interested in a specific concept, our documentation is here to help. View the documentation here.

If you have any questions regarding your experience with Go1 or the improvements that have been made available, please reach out to our friendly 24/7 support team for a chat.

Our latest improvements offer learners a simpler, easier means of finding quality learning content, the ability for managers, administrators and content administrators to download historical course enrollment records, a streamlined process to access content through our 1-Player content player, and new API documentation for developers.

In the modern world, unlimited access to technology puts our brains in a state of constant stimulation. Notifications, alerts, and reminders help to keep us on track, but they can make it difficult to switch off at night.  

A Gallup poll in the U.S. found that 40% of Americans get less than the recommended 7-9 sleep per night. Yet, sleep is essential to our health and optimal performance at work. 

We have looked at the science and put together some advice for your team on the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. 

In the international bestseller, Why We Sleep, neuroscientist Matthew Walker explains how sleep can boost our intelligence, make us more attractive, and improve our moods. 

Not only is sleep an essential process to the body’s everyday functions, it can also help to ward off cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. 

Our brains use around 20 percent of the body's total energy consumption. One of the main functions of sleep is to replenish the hard-working brain circuitry. This process helps to protect us from brain-related illnesses such as dementia and mood disorders. 

The REM phase of sleep helps the brain to connect unrelated ideas, which boosts our creativity and problem-solving abilities. Think back to the time you miraculously solved a problem or completed a task with ease after a good rest. 

Sleep can also enhance learning. Our waking hours are the best time for learning something new, but the dreams we have during REM sleep improve memory consolidation. 

For this reason, we are primed for problem solving and creativity when we first wake up. While we have been asleep, our brains have been able to make new pathways and connections with the information we have taken in the previous day.  

Tips for getting a better night’s sleep

Despite the proven benefits of sleep, many people find it difficult to get a full, unbroken night’s rest. Here, we have put together some tips to help your team improve sleep hygiene, and reap the benefits of increased brain function: 

Our brains are wired to chase rewards. We feel sleepy, and we want to feel more alert, so we have a coffee and get the kick we need. This pattern of cue, routine, and reward is fundamental to human behaviour - a process that psychologists have labelled the habit loop. With knowledge of this cycle, it is possible to reprogram the most reluctant mind to repeat the desired behaviour effortlessly - including falling asleep at the same time each night. 

If you complete the same rituals before going to bed, like flossing, brushing your teeth, or reading for twenty minutes, your brain will learn that this is the time you sleep. The pattern will trigger the release of melatonin, the hormone we need to start feeling sleepy.

The Sleep Foundation states that ninety percent of people admit to using a technological device in the hour before bed. They add that “using electronic devices before bedtime can be physiologically and psychologically stimulating in ways that can adversely affect your sleep.”

Devices interfere with our body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, and suppress the release of melatonin. This effect is due to the artificial blue light they emit.  

Avoid using any technology in the hour before bed, and allow your brain to become relaxed and ready for sleep.

Our body temperature fluctuates at night, just as it does during the day. But we sleep better when we are cool. The ideal temperature for adults is around 18.3°C. One study in 2012 found that room temperature is one of the most critical factors for achieving a quality night’s sleep. 

As we prepare to go to sleep, our body temperature also drops, so it is best to avoid high-intensity exercise before bed if you have trouble falling asleep. Keeping blinds down in your bedroom during the day can also be an effective way to prevent heat build-up. 

The circadian rhythm, or body clock, is an internal system designed to manage our feelings of sleepiness and wakefulness over 24 hours. This system is controlled by the part of the brain that responds to light. 

However, this internal rhythm can vary between people. Our sleep patterns can be divided into two main “chronotypes”: the morning larks and night owls. Approximately a third of the population are morning larks, a third are night owls, and the other third are somewhere in between. There is nothing we can do to reset our natural inclinations. 

As a result, in a 9-5 world, night owls are often more tired, less active, and more susceptible to poor health. They have higher rates of depression, anxiety, diabetes, cancer, heart attack, and stroke.

Because of this, opportunities for remote work have real potential to be beneficial for productivity in the workplace. If employers are understanding, we can work with our chronotypes and switch on for work during the hours when we are most alert. Work in sync with your circadian rhythm wherever possible.   

Caffeine is a stimulant that works on our central nervous system. It can boost energy and improve mood. 

The half-life of caffeine varies between people but is approximately 5-6 hours. If you consume 10mg of caffeine, you will have 5mg in your system five hours later. In light of this, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that you avoid drinking caffeine at least six hours before bedtime.    

For more helpful tips, you might like to take a look at our Go1 Mental Health and Wellbeing pathway, a collection of curated courses to help you stay healthy, alert and connected when working remotely.

Why getting enough sleep is more important than you think

Millennials are becoming parents.  In fact, not only do millennials make up roughly 90 per cent of the childbearing population, but by 2025, they will also account for a whopping 75 per cent of the workforce.  

Chances are right now you are creating a marketing strategy to entice millennials through the door by a) enrolling their children in your centre, or b) joining your team of educators.  

What are they looking for in both of those scenarios?  Professional development.  In education, the term ‘professional development’ speaks of various professional training, formal qualifications, further education and advanced online learning, intended to extend the knowledge and skills of educators.  Millennials not only value professional development for themselves in the workforce, but also for their children.  

No matter the age group of your team, educators require ongoing professional development.  And here’s the top four reasons why:

1. Developing the skills to grow your career

The rapid pace of technology means that even the most proficient educators require ongoing training.  Interactive whiteboards, apps, projectors, smart TVs and devices are all commonplace in child care centres nowadays.  Reliance on course management systems and customer relationship management programs for communicating with parents is vital to running a centre efficiently. 

Empowering educators to develop the technical, quantitative and analytical skills to analyse student performance and behavioural data, provides the opportunity for teaching modes to be adjusted based on the outcome.  Not only does this create an effective curriculum and learning environment, but also frees up time management can better spend elsewhere.  

Online learning gives educators the chance to learn skills that they may not have been exposed to in a practical setting.  For instance, learning effective ways of teaching children with learning disabilities, speech impairments or limited language - before the educator encounters the situation in a practical setting - allows them to be better prepared and more competent.  According to the Education Reform, by improving these fundamental teaching techniques, educators are more adept at framing questions that provoke deeper thinking and meaningful responses from young children.  

Empowering educators through training and opportunities for career progression creates a positive culture that attracts and retains high-quality staff.  As mentioned above, by 2025, millennials will make up 75 per cent of the workforce.  According to Childwatch, not only are millennials more educated than any generation before them, they are keen to continue learning.  Over 50 per cent stated that they would sacrifice a higher salary for a job that offered personal growth potential and educational opportunities.  

Supporting both personal and career growth through online training programs makes staff feel valued.  According to research, millennials crave constructive feedback, leadership skills development and job satisfaction.  Millennials who are happy with the development opportunities on offer are twice as likely to remain working for a company than otherwise.  

In 2017 millennials made up 90 per cent of all new parents.  Having grown up connected, 85 per cent use social media, answer texts within three minutes and admit that technology and the internet have fundamentally influenced how they think, communicate, work, problem solve, buy and parent.  Staying up-to-date with successful online marketing techniques is crucial to lead generation, as more and more parents rely on social media to source, compare and register for centre tours online.  Millennial parents stay close to their phones, with 81 per cent sharing photos of their children on social media. 

Scrolling through the referrals of high-quality centres during the lunch break or work transit is quick and efficient.  To target your audience effectively, a digital marketing strategy driving lead enquiries and enrolments is necessary.  Learning strategies of marketing automation, effective CRM platforms and copywriting can all increase the ROI and overall profitability of your centre

Go1 is committed to helping child care centres succeed.  With on-demand courses taught by industry experts and available at leisure, Go1’s online learning portal is changing the game.  Go1 offers a wide range of professional development courses for child care educators.  Learn more about how Go1 can help your child care centre grow through training.

Four compelling reasons why child care educators require ongoing professional development

With greater numbers of employees working remotely from home in response to COVID-19, it’s now more important than ever to stay connected. 

With this in mind, we hosted a webinar in collaboration with R U OK? - a non-profit organisation aiming to reduce the number of suicides in Australia, by urging people to reach out to each other and create supportive networks across our communities. 

Webinar replay | Staying connected in the new landscape

As R U OK? says, “it is now even more important that we all promote a sense of community, reach out and ask our friends, family and colleagues, “Are you OK?”

In the webinar, Go1’s Social Impact Manager Cam Cliff was joined by Go1 co-founder Vu Tran, and R U OK? CEO Katherine Newton, to discuss:

the key challenges facing organisations during this time

the potential impact of remote work on employee mental health

steps workplaces can take to create open and positive discussions around mental health

how to check in with teammates when working remotely

some of the signs someone may be struggling during this time

Attendee Jessica Hennessy summarises some key takeaways from the webinar:

1. Anxiety manifests physically first. Even if you're not an overly anxious person, recent events may have brought that anxiety to the surface. Be mindful of physical cues, in yourself and in others and offer an ear where you can to help alleviate that anxiety. Now is not the time to forget that mental health is still important!

2. When speaking with someone, ask them if they're still doing something they love. For example, I love keeping fit and getting a workout in. If someone has stopped doing the things they have always loved doing, this could be a sign that they're struggling. Offer some support.

3. We CAN make a difference as employers. Don't underestimate the roles we play in changing the trajectory of where our employee's lives go. Even if you need to make the hard decision to let someone go, do it in the right way and offer them open lines of communication and support in SOME way.

To help people #stayconnected we've also curated and released these additional free wellbeing resources for businesses.

Go1's Vu Tran and R U OK? CEO Katherine Newton get together to discuss the potential impact of remote work on employee mental health and the importance of staying connected during this challenging time. 

Staying connected in the new landscape of remote work

With many of us now working from home to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, we all need to consider alternative ways to remain physically active. 

In the office environment, there are opportunities for incidental exercise. Perhaps you popped out for lunch to a nearby cafe or went for a walk with colleagues. Working remotely reduces these opportunities - but it can create new ones.  And it doesn’t have to be detrimental to your physical health.  

This is our guide to help everyone on your team get moving. 

Exercise benefits the body in many ways, including boosting the immune system. Because of this, regular activity can help to flatten the curve and reduce the number of people getting infected with the virus.

The World Health Organization recommends varying levels of physical activity for different age groups. The general guidelines for adults aged 18-64 are to find time for at least 150 minutes per week of moderately intense exercise. Whether we are heading out for work or staying at home, this remains unchanged.  

Social distancing measures can make it challenging to know which types of exercise are appropriate. While this will depend on the restrictions in your country, any activity you can do while maintaining at least one meter between yourself and others will ensure you are limiting the spread of infection. It is also essential to wash your hands and disinfect any equipment others might use afterwards. 

If working from home is new to you, set up your seat and desk to support your body, just as you would at the office. Many people will be working at kitchen tables on a laptop, which is fine, but it is essential to ensure the spine is supported. Paying attention to this will limit the negative health impacts of sitting for most of the day. To make your workspace as ergonomic as possible, consider making the following changes: 

Try to keep your posture upright. To help with this, think about creating right angles with your joints. At your elbows, knees, and ankles. 

Keep your focus at eye level. If you are working with a laptop, this can be hard, but you can raise it with a few books, or invest in a specially designed stand. 

If you can, invest in a few critical pieces of kit for your home office. A screen, desk, and a good chair are all you need to stay comfortable. If you are using a laptop, also consider buying a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Working at home has advantages. You can attend urgent appointments, and your day becomes more flexible.

However, creating a new routine for yourself is not easy. Perhaps you are used to going to the gym after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If possible, stick to this, and move your gym membership to somewhere local. Keeping as many parts of your old routine as possible will help to maintain momentum with physical activity.

If you started your workday with a walk as part of your commute, re-create that when working from home. Make it easier for yourself by working with existing habits. 

It can take some time to adjust to working from home. Try to accept this fact, and don’t worry too much if it feels a little chaotic or unsettling at first. 

You might also miss out on some physical activity while you are getting used to your new way of life. In this case, don’t panic. You will soon get into new habits and ways of operating that work for you and help you achieve your fitness goals.

It’s easier to be more creative with your movement when working from home than in the office. You can lie on the floor, jump up and down for 10 seconds - whatever your body needs. Just make sure you have finished the Zoom call first!

The Pomodoro technique can also help you to take regular breaks and remind you to check-in with yourself. This video from Trello explains how to use the method effectively. The idea is to take a short break every 25 minutes, followed by a longer break after two hours, as this is proven to make you more focused and productive. 

You can use your short breaks to walk into another room and move around, or maybe even do a few simple yoga poses to get your spine moving. Your upper body is an area to focus on, as this gets very little attention when you are sitting for long periods.

5. Use any extra time you’ve gained wisely

A great benefit of remote work is no longer having a long and expensive commute. If you had a long journey, this could add up to a significant amount of extra time during the day. 

Try to avoid using this time for extra work. You most likely wouldn’t have been working while travelling to the office, so allocate the time for yourself to be active.

How to stay physically healthy when working from home 

Anita Whitelum, National Manager of HealthStaff Ed, shares her insights on the benefits of using online CPD training for healthcare staff.  

Healthcare provider learning programs are about delivering education that contributes to safe, quality care that is consistent, and within a framework that is transparent and effective. 

The demand to give greater access to quality Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is ever-increasing and providers are looking to solutions that will complement their internal program. 

This is where eLearning comes in. Like most technologies, eLearning has come a long way in the past decade. Most eLearning has moved on from uploading word documents to the internet – we have the means to create interactive, engaging, learner focussed material that can open up thousands of opportunities to teach – and for an individual to learn. And it’s now universally accepted that people learn in different ways and via a variety of mediums.

Blending your learning strategy to include online CPD has a number of great benefits:

It allows your education team to focus on the training that is highly individualised to your facility.

It’s highly cost-effective, providing a great return on investment.

It provides access 24/7 meaning shift workers never miss out.

It’s a highly effective way of delivering a large portion of mandatory training.

It gives people ownership over their training and keeps them constantly engaged.  

We’ve put together 5 suggestions for packages that will assist in meeting mandatory learning needs as well as provide great opportunities to your people to consolidate and advance their knowledge. 

Personal protective equipment (CPD: 1 hour)

Managing blood and body fluid spills (CPD: 2 hours)

Reducing injuries from sharps (CPD: 1.5 hours)

Predicting, preventing, and managing violence (CPD: 2.5 hours)

Managing acute severe behavioural disturbances (CPD: 2 hours)

Post violent incident response (CPD: 1.5 hours)

Communicating for safety: Effective clinical handover (CPD: 2.5 hours)

Recognising and responding to acute deterioration in adult patients (CPD: 2.5 hours)

Falls prevention in older adults (CPD: 3 hours)

Pressure injury and ulcers - Prevention and early identification of skin damage (CPD: 2.3 hours)

Pressure injury and ulcers - Staging and treatment (CPD: 2.75 hours)

Providing a safe environment for children and young people

Working with children: Identifying and responding to vulnerable children (CPD: 3 hours)

Working with vulnerable children: Mandatory reporting (jurisdictional based) (CPD: 1 hour)

Vulnerable young people and the age of consent (CPD: 1.75 hours)

Identifying and responding to elder abuse (CPD: 3.2 hours)

Elder abuse - Reporting elder abuse in aged care (CPD: 1.25 hours)

In short, the need for healthcare providers to give access to quality CPD is only going to grow and getting on the front foot with a strategy that blends online CPD with your in house program is a win/win - for your people, they get the best of both worlds - and for you - you get to focus your attention on the really important facility-based training and leave the rest to a quality online provider. 

Setting the benchmark for online CPD in Australia, HealthStaffEd provides the best in current, relevant, interactive learning providing knowledge where and when it's needed.

Get started with HealthStaffEd training content!

Help your healthcare team hit their mandatory training and CPD  requirements

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, ensuring that your employees stay mentally healthy is now a top priority. Nobody will have experienced a crisis on this scale before, and for some team members, the pandemic may have severely affected their family or close friends. 

With the majority of staff now working from home, it's important to consider how working remotely can impact an employee's mental health. Here, we have some advice for managers and leaders to help you offer the right support for your teams during this time. 

A sense of belonging is integral to being human. Social distancing measures have severely limited our ability to connect with others.

In modern life, we form many different tribes. Our families, sports teams, book clubs - these are all groups we can belong to. They help us connect to something greater than ourselves.

Our work teams are also a kind of tribe. Although there are ways to remain socially connected with colleagues online, working remotely undoubtedly makes this harder. 

In research conducted by Buffer in 2019 on the state of remote work, participants noted that their biggest struggle is with maintaining wellbeing. 22 percent found it challenging to switch off after work, 19 percent feel isolated, and eight percent can’t stay motivated.

There is a risk that employees working outside the office can become socially isolated. Ideally, companies would carefully design their remote work programs. Under the current circumstances, we don’t have the luxury of time to plan in this way, but there are steps we can take to improve the experience for employees. 

Social isolation is also proven to have adverse effects on both mental and physical well being, although why this happens is not yet fully understood. 

In light of the impact working remotely could have on employees, I have put together some tips on managing mental wellbeing. 

1. Accept that there will be a period of adjustment

Getting used to the new social distancing measures in place across the world will be challenging. There will be a period of adjustment for everybody. The uncertainty around how long the rules will need to be in place adds another layer of difficulty. 

All we can do is accept this new situation as best we can, and work with what we have. 

Accept that your colleagues will take time to get used to it. They might also know people who have been severely affected.

Even if you are busy, staying connected socially is essential. When you are in the same space in the office environment, informal conversation and socialising happen incidentally. Working online is different. Most interaction is organized, and often formal. 

While this saves time to focus on work, we do lose something if we don’t allow some time for chats about the weekend or life in general.  These kinds of conversations are important for team morale, and mental health. 

3. Set boundaries between work and home 

Now that we are all spending the majority of the day at home, we need to set clear boundaries between work and downtime. Having a designated space can help with this, and if possible, only use this space for work. 

When you have finished for the day, leave the room or space, and don’t return to it until you start to work the next day.  This approach might take some discipline to begin with, but it can help with switching off from the workday.

Some people will find it more difficult than others to adjust to social isolation. People need varying levels of social interaction.

Extroverted team members will find the adjustment to working alone the most challenging. They thrive on being around other people and may find it difficult to motivate themselves in isolation. 

Perhaps check in with more extroverted team members more often, and do your best to look after each other. 

It is all too easy at the moment to become overly focused on the negative. Our built-in negativity bias helps us to stay safe from danger, but it can lead to anxiety and depression when left unmonitored. 

Being overly positive and ignoring the danger isn’t helpful, but try to keep negative thoughts in check and detach from them. 

Limiting the amount of time you spend consuming the news is an effective way to do this. Some news is crucial, but there is a lot of it out there, so focus on the snippets of information you need from reputable sources. This will help to keep things in perspective and maintain a more balanced mindset.

We are currently experiencing a significant challenge as a global community. Now, more than ever, we need to check in with our thoughts and feelings and do our best to manage them. 

For you, this might mean going for a walk to reflect, listening to music, meditating, or journaling. Whatever it is that you do to stay mentally healthy, take the time to do it, and take care of yourself. 

Checking in is particularly important if you suffer from mild to moderate anxiety or depression, or if you have in the past. For more support, the Australian not-for-profit Beyond Blue offers advice and services to those needing additional support with their mental health. 

Managing mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic - Go1

How to manage employees’ mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

In a relatively short space of time, the outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in significant changes to the working day for many people. Nobody is sure when, or if the workplace will return to what it was. 

In these uncertain times, we all have to learn new ways of operating at work. Those already accustomed to working from home will have techniques for remaining engaged. For those new to the process, it will be a challenging adjustment. 

Here, we outline the ways you can lead your team through the transition, helping them to stay socially connected.

Working with others has many benefits. We can collaborate more efficiently, connect with others, and their intentions are more apparent.

According to research, 93% of communication occurs nonverbally, through body language and tone of voice. Only seven percent of understanding is received through words. This data shows how much we are missing out on when using email and messaging platforms instead of talking to each other face-to-face. 

Social interaction is also essential for learning. According to the 70:20:10 model of workplace learning, 20 percent of what we learn happens when we engage with others. 

While employees can use instant messaging platforms to converse, it is crucial to be aware that much of what is said is lost, and misunderstandings could happen quickly without talking things through on a call. 

There are also plenty of ways to interact socially, but employees may not be accustomed to having informal chats or asking each other questions when working from home. It is essential to encourage your colleagues to keep talking to each other, and to interact as frequently as possible. 

Social isolation can also affect both mental and physical well being, although it is not yet understood why. 

Suggestions for connecting with team members

There are steps we can take to mitigate the adverse effects of fewer social interactions. I have outlined them below to help your team stay connected and to boost morale.

While many people adjust to their new work situation, team leaders need to check in regularly. Equally, you'll need to get the balance right and give employees enough space to complete their projects.

Some team members will need more instruction than others. Certain people will be happy to create their projects and self-initiate. Others will need a little more guidance, especially if they are young or in a more junior role. 

Some people are also more extroverted than others. These team members will most likely find the adjustment to working alone the most challenging.  Extroverts thrive on being around other people and may find it difficult to motivate themselves in isolation. 