On November 2nd 2020 “lockdown light” came into force. Home office, curfews, restricted social contact, short work hours – regulations that govern everyday life were tightened due to rising infections. Interaction with colleagues was once again reduced, which has left many people feeling lonely or isolated.
As a result, professional talking coaches who joined forces to create the REDEZEIT network to listen to people during this challenging time. The initiative is designed to fight loneliness, excessive stress and other difficult factors during the crisis. The telephone service is available free of charge to anybody who needs it. Urban Sports Club has introduced the REDEZEIT service to support its own employees. Florian Scheinig, one of four initiators of REDEZEIT, understands the pressure employees* are under and shares his insight to help them through it…
People are experiencing new challenges in their work-life due to Corona. What’s your advice on how to cope with these new problems?
Two key resources include the ability to listen and to pay attention to your personal needs and the needs of others. Seeing family and friends and doing activities you enjoy are great sources of strength. They distract us and give us courage, energy, motivation and outshine the unpleasant things in life.
Daily routines are key to keeping a level head. This includes doing sports every day, completing work tasks and working on personal projects. It’s important to focus, and not to get distracted by external influences. Get up and start work at the same time every day, plan your breaks and implement a precise time to finish work. This will keep you focussed and stop you from speculating about the current situation.
What are your tips to help fight the Corona blues?
The best remedy is movement, the second best is movement and the third best is… movement and distraction. Movement helps us break the thought-loops caused by the Corona crisis and helps bring positive thinking to the forefront. Movement could be anything – it could be yoga, running, walking, HIIT. And we don’t have to do it alone – we can do it with a friend or accompanied by a great podcast.
What are the potential long-term consequences of the crisis on employee health?
Companies that have culled their workforce or reduced working hours will find their employees are burnt out, physically and mentally exhausted and are dealing with negative emotions. Now that restrictions have been reintroduced, employees must be further monitored to ensure they aren’t overwhelmed by stress, especially those employees who are considered ‘at-risk.’
What advice do you give companies to help them support the physical and mental health of their employees?
Good leadership, communication and inclusion of employees is always essential – not just in times of crisis. When companies create a trusting atmosphere, it’s easier for employees to communicate their feelings which reduces mental stress. A strong company culture will unlock a safe and healthy workplace as well as significantly influence the long-term success of the company.
Anyone who needs support can head to www.virtualsupporttalks.de where they can speak to trained coaches on the topics of crisis management, advice on family conflicts and parenting issues. If email is preferred you can expect a response the same day. The interview is strictly confidential, so REDEZEIT callers can speak openly about their problems, fears and anything else that’s bothering them.
In this way, we can support companies and other networks to help their employees and community, and offer them a supplement to their own health management.
What consequences will companies face if they side-line employee mental health?
Many employees are dealing with an unprecedented workload, so to sideline their mental health could leave us with a permanently stressed and burdened society, which could negatively impact company performance for years to come. It will cost a lot of money to remedy these consequences so failing to implement support services – which take minimal effort but have great impact – would be detrimental for the company as well as for employees.
As a flexible sports and wellness flat rate, Urban Sports Club helps companies motivate their employees to adopt a healthier, more active lifestyle. A regular exercise and personal interaction makes people happier. Members can choose from over 50 different sports and can train with colleagues or individually, creating their own training plan and helping companies promote employee health.
Find helpful articles and tips to support your team here.
10 useful ways to show appreciation for employees
