Back to work – how to stay well

As the world is slowly heading back to work, it’s important that we talk about staying well. People are starting to use public transport, walk and drive their way back in to a shared space. Some of us are still keeping our distance and others are dividing their time between home and the office.

What can we do to stay well?

There is so much great information available for specifically dealing with Coronavirus. Safe Work Australia has great information for both employers and employees. But what about other considerations? Here are some of the questions the Slendier team have been pondering:

Can we still work with flexibility?

One of the most difficult questions we’ve heard is “When the average Australian is a 38-year-old working woman with two kids, why are we all accepting a system that was built in the industrial revolution?”. This tricky question comes from Labour MP Anika Wells in an article that discusses workplace reform. We think there’s value in the work team being together, but the chance to work from home has offered many Australians more time with their family or the time to do other things.

Many organisations are working hard to make it possible for their teams to work from home a couple of days per week. If work is being done efficiently and people are happier, then maybe it’s time to make it possible for people to work from home a couple of days a week.

How hard is it to be a CEO at this time?

While it’s hard for most of us to juggle family and life responsibilities, it must be hard to be in charge of organisations that are face uncertain times. In this really interesting article, one CEO says “Don’t ignore your body. You are invincible until you are not.” It’s so important for everyone in the workplace to take care of their wellbeing at every level.

How can we take care of ourselves at work?

Without wanting to make this all about germs, it’s going to be important to look after yourself. Some of our ideas include:
– Setting up your own sanitisation station at your desk
– Taking in your crockery and cutlery. Give them a quick rinse under the tap and then wash everything properly at home. We love these adult lunch boxes! We might as well make our lunch look good while being healthy.
– Have a stash of your own tea, coffee and sugar and mug at your desk
– Take your own lunch to work. If you don’t have time to cook, Slendier Ready Meals are a good, healthy and delicious option. And you can keep a couple in your desk drawer.
– If you like to cook, we have a huge number of low carb, low calorie and delicious recipes that travel well.

How can we take care of others at work?

This is super important. We are so excited to see our friends at work – but we have to look after each other. Some of our suggestions are:
– We have to re-think the way we do birthdays. There’s nothing like the out-of-tune ceremonial singing of Happy Birthday and shared cake to make you feel loved at work. The shared cake might have to take a back seat for a while.
– We think the handshake might be over! If people insist on touching you to say hello, we suggest an elbow or foot tap. It might seem crazy – but your health is important.
– We need to sit 1.5 metres from each other in the lunchroom
– We might need to find new places to work. Is there a corner of the office you can sit in to do some work for a while?
– Be accepting of people who choose to wear a mask to work. It’s their health and their right to look after themselves and you as they see fit.

What else can we do to stay well at work?

It’s hard to not be overwhelmed by the number of actions we could take to be well. The Slendier team has done some digging and we like these ideas:

– Eat well. As we’ve said, you can bring your lunch and enjoy Slendier goodness, but eating well includes snacking well. Make sure you bring some healthy snacks to work too.
– Get involved in a culture of wellness. If the HR team wants your input on returning to work, participate in the survey and be honest.
– Show up to wellness programs. If (safe) group yoga is organised, give it a go. A workplace is only as healthy as the attitudes of the people in it.

Stay well.