5 ways to support remote workers and take care of their mental health

Do you work remotely? Are you a digital nomad? If so, you know first-hand the advantages of organising your time and reconciling work and personal life without affecting your professional performance. 

Time is the most precious asset we have. We cannot stop it, but we can channel it to our advantage. Managing it and enjoying it properly improves your quality of life. 

Remote work is a new and, as we are seeing, effective work configuration. However, in certain cases it can affect the mental health of professionals. Supporting remote workers is critical to prevent them from falling into online communication fatigue, dissatisfaction or decreased productivity.

It is the responsibility of managers and human resources managers to adopt the necessary measures to promote the well-being of employees. Preventing potential problems and applying improvement methods when they have already arisen is part of their job.

Impact of teleworking on mental health

Both telework and hybrid work have allowed companies to deal with the various labour issues generated by the pandemic. A complicated situation that has nevertheless given rise to a new work model that appears to be here to stay.

Although a priori it seems that all are benefits, both for the company and for the workers, the truth is that there are certain risks regarding remote work and mental health:

• Endless schedules that take up the entire week.
• Excessive sedentary lifestyle.
• Social isolation.
• Stress.
• Anxiety.

All these situations, prolonged in time, can generate both physical and psychological problems. Something that ends up having repercussions in the increase of conflicts in the family environment. 

In addition, there is the general uncertainty caused by the pandemic. If the right conditions are not fostered to support remote workers, the new labour system that generates so many expectations may not prove to be as effective as currently thought.

At Cloudworks we tell you about some of the solutions that are being implemented by companies to take care of the mental health of those professionals who telework.

5 ways to support remote workers and take care of their mental health

Keep in touch with remote workers

This open line does not imply a stressful continuous contact that also serves to control the workers. It is only a means to cope with the loneliness that professionals who work remotely can sometimes feel.

Regular meetings with the management or members of the projects in which they participate are a good way to stay in touch and committed to their work.

However, such meetings should not be used solely for work purposes. They also provide opportunities to listen to each other’s stories and concerns. A necessary moment to strengthen ties and provide solutions to personal obstacles that arise. In short, to team up and show that those who work remotely are not abandoned.

Days off to improve mental health

It is normal to use the days off to go on vacation or to resolve personal administrative matters. Few employees request a day off to try to improve their mental health. Bosses or peers may view them with the stigma of the mentally ill.

Fortunately, the concept of mental health is evolving and is gradually ceasing to be considered a taboo subject. That a company cares about it is a step forward. Workers will thus be able to relax and recover their faculties to continue working remotely on the following day(s).

Promote a healthy daily regimen

Undoubtedly, each person is ultimately responsible for their own health. That said, companies can also push a healthy daily regimen to those employees who work remotely. 

Although many companies have offered their employees free or discounted gym or spa memberships for years, it’s good to remind them. Especially when the work to be carried out takes place at home, where the threat of a sedentary lifestyle is a constant.

The healthy daily regimen is also linked to the balance of work and personal tasks. There should always be time for everything. Encouraging a limit on the use of digital devices will help them to get a breath of fresh air when they finish work.

Promote online training

In-office training to boost professional development was commonplace for many professionals before the pandemic. With the introduction of remote work, many training opportunities have been cancelled.

Such a situation can generate demotivation in teleworkers. The online training offered by the company is a great solution. It can even be enriched by allowing workers to access seminars and sessions held anywhere in the world.

Continuous training will allow employees to develop professionally, also enabling them to cope with the various changes that may arise in their telecommuting system.

Support for the hybrid work model

Hybrid work is the main variant of remote work. powered by the pandemic. A work model that combines remote work and face-to-face work in the office.

Professionals choose when and how to work at home and when to go to the office. The flexibility it offers is a very valid option for both companies and employees. 

The hybrid model, well planned by management and the human resources department, can avoid the mental health problems and the sense of loneliness that remote workers sometimes show. 

At Cloudworks we are aware that remote work can sometimes generate a feeling of loneliness. That is why we have terraces and cafeterias in our spaces, designed for cloudworkers to interact with each other. 

Because there is nothing more comforting than taking a break from work to get oxygenated and enjoy a freshly ground coffee in good company. Isn’t it?