How are you feeling?
I know many of you may be feeling a little low and deflated after the Government announced the new national restrictions this weekend starting from tomorrow until Wednesday 2 December.
The measures have been put into place to help control the spread of the virus as COVID-19 cases have been rising rapidly across the UK. By reducing our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection, so the Government's public advice is back to Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives.
These restrictions are slightly different from the lockdown in March, the main principles are:
- You must stay at home, except for specific purposes i.e. childcare/education, essential shopping and exercise outdoors.
- You must not gather with people you do not live with, except for specific purposes i.e. if you are in a support bubble or meeting one person from another household in a public place.
- Certain businesses and venues will close for example restaurants, bars and pubs and accommodation should only open for those who have to travel for work purposes.
Schools, colleges and universities will remain open; however, it is worth noting that many parents are still juggling childcare and work as children have been asked to self-isolate due to outbreaks in their school or college. I know these changes will continue to impact us all on a personal and professional level, so please be supportive of each other and remember to ask twice – are you okay? No really, are you okay?
In terms of delivery, in September we reverted back to virtual working in all circumstances, where possible, with some additional guidance and exceptions. We will continue this approach as we move into these new restrictions.
I would also like to reflect on some of the things Mark Hughes, Group Chief Executive, shared in relation to on-going work-life challenges:
Respect each other’s working times – as we continue to manage the challenges the pandemic presents; we need to recognise the increased flexibility around working times. One example I’ve already mentioned is working parents or carers managing care. Please respect each other’s working hours, do not feel obliged to respond to emails and requests outside your working hours and equally try to allow more time than usual for colleagues to respond where possible.
Making time as a team for chat – don’t forget that when we were all in the office you would have time to have non-work related conversations, whether that was when brewing up, in a team meeting or the walk between meetings. So, don’t feel guilty having these conversations and doing fun activities now. In fact, we would encourage it.
Back-to-back meetings (I’m guilty!) – for some of us a day (or week) full of back-to-back meetings has become the norm. Being able to join a meeting with a simple click can sometimes mean we forget we still need to step away from the laptop, give our eyes a rest, stretch our legs, get a drink… oh and go to the toilet! If you think you may be in this category please consider blocking out some think, do and rest time.
Staying active while in ‘lockdown’
So, we know that the new national restrictions may impact our wellbeing and one way to look after your health and wellbeing is exercise. Taking time out, connecting with ourselves or nature, can bring many benefits to our mental health and wellbeing as it can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, something we have probably all experienced especially in recent times. It can also help us to sleep better which naturally brings mental and physical benefits. Some choose to use exercise time to tune out of daily routines and pressures and an opportunity to listen to podcasts/audio books and music (Mind report that scientists found there is a strong link between music and mental health and wellbeing as music is said to release the feel good chemical in the brain).
Now when I say exercise, I’m not suggesting a 10k run (although if that is your thing, good for you). It can be anything from running up and down the stairs a few extra times, a walk round the block to a bike ride. It might be worth thinking about your ‘commute’ time and using this to switch from home to work or vice versa. Alternatively, as there is no getting anyway from the dark nights that winter brings, maybe it is a nice way to break up your day, a little refresh button to help avoid the 3pm slump.
As an idea, my team have recently set up a ‘daily activity group’ on Microsoft Teams to help with different suggestions to keep active each day.
Finally, we want to know what things you would like to hear more about or activities you’d be interested in getting involved in to support your health and wellbeing during this time. All ideas are welcome, and we will try our best to make it happen. If you have a suggestion or would like to talk about health and wellbeing please contact Virginie Ghaznavi or Cheryl Madden.
We’ve got through one lockdown, we can do another one but if you’re struggling please reach out to someone, anyone, it will help.