Embracing Change in the Workplace and At Home

The onset and continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the workplace and the homes of everyone. You may remember when you knew what each day would typically bring when you woke up in the morning but now that isn’t always the case. The last two plus years have been filled with concerns about your own safety while trying to keep your family and community safe all while balancing the constant changes in your workplace and at home. At the onset of COVID-19, schools, offices, hospitals, manufacturing plants were all forced to rethink their policies and work environments, forcing employees and families to adjust their lives accordingly. All these changes had us hoping for a quick end to the virus and to a return to “normal.” However, the pandemic continued, and employees and families struggled to keep up with the constant challenges they faced daily.

Then, things started to settle out a little bit, vaccines became widely available even for children. Some companies started bringing people back into the offices or implementing a hybrid workplan to embrace the changing workplace. But then the variants hit delta and omicron and that slowed down return to work plans and upped stress and anxiety for all.

Now, we’re looking at another return to work and another attempt at homelife normalizing as omicron slows down and vaccines hold strong against COVID deaths and severe illnesses. Today more than ever, we need to embrace the change at home and work.

Consider these tips to embrace the changes as we move forward slowly.

• Focus on your sleep. A good night’s sleep, like eating well and exercising, should be a top priority for everyone. Lack of sleep can affect your immune system. Studies show that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick.¹ With our to-do lists growing and nonstop adapting these days, sleep is key to helping us succeed and embrace the changes at home. According to Mental Health America, you’re more likely to succeed at your tasks and enjoy greater well-being if you get adequate sleep.²
• Stay connected. You might be over the virtual happy hours and family virtual game nights but that doesn’t mean you should forget about connecting with those near and far. Sending a little note or even a simple call or text can brighten up someone’s day. As we all focus on keeping ourselves and our families healthy, it is easy to lose touch with those we don’t interact with regularly at home and at work.
• Expect, create, and accept change. Currently, things are in flux. Expecting change can help us be emotionally prepared to pivot. When you experience a shift at home or work try to focus on what you can create because of this change. It can be motivating to focus on creating something new or different, and this can help give you a sense of control. Accepting change can help us worry and stress less, have a more positive attitude, and find a greater sense of gratitude. Expecting, creating, and accepting change will help us move forward and embrace our new routines.
• Focus on the positive but give space for the negative. You don’t have to force a happy face but indulging in continual negative self-talk can have an impact. Let yourself feel your feelings but use positive thinking to help manage stress. Practicing positive thinking doesn’t mean you ignore negative thoughts, but it helps you approach those thoughts in a more productive way. Focusing on the good also has health benefits and can help us embrace the unprecedented changes that we experience due to the pandemic.
• Tap into your resources. Connecting with a trained mental health professional, wellness, or health coach can help you. There are many online courses available to support your quest to accept change, learn how to sleep better, or practice positive thinking. Your employer may offer an Employee Assistance Program or EAP, which may give you access to behavior health therapy and online resources. At Uprise Health, we offer a digitally-enhanced mental health EAP with personalized online skill building modules alongside live chat support. These skill building modules support individuals with developing mindfulness, sleep and relaxation, understanding personal values and more. Your personal coach helps you apply Uprise skills to your individual life problems. Uprise Health understands each one of us is different and utilizes a wellbeing assessment to curate skill modules to best help you embrace change and move forward.

Contact Uprise Health to learn more about what solutions we offer around sleep and mental health.

Resources

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/lack-of-sleep/faq-20057757#
2. https://mhanational.org/get-enough-sleep