7 Ways to Give Employees the Gift of Rest
7 Ways to Give Employees the Gift of Rest
As we round the corner to year two of living through a pandemic, many workers have reported a feeling of tiredness, brain fog, and weariness. As leaders, it’s our duty to give employees the rest they need and deserve to ensure successful and productive days in the workplace.
In a recent article from People Equation, Jennifer Miller identifies 7 different ways to combat this feeling of fatigue that employees tend to fight with every day:
1. Physical
Even though working from a desk is by nature, sedentary, there remain detrimental physical tolls with this type of work. Too much time spent in front of a screen with shoulders hunched impacts how one’s body feels. As leaders, consider how you’ve configured the work your organization does, and if you are inadvertently contributing to a lack of simple body movement that can help reinvigorate a body.
2. Mental
Lack of concentration is a primary complaint of those experiencing brain fog. Employees feel like they need to be “always on”, and report difficulty finding quiet time to work on deep-thought activities for their jobs. As leaders, it’s important to set expectations regarding response time and ways for employees to “unplug” in order for them to complete tasks that require intense concentration.
3. Emotional
This type of rest is related to helping others learn how to set appropriate boundaries with people. Employees can’t always avoid dealing with people they find “difficult.” An effective leader coaches frustrated employees to build relational strategies that help them work through difficult relationships with others.
4. Social
This one speaks for itself – everyone’s social battery drains occasionally. It’s important to allow employees the time and space to have that alone time for both completing tasks and spending time with themselves.
5. Sensory
Some people are more sensitive to auditory input. After a while, their rest is depleted by a constant barrage of sounds and interruptions. If there’s too much noise, it can be difficult for employees to get tasks done for the day, so as leaders it’s important to emphasize the importance of recognizing which employees need a quiet work environment through oversight.
6. Creative
It’s easy to get complacent with a 9-5 office job; therefore, it’s important to stimulate creativity in our employees. Dalton-Smith advises people to create 30-minute creativity breaks where employees can experience something novel that might spark creativity, or at the very least, provide a brief respite before getting back to work.
7. Spiritual
In its broadest sense, “spiritual” means that people want to connect to something meaningful that provides a sense of purpose. Leaders can help by “connecting the dots” with an employee’s daily contribution and how it contributes to the company’s overall mission.
Allowing healthy spaces for rest is important for every organization. It ensures employees the necessary headspace to do their job in the most productive and efficient way possible – with a clear head, heart, and a positive attitude.