How to Support Your Team’s Wellbeing During Winter
Wellbeing in the workplace is a key aspect of company culture all year-round. But during the winter months, it’s particularly important to support employee wellbeing where you can.
When many of us are starting and finishing work in the dark, dealing with colder temperatures, and fighting whichever winter illness is making its rounds, it can be difficult to maintain a sense of good wellbeing.
And low wellbeing doesn’t just mean a case of the January blues - it can contribute to the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and a vitamin D deficiency. Both of which can result in:
Low moods
Reduced energy levels
Difficulty concentrating
Decreased productivity
Aches and pains
Lower immune system
Feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
When employees spend a majority of their time at work, you have a responsibility as an employer to support workplace wellbeing.
Incorporate these positive practices into your workplace to support your team’s wellbeing during winter:
Let the daylight in
Exposure to direct sunlight is a hugely important factor in maintaining good wellbeing. It’s not only a source of vitamin D (which contributes to a healthy immune system) but it also increases the brain’s production of serotonin, a natural mood regulator.
However, when the sun rises late and sets early, it can be difficult for many of us to get the daily dose of sunlight we need.
Encourage your employees’ to make the most of what little sunlight there is by allowing them to work flexibly, such as taking longer lunch breaks or starting/finishing their work day at different times. As a result, your team can make time for getting outside and experiencing the positive effects of sunlight on their wellbeing.
You can also create brighter environments for your employees by opening blinds, sitting people next to windows, or even opting for SAD lights that recreate the feeling of sunlight during the darker months.
Don’t forget to encourage your remote workers to take on these good habits at home too.
Promote regular exercise
When it’s cold outside, people will feel much more reluctant to venture outside for their regular exercise. It’s hard to stay motivated for outdoor sports, running or even a brisk walk when you’re shivering!
However, exercise is an important factor in supporting our wellbeing. As well as maintaining our physical health, exercising releases endorphins that relieve pain, help to manage stress and improve your overall mood.
Educate your employees on the benefits of regular exercise and implement incentives to help them make these good habits. These can include lunchtime walks, company cycling schemes or including a gym membership as part of your benefits package.
When employees spend a majority of their time at work, you have a responsibility as an employer to support workplace wellbeing.
Hold inclusive group activities
According to the World Economic Forum, 3.3 million people in the UK struggle with feelings of loneliness. In winter, these feelings can be made even worse with the festive season and more time spent indoors.
“My team’s wellbeing is a priority all year round, but the winter can be particularly difficult with cold and dark days.” says Lauren Windebank, Founder of Roma Black. “One way that I work to support wellbeing in winter is by encouraging fun activities for everyone in the business. Anything from team get-togethers, quizzes and volunteering to celebrating people’s successes together.”
Give your people the opportunity to feel included, especially if you have team members working from home.
Provide healthy office snacks
Never underestimate the power of healthy eating for your wellbeing. You may get some brownie points for stocking the office kitchen with sweet treats and snacks, but these will lead to energy crashes and lower mood in the long-run.
Stock up the office snack bar with healthy alternatives, like fruit, nuts and protein bars. If you’re looking to increase vitamin D during the winter months, oranges are a great option for an office snack.
Check in with your people
The best way to support your team’s wellbeing is to check in with what they actually need. While you should be making time for 1:1s with your employees all year round, it’s even more important to do so during winter when people are likely to need more support.
Ask more questions than ‘How are you?’ that encourage your employees to open up about how they’re feeling. Examples include:
How are you finding your work-life balance?
Do you feel that you’ve been included as part of the team?
Are you happy with your working arrangements?
Is there anything we can do to better support you?
It’s also important not to just ask those who you think are already struggling - wellbeing is about continuous maintenance, rather than problem-solving when it becomes an issue.
