There are so many things we can’t control right now. You can control your actions and the way you act towards your team though.  

As Paige Francis puts it in Forbes: “Every day is a new day; ripe with new, unanticipated challenges and stressors.” 

Focus on what you can do. Think about how you can best support your team. Francis offers three actionable steps to “keep healthfulness high and lines of communication open.” 

Make contact 

Schedule regular meetings with your team and make sure you have your camera on, so they can see you. You don’t need to make anyone else have their camera on, there are a lot of stressors that could cause, but it’s important they see you.  

“Of course, it would be ideal for you for your team to all turn on their webcams as well, but these meetings are not about you,” Francis explains. “These meetings are touch points with your best assets; your colleagues that rely on you for leadership, guidance, and workplace well-being.” 

Having a regularly scheduled check-in will facilitate an environment in which your team feels comfortable and encouraged to ask you questions.  

Encourage down days 

One may think that working from home would provide comfort in a way commuting to an office never did, but that is not always the case. There are new stressors to contend with and too many video meetings can get exhausting. Francis encourages a “down day” where your team can catch up on some work that can’t get done during meetings and take some time to themselves with a walk outside. 

“A team is only as strong as its least whole person,” she says. “Recognize the power you have in helping them de-stress and return whole.” 

Model behavior 

If you’re encouraging down days, take some yourself. If that e-mail doesn’t need to be sent after hours, wait until the morning.  

“Model the behavior you want to see in your team,” Francis recommends. “It is the only way they will embrace these efforts geared to soothe their weary minds.”