1. Make realistic work commitments for yourself and your team
January is the perfect time to set new goals for the year ahead. Don't be afraid to set big targets, but be aware that being overly ambitious can have its problems too. It's easy for people to work longer hours and overstretch themselves when they feel under too much pressure, so keep expectations realistic about your targets.
Look back to see what worked and what didn't in 2013. Have open and regular discussions with your team to ensure all plans are manageable and sustainable as you look to build on existing achievements.
2. Write a weekly wellbeing checklist
This year, make a resolution to develop a weekly wellbeing checklist – either for your team or yourself. This is a good way to get into the habit of making sure you're setting aside time to look after yourself, not just your work. Tasks should be realistic and fit around a normal daily routine – things like making sure to leave work by a certain time, eating lunch away from your desk or going for a quick walk in the middle of the afternoon to help break up the day are all manageable.
Having a set list will make us more likely to stick to each wellbeing task, ensuring that we build our emotional resilience and strengthen our coping mechanisms for busier periods throughout the year.
3. Set a cap on working hours
UK employees work the longest hours in Europe. It's easy to fall into the habit of spending an extra half an hour at our desks each day without thinking too much of it. But if this happened throughout 2014 we'd spend the equivalent of up to three extra weeks in the office.
Setting a cap on the hours you and your team work can help to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to lead full lives outside of work. Recent research suggests that at least one million employees in the UK don't take their full annual leave entitlement, so it's worth paying close attention to this too.
4. Learn to spot if something's not right
Signs of stress and anxiety are hard to spot as they manifest themselves in different ways. But this doesn't mean that line managers aren't able to detect early warning signs and take prompt action to prevent them getting worse.
It's natural for people to become stressed on occasion, but being continually irritable, agitated or moody are all common signs that we can look out for. Be mindful of more subtle indicators too – even missing out on social opportunities or events might indicate that something's not quite right.
Above all, make sure you and your team are aware of the signs and the appropriate action to take. The BITC Workwell model offers practical advice for those looking to implement effective wellbeing strategies.
5. Make a schedule for spending quality time with your team
Healthy relationships with colleagues are key for holistic wellbeing – not just at work – so it's important to allow time to build relationships and get to know each other properly. The rise of email culture also means that proper social interaction between colleagues is on the decline, so it's important to spend time away from our desks.
Rather than confining social outings to a pub trip, introduce a little variety. Leave the office a couple of hours early once a month to go for a meal or visit an exhibition. Randomised coffee trials match different people to have coffee with one another each month and can be a good way to help develop new friendships and contacts.
Taking steps to build a positive atmosphere at work plays a key role in mitigating against the onset of stress, depression and anxiety and will lay the foundations for a healthy and productive year in 2014.
Louise Aston is the director of Business in the Community's Workwell campaign.
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