Stress from Election Seasons
Well@Work Tip:
Prepare your Mindset
Let's be gentle with our team when we face election season. Here are some steps we recommend:
Wellness Day: The Election + Stress
Did you know that the election season causes some workers #stress and #anxiety?
The more you know... the better you can do.
Here are (10) Tips for supporting worker anxiety around election season:
1. Open Communication:
Encourage open dialogue about election-related concerns. Create a #safespace for employees to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. I recommend allowing a few minutes (set a timer) for employees to vent, and then ask for the same amount of time to be spent in gratitude for being able to vote (set same time frame). #Gratitude goes a long way to balance stress.
2. Flexibility:
Offer flexible work hours or remote work options on election days or during particularly stressful times, so employees can vote or engage in other civic activities without added stress. Think about restructuring any large deadlines until the dust settles after polling season.
3. Educational Resources:
Provide information about the election process, voter registration, and local resources where employees can find #unbiased information on candidates and issues. If you can take away small stressors, this may allow them to allocate what precious positive hormones we have left to be spent on our thoughts about voting and how we feel about the choice we have to make. Hopefully they have the positive ones: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins to get them through this season.
4. Mental Health Resources:
Make mental health resources readily available, such as access to counseling or employee assistance programs, to help employees manage anxiety and stress. 988 is an excellent resource to give to every employee. It is a free text and chat line that can help during mentally exhausting days of despair. #Hope can be shared and should be. If you have Veterans provide 1-800-273-8255 [press 1] for a confidential veteran crisis line. Our Vets are at a higher risk of suicidal ideation.
5. Company Policies:
Review and clarify company policies regarding political discussions and activities in the workplace to ensure a respectful and inclusive environment. *What trauma-informed practices do you have in your tool-belt? https://youtu.be/dF20FaQzYUI for a video Oprah speaking on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and Developmental Trauma (DT). These impact how we process and handle the stressors of today. It matters. And we should all care.
6. Encourage Self-Care:
Promote self-care practices like #mindfulness, #meditation, or #yoga, and encourage employees to take breaks when needed to recharge. Or a good dose of VR distraction therapy! Maybe this is the best season for your company to pilot. Connect@JoinPeakMind.com to get more information.
7. Employee Resource Groups:
Create or support employee resource groups that focus on civic engagement, where employees can discuss political issues and share their perspectives in a constructive manner. And focus on the positive aspects - anything that we can to overcome the amount of negative influences surrounding us during election season. Did someone pick up trash when walking into the office? Celebrate it, publicly! We need all the love we can get to get us through this season.
8. Encourage Voting:
Encourage and remind employees to exercise their right to vote by providing information on registration deadlines, early voting options, and polling locations. Last thing we need is the added pressure on how to schedule time to vote. Do the right thing for your folks. It’s only one day - every 4 years, you can do it.
9. Limit Political Distractions:
Encourage employees to manage distractions from political news during work hours and establish guidelines for appropriate internet and social media use.
10. Lead by Example:
Show empathy and understanding as a leader and set an example by maintaining a balanced approach to discussing political matters in the workplace. Be the Champion this season. And pat yourself on the back for all the good you have now done to improve the quality of life (QOL) for your teammates. #Bravo #BeWell
We wish you well on your journey to well-being. If you are finding this journey hard to implement within your organization, let Peak Mind help you today.
Demo or Schedule a time to discuss how we can help you.
#BeWell and #LetsPeak
@PeakMindOnline