We know we’re not alone in saying we’ve made some major adjustments to keep our employees safe during the pandemic. All Red Ventures offices around the world shifted to a temporary work from home model as of March 13, and last week, RV CEO Ric Elias announced all offices would continue to work remotely through the remainder of the year.
And while we certainly don’t mind working in pajamas every day or foregoing our daily commutes, there are some parts of working from home which have been unexpectedly difficult. Without the need to walk from our desks to our meetings, we aren’t up and moving as often as usual. Without our morning strolls to the coffee station, we don’t get the chance to say hello to those we pass. There are little details missing from our workdays that make our new remote settings difficult to cope with at times.
With all this in mind, we’ve spent the last several months finding new ways to help our 3,000+ employees maintain some sense of normalcy and overall wellbeing during these complicated and stressful times — and we reached out to five RV health and wellness leaders to learn more.
Built-In Days for Rest
Early on in the crisis, a theme started to emerge: every third Friday of the month, Ric would announce a “day to disconnect” for all RVers.
“Having every third Friday off has been crucial to my ability to unplug when a change of scenery is lacking,” says Kori Moster, a Marketing Director in our Charlotte office (who also leads the occasional strength training class).
Companies have a responsibility to support and protect their people.
Matt Williams, Senior Associate
Mary Baucom, a Marketing Manager (and yogi) on our team Healthline team, agrees: “The meditation offerings twice a week as well as the additional Fridays off have been game-changers for my mental health.”
As Matt Williams, a Senior Associate in our Charlotte office (and mental wellness advocate) says, “everyone is slightly more vulnerable right now,” and since we normally spend so much of our time at the office or with colleagues, “companies have a responsibility to support and protect their people.”
Having an extra day off every now and then has given our employees the chance to enjoy some much-deserved rest and relaxation, without worrying about missing messages or falling behind on projects. Everyone gets some additional time to play with their kids, take their dogs for a hike, or just catch up on their favorite Netflix shows. Plus, at a time when 100% of your work flows through your screen, hearing your senior leadership endorse a little healthy disconnection is extremely empowering.
Workout and Wellness Classes
You might have caught the mention of “meditation offerings” above — and you read that right! That’s not all, though.
To help everyone continue enjoying their favorite wellness classes from their remote settings, our RV wellness leaders found new ways to take their classes online. With the help of our Healthline team, we’ve been able to set up virtual yoga, meditation and even cardio and strength training classes. And since the only required equipment for these sessions is a Zoom license (which we all happen to have now), classes that used to be limited to employees in one physical location are now accessible to RVers all over the world.
“Overall, RV has been proactive and consistent in offerings to participate in, and RV Health has extended a culture of understanding around taking time to adapt to new environments and world events,” notes Anthony Machi, a Marketing Manager at Healthline’s MedicalNewsToday (and meditation leader).
There’s no question that physical health and mental health are related, and the way Kori sees it, “the RV workouts and challenges have made an impact.” And if you ask Matt, he’ll tell you “the playlists are fire.”
There is a certain energy that someone has when they finish a workout, start seeing results from a nutrition plan, set a new record or are pumped to get started that is just incredible.
Nick Trull, Wellness Director
It helps to have a little laughter thrown in, too. We’ve loved seeing how everyone has made their own home gym equipment!
Especially during times of stress, workouts can help clear your mind and keep both your brain and your body healthy. As Nick Trull, our Wellness Director puts it, “There is a certain energy that someone has when they finish a workout, start seeing results from a nutrition plan, set a new record or are pumped to get started that is just incredible.”
We couldn’t agree more.
How You Can Start to Prioritize Your Mental Wellbeing
Burnout is real, and it can happen to anyone.
Kori notes she has a history of “going too hard for too long” and getting burnt out in the process — and it’s even easier to fall into that cycle while working from home.
To help you prioritize your mental wellness while working from home, we took some notes from our RV wellness leaders to find out what they recommend, or even practice themselves!
Just breathe. Seriously.
Mary Baucom, Marketing Manager
First and foremost: Take care of your energy.
Anthony says he’s been working on prioritizing his relationships, and not consistently including himself in the “circle of care.” It’s like putting your own oxygen mask on first on a plane — you have to stabilize your own energy before you can help others stabilize theirs.
Matt encourages people to ask for help when they need it. Whether that means asking your friend to work out with you and hold you accountable, or asking your manager for time during the day to meditate and go for a walk, or even asking your partner to help you sign-up for virtual counseling, there are always resources — big and small — to help you stay connected and grounded.
Mary might say it best: “Just breathe. Seriously. It’s something so simple that we take for granted. I’ve found that a few deep breaths can ease my mind.”
We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling even more relaxed already.
Not only are RVers prioritizing their own wellnesss at home — they’re also helping our consumers stay well! Check out how our brands are supporting our audiences through the challenges of COVID-19.
