Covid-19 and the Loneliness Epidemic, How to Keep Your Workforce Engaged and Mindful

The Loneliness Epidemic, there is no doubt you have heard this phrase long before the Covid-19 pandemic started. America’s obsession with work has led to a workforce that doesn’t know how to do anything else, but work.

Unable to set healthy boundaries for work and play, many of today’s workers have collectively landed in the loneliness epidemic, where if they are not engaged in work, they have no idea what to do with themselves. They have no social life, they barely have any friends, and they barely know anything about what is going on with their families, leading to awkward interactions that feel more forced, than natural.

Yet, with all things considered, they still long for human connection, to feel like they belong somewhere. Somewhere along the way, many have lost their true identities and wear their work like it is their identity, everywhere they go. They play their role well, they have managed to land a career with the right company, they are working in the right field that grabs immediate attention, and they are making good money that allows them to buy all the things one should have.

The only problem is, the things, the titles, the awards, and the corner office does not offer the comfort of authentic human interaction. Seeking the nurturing validation one requires as a human being, via work, leads to the tendency to become a workaholic, to ensure continued validation. When that validation is not received, it can cause major problems within the team, and work environment. It is impossible to replace meaningful, personal interactions, and authentic conversations with job performance. What is the solution?

Making it okay to be human at work again via creating a wellness community. The Covid-19 pandemic has, in a way, pushed us all to once again realize what matters in life. The dramatic slowdown of life has forced many to take a close look at their lives and decide if they are happy with the choices they have made. One of the best things that you can do as an employer is to support your employee’s decision to change their mind, give them an outlet to express themselves and feed them a healthy diet of suggestions of off-duty activities and social interactions that they can engage in.

Review our checklist to discover how you can help improve productivity, while simultaneously boosting morale among your workforce by working with us to create a wellness platform for your company use.

1. Are your employees still doing the job that they love, or has their interest changed since the Covid-19 pandemic? One of the best things you can do as an employer is to put out a survey to understand the state of mind that your workforce is in. Do they need mental health support? Have they lost family members, friends, or loved ones to the virus? Are they caring for sick family members? Have they contracted the virus themselves and need time to recover? How has Covid-19 changed their lives? What can you do as a company to support them through these changes?
2. Have they changed their job preferences? A high-powered career may not be the speed of life that suits some of your employees at this time. Offering alternative projects, or providing flexibility to try different roles may be just the change your workforce needs while ensuring that you retain your current workforce. This is important as the conditions of the PPP loans is the continued employment of your workforce.
3. Encourage authentic sharing and create a safe space for your employees to be vulnerable without judgment. Engaging in a wellness platform like our own could be the change of pace that your employees need, while you sponsor authentic topics and discussions, that help your employees to connect to each other on a deeper level than simple coworkers, but rather community. Understanding that one is not alone in their concerns, or problems, helps tremendously.
4. Help your employees to help each other. Nearly everyone has a need that they are having a hard time fulfilling. Whether it is a roll of toilet paper, or a gallon of milk, an employee that feels like they are on their own can be greatly encouraged by the ability to have their basic needs met. It is important to remember how important it is to your employee’s sense of safety and security to have their basic needs met.
5. Allow your employees to express themselves, encourage your employees to express themselves, and allow their personalities a place to thrive by demonstrating this idea first through the leadership of the company. Making everyone at the company relatable and easy to speak to leads to a more relaxed workforce that is more concerned about being themselves vs making appearances for leadership.

Building a thriving, professional community is easier than you may think.