Improving your health and wellbeing during Covid-19

Working in a retail or supplier business can be stressful even at the best of times, let alone with an unstable economy and global pandemic upon us.

Uncertainty isn’t a condition humans are hardwired for. Not knowing what the future holds has lead to a degree of fear and, as humans, we tend to entertain the worst-case scenarios. This stress can directly impact your health, wellbeing and ability to work at peak levels.

If you are feeling anxious, you are not alone. There has been a 30 per cent increase in calls to Beyond Blue in the last week alone, indicating that a lot of Australians are worried.

While there is uncertainty on what the world will look like post-Covid-19, one thing is certain, this will not last forever and things will settle into a new normal eventually.

In the meantime, there are many methods for reducing stress and ways to keep your mind clear. In this post, we’ll discuss three simple tips for promoting health and wellness.

Focus on your strengths

Unfortunately, a lot of businesses are suffering. More than 60 per cent of Australian businesses have now been directly affected by Covid-19. Stepping back and focusing on what you’re doing right can help boost morale and also identify ways to improve.

Stress management requires focusing on aspects of your business you can control and letting go of what you can’t. That includes a worldwide pandemic that no one saw coming. No one knows what will happen in a month from now, so try and identify what’s going on right now to plan for the future.

Do you have a good work/life balance? Could you understand your business and products better? Are you giving back to the community? Is your customer service good enough? Are there any ways you could improve to become a better employer? Are you looking after your health?

Taking a step back from your regular day-to-day activities can be a great time to assess your business.

Get Organised

Most brick-and-mortar stores have unfortunately closed for the foreseeable future and it’s caused a huge spike in eCommerce. Dozens of countries worldwide have experienced increases in online shopping and Australia is one of them.

Here are common ways businesses are becoming innovative and productive during Covid-19:

• Developing an eCommerce platform that manages payments, inventory and delivery from one integrated source. If you don’t have an eCommerce store yet get in touch to see if you qualify for our free store build.
• Expanding their social media reach. This can include diving into Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Youtube channels. The more people that see what you’re doing, the more likely it is you’ll sell. Younger employees tend to have a stronger grip on the functionalities of these sources and are often a great asset.

Develop a work-life balance

Given the social-distancing restrictions and limitations on movements, establishing boundaries between work and private time can be challenging.

Working from home can cause “job-creep”, or the tendency to stress about work when you should be relaxing.
It’s important to recognise the pros and cons of your new working environment and to step back or switch off for the day.

A 2018 study discovered thinking about or completing work when you should be resting directly hampers the essential recovery needed to consistently perform at high levels.

If your brain produces too much of the stress hormone more commonly known as cortisol, it can actually weaken your immune system. Anxiety can impact you both mentally and physically and can have long-term health consequences. Here are some tips to destress:

• Exercise however and whenever you can. Gyms may be closed, but any form of sweat is good sweat. Be it a home workout, gardening, walking the dog, yoga, pilates or running. There are plenty of home-workout apps that have sprung to life since Covid-19. Personally, I’ve been using Chris Hemsworth’s workout-from-home app named ‘Centr’ and find it’s incredibly useful. The only negative thing I have to say about the app is that I don’t look like Thor yet…
• Meditate and rest your mind. Adding mindfulness to your routine can be a hugely effective tool for managing stress. Simple things like deep-breathing exercises allow your mind to rest. Popular meditation apps (like Headspace or Calm) are great for clearing your mind.
• Pick up an old hobby or try a new one. Is there something you’ve been keen to try but never had the time? Now is an ideal time to give new hobbies a go. While some areas of Australia might not have the luxury of enjoying outdoor activities, there are many hobbies that can still be attempted from home, that is … once you’ve binged as much as you can on Netflix.

These simple tips should help you stay mentally and physically healthy during Covid-19 and keep your productivity levels high. Good luck and stay safe!