Healthy hybrid working                                            

Hybrid working allows you to have time when you work by yourself at home and time working in the workplace where you can collaborate or network.

It's important to find the right work/life balance wherever you're working.

Speak to your manager if you:

  • struggle to keep a good work/life balance
  • feel isolated, stressed or anxious
  • have any other concerns about your wellbeing because of hybrid working

Your manager can complete or update an individual risk assessment with you.

Support to stay well at work

As part of Our People Promise to support your wellbeing at work the following resources can help you stay well during Covid-19 and beyond.

Wellbeing zone

Our Wellbeing zone can help you look after yourself and your friends and family while we all get used to living and working in new ways.

Care First

Care First gives you free, 24/7 counselling and advice from trained professionals to help with any work or personal issues.

You can use Care First services by phoning 0800 174 319 or visit Care First Lifestyle portal.

Wellness Action Plan

Making a Wellness Action Plan allows you to record what you need to do to stay well at work. It also starts a conversation with your line manager about how they can support you.

Carers' Passport

The Carers’ Passport supports unpaid carers and their employers.

It can:

  • promote a level of consistency of support for staff
  • encourage positive communication
  • raise awareness

Mental Health at Work

Our Frontline offers 24/7 one-to-one support. Trained volunteers will phone or text you with advice, ideas and resources, to help you look after your mental health.

UOK

UOK is a network of local community-based services working together to support good mental health and wellbeing in Brighton & Hove.

Take your break

During the pandemic we often find ourselves working harder than ever to support each other and the city.

With so much to do and being so busy, it can be easy to overlook our breaks as we try to get more done.

It's important to take regular breaks away from work to make sure we have time to regain our energy and look after our wellbeing.

As part of Our People Promise to support your wellbeing, the Public Health team has put together the following advice to help you get the most from your breaks.

Schedule a routine and stick to it

Make sure you plan a lunch break and take it at the right time.

You can set an alarm or use your Outlook calendar to make sure you take your break.

There are several apps that can help you do this. The Stand Up app, gives you regular reminders to take a quick break, and stand up and walk around. This helps reduce the bad effect of sitting for long periods.

Change your environment

Put your coat on and get some fresh air, go to a different room, or change where you sit or what you're doing. This will help create a sense of distance from your work and can refresh your senses.

Energise yourself

Keeping active at break times is a great way to add some physical activity to your day.

Go for a walk or a jog,  stretch, or turn the radio on and dance around your room. No matter how much time you have, there's something for everyone here:

Making yourself more energetic helps your mental and physical wellbeing. Try making your brain more active by reading, listening to a podcast, turning on the radio or doing a crossword or Sudoku.

Connect

Take the time to catch up with friends, your family or colleagues. Try going for a walk and making a phone call to give yourself a break from your screen.

Relax

Make sure you're away from work for a while and taking the time to do nothing at all. Meditation apps like Headspace or Calm can help give your mind some rest during a busy day.

Be flexible

Managing our daily responsibilities can make it difficult for us to take a break at the same time each day. You may need to adapt and change your break times each day or week to fit around your work and personal life.

Eat well

Try and have wholegrain options and plenty of fruit and vegetables in your lunches. They’ll sustain you and help you concentrate throughout the day. Try some of these easy and healthy recipe ideas:

More information and support

To find out more or if you have any questions, phone the Healthy Lifestyles team on 01273 294589 or send an email to HealthyLifestylesTeam@brighton-hove.gov.uk.