10 Ways to Boost Morale and De-Stress in the Workplace

After a record-breaking bank holiday Monday last week, it was lovely to see the summer of 2017 out in style! But now it’s September, the autumnal months are approaching and some of us may need a boost to fend off the post-summer blues.

So here I am, wearing my Batman t-shirt, with 10 ideas to help you boost morale at work and de-stress! If your team could do with a bit of a buzz, read on!

1. Give Kudos

One of the simplest ways to boost morale at work is to show appreciation for each other’s hard work and to give kudos for a job well done! Positive feedback reaffirms your team are doing well, it boosts confidence and it continues to ensure good results.

It’s as easy as a quick email, a fist-pump, or a high-five. I like to express my thoughts by doodling on post-it notes and sticking them on my colleagues’ work when I’m editing their stuff.

How do the chaps at iHASCO handle this one? We have an online internal kudos system! Team members send messages of thanks to each other and everyone is copied into a random selection, so we’re all in the loop with the good stuff!

2. Offer Flexible Working 

It’s natural for us to work well for people, and with people, who look out for us and show they care. Having flexible working hours is a great way to keep team members performing well – some may have young families that need them at certain times; some may prefer to avoid rush-hour traffic by starting later and working later etc.

Do the iHASCO bosses have this covered? Yep! We’re offered flexible working hours to help with life outside of work, and this is greatly appreciated. We have the option to work from home on occasion too… sometimes you just get more done in your PJs.

3. Send Birthday Love

Depending on the size of your company, this can be done in different ways. It could be as simple as a card signed by everyone, or a 'Happy Birthday' email from the boss with the team copied in (so everyone can then flood your colleague’s inbox with a bunch of birthday wishes).

And it never goes amiss for the birthday boy/girl to bring in cakes or other goodies for everyone to share. We always look forward to the ‘cakes downstairs at 11’ email. 10:58 – KETTLE ON.

iHASCO birthday love? We have tons of that thanks to our lovely office manager Kaz. Each member of the team gets a present and a card signed by everyone – the bosses have a birthday budget.

4. Raise Money for a Local Charity

It feels good to do good, and it can be great fun to raise money together, especially for a local charity where every little bit goes a long way. It’s also the perfect excuse to socialise and get creative with fund-raising ideas.

What do iHASCO do? On the last Friday of every month, we complete an ‘iHASCO Challenge’ to raise money for Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice. I won last month… I beat two of the sales guys by eating a plate of peas in three minutes.

5. Become Workout Buddies

Maybe you have a gym on-site or just around the corner, where a group of you can go on your lunch break, or before/after work? It can be great to take part in a fun run, weekly fitness classes, or even take walks with a work friend at lunchtimes. The more endorphins, the better!

Yeah, iHASCO love this one. Us lot are pretty smitten with mountains. So far, members of our team have climbed Trolltunga in Norway, Snowdonia in Wales, and we’re going hiking in Switzerland next week!

6. Breakfast Club

Too many of us press snooze too many times, get up late, race to work and clock-in thirty seconds before we’re due to start for the day. Then our tummies are growling within half an hour because we forgot to eat breakfast.

So why not try it? Introduce a Breakfast Club into your morning routine – you can all get to work a little early and eat breakfast together – and since you’re already at work, there’s no panic about being late. Starting your day feeling relaxed and full is the way to go.

Do iHASCO do this? No. But it’s an awesome idea and I’m going to propose it imminently.

7. Netflix & Ch… ess

Any board game lovers in your workplace? Footy fans? Westworld addicts? Any goofballs who love The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as much as me?

The idea is to find a common interest and choose one day every week, or fortnight, to stay late and order a takeaway while you play a game or watch a TV show. We all do it at home anyway – but it can be nice to relax with your colleagues after a hard days work. Just save beer-pong for the weekends!

You lot do THIS too? Not quite. It’s an idea I came across in my research. But we do have an old foosball table in the office that we can use during breaks (and the occasional office soirée).

8. Celebrate

We always work hard and do our best. But balance is important, so it’s important to celebrate your achievements.

Celebrating and socialising doesn’t just have to be kept for the Christmas party, so get busy organising activities! It gives everyone something to look forward to… paintballing, ice-skating, a trip to the pub after work? And top tip – include families!

Do iHASCO like a Social? Oh yeah. We always celebrate in style at Christmas, but we also love a summer-do to keep us going in-between winter celebrations. We love a raffle, and the bosses treat us to Jazz nights in Soho.

9. Create a Recoup Room

Is your workplace one of the many (including ours) that often has everyone eating lunch at their workstations?

Even though we should all move and stretch regularly throughout the day, we often don’t! And it’s too easy to get either super stressed or super tired if we don’t take the occasional time-out. It will make a huge difference to create a space, or Recoup Room, where the team can chill during breaks – to eat, nap, stretch, read, enjoy a quiet cuppa.

Getting back to your workstation feeling relaxed and refreshed is always good for energy levels! To maintain maximum productivity it’s crucial to take breaks - little and often is key – see our Display Screen Equipment course for more information on this.

How do iHASCO do it? We’re working on it! We do our Desk Stretch Challenge and we already have a comfy sofa and two big leather bean bags in residence. It’s a promising start.

10. Support Passionate Projects

What are the people in your team passionate about? Gardening? Writing? Animals? Jazz? Showing an interest in each other’s outside interests is a good way to strengthen your working relationships and to keep conversations engaging. You can always find local specialists or innovative thinkers to come and talk to the team about subjects they’re interested in - it can be a refreshing way to break up the day on occasion!

Managers can even set aside some time once a month for a Creative Project - where every employee is allowed to work on a project of their own making, as long as it relates to your company’s service or product.

Before I say TTFN….

Taking time to try any of these ideas won’t just boost morale - it could inspire product upgrades, service improvements, and your teams work-satisfaction could soar! If your workplace can find a healthy balance between working hard and having fun, you’ll be able to maintain a happy, loyal and productive team who enjoy working and socialising together.

Download our free Mental Health White Paper today to gain a better understanding of Mental Ill-Health in UK workplaces.

You can also check out our Stress Awareness Training, which looks at managing stress at work and how to build a positive work culture. Why not grab your instant access, free trial today?!

Are there any gems in your organisation’s bag of tricks that boost morale and get great results? If so, please share! I’d love to take more ideas into the next team meeting 😉.