Managing Stress In and Out of the Workplace

As we learned in 2020, nothing is predictable. That’s why it’s critical to have healthy habits to turn to when the unexpected happens.

In January, our team at the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority participated in a webinar series alongside Active Southern West Virginia to discuss the significance of wellness and self-care in — and outside of — the workplace. Attendees included small business owners, company leaders and remote workers who shared some of the challenges they’ve recently faced as they adapted to working remotely and new workplace protocols.

What’s at stake?

It’s incredibly important to have the right tools to cope when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

According to the American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis,” 78% of adults have experienced heightened stress levels due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Stress is a fact of life, but if we’re stressed for a prolonged period, it can result in long-term consequences for our mental and physical health.

At the NRGRDA, we’re dedicated to offering increased access to support and resources to our colleagues as we navigate the coming months. Checking in with our team and participating in group wellness activities gives us an opportunity to strengthen working relationships and create a more encouraging and supportive environment.

Self-Care and Resources

Over the last year, most of our daily routines have been upended. Right now, a little bit of structure goes a long way — and so does a little movement!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults engage in 30 minutes of physical activity five days per week. This month, we encourage everyone to take advantage of Active SWVs wide range of FREE February activities, including the Active SWV 30-Day Winter Challenge, which encourages participants to stay active indoors, from February 19 – March 20th, to the upcoming webinar, “Wellness: For You and Your Employees – Session 2,” on February 24, at 12 p.m.

Register for the Active SWV 30-Day Challenge here.

Register for “Wellness: For You and Your Employees – Session 2” here.

Stay in-the-know and get updated about Active Southern West Virginia’s events by visiting their Facebook page here and by visiting their event calendar here for weekly online fitness and yoga class schedules.

 

Sometimes self-care can be as simple as building a routine for ourselves, especially when we’re working from home. If your to-do list seems to grow by the minute and you’re struggling to keep up, take a moment to step back, take a deep breath and evaluate.

No matter how we choose to wind down or blow off some steam, it’s important to recognize symptoms of stress and set boundaries, if necessary, to prioritize our overall wellness. It’s more important than ever that we invest in our own wellness and that of our work families.

We hope that you, too, can benefit from some of these resources that have helped our staff!