- Promote awareness among staff and establish the expectation that people will take care of themselves.
- At your regular staff meetings, remind staff that this is something you expect them to pay attention to.
- Give new staff copies of this document, Effective Self Care, when they join the team, go over it at a staff meeting, and post copies in the office.
- Ask different staff members to share their favorite stress management practices at staff meetings (ask individuals ahead of time so they are prepared).
- Set aside space and time for exercise. Undertake some sort of regular exercise yourself – something that people can see you doing. Also, see if you can get someone to lead a yoga or other class.
- Create a sense of friendship among staff by organizing activities:
- In the office
Celebrate birthdays and other events - Out of the office:
Have dinners
Play sports
Have a game night
Go on hikes
Have picnics
Organize regular group exercise
Have a talent show
Yes, it will take some effort to organize these things, but it’s worth it.
- In the office
- Establish a Person to Receive Complaints at the office and guest houses
Just being able to express problems can do a lot to relieve the stress those problems are causing. Establish an official person to whom people can come with issues related to the office, living situations, colleagues, supervisors and other things. You must also give that person some authority to be able to resolve the issues that come up.
It would be best if this person is in the HR department and/or trained in dealing with these matters. Also, make sure that there is a relatively senior woman who can play this role for other women.
- Establish an R & R Benefit
Taking a break for a few days can re-charge the batteries. See these sections on how to establish these policies:
- Find a Professional Resource for Staff to Consult
Consult with the Staff Benefits Coordinator in headquarters to see if they can help you with this.