5 Ways to Help Inspire Your Team to Relax and Reset
Inspiring your team to continue to be innovative and creative can be difficult, especially in a remote or hybrid environment. Every team member is different and what pushes one person to think outside the box might not work for everyone. Here are some tips we have found useful for our team. We encourage them to utilize what works for them when they need motivation. Don’t wait until your team hits burn-out; implement some of these ideas asap!
Get outside and move
Why do you think we had recess in elementary school? We thrive on fresh air and movement. Take your dog for a walk. Jump on a bike and ride a few miles. Eat lunch on the patio and not at your desk. The inspiration created from the fresh air and motion just might surprise you.
Build castles in the air
How often do you sit and just think about whatever pops into your head? Life doesn’t allow much time to daydream. In fact, we’re wired to discourage it. Some of our biggest breakthroughs come in the middle of a reverie. Daydreaming allows your brain to relax and let go of what’s causing stress and roadblocks. Try it out soon. Give yourself permission to daydream!
Embrace an old or new hobby
Are you beginning to see a trend? Letting go of what we do 9-5 can often be the best thing to help you hit the reset button. Get out those knitting needles, sort through some old baseball cards, or pull out that new cookbook and get busy. Focusing on something you thoroughly enjoy can be relaxing, stress-relieving, and invigorating.
Take regular breaks
There’s too much on your plate, right? If you continue to plow through, chances are burnout will come sooner rather than later. Stand up and walk away from your desk. Intentionally create time buffers between scheduled calls and meetings. Get some water, toss a tennis ball with your dogs, or water the flowers. Humans function better when we take needed breaks.
Bury yourself in a book
Read a fiction book, not a “how to make your business better” book. Don’t make this about work. Make it about you. Purchase the audio version if that is more relaxing for you. The point is to make a habit of reading for fun. Mysteries and crime fiction are some of our favorites. We can spend a day reading a book, getting lost in the characters and the plot. This helps us relax, enjoy, and then refocus.
There are a thousand ways you can encourage your team to pause, relax, and reset. Don’t let them reach burnout before you allow them to indulge in some of the ideas above. It might cost a few minutes here and there, but if they come back refreshed and ready to tackle issues with a new approach or idea, it’s worth it.