We’ve all heard the phrase, “bring your best self to work.” But what does this actually mean in practice? And how can we create an environment where both businesses and their staff can thrive?

The increasing prevalence of burnout highlights the need for a continued shift in workplace culture, to balancing business goals with employee wellbeing. And, with the impending arrival of the ‘right to switch off’ guidelines under new Labour laws (read our recent overview on Labour’s First 100 Days and upcoming changes here), the focus on employee wellbeing is paramount.

However, this isn’t just something for businesses and employers to consider – the idea of ‘bringing your best self to work’ is one that both employer and employee need to take responsibility for. 

As we head into the school summer holidays here in the UK, it’s that time of year where most of us are thinking about taking a well-deserved summer break. So in this blog post, we’ll look at some of the ways that we can bring our best selves to the workplace, along with some tips for properly switching off when not at work.

The Role of Employers

Employers have a significant role to play in creating an environment where employees can thrive and bring their best selves to work.

  • Create a culture of wellbeing: Prioritise mental health, offer support resources, and foster a positive work environment.
  • Empower employees to take time off: Encourage staff to disconnect fully. This means minimising expectations of out-of-hours availability and making it easy for staff to book and take time off. Create contingency plans and processes for cover to facilitate staff holidays (you can take inspiration from Google ads agency Ethos and their procedures in our blog post here).
  • Invest in Employee Development: Offering opportunities for growth and development empowers employees to take ownership of their careers. Encourage a proactive approach to learning and ongoing development.
Employee development. Bring your best self to work

The Role of Employees

Employees also have an important role to play in ensuring that they are able to show up and do their best work, by taking full ownership of their wellbeing. 

Positive workplace culture. Bring your best self to work
  • Set boundaries: Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life is crucial. This includes setting limits on work hours and being mindful of after-hours communication, it might be convenient for you to send an email out of hours, but does that create pressure on someone to respond out of hours?  Be clear you don’t expect a response and you are communicating for your own convenience.
  • Prioritise self-care: Taking regular breaks, practicing mindfulness, and engaging in physical activity are essential for maintaining well-being. Make full use of your leave entitlement and switch off out of office hours. 
  • Continuous learning: Embracing a growth mindset and proactively seeking opportunities for learning and development. Consider adopting an IKIGAI approach to find purpose and meaning in your work.
  • Communicate openly: Discuss workload and expectations with your manager. Take the leave you are entitled to, giving plenty of notice whenever possible, but be open to the idea of flexibility from time to time, workloads and priorities fluctuate.

Tips on Switching Off and Taking a Proper Break

Whilst we all know the importance of taking time out from work, the reality of today’s working culture means that it’s all too easy to feel the pressure of staying plugged in, making it challenging for staff to ever really ‘switch off’. 

The rise of remote working, along with the pressure to be constantly available has blurred the lines between work and personal life. 

Other factors that hinder staff switching off:

  • Fear of missing out (FOMO): Employees might worry about falling behind on projects or missing important information.
  • Technology: The constant accessibility of work emails and messaging apps makes it tempting to check in during downtime.
  • Work-life balance challenges: Juggling work, family, and personal responsibilities can make it difficult to prioritise time off.
Switch Off, Read a Book. Bring your best self to work

These are issues that Labour recognised in their ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’. They plan to take the lead from other countries who have already instigated guidelines around healthier working practices that benefit both parties. 

Whilst we’re yet to see what these changes will look like in practice, and exactly how they will affect businesses, here’s some tips in the meantime to help support your employees to switch off when they’re not at work. 

  • Designate a workspace: For staff members working from home, having a clear separation between work and personal space can help to mentally switch off. 
  • Set specific work hours: For staff, establish a clear start and end time for your workday wherever possible. For businesses, set clear, fair expectations on working hours, giving staff flexibility wherever possible. 
  • Turn off notifications: For staff, where possible, silence work-related notifications during personal time. For businesses, consider setting policies around communication outside of working hours to give staff greater control around their ability to switch off. 
  • Encourage mindfulness techniques: For businesses, promote mindfulness practices such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to help reduce work stress and mental load. 
  • Promote healthy habits: For businesses, wherever possible, be a champion for healthy habits that will support productivity, such as taking regular screen breaks, spending time in nature, and prioritising sleep. 
  • Support staff to manage their time and workload: For businesses, look for ways to support staff to manage the work on their plate, consider opportunities for delegation and sharing work across teams to foster collaboration and a supportive work environment. For staff, don’t wait until your workload becomes unmanageable – share challenges and concerns with your line manager to help prevent burnout.

In Summary

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Switching off and taking time away from work, including a proper holiday is not just a luxury, it’s a necessity. It allows staff time to recharge, gain perspective and return to work with a renewed energy, focus and sense of purpose. 

Ahead of the new ‘right to switch off’ guidelines being introduced, look for ways to support staff to create a healthy work-life balance and prioritise their wellbeing. 

By creating a culture where employees feel supported and empowered, organisations can reap the benefits of increased productivity, creativity and employee satisfaction. 

For more tips on creating a culture that supports and affirms staff wellbeing, read our blog post about wellbeing strategy here. And if you’d like further support to create wellbeing policies and procedures that support your staff, we’d love to help.

As a first step, why not book in for a 30 minute consultation to talk through your current challenges and identify some possible solutions. 

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