Categories
Uncategorized

Community Mental Health: 3 Ways to Make a Difference

The Importance of Community Mental Health

Ever since the pandemic began, mental health has plummeted. People are stressed, worried, and unsure what to do next. And since stress tends to accumulate and spread, community mental health is in a state of crisis. But as a business leader, you can take several steps to make a difference, both for your office and the wider community.

Here are 3 ways to help support your community’s mental health:

Check in on Your Employees

You can’t make a difference outside of your company without first supporting your team. Chances are that the switch to remote work has left some of your employees overwhelmed. Additionally, the personal stressors of living through COVID-19 have caused most of us to self-isolate and retreat inward.

Make sure to reach out to your employees and check in on how they’re doing. Something as simple as a virtual happy hour or personal phone call can go a long way toward improving mental health.

Focus on Your Own Needs

Just like your employees, your own mental health is important for maintaining a positive, productive environment. This isn’t the time to put on a bold front; being authentic and vulnerable shows that we’re human, and that touch of humanness is what we need right now. By acknowledging stressors, as opposed to denying them, you’ll create a more honest and connected environment.

Practice Giving Back

Research shows that volunteering is one of the best things you can do for your mental health. Your employees will feel good giving back, and the people they help will benefit, too. Also, your team will feel better connected and supported, which will help them battle isolation. In short, giving back doesn’t just diminish bad feelings, but also increases good ones.

Community Mental Health: 3 Ways to Make a Difference- Check in on your employees. Focus on your own needs so that you as a leader can be at your best. Practice giving back.

Final Thoughts on How to Support Community Mental Health

Stress and worry can be contagious, but so too can optimism and generosity. By acknowledging our current mental health issues, we can better tackle them going forward and improve our community as a whole.

If you want to make a difference in your community, Generus is here to help. We have a variety of projects focused on mental well-being, and we can’t wait to work on one with your team!

Categories
Uncategorized

The Value of Volunteering: Why Giving Back is an Investment

Volunteering is a great way to be selfless, and it’s also a boon for your team. Through volunteering, you’ll see long-term benefits for retention and productivity. And when you go virtual, you’ll save on travel and hotel costs. In fact, the value of virtual volunteering can’t be overstated. It’s an investment in your company that will set the stage for future growth and connection.

Here are 3 reasons remote volunteering is more than worth the price.

The Value of Volunteering

Cut Travel Costs

In order to volunteer in person, you sometimes need to travel. But traveling expenses can quickly add up when your employees live far away. Plus, some opportunities are costly solely because they take place over several days. Fortunately, remote volunteering allows all your employees to contribute from home more easily and at a reduced price. 

Decrease Turnover

One of the most expensive costs for a company is related to turnover, which can add up to millions of dollars a year. Fortunately, remote volunteering has been shown to decrease turnover by bringing employees together and giving them a purpose. When a team feels better connected, they’re more likely to stay together and grow with their company. In turn, that company will spend less on hiring new trainees—and money saved is money earned.

Improve Productivity

Happier employees are more productive employees. And one of the easiest ways to improve employee engagement is by volunteering. Volunteers feel better supported and more connected. And when their volunteering takes place remotely, they can reach a larger number of charities and nonprofits. Plus, by utilizing their talents and time toward causes that matter, employees will have more energy and enthusiasm to put back into other work projects.

Final Thoughts on the Value of Volunteering

Doing good makes a team feel good; generosity is its own reward. But there’s another benefit to volunteering, which comes in the form of monetary value. Supporting a charity allows you to meet corporate social responsibility goals while keeping employees motivated and happy. 

If you want support in planning your own virtual volunteer event, reach out to Generus today!

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Work and the Loneliness Epidemic: Battle Isolation through Volunteering

Lonely employees are unproductive employees. And sadly, employees are lonelier today than ever before. Work and the loneliness epidemic are linked, and the shift to remote work has made it even harder to build and sustain bonds. But that doesn’t mean your team can’t come together and connect. In fact, through remote volunteering, team bonds can grow even more powerful.  

Here are 3 ways remote volunteering can combat the effects of loneliness.

Work and the Loneliness Epidemic

Improve Morale

Poor morale is an obvious side-effect of loneliness. Humans are social creatures, and we crave connection and purpose. But when we lack a positive team dynamic, we can feel unsupported and alone. On the other hand, when employees work toward something that matters to them, they feel heard and appreciated. In turn, morale improves and your team becomes closer and more engaged. 

Decrease Turnover

When an employee feels disconnected from work, they’re less likely to remain with their company. And it’s easy to feel disconnected when you never see or meaningfully interact with your team. Fortunately, remote volunteering offers a solution. By volunteering together, your employees will bond over shared goals and purpose. In turn, they’ll feel more like a team, which will make them less likely to seek a team elsewhere. 

Build Company Culture

If your employees don’t know each other, it’s impossible to build company culture. But when employees volunteer together, they’re actively building up a culture of accountability and support. In turn, your company will gain respect for its values, which will make recruiting top tier talent easier.

Employees want to work somewhere that cares. And when caring is part of your company framework, you become that much more appealing to new hires.

The Solution for Work and the Loneliness Epidemic

Connection combats loneliness, and it’s easy to connect over remote volunteering. If you want to help your company come together as a team, reach out to Generus today.