It’s summer! You’re spending more time outdoors, meeting up with friends, taking time off for vacation or simply experiencing what your local city has to offer. (Banh Mi food trucks, anyone?)
But one thing that doesn’t change once summer is in full swing: the work week. Nope, no three-month summer vacation over here. It’s still an eight-hour day where you’re glued to various technology tools, gradually checking things off of your to-do list. Besides the perk of air conditioning on those unbearably hot days, summer tends to work against the workplace.
What can you do to ensure employee motivation and engagement during the summer months? Here are a few tips to help you not only get through summer at the office but actually enjoy summer at the office:
Change up your routine.
Take a different route to work. Heck, walk to work if you can! Get your coffee at a new place, or order that frozen mocha (yes, get the whipped cream this time). Whatever you can do to break out of your usual routine.
Host an enlightening training program.
Keep everyone on their feet this summer and introduce new ways of thinking. We can all improve and elevate our everyday work, so why not continue the training in a fun, light way – even C-level executives can keep growing.
During the summer, Next PR offers a fun, biweekly program called Friday Afternoon Club (FAC), where we host various learning sessions to #levelup our internal and external company efforts. These interactive, company-wide sessions keep employees curious and engaged during those slower summer Fridays. (Hint: There are snacks involved, too.)
Put down the technology at lunch!
Step away from the phone and computer and enjoy wherever you are in that moment. The New York Times says we check our phones, on average, 47 times a day — 82 times if you’re between 18 and 24 years old. Put the phone down, head outside and walk to lunch with a coworker. Even if it’s just for 10-15 minutes, sunlight has proven time and time again to increase mood and productivity, and not to mention it feeds your brain!
Attend (or run!) a Lunch-and-Learn session.
Provide mini learning experiences (30 minutes to one hour) throughout the summer, led by employees who are experts on specific topics. Maybe it’s, “How to Manage Your Time,” or, “Best Practices for Social Media Engagement.” These can help break up the afternoon and keep you inspired!
Be well: A healthy body is a healthy mind.
Put your wearable device to good use and join a gym or studio. Many gyms offer a free first class or a discounted rate, so give that yoga studio a try! Or sweat out your stress with cycling or cardio. Exercise is linked to a decrease in depression, better memory and quicker learning, and is one of the best ways to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Try taking a walk while on your next conference call. It can result in better communication, as walking increases blood flow to your brain, helping you express ideas more freely.
Work outside for the day.
It’s amazing what a little fresh air and sunlight can do for your brain. Take your laptop outside and find the perfect picnic table or tree to call your “office” for the day. Don’t forget the sunglasses and some SPF!
Rock that playlist!
Research shows that music and mood are naturally linked, and you can access a mood or mindset simply through the music you choose. Put together some tunes that help you get in the zone.
Pump up employee motivation this summer with these seven workplace tips. Throw on a funky playlist, host an awesome learning program and get your fellow employees excited about coming to work during these hot summer months.
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