With COVID-19 cases increasing every day, we are all practicing social distancing in order to flatten the curve.

Spending weeks at home can take a toll on anyone’s mental health.  According to the American Psychological Association, common sources of stress during this period include a drop in meaningful activities, sensory stimuli and social engagement; and a lack of access to typical coping strategies such as going to the gym or attending religious services.

So what can we do? Staying virtually connected while keeping your distance is crucial in both your personal and professional life. Here are some ways Doster is connecting our team.

1. Host a Virtual Coffee or Lunch Break

Don’t stop having coffee and lunch breaks with your co-workers. Many of our employees who usually eat lunch together are still meeting through video conferencing to keep their routine and stay connected. While getting the work done is a top priority, socialization among teams is also key. It has been proven to increase trust, collaboration, and sharing ideas.

2. Use Video Conference Daily

Our teams are using video conferencing tools (Like Zoom and Ring Central Meetings) in lieu of a traditional meeting or conference call. Seeing your team face-to-face is important to keep morale high and collaborate. Working remotely demands constant communication, and holding morning update or check-ins through video conference keeps everyone informed.

3. Host Virtual Company Events

Have an upcoming company event that had to be cancelled? Consider still holding it virtually. For many years we have held what we call First Friday, where the first Friday afternoon of the month we get together to celebrate our successes and build relationships. We did not want our distance to stop our tradition and held a virtual First Friday where our team was able to connect and socialize.

4. Share Ideas & Personal Experiences

In this uncertain time, sharing personal experiences and ideas is a good way to make us feel like we are in this together. Through our company intranet, we’ve shared a Doster Cookbook, asked for thank you notes to our healthcare heroes, shared photos, and posted fun activities for families to do while social distancing.

5. Use Social Media

Social media can be a powerful communication tool. Sharing photos, advice, and important COVID-19 updates on your company’s social media networks is just another way to make a connection with your team members and clients.

Collaboration Tools

All of these tips are contingent on having the right technology in place. Here are some of the collaboration tools we are using to stay connected. We hope this will help your team better connect in this time of social distancing.