I felt sick and tired of hearing all the bad news last year (remember 2020?). I’d reached saturation point and it was affecting my mental wellbeing. So, when I came across an article on the advantages of sharing good news, I was keen to explore it.
The article highlights how “constant exposure to negative news can have a heavy impact on our mental health” and how negative news stories can “significantly change an individual’s mood and mindset.”
One of the tips in the article is to use the opportunity presented by meetings as a forum for people to “stay connected to others, and good news sharing and discussion,” which can “help offset the stress and anxiety people are experiencing.”
The author of the article conducted an experiment during COVID to test the impact of good and bad news. The experiment proved leaders could boost employee morale and foster employee wellbeing with just minimal interventions. Based on this research, the author suggests leaders:
- Follow the leader—by modelling more optimistic behaviours and thinking more about how to communicate.
- Support active sharing of positive news.
- Encourage regular social bonding opportunities—both online and in person.
- Guide employees towards evidence-based mental health programs.
- Help employees develop work start and stop rituals.
Leaders and managers who make the effort to implement strategies that encourage positive thinking are going a long way to help their team reduce anxiety and isolation.
Photograph
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash.