Press Release: HOPE GAIN NETWORK RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE POLLINATION PROJECT

The seed grant will fund training programs for people in need seeking work from home opportunities

-The grant will fund the first of many web based training programs planned by Hope Gain
-Hope Gain Network endeavors to connect people struggling with mental illness with work from home opportunities
-Programming joins practical job training skills with a focus on mental health wellness

September 9, 2020 – Grand Rapids, MI
Hope Gain Network is excited to announce it has secured grant funding from the Pollination Project. This seed grant will allow Hope Gain to implement its first comprehensive webinar series “We Remote: Introduction to Working from Home”.

“The program will be web-based training,” Sheri Munsell, CEO and founder of Hope Gain Network, said of accepting the grant. “The focus will be helping those struggling with mental illness learn how to find a legitimate

The new webinar will fulfill Hope Gain Network’s mission: to help those struggling with depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns find legitimate remote career opportunities.

Recent studies by Owl Labs and CNBC|SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey have shown that people who work from home tend to be happier, have better work life balance, and stay working with companies longer than people who only work on-site.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and jobless claims at a historical high, more people than ever are struggling with their mental health, the mission of Hope Gain Network has become more relevant than ever. The Introduction to Working from Home training will be an important first step for many seeking solutions to the problems many are struggling with today.

“Our goal is to eliminate the stigma of mental illness in the workplace,” Munsell said “We created Hope Gain Network to bring together employers that care and the people who need them. We are excited to be able to bring this opportunity for work from home job training to so many people that need it.”

For more information, please visit Hope Gain’s website HopeGain.org.

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How Work from Home Can Reduce Your Stress

Many people are wary of working from home; many employers too. They imagine it will lead to a decline in productivity and happiness, creating a higher turnover rate. Perhaps you worry, your boss will watch you like a hawk.

However, following the grand experiment of the past few months, many are reconsidering the value of remote work and how it can lead to better work-life balance.

The Long Commute

Commuting has been branded ‘the stress that doesn’t pay’. Hours are spent bumper to bumper, or on buses, trams and trains, with serious adverse effects for our mental health. Research from the University of Montreal found that the longer you commute, the more likely you are to experience adverse symptoms. Just 20 minutes a day can make you ‘stressed and cynical’. That’s not good for your work, nor you.

Commuting leaves you without any sense of control. The unpredictability of congestion causes anxiety about getting to work on time. All this leads to social isolation, anger, frustration and eventually deep mental health problems. When you work remotely, you don’t have to worry about getting to work. You’re already there.

Plus, every extra hour of commuting sees a 6% decrease in stress-busting activities such as sleep, exercise, food preparation, and shared meals.

Time Management

With all the time you’ve gained, you can reduce any work-life conflicts. Want to drop the kids off at school. No problem. Need to visit your elderly parents to see if they’re ok. Go right ahead. Working from home puts you in life’s drivers’ seat.

Spend time enjoying a cup of coffee, a walk with your dog, or a conversation with your partner. Instead of spreading yourself thin, you’ll be able to give more time to each aspect of your life. It’ll even make you more productive at your job.

It’s little surprise that according to an anonymous Dice survey, avoiding the office was the most desired perk of a job.

Save Money

When you’re saving money on your daily commute – in 2011, Americans spend $121 billion on congestion alone – or not forking out for lunches and other office expenses, you can save yourself a small fortune. You can even move out of the big expensive city, to a more rural or small-town location, where costs better match your budget. Considering financial worries are one of the primary drives of mental health, having more money in your pocket should be of the utmost importance.

Create a Relaxing Work Environment

Fluorescent lights. Rustling paper. The clatter of trolleys or the thumping of doors. Office gossip. Hot and humid or dry and frigid. Bizarre food smells. Offices are not pleasant places to work. In and of themselves, they can induce stress. 

When working from home, you can create a space for you. Add soft lightening, paintings and plants, a picture of your loved ones, or a perfumed diffuser. Plants have even been shown to reduce stress and negative feelings by 30 to 60 per cent.

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131029104413.htm

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/201501/commuting-the-stress-doesnt-pay

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-health-benefits-of-working-from-home/

https://blog.zestful.com/10-health-benefits-of-working-from-home/

https://www.mhanational.org/blog/mental-health-benefits-remote-and-flexible-work

https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/news/working-from-home-a-checklist-to-support-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus/

http://workplacementalhealth.org/Employer-Resources/Working-Remotely-During-COVID-19

https://www.theselfemployed.com/can-working-home-improve-mental-health/

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/how-working-from-home-can-reduce-stress/

https://www.stress.org/5-ways-to-reduce-stress-working-from-home-and-self-isolating

https://insights.dice.com/2018/12/12/remote-work-happy-productive-employees/

Bringing Your Work Home: 5 Benefits for Mental Health

In a few short months, the world has been turned upside down, with COVID-19 creating a new set of challenges for employers and employees to navigate. Many employees are working from home for the first time. No doubt, there will have been challenges. But the pandemic has placed a spotlight on the role of teleworking, and the benefits it can bring, notably for your mental health. Even a pandemic has its silver linings.

For a long time, many employees have been calling out for a more flexible work-life: to be liberated from the daily commute, office politics, and the constant anxiety from juggling their roles as worker, parent and friend. In a 2018 survey of over 3,000 professionals, FlexJobs discovered that 97% of people thought a more flexible job would have a ‘huge’ or ‘positive’ impact on their quality of life.

Here are some of the fantastic ways, bringing your work home can improve your life and mental health.

Time to Exercise
Commuting devours time, with those in the South and East of England spending an average of an hour a day shuttling to the office. Time that you could spend focused on building mental and physical health. Be that a run around the park, a quick gym session, or a period of quiet meditation. Plus, with most Westerners failing to get their nightly 8-hours – with disastrous consequences for mental health – having time for a lie-in, will make you happier, healthier and more productive.

Healthy Eating
Rushed at work, many people eat on the go; grabbing an unhealthy sandwich or snack. However, nutrition is pivotal to mental health. At home, you have time to fix yourself a proper lunch, taking care to add in foods that boost mental health.

Less work-place stress
No daily commute. More time to sleep. More time with family and friends. Overall, working from home leaves you more time to breath, thus reducing stress. In the survey from FlexJobs, respondents revealed that remote work reduced stress by reducing distractions during the day (72%), keeping them out of office politics (65%), and allowed for a quieter work environment (60%).

Improved Flexibility
The increased flexibility that comes with working from home allows you to tailor your work to your needs. Providing you haven’t got a meeting to attend, remote working takes the sting out of a busy schedule. You’ll be able to attend to other aspects of your life, including children or elderly parents with greater attentiveness, reducing underlying anxieties and crippling guilt.
Plus, it opens doors to jobs you previously could not have applied to due to location. Thus, giving you a new sense of opportunity and success. An essential foundation for good mental health.

Independence & Empowerment
Finally, working from home, lets you do your work, your way. You might still have a toxic boss or colleague(s), but now they’re no longer breathing down your neck. Multiple studies have demonstrated that independence leads to higher job satisfaction, which increases the time employees remain with a company. So, you can feel confident in your abilities, as your productivity increases as well!

Sources:
https://www.theselfemployed.com/can-working-home-improve-mental-health/
http://workplacementalhealth.org/Employer-Resources/Working-Remotely-During-COVID-19
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/news/working-from-home-a-checklist-to-support-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus/
https://www.mhanational.org/blog/mental-health-benefits-remote-and-flexible-work
https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-2018-annual-survey-workers-believe-flexible-remote-job-can-help-save-money-reduce-stress-more/
https://blog.zestful.com/10-health-benefits-of-working-from-home/
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-health-benefits-of-working-from-home/