There are few people in this country whose lives have not been radically changed by the impact of the current pandemic. The British foreclosure, which made working from home, school closures, social distancing and restaurant and bar closures mandatory, transformed our daily routines and the way we communicate with each other. For many of us, the last two weeks have been a work-at-home experience as businesses adjust to the new climate. Technology has been at the center of it all, allowing us to stay in communication with our colleagues, whether through email, workplace messaging platforms, or video calls, to keep our productivity levels up and our businesses running (! almost!) as usual. However, in this transition to mass teleworking, it is equally important for employers to reflect on how they can care for the mental health and well-being of their employees. Here too, technology can play an essential role. Although we sometimes associate technology with a negative impact on mental health, it has the potential to be an extremely positive force. At a time when many are physically isolated from their friends and colleagues, we need to ensure more than ever that employees have immediate access to the tools and resources to support their well-being. Part of the solution is good communication; It is important that workplaces maintain communication levels as high as in the office. It's difficult to fully replicate a work environment, which provides many opportunities for face-to-face interaction, but technology can help ease this transition. Simple steps like replacing phone calls with video calls can help maintain close communication and reduce anxiety about the newness of the situation. On the other hand, keep in mind that a sudden deluge of digital correspondence can be overwhelming. While keeping the communication high, be sure to label it and avoid sending a lot of messages outside of business hours. Similarly, if the increased noise from notifications makes it almost impossible to focus, perhaps try disabling them completely outside of their predefined time intervals. It is important for employers to understand the specific challenges of working from home for mental well-being. For some employees, the lack of face-to-face social contact will lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, or even worsen existing mental health issues. In this situation, it's more important than ever that employees know who to turn to and what resources are available to handle it. If employees struggle with loneliness, technology also has the ability to provide digital spaces to allow staff to connect virtually, for example over lunch or in a virtual pub. In this way, technology can help reproduce normal social activity and avoid loneliness. Another challenge often faced by people who work at home is the confusion of borders. Without clearly defined work and living spaces, many may find it difficult to distinguish between the two. This can make it difficult to stop working at night or finish work in familiar surroundings, which can lead to stress and even burnout. The key to fixing it is routine. Following your normal routine as closely as possible in these new circumstances can help create distinctions between work and home life and ensure a healthy balance. This means dressing for work (getting in the right frame of mind to start the workday), taking regular breaks, and adhering to normal work hours. Here too, technology and the communication it enables play an important role. By maintaining frequent video calls, texts and emails during the day and by avoiding emails and messages at night, employers can help maintain a work mindset during the day while allowing employees to switch off at work. evening. While the task is likely to continue for the foreseeable future for many of us, employers must ask themselves how to tailor their wellness strategies beyond reactive measures to the specific mental health challenges that come with it. . This means giving employees proactive support that they can access anytime, anywhere. Mental health platforms, online resources and other digital services will be essential to support employees in this new environment. Without seeing colleagues in person every day, it's more important than ever to take a preventative stance, rather than just react to deteriorating mental health. Technology has a key role to play here, giving employees the opportunity to access science-backed resources to learn more about their mental health, proactively improve it, and know when to raise the issue when there is a problem. For those who adapt a wellness strategy to this situation, the ability of technology to provide employees with quality resources that allow them to take care of their own mental health, wherever they work, is the key to success. . As we navigate this unprecedented situation, technology can and must play a key role in ensuring the mental health of employees. This means enabling them to access the support they need, wherever they are, as well as dealing with the specific mental health challenges that the long-term assignment can bring. The digital world and mental health do not always live in harmony, but it is a mistake to think that the two are incompatible. By challenging these assumptions, we can realize the great potential of technology to improve mental health. If we really adopt this attitude, the benefits could be long-lasting. Paradoxically, this stressful and difficult situation, where we are forced to innovate and rely on technology, could lead to a better world for mental health, both inside and outside the workplace. , in the next years.