Hello, and welcome to another installment of HR Intervention!

So last month was, um, different.

All of a sudden most of us are sitting at home, trying to figure out how to work and teach our children and find some personal time and stay away from our friends and somehow manage to not lose our minds all at the same time.

It’s a lot to handle, and you’ll be forgiven if the stress has occasionally gotten to you. It’s gotten to all of us.

Which is where this article comes in.

We may all be working in ways we weren’t planning for and don’t necessarily like, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with our new situations.

So if you’re looking for ways to boost the morale of your newly remote workforce, here are some ideas to consider.

Spirit Week!

No reason to let high school seniors have all the fun. So this week, consider having a theme for every day.

Muppet Monday, where everyone picks their favorite muppet to use as their LinkedIn image; Taco Tuesday, where everyone takes pictures of themselves having tacos for lunch; Wacky Wednesday, where people share the craziest work/life collision they’ve experienced this week.

Is it cheesy? Absolutely.

Do people still get weirdly excited about these kinds of things. You betcha!

Reality-Based Video Conferencing!

Let’s be honest – we all know that we’re taking calls with toddlers on our knees or pairing a nice shirt with pajama pants now and then.

So why not be honest about it?

Show people what working from home really looks like. The honesty will be refreshing, and occasionally hilarious.

Besides, it doesn’t hurt for people to realize that they can still be productive and valuable even if they haven’t managed a shower in three days.

Virtual Happy Hours!

Your culture isn’t built entirely around working. Every so often you and your colleagues get together at a bar or restaurant or conference to eat, drink, and be merry.

The world won’t let you do that right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t almost do it.

So set up your video feed on your back porch with the sound of birds chirping (or traffic or other people’s children screaming, whatever says home to you), and just hang out. Talk about the same things you would if you were spending that half hour in the same physical location.

It’s not identical to having an all-hands meeting to discuss how best to tackle a gigantic plate of hot wings, but it’s the next best thing.

Hope this helps. And to show that I’m living what I’m saying, I’d like you to know that as I write this, my 3-year old son is 20 feet away, dissolving candy canes in water and milk and probably some other things so he can learn “science,” which is what we’re calling it. My 11-month daughter is crawling up my leg to get my attention, and I’m pretty sure she needs her diaper changed.

#QuarantinedLiving!!!!

Right now, we’re offering free access to our brand new video lesson on managing anxiety during COVID-19, along with our multi-lesson video course on workplace mental health. Click here to access these videos!

Jeff Havens is a speaker, author, and professional development expert who tackles leadership, generational, and professional development issues with an exceptional blend of content and entertainment. He is a contributing writer to Fast Company, Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal; and has been featured on CNBC and Fox Business. For more information, or to bring Jeff to your next meeting, call 309-306-1781, email info@jeffhavens.com, or visit Jeffhavens.com.