I have to admit the term “wellness” is hard to define. There are multiple factors in our inner and outer worlds that contribute to its true meaning.
There are many components of the wellness tree that dip into the various spheres of our lives. When it comes to wellness in the workplace, the traditional concept revolves around the physical wellness of the employees. However, in the past few years, the idea of wellness has evolved and companies are taking note of the various facets that were overlooked to date. With the havoc wrecked by a global pandemic, holistic wellness is becoming an integral part of the business philosophy. So how can you create a culture of wellness for the workplace?
In this blog, we will talk about that and more.
The Three Pillars of Wellness
The reality is, wellness is not something that happens on its own. It takes effort, consistency and discipline to make this work. Once the right steps are taken, a person can get tremendous payoffs in terms of staying healthy and happy.
It is obvious that wellness is related to health. If you look closely, there are three fundamental pillars that make up our health.
They are physical, mental, and financial health. These may sound like three different subjects, in reality, they are intrinsically linked.
Physical health is related to the physical aspects of who we are. In order to keep it in the best shape, we need proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep. While this may sound simple, there are millions around the world who neglect these three fundamental aspects.
This is one aspect many brands are starting to pay attention to. From gym memberships to
medical insurance, there is support that is given for physical wellbeing. Top brands like Google are also offering nap pods to allow employees to take consistent sleeping breaks.
Additionally, workplaces are starting to pay attention to nutrition. When it comes to physical health, diet is just as important. What we eat and drink directly impacts our performance. A
Harvard Business Review study found that the ROI on comprehensive, well-run employee wellness programs can be as high as 6 to 1.
Incorporating nutrition into the workplace not only increases productivity but it also encourages healthy choices outside of the workplace. Which is why employers have started to offer healthier snacking options. There are offices that have even built water filtration systems for their teams because they see the benefits of centerting health and wellness.
Unfortunately, the scenario is not the same with mental health in the workplace. In fact, over one-third of the American population has been affected by stress or anxiety since the pandemic started. This is not just a concern for the individual employee but has a significant negative impact on the economy as well.
In the workplace, mental health can be affected by various factors. These can be due to organizational policies, poor communication, extended work hours, lack of support for employees, and more.
To ensure a positive, energized environment in a workplace it is imperative to understand employee needs and expectations. The next step is to install the right sources of support to ensure that employees get help before they hit a crisis point.
The financial well-being of the employees is also the responsibility of the employer. Note, this is not only about paying fair salaries, but also about helping them to manage their financial needs.
In reality, there is a stigma about discussing financial realities in a work environment. Setting up a comprehensive financial wellness plan can go a long way in reducing the stress points related to personal finance.
Understanding the three pillars of health and implementing a strategy that will enable employees to nurture them will help improve your work culture and it will also increase the performance of your teams.
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Creating a Mental Well-being Strategy
The tricky aspect about mental well-being is, the problems can not be observed and may remain hidden in most people. Moreover, not many employees are comfortable discussing mental health issues in the workplace.
For any brand, it’s essential to create an environment of psychological safety, where employees can be vulnerable and be open about their mental health. This requires developing new policies that promote a transparent and healthy work environment.
One effective step is to use the right digital resources to help the employees. Allowing access to a mental health app can help in boosting happiness and productivity in the workplace.
Employers have covered costs for mental health apps like Calm or Headspace. In addition, access to clinical support from mental health professionals can also help with identifying anxiety, depression and burnout. More employers have mental professionals that work in-house to help their teams navigate their mental health.
Other employers offer coverage of mental health because they see the value of it for their teams.
In order to foster a healthy work culture, sharing knowledge and information about mental health is just as important as physical health. Mental health awareness shouldn’t be overlooked or else it will be stigmatized in the workplace which will lead to burnout and higher turnover rates.
Identifying the three pillars of health and implementing a strategy are important to building healthy teams but, to truly have a culture centered around health and wellness, you need to ensure your employees have a proper work-life balance.
Proper Work-Life Balance
Honestly, I have always found the term “work-life balance” a cliche. Why do I say this? Strictly speaking, no matter the type of work I do, it is always a part of the larger fabric of my life.
Moreover, there are no specific boundaries between them. For me, the trick to wellbeing is doing my work joyfully.
That said, the pandemic has disturbed the traditional concept of work and life by making work from home a standard concept.
It is a proven fact that long working hours do not translate into increased productivity. This is true whether you work from home or from the office.
Employers should encourage employees to unplug and engage themselves with some other activities in order to log off from official work.
Disconnecting from official work and concentrating on other activities is necessary. Try not to use your work computer after the scheduled hours are over. Do not hesitate to walk away from conferences that are not important to you.
A healthy work culture should allow employees to plan for their after-work time. Devote your time and attention to activities that you enjoy doing. These can be physical or recreational activities of any kind.
The advantage is, with a ready plan, you have a specific reason to move away from the computer screen at a set time. This will increase overall happiness in the workplace which will encourage making healthier choices.
Encouraging Healthy Choices
At every step, a company needs to put the right amount of effort into developing a culture of wellness and encourage employees to make healthy choices.
The food and water we consume are key ingredients that have a tremendous impact on our overall well-being. To ensure wellness in the workplace, the importance of these two factors should be taken into consideration.
Keeping the office environment clean and free from any toxic elements is the first step. To start with, make sure that the air inside the office is clean. In the next stage, you can switch to using recycled and non-toxic products.
Employers can take the help of experts to help their employees make the right choices. It is best to start with a health risk assessment that will help you to form an idea about employee habits.
Based on the observations, you can plan to implement a nutrition program to help employees make healthy and organic food choices.
Changing water consumption can be a big health booster. Consider shifting to ionized alkaline water to make a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of the employees.
Since shifting to Kangen water changed my life in a big way, it can surely have the same positive impact on others.
Detox your Life!
Concluding Thoughts
Wellness is not an elusive concept that we need to pursue relentlessly. It is about following some fundamental practices that can transform our lives. When it comes to building a healthy workplace, each employee is different. Implementing a health-forward culture needs careful consideration and proper balance to choose methods that match your brand’s unique needs.
Keep in mind, change takes time to happen. But with the right decisions and steady encouragement, you can take the right steps to bring about holistic wellbeing for your workforce.
