Have you ever felt “burned out?” Fatigued, exhausted, and overwhelmed by the tasks at hand? According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an occupational phenomenon characterized by extreme tiredness, reduced ability to regulate cognitive and emotional processes, and mental distancing.
We find ourselves hearing the term “wellness” often, but why has it become more important and what positive impacts can we see by increasing wellness in the workplace, and integrating it to become a part of our daily lives?
Over the last few years, we have started to see a growing awareness of mental health and wellness. This positive shift has become more and more relevant since COVID-19. Although there is a lack of baseline evidence to compare the level of burnout before the pandemic to what we are seeing post-pandemic, there is an increasing amount of evidence to support that employee health and wellness is more relevant and pertinent due to the impact of COVID-19 on employees.1
Benefits of wellness/Importance of wellness in the workplace
Aside from the impacts of COVID-19 on mental and physical health, increasing employee health and wellness can:
- Increase employee engagement in the workplace
- Enhance productivity
- Lower turnover rate
- Improve company culture
How leading companies are incorporating wellness
There are several ways to incorporate and promote wellness in the workplace as an employer. Below are a few ways leading companies are offering holistic benefits and investing in their employees’ mental health:
Quality healthcare plans:
Providing diverse healthcare plans to accommodate employee needs.
Wellness subsidies and discounts:
Partnering with gyms or providing a wellness subsidy, which provides wholesome benefits to employees while acting as a tax benefit to the company.
Four-day work weeks:
Employers across the US, UK, New Zealand, and Japan are also starting to offer four-day work weeks, giving employees the opportunity to recuperate from long workdays/hours. Microsoft in Japan has reported a 40% increase in productivity by implementing a four-day work week.2
Remote and flexible work:
Providing employees with an option to work remotely, which can prove beneficial not just for the employee but also for the company by decreasing overhead costs. Alternatively, companies are also offering employees flexible work hours to choose from (i.e., 9 AM – 5 PM or 8 AM – 4 PM).
Of course, there are many other ways to integrate wellness in the workplace, including wellness challenges and group fitness classes.
How to incorporate wellness into your daily life – Tips and Tricks!
While some may believe that integrating health and wellness into their daily lives is challenging or disruptive, it can actually be a simple and fun process that enables one to thrive. There are many practical ways to incorporate wellness into everyday life! Below are a few tips and tricks to integrate heath and wellbeing into your life:
Don’t do it alone:
Find an accountability partner and friend on your team/at the office who shares similar health and wellness goals. This will elevate the enjoyment of the wellness journey and boost motivation, all while strengthening connections to others around you. This will directly contribute to an overall enhanced sense of well-being.
Get outside:
Whether it’s sitting outside to enjoy a cup of morning coffee, or a quick 10-minute walk during a lunch break, spending time outside is an easy way to reap many physical and mental health benefits. Studies have shown that being outside in nature relaxes the brain, lowering stress, cortisol levels, and heart rates, which leads to long-term mental and physical well-being.3
Stay hydrated:
While everyone loves their morning coffee, it’s important to drink water throughout the day to stay alert and energized. Grab your Hydro Flask or Stanley to maintain accountability and track water intake throughout the day, ensuring you’re adequately hydrated.
Get adequate sleep:
Getting proper sleep is essential for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Make sleep a priority and track your sleep to ensure you’re getting sufficient rest. High-quality sleep is not only vital for physical and emotional well-being but is also crucial for maintaining focus throughout the workday. To improve sleep quality, create a simple bedtime routine. A highly recommended strategy is avoiding technology an hour before going to sleep and taking time to relax your brain.
Whether it’s lifting weights, doing Pilates, playing pickleball, or taking a walk – pick your exercise of choice and get active. Most doctors recommend adults should be getting 150 minutes of physical activity per week. While this is a time investment, with benefits like improving brain health and reducing your risk of disease, it’s an investment that’s more than worthwhile.
Relax your mind:
Grab a gratitude journal, an adult coloring book, or a good personal book, but find a way that you love to de-stress and calm your mind. This will decrease stress and anxiety and increase positivity, so give it a try!
- Add a standing desk to your home office.
- Carve out time to prep healthy lunches on Sundays.
- Establish a morning wellness routine before work.
- Swap coffee for green tea.
Incorporating health and wellness into your daily life offers countless benefits, and these are just a few simple ways to kick-start the journey. Experiment to find what works best for you and take that first step.
Let’s prioritize our health and well-being as well as inspire those in our Jabian community to join in, fostering a healthy, happy, and thriving environment for us all!
Sources:
- De-la-Calle-Durán MC, Rodríguez-Sánchez JL. Employee Engagement and Wellbeing in Times of COVID-19: A Proposal of the 5Cs Model. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 20;18(10):5470. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18105470. PMID: 34065338; PMCID: PMC8160631
Kranc, Joel. “Employee Wellbeing: 63% of Employers Say It’s More Important since COVID.” BenefitsPRO, March 14, 2023. https://www.benefitspro.com/2023/03/14/employee-wellbeing-63-of-employers-say-its-more-important-since-covid/?slreturn=20240106165834
- Chappell, Bill. “4-Day Workweek Boosted Workers’ Productivity by 40%, Microsoft Japan Says.” NPR, November 4, 2019. https://www.npr.org/2019/11/04/776163853/microsoft-japan-says-4-day-workweek-boosted-workers-productivity-by-40#:~:text=store%20in%20Tokyo.-,Microsoft’s%20division%20in%20Japan%20says%20it%20saw%20productivity%20grow%20by,a%20week%20rather%20than%20five.&text=Workers%20at%20Microsoft%20Japan%20enjoyed,normal%2C%20five%2Dday%20paycheck
- “The Wellness Benefits of the Great Outdoors.” US Forest Service, www.fs.usda.gov/features/wellness-benefits-great-outdoors. Accessed 6 Feb. 2024
