First published on Conference & Incentive Travel as part of the Stress Matters wellbeing supplement in March
What does 2019 and beyond have in store for workplace wellbeing trends? Event industry coaches, No More Ifs Or Buts, present new ways of looking after the happiness and health of your employees.
1. RECONNECT WITH NATURE
Benefits of being outdoors include reduced stress, anxiety and depression; improved memory, focus and immune system and even improved eyesight and a lesser risk of cancer. But, short of growing a tree in the middle of the office, how can we encourage our workplace to rediscover nature?
●Whatever you’d normally schedule a meeting for, suggest a walk outside with a colleague instead. Fresh air helps us think more creatively, provides gentle exercise and helps us connect more with our office location. People will be more relaxed, meaning they may share more or offer up suggestions they may normally be too nervous to make.
●Plants in the office increase happiness and productivity, plus they make the corporate environment friendlier and more homely. If you’re not green-fingered, there are a number of companies who can source & deliver plants for you. Or you could start a gardening club on the office roof!
●Two hours in a forest (‘forest bathing’) has been found to lower cortisol levels, improve concentration, memory and even our immune system thanks to the effect certain chemicals released by trees have on our bodies. Don’t work near a forest? Take your team to Center Parcs which offer plenty of team building activities or search for an event in a local park.
2. TECH HEALTH
Presenteeism (i.e. people working whilst sick in a bid to appear committed), increases the chance of passing sickness on and greatly reduces productivity. Use technology to help:
●Use the inbuilt health monitor on your phone to monitor heart and stress rates, sleep, nutrition and how active you are. Create a team challenge: first one to 10,000 steps a day?
●Apps such as Now GP, My GP or Babylon make booking GP appointments, getting repeat prescriptions or talking through symptoms with a doctor far easier, saving time – as well as sick days.
●Offering health insurance as an employee benefit will really help you stand out when attracting and retaining employees, taking a worry off people’s shoulders and helping them get well quicker.
3. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (E.Q.)
E.Q. is, ‘The ability to have deep awareness of your own emotions – and the emotions of others – and use this information to guide your thinking and actions.’
The higher our EQ, the higher our leadership potential, employability, health and happiness. Demonstrating strong conflict resolution, being aware of your body language and staying optimistic yourself are also high E.Q. behaviours which others may mirror.
Offering workshops or coaching to your team – encouraging them to engage with their own emotional intelligence – will benefit them both in and out of work. Personal development is as desirable as professional development and improves everyone’s overall wellbeing in the workplace.
4. WORK OUT TOGETHER
Increasing alertness, sharpening awareness and improving mental health, exercise can really improve employee’s happiness. Better health also means less sick days = improved overall team and business productivity.
Look up a local obstacle course race and watch staff bond over the muddy miles. Training for the event could be incorporated into your wellbeing programme too: hire a PT to come into the office weekly or seek out a local yoga instructor. Working towards a fitness goal as part of a team gives colleagues a chance to connect on a more personal level and gives a greater endorphin rush than working towards something alone.
5. BE-DO BALANCE
Too much ‘doing’ could eventually lead to burnout, whilst too much ‘being’ could be holding you back. Be-Do, the balance between BEing and DOing, puts equal importance on both states, bringing harmony to these two opposing approaches to work and life.
The elusive work-life balance is hard to get right yet so beneficial for employees. Take time to observe yourself and your team and note whether ‘being’ or ‘doing’ is more prevalent. What can you do to encourage a balance? Could you introduce fluid working? Put the focus on getting the work done rather than working a set number of hours and in turn improve staff retention, happiness, health and productivity (saving you money in the long-term).
6. MINDFUL TECH
It’s now entirely possible to conduct your work and social life from your phone. However, with studies showing increased rates of depression and anxiety linked to smartphone usage, it’s time we started taking back control. Using technology more mindfully will contribute to better overall wellbeing at home and work.
●Ensure people are not expected to be online 24/7 or even be under the impression they should be. Make it clear what time of day you stop replying to emails and that your ‘out of office’ truly means that.
●Track how much time you spend on your phone using an app such as Moment to make more informed decisions about how you use your device(s). Set a challenge to compare phone usage on the team – it may open some eyes to why they are not as productive at work as they think…
7. COMMUNITY
Giving back to the community you work in will help locals see your company as a group of caring individuals rather than nameless workers. Buying local, offering your company’s skills to local businesses and volunteering at nearby projects also appeals to new and prospective employees and clients. Plus, with a built-in market literally on your doorstep, you can trial proximity marketing – targeting potential customers through their phones based on their location. Think, location-based dating apps.
Hopefully, these suggestions will help with initiating a wellness plan of your own. We recommend testing out what will work for your company, rather than picking suggestions randomly. What will bring the most positive impact? Contact Stress Matters Partner No More Ifs Or Butsfor more information about creating your bespoke welbeing plan.
