Wellness in the workplace has always been important, healthy employees are generally more productive, have fewer absences and make fewer mistakes. The pandemic highlighted this further and now the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff has seen working and wellness become a must for all employers regardless of size or industry. We can all play a role in creating a healthy workplace by ensuring you take care of yourself and those around you.
Declutter your workspace and pack away at the end of each day
Working in a clean and tidy environment will help you feel in control and on top of the work you need to complete. As many of us are now home working we may not have a dedicated office and are working at kitchen or dining room tables. If so, it is important to pack away each day after you finish work. Laptops take minutes to close and move. This helps to maintain a good work life balance as you reclaim your home space at the end of each day.
Look after your own mental health
The pressures of work can have a negative impact on your mental health, with many of us feeling overwhelmed. One way to help the stress and anxiety associated with this is to try to keep a regular schedule as this will help your work life balance. I like me you are working remotely try to schedule time to communicate with your colleagues and co-workers, this will help less the effect of feeling isolated. We all know the saying a ‘problem shared is a problem halved’.
Eat a healthy lunch
Eating a well-balanced lunch whether in the workplace or at home will make a huge difference to how you feel. Overindulging on sugar rich processed food will give you a surge of energy but this will quickly be followed a crash, not ideal for sustaining you throughout the day. Try to eat some fruit or vegetables, carrot sticks are great. They are inexpensive, easy to prepare and will stop you reaching for the biscuits. Try to get into the habit of eating away from your desk, or usual workplace as it is difficult to ignore emails as they come in and you will end up working through your lunch break.
Move More
Sitting hunched over a computer for 8 hours a day is bad for both your mental and physical health. Try to get up and move around. Physical activity can help stimulate your brain, improve your focus and reduce your stress levels, which can help you feel happier and more motivated. Try to stretch out as this will help your blood flow and ensure you remain comfortable throughout the day. If I have phone calls, which since Zoom and Teams is less and less, I walk around the house whilst taking or making the call. My other absolute go to, is after a stressful meeting or on completing a challenging project I put on a favourite song and dance like no one is watching. It gets me moving and never fails to make me smile.
Give us a call if you would like to find out more about how we can support your employees.
