Wellness in the Workplace (wherever that is now)
Preventing Burnout
Wellness at Work
I’ve recently seen headlines with the gist of “Americans will do anything to never go in to the office again.” And while navigating a pandemic offers plenty of valid reasons to want to avoid shared spaces and lunch tables, I think there is another side of these headlines. Americans are experiencing burnout and something needs to change. Our offices, commutes and jobs need to be set up to help us feel like our best selves.
In 2017, 61% of employees have reported feeling burned out at their current job. (1) I can only imagine what that statistic will be for 2020-2021.
As we continue the conversation around the pros and cons of #officelife vs. #workfromhome, it’s also time to consider how you can take control of creating a healthier environment for yourself and/or your teammates.
If you’re a leader of any sort of team (especially a household), you’ll recognize the benefits of starting off with clarity and positivity. Leaders can foster health and wellness to create a culture of empathy, safety and engagement.
We have an opportunity to help the health of our communities and use this transition as a way to implement lessons learned from the past year. You can help create a culture that doesn’t honor stress and burnout with a badge.
Executive wellness coach, Naz Beheshti says in Forbes Magazine,
“Employee engagement and wellness are about protecting your human capital, your most valuable asset.” If your employees believe you care about their wellbeing, they are more engaged at work.
The same is true at home: One healthy habit creates a ripple effect and more engagement in self-care. Protect your most valuable asset.
What would you change if you could improve your wellbeing at and away from work? What could your company offer to encouraged you to manage your physical and mental health?
I recently created a safety presentation for a large construction company and personalized it to present to a job site team. As part of its BE SAFE Culture, the company included “Total Wellness: physical and mental health” as cornerstone for a safe job site .
Health and safety is expanding from personal protective equipment and includes caring for your wellbeing. Employees are engaged when they know their company cares about their health and safety.
By opening a dialog about stress management (at work and at home), nutrition, hydration, and sleep, the company is letting its employees know it cares about them. It also opens the door to workers feeling empowered to create a more healthy workplace. The construction crew even added a gym to their job site to encourage strength and flexibility.
Let’s pause before we head into the end of 2021 and consider lessons we want to implement. We spend a lot of time at work, it needs to benefit our wellbeing, not hinder it. Reevaluate what steps you’d like to take to feel happier and healthier. Whether you are remaining at home or going back to the office healthy habits and engagement is a culture that breeds success.
1. 2017 Career Builder survey