Although wellness is already a topic of discussion in daily life, many businesses are still falling behind when it comes to promoting it at work. How to catch up is as follows:
With a growth rate of almost 12.8% in just the last two years, the wellness business is an unstoppable force. It appears that many employers aren’t keeping up, though.
Less than a tenth of the world’s workforce has access to a workplace wellness programme, which seems like a major mistake given that we spend at least a third of our life at work on average and that 11 million workdays are lost each year as a result of stress.
Your body will age more quickly if you’re under a lot of stress since you’re not giving it enough time to relax, repair, and grow. Chronic hormonal imbalance brought on by this can burden the body’s cardiovascular system and cause chronic stress hormone imbalance. As a result, you can experience fatigue, slowness, and decreased productivity at work.
Workplace wellness initiatives have a variety of favourable commercial outcomes. Although promoting wellness in the workplace is important, giving employees a token lesson or two isn’t always a good idea.
What works for one business may not always be appropriate for another. Employee input is used to develop a good wellness strategy, not a collection of rules defined by top management.
It is more of a science than an art to figure out how exactly to do this. An employee survey is a fantastic place to begin. The findings can be used to develop programmes and tactics, such as workshops, training sessions on mental health awareness, the creation of wellbeing committees, and the planning of numerous health and wellness events.
Unfortunately, employers frequently place little priority on wellness programmes. a blunder? Growing evidence would seem to support this. According to studies, contented workers are 20% more productive at work (and 37% more so for those in sales), and 49% of workers would accept a pay cut if it increased their feeling of purpose at work.
According to a survey by human resources specialists, companies with health and wellbeing programmes in place in 2017 had improved employee morale and engagement (44%), a healthier and more inclusive culture (35%), and decreased illness absence (31%).
Although companies frequently believe that launching such efforts will be time-consuming and expensive, well operated programmes can help businesses recruit and retain employees while costing far less to operate than to hire new employees. Wellness programmes can have great advantages.
Demand is also constantly increasing. “Historically, businesses have spent money on huge annual celebrations, which often resulted in a loss of productivity the following day.
Employers are starting to realise that they can provide options that are far better for everyone. It is well acknowledged that a fit and healthy team will perform and produce more effectively. ”
More oxygen is pumped to the brain and other organs during exercise due to an elevated heart rate. The brain releases endorphins, which make us feel good, since it believes we are going to battle an opponent or flee.
Additionally, studies have indicated that regular aerobic exercise strengthens the hippocampus, a region of the brain important for learning and memory in the workplace. Employers would be unwise to ignore the advantages because it is a potent natural antidepressant.
Weekly in-office meditation workshops that are tailored to the business environment, demographics, and space can range from introductory mindfulness courses. There is still a significant taboo surrounding mental health, particularly among men, even though not every employee will feel compelled to accept the offer. Effective mental health care within organisations is vital when you take into account that suicide is the biggest single fatality of men under the age of 45.
Everybody benefits, too. Our brains have mirroring neurons that means when we recognise other people are struggling, we can get an insight into our own problems. Going to a mental health wellbeing class doesn’t mean spilling all the beans about the most intimate aspects of your personal life – maybe the most useful option is to just listen for 20 minutes, and open up lines of communication that weren’t previously there.
Exercise is, in essence, a potent natural antidepressant, and employers would be foolish to ignore its advantages.
