Workplace wellness is a significant financial issue. Generally, office design has been focused on employee efficiency, but the discussion is gradually broadening to encompass a more overall and individual approach. Business executives must seek strategies to maintain their employees as healthy as possible, particularly in the post-COVID era. They must be concerned with their employees' physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being. Countless people are experiencing increased tension and fear as the economy reopens and people come back to work.
According to the American Institute of Stress, 75-90 percent of primary care physician visits are for stress-related problems. Studies reveal that job demands and concerns are the top causes of stress for American adults. Businesses spend around $300 billion per year on lost workdays and health care due to work-related stress. That's a tremendous price to pay, and it doesn't even consider the productivity loss of disengaged employees. According to Gallup, 70% of American workers stifle economic progress by not performing to their maximum capabilities.
While HR or occupational health functions typically bear ultimate responsibility for employee well-being, leadership plays a crucial role in guaranteeing that a culture of well-being permeates the entire company from the top down. Here are some strategies that leaders can use to manage stress and actively encourage workplace well-being:
Connection
People who are pleased with work frequently report having a lot of really close links with teammates. By encouraging widespread connection, organizing an office show can boost workplace wellness.
Ecosystem of Spaces
The desk remains an essential element of the workday, but this is no longer the only location where employees can work. Businesses now recognize the significance of building an ecosystem of interconnected zones into their office architecture. They understand that individuals need to collaborate, focus, recharge, learn, and socialize throughout the day and that no single venue can meet all of these demands.
Employees who have access to a diverse ecosystem of workspaces have a more significant say on how and where they work. They will be highly involved because they may choose from various settings to complement the task they are doing. They will be able to balance communication with time to concentration. The ability to select where one works provides mental and psychological benefits that contribute to increased job well-being. It also encourages physical activity and allows people to think more clearly and produce new ideas.
Recognize Your Stress
During difficult circumstances, tension can become the default mode of operation, and preventing stress from escalating is frequently easier said than done. This is especially true if you are a part of someone else's tension and have recently had their stress thrown at you. Regardless of where the tension began, a leader must put a stop to it.
Promote Being Active
Sitting for lengthy durations with hardly any mobility and few breaks for standing or walking can negatively influence workplace well-being and performance. People must strike a balance between standing, sitting, and walking to be healthy. Standing for an hour a day can help employees focus, burn more calories, and keep or recharge their energy levels.
Thankfully, numerous alternatives are available to encourage individuals to stand, sit, and move while supporting the technologies they use. Height-adjustable standing desks and office chairs that encourage active sitting are two of the most common choices.
Height-adjustable standing desks, often known as sit-stand desks, offer advantages such as enhanced general health, better focus, and increased productivity. Also, people require seating that facilitates all-day mobility, from lounge seats to workplace task chairs. By offering chairs that adequately support employees, they can move in various healthy postures while remaining fully involved and focused on their tasks.
Encourage Rest
Some forward-thinking businesses have installed nap rooms in their workplaces. When employees keep awake late working, there are nap rooms at the company offices to help them catch up. Most of us don't get the 7-8 hours of sleep we need each night, so allowing employees to take a power nap can enhance their energy, creativity, and productivity. Promoting workplace wellness can sometimes entail encouraging sleeping.
Spaces for Creativity
People's efficiency is greatly dependent on the quality of their physical, psychological, and emotional well-being as work gets more complicated. Employees at all levels and in all roles must create new ideas and solve issues in unique ways to be successful.
Creativity should be considered a method of thinking and a set of new behaviors that may be applied to a wide range of situations, resulting in new ways of functioning. Companies must provide more space for people and groups to be innovative. They must recognize that creativity is a continuous process and generate new settings that stimulate innovation and allow people to express themselves genuinely.
Encourage Breaks, Pets, and Meditation
When employees are urged to take the legally mandated breaks, they go back to their workstations more focused and determined than before taking a few moments to take a break. Many businesses recognize that letting pets in the workplace can significantly lower collective stress, hence increasing productivity. Lastly, motivate employees to install a mindfulness and meditation app to help them relax and unwind. These applications make it simple for beginners to master the discipline of meditation. Some even include a buddy system that allows you and a companion to assist each other on your path.
Take Charge
In difficult times, well-meaning managers may be tempted to delegate their leadership and learn how to manage by committee. This strategy is frequently unhelpful and adds to the team's stress. A good leader will enlist the help of the team to explore all choices, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the leader to choose the best solution.
Bring Nature and Natural Light In
The notion behind the biophilic design is that humans have an intrinsic need to interact and reconnect with nature. It seeks to bring the outdoors inside, giving individuals the impression that they are working in a natural environment where they can adapt, explore, and be creative.
Biophilic design aspects range from organic materials to natural patterns, reduce stress, enhance oxygen levels, and improve concentration. Most significantly, it assists employees in re-energizing, focusing, and becoming more efficient. Business leaders may bring nature into the workplace by integrating biophilic design and selecting for outside views or glass walls.
Natural light has been shown to improve our health and make us feel calmer and more pleased. Cheerful employees are more productive, creative, problem solvers, and communicate more successfully. Everyone should have exposure to natural light, which a well-designed office floor plan can enhance. Creating an open work environment with modular glass walls is one of the simplest methods to maximize natural light. Glass walls allow natural light to enter your office while also creating a protective barrier between people.
Implant Wellness Into The Business Core
Leaders must guarantee that they are pushing forward human sustainability throughout the company so that concerns like employee welfare become part of their genetic code. Rather than needing to invest time and resources in helping people recover from workplace-induced stress and sickness, there will be fewer instances of it in the first place.
Try setting aside time each month to recognize and applaud your company's cultural successes. Your workforce will be significantly less anxious if they discover and implement a few anxiety-reduction tactics. The result? A greatly improved corporate culture, more productive employees, and reduced healthcare expenditures. It benefits both workers and management.
