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Wellness at work: it’s a win-win

By Paperstone on January 6, 2020 in Uncategorized

There’s a new focus in workplaces; on wellness and wellbeing. More employers are catching on to the fact that happy people are more productive. A recent study by Vitality, The Healthiest Workplace study found that around £57 billion is lost due to poor health and wellbeing in the UK. This study also found that by fostering a healthy and highly engaged workforce, each employee will be around 30 days more productive each year.

What is workplace wellness?

Wellbeing at work covers physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. According to the International Labour organisation, “it relates to all aspects of working life, from the quality and safety of the physical environment, to how workers feel about their work, their environment, and work organisation”.

Investing in wellbeing improves working lives and work performance, and reduces staff turnover. The key here is investing. Large corporates have the time and resources to implement elaborate wellbeing programs for employees. Small businesses work on tighter margins, but can still put together initiatives that make a difference.

Here at Paperstone HQ, as well as the obvious wellbeing ideas like free fruit, we hold regular meetings and forums so that staff can air their views, share ideas and, most importantly, celebrate success. We give our teams a monthly team lunch at our local restaurants (we like to support independents – shout out to Zorba and Marlowe’s!) and we also make other small gestures that give people a warm glow (like Love Hearts on everyone’s desk on Valentine’s Day).

Here are a couple of other ideas for promoting wellness and wellbeing in your workplace.

Getting workstations right

A comfortable workspace is an essential part of working life. Every one of us is different, so we need a space that’s adapted to our individual needs. A different chair, different desk height, different keyboard, the list goes on.

It’s not just about comfort though. There are health and safety directives around workspaces. Did you know that anyone using a screen for more than one hour a day should have a workspace assessment? You can check out our wellbeing page or pick our brains for more advice – we love to chat chairs!

Promote mindfulness at work

Today we are much more aware of mental health issues. We’ve discussed different ways to look after mental health at work last January. Mindfulness is becoming a more popular way to manage stress in our lives – both at home and at work.

So what is mindfulness? In short, mindfulness means awareness. Practicing mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. Mindfulness can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and conflict, and increase resilience.

Practicing mindfulness enables you to take a step back and make better decisions. It also enhances creativity, focus, and productivity.

Helping your team understand and practice mindfulness can have a really positive effect.

Wellness for all

Communication and participation are central to the success of any programme to improve wellness. Everyone in your organisation needs to be committed to it. The best way to start? Make sure everyone’s sitting comfortably and talk about it. You might be surprised how easy it is to get the ball rolling.

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