Holistic wellbeing takes in to account the person as a whole. Looking at not just the physical body but the mind, body and soul. This can generally be broken down in to 5 key areas; physical, emotional, social, spiritual and mental.When one part of our Holistic Wellbeing is neglected, it overflows in to the other areas, leading to emotional & mental health issues. This article will look at 5 tips on how employers and business leaders can implement steps to improve their employees Holistic wellbeing whilst WTH by The Ki Retreat founder Kristy Lomas.
Regular mindfulness practice
Mindfulness has been proven to help relieve stress, improve sleep, mood and brain function. It also helps to keep the mind focussed, and free from distraction; a welcome thought when working from home. By incorporating exercises in to weekly Teams meeting, employers can not only help to promote a sense of community & connection, but can help look after the mind.
In addition to the change in working from home, many employees also face additional pressures that they wouldn’t in an office environment, such as homeschooling and the feeling of isolation. Mindfulness has been shown to promote a positive growth mindset, which helps to reduce stress. There are many wellbeing companies that offer corporate Mindfulness sessions online.
Partner with a Reiki Practitioner
Partner with a Reiki Practitioner and offer free or subsidised sessions to employees. Reiki is a holistic practice, which has become popular among corporate clients. It is acknowledged that stress is is the top cause of dis-ease, unhappiness and frustration- making it one of the top causes for absence within the workplace.
Reiki is shown to aid relaxation, improve sleep quality, promote wellbeing, positivity and reduce stress, tension & anxiety. One of the huge pros to Reiki is that it is able to be offered remotely, via Zoom or Teams. It is also possible to carry out individual 1-1 sessions, or in a group session.
Increasing Water intake
Water is the fuel that the brain needs to function efficiently. Dehydration can lead to brain fog, reduced concentration, productivity and alertness. Whilst working from home has its benefits, it is also a whole new experience for many, and can lead to the formation of many bad habits.
Employees report that they do not take as many breaks at home as they would do in the office. This can lead to a reduction in water intake, as many people simply forget to grab themselves a drink as they would do in an office environment.
A simple way to promote increased water intake would be to send out a wellbeing pack containing a branded water bottle to employees. This helps to promote a sense of community and connection, whilst also reminding employees the importance of proper hydration.
Encourage Journaling
Encourage Journaling by investing in company branded journals, and send them out as part of a wellbeing pack. Journalling is a way for people to “brain dump” ideas and feelings that are flying around in their heads. Grothaus (2015) explains that by putting pen to paper, the left hand side of the brain – which is the analytical side, is invoked. Whilst the right hand side of the brain- which is responsible for thoughts, emotions and creativity is able to wander.
Journalling is seen as a long term stress management plan.
The benefits include stress reduction, improved memory and comprehension and has also been shown to help with achieving goals. Working from home has brought a rise in mental health problems. Journaling has been shown to improve stress, reduce depression and anxiety, elevate the mood and to enhance a sense of well-being,
Get moving
Set a movement challenge to encourage employees to step away from their desks and to exercise. When working from home, employees can lack the motivation to leave the house, or even be tempted to skip on breaks. This is due to a temptation to extend the working day as a way to feel more productive. These lack of structured breaks can actually have the opposite effect, resulting in a feeling of overwhelm, lack of productivity and burn out.
Arrange a healthy competition, to see who can achieve the most active minutes, or have the highest step count over the space of a week. This will also encourage employees to get outside, which also has a positive impact on mental health.
