The mind and therefore the body are inseparable.. And you do want to engage the whole employee in your worksite wellness program.
Most construction sites are now a day doing programs that aren’t wellness programs at all – they’re employee health management programs. Most on-site wellness programs focus solely on the physical health of employees, excluding all opposite dimensions of well-being.
As conceived by the founders of the trendy wellness industry . wellness can be a multidimensional concept. The model of wellbeing published by the National Wellness Institute includes the next dimensions: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, occupational and spiritual.
Emotional well-being correlates with numerous benefits to health, family, work, and economic status. Positive emotions and consideration for life are related to decreasing the risk of illness, disease and injury; better immune functioning; cope better and recover faster; and increased longevity. Furthermore, psychological state and mental illness can affect physical health and biological functioning. Positive psychological status correlates with better endocrine function (i.e., lower levels of cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine) and better immune response (i.e., greater antibody production and greater resistance to disease). It has also been shown to be related to longevity.
Mental health problems affect companies and their employees
Poor psychological state and stress can negatively affect employees:
• Work performance and productivity.
• Involvement with one’s work.
• Communication with colleagues.
• Physical capacity and daily functioning.
Mental illnesses such as depression are linked to higher rates of disability and unemployment.
• Only 57% of employees who report moderate depression and 40% of those who report severe depression receive treatment to regulate their depression symptoms.12
One year after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are collectively hitting what has been coined as the “pandemic wall”. The threat of a deadly virus that includes economic uncertainty as you juggle work and family is leaving many people exhausted and burned……
Maintain a solid check-in system
According to a worldwide study conducted in April 2020, nearly 40% of respondents said their company didn’t ask how it was doing. If companies are not yet asking themselves about the well-being of their staff today, it is time. Managers who set up non-work-related check-ins and listening sessions alone and in teams on an ongoing basis can be formalized by listening to employees. that same study showed that over 40% of employees want their managers to proactively ask about their psychological state, and an immediate call is best thanks to enrollment. Video chats can allow managers to identify signs of discomfort, but whatever the method, consistent communication about the well-being of staff – and even managers who share how they feel – shows vulnerability and fosters a compassionate work environment. Additionally, check-ins are often an opportunity for managers to express appreciation and acknowledge results.
Formalize breaks and “after hours”
There has been a stress in reshaping office norms in the age of remote work, from planning virtual happy hours to reimagining team building activities. Creating space to socialize is important for morale, but with few boundaries between work and life, workplaces must value “offline hours” equally. To help manage workplace fatigue, companies can formalize and remind employees to take frequent breaks for non-work related activities, be it journaling, taking a nap, taking a walk, stretching, taking note of the music or nothing at all. Managers can implement scheduled closing times for each employee so that the time is respected and appreciated, no questions asked, and vocalize when they also practice self-care so that it becomes normalized.
Mental health resources
It is important for companies to provide more flexibility, such as shifting working hours and deadlines. Often more institutional changes are made to support working parents, especially working mothers. From a psychological state perspective, business leaders cannot ignore the expected 50% increase in behavioral health as a result of the pandemic. They play a serious role in destigmatizing the difficulty through open dialogue and genuine action. Providing employees with access to state psychological support groups, expert-led wellness webinars, and establishing direct contact with state psychological services are solid starting points.
Provide specific support for the manager
Employee support should also reach managers. Workplaces can provide managers with training and digital tools on the road to identify symptoms of depression and stress, for example. And because more than the population is being vaccinated, managers should be equipped with office reopening plans so they can address employee concerns and safety precautions. Manager support also feels like leadership that encourages managers to request a day off, set boundaries, and share their feedback on the workload and workflow.
Be transparent about the changes
Since the start of the pandemic, a study has shown that people who felt their managers weren’t good at communicating were more likely to experience a decline in psychological status. With so much uncertainty, senior executives and managers have the ability to meet instant stress and offset stress by prioritizing transparency on company updates and changes, from office reopening to working time changes and even potential layoffs.
Employers approach employee health through a multi-strategy framework. A multi-strategy framework is also often applied to the employer’s approach to the psychological state. It is important to recognize that the promotion of the psychological state must be of equal importance to the prevention and treatment of mental illness.
Workplace health promotion programs have proven to be successful, especially once they combine mental and physical health interventions.
The workplace is an optimal context for creating a culture of health because:
• The communication structures are already in place.
• Programs and policies come from a central team.
• Social support networks are available.
• Employers offers incentives to reinforce healthy behaviors.
• Employers can use the data to track progress and measure consequences.
