Work dominates our lives. Many of us spend more time and energy at work than at home with family. We have all heard sales pitches for “new” strategies and tactics that promise amazing results. To reap those benefits always seems to require a total restructuring of processes and habits. However, those habits are exactly the reason many people are successful at their jobs.When it comes to superior work performance vs. slightly elevated well-being, most would, perhaps reluctantly, choose work performance.
“Staying active” and “promoting well-being” can conjure up images of 5am jogs in the park, green smoothies, going vegan, or other activities that seem to be the hollow domain of social media influencers and motivational speakers. This can leave many with the impression that lower-impact, more “chill” changes won’t have a significant effect on health and well being. Mental wellness and connectedness at work is crucial as well. Here are 6 ways that you can improve physical and mental well-being at work, whether you’re back in the office or still WFH.
Scheduling stretches, short walks, or other physical movement helps to ensure the day is not one long sit-fest. Walking over to speak with a colleague instead of messaging, doing a few stretches at the top of each hour, or just making sure to stand up every so often go a long way to combating the negative side effects of sitting. While you likely won’t lose much weight or develop chiseled abdominal muscles, making sure even small activities are incorporated throughout the day will help to minimize the serious risks of extended sitting, like increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels. The consequences could be more serious than many think: an analysis of 13 separate studies found that those who sit for more than eight hours per day with little to no physical activity “had a risk of dying similar to the risks of dying posed by obesity and smoking.”
During the pandemic, co-working spaces went on a roller-coaster ride. But as of late they are seen as relatively safe and effective ways of collaboration, especially for companies that are fully remote or haven’t yet completed a full return to the office. Smaller teams can meet up and work together, enabling greater communication, bonding, and breaking up of the work week. Workingremotely has its perks, but social isolation, monotony at work and lack of face-to-face relationships with coworkers can have negative implications for mental health and work performance. Traveling to co-working spaces helps get people moving, changing their scenery, and interacting with co-workers and other human beings more.
Facilitating and Enabling Connection Between Employees
As teams grow, it can be difficult to maintain connections and a “community” feel.
While some have mixed opinions on office events like trivia nights or in-person and remote happy hours, many find that they assist with onboarding, and provide opportunities for employees to get to know one another and make connections. Adding lighthearted humor, depending on the culture of the office, can help foster a more inclusive and fun environment. Anything related to politics or other hot-button issues should likely not be shared. If it is appropriate, sharing funny, clean memes of commonly watched shows and well-known pop culture events can be easy ways to be a little more comfortable at work. Most everyone working in an office has seen just about every meme from “The Office”, so a new show might suffice. Having weekly round table check-ins on surface-level personal life and what people did on their weekends can have a huge impact. Letting personalities and interests shine in these meet-ups enable greater connection and belonging. This can be especially crucial in start-up companies who are constantly growing and adding to their teams.
2022 & Beyond!
The idea of “The Workplace” has undoubtedly changed since March 2020. It’s cliche, but small changes can make a big impact on wellbeing, health, and workplace motivation. Try implementing one of them, or a few in 2022.
Will is the Marketing Intern at VNL, and he joined the company in October 2021. Originally from New York City, Will loves Colorado and all the outdoor life it has to offer. He is also a pretty big foodie! Will assists in content creation, marketing, and communications for VNL. He is finishing up his degree in marketing from the University of Colorado Denver.
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