Employees: Invest In Your Own Wellness

What does employee wellbeing mean to you? How do you find opportunities to engage in your wellbeing at the workplace? What strategies do you currently apply to maintain your physical and mental health?  

Wellbeing can be achieved when mind, body, and a sense of purpose lead to positive self-esteem and improved personal and professional satisfaction. Taking charge of your wellbeing and finding ways to engage in a culture of wellness in your workplace can assist you in being more productive, improve your job satisfaction, and lower your healthcare costs.   

During Employee Wellness Month, what can you do to invest in your wellness?  

Prioritize Joy and Connection  

We are conditioned to pursue happiness, but in the process, we overlook joy. We focus on doing big things and make decisions based on what we think will make us happy, but then we often find ourselves too busy or exhausted to experience or appreciate joy.  

We can purposely choose to find joy, whereas we don't choose to be happy. Joy is purposeful and readily available and is about being in the moment. Take the opportunity to find moments of joy anytime, anywhere.   

One way to find joy is to build and develop connections with your colleagues and actively engage in improving workplace culture. Professional networks and mentoring relationships are essential for advancing in the workplace. We also know from research that personal connections are socially sustaining and important for our psychological wellbeing. Try to purposefully include connection with others in your day by sharing a funny gif with a colleague, celebrating other's success, or starting a ritual like "Gratitude Mondays," where employees start each week by sharing something that makes them feel grateful.   

Make Movement Part of Your Day  

Research has shown that employees with easy access to physical activity and purposeful movement in their workday show increased productivity, improved time management, more positive interactions with colleagues, and even more general satisfaction at the end of the workday.  

For your next meeting, ask your supervisor or colleague to go for a walking meeting. Research has shown that walking meetings lead to better employee engagement by breaking down barriers between coworkers. Explore other opportunities to create a culture of movement here.  

Consider your Financial Goals  

Financial wellness is a state of financial wellbeing in which you can manage your bills and expenses, pay your debts, weather unexpected financial emergencies, and plan for long-term financial goals. Financial wellness can be essential as it can improve your overall health and wellbeing. Focusing on budgeting, future planning, or debt management can decrease your financial-related stress.   

Invest EAP offers online tools, resources, and a 30-minute telephone consultation with a financial counselor for issues such as budgeting, debt consolidation, loans, mortgage assistance, retirement, saving for college, IRS matters, and other financial concerns. Let us help you maintain your financial wellness and plan for the future!   

Take a Break  

It's easy to get in the habit of telling yourself you have too much to get done to take a break. However, extensive research has shown that taking a break can benefit your overall wellbeing and work quality. Studies by the World Health Organization found that working 55 hours or more a week was associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease than a workweek of 35 to 40 hours. Taking breaks and detaching from work can increase energy levels, help facilitate overall recovery by returning your functional systems to baseline and even help reset your mood and decrease your stress.   

Encourage and remind yourself to take breaks by finding a colleague and agreeing to take a break together at a specific time. Or, set an alarm on your phone or calendar app to remind you to take a break or plan to do something you enjoy during your break, like taking a walk or listening to a podcast.   

Additionally, allow yourself to use your vacation time. Vacation time can decrease stress levels, increase mindfulness, improve heart health, and support better sleep.