We are all beings, but how many of us are well?

Wellbeing has always been integral to our overall health, but it is now more important than ever to make it a priority. These ‘unprecedented times’ have allowed for some to gain extra bandwidth by removing their commute, freeing up time to get that early morning cycle in, practise yoga or meditate within their lunch break or even between Zoom calls (as long as the webcam is turned off!). For others, it has worsened the prioritisation of their own self, either being stuck in the house alone, removing the drive to get up and out, or trying to juggle work and parenting, with YOU being pushed to the bottom of the pile.

With employees not heading into offices anytime soon, businesses have a responsibility to make sure their teams are feeling not only motivated from a work point of view, but also engaged on a personal interactive level, and last but certainly NOT least, their mental and physical wellbeing is being looked after. By putting the right support in place, this will help to keep employees level-headed and as productive as possible, as “better mental health support in the workplace can save UK businesses up to £8 billion per year”.

Speaking with Nicky Morgan from POINT3 Wellbeing, who work to embed wellbeing into the workplace culture, she agrees that now “more than ever, as we navigate a time of such change and uncertainty — on top of the “usual” busyness of life — we could all do with elevating our wellbeing as a priority to help us achieve a sense of balance.”

With “1 in 6.8 experienc[ing] mental health problems in the workplace,” now the physical building has been removed for many, this will make some feel that the support has also been removed. With mental health being as fragile as our bones, and able to break at any point, we need to make sure we are looking after both. Similar to putting a yellow ‘don’t slip’ sign outside the toilets when they have been cleaned, make sure you are putting the sign-posts up for mental health hazards too.

Having worked in a very stressful agency environment for over a decade, the Pandemic has forced me to have a change of direction, moving me into the wonderful world of a portfolio career. One of the many strings to my bow is Holistic Therapies. I was first exposed to complementary treatments when my mother was training to become a practitioner and used me as her practising body, which was absolutely fantastic. I studied both Reflexology and Indian Head Massage during both of my maternity leaves (when will I learn that doing just one thing at a time like raising a child will suffice!) and always had them in my back pocket should the fast paced world of agency life not be sustainable whilst balancing a family.

Now Covid19 has forced that change, I have not only benefited from the slower, altruistic approach, but also seen first hand how what I am offering is having a positive impact on others lives. Not only helping my own wellbeing, but others too. I think it is important to all to try to and have positive impacts on others wherever possible. Business should also have ‘happy people’ as one of their core targets. If your staff are happy and well, then their productivity will be greater, therefore improving your commercial gain. Oxford Universities Said Business school confirmed “workers are 13% more productive when happy”. But how to make people happy? If businesses show they care and invest in their people, then statistics show they will benefit commercially. With “30 per cent of staff disagree[ing] with the statement — I would feel able to talk openly with my line manager if I was feeling stressed,” there is work to be done.

I recently discovered a great tool in a session held by Karen Chamberlain, The ‘Balanced Life Wheel’. By listing out what is important to you, and working through how you can prioritise those areas to make sure you are happy and successful in them, brings positivity to your world, and therefore balance. A good day in this house is leaving in the mornings with the four year old kid wearing both socks. I’m definitely failing at the pre-school get ready, but a win for me is remembering her water bottle and book bag. “Take the time to celebrate the small moments of happiness in your life. Take the time to appreciate and cherish the small successes in your day. When was the last time you celebrated one of your successes? If you can’t do that it’s unlikely you will celebrate the big ones.” — The 6-Minute Diary, UrBestSelf.

Nicky Morgan continues, “we are so used to prioritising other people’s needs, work, our to do lists — at the expense of de-prioritising our own wellbeing needs, especially during the busy, challenging times when we need them most. Our always-on, “do-ing” culture can lead us to believe that “me time” is indulgent. Arguably, it is the most important time we can give ourselves to ensure we are able to show-up with as much energy, focus and resilience as possible.” Indulge! It is for your own health. In the words of Mo Gawdat from his Solve for Happy book, ‘while success doesn’t lead to happiness, happiness does contribute to success’.