Most of us have heard about ‘Wellbeing at Work’ but what does it really mean?
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the purpose of wellbeing at work initiatives is to “champion better work and working lives because an effective workplace wellbeing programme can deliver mutual benefit to people, organisations, economies and communities. Healthy workplaces help people to flourish and reach their potential. This means creating an environment that actively promotes a state of contentment, benefiting both employees and the organisation.”
In support of World Wellbeing at Work Week, we would like to share our top tips that you can encompass in your daily work life routines to boost your wellbeing at work.
Tip 1: Move More
For many of us, we go to work, sit at our desk super busy typing away on our laptop and before we know it we look up and hours have passed and we haven’t yet moved from the chair. We finish work having done minimal steps other than walking to the toilet and popping the kettle on. Often this leaves us feeling tired and unmotivated, we go home and chill out on the sofa watching the television.
Now, it is easier said than done. But one of the best pieces of advice we can give you here is to prioritise getting outside in the fresh air for some steps on your lunch break. It may not be doable everyday but by allowing yourself this short break to move and take a break you will find that you are much more productive for the afternoon.
Tip 2: Hydration
Alongside office work comes a nature of ‘who’s putting the kettle on’. As the colder and darker days draw in we often find we turn to caffeine to support us throughout our working day, drinking cup after cup. There is nothing to say you cannot enjoy your caffeinated drink whilst working but it is important to ensure you are also drinking enough water throughout the day. As Healthline highlights “Studies show that even mild dehydration, such as the loss of 1–3% of body weight, can impair many aspects of brain function.” Therefore, the more water you drink the more productive you will feel, the more energy you will have and you will have a greater ability to concentrate.
Tip 3: Take regular breaks from the screen
Our daily lives are now surrounded by screens whether it is a mobile phone, television, laptop or computer. Too much screen time can have a negative effect on us often causing eye strain and headaches which cause fatigue and discomfort. This effect will negative impact on our wellbeing whilst at work and will mean we find it hard to concentrate or work productively as we are distracted. In order to help prevent this, it is important that you take regular breaks from screen time. The Health and Safety Executive advise “Take short breaks often, rather than longer ones less often. For example 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours.”
