Wellbeing in the office is not only beneficial to employees, the knock on effect can be highly beneficial to the company too. Happy, healthy employees result in greater collaborative skills, positivity towards problem solving and role challenges. One of the greatest benefits to the company; increased staff retention. Restaffing costs can have a huge financial drain on any business, with recruitment fees, workforce pressures due to staff reductions and training.
Our little approach is one that can actually be used to benefit both parties, in true Claremont Centre fashion, it is straight forward, no need to buy a lorry load of green tea or invest in a garden shed filled with wind charms and fake grass. Our approach is one that can be achieved by all, our approach is really quite obvious…
Move around
Not all offices have the luxury of our Sit & Stand desks, never mind. In every hour you need to get up and move around for at least 15 minutes, this may involve going to the loo, walking the office floor and smiling at folk or even cart wheels in the corner. Ideally it shouldn’t involve nipping out for a cigarette, after all, that will defeat the whole wellbeing thing we are trying to achieve here.
The immediate response from any employer is “i’ve just lost 25% of my working capacity” not so, employees will be more alert, more positive and will participate in more inter office communication and work related activities; achieving more in less time.
Interact
When you are up and away from your desk make sure you interact with those around you. Be interested and interesting. Listen to what those around you are saying and engage. It will help build great morale, respect and understanding for one another.
Drink water
The good old European Food Safety Authority recommends that women drink 1.6 litres and men should drink about 2.0 litres of fluid per day. If you’re feeling thirsty you’re already dehydrated so don’t wait until you need a drink. Taking in a larger bottle that contains your daily requirement provides great visual encouragement to get the right amount in. There are loads of benefits to drinking water, but for the office worker, the best are an improvement in concentration and a boost in energy.
Your concentration improves because our brain is made of around 85% water, less water means dehydration, and that leads to an adverse affect in your concentration and even your short-term memory, particularly effecting your ability with numeric skills.
Your energy boost is as a result of the same affects to your brain. Our muscles are around 75% water, bones 22% and your blood is around 83%. Without the hydration, these body parts don’t work so well.
Eat better
We all have a good idea what is good and bad for us, the British Heart Foundation have some great tips on eating well at work, follow the link here to get involved: https://www.bhf.org.uk/health-at-work/inspire-workplace-health/eating-well
See the light
Try to work where you will see or feel natural daylight. Most offices these days are not in the basement with no access to light, you will work better when you can see the world outside, it will provide a sense of calm and freedom which ultimately will reduce stress significantly. Photos on your desk of brighter places, aspirational things or people will have a similar impact as natural daylight, they won’t produce the vitamin D like the sun, but the positive reinforcement will do you wonders.
Not all employers can provide sit stand desks, but wellbeing can be achieved with information and education, we’ve only touched on a few areas that help us, you can help those around you but encouraging wellbeing through simply being human. It’s quite simple really.
