In Team Wellbeing

Much has been spoken around wellbeing in the workplace in recent years and is it any wonder with mental health issues being on the increase. With 3.3 people out of 100 suffering with depression, 5.9 people out of 100 with generalised anxiety disorder and 7.8 people out of 100 with mixed anxiety and depression it clearly impacts a significant group in the workforce. It is estimated that in total 1 in 4 people are affected by one of these common mental health issues. There is much to be gained by understanding how and where your businesses is affected. Early detection processes, a supportive environment, making reasonable adjustments – there is a lot which can be done in this area to make positive change, however……

 

Workplace wellbeing is more than mental health and more than crisis management.

 

Understanding the mental health of your team is part of an overall strategy as is dealing with any acute situation.  As a Time to Change Champion (https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/) I support all mental health initiatives. There are many activities to get the conversation started around mental health and removing stigma, as well as supporting those who are struggling.  Whilst the mental health statistics are significant, an even more significant group is the 3 out of 4 people without a current mental health issue. Having a conversation around mental health is a great way to start on the course of prevention, but other factors can also positively improve your teams wellbeing.

Prevention is better than cure

Wellbeing is not just about averting a mental health crisis, we also consider body, spirit and vision. It’s about prevention, and moving forward to  help all of your team to be the best they can be. For example, How well do your team cope with prolonged stress? When a team of ten people are under stress, 8 out of 10 can’t concentrate, and 6 out of 10 take longer to do their job. Prolonged stress can lead to mental health issues, but what if it doesn’t?

 

What if stress manifests as a reduced performance in your team and that cycle of reduced performance is just accepted?

 

That doesn’t make good business sense. Furthermore, its pretty miserable when you feel under the pressure of stress. What creative results for your clients are realistically going to come from this team? Worry and stress is cited as the top cause for a lack of sleep in 45% of cases. How well are your team sleeping? In fact 200,000 working days are lost in the UK each year to insufficient sleep. How well do you function after having a poor nights sleep?

Human factors

Workplace wellbeing is about creating an environment where all human factors can be discussed. From mental health to back pain, from lack to sleep to overwhelming workload. It’s also about creating an environment where the team can think more creatively, act more cohesively, support each other’s ideas and work towards a goal without anyone’s physical or mental health suffering.

Help is at hand

Why not ask us to visit and chat with your teams about the real issues they are facing and help you to create a wellbeing plan which supports your people, your business and creates the competitive advantage you are looking for? Our experts cover all areas of wellbeing – mind, body, spirit and vision. We enable your people to be the best they can be, at the top of their game, wherever their starting position – now that is surely a conversation worth having.

 

Sharing is caring! Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail
Recommended Posts

Leave a Comment

Start typing and press Enter to search