Wellbeing & Meditation
LAST Friday, March 31 was National Workplace Wellbeing Day. Different business around Wexford and Ireland did a range of activities to support and promote the wellbeing of their staff. The day mainly centred around physical activity and food. Some went for a walk. Some employers offered delicious food. Others gave time to enjoy the gym, pool or an even wider range of physical activity as part of the work day. Others I know of even went the extra mile to launch more comprehensive Wellbeing programmes for staff that will carry throughout the year and beyond.
Overall, there was a good social and team side to the activities which is key to wellbeing and teams and business thriving.
A recent analysis in the Personality and Social Psychology Review journal reports that people who feel greater connection and camaraderie at work to their colleagues and with their company are less likely to burn out and have better overall health and happiness. This analysis of more than 58 previous studies of 19,000 workers in 15 countries from a range of sectors (military, health, service etc) emphasised the social side of wellbeing and its benefits to health, happiness and overall performance at work.
‘We are less burnt out and have greater well-being when our team and our organization provide us with a sense of belonging and community— when it gives us a sense of ‘we-ness,’’ said Niklas Steffens, author of the study.
The evidence is starting to prove more and more that it pays in every way to support the wellbeing of staff. True wellbeing–has many dimensions – not just physical – we also have mental, emotional, creative and social.
When people are well, they do well. When people value themselves, they bring value wherever they are and wherever go. They bring value in their personal life with family and friends, to the community and to their company.
Trust is fundamental to personal and team growth. It is great that workplaces are recognising this more and more. Some of us grow up in environments where we do not learn to trust–either ourselves or others. Sustained growth and happiness can only be built on the foundations of trust and connection. When people trust each other 1+1 = 11. When they don’t at best, 1+1 = 2.
Work is a big part of our lives and a big factor in our wellbeing. On work days, we spend on average half of our awake-time at work. And for many it is more.
Proper physical, mental, emotional and creative wellbeing leads to a strong, balanced and flexible mindset that can solve problems, adapt to change, focus and make the best of opportunities. The result is sustained strong performance and expansion over time.
A good wellbeing programme will involve developing strategies to overcome stress and connect with your inner drive and help you, your team and organisation to thrive. A good wellbeing programme will have an individual and a ‘we’ part to it. Wellbeing and performance thrive in a culture where people trust and value one another. We are starting to see this more as companies build wellbeing and CSR programmes and try to make their companies – ‘great places to work’.
True wellbeing requires consistency and commitment. It can help you and your team develop that so you can realise your individual and collective potential and thrive. TEAM – ‘A team is not a group of people that work together, it is a group of people that trust one another’. Another one I like is TEAM – ‘ Together, Everyone Achieves More’.
Sleep is crucial for but of course many people cannot sleep during times of anxiety. Exercise is important, but it’s often the last thing that you want to do. Stress is crippling and while you may not be able to escape the stressor you might be able to find a way to deal with it. A few minutes of meditation, mindfulness or relaxation may help.
Supplements that can help include Omega 3 fish oils and Vitamin D, as deficiencies of these nutrients are associated with low mood. Higher Nature Balance for Nerves is a combination remedy that helps with anxiety, both for adults and children from age seven. I have had excellent feedback from customers who used it. Bach flower essences can also help. Magnesium is useful to relieve tension and to aid sleep. A Vogel Passiflora is herbal combination that helps both anxiety and stress especially around the menopause.
These are by no means the only remedies that you can try. There are many herbs, supplements and homoeopathic remedies as well as qualified therapists who can help you. So please, don’t suffer in silence. Talk to someone today.