As the nights become lighter and the days becoming longer, spring is the perfect time for a fresh start. As well as revamping your business physically, it is also a chance to give the mental and physical wellbeing of staff a renewed focus
On average, an employee takes around 25.8 days off work due to stress, depression and anxiety. This accounts for approximately 15.4 million days lost for UK businesses due to work-related ill health. Mark Pinches, head of coaching at Westfield Health, shares his five top tips to help improve your business this spring to ensure you have a productive workforce.
- Hobbies
Spring is the perfect time to start a new hobby as days are becoming longer, giving staff more time for activities in the evening. Taking up a hobby outside of work will help employees switch off and de-stress. Whether it be revisiting a past time or trying something completely new, this is a great way to ensure employees take time out of their day for themselves; being involved in non-work related activities will help staff gain a healthier and more positive mindset.
- Healthy lifestyle
Adopting a healthy lifestyle – where the changes that are made have a visible result – can have a substantial impact on personal performance and, therefore, a business as a whole. Adopting both regular exercise and a balanced diet can aid motivation and create a sense of achievement. Businesses can incorporate this into the workplace by organising a ‘team fuddle’, a competitive step challenge or walking meetings.
- Work outside
Spring is the perfect time to work outside as exposure to daylight has many health benefits such as strengthening the immune system and improving energy levels. Oxygen helps the brain to function and, in turn, improves concentration which will, subsequently, enhance employees’ quality of work.
Not only will this ease the likelihood of developing mental health issues, it will give employees freedom to leave their desks. Working outside may not be practical for everyone, so opening a window in the office, or positioning desks in the sunshine, can also be beneficial.
- Get enough sleep
The longer hours of daylight may tempt us to cram too much into the evenings – which often results in our losing out on sleep. However, this may leave employees feeling tired and fatigued. So, although it is tempting to utilise the light evenings, it is important that employees keep to a regular sleep pattern whenever possible, in order to avoid job burnout.
- Set goals
If New Year’s resolutions have slipped, then spring is a great time to re-assess goals and put steps in place to get back on track. Setting small and achievable goals can help maintain employees’ motivation. This could be as little as walking to work one day a week or setting a specific target to reach at work. These goals can be set by individuals or, more formally, by line managers.
For more information on the importance of health and wellbeing at work, visit: https://www.westfieldhealth.com/blog
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