The workplace and our careers play an important role in how happy we feel day to day. That’s why we’re passionate about employee wellbeing. There are many factors that come into play when we think about employee wellbeing, but to define it loosely, it is when employees are comfortable, happy and healthy.
Doesn’t everyone want to be happy and healthy? ‘Happiness’ can mean different things to each and every one of us. Throughout our lifetime, it’s normal to experience periods of feeling low, as well as periods of feeling happy and content. Feeling happy and sad are normal human emotions. But, generally speaking, we shouldn’t experience long periods of feeling blue, or go through our lives feeling like we could be happier.
There are some aspects of our lives which may influence how happy we feel that are out of our control. But thankfully there are a number of ways in which we can make changes, to help us lead a happy and healthy lifestyle…
Engage in healthy, regular physical activity
Studies show that exercising regularly can boost our mood as well as our self-esteem. People who exercise regularly often feel more confident, which in turn makes them feel happier. Spending time outside can increase happiness. So try and combine the two! Try spending at least 30 minutes exercising outside 4-5 times per week.
Focus on happy things that really matter
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed is a common source of unhappiness. When our stress levels are raised, it has a negative impact on our mood. During high stress periods, it’s likely that we will also feel unhappy too. If you’re regularly feel stressed and unhappy, consider what’s causing it and make a change for the better.
Studies show that spending time with friends and family boosts our mood. Perhaps a lifestyle change is necessary to free up time to spend doing what you love, with the people you love.
Making a difference to employee wellbeing
If you are an employer, consider offering your team incentives to boost employee wellbeing and help them enjoy work and lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. This could be activities such as lunchtime yoga workshops, desk massage to help reduce stress, stress management classes and mindfulness workshops. Click here to find out more about our wellbeing workshops.
Enjoy alcohol sparingly
Alcohol is a well-known depressant, with even the happiest of people feeling a little blue after one too many drinks the previous evening.
Talk to others and build a healthy resilience
Opening up about how you feel and talking through any issues with someone you trust can help you move forward. The proverbial phrase ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ has a lot of value. When you start to become more open with others, you really do feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders .
We all experience ups and downs throughout our lives, but it’s how we deal with this that matters. Becoming stronger, but also accepting that it’s OK to admit that you’re struggling with something will make a huge difference when it comes to how happy you feel.
Boost self-esteem
When you’re not happy with yourself, it’s unlikely that you will feel happy day-to-day. It’s all too easy to be overly self-critical, but when it comes to yourself, you should treat yourself just as you might treat a close friend or family member if you want to be happy and healthy.
If you find you often think negative things about yourself, work to change this. Being negative about yourself is often a lifelong habit, so it takes a little perseverance to change your mindset. Take the time to write down something positive about yourself morning and night, and when you find yourself being critical, take a moment out to read over the things that you like about yourself. Do this everyday and you’ll start to see the difference it makes.
Making a difference to employee wellbeing
If you are an employer, consider offering your team incentives to boost employee wellbeing and help them enjoy work and lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. This could be activities such as lunchtime yoga workshops, desk massage to help reduce stress, stress management classes and mindfulness workshops. Follow the link to find out more about our wellbeing workshops.
