World Wellbeing Week
With workplaces demanding more than ever from their employees, World Wellbeing Week (24th – 30th June) is a great opportunity to check in with colleagues, and for employers to reevaluate whether they are doing enough to look after their team’s wellbeing.
The goal of this week is to foster better practices and implement change to create an all-round healthier workplace. Not only does a more enjoyable work environment increase productivity and lead to higher employee retention rates, it also goes far beyond the office and can have a remarkable impact on home life too.
Five ways to improve the wellbeing in your workplace
1. Take a full lunch break
The majority of full-time employees are contractually entitled to an hour-long lunch break, but most take less than half of that, with many often working right through lunch.
But, taking a full hour break at lunchtime could have more of an impact on your work than you might think. Not only does it increase productivity, it’s also an important chance to get up from your desk and stretch your legs, breathe in some fresh air and be exposed to the sun (especially important in the winter months when we often travel to and from work in the dark). This glimpse of sunlight is really important for keeping your circadian rhythm in check and ensuring a good night’s sleep. A study by Stanford University shows that being out in daylight for even just 30 minutes improves your sleep that night.
But of course, the most important part of a lunch break is the food. At Social Pantry, we have years of experience catering for the workplace, so are experts in what makes the best office catering. We know that eating a healthy, nutritious and filling meal for lunch provides the fuel necessary to keep you and your team’s productivity levels high, with the bonus that any time spent around the table with good company is also beneficial for your mental health.
Having office lunch catering also means that less time is spent sourcing the right meal and more time is spent enjoying it. Especially when available to the whole team, meals can serve as a great opportunity to create an all-important sense of community in the workplace. Whether it’s daily lunches, birthday celebrations or workplace anniversaries, our workplace partners can develop bespoke menus to suit the needs of your workplace.
2. Promote regular exercise
We all know that regular exercise is fundamental to a healthy life and can play a huge role in all-round wellbeing by reducing stress, releasing endorphins and giving us more energy. But the reality is that finding the time to exercise can be difficult, and although at-home options are available, classes and gym passes are often expensive. One solution is to offer subsidised gym memberships to employees as part of their compensation packages as a way to increase both physical and mental wellness. If this is not possible, another option (if space allows) is to organise weekly classes in the office – simply clear a meeting room and hire in an instructor to lead the group in a stress-relieving yoga session or energy-building HIIT class. Better yet, why not invest in an employee’s training course if it’s something they have always wanted to do!
3. Organise regular team social events
Team socials shouldn’t be limited to just once or twice a year. These social events are key in bringing people together, forming bonds within the team that don’t centre around work-focussed conversations and providing a chance for different teams to interact with one another.
Consider organising more regular socials, and going beyond the usual ‘after work drinks’. For those who don’t drink alcohol, and many are turning away from it, a more inclusive social would be one that involves food. This could be as informal as ordering an office delivery of your team’s favourite take-away, or arranging office catering for a more formal sit-down lunch or dinner without the stress of finding a restaurant that has enough space for a group. Not only do these social events provide the time to properly check in with people, they also allow people to create genuine friendships, building support networks, both in and out of the office.
4. Talk money
One aspect of wellbeing that’s often overlooked is financial wellbeing. Something that impacts all of us, our financial situation can create a tremendous amount of stress and worry if not managed correctly. World Wellbeing Week is the perfect time to organise educational talks around financial wellbeing, which can range from pension advice to money saving tips. If time and budgets allow, organising one-to-one sessions with a financial advisor a few times a year can be a fantastic way for employees to know that their company supports them.
5. Take your meeting on the move!
This is your all-important reminder that not all meetings need to be taken at a desk or in a boardroom. In fact, many meetings are one-on-one catch ups that, although crucial to the functionality of a workplace, aren’t reliant on being in the office at all – so, why not encourage walking meetings instead?
There are plenty of benefits of a walking meeting – improving your posture by getting up and moving, getting extra steps in, breathing in fresh air and, if you’re lucky, maybe having a great cup of coffee. Plus, walking side-by-side with someone is known to improve openness in conversations by reducing the formality. This makes on-the-move meetings great for managerial catch ups as they can help people feel more comfortable bringing up any issues that they might be facing.
We understand that it’s not always possible to take meetings outside (we do live in rainy Britain after all!), so it’s worth considering standing or walking desks to help your team enjoy a bit more movement throughout the day. These are particularly beneficial for creative roles as movement is known to improve cognitive function and encourage the production of creative ideas.
Why not take some of these ideas and implement them during World Wellbeing Week to see the beginnings of a wholly refreshed team? Get in touch with our wonderful workplace partners to see what Social Pantry could do for you and your team during the week, and beyond.
