Work life with… Nicholas Salter
We hear from businesses that the wellbeing space is becoming more complex and confusing. As a workplace wellbeing navigator, I help businesses navigate and simplify workplace wellbeing by integrating wellbeing into their organisational culture journey. For more than a decade, I’ve thrived on helping individuals, teams, and organisations create positive wellbeing changes that transform into robust business results.
As a society, we have a long way to go to create workplaces that provide psychologically safe environments where employees can flourish and thrive.
The key focus for many organisations has been on health and wellbeing promotion. This is extremely important, but the responsibility often solely falls on the employee. I’m excited to hear from clients that organisations are starting to address psychosocial hazards in the workplace, with a look at what they can do to prevent harm to their people.
Many factors can lead to positive wellbeing at work. Below are three simple suggestions that employees have control over during their workday or shifts.
Practice self-care. Getting good quality sleep, staying hydrated, eating plenty of whole foods, exercising or moving regularly, and practising mindfulness can positively support your wellbeing at work.
Develop solid relationships and connections inside and outside the workplace. Building meaningful relationships and positively interacting with others can help us feel happy, connected and secure. Through these connections, you can share experiences and be there to support each other through times of uncertainty or change or just when you need it.
Take regular breaks where you can. Work can sometimes feel overwhelming, and many of us don’t have enough time in our day to get all our work completed. Although taking breaks can feel like a luxury, it can make a positive impact on your productivity and efficiency.
Wellbeing in the workplace positively impacts an employee’s everyday life experience. While improving their resilience, their wellbeing results in reduced sick leave, fewer injuries, improved performance, productivity and engagement. Wellbeing in the workplace is likely to build more trust and caring relationships, better teamwork, supportive leadership and a sense of purpose.
In moments of adversity, I use a toolkit of resilience strategies that helps me build myself back up. I tend to focus on creating positive emotions in these moments and find ways to reflect and identify key learnings that I can take away. I find myself practising self-compassion, creating positive self-talk, taking action to work towards goals, and living by my values.
A ritual that I could not live without in my work day is exercise, which energises and prepares me to tackle the day ahead. Exercise each day significantly lifts my mood, supports my sleep and helps me perform at my best. Exercising first thing in the morning also means that it’s out of the way, leaving me with more time in the evening to spend with my family.