We have heard so much about wellbeing and the importance of it so much lately. It has certainly had a huge spotlight during COVID where mental health has been hit hard. Employers have been focusing on what they can do to improve employees’ wellbeing in the workplace as well as whilst working from home.
So first of all what is wellbeing?
Wellbeing is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.”
If we look at the definition by Oxford wellbeing are positive feelings which contribute to the overall health of an individual. Being comfortable, healthy and happy will help us to overcome any struggled or difficulties that we may face.
Evidence from the NHS suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing:
- Connect with other people
- Be physically active
- Learn new skills
- Give to others
- Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)
As a good for tech company we sought to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing using the 5 steps listed by the NHS above.
The first step was to look at how we could connect employees in current circumstances. As you are aware the working world has had a dramatic change whereby people are now working in isolation from home. How could we get these employees to connect? This is where our interactive platform was designed, allowing for healthy competition between colleagues in different offices/ locations/ departments etc.
The second step relating to helping employees to become physically active was our main focus. We decided to help create bespoke virtual challenges that were inclusive. What does this mean? This means that no matter what type of physical activity you do 20 minutes equals 1 virtual mile. From walking the dog, to doing a yoga session to horse riding or alpine skiing it all counts.
The third step regarding learning new skills was a little more difficult. Then we had the though of integrating our platform with fitness trackers. Now if you’re anything like me you may have a fitness tracker but do not put it to good use or know much about its functionality. This encouraged me to learn more about my fitness tracker. I also got to learn about the difference between Strava and Fitbit.
The fourth step involving giving back to others was another main focus. Charities have all had a hard time during the pandemic facing an increase in demand for their services whilst suffering a decrease in resources. Companies that use our platform can donate directly to a charity as we do not hold any funds. We have also done some work helping charities to approach companies through WellGiving.
The fifth step considering paying attention to the present moment was one which we all related to. Often we forget to take a step back, breathe and really pay attention to the present moment. We live in such a busy world where we are constantly juggling that we forget to stop and breathe. Not only can mindfulness activities like meditation and yoga count towards your activity but our system involves no admin headaches leaving you plenty of time to be present.
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