What are the ways to build a healthy workplace?
Care for the health and well-being of employees
Over the years we have developed work styles that are not good for our physical, mental or emotional health. Is your attitude sagging? Is lunch a selection of snacks from a vending machine? Ignoring a sunny day to call during your break?
"It's not that we're bad people or that we don't work hard," says Leigh Stringer, author of The Healthy Workplace. “The problem is that what our minds and bodies need on a basic level conflicts with our work style. We're so focused on work, on getting things done, that we've changed the way we eat, exercise and sleep in a way that's actually counterproductive."
It turns out that taking care of the health and well-being of employees is the most effective way to increase engagement and performance. Stringer offers these 10 tips for creating a healthy workplace. Some are steps we can take as workers; some are suggestions for management.
Leigh Stringer, LEED AP, author of The Healthy Workplace, works for EYP, an architecture, engineering and construction technology firm and is an expert and researcher on workplace strategies. His work has been covered by CNN, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Good Morning America.
According to her, taking these 10 tips seriously can really change the health of the workplace and the employees in it. Studies show that unhealthy work habits — like staring at computer screens and rushing fast food lunches — take their toll in increased absenteeism, lost productivity and higher insurance costs — but it doesn't have to be. Companies such as Google, Apple, Aetna and Johnson & Johnson have used innovative techniques to integrate healthy habits and practices into the workday and into their culture with impressive ROI.
1. Create flexibility in how, when and where you work
Studies show that people who have more 'control' over their work and work environment are less likely to suffer from stress and illness and see higher productivity. Many people can work effectively and efficiently at home, in a satellite office, co-working center, park or coffee shop. Also change "how" you work: move more and see how you work and explore alternatives to sitting in one position all day.
2. Encourage "Biophilia"
We have a strong desire to be in and among nature. It's natural: for most of human history, we spend all our time outdoors. This preference, often called biophilia, was introduced and popularized by E.O. Wilson, who suggests that there is an instinctive connection between humans and other living systems. So put small plants or a water feature on your desk or nearby. These elements are psychologically soothing and reduce stress. Even images of trees and water can have the same biophilic impact as real images.
3. Stay away from poor food choices at work
Who doesn't love a donut? But everyday donuts are a bad choice. Work with your local food service provider or restaurant to provide healthy options, such as bagels, granola, and fruit, for meetings and events, and suggest healthier options for vending machine options. Better yet, bring healthy foods from home for lunch or snacks. Cafeteria businesses can encourage vendors to offer attractive displays of healthy options and place healthy options such as fruit next to the cash register.
4. make health a team sport
Create competitions between teams or different office locations to further encourage walking, cycling or participating in team sports over the course of a work week. Join your colleagues on lunchtime walks.
5. Take the stairs
Create healthy nudges for going up the stairs, such as painting the stairwell a lighter color to make it appear brighter and less foreboding, and adding artwork to give it a personal touch and add visual interest. And if you work in an office building where climbing stairs isn't an option, try going for a walk during lunch. (Want a really simple trick to push the use of stairs? Studies show that just putting up posters explaining the health benefits of using the stairs, such as a sign in the elevator lobby that tells you how many calories you can burn, will help you burn more calories. use of stairs increases by 54 percent!)
6. Don't add distractions to the workplace
Eliminate distracting behavior in the workplace. Be mindful of your colleagues when using speakers or holding meetings in open spaces. Define space usage policies (ie use speakerphones only in enclosed spaces or designate some spaces as "quiet" spaces). Agree on a "do not disturb" policy so colleagues know when to approach each other. Be aware of disruptions caused by technology and make it customary to turn off sounds on phones or devices that beep, beep, or buzz when they receive text messages, emails, or social media messages.
7. Stay at home if you are sick!
When people arrive sick at the workplace, they are more likely to pass their illness on to their colleagues, reducing organizational productivity. As tempting as it may be for you to skip and minimize sick days, the overall health risk isn't worth it.
8. Watch out for lighting
Our internal circadian rhythm or biological clock controls the timing of periods of sleepiness and wakefulness throughout the day. This rhythm is controlled by a part of the brain at the back of the eye, which is activated by changes in natural daylight. Unfortunately for most of us, we spend 90 percent of our day indoors, wreaking havoc on our sleep cycle. Try screwing a "daylight" LED bulb into your office work lamp. You'll be amazed at how much better you'll feel after a few minutes of use, and you'll probably sleep better at night.
9. Take your pet to work
A growing body of evidence suggests that office pets may have health benefits, improve morale, and even increase employee collaboration. Randolph Barker, a professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, has studied dogs in the workplace and found that bringing them to work resulted in a measurable decrease in employee stress over the course of a day. Or schedule a single Bring Your Pet to Work day or encourage a local animal shelter to run an adoption marathon over lunch.
10. Lead by example
Make healthy changes in your life that will give you the knowledge you need as a leader to convince others to change. Eat better and bring good, healthy food to share with your team when needed. Integrate exercise into your day by having a standing meeting, walking on a conference call, or trying an "exercise desk."
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