This year April marks Stress Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of managing stress for both our mental and physical health. In a fast-paced world where and demands at work and home can feel endless, it’s easy for us to start to feel the unwanted symptoms of stress, but isn’t it just a part of modern life we should accept, and what can we really do about it anyway?
We all have some idea of what we should be doing, but recognising the signs of chronic stress and then finding the time or headspace can seem like just another task on top of keeping all those plates spinning!!
This year the Stress Management Society have adopted the theme #LittleByLittle embodying the philosophy that consistent, small positive actions can lead to significant improvements in our overall wellbeing.
So how do we take #LittleByLittle steps towards a healthier, happier, and more resilient workforce?
Cultivating a Culture of Care
The culture of a business plays a pivotal role in shaping the wellbeing of its employees. By fostering an environment where conversations around our health and wellness are encouraged, businesses can empower their workforce to thrive. Simple initiatives, such as flexible working arrangements, tech-free zones, remote work options, and encouraging breaks outdoors, can go a long way in helping manage stress.
Moreover, promoting open communication and providing resources like counselling or wellness programmes gives employees easy access to the support they need to navigate challenging times.
Supporting Small Changes
By making it easier for your employees to incorporate new health habits into their working day, everyone will soon start to feel the benefit and it soon becomes contagious. Small changes that don’t disrupt the working day and cost very little can include offering healthy snacks, giving walking meetings a go, providing a quiet space for breaks, and agreeing to switching work phones off outside of work hours.
If there’s a culture of “work hard play hard” in your business, how else could you reward your people in a way that was beneficial to their wellbeing?
Celebrating Progress and Personalisation, Not Perfection
Recognising and acknowledging the efforts of your people in prioritising their health gives them a sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue, every step forward deserves applause. After all, healthy employees are happier, have more energy, create a more positive environment, are more productive, and great brand ambassadors for your business.
During Stress Awareness Month, encourage #LittleByLittle. Cultivating a culture of care, and celebrating progress, no matter how small the steps, is the first step to empowering your workforce to make long-term sustainable change.
At Best You we are committed to supporting businesses to empower their employees to embrace #LittleByLittle, taking a whole person, preventative and supportive approach. Helping your people incorporate new health habits into already busy lives, with the added bonus of reducing employee absence, positively impacting retention and the impact on your bottom line.
Together, let’s take #LittleByLittle steps towards a healthier, happier, and more resilient workforce.
Get in touch to talk about how we can tailor a package to meet the unique needs of your people and organisation.
