Increasing Engagement in your Organisation

It's fair to say that when it comes to wellness initiatives in the workplace, not everyone is keen to get involved.  In fact, a common complaint from those who design wellness programmes is that, initially at least, the interest comes from those who are already taking steps to take care of themselves physically and mentally, and that the individuals in the business who would really benefit are nowhere to be seen.

How to make wellness appeal to everyone

• Make it very clear that the benefits of your initiatives are as much about the individual as they are about the organisation. Who could refuse the idea of learning skills and strategies during work time that enable them to perform more effectively in every area of their life?

• Many people will be looking for the quickest excuses they can find to opt out of wellness. You could set up 20 great initiatives but the fact that your on-site restaurant sells chips is enough for some people to interpret the wellness message as inconsistent and discredit everything you are trying to achieve. 

There are three things that will help here.

1)    Spend a little time anticipating all possible objections that staff may come up with to your wellness initiative and offer options and alternatives in as many situations as you can.  Always be flexible with your approach.

2)    Be consistent in all your communications that your programme is all about education, informed choice and personal responsibility. This will send a very strong message to your staff that you expect them to rise to the occasion.

3)    Be patient. Remember that not everyone will rise to the challenge right away but if you gradually remove their objections, one by one they'll come on board and begin to make changes.

Appeal to vanity
Encourage everyone in the business to ask themselves, which of their wellbeing behaviours would they like their team or their colleagues to emulate? The opportunity to be seen as a positive role model often creates stronger motivation to do the right thing than the notion of change for the sake of change.

If you'd like some help with setting up the most effective initiatives for your organisation, just give us a call on 020 8995 1302.

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image by lindseydeebunny at Flickr

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Wellness & Personal Performance: Lessons from the world of sport

Just like athletes, we all want to perform at our best in our chosen field.  Here are some key pointers that are crucial to peak athletic performance and that can be invaluable for all those wanting to make the most effective lifestyle choices and get great physical and mental results every day.

Establish your training goals
Do not waste a moment of training time wandering aimlessly around the gym or the park.  Set your self some clear exercise objectives be it an event, a charity venture, or improvements in health or fitness indicators such as blood pressure, cholesterol or body fat.  Decide exactly what you want from your exercise, make a plan to achieve it by a specific date and then execute your plan, starting right away.

Food is energy: garbage in, garbage out
Athletes are not comforted by comfort food, they are comforted by success.  Take a leaf out of their book and judge everything that you consume against the questions, ‘will what I’m about to eat or drink give me energy or rob me of energy?   Will this item make my day run easier or will it make my life more difficult?’

Sleep, rest and recovery are all components of optimum performance
Athletes always build in plenty of recovery time as part of their training routine because they know this is when the body and mind grow stronger.  Good sleep is also vital so here’s some advice on how to get a great night’s sleep:

How to Sleep like a Baby

Eat Your Way to a Good Night's Sleep

Eat Your Way to a Good Night's Sleep (part 2)

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