Why Workplace Wellness Is Critical To Your Health
Updated: Feb 20, 2022
Written by: Georgette LePage, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you ever stopped to realize how much time you actually spend at work each day, week, month, and year? Here's a shocking statistic according to Gettysburg College: “On average, people spend 1/3 of their lives at work which equates to roughly 90,000 hours over their lifetime.” That’s a staggering amount of your life spent in a work environment. It’s no surprise that one key to good health is how you spend your time in your environment and what that workplace looks and feels like.
What makes a healthy workplace? There’s no better time in history to ask this question so that you can evaluate where you work and how it affects your health. The pandemic is nearing two years now, which no one could have ever predicted. So much has changed and we have yet to return to “normalcy”. Life has been altered forever, especially at work. It was the greatest digital migration ever and adapting to new work environments has been essential. Necessity led to new ways to work and new rules for the workplace in a relatively short period of time. Needless to say, nearly two years later, we are still shifting and adjusting to our job sites. Sadly, we are still struggling where we work and how we feel about it.
In addition to working remotely, virtual meetings, appointments and events, less person to person contact, reduced socializing at work, adjusted areas in which we physically work, physical distance between co-workers, and a sense of disconnect from our “work family”, our mental health has taken a hit from the constant changes and lack of human interaction. Let’s be realistic: people are tired, sick, unhealthy, and overwhelmed. We are now at a crossroads of making meaningful change for employees and employers. The timing has never been better than now!
So, how do we create workplaces that emulate a sense of trust, collegiality, friendliness, collaboration, compassion, and mutual respect given our current circumstances? How do we provide a supportive, positive, and upbeat environment that in turn generates more productive outcomes and results from employees who are passionate about their work and who enjoy being at work? What do leaders need to do for their employees? Why does this matter now more than ever?
Leadership sets the tone for any organization. Effective leaders are observant, compassionate, and supportive. They are visible and available and interact with their employees organically on a regular basis. They have their pulse on the current climate of their place of work and take steps to ensure that groups, teams, and employees are mentally and physically healthy. It is critical that employee health is front and center so that their effectiveness at work can be optimized. The awareness of what employees are dealing with both physically and emotionally falls at the feet of the leader.
As a health and life coach, I hear far too often from clients who feel uneasy and sick to their stomach to be at work, which is detrimental to everyone! When mental and physical health is brushed aside as unimportant, everyone suffers. Therefore, workplace wellness programs, initiatives, classes, resources, and incentives are critical tools for keeping a balanced, healthy workplace. It must become more of the norm rather than a trend to offer support at work. Retaining valuable, competent workers is a huge benefit of putting mental and physical health first for everyone at work. Let’s urge all leaders around the globe to step up and lead with more compassion and concern for good health! It is a win-win for everyone!
Georgette LePage, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Georgette LePage is a certified Health and Life Coach who empowers women all around the world to lose their mental weight first in order to then lose their physical weight. Her approach is honest, real, clear, and genuine with transformational habit change and mindset reset methods. Georgette's energy and enthusiasm are contagious. Her focus on healthy lifestyle inspires her clients to leave behind old diet culture thoughts and patterns in order to embrace fresh and simple ways to live their best lives without diet drama. Empowerment, self confidence, and self care are cornerstones of the programs that she offers. She helps her clients to get the results that they want with realistic, real-life strategies. She lives her own life the way she coaches others. She listens to what her clients want and guides them with compassion and accountability as they achieve their goals. She works with people of all ages (teens to seniors and every age in between) who are ready to live a healthier, more joyful life. Georgette also hosts the talk radio show WHY WEIGHT? with Dr. Pat Baccili on Transformational Talk Radio. In addition to speaking English, she also is fluent in French and Spanish. Georgette has 32 years experience as a World Language Teacher, as well. Her coaching motto is: Feel better. Look better. Be your best self!
