Here Are Our Favorite Wellbeing Tips For The Workplace

As experts in the wellbeing realm, we have conducted extensive research from others and from our own lives about the aspects that help to inspire workplaces that feel healthy and positive for people. We could talk about our wellbeing tips ad nauseam, but here is a list of some of our favorites.

Why does wellbeing at work matter?

Some people have a perspective that work is nothing more than a means to an end, and sometimes that may be the case. But we wholeheartedly believe in, and fight for, places of work that encourage and support the wellbeing of the people who work there and the broader world at large. We think that wellbeing at work matters. And we believe that everyone—no matter your status or role—is deserving of healthy, and happy lives. Especially at work.

What does wellbeing at work look like?

While this will always be unique to everyone, there are a few aspects of workplace wellness that tend to be universal. Generally, this means that your life, contributions, and values are upheld at your place of employment. And while some aspects or workplace wellness aren’t always in your control, there are many things that you can control that have the power to make all the difference.

Often, workplaces that value wellbeing (and bonus: reduce burnout) work hard to intentionally create environments that feel safe, where their employees feel genuinely valued, supported, important, and heard. 

So what are our favorite wellbeing tips for the workplace?

1. Know Thyself

First and foremost, we encourage self-introspection to better understand your values and signifiers for what wellbeing looks and feels like for you. We understand and empathize with the many different personalities and values that exist, and have seen first-hand the great impacts that understanding ourselves can have on our lives.

In fact, EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is one of the most—if not the most—important skills for career success. Likewise, the Enneagram has been found to be one of the most direct tools for building emotional intelligence. It helps us know more about how we are broadly, and gives us insights into certain habits and patterns that keep us trapped in burnout. 

We recommend learning more about the Enneagram, and seeing what your unique personality type needs from the workplace. Here is where you can do just that.

We can also do preliminary work by asking ourselves these questions to get an analysis of our wellbeing values specific to the workplace:

What aspects of wellness and self-care are important to me, and do these feel supported at my place of work?

Do I feel valued at my workplace, are my contributions valued and seen?

What aspects of my personal life and work life feel aligned? What doesn’t feel aligned? How can I improve these?

2. Self-Care

In recent years “self-care” has become a buzzword of sorts. Its message has been blurred from quotes about hot baths and affirmations. While those things may be useful for some, that may not be what self-care looks like for you. 

In Wholeness At Work, we talk at length about wholeness practices and their relation to self-care. In it, Erin clarifies: 

"Sometimes when folks refer to self-care, what they really mean is a "treat yourself" moment. What I mean when I say self-care are habits or practices that support your wellbeing. Rather than think of self-care as one-off activities that make you feel good for the moment you're doing them, true self-care should be defined as consistent, small, gifts of renewal you are cultivating for yourself over time."

See: habit building

For your workplace and personal wellbeing, it is essential that you tap into what self-care is to you and how you can make time for it each and every day. By tapping into your Enneagram, and using tools that harness emotional intelligence, you may find tools for self-care that you never knew existed, and that aren’t easily transformed into a cute social media illustration.

Renewal Practices We Love: 

1. Mindfulness: practices like meditation, journaling, yoga, and time in nature.

2. Compassion: gratitude, positivity, self-compassion, and empathy.

3. Physical Self-Care: quality sleep, nutrient-rich foods, massage, movement.

We are so passionate about this renewal that we created a card deck with 108 mindful practices for you. It’s one thing to know that you need to make time for renewal, and another thing entirely to act on it. For example, if you know that exercise is very important to your wellbeing but you aren’t making the time to do it, that is an area within your control that you can positively change for the better. Make sure that your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual body is getting the care it needs—whatever that looks like.

Take Your Values Seriously and Act on Them

Do you feel like your values are taken seriously at your place of work? Do you feel seen, heard, respected? Is there room for you to grow? Is there grace for you to make mistakes and learn from them? If not, it may be time to evaluate where you are at in the employment world and perhaps even make a shift in a new direction where your wellbeing will be taken more seriously. Returning to work after burnout can be hard. Perhaps you made a career shift, or enacted changes so that your current role enables time for your emotional wellbeing. Give yourself the space you need to work through the changes ahead, and the compassion and empathy for any mistakes or hiccups you have along the way. Change is a process. It is not linear. We are here for you on that journey.

If you are feeling like your wellbeing at work isn’t being prioritized and you may even be at risk of burnout, we are here for you. We are here to hear, see, and validate you every step of the way as you navigate through this and move towards a life and a work environment that feels more aligned with your authentic self.