The Elements of Health That Are Often Overlooked

Health remains a hot topic both inside and outside work. During the pandemic, the importance of mental and physical health was catapulted into the limelight. Don’t get me wrong mental and physical health are hugely important in their own right, and heavily impact how we perform at work. However, are there sub elements / contributors that may have been slightly overlooked?

Cognitive Health

Although this can naturally be linked to mental health, it is important to give it the ‘attention’ It deserves (pun intended!!). When we think about mental health we generally consider the effect stress, anxiety and burnout have on our physical health. But do we ever think about how these impact our cognitive health? Cognitive health refers to the functioning of the brain in relation to learning, attention and memory. Too much stress can negatively impact our cognitive brain health. When we become stressed, we often have trouble thinking, our minds become overloaded, and we don’t process information as effectively. Keeping active, managing stress, and getting enough regular sleep are great ways to promote strong cognitive health.

Social Health

Social health is all about our relationships, connections and how we react in our social environments. Research published by Forbes (2020) says that keeping your social calendar filled really improves your brain health. With a rise in remote and hybrid working, social health should be a priority for companies. Loneliness can have a massive impact on our social health, so, how can we develop better social health at work? According to Forbes, it can be achieved by adding group initiatives such as team building, volunteering, or other social activities to the mix of integrative wellness offerings. These can be remote or in person, both are beneficial. In addition to the mental health benefits, they promote loyalty between employees and the company, increase productivity and can be implemented by any size company!

The Takeaway…

The last 2 years has only just scratched the surface with regards mental health topics. We hope this article has given you food for thought alongside some useful tips and a general understanding of how you can personally take care of your cognitive and social health. For further information on mental health at work, don't forget to reach out to us at [email protected]