Wellbeing is critical to business success

I talk about this a lot because wellbeing is so important, both to founders and to employees. 

Emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing are the building blocks for a successful business.

This is, of course, a hot topic because billions of pounds are lost by companies every year to poor employee health – in the UK but more generally across the world.

The mental health charity, Mind, found that when asked about the effects of workplace stress, 21% of people agreed that they had called in sick to avoid work. That same study showed that 56 per cent of employers said they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don't feel they have the right training or guidance.

When better health means taking fewer days off work and feeling more energised and productive on the days when you are at work, then it’s clear that investing in staff wellbeing ultimately pays off.

What can founders do to look after themselves and their staff?  

I talked to a health and wellbeing coach, Tiffany Rowlands, who shared with me her thoughts and advice on this significant topic. 

More often than not, the best results come from making sustainable changes.

Most of us know what we should be doing, but we struggle to make it happen!

What simple steps can companies take to promote the health and wellbeing of their staff?

1. Allow and encourage breaks

A 15-20 minute lunch break away from your desk can make all the difference! It's amazing how many people eat at their desks.

When we eat at our desks in front of our screens, we are in a highly-stressed state. This means our digestive system doesn’t work as it should. And after eating, we often feel bloated and uncomfortable.

Obviously a longer break than this is recommended but let's get people to stop eating at their desks. With everyone working from home at the moment try and get up every 60-90 minutes, move your body and have a stretch.

2. Provide access to healthy snacks

They don’t have to be expensive. A bowl of free fruit that’s available to employees could be a great start.

Being at home might make it easier to eat healthily but don't be tempted to constantly snack - your body needs breaks from food to digest properly.

3. Encourage healthy living - Create a culture where people are encouraged to look after their health – make it easy for them.

For example, you could provide access to free mindfulness apps or classes (great idea during the Coronavirus with everyone WFH). Make sure that your staff, and yourself, have an end to your day - looking at your screen and the constant Zoom calls are exhausting.

As long as you’re making it possible for your staff to make healthier choices and positive changes, then you’re doing the best you can.

Now more than ever it's important to be mindful of our staff and their wellbeing when they are working from home. And also to be mindful of our own wellbeing.

As I often say to the founders that I work with, our own mental, emotional and physical wellbeing is key to the success of our businesses. When we are not well we can't function properly.

"Many people don’t realise that by implementing small changes to their routine they can reduce or completely eradicate stress. Most of these solutions are simple and take less than fifteen minutes a day" Dr Ranjan Chatterjee

I often recommend this brilliant book to my clients written by Dr Ranjan Chatterjee, The Stress Solution - one client even told me it has changed their life!

You can find out more about Tiffany Rowlands here on her website and connect with her here on LinkedIn.

If you’re a startup Founder, serious about scaling but feeling overwhelmed about the road ahead right now, follow me on LinkedIn, subscribe to my newsletter for useful information and support, and DM me for my new expert guide NO-STRESS SCALING: HOW TO GO FROM PRE-SEED FUNDING TO ‘SERIES A’ AND BEYOND

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