Wellbeing at Work - Corbel's Top Tips for Staying Happy and Healthy at Work

Over the past few years especially, it has never been so important for us to protect our wellbeing and especially our wellbeing at work. We have seen a deterioration in the mental health of adults and young people across Suffolk, and the rest of the UK. A change needs to be made. It is essential for us to encourage the conversation around mental health to help with prevention and outline that there is help available for those who are struggling. Ipswich based?Corbel?Solutions ltd are dedicated to becoming a part of this conversation and have outlined a range of tips of tricks in this article to help businesses in Suffolk prioritise their employee’s wellbeing.

There are many charities across the UK and Suffolk have completed some amazing work to help contribute to this change. One particular charity that has been recognised for its work is?Heads Together. The charity Heads Together, has been established since 2016 and their aim is to encourage the conversation about mental health in order to help people get the support they need. The charity has been involved in various events across the UK to help spread their message. Another brilliant charity that works closely with adults and young people, is?Suffolk Mind. Suffolk Mind is an independent charity that has been about since 1976 and aims to make the county of Suffolk the best place for talking about and taking care of mental health. The charity is made up of various sections and always has various events going on. It is made up of an educational programme, focused on making a conscious effort on people keeping themselves well, and encourages prevention amongst all organisations they interact with. The charity also encourages employers to recruit and value people with mental health issues.

How Covid-19 Impacted our Wellbeing

According to Mind, one third of adults and young people say that their mental health has got considerably worse since 2020. It’s inevitable that Covid-19 has had a major impact on our mental health. Feelings of isolation and loneliness were more prominent than ever as lockdown restrictions meant we were unable to go about our normal day-to-day life and visit loved ones without restrictions. This is not to mention the number of job losses that occurred during this period subsequent to the economic downturn. Many of us felt confined and stuck during the peak of the pandemic’s restrictions and the impact it had on mental health was detrimental. In 2020, it was estimated that 106,000 residents in Suffolk experienced a common mental health condition including anxiety and depression.

Wellbeing at Work

The deterioration in mental health has ultimately had an impact on the workplace and how we spend our day feeling at work. Between 2020-2021 the cost of poor mental health to employers is thought to have been somewhere between ￡53-56 billion. With 44% of people admitting that they feel very burnt out at work, it is clear that there is a correlation between the workplace and poor mental health which needs to be addressed.

It has become increasingly common for employees working in an office to take minimal screen breaks throughout the day. Taking screen breaks, however, is essential not only to our mental health – but our physical health. Computer screens transmit blue-light, and unlike other types of light which are filtered before reaching the retina – blue-light cannot be filtered and goes straight to the retina. Suffolk Wire have examined that too much blue-light exposure periods of time can result in various issues including vision impairments and sleep issues which can then disrupt our life outside of work as well.

Switching Off from Work

Here at?Corbel, we believe it is so important for employees to be reminded to take a break throughout the day and switch off after work to help improve wellbeing. Checking work-related platforms outside of working hours does not provide any benefit and certainly doesn’t help us to maintain a state of wellbeing – we recommend our employees avoid doing this where possible.

Ensuring we prioritise a work-life balance is essential to improving our overall mental health. It doesn’t need to be difficult to achieve a work-life balance and small, simple changes can make all the difference.

For example, some small changes you can make include, listening to some up-beat music in your commute home from work to encourage serotonin and relaxation. Additionally, giving yourself something to look forward to when you get home, like spending time with your family or watching a film can also help to positively shape your mindset throughout the day. Whatever it is – Corbel think it is essential for employees to set themselves clear boundaries between work and home to achieve a sense of balance.

Improving your Wellbeing at Work with these Simple Steps

We believe that maintaining a state of wellbeing at work should be as much of a priority as it is to maintain a state of wellbeing outside of work. After all, it has been estimated that the average person will spend one-third of their life at work – so making sure you are in a good state at work is highly important. Simple steps can be taken by employers across Suffolk to improve the overall wellbeing of the workplace.

Encouraging employees to focus on their breathing, is a great simple example help employees destress from situations that may be impacting their wellbeing. Additionally, encouraging employees to get up every so often and incorporate small bursts movement throughout their day can be a great way to stimulate endorphins and create a positive mindset. Promoting employees to keep in touch with other colleagues, even when remote working, is a great way for these employees to build meaningful relationships should also be a priority for employees.

Employers in Suffolk need to realise that prioritising wellbeing does not need to be costly. For example, providing some quick, healthy snacks in the office – such as fresh fruit – can be a great way to encourage employees to eat a balanced diet and can help to improve concentration levels. Or another example could be that employers could provide some mental health initiatives for their employees, like mindfulness sessions, or free/discounted therapy sessions to help show them that support that is available to them at work.

Investing both time and money into wellbeing in your Suffolk business is so important and can be extremely beneficial in regard to improving your company culture. Prioritising wellbeing and implementing these simple tips and tricks can help to keep your workplace happy and healthy.

Corbel are hosting an?open morning?on Tuesday 8th?November, and it is the perfect opportunity for you to come along to join us to learn about the small changes you can make to help improve wellbeing amongst your workplaces. With 15 million sick days being lost in the UK last year due to stress, anxiety, and depression – it has never been so important to prioritise wellbeing.

Ipswich based Corbel Solutions Ltd are an IT support company offering business?IT support?across Ipswich, Felixstowe, Stowmarket, and the surrounding Suffolk area. From?IT consulting services?and?office 365 support?to?cyber security?– Corbel will work with you proactively as a partner to help maximise your business capabilities.

Corbel are hosting our very own open morning on Tuesday 8th?November from 9:30am – 12:00pm. Throughout the morning, we will be giving you all the very latest technology updates on?Cyber Security,?Automation,?Technology Roadmaps, as well as looking at your?IT Strategy. We will also be providing you with some simple wellness tips and tricks that you can implement into your everyday working life to help employees wellbeing.?Register your interest for the open day?here.