Better Wellbeing for Workers

Posted 19 months ago by Sarah Glover 4 Minute(s) to read

Mental Health Awareness Week is coming up in late September. And let us say this first: it’s a company’s responsibility to ensure that work is a space that allows for and promotes physical and mental safety, health, and wellbeing for its employees. We’ll be elaborating on how organisations can do that in our next blog post.

There are also things that workers can add into their own routines to boost their wellbeing. Not only for work, but for LIFE! We (half-jokingly) call Ben the “feelings department” here at Emendas, so in this post we’ve had him offer some sage advice to employees—and really, to anyone—about the best and most effective ways to feel better inside and out.

“If someone asked me what two things they should focus on for better wellbeing, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that sleep and exercise are the most important. Improving just those two things will pay anyone back tenfold!”

Getting great sleep

Did you know that getting fewer than seven hours of sleep each night has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure? Putting your head on the pillow at a decent hour every day is not just about being alert and energetic the next day. It’s a real investment in your physical and mental health.
These are a few of the effects of healthy sleep:

A sharper brain: this one comes as no surprise. When you’re tired, you have more trouble focusing and taking in new information. Your brain will also have trouble storing anything that does enter it during a sleep-deprived state. When you’re well-rested, it has time to catch up and get back on top of its game.
A healthier heart: Your blood pressure lowers during sleep, allowing your heart and blood vessels to rest. High blood pressure can contribute to heart diseases and strokes, so good sleep definitely helps with your long-term health.
Weight control: being tired can make you hungry. Sleep deprivation messes with the hormones in your brain (leptin and ghrelin) that control appetite. It also makes you less likely to want to get up and move. Conversely, when you get enough sleep, you are better equipped to resist overeating—especially high-sugar quick-energy foods.

With so many clients in heavy industry and manufacturing, we are especially aware of the importance of sleep to workers. While the effects of fatigue might be annoying to someone who works in an office, they can be downright dangerous for someone on the shop floor. This is why WorkSafe has robust guidelines to follow for shift workers at risk of sleep deprivation.

Poor sleeping habits are strongly linked to depression in a chicken-or-egg kind of way, making good sleep crucial to better mental health.

Ben’s top tip

Keep track of how many hours of sleep you get per night for the next week. If the average is less than seven, try going to bed 30 minutes earlier every day the following week. Gradually increase this until you’re getting at least seven hours per night.

Moving your body

You probably already know that exercise is good for you. But do you know exactly how it can benefit your wellbeing?

Working out doesn’t have to be just about losing weight or gaining muscle. It doesn't have to involve going to the gym, either. It’s important to break down those rigid views of what “counts” as exercise, because they can make it seem inaccessible. And when that happens, people are missing out on the physical and mental benefits of simply moving their bodies every now and then.

Here are a few of the physical things exercise can do for you:

Release endorphins, natural painkillers that are responsible for that “feel-good” factor.
Improve heart and muscle function.
Increase blood flow to the brain.
Promote better sleep.

And that’s not all—exercise benefits your mental wellbeing too. It can:

Provide opportunities to socialise, make friends, and create community.
Boost your self-esteem and confidence through a sense of positive achievement.
Help with weight control.
Give you a sense of being in charge of your own life.

The statistics back it up. Active NZ Research indicated that those who do at least 2.5 hours of recreational physical activity each week are 51% more likely to report good mental wellbeing. Those who participate in at least 4.5 hours per week increase their odds to 65% more.

Ben’s top tip

Figure out what kind of exercise you love to do, and think outside the box. It might be rock climbing, kayaking, playing a sport, or even just hitting a punching bag in your garage. If you can find something you enjoy, you’re much more likely to move consistently.

Mental wellness is a huge concern in Aotearoa, with many news outlets calling the current mental health situation—especially post-COVID—a crisis. Making changes with proven benefits, like sleeping and exercising more, is one way that people can take some control.

At Emendas, we believe that workplaces can and should support employees in psychosocial safety, mental health, and wellbeing at work. We also want to empower individuals to improve their own wellbeing, and hope that these simple tips provide a solid starting point.