By Pamela Kollross B.A. Health Promoter – Mental Health

Wellness in the Workplace What is wellness?  Health –physical, mental  Happiness –social, emotional Why is wellness a workplace issue?  Moral  Absentee-ism  Presentee-ism  Staff turnover

The Problem Today There is a tremendous pressure to do it all for family, work, and home We feel frustrated and guilty when we run out of energy to handle all our tasks We can all create and manage our own wellness at work

Physical Reactions to Stress Stress is a body response to an internal or external challenge  It is primitive  It is often unavoidable

Environmental factors like the economy Illness Pushing your body too hard Personal choices Hormonal factors Emotional issues What are your stressors?

Grinding teethNon-stop talking Increased Smoking Depression Feeling helpless Headaches Over or under eatingLapses in memory Anger, mood swingsAnxiety, Nausea, High blood pressureIBS Withdrawal from others What are your symptoms?

Recognize your triggers Know what you can fix/change  Throw away what you cannot control (Other People) Anticipate problems and solve/avoid them Ventilation in a supportive environment Dealing with your stress

Stress Busting Skills Breathing Exercises Meditation Progressive Relaxation Stretching and exercising Get enough sleep

Mental Skills Your thoughts are one of your most powerful coping tools  Social skills Connect with friends and family  Distractions Keep busy with activities that involve your family/friends and are low cost  Spiritual What has the most meaning in your life? Focus on what is important to you.

Making a plan Making decisions  List your options and their consequences  Talk to your partner Don’t procrastinate  List your to do’s –is it reasonable Delegate  If you have too much on your plate, share the load

Sacrifice perfection to get the job done Plan your day around your energy levels Periodically take stock and reassess Remember your basic health,  eat right  get enough sleep  have some fun Balancing your time

Setting limits can give you back time for yourself. Limit setting takes practice and consistency. By deciding what is important to you, you will be able to seewhere your time needs to be increased. Limits create balance

Change is inevitable New policies, more job responsibilities We often feel tremendous stress, frustration, and even anger Resistance to change is natural Workplace change

When change happens we focus on what is out of our control. We get angry  Instead, learn to focus on what you can control Optimists choose to feel hopeful about situations Practice self talk “A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.” View change positively

Before – One step at a time During – Relax and be calm, breath After – I can turn off the worry now. During a stressful event

By changing our interpretation we can change our stress.  Find the shoes  What is expected of you? Can you surprise to disarm?  Can you decide that you can handle the challenge? Can you change your mind?

Team Building Get to know each other Make your work place comfortable Debrief but then focus on what went right

When we give our time and energy to others, we drain ourselves. By spending time doing things that you enjoy, you can replenish your energy stores. Hot BathManicure Massage Walk in the woods Pamper yourself

Summary Wellness in the workplace is something we can all have and maintain Stress is normal and it can be managed with  Ventilating, Relaxation, Delegating Finding a balance and creating limits is healthy We can all work together on our health and happiness.