Am I doing what I need to do to enhance existing skills and acquire others? What is a Wellness Action Plan (WAP) and how can it help me? Thankfully through the work I do as both a therapist and mental health training facilitator, I have the self awareness and tools to recognise that, and it occurred to me right at the start, that this in itself was likely to contribute to a positive experience and outcome. Wellness is defined by Merriam-Webster as the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal (lifestyles that promote wellness). Why prioritise mental wellbeing in your workplace? In my opinion, this is one of the most powerful reasons to have a wellness program. The core of every good wellness program is behavior change. What is WRAP? Especially for the more introverted among us, it is important to stand up for your alone time to reconnect and re-energize throughout the day. Wow! It can help you feel well-rested and energized. Spiritual wellness is more than being of a certain religion. Interestingly, although I worked in various public and voluntary sector mental health organisations, both as a team member and line manager, before my current role here at Mental Health in the Workplace (MHW), I have never (before now) been asked to complete a WAP. At other times, saying hello to classmates; creating technology-free times during the day. Done right and they can make a very big difference. It is also important to identify workplace stress in order to practice conflict management. Completing the WAP reminded me of that. WRAP is a wellness and recovery approach that helps people to: 1) decrease and prevent intrusive or troubling feelings and behaviors; 2) increase personal empowerment; 3) improve quality of life; and 4) achieve their own life Making good food choices, exercising, coping with stress and avoiding unhealthy behaviors are important to lifelong health and wellness . The timing for me was perfect, as Id had a challenging couple of weeks and had already noticed some early warning signs of stress. Smokers were 28% more likely to have high presenteeism than non-smokers. A means to maintain accountability for your mental health wellness plan, so you stick to the plan and do not stray from what you need to do to maintain your mental health wellness. Even the American Heart Association has completed an extensive review of the ability of wellness programs to improve health and reduce cardiovascular risk. Request clarification for workplace COVID-19 precautions and express your needs for safety. 4. This type of poor productivity is called presenteeism. Among the 22 different studies that looked at wellness programs and healthcare costs, the average return on investment was 3.27. Havinga supportive social network allows you to develop assertive skills and become comfortable with who you arein social situations. Emotional 5. Eating throughout the day to sustain energy. Often when our stress bucket is full, being asked to complete, what is essentially, a form can feel like just another task to tick off our to do list. The environmental wellness domain involves being able to be safe and feel safe. Without the impactof all the wellness programs in the world, obesity would be even worse than it currently is. Sitting down and putting an entire plan together all at once can seem overwhelming. I arrived at the meeting already aware that I was feeling under pressure and that my stress bucket was fuller than perhaps it is ordinarily. Be open to having conversations with people you are living around about how much time and space you need to be comfortable. You can read more about our Wellness Action Plan template here. Illness, injury, or other mental distractions are some of the most common causes of presenteeism. Other articles you might be interested in: Visit the HSE website for current news about mental health. Read more: A randomized clinical trial was designed to help people improve their nutrition and physical activity. If you spent your life researching the benefits of employee wellness programs, you would likely conclude that high employee morale, while almost impossible to evaluate, is an extremely important benefit of wellness. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. I will explain the components of WRAP and I strongly encourage each of you to formulate some type of WRAP for yourselves; all my support people and mental health team members have copies of this brief, but detailed document. Stay on track as you create a wellness plan. You can read more about the connections between worksite wellness and productivity in a previous blog. The need for social distancing, for some of us, can feel confusing and disconnecting, especially if a large part of our self-care has been social engagement. The most evident is living life while taking precautions, masked and medically protected by the vaccine, but it has left no domain of wellness untouched. Wellness programs that focus on helping employees have good health behaviors will eventually have an impact on productivity. Intellectual wellness encourages learning, inspires exploration, and stimulate curiosity. Employees who have high morale are significantly less likely to be absent from work. It was designed as a self-management and recovery system for persons coping with various physical and mental health challenges. It may involve prayer, meditation, yoga, living by certain principles, morals and faith. Poor health behaviors eventually lead to elevated health risks and chronic diseases. The route to spiritual wellness is something you must learn to master on your own. Understanding the relationship between your bodys physical health and mental health is crucial in order to develop a balanced physical wellness. Perhaps this is why many of the companies with outstanding wellness programs have dramatically better financial performance. A Staff Wellness Action Plan (SWAP) allows your program to be intentional and thoughtful about creating a workplace that values staff wellness, mental health, and physical health. Self-Care for Emotional Wellness: The emotional challenge of the last year and a half means that we are human with inner experiences. What does a bucket have to do with stress? This is another reason that doesnt have scientific research to back it up. It is beneficial for both personal life and career in terms of life goals and career goals. Particularly helpful for my current roles (and the couple of weeks Id been having) but also a great insight into and reflection of my previous work environments. Health behaviors include getting proper sleep, physical activity, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and moderate alcohol intake. There are over 50 papers that have looked at the connections between worksite wellness programs and reduced absenteeism. Strengthen social connections Social connections might help protect health and lengthen life. Find healthy eating resourceson campus. You might picture yourself walking around a . WRAP is a way of monitoring . Personal wellness is important because it has to do with the choices you make to thrive in your personal life. You just want the 7 reasons to have a wellness program right? There are a lot of factors that go into the decision to accept a job offer. The Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) was originally developed by Mary Ellen Copeland and a group of mental health service users who wanted to work on their own recovery - this is what they found worked for them and what helped them recover from their mental health difficulties. If you are fortunate enough to land a job at Microsoftyou will get an amazing Microsoft benefits package. I do it with a TreadmilL Desk. They like coming to work, they appreciate their employer, they work better with others, and they have high employee morale. Look for a religious faith that you agree with. Almost everyone of these return on investment (ROI) studies show a positive return on investment. Promoting learning, contemplation, and relaxation in natural places and spaces. Having the opportunity to talk through the points in my WAP with Tamsen was also really valuable, adding extra insight to the process. Purpose: assist individuals in identifying what makes them well and create a culture that encourages them to be active participants in their care How: creating and utilizing "Wellness Tools" Each client creates their own WRAP Booklet that fits in with their practical day to day . And stepping back periodically to remember that everything felt internally is valid and expected after going through so much. Dr. Aldana is the CEO of Wellsteps, a worksite wellness solution that leads the nation in wellness program deployment and engagement. First, you should know that there is a high degree of skepticism of many of the claims being made in the wellness industry. Not every wellness program is able to show positive results. Wellness programs are good at helping people adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Encouraging Healthy Behaviors. With an effective wellness program you will improve the lives of your employees and help drive the success of your organization. 2. Complaints will go up, the quality of your product or service will suffer, and problems will multiply because poor employee morale can be contagious. The 1,800 employees at this worksite reported their health behaviors at baseline, one year, and two years after the program began. Wellness programs may not help your employees reach a healthy body weight but it looks like they are helping your employees to stop gaining weight. This means that for every dollar that was spent on the program the company saved $3.27 because of reduced healthcare costs. Personal wellbeing plan. Self-esteem, self-control, and determination as a sense of direction; Creative and stimulating mental activities, and sharing your gifts with others; The National Wellness Institute devised three questions that can help persons and organizations assess the degree to which wellness is incorporated into a particular approach or program: Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery. 3. Youll get free wellness, free gym membership, onsite health clinics of every variety, and NO insurance premiumdoesnt that sound great? This guide shows what to consider. And if its not offered to you, Id ask why And if your manager wants to know more, you can direct them to us wed love to support them to support you better. Download. Filling yourself with a variety of nutrients andvitamins will not only help prevent illness, but will also keep your body functioning at its best. Wellness programs can also help alleviate depression and the symptoms of depression as well as improve life satisfaction. These activities should consistently be expanding your knowledge and skills and increasing your ability to share this with others. For Alyssa, practicing self-care reduces stress and increases clarity. Without these basic needs being fulfilled we could die or just suffer through life. However, I think this is great exercise to do even when youre not experiencing increased stress, as it helps you put strategies in place that will nip any potential stressors in the bud. New understanding of presenteeism has been revealed in recent research published by the journal Population Health Management. Furthermore, an action programme determines which resources are required to achieve ( SMART Goals) and . If you begin by mood charting, you will be better equipped to prepare a truly powerful, personal Bipolar Wellness Plan. The space to gather and be with others positively and safely while we are engaged in an activity or task underscores the importance of that very space. A well-curated self-care plan enhances your overall well-being. Find out by taking our quick Mental Health At Work Quiz This short quiz will take you through the six areas of work design that highlight the primary sources of stress at work that, when not managed well, are associated with poor mental health and can lead to increased absenteeism and presenteeism, resulting in reduced creativity, productivity and results. About the Counseling CenterSupporting DiversitySupporting a PeerGroup Therapy and SupportMeet our StaffCommunity ResourcesWellnessTraining Opportunities, 2000 North Parkway / Memphis, Tennessee 38112 / Know your Rights. Employees who didnt exercise very much were 50% more likely to have high presenteeism than employees who were regular exercisers. That sense of security reduces the potency of the anxiety. Here is the actual healthcare cost trend for this worksite. Steve, Great stuff Dr. Aldana. It is important to nurture your body by eating a well-balanced diet. The charity Mind have an example WAP template that you may find useful. A year ago, religious/spiritual practice pivoted dramatically as spiritual and religious communities began to offer services like preaching, prayer, and meditationeven hospital bedside visitsvirtually. It was energising too, because I know that the working conditions are such that I am enabled to bring my best self to my work, and that if, as inevitably will happen, I am not my best self, I have the tools to identify that (and people who will point it out to me if I dont), and the support I need to revisit the solutions that Ive identified in my WAP, to empty my stress bucket and return to my best self. If you get the opportunity to do this piece of work in your workplace, Id recommend you grab it with both hands. More than a year and a half ago, impacts to every aspect of student individual and relational wellness occurred in unprecedented ways due to the pandemic. Be curious. She said this is a gift for me it is permission, and almost an instruction, that if I spot any of the signs that we have discussed today, to talk to you about it, thank you I promise that I will. Packed with helpful insights. Having an outlet helps with all-around wellness.". Why create a SWAP? I found the conversation really useful and Tamsens contributions and openness really valuable. It legitimizes the program, which increases the likelihood of continued resources and support. However, wellness programs do have a strong impact on retention. The Four Major Dimensions of Recovery: Health: overcoming or managing one's disease(s) or symptoms, and making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being; Home: having a stable and safe place to live; Purpose: conducting meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income, and . Emotional wellness is defined as an acceptance of our emotions and feelings as valuable, and realistically being able to evaluate out limitations, working through problems in our relationships with others and ourselves and setting goals for emotional growth and development. Getting enough rest. Ten characteristics of a good action plan; 1.5 Involving children and others . The figure below shows how health risks such as excess body weight, elevated blood pressure, and high cholesterol increased the odds of having high presenteeism. Personnel is the most important asset in every organization. Rich benefits also have a powerful influence on retention, but a good wellness program can help keep employees loyal. Police Mental Health Support Is it time for something new? Source: Population Health Management article. The obesity epidemic is caused by a variety of cultural factors and helping employees lose weight has proven to be exceptionally difficult. Recently, the RAND study showed some promising results: If the focus of your wellness program is to help individuals reach and maintain a healthy body weight you should prepare yourself to be disappointed. Developing a Wellness Action Plan (WAP) can help employees to actively support their own mental health by reflecting on the causes of stress and poor mental health, and by taking ownership of practical steps to help address these triggers. Tamsen had asked me to complete the WAP template myself before we met and so I had scheduled some time in my diary that day to sit and do that. WRAP has five key principles: 1. 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Learning outcomes; 1.3 What is action planning? These studies are not easy to do, they require extremely complicated ROI analyses, and they take years to complete. Action plans provide a strong foundation to an individual, shaping the individual and paving . A Wellness Action Plan is a document that every employee - whether they have a mental health problem or not - can use to help them and their managers identify what keeps them well at work. Any wellness program that can reduce absenteeism will experience cost savings. Having Wellness Actions Plans in place for their team, can also help managers to start the conversation around mental health, as well as demonstrate a commitment to enabling positive wellbeing for the people in the organisation. Wellness programs are more popular than ever. Insomnia can noticeably impact social relationships, physical and emotional reactions, productivity, and our ability to concentrate and accomplish tasks. Maybe during such conversations, we pause if there is a strong emotional response, showing gratitude when we normally would just continue. They know when feel welcome and valued as important parts of the organization. The pandemic has underscored the ways in which our physical bodies carry not just general stress, but traumatic stress. This is perhaps the biggest benefit of having or reasons to have a wellness program. In this blog I share what I've learned. "There are countless benefits including increased energy, sense of purpose, better communication, and better sleep," she says. When done correctly, wellness programs give employees incentives, tools, social support, privacy, and strategies to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Maybe this would be a good time to consider attending culturally related conversations on campus. It is not going to make all your problems go away, but it is going to help you create a worksite culture of health. Intellectual wellness is the engagement in creative and mentally-stimulating activities. Examples of emotional wellness practice are engaging in supportive professional counseling, holistic self-care such as relaxation or meditation, managing stress and practicing effective emotional boundaries with ourselves and others. I dont know of any worksite that actively sought for the role of being disease prevention experts. The Role of Culture In Managing Mental Health In The Workplace, From Breakdown to Breakthrough Survival techniques. As a professor and CEO I've published 7 books and over 75 research articles on the impact of worksite wellness programs. Wellness Reviews, Comparisons, and Information | IntroWellness For every dollar they spent on wellness they saved $3.30. Choosing what your career will be is a very important life choice. Social whiplash from normal, to quarantine, to normal with masks, to quarantine, to who knows . Employees are happy when they have a sense of control over their lives and their health. Self-care plan: What it is and why it is important; 22 free self-care checklists; Use Process Street to devise an effective, personal, and printable self-care plan; Let's set a new trend, for a happier and healthier society. Reductions in elevated health risks are important. For all of us, it's important to stay aware of our mental health work, and a WAP can help with this. Slowing down if we feel more tired than usual. A wellness plan takes into consideration your mental, physical, spiritual, financial, professional, intellectual and environmental health. This mostly these included having clarity in my role, regular catch-ups, continued flexibility and coaching and support to develop things that tie in with the need for team support and connection that I had already identified. But after decades of scientists evaluating programs, we have an enormous amount of very solid data that show the benefits of corporate wellness programs. Yet there is not a single published study that shows that offering these benefits as any measurable effect on it worksites ability to recruit or maintain workers. Are you occupationally well? Once I was sat at the laptop with the WAP template open in front of me, it was actually much easier than I expected to go through and answer the questions. Wellness recovery action plans (WRAP), is a prevention and wellness process that anyone can use because it is self-designed by the individuals that are actually using it. When researchers looked at the results, they were stunned to learn that in as little as six weeks health risks could improve dramatically. Comprehensive worksite wellness programs that improve employee behaviors will see a bending of the healthcare cost trend. A wellness action plan is a program that is designed to help employees stay healthy and productive. adjusting your lifestyle. In simpler terms, spiritual wellness grants you balance. Employees with an unhealthy diet were 66% more likely to have high presenteeism than those who regularly ate whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. My simple answer that came straight to mind was just talk to me about it! It seemed insignificant to me, but for Tamsen, it was, in her own words a gift. Wellness is an active, lifelong process of becoming aware of choices and making decisions towards a more balanced and . Presenteeism is associated with poor health behaviors as well as elevated health risks and the presence of chronic disease. Prioritizing our emotional wellness may now mean that we go back to basics. In this stage, explore all possibilities, ask all involved or interested individuals for their input into identifying the problem. The key is to maintain healthy behaviors for years.
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