5 Questions to Focus Wellbeing at Work
“Wellbeing matters more now than ever before” - I’ve heard this phrase so many times in the last seven months (I’m even guilty of using it) but I actually disagree. Wellbeing has always mattered; it is just that people often need to experience a crisis to realise it. The Coronavirus Pandemic has created that crisis for many people, from bereavement, loss of work, financial difficulties, being furloughed or childcare issues, almost everyone has been challenged by the constant changes we are facing. Wellbeing doesn’t matter more now than before; it’s always been important, the difference is people are more open to focusing on it now than they were before. This is a change in tide that I welcome.
Crisis has a funny way of bringing things into focus and I believe this is what has happened for many people and businesses. I’ve been working with different sectors during the pandemic and have seen the shift to focusing on wellbeing not just to enhance performance but out of true compassion and empathy and I wholeheartedly welcome this shift.
When leaders shift their focus to the wellbeing of their staff, performance increases as a positive side effect. This is because people who feel happy, supported and connected tend to become more resilient to change, innovate more readily, set goals and work towards them and become more engaged in their work making them more productive. During times of crisis and uncertainty that we are currently experiencing proactive wellbeing strategies are essential to support people before they reach crisis point. Workplaces are ideally placed to support people both personally and professionally with their wellbeing. One size does not fit all with any psychological intervention but there are important areas to recognise and address. A classic model on Wellbeing and Flourishing - PERMA (Seligman, 2011) - provides a great starting point to evaluate peoples needs and provide a focus for wellbeing initiatives.
I’ve introduced lots of businesses to the PERMA model, often with the added H for Health. PERMAH encourages people to question six areas of their life and find new ways to boost each one. As a coach and consultant I’m prone to asking questions as much as telling people what they ‘should’ be doing. So here are six questions for you to consider to improve your wellbeing - one for each of the PERMAH categories:
1. Which positive emotions do you experience regularly?
2. What activities are you so engaged in that you lose a sense of time, in or out of work?
3. Think of a positive relationship in your life - What is important about it?
4. Where in your life do you find meaning?
5. What have you accomplished/achieved this year – in or out of work?
6. What do you do to support your sleep, nutrition and exercise routines?
Just reflecting on these questions may highlight areas you’d like to focus on. For individuals, coaching can be a powerful tool to support you to move forward or chatting things through with a trusted friend. Sometimes it’s the smallest changes we make that have the biggest impact.
When we work with organisations to focus on wellbeing we encourage them to focus on PERMAH at work based around the question: Does the culture in your organisation allow people to experience each of the PERMAH categories regularly?
I love hearing what tools business are using to support wellbeing and whether they feel wellbeing is part of the culture of their business so please comment and share your thoughts or get in touch directly. Feel free to send me a message either on LinkedIn or email: clare@goldcresttraining.com