Modern leaders understand that healthy workplace culture isn’t just a passing trend and that improving workplace culture is a smart long-term investment.  Workplace culture is the single most important factor in determining a company’s success (or failure). This is especially true when it comes to employee health and well-being, where a negative culture may destroy even the best-designed programs.

Workplace well-being refers to how our work life, including our tasks, stress levels, and work environment (wherever that may be!), influences our general health and happiness, both at work and at home. It’s about how our work life can affect our emotions and mental health, as well as physical health effects from work, such as poor deck setups and back problems, or eye strain from a screen.

Positive workplace health may assist us in reaching our full potential, being productive and creative every day, building solid relationships with our coworkers, and managing any stress that arises.

Having a workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being isn’t simply the right thing to do; it’s also the smart thing to do.

Mental fitness

Workplace mental health is a more widely discussed concept than ever thanks to the pandemic and how it has changed global attitude toward work. Leaders and teams are not only taking well-being more seriously, but they are also taking a more proactive approach to mental health. That method is known as mental fitness,’ and incorporating it into organizational culture is all about focusing on the ‘inner game.’ That involves instilling mental resilience in every employee so that they can succeed in the face of ever-changing working obstacles. This is more difficult than it appears because it entails caring for something that cannot be seen.

Decades of science suggest a handful of simple interventions that can have a real impact on building the mental health of the team.

• Encourage a sense of shared meaning and purpose.

Many people believe that burnout is caused by overwork, however, scientific evidence shows that this is not the case. One of the most significant causes of burnout is a lack of understanding of why you do what you do. Giving employees a clear understanding of their function and how their work fits into the wider business strategy and goals can assist prevent burnout.

One of the most effective ways for leaders to improve their staff’s mental fitness is to ensure that managers communicate the logic behind their decisions.

• Encourage inner work

Defining, delegating, and ensuring that their teams complete their tasks is a crucial component of any manager’s job. That isn’t the same as ensuring that staff is available for work at all times. Neuroscience tells us that people are more creative and effective when they build “whitespace” into their days for reflection and rejuvenation. I call this “inner work”: Mental acts or activities focused on your inner world to achieve a purpose or result. Rather than discouraging these “slack” periods, leaders should normalize and role model utilizing them thoughtfully.

• Make meaningful social connections.

Loneliness is one of the most significant risk factors for mental illness that we are aware of. When you’re lonely, you’re more prone to stress, worry, and sadness.

Leaders may aid in the reduction of social isolation and the development of mental fitness by viewing the workplace as a place to establish community. Meaningful initiatives don’t have to be difficult. Managers can simply begin meetings with brief check-ins in which participants convey whatever mood they’ve brought into the office.

This simple grounding exercise takes only a few minutes and fosters social support and friendship. People feel more connected, loyal, and satisfied with their work if they do it once a day, which improves mental health and performance.

• Encourage people to take breaks and vacations.
• Find ways to have fun as a team
• Lead by example. Be seen as honest, fair, and respectful. Praise good work, be a coach and mentor, support people’s professional development, and take care of your own mental health.
• one of the ways to improve mental health is to improve physical health.

Physical health

It can be difficult for people to fit active lifestyles into their daily routines. This is where team leaders, managers, and other company decision-makers come in. With their help and initiative, employees across the globe could be given increased access to physical health wellness activities and benefits.

One of the many benefits of employee physical health is increased productivity. Physical health is positively correlated with higher levels of concentration, increased mental stamina, reduced levels of stress, improved learning and sharper memory, and improved levels of focus and creativity.

Another benefit of physical health in the workplace is employees who lead healthy lifestyles and exercise regularly take fewer sick days.

A long-term commitment to exercise can also decrease prolonged absenteeism, as it reduces the chances of workers suffering from non-acute muscular and ligament-related pain inside or outside of the workplace. physical exercise is it has been found to elevate mood, which leads to increased employee happiness, increases self-confidence levels, and much-needed energy boosts. In fact, exercise doesn’t only create positive feelings but can also help reduce or eliminate negative ones such as stress, burnout, and tension. When provided with a short break during the day to exercise, employees are given the chance to increase blood flow, clear the mind, let off steam, and have some fun. All of this can translate into a better, more productive working environment.

How to promote physical fitness in the workplace

• Promote healthy lifestyles at the office by posting and syndicating information about sports activities and events. Providing workers with health screenings and having healthy snacks and fruit around for people to take can also be beneficial.
• Having on-site facilities that encourage fitter lifestyles even a space where someone can go to stretch, practice yoga, and meditate can be helpful.
• Subsidize your team’s gym memberships
• Create fun incentives and challenges
• Participate in local sports leagues and events
• Encouraging fitness through the power of technology can be an extremely effective way to get people moving. From wearable tech to apps, there are now hundreds of ways to provide fitness through digital means.