Picture source: Human Resources Director AU
Finding interesting or enjoyable work is extremely important, especially since many of us spend most of our time working. Occupational wellness is one of the eight dimensions of wellness that contribute to overall health and wellness, and it is defined as preparing for and participating in work that provides personal satisfaction and life enrichment that is consistent with your values, goals, and lifestyle. Occupational wellness is the ability to achieve a balance between work and leisure in a way that promotes health, a sense of personal satisfaction and is (for most people) financially rewarding. A person who is doing exactly what they want to do in life and feels comfortable and satisfied with their work and leisure plans is in a healthy working state. Our attitudes and ability to effectively manage work, school, and career goals greatly influence our happiness, performance, interactions with others, and overall success.
Want to improve your productivity? Here are five suggestions for cultivating occupational wellness at your work:
1. Disconnect from work when you’re not at work
Burnout is the result of unhealthy boundaries. To avoid burnout, turn off your work email and phone after work hours. Everyone needs space and time to recharge after work, and it's hard to completely disconnect when you get reminders about work.
2. Take Breaks
Taking a few minutes away from your desk in the middle of the workday or for a few days away from the office is important to prevent burnout. Short breaks throughout the day can improve creativity, concentration, and information retention. Longer rest periods also provide additional benefits, such as reduced risk of death and coronary heart disease. Whether you plan to take a vacation or not, commit to yourself to take regular time off.
3. Work smarter, not harder
Improving your time management skills can help you complete work within a reasonable time frame. To assess your current workload, make a list of all your job responsibilities. Next, identify the tasks that are draining your energy and see if there's a way to find support for those tasks. If that's not an option, try doing these strenuous tasks in the morning. We're most productive in the morning, and completing dreaded tasks as early as possible keeps us from procrastinating, which leads to unnecessary anxiety and stress.
4. Improve your communication skills
This may involve learning to ask for help or say no. Stress and burnout at work often stem from a tendency to please people, which can cause us to overcommit and have trouble asking for help. You may want to consider restrictions regarding the following: working for someone else, working outside of designated work hours, taking on additional responsibilities that are not in your job description, spending time with coworkers outside of work hours, participating in conversations gossiping at the office, using your paid time off, responding to emails or text messages outside of designated work hours, working without breaks, talking about inappropriate topics at work, being questioned about their personal lives or performing unpaid work. It's essential to set these boundaries as early as possible, because the more you seem to handle, the more work you'll have to handle.
5. Ask for what you need
If you don't ask, the answer is always no. Other people don't always have our best interests at heart, so we have to protect ourselves. Even if you're not sure whether your request can be met, just ask. Do you want the flexibility to work from home two days a week? Ask. Want to spend a Friday without meetings? Ask. Would you like to be compensated more? Ask.
Source : Embodied Wellness Center
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