Being well and working well means more than eating better and exercising. It’s about everyday behaviours and intentional habit-forming that fuels 6 core pillars of wellbeing: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, financial and social needs - which create a positive feedback loop on performance, fulfilment and engagement. Here are some of the healthiest habits for building an element of routine into the new world of variety.
As teams return to the office, how can we ensure that the needs of all individuals within an organisation are met, after yet another shift in the way that we work?
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The doors to the office of the future have officially re-opened and a new model appears to have come out on top. The flexible hybrid workspace is bridging the best of both worlds for companies and employees alike. Businesses are finding that a hybrid office reduces overheads and offers greater adaptability, while offering employees greater work-life balance and choice.
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Being well and working well means more than eating better and exercising. It’s about everyday behaviours and intentional habit-forming that fuels 6 core pillars of wellbeing: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, financial and social needs - which create a positive feedback loop on performance, fulfilment and engagement. Here are some of the healthiest habits for building an element of routine into the new world of variety.
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Hybrid Habits
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Whether choosing to work remotely or venture into the office, finding ways to stay connected can bring a greater sense of camaraderie and shared vision during times of rapid disruption and change. This can mean leveraging the best of technology to stay in tune with the wider ecosystem and maintain relationships from wherever you may be. Having a remote work mentorship program during times of transition can help employees feel comfortable and improve their levels of concentration and engagement.
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X+why have created a community of purpose-driven businesses on a mission to change the way the world works for good. Many employees found working from home full-time during the pandemic isolating, with some negative knock-on effects on mental health. As more companies adopt the hybrid approach to returning to the office, the popularity of local co-working spaces has boomed, regenerating communities closer to home and providing individuals with a source of support, connection, innovation and inspiration.
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When it comes to improving office practices, make a habit of keeping meetings concise, and avoid clogging up calendars with unnecessary arrangements. Projects usually take as much time as is in the schedule or more - rarely less. Some managers recommend standing during meetings, especially shorter ones, to both keep meetings on topic and to the point, as well as to break up the long periods of sitting during the day.
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Wellbeing That Works
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Co-working spaces such as x+why are designed with employee wellbeing in mind. This is because we know that when we feel better, we do better. We’ve also partnered with x+why member Betterspace, who offer personalised programmes for breaking and building habits that encourage healthier, holistic lifestyles.
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When it comes to working well, it’s important to remember to take sufficient breaks and carve out time to exercise or rest your mind. Productivity hacks such as the Pomodoro Technique are a great way of improving focus by breaking tasks up into 20, 30 or 60 minute stints or sprints and allowing for 10-20 minute breaks in-between. Minimise your screen time and use it with more intention. Start by questioning what you’re looking at on social media: keep your feed focused on things that bring you joy, encouragement, knowledge or just a good laugh.
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If working remotely, signing up to work in this way using a physical or virtual group can also be a great way of making sure that the distinct work and pause windows are respected, allowing for socialising, discussion and feedback in-between. Working from home can also mean that the boundaries between work and home life become increasingly blurred, so it’s important to acknowledge the separation by being more disciplined about set hours, setting aside certain spaces for work, and practicing good sleep hygiene.
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Studies also show that people who practice gratitude consistently report greater physical, emotional and social well-being. So when you’re at work, why not make a habit of thanking your team members each day, or pass along some happiness with random acts of kindness. Improving emotional fitness also means strengthening active listening skills, celebrating small wins more often instead of focusing on failures, and periodically checking in with yourself - are you tense, taking short and shallow breaths, rushing or clenching your jaw? Simply remembering to stimulate your vagus nerve by slowing down to breathe can make a quick difference to your mindset and output.
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Financial Fitness
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People often forget that looking after our greater wellbeing also involves honing in on healthier financial habits. A simple way to budget, plan and track spending is to use a cost-efficient app such as Emma. There’s a lot to keep in mind when it comes to saving for your future, so for more complicated topics, talking to a financial coach could help you to develop a strategy for saving money and investing wisely. There’s also no shortage of books, podcasts and financial experts to learn from.
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Paying your bills on time and keeping your credit card balances to less than half the limit on the card can help improve your credit score. Make a habit of keeping an eye on your billing statements instead of hiding your head in the sand. And if you have debt, look for strategic ways to pay it off like paying down the highest debt first.
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Another practice to incorporate is a regular spending fast or detox. Whether it’s one day or 10, stop spending money on the non-essentials for a few days at a time and only allow yourself to buy the things you need. As well as surprising yourself with how much money you save, it will also reinstate that feeling of gratitude for the little extras you usually get without thinking - even something simple like taking away a morning cup of coffee.
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Curated For Culture
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Building healthy habits into the core of the companies culture helps employees to make wellbeing a priority by providing them with the space and resources they need for change and growth. Company culture also builds resilience and purpose through a shared vision and common goal. While connection and communication are important components of a culture of change, it’s also necessary to make a habit of respecting work-life boundaries by avoiding emails outside of work hours or at weekends. If an organisation's culture promotes working excessively long hours, working during personal time and generally putting work ahead of personal needs, these burnout-inducing habits can be difficult to break.
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Positive employee engagement is generated when people feel that they are of value, supported and that their work is meaningful - which develops our greater psycho-spiritual needs. This is our personal compass and source of motivation, which comes from aligning our innate core values with a greater purpose. For many people, uncovering these true values and developing such skills is an on-going process as opposed to an event. However they can be better built through being intentional about daily goals, reflecting on your ‘why’ and fostering an attitude of life-long learning.
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A positive culture that values all staff and invests in their skills and development builds the trust and integrity essential to maintain commitment and productivity levels. Giving staff development opportunities can be done in a cost-effective way by using skills and knowledge within the organisation to develop coaching, learning, training and apprenticeship opportunities.
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Habitually Holistic
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As well as positively building good habits both inside and outside of work, it’s also helpful to know which habits to break. Rather than saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity, consider your values and purpose to make a conscious decision about what you do and don’t need to do or be a part of. Understand what is important to you and use it to filter through opportunities and tasks, allowing you to prioritise, hone in on and seek out those that connect to something personally meaningful.
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Each quarter, make a list of your current voluntary activities and involvement at work and in your personal life. Think about which ones fulfil you and which ones drain or stress you. For those not meaningful to you, consider transitioning one of the other activities to something else that contributes to your sense of purpose. On your next project, make sure that its greater purpose is clear; if not, ask why it is important and what role it will play in achieving broader project, team or practice goals. Make a habit of talking about ‘why’ with your team.
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It’s important to remember that growth isn’t linear, and that stressing about failing to adhere to strict habits can be counter-productive. Taking care of ourselves holistically should always feel nourishing and enjoyable, rather than punishing or another thing that we ‘have to do’. So picking out a few key categories and habits at a time and focusing on those, before rotating as needs be, can be more helpful than trying to implement everything at once. As the 6 pillars are closely tied together, it’s often the case that when focusing on just one or two things at a time, the rest will fall into place more naturally as time progresses.
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