Charlie Mayfield’s recent Get Britain Working report got a lot of press around its message that employers need to do more to ensure we have a healthy workforce.
For many employers, already feeling financial pressures from recent changes in wage structure and taxation, it felt like another added pressure.
But what received less attention in the report was the message about the role that employers should play in fostering a culture of self-care among their employees.
The case for self-care at work
For some reason, we have become a society in which people think that so many of our struggles should be dealt with by someone else, and in the workplace, it’s often the employer.
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Covid created a lot of this attitude. The unprecedented event required the government to step in and provide support for people to secure their jobs, their homes and their health. For companies and the country to prosper, we need everyone contributing and asking, “What do I need to do to ensure I can be productive at work? What is my role in helping my company succeed?”
Encouraging staff to take responsibility for self-care in the workplace empowers them to consider their own health and wellbeing needs. It ensures that productive staff and reduced absenteeism are a focus for everyone within an organisation, not just management.
Understanding what recharges different people
In my experience, asking people what works for them is an effective way of engaging them in their own health and wellbeing. Explaining to them that we all have different needs helps people understand that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. An extrovert who thrives on spending time with people has completely different needs from an introvert who needs time away from people to decompress and recharge.
I often use an analogy of a bucket full of energy and a feeling of wellbeing. The bucket becomes depleted by things people find draining — certain work tasks, relationships, commuting, financial pressures, family demands. If the bucket gets too depleted, people become exhausted, get sick and struggle with their mental health, often leading to poor productivity and time off work.
To avoid that happening, people need to be encouraged to refill their bucket with things they find energising, rewarding and life-affirming, both during the workday and outside working hours.
Practical ways staff can look after their wellbeing
For some, it may be a run in the sunshine; for others, a warm bath at the end of the day. Some enjoy a lunchtime walk with a colleague, while others would rather find a quiet space to hunker down with a book. The list is endless, but here are five things that hopefully provide food for thought for discussions with employees around self-care.
Paws for thought
We had a member of staff who wanted a dog but thought the logistics were too complicated and expensive. We encouraged her to try Borrow My Doggy, a website that connects people who own dogs with those who are happy to look after them for a weekend or a few days.
Having had Tigger the cockapoo for a few weekends and a week while the owners went on holiday, she was more convinced than ever that a dog was life-enhancing. So when she got Jeff the corgi, we worked with her using our Pets at Work policy to create a situation where she could bring Jeff into the office one day a week. It won’t work for all businesses but there are other options around walking a neighbour’s dog or spending time at an animal rescue charity that may be feasible.
Indoor plants and gardening
Another member of our team loved gardening but lived in a small flat with no outdoor space. We gave her a small budget and responsibility for the indoor plants at one of our clinics. This allowed her to flex her green fingers regularly and create a calmer and more welcoming space for staff and clients.
Company book group
One of our readers started a company book group to nurture her love of reading, help develop this joy in others and build relationships among our teams. They met regularly online but also tried to sort out face-to-face meetings for more effective engagement.
Pilates
I do a regular weekly Pilates session, an hourly session that allows me to reconnect my brain and my body. It lets me focus on how my body feels and empty my mind of the ever-present to-do list.
Lunch breaks
Many staff have lunch al-desko. The choice of food is often not the healthiest and many are not focused on what they’re eating, so they may overeat. Additionally, time outside away from their desk gives them an opportunity for some fresh air and natural light. Many say they need to eat at their desk to keep on top of their workload. This opens a conversation about the value of regular work breaks and more effective productivity. I’ve found people often need permission to take a break and step away from work.
People value being given responsibility. It gives them autonomy to influence their working life, including their enjoyment and engagement. As managers, employers and business owners, we seem to have become afraid of asking people to take responsibility for themselves and feel the pressure to manage everything.
To quote Charlie Mayfield: “Everyone gains if we can keep Britain working. Achieving that will require a new deal — one where employers, employees and government each play their part.”
As employers, we cannot carry the entire responsibility for wellbeing — nor should we. Our role is to create the environment, the support and the permission. The individual’s role is to engage, reflect and act. If we can strike that balance, we create not only healthier workplaces, but stronger, more resilient organisations.
Claire Small
Claire Small is the Chief Clinical Officer and Co-founder of Pure Sports Medicine. As well as delivering expert Physiotherapy programmes from Pure Sports Medicine’s Kensington Clinic, Claire is also an Honorary Lecturer and Examiner at Queen Mary University of London, Invited Lecturer at UCL and Kings College in London and University of Bath, and a national and international lecturer on manual therapy, spinal, hip, and pelvic pain. Claire’s written career includes being a journal reviewer for Manual Therapy and Physical Therapy in Sport, and The British Journal of Sports Medicine.
