Caring for One Another in an Ecosystem of Wellness
This week, the National Safety Council encourages us to support total worker wellbeing through the lens of mental, physical, and emotional health. The theme captures our approach to holistic health at UG2, which acknowledges the interconnectedness of the many factors, internal and external, affecting our wellbeing.
In an ecosystem, a change to any one element impacts the whole environment. The same is true of wellness: the different factors that keep us well and healthy are interrelated and influence one another.
When Wellness Takes a Hit
We all find ourselves in the occasional situation when we are not at our best or feel over our heads. Maybe we’ve been caring for an ill family member, dealing with an interpersonal conflict, or facing an unexpected car or home repair. While navigating these difficulties, we might also skip meals, become dehydrated, or become more socially isolated, compounding the impact.
Now imagine we encounter an unsafe condition in the spaces where we live, work, shop, drive, or play. Our equilibrium is already off, making us more vulnerable to the less-than-ideal safety situation. And, consequentially, that vulnerability makes those around us more vulnerable too.
At UG2, we understand that people bring their whole selves to work, and we know that supporting our employees’ wellness takes many forms. Here are just a few of the ways we promote health for the whole person:
Encouraging self-awareness and normalizing check-ins. Just like other safety practices, making wellness a priority takes effort and intention. It helps to normalize check-ins, as we do with safety reviews and reminders, and to incorporate language around wellness into routine conversations. The interpersonal aspect of promoting wellness can’t be underestimated. Encouraging our peers and coworkers to get adequate breaks, fresh air, hydration, and social connection are critical ways of promoting holistic health. They are also the elements of wellness that easily fall by the wayside when we are overextended—just when we need them most.
Sharing tips, resources, and expert insights. Articles like this one lay out stress reduction strategies you might have heard before, like breathing exercises, as well as some research-backed anxiety interrupters that might be new to you, such as relaxing your eyes, noticing your peripheral vision, and looking toward the horizon. (Experts say pausing to engage your vision in this way can calm your nervous system by signaling that your environment is safe.) Sharing proven strategies is another key way of acknowledging, normalizing, and advancing the importance of wellness.
Building company-wide practices and making a tradition of them. At UG2, for example, we understand the research-backed benefits of practicing gratitude, and participation in our annual gratitude practice has grown every year along with the company. We also incorporate wellness into the offerings of our industry-leading Training & Innovation Lab. Just recently, we brought in a sleep expert who came to prominence training first responders. Dozens of UG2 employees attended his talk for insights on understanding our sleep cycles and leveraging that knowledge for better health.
The interconnected nature of wellness doesn’t just mean that all parts of our lives contribute to our wellbeing. It also means that every one of us is part of a larger wellness ecosystem: our employees, but also our customers and their employees and customers, as well as their visitors, guests, and contractors, and partners, and anyone entering their space. Just as safety practices in our facilities have a ripple effect, the health and wellness of any one of us can have consequences for others.
The upside of this reality is that strategies that promote the wellness of individuals also contribute to the greater good. That makes supporting worker wellness a win-win for everyone.