Workplace wellness is firmly in the spotlight, and for good reason. The last few years have seen a drastic increase in anxiety, depression, burnout, and exhaustion.
We’ve all been stressed at work and at home, and many people have simply run out of steam. Your people are important: they are the heart of your business. If your team is struggling, your business is likely to struggle. If you want your team culture to be positive, productive, and enjoyable, it’s vital to invest in their mental and physical well-being.
In this blog, we’ll share some of the best ways to boost team wellbeing and tell you about our favourite organic, raw, brain fuel foods so you can fuel your body and mind!
The Importance Of Workplace Wellbeing
Investing in the health of your employees is a direct investment in the health of your business. But beyond that, workplace health and safety are legal and moral requirements.
Happy, healthy people are less likely to take sick leave and more likely to show up for work feeling motivated and productive. Tired, distracted workers are more prone to making errors, which can lead to safety issues and accidents in the workplace.
Initiatives that support good brain function, sustainable focus and stamina, and mental and physical resilience are beneficial to your business. They help make your organisation a positive place to be, resulting in loyal employees, lower staff turnover, easier recruitment, and increased productivity.
How To Support Your Team’s Health And Wellness
Good health doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about getting enough sleep, eating a nutrient-rich, healthy diet, moving your body, and managing stress.
As an employer, there are numerous ways to help your team stay healthy. Here are some of our top tips:
● Encourage time off – don’t make it a badge of honour for your employees to finish the year
with all their holidays unused. Develop a culture where staff aren’t ashamed to need a sick
day and personal time off is prioritised, not punished.
● Talk to your team – mental health issues still come with stigmas, but it doesn’t have to be
that way. Normalise talking about mental wellness. Make it clear that professional support is
available. Most importantly, be available for your employees and ask them how they are
doing and what they need from you.
● Promote work-life balance – don’t expect people to stay late, answer emails after hours or
work weekends. Ask managers to model a balance between work and rest.
● Have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and discrimination.
● Prioritise health and safety.
● Make your workplace smoke-free (and provide support for those who want to quit.)
● Encourage movement – provide standing desks and have standing meetings, set up walking
groups during lunch breaks, offer subsidised exercise classes or gym memberships.
● Offer in-house massages, meditation classes, or other stress management initiatives.
● Provide healthy food and drink choices in the workplace and at work events.
What Are The Best Brain Fuel Foods?
We’ve all fallen victim to the 3 pm slump. Your brain becomes foggy, you lose focus, and you just feel like curling up for your nap. Most of the time, this lag in brain energy is down to diet.
What we eat has a significant impact on our focus, stamina, and productivity. Being the world’s most complex bio-computer, it’s no surprise that your brain requires a lot of fuel. It uses up 20% of your total oxygen intake, 20% of your cardiac output, and 25% of your total glucose expenditure!
Food has a definite effect on the health of your brain, and some foods are better than others! As a general rule, the less processed your food is, the better it is for your body and brain. Think whole foods, raw, organic, natural ingredients, and foods high in fibre and antioxidants.
Invest In Your Team’s Health With Our Wellbeing At Work Menu
Hosting a boardroom lunch? Celebrating team success with an afternoon snack or bonding together at an evening soiree? Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in the health and well-being of your employees.
The Free Range Chef offers a range of catering solutions for companies of all sizes across Auckland – and we can do better than a pizza shout or a few trays of soggy sandwiches!
Our Wellbeing at Work Menus takes advantage of all the clean, sustainable, local food here in New Zealand. And we know that healthy doesn’t have to mean bland and boring. We provide brain fuel foods that leave staff stimulated and energetic after their morning tea or lunch.
From delicious and nutritious breakfast smoothies and crunchy, filling, seasoned salads to plant-based offerings and a selection of sweet treats (without any added nasties) – we pack all the best brain fuel foods into your meals so you can take care of your employees as well as they take care of your business.