employee wellbeing Archives - Business Health Matters

Boosting Workplace Productivity Through Nutrition: Fuelling Your Body for Success

Posted on May 30, 2023August 24, 2023 by Gemma Avery

Introduction

Are you tired of feeling sluggish and unproductive at work? Do you find yourself reaching for a third cup of coffee just to get through the morning? Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at what you’re putting into your body. Nutrition plays a crucial role in our energy levels, focus, and overall health. So, let’s explore some simple ways to boost workplace productivity through nutrition. From healthy snacks to mindful meal planning, we’ve got you covered.

Start Your Day with a Balanced Breakfast

We’ve all heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But it’s true! Skipping breakfast can lead to low blood sugar, which can contribute to a lack of focus and energy, which leads to snacking. To ensure you’re fuelling your body properly, try incorporating complex carbohydrates like whole grain bread, oatmeal, quinoa, or protein-rich foods like eggs, nuts, or yoghurt. This will keep your blood sugar stable and your energy levels consistent throughout the morning.

Also, try substituting a big glass of water for coffee when you wake up. Yes, coffee has that magic caffeine we all crave, but after sleeping for hours, your body needs water more than a caffeine boost.

Fuel Up with Healthy Snacks

Ever find yourself reaching for a bag of crisps or chocolate bars when the mid-afternoon slump hits? Snacking on unhealthy foods can leave you feeling more tired than before. So, opt for snacks that provide sustained energy and help keep your focus sharp. Think nuts, seeds, dried fruits and veggies. They are packed with antioxidants, fibre and healthy fats. All of these will help stabilise your blood sugar levels and give you the boost you need to finish the day strong.

Remember – when you get a hunger pang, it’s often a sign that your body is dehydrated and wants water. So, think water, not Walkers!

Stay Hydrated

As mentioned a few times, water is the key to healthy living. Your brain is about 80% water, so it’s no surprise your thinking gets a bit foggy when you’re dehydrated.

Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, and brain fog. So, ensure you drink enough water throughout the day to stay hydrated and focused. Aim for a minimum of two litres of water per day. And don’t cheat by including cups of tea or soft drinks in that number!

Mindful Meal Planning

Planning ahead can save you time, money, and stress. By taking a little time each week to plan your meals, you can ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need to feel your best.

Deciding what to have for lunch while you’re standing in Tesco’s staring at the sausage rolls can be stressful and anxiety-inducing. However, meal prepping is one of the best ways to make sure you eat well during the workday. It takes all the decision-making away from you. Plus, let’s face it, getting healthy food while you’re out and about is almost impossible. But, in only half an hour on a Sunday evening, you could prep all your lunches for the week.

Cut Back on Sugar and Processed Foods

Sugar and processed foods can wreak havoc on our energy levels, mood, and overall health. They cause your blood sugar to spike and then plummet, making you sleepy. So you have some more to wake you up again. And so on.

Breaking the sugar cycle is hard, but focus on whole foods like fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. You’ll find those peaks and troughs start to smooth out fairly quickly.

In Short

By making a few simple tweaks to your diet, you can fuel your body for success and boost your productivity at work. Try incorporating balanced breakfasts, healthy snacks, and mindful meal planning and prepping into your routine. Finally, cut back on sugar and processed foods. Your body will thank you!

For more information about boosting workplace nutrition in your workplace, simply get in touch to find out more about our unique Workplace Wellbeing Programme.

Overcoming Lancashire’s Ageing Labour Crisis

Posted on October 27, 2022October 27, 2022 by Mike Rhodes

We are exploring ways to support local businesses to encourage older workers back into employment and prevent the rising numbers of people out of work or ‘economically inactive’, following recent data released by Office for National Statistics.

Multigenerational factory workers on their coffee break. Highlighting the benefits of preventing older workers from becoming economically inactive.

The Centre for Ageing Better has identified that over 330,000 more workers aged 50-64 are now ‘economically inactive’ than before the first outbreak of COVID-19.

Whilst some employment levels for younger employees have recovered and overall unemployment rates recently fell to the lowest level since 1974, the Office for National Statistics has shared data that shows a concerning 2.2% increase in people aged 50-64 who are not in work or not looking for work, since before the start of the pandemic.

And here in Lancashire, the number of economically inactive individuals continues to rise. Since 2020, there are an additional 33,000 working-age individuals no longer in work or looking for work, an increase of 17.4% and now representing a quarter of the whole working age population in the county (Lancashire Skills Hub, 2022).

Worryingly, we are now seeing those aged 50-64 years old making up a large proportion of this economic inactive population. 93,000 out of the 302,000 50-64 years old are now economically inactive.

So, what can Lancashire businesses do to combat the rising figures? And how can they continue to benefit from the skills and experience held by our older workers?

As recommended by the Centre for Ageing Better, businesses can seek support on how to recruit, retain and support workers in their 50s and 60s and tap into the invaluable role older workers can play in boosting growth and productivity. Dr Emily Andrews, Deputy Director for Work at the organisation said:

“Businesses benefit from having a multigenerational workforce and in this challenging recruitment climate, finding the hires needed in the underused pool of older workers makes perfect sense.”

It is also key that Lancashire businesses support existing older employees in the workplace. Paul Blythin, Project Lead for Business Health Matters, added: “A challenge that some of our older employees can face is a decline in their health, which can lead to long-term conditions and result in economic inactivity. We’re urging Lancashire businesses to support their employees, particularly those over 50, with annual checks on their physical and mental health so that early prevention can be put into place.”

“Due to the rate of those over 50 and not in work in Lancashire, we have worked to source funding from Innovate UK to part-fund a workplace health check service so it is affordable to as many businesses as possible, with our checks costing just £60 per employee.”

The Business Health Matters health checks have been developed by Active Lancashire, the University of Central Lancashire’s School of Medicine and Lancashire Mind to offer an affordable and comprehensive health check service to businesses of all sizes across Lancashire.

To find out more about what’s included, please click here and to get in touch with our team and start your journey to improving workplace health, please click here.

Further information on the Lancashire Skills Hub research: https://www.lancashireskillshub.co.uk/our-people/evidence-base/

Business Health Matters Reaches New Milestone for Lancashire Businesses

Posted on June 15, 2022August 19, 2022 by Mike Rhodes

We are proud to announce that we have now trained over 100 employees from Lancashire-based businesses as part of our Workplace Health Champion programme.

Tanya, a workplace health champion tutor from our partners in South Ribble Borough Council, presents Level 2 certificates to newly qualified champions from local businesses.

Part of Active Lancashire, the strategic lead for sport and physical activity in Lancashire, and funded by the European Social Fund, Business Health Matters has developed this training programme in response to the rising challenges and concerns over employee health and wellbeing, increased levels of work-related stress, greater numbers of absence due to poor health and the prominent mental health concerns within organisations of all industries.

“The Workplace Health Champion Level 2 Training was extremely useful as a Manager,”
Donna Marshall, Deputy CEO & Partnership Manager at Selnet.

“The learning and group discussion brought about lots of ideas on how we can make our workplace a happier and healthier one. I’m looking forward to putting in place some new schemes with support of our other Health Champions.”
Donna Marshall, Deputy CEO & Partnership Manager at Selnet.

The newly trained workplace health champions, now equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge, can use their unique understanding of their own organisation to identify what their team needs. Whether it is forming a lunchtime walking group or putting individuals through their mental health first aid, the champions have the ability to address the specific challenges their business faces when it comes to wellbeing in the workplace.

Danielle Steenbergen, Salon Manager at the Salon at Maxy Farm, was one of the first businesses to take advantage of the training.

“I think the impact of the programme on businesses in Lancashire could be huge. Offering opportunities like this will not only help people become healthier, but also shows employees that you care about them as a whole person, not just as employees.”
Danielle Steenbergen, Salon Manager at the Salon at Maxy Farm.

As the community of workplace health champions grows, the more we will see organisations waking up to the new pandemic of poor wellbeing and looking for opportunities to support their staff and boost the health of their workforce. With this emerging network of individuals advocating better health and sharing their experiences, organisations can begin to tap into what is affecting their workers and draw from the successes of others to shape the future of Lancashire’s wellbeing.

To find out more about the workplace health champions training, contact the Business Health Matters team on 01772 299838.

For further contact information, click here.

Four Ways To Build Mental Resilience In Your Team

Posted on May 18, 2022August 19, 2022 by Mike Rhodes

How do you feel when things go wrong at work?

How do your employees react when a stressful situation arises?

Throughout our lives, we all face periods of high stress. In a work setting, this could be internal conflict, the loss of a major client or an extremely busy period. How do your employees react in these situations? Over three quarters (79%) of workers in the UK state they have experienced burnout, with increased work pressures and mental health challenges being the main causes for stress and fatigue.

Businesses are constantly looking for ways to support colleagues through stressful periods so that they can bounce back from challenges and remain in work.

Resilience is often defined as adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress (American Psychological Association, 2014). This varies from person to person and it’s essential to remember we all have our own response to stressful situations. Other contributing factors can often affect our levels of mental resilience and it’s really important to be empathetic as a leader and consider the external influences when supporting your employees.

No one can be mentally tough all of the time, however as employers, you can provide the setting, policies and support to your team members so that they can develop their own mental resilience. The time spent fostering a more mentally-resilient team now pays off tenfold in the future, so we’re sharing four ways you can start to nurture employee resilience:

Identify triggers – Each employee will have their own ‘triggers’ in the workplace. Ensuring that mistakes are not punished or discussed in a group setting can help stop the development of a trigger. For existing triggers, it’s a good idea to identify these and talk to employees about them, to create a plan of how to respond when triggers occur. Reframing triggering situations into challenges often helps employees see them as opportunities for growth, removing some elements of fear and the risk of a fight or flight response. Our partners at Lancashire Mind offer a wealth of training to help get started with this: https://www.businesshealthmatters.org.uk/projects/wellbeing-packages/
Support systems – Each organisation is unique, however ensuring that there are supportive pathways in place for employees is essential in every business, especially in times of adversity. This can be ensuring that there is some form of HR support, internal or external, and a clear channel for colleagues to speak to HR staff. Introducing a ‘buddy’ scheme in the workplace can also provide a safe space for conversation and allow others to offer resolutions that an employee may not have thought of. A problem shared is a problem halved!
Set SMART targets – By agreeing on clear, tangible and achievable targets, employees know what is expected of them in work and can break down their targets into smaller steps, which helps alleviate the risk of feeling overwhelmed. Regularly checking in with employees on their targets, at a rate that works for them, helps employees develop resilience as the smaller bumps along the way are worked through together, with your support.
Physical health – encouraging employees to take care of themselves outside of the working environment is key to building healthier and more resilient teams. Introducing wellbeing breaks and outdoor activities (such as a lunchtime walking group or team activity) allows employees to take a break and come back with a focused, renewed energy to tackle their work. To help with this, why not encourage one of your employees to become a Workplace Health Champion for your business? Our free, ESF-funded training means you’ll have someone in the team who drive internal initiatives, encourage your staff to get active and help promote a healthier working environment.

If you’d like help getting started with your team’s wellbeing and learn more on how to build their mental resilience, we’d love to help.

Get in touch!

Made in Lancashire, for Lancashire businesses!

Posted on May 4, 2022August 19, 2022 by Mike Rhodes

Lancashire is the proud home of the hotpot, the UK’s first motorway and is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Today, the rolling hills of the Pennines are the backdrop to bustling towns, full of passionate people and innovative businesses who are proud to call the red rose County their home.

However, local employers are reporting rising levels of stress and a disproportionate number of working-age individuals are not in work, compared to the rest of the UK. Approximately 200,000 people in the county are economically inactive, with almost a third of these on long-term sick (Nomis, 2021). This presents a rising challenge to Lancashire’s prosperity and future success.

To tackle these concerning issues, funding was secured by Active Lancashire to develop Business Health Matters. Along with the University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire Mind and ukactive, the programme offers a suite of solutions for local businesses such as health checks, wellbeing services and free, European Union-funded training for employees.

Not only was Business Health Matters developed in the heart of Lancashire, but proud Lancastrians deliver the programme too. Staff from leisure centres and local authorities with businesses to identify the support they need and deliver tailored services, with a shared goal of making Lancashire a healthier and happier place to work and live.

To take a look at the proud partners behind Business Health Matters, please click the video below.

So, if you run a local business, feel passionately about looking after your staff and contributing to the future of a healthier and more prosperous Lancashire, take a look at the help available, here:

View our services

Take the first step

3 Ways to Improve Workplace Health and Wellbeing in 2022

Posted on January 3, 2022August 19, 2022 by Mike Rhodes

Every business is driven by the people working within it and without healthy, positive and energised team members, productivity drops and businesses begin to slow down.
So we’re sharing some ways for business owners, directors, HR managers and line managers in Lancashire to get 2022 started in the best (and healthiest) way.

Follow the tips and advice below to help improve the health and wellbeing of your employees

But firstly, what is workplace health and wellbeing?

The term refers to the support, management and promotion of both the physical and mental health of all employees in an organisation. Over recent years, there has been a shift in how we work and our attitudes to our own health and wellbeing, which has been heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now is the time for businesses in Lancashire to benefit from this and support their employees to achieve better workplace health.

Below are three ways to get started this January!

Survey your staff:

The best way to identify what needs to change is to ask questions. By using suggestion boxes, or simple survey software such as survey monkey, short doodle polls or smart survey, employees can anonymously answer questions on topics such as overall health, working environment, working culture and share their ideas for change.

Why not empower one of your staff to become a workplace health champion and they can lead on collating staff feedback?

Motivate your team:

Group activities, competitions and challenges are great ways to motivate your team and spark more energy in the workplace. By running a physical activity competition, employees will be motivated to compete against each other and win a prize for their efforts. The competitions can be as challenging as you require them to be and could include a lunchtime press-up or squat contest, a team sport activity or a prize draw entry for each time an employee shows they have walked 10,000 steps in a month.

Another way to motivate your team would be to start a conversation about physical and mental health in your workplace with wellbeing workshops, growing their awareness of their own health and showing them that their health is your priority. See what workshops are available here.

Be flexible:

Many workplaces have embraced a more flexible approach to working over the last two years. When possible, promoting an adaptable work pattern such as remote working and flexible hours can alleviate stress levels and allow employees to enjoy a more relaxed feel to the working day.

Introducing wellbeing hours can have a huge impact on staff wellbeing, where employees are encouraged to take some time outdoors, exercise and do things they enjoy once or twice a week.

Workplace health begins with a single step and by implementing one or two of the suggestions above this month, your business will already be on the journey to a healthier and more productive future!

To find out more about how Business Health Matters can help with our free training and our comprehensive screenings developed right here in Lancashire, please click here.