As we wrap up 2021, it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and the year to come. I still can’t believe that we are on the cusp of 2022. We know that wellness isn’t ‘one size fits all’. Even though companies often provided fairly generic benefits, we can take the time to plan our own wellness and try to leverage what is available to us. Today, we chat through some key things you can do as you plan your workplace wellness for 2022.
Workplace Wellness and Apps
We’ve talked about mindfulness a ton – most recently in this video. And, we know that mindfulness apps can be impactful on improving your workplace wellness. In addition, while things like fitness trackers only improve things like exhaustion and burnout in the short term, we know that being physically active can have some important benefits.
Given this, if your employer offers access to various apps or access to mindfulness or fitness, we recommend you take advantage! As you plan for next year, how can you incorporate these practices in your week (if you aren’t already)? What type of schedule works for you? Maybe try adding in just mindfulness or more activity first and then layer in the other practice in a few weeks. If your employer doesn’t offer these benefits, look for your own tools and solutions. There are some free meditations available through some apps and plenty of fitness available for free on YouTube. Plus, you can always squeeze in other forms of activity at home like taking a walk.
Don’t Forget Vacations and Recovery
Paid Time Off is a more comment benefit provided by employers and it’s definitely one you should use! Vacations are important for recovery, yet not everyone takes advantage! As you plan for 2022, make some plans to use that time off. I always love planning and anticipating a fun trip. Even if you can’t take a trip next year, make sure you plan to take some time away from work. Go ahead and block some of those days off now!
In addition, there are a number of different ways to recover after a long day. Review them and see how you can incorporate some new tactics in your evenings. Self-care is important so create a habit of it!
If Else Fails – Look for Decent Work
While taking time to create a plan to focus on your wellness is a good thing to do, it won’t solve every issue. Unfortunately, burnout is usually not caused by poor self-care. It’s often a problem due to things like workload, a lack of flexibility, and bad leadership.
This is your friendly reminder that you can look for a new job! Find some decent work that will help you live your best life. It’s not always easy to find new work and it’s not a quick solution. However, if you are constantly looking for ways to improve your workplace wellness, we encourage you to take a good hard look at your work environment. Is it constantly causing you stress? Do you have support for your wellness and work-life balance? If you aren’t happy, maybe building a plan to find new work is an important step for 2022.
As you know, wellness is extremely personal. Take these ideas and make it your own. Create a plan to make 2022 a happy and healthy year!
