Studies and research have proven that exercise and getting out into the fresh air and nature are beneficial to health and happiness, so why is it that many companies do not make a priority of these activities for their employees? Nerina Ramlakhan finds out
The pandemic and recent global events have heightened feelings of stress, overwhelm and anxiety and as such now it is a good time for companies and management to evaluate their approach to employee health and wellbeing.
During uncertain and worrying times, the nervous system takes the hit, and we end up running in survival mode fuelled by anxiety, fear, adrenaline and cortisol. If this continues companies could see a rise in burnout and mental health problems, accelerated by the ingrained working from home routines or even anxiety around being back in the physical workplace interacting with people in real life again.
Despite the changes to our working patterns, there still seems to be no escaping the ‘always on’ culture that pervades our society. In fact, this has likely become worse with more of us working from home and the boundaries between work and home life growing increasingly blurred. And it is this balance of work and downtime that companies need to be focused on.
For optimum performance and engagement from employees, it makes perfect sense to encourage them to feel the best that can. Studies and research have proven that exercise and getting out into the fresh air and nature are beneficial to health and happiness, so why is it that many companies do not make a priority of these activities for their employees?
Burnout spiral
Adapting to change is stressful. But if the right stabilising strategies are in place, leaders can enable their employees to move through these challenging times – and others – in a way that feels safe and grounded so that they’re able to deal with sources of pressure. Sources of pressure may include heavier workloads, remote working, loss of personal networks, concerns around financial security, and uncertainty about the future.
Without stabilising strategies, an individual may be left feeling exposed and could develop negative coping strategies for dealing with the situation. It is human instinct that when we feel we’re losing control, we revert to using our ‘fight or flight’ nervous system. We start to operate in survival mode, live off adrenaline, and keep going faster. In other words, we are always on.
I have identified something called the ‘burnout spiral’, which is unique to my work and particularly relevant considering today’s challenges. Here is the cascade of symptoms that can arise:
- Individuals will feel more anxious and pressurised, sometimes for no obvious reason, and become tetchy and more irritable.
- Employees will work harder and longer (but less productively) to stay in control. This is where the ‘always on’ mentality really kicks in as we might find it hard to delegate, ask for help or say ‘no’. We are fearful of making mistakes because we are worried about our job security. An unhelpful and unproductive perfectionism becomes the norm.
- Good lifestyle habits are lost – such as taking the time to exercise, and instead individuals will succumb to poor eating patterns or overindulgence in tea, coffee, alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. Sleep problems may become more evident. An inability to relax and to relate to others socially is often seen. These behaviours can be exacerbated when we work from home.
- Negative thoughts including feeling cynical, demotivated and fearful.
- Individuals will show symptoms of burnout. These include exhaustion and anxiety about the future, self-doubt, sleep loss, and reduced concentration, productivity and self-confidence. Mental health problems, such as depression, a sense of hopelessness or helplessness, or a desire to give up can develop.
Go to work and rest
The most important tip for every leader – particularly if your team works in a high-stress role or company culture – is to factor rest periods into your employee’s day. In doing this, you allow employees to attune themselves to the natural rhythm of their physiological cycles, which are oscillatory, not linear, and improve natural energy and concentration levels.
Every 60-90 minutes, in line with our body’s natural circadian rhythms, employees should aim for recovery for around 5-10 minutes. Encourage your team to do something different during this time to mentally switch channels. They should move away from their desk and screen and try one or two of the following: drink a glass of water; eat something healthy; stretch out their neck and shoulders; take a few conscious deep in-breaths; go for a short walk; gaze out into nature. These strategies help us feel more energised throughout the day and encourage our bodies to sleep better at night.
Deep nourishing sleep
A good night’s sleep is so vital to maintaining productivity. Our sleep before midnight is the most restorative phase of sleep, so getting to bed before 10pm at least three-to-four nights is beneficial for gaining the deep, nourishing slumber that sets up our energy levels for a happy and productive day.
The way we sleep reflects how we live and our daily moment by moment choices. Being out of sync with the natural world and pushing our bodies and minds beyond their daily limits can also have a huge impact on our wellbeing and physical health. This deep sleep is really what will help us feel refreshed and rejuvenated and enable our bodies and minds to be totally prepared for the next day. In Sanskrit or Hindi this is called ‘sattvic’, which means pure. Sattvic sleep holds the key to healing potential and vibrant energy; it is not the junk sleep many of us are used to getting – sleep that is muddied by the noise and stimulation of the day – it is clear, pure, deep, restorative and rejuvenating. Sattvic sleep is so rejuvenating because it allows our bodies to heal and repair and our minds to reset and refresh. As nature intended.
Late bedtimes are often related to technology and social media, with people staying up absorbed by the internet, the television or work. It’s vital to educate team members to set healthy boundaries with technology and work time and discourage evening or out of hours working. A top-down approach is needed, and leaders should set the example by not working themselves out of hours.
Company culture
Over the past two years I have worked with thousands of corporate clients supporting their health and wellbeing by delivering virtual seminars and keynotes. In all the sessions, some of them with groups as large as 600 plus attendees, I’ve carried out pulse checks and I’ve noticed some trends. As the person on the other side of the screen, delivering webinars and presentations, I can feel the difference between organisations in which there is greater cohesion, compassion and trust and the ones in which employees were fearful, worried, and disconnected. The pulse checks on the latter often revealed more pathology and signs of mental ill-health while in those who were more cohesive there was reasonable anxiety and worry but there was also a robustness and they somehow just felt safer. These are the organisations who were so much easier to work with – they trusted me to do what I’m good at doing) without feeling the need to control or script my sessions. Put quite simply, organisations in which employees feel safe are better equipped to overcome challenges as they are more robust and efficient.
Top-down approach
It is now non-negotiable for employers to put health and wellbeing on the corporate agenda. A significant competitive advantage will lie with those organisations whose leaders are genuinely committed to working on their own mental health and resilience and creating cultures for their staff in which it is acceptable for people to thrive in their work environments. Leaders and managers and HR departments will need to model appropriate behaviours – they will need to be the change.
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan is author of Finding Inner Safety, The key to healing, thriving and preventing burnout (Wiley 2022) out on 7 April 2022.
She is a neurophysiologist who has specialised in maximising individual and organisational performance for over two decades. After completing her post-doctoral training and research into the effects of lifestyle interventions on the alleviation of mental disorders, she spent five years in corporate health screening before studying organisational psychiatry and psychology at Guys Hospital and beginning organisational consultancy, workshop facilitation and coaching. For over a decade she worked with the Nightingale Psychiatric Hospital in London on their sleep, energy and physical health programmes that are designed to support mental wellbeing.
