Workplace Wellbeing Day

We all want to perform at a high level and achieve our goals, but it’s how we approach both of these that separates the successful from those coming up short. High Performance consists of total quality and efficiency of the smaller things. So if you feel like there’s something missing in your approach or you’re just looking for a better way to achieve them, consider approaching your goals with EXOS’ four pillars of human performance in mind. By focusing on these pillars you’ll improve your success and overall wellbeing. Here’s what you need to know for this Workplace Wellbeing Day.

1. Mindset:

This is the lens at which you see yourself, your own environment, your potential stressors and also your ability to do the work that you do. It can also relate to your own self-efficacy in how you can navigate your working environment. Your own mindset can not only affect your own working day, but also the people around you, which is super important. This is why it is important to develop your own MINDSET toolkit, which should consist of;

• Your own GAME PLAN for the day/week

• Positive self talk

• Visualisation of your perfect performance 

• Reframing stressors - IPR

1. Identify the stressor

2. Pause

3. Reframe and make a choice

Try this:

Have you ever thought about your days/weeks performance at work? What would you say about your energy levels, your team-orientation, and even your delivery of your own processes.

2.Nutrition

Nutrition fuels performance. It supports the mind, the body and balances your ability to perform well and react to the daily stressors that we are exposed to each day.

We don’t take nutrition as seriously as we should within the work environment. We make way too many bad choices each day, such as grabbing coffee for your morning meal? Maybe grabbing fast food at lunch, or ordering takeout for dinner regularly? Maybe even skipping lunch or eating at your desk? These habits are sabotaging your success and your ability to perform.

A good balanced diet takes planning, quality foods, and proper hydration to meet your needs each day. Good food choices keep your energy levels high, help you stay focused, help you stay strong and mentally focused throughout the day. It is important in boosting your immunity and supporting you in achieving your goals too. 

Here are some fundamental rules to live by:

• Colourful vegetables - eat a rainbow often.

• High quality proteins.

• Water / Hydrate with hydrating foods and plenty of water.

• Avoid liquid calories at all costs.

• Have variety in what you eat. Try to eat 30 different food sources each week.

3. Movement

Movement is essential to improving your performance and it helps you to maximize your brain and body capacities. When your body sits in one position for too long, it tenses up. The result: aches, pains, and overall discomfort.  The simple fix is movement, which helps you to regulate your emotions, cope with the various stressors and most of all it gives you much more energy to be creative too.

So what movements should people be doing?

There is no right answer here, but moving yourself around is the main piece. This is especially important during working hours. Obviously strength training, building mobility and core strength are essential to making you feel better, but there are easier things to do while in the office or WFH. Even more importantly is building that endorphin and serotonin release, which allows you to feel better about everything you’re doing.

How much exercise should we do each week?

• WHO updated their guidelines and suggests we should aim for 30 mins moderate aerobic activity 5 times per week. This should be achievable, right?

• Adding regular movement breaks every 30 or minutes, try doing a light stretch or even a longer walk to the water cooler.

• All of these help your body move, increasing circulation, removing distractions, sharpening your focus and boosting metabolism and appetite.

4. Recovery

Recovering is one of the most important elements of High Performance. Consistency in High Performing rests on how good your recovery plans are (especially after a period of overreaching). One of the common trends between high performers is their ability to recover from tough periods through various strategies. This allows the mind and body to re-energize and prepare for the next day’s activity. 

What should these strategies be?

There is no magic recipe here. If you have been feeling the stressors of a heavy week, then it’s time to start paying attention to your body. Sleep is the most important factor for your recovery. It is not only important to make sure you catch your 8+ hours, but it's also super important to look at your sleep environment too.

Complete rest is also useful for some people too, but the concept of ‘active recovery’, which is low intensity, social activity that is easy to sustain, and gives you the endorphin hit to feel good and energized, is considered a superior approach to complete rest.  Things like hiking, cycling, yoga, and even swimming are great ways to utilise this pillar.

With regular attention to recovery, you can build resilience and bounce back more quickly when stress hits.

Try this:

Try to recover better tonight by creating the perfect sleep environment. Set your room temperature between 18 and 20 degrees and maybe, hit the hay by 10 p.m., limit caffeine, and unplug all of your electronics.

These simple strategies have been shown to improve sleep quality and duration, which can help you reset for the next day.

Here are some small wins on each of these pillars for a High Performance life inside and outside of work.