How to stay healthy and engaged as we begin to enter workplaces once again.

It remains unknown what working in-office will look like as the weeks roll on; we know that a healthy workplace should be a priority for all business leaders.

So how do we make it easier to stay healthy and engaged as we begin to enter workplaces once again?

Here are some simple ideas on how to create or improve it.

Encourage Collaboration.
By providing various working spaces, including collaborative areas, you can encourage employees to move around the office without realising it. Incorporate a range of different furniture appropriate to different tasks so that people choose where they work.

Use outside resources to help you.
As a business leader, you should not be expected to have all the answers. So one of the smartest things to do when addressing wellbeing in the workplace is to use resources provided by experts in the field – think Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institue. These incredible organisations have all the knowledge and resources you need to develop the right initiatives for your workplace to tackle the health of your employees.

Establish regular get-togethers
Connection is perhaps the most crucial component in building a productive and efficient workplace. And after the last 18 months, we can’t ignore the importance of connection. It unquestionably improves job satisfaction, more engaged employees and consumers.

Create a social spot ( when you’re back in the office)
Allocate space within your office for staff to socialise, clear their mind or even meditate. Creating a social space for you and your team will give everyone a place to decompress and socialise without distracting others.
Don’t have any spare spaces? Why not turn a conference room into a communal space for a few hours every day.

Celebrate your people.
Making an effort to acknowledge peoples contributions can create a sense of purpose and engagement. Celebrating each other shows people you value them and their participation as a business. It’s not hard to recognise success; praise people’s success publicly at a morning huddle or monthly team lunch.

Encourage movement
Encouraging movement is not about installing a workplace gym or paying for a personal trainer for every desk-bound office worker; it’s about educating staff around the importance of exercise and leading by example. Try to introduce walking meetings; give employees the option of standing desks throughout the day, take the stairs, not the lift, and encourage people to walk across the office to share an idea with their teammate rather than emailing or messaging.

Rebuild the workplace spirit
Successful workplaces thrive when people feel motivated and seen, so managers must invest efforts to rebuild workplace morale. Be sure to recognise any employee concerns and treat details about the new working environment with sensitivity and understanding.

Use music
Given we’re regularly being blasted with bad news, why not play some soothing music through speakers around the office. Studies have historically revealed that music improves employees mood, which can help increase productivity and creativity.

Inspire positivity.
As a busless leader, you can help inspire positivity by practising gratitude, promoting laughter and using positive messaging. In any business climate, positive leadership is perhaps the most important competitive advantage a company can have. In addition, building a positive work environment supports your team in feeling more comfortable, increasing social interaction, and improving communication among coworkers.