In today’s fast-paced work environment, corporate wellbeing has become a critical aspect to organizational success and maintaining employees’ satisfaction. Companies that prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional health of their employees don’t only foster a positive work culture but also reap the benefits of increased productivity, lower healthcare costs, and let’s just face it, happier employees!
Therefore, we reached out to an expert in the field: Kai Simmonds, founder of KaiWell Co and corporate wellbeing coach, whose own mental health issues with anxiety and burnout led her to doctors that could only tell her that stress wasn’t curable by pills and medicine. Then, she studied and learned more about stress which over time showed her going into a more holistic route.
“I started with Yoga, Acupuncture, and started seeing a therapist. Over the next year or so things did get better, but I still had a lot of anxiety and started investing in more programs such as Meditation and Life Coaching– this is when everything changed and I was able to overcome anxiety, panic attacks and burnout. The tools and practices I learned helped me be a better person both personally and professionally,” she shared. “From all the incredible life improvements that followed, I learned that I want to help others thrive in all aspects of life.”
Burnout is a case many people experience in varying work environments. Employees are people, not well-oiled machines, so when anxiety and stress build up over time to a boiling point, it won’t be treated and regarded as a serious medical condition though the effects of them could be; poor health, lack of motivation, being tired all the time to complaining of headaches and body aches. So, how does Kai help corporations address these challenges?
“In a recent article in Arabian Business, In the GCC, 3/4 employees do not feel comfortable talking about these things with their managers and in most cases, the managers and CEOs are as equally stressed as their employees,” said Kai, adding that this is where she comes in. By providing a safe space for people to talk about their mental health, she uses tools and practices to help them overcome their troubles.
She implements the practice of mindfulness by getting her clients to journal, the task helps them offload their busy thoughts and allow themselves clarity, as well as incorporating apps that can be used anywhere, anytime, and help in regulating the nervous system through breath exercises!
“But I am very transparent about the fact that nothing is going to change in just one or two sessions. For long term improvement and success, ensuring the wellbeing of employees takes time to develop, then sustain.” She added.
That being said, there’s an undeniable link between employee wellbeing and productivity. The question is, how do people and their place of work optimize this connection? Well, Kai has the answer!
“The biggest improvement when it comes to employee wellbeing and productivity is the decrease in absenteeism. When we are stressed, it takes a toll on our immune system and it becomes easier to get sick and take a break from working and stop being at our peak performance. In a recent study by Gallup, the report mentioned that only 21% of workers globally are actively engaged in work and most employees are simply ‘living for the weekend’.” In a post-pandemic world, it’s not surprising that employees and recruits are not just looking for a “better salary”, they are also seeking a healthy work/life balance.
But even in the corporate wellbeing world, there are technologies utilized to reach the end-result, right? Kai agreed, but she emphasized that at the core of coaching wellbeing, “nothing beats in-person human connection”. And that’s quite the fair assessment!
“We all learned how great technology is in the past couple of years but if the pandemic taught us anything, it’s how irreplaceable face to face interactions are. I do appreciate that I can reach new audiences using Zoom, keep track and measure my health through my apps!” Kai expressed.
It’s important to note that corporate wellbeing isn’t just a *trend*, or at least, it shouldn’t be. With the ever-evolving state of the world, perspectives regarding work culture have shifted too. Kai stated the need for more investment and action to be taken to achieve real, long-term transformation and success.
Plus, we couldn’t even think of letting Kai go without asking for advice on behalf of everyone looking for ways to improve their wellbeing, and she didn’t disappoint!
“Taking time to disconnect and go for a walk helps drastically. Most people overlook this little exercise because they don’t understand the importance of it. When we take time to educate ourselves and change our habits to incorporate more healthy ones over a long period of time, that’s when the real transformation happens. Simply telling people to ‘take a deep breath’ or ‘you should take a walk’ isn’t enough.”
Well, don’t linger too long! Start your wellbeing journey today and let us know what you think about this article by getting in touch with us on our social media platforms through Instagram and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you! No, really.
