Sounds simple right? Yet why do so many of us still struggle to do so?

Controlling the uncontrollable

In our day to day lives, our wellbeing is impacted by many circumstances, from getting stuck in heavy traffic and missing work deadlines to facing technological failures like our laptop not turning on in the morning. But how many of those things are within our control? And how many are not? 

Research has suggested that wellbeing is primarily nurture (determined by our environment) as opposed to nature (determined by our genes) with studies showing that only 36% of variation in our wellbeing can be attributed to genetic factors*. In plain English, this means how we feel each day is more about what happens to us and what we do with that information. The more we feel that we can influence our own wellbeing, the more likely we are to feel happy**. Recognising those factors that are within our control and those that are out of our control can act as the first step in owning our wellbeing. Without being aware of them, we can’t begin to influence what healthy thoughts, attitudes and behaviours we should grab onto and what unhealthy ones we should let go of.

Grabbing hold and letting go

Imagine starting work on a Monday morning and your boss asks for your help urgently on a task. Before you know it, the work piles on and there aren’t enough hours in the day to achieve all you wanted to. Many of us are guilty of diving in and adopting the ‘go, go, go’ mentality despite this being proven to be ineffective. Research has shown that by letting go of those ineffective behaviours and instead deploying strategies focused on your mind, body and environment, you’re much more likely to be productive and have a balanced state of wellbeing***. 

But in order to deploy those strategies effectively, it’s fundamental that we take a measure of our current wellbeing. It’s only then we can truly begin to understand our wellbeing state and know what strategies will effectively develop it.

Remember, wellbeing isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. So how might you start to take back ownership of yours today?

Check out the wellness courses available from Lane4 in the OpenSesame catalog. 

About the author:

Shalina is a Consultant with vast experience in occupational psychology and is  part of the Digital Learning Team at Lane4. Lane4 understands the psychology of people performance. Their approach develops inspirational leaders and managers who can drive performance in a volatile and uncertain world, equipping them with the skills and mindset to achieve things they never thought were possible. 

 *Bartels, M. (2015). Genetics of Wellbeing and Its Components Satisfaction with Life, Happiness, and Quality of Life: A Review and Meta-analysis of Heritability Studies. Behavior genetics, 45, 137-156. 

 **Quadros-Wander, S., McGillivray, J., & Broadbent, J. (2014). The influence of perceived control on subjective wellbeing in later life. Social Indicators Research, 115, 999 –1010.

 ***Pink, S., Fors, V. (2017) Being in a mediated world: Self tracking and the mind-body-environment. Cultural Geographies 24(3), 375–388.

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Employees can’t perform at their best if they don’t feel their best. Poor work-life balance, low nutrition, over-exhaustion, and a lack of stress management could all contribute negatively to employees’ productivity and ability to engage at work.

Burnout is costing some companies billions of dollars every year due to rising healthcare costs, turnover rates, absenteeism, and presenteeism—when an employee comes to work but underperforms due to stress or other health-related issues.  

Thankfully, companies can boost the success of their employees and their organization by adding employee wellness training into existing learning strategies. A dynamic and holistic approach to corporate wellness can result in:

Remarkable ROI

A critical meta-analysis on the costs and savings associated with employee wellness programs revealed an average ratio of 6:1 return on investment. Medical costs fall by about $3.27 and absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent on employee wellness programs.

Increased productivity  

One survey measured about a 10 percent increase in productivity and participation due to corporate wellness programs that helped employees improve their diet and exercise habits. This was a small study, but it has big implications for companies looking to improve their operational productivity through health policies.

Happier, healthier employees

Supporting employee wellbeing not only improves a company’s bottom line, but it also expresses corporate care for employees. The Care Study, a survey designed to study the impact of employees’ perceived care from employers, revealed all of the following benefits for employees who feel cared for: 

• • They intend to stay with the organization significantly longer
  • They’re more likely to recommend the organization as a great place to work
  • They experience less stress
  • They’re significantly more engaged
  • They’re less likely to experience burnout
  • They feel more included at work

Tackle corporate wellness with the Everyday Wellbeing series on OpenSesame

The Everyday Wellbeing series from Maestro is a 10-course curriculum that teaches your team the well-rounded habits that make up a healthy lifestyle, including hydration, nutrition, exercise, and sleep. Everyday Wellbeing introduces the basic science of these wellness principles and provides clear strategies for how your team can integrate them into their own life.

These courses meet employees where they’re at, help them establish their own health goals, and provide next-steps for moving forward. Each module provides a few action items and printable job aids so it’s easier than ever for learners to start making progress toward a healthier lifestyle.

About the Author

We’re Maestro. A team of talented individuals who love using design and technology to solve problems. We’ve partnered with OpenSesame to design learning that helps people and brands perform beautifully. Learning that’s intentionally crafted to inspire growth in your business and in the life of each person on your team. Visit meetmaestro.com to learn more.

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Portland, OR – 3 November 2020 – OpenSesame, the elearning innovator, announced the addition of OpenMind to its popular OpenSesame Plus subscription to expand its library of corporate wellness courses. These new courses, developed exclusively for OpenSesame, pair short, introductory-level courses with downloadable resources that help employees incorporate mindfulness into their daily routines.

“Keeping employees focused, engaged, healthy and happy is more important than ever,” said Spencer Thornton, Senior Vice President of Curation at OpenSesame. “Being successful in today’s environment of constant change takes more than technical skills; it requires knowing how to handle stress, build resilience, solve problems, and take care of both your mind and body. I’m excited to welcome this unique offering of mindfulness and corporate wellness courses to our catalog.”

OpenMind’s cinema-style, video-based training walks learners through instructor-led exercises in meditation, breathing, nutrition, stress reduction, focus and other topics proven to help create happier, healthier workforces and improve productivity. Learners will want to return to these courses again and again as they develop and hone self-care practices they can use at work, at home, or on the road.

“We recognized a growing market demand for mindfulness and wellness training, particularly with the additional stress and anxiety people are experiencing this year,” said Dave McFarland, Senior Manager of Content at OpenSesame. “OpenMind makes mindfulness more accessible by illustrating how practices like meditation or yoga can seamlessly fit into employees’ busy schedules. I’m delighted to bring our customers such high-quality original content through our partnership with OpenMind, whose courses are available exclusively in the OpenSesame catalog.”

About OpenSesame

OpenSesame helps develop the world’s most productive and admired workforces. With the most comprehensive catalog of elearning courses from the world’s top publishers, we are here to help you every step of the way, from finding courses, mapping them to your core competencies, syncing them with your LMS to increasing utilization and improving your L&D programs. Not only will you have the flexibility of multiple purchasing options from OpenSesame, you’ll find it simple to use and administer your elearning courses. To learn more, visit www.opensesame.com

About OpenMind

The OpenMind catalog offers courses to help people be more productive, energized and happy by taking care of their bodies and minds. The video-based training is provided by professional practitioners in mindfulness, yoga, physical therapy, and other wellness disciplines. Short, focused courses teach learners how to meditate, be more mindful and stretch their bodies to increase focus, reduce stress, and live and work better.

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