Douglas Pharmaceuticals.

Lily Barr

Wellbeing has become a top priority for organisations worldwide. The landscape of work might shift over time but the clear link between employee wellbeing and business performance, means the role of wellbeing and its significance in the workplace isn’t going anywhere.

As wellbeing professionals, we play a crucial role in creating a healthy and productive work environment, however, we are not immune to the ups and downs of life.

In this article, we remind you of the importance of prioritising your own wellbeing and our top tips on how to practice what you preach, so you can show up as your best – for yourself, your friends and family, and your organisation.

The link between wellbeing and performance is indisputable. When employees are happy, healthy, and thriving at work, they’ll demonstrate higher engagement and productivity levels which, in turn will lead to higher job satisfaction, better performance, reduced turnover, and increased profits.

On the other hand, unsustainable levels of stress, an overdemanding workload or if foundational needs are simply not being met, employees are much more likely to become disengaged, less productive, or burn out. This has dire implications from an organisational perspective, with higher levels of absenteeism, greater levels of turnover, reduced productivity, increased costs, and decreased morale.

“Showing that even the people who live and breathe wellbeing day in and day out experience difficulties can be incredibly powerful.”

No matter your role, anyone who loves their job or strongly identifies with their work, is at an elevated risk of burnout. Commonly drawn to this line of work through personal and lived experiences, or a deep passion for helping others, the challenging nature of working within the wellbeing space can be confronting and put wellbeing leaders at an elevated risk of mental distress or burnout.

We often put pressure on ourselves to do it all - juggling the delivery of business outcomes, dealing with challenging situations, feeling accountable for the mental and emotional needs of our employees, or worrying that we can’t do everything at once - all whilst balancing our own wellbeing.

We might find ourselves accidentally putting our needs aside to focus on others and neglecting our own wellbeing in the process. The emotional labour of supporting employees through challenging times, such as mental distress or personal crises, can take a toll on anyone’s mental and emotional wellbeing, especially if resilience may be wavering or you do not have adequate support or resources to manage your own emotions and stress levels at that time.

Neglecting your own wellbeing, will not only put you at risk of burnout, stress, and other health problems, but you may unintentionally undermine the effectiveness of any wellness programmes that you implement. If you’re not prioritising your own wellbeing, this will inevitably impact your ability to perform your role effectively, and you may not be able to provide the best support to your colleagues and the wider organisation.

When you are role modelling healthy behaviours, you have the power to inspire others to follow suit, and you’ll be better equipped to manage stress, demonstrate empathy, make decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively.

This is not about toxic positivity – it’s a reminder that we are not superhuman and sometimes we need a nudge to remind ourselves of the importance of practicing what we preach.

Here are our top tips on where to start:

1. Practice self-compassion: Setting high expectations for ourselves can lead to feelings of inadequacy, self-criticism or shame when faced with our own difficulties. When we can learn to forgive ourselves, treat ourselves with kindness and understanding, and recognise that we all have struggles, we can learn to cope better, maintain perspective, and explore our emotions with a sense of curiosity and openness. Try thinking about how you would show up or speak to a colleague or friend who was going through a hard time - then try it on yourself.

2. Show courage: We are not immune to the ups and downs of life, but we can turn our struggles into our superpower. Showing that even the people who live and breathe wellbeing day in and day out experience difficulties can be incredibly powerful. By demonstrating courage and using your struggles as an opportunity to speak up and show vulnerability, you’ll inevitably encourage more openness around conversations in the workplace about mental health and build deeper levels of trust and connection.

3. Lead by example: You have the power to role model the behaviours you want to see! By prioritising self-care and your own wellbeing, you’ll influence others to do the same. This might mean finding healthy ways to combat stress, setting firmer boundaries to create better work-life balance, learning to say “no” and not taking on more work than you can manage, taking regular breaks throughout the day to improve focus, making time for activities that bring you joy, or sticking to a routine. When we are healthy and at our best, we can show up better for our friends, family, colleagues, and our organisation.

4. Seek support: Connecting and building a community of other wellbeing professionals outside of your organisation is also invaluable to not just provide fresh perspectives and develop your own expertise, but most importantly to gain a safe space to share and get support from those with similar experiences.

Practising self-compassion, showing courage, leading by example, and seeking support are great places to start to support you to maintain your own sense of wellbeing, which in turn will inspire others to do the same, and lead to a happier you and a healthier workplace.