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Phrases such as “workplace wellness” and “work/life balance” are often used, but what do they really mean to us in our day to day lives? Although, the process and outcome will look different for each individual there are main principles that can help us create small spaces in our work day to help achieve employee satisfaction and workplace efficiency.

Take inventory.

What moves you? What drains you? How do you find the balance between the two? Can you organize your days to balance stressful meetings with something you enjoy doing at work? Or coupling a very mentally intense task with something you can do on automatic? Although, you may not be able to completely prevent the events that zap your energy you can creatively come up with ways to plan for it so you approach it from a preventative standpoint and not reactionary.

Utilizing your lunch break.

If you work full time you are supposed to have a lunch break. Take advantage of it! Many places of employment consider it an unpaid lunch break so why do we always tend to work through it? There are so many ways you can make the best of the “free” hour of your work day. Making your own lunch/meal prepping the evening before will give you something to look forward to for lunch and instead of figuring out what to eat to can sit outside or even in your car and enjoy your lunch away from your desk. Talk a walking lunch break. Studies show that eating in front of a screen makes you less likely to stop eating. Mindful eating is a great way to give yourself a mental break from the work day.

Employer Incentives.

One of the easiest ways to create space in your work day, to find something that nourishes you is by seeing what your workplace may already be offering.  Accessing benefits at work that support your wellness goals is also a great way to also engage those around you. Take a class. Start a walking club at lunch. If your job doesn’t offer it, can you help establish it?

Connections in the work place.

Creating meaningful relationships with colleagues can help break up the monotony of the work day. Whether your work relies mostly on being on a computer or if you are constantly interacting with customers developing connections with the people you see (often times more than family and friends).

Establishing your space within the workplace can be key to grinding out long days or looming project deadlines or intense meetings. Being able to look forward to walking with colleagues at breaktime or taking a yoga class or treating yourself to a nice sit-down lunch. Find small ways to support your well-being during the course of your workday, both your mind and your colleagues will thank you for it.

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