Key Autumn Wellbeing Diary Dates 2016
National Fitness Day – Wednesday 7th September
T
he aim of National Fitness Day is to encourage physical activity – so use 7th September to start a campaign in your workplace to encourage people to get more active.
Sitting for at least eight hours a day can increase the risk of premature death by up to 60%.
Aim to get 1 hour of physical activity / 10,000 steps per day: Cambridge University and the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences found that at least one hour of physical activity per day, for example brisk walking or bike cycling, eliminates the association between sitting time and death.
Promote workplace activity: You could start a lunch walking club / walking challenge or cycle to work scheme. Apps such as Fitbit, Walking World and Stand Up encourage and/or track movement and activity.
Positive Thinking Day – Tuesday 13th September
The aim of positive thinking day is to celebrate the benefits of positive thinking.
“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” Mark Twain
On average we have 50-70k thoughts a day and formulate approximately 16k words a day. Retaining a positive outlook, therefore can be a bit of a challenge.
Use positivity to help you flourish in all aspects of life: Our mind is constantly appraising and comparing ourselves to external reference points / the groups we interact with, to give us reference points as to how we measure our self-worth. In doing so, our mind can conjure negative (and irrational) stories like “I am not good enough” or entertain the constant play back of painful events from the past when they have been dealt with and there is nothing new to learn from it.
Promote positive thinking at work: Use Positive Thinking Day to do some Random Acts of Kindness (RAK), share positive stories about the workplace, its products/services and the team.
National Work-Life Week – Monday 3rd to Friday 7th October
This is an opportunity for workplaces to focus on well-being and work-life balance.
IT company Draugiem studied the habits of the most productive employees using DeskTime a time-tracking and productivity app. The study found that the most productive 10% worked for 52 consecutive minutes, breaking for 17 minutes, and then return to the task at hand – repeating this technique every hour. The 17 minute breaks were seen as more effective when workers fully stopped work activity during this period and got up from their workstation.
Promote workplace wellbeing practices: Consider what policies and procedures you could put in place or practices that encourage employees to manage their wellbeing, working hours, and productivity.
National Go Home on Time Day – Wednesday 5th October
National Go Home on Time Day is part of National Work-Life week,
Ohio State University recently found that women who work long hours can greatly increase their risk of developing life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease and cancer.
In particular, they found that those whose working week averaged 60 hours per week or more over three decades tripled their risk of diabetes, cancer, heart trouble and arthritis.
Make a Conscious Effort to Go Home on Time: Encourage your employees to complete their work within the working day (start time and finish time) on Wednesday the 5th October to enable them to start to form new habits.
World Mental Health Day – Monday 10th October
World Mental Health Day provides employers with the opportunity to #endthestigma associated with mental health issues and sign post employees to sources of help to improve their mental wellbeing.
Research tells us that 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 children are likely to have a mental health problem in any given year. This can have a profound impact on the lives of these people and affect their ability to sustain relationships, work, or just get through the day.
Consider introducing the team to an evidence based approach called ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Training) that has been demonstrated to positively improve a rage of wellbeing issues:
- Recognise your thoughts: Lean into your emotions, thoughts, feelings and accept them for what they are; they are just thoughts.
- Focus on the present: By focusing on the present moment, you can create room to move out of ‘autopilot’ to begin to notice and enjoy the here and now.
- Act on what matters most: Be clear on what matters to you most and take conscious actions towards these and not away from them to reduce your impulse responses.
Make a Difference Day – Saturday 22nd October
Make a Difference Day is the largest single day aimed at promoting volunteering.
Doing something good creates more positive stories in our minds: Volunteering can provide an opportunity to help others, or to undertake a worthwhile project as a team or get some fresh air and exercise.
Explore volunteering opportunities within your community: promote the opportunities and encourage the team to get involved. Some volunteering activities you could consider are cleaning the local beach or volunteering with some local charities.