According to the State of the Global Workplace 2021 Report just published by Gallup, Inc., negative emotions — worry, stress, anger and sadness — among employees across the world have reached record levels. Not only did 41% of employees said they felt worried often throughout the previous day, 57% of employees cited daily stress levels now topping the charts. Worse yet, though, seven in 10 employees were found to be struggling or suffering — rather than thriving — in their overall lives. This statistic related to wellbeing is alarming and something that needs to be improved.
If your organization, team or you need to focus more on enhancing and/or achieving an amazing wellbeing, here are five strategies to consider implementing:
- Determine and live your personal values. Many people don’t have strong values or convictions and end up following others. Determine what’s important to you—not your neighbor, your uncle, your boss, or your friend—then create a plan for carrying them out, and simply live your plan. Being true to who you are and what you want is pivotal. In short, be you—everyone else is already taken.
- Surround yourself with positivity—people, places and possessions. Why? Because what you focus on becomes your reality. Hang with those who are real and exude a positive disposition. Hang out in places where you feel inspired and happy. Hang on to things that remind you of pleasurable experiences and ditch those possessions that bring about negative, unwanted emotions.
- Live in the present. As the saying goes, “Learn from the past, plan for the future, live in the present.” If you don’t learn from past mistakes, they likely will be repeated. Setting goals and planning for a bright future provides a path to success that can guide you. Then live in the present by enjoying those precious moments you experience each and every day.
- Treat your body well. Get sufficient sleep, which is different for everyone. Fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to thrive—not just survive—while minimizing the toxins many tend to crave when having fun. And, of course, move—by exercising often. Your body needs to remain strong and healthy and it can only do that when we treat it well.
- Experience new things! Don’t get stuck in the mundane, boring and dullness life can bring. Instead, dive in and celebrate the joy found in new experiences you see, smell and taste. Take a new route to work or the grocery store and pay attention. You may discover something cool you’ve never seen before. Try a new activity that could become an envied passion of yours. I could never imagine myself liking to dig in dirt and now creating gorgeous and fragrant flower gardens is a true love of mine. Treat yourself to a new menu item or restaurant. Instead of limiting yourself to the same habitual choices, take a small risk and try a new version of a favorite entrée or a shiny new delicacy. Why not? If you don’t like it, you don’t need to eat it.
So what is being done in your organization to help employees attain a thriving wellbeing and perhaps also better manage negative emotions? Engage and educate your team at an upcoming event or educational/training venue from a trusted workplace culture expert. Several results-focused solutions I offer to address common wellbeing struggles include:
- The One Choice Rule: Transform Your Life and Work by Changing Your Mindset and Behavior
- Resilience: Courageously Adapt and Build Back
- Embracing the Challenge of Change
- Emotional Intelligence: Managing Emotions to Enhance Relationships
- Control Conflict! Collaborate More. React Less.
- Tame the Turbulence! Avoid Losing It. Fly Through It.
Choose to enhance your wellbeing and that of your team and organization. Partner with me to inspire behavior change and Achieve Positive Outcomes!
This blog post is dedicated to those who have lost their battles. May their souls finally rest in peace. And let this gesture honor my former husband’s final wish—after his struggle tragically ended last month at the young age of 50.
Tracy Stock is a keynote speaker at IPMA’s 2022 Educational Conference. She will present “HOLY COW! How to Create an Amazing Workplace that Steers Passion, Performance & Prosperity.”
Tracy Stock is one of the most in-demand and top-rated female speakers in North America today because of her ability to inspire behavior change and achieve positive outcomes. She proudly holds the designation of Certified Speaking Professional ® (CSP), the highest honor in her profession, held by only 12 percent of speakers worldwide. As a former director of learning and development, Tracy was accountable for talent management and employee development, and parlayed her career to become a workplace culture expert—as an engaging keynote speaker, live and virtual training expert and a best-selling author with five published titles.
With 20+ years of speaking experience, a few of her trusted clients include the U.S. Army, Motorola, True Value, US Bank and Subway. As an engaging and interactive speaker of choice, Tracy is committed to helping energize workplace culture, enhance employee engagement and empower high performance.