Why Work Breaks Are Important to Employee Health

How seriously do you and your coworkers take their 10 minute breaks? For most people, their breaks are just a formality, a chance to waste time and run down the clock until it’s time to punch back in and go back to work. What many people don’t realize, however, is that how employees spend those 10 minutes can have a profound effect on work performance and overall worksite wellness.

Directed vs. Involuntary Attention

According to researchers, people’s attention spans can be separated into two different classifications: directed attention and involuntary attention. Directed attention is when we consciously focus on a task and choose to spend mental energy on it; involuntary attention is when our brains subconsciously become engaged by something we’ve observed.

When we’re at work, we use most of our mental capacity on paying directed attention to the tasks at hand. Unlike involuntary attention, directed attention is a finite resource that can be depleted; when that happens, mental fatigue sets in, leading to a dramatic drop in memory, energy, and an ability to get work done.

How Breaks Recharge Directed Attention

You’ve probably noticed that after relaxing for even a short period of time, your brain feels recharged immediately afterward. Activities like relaxing, going for a nature walk, or even just looking at pictures of nature all stimulate our involuntary attention, rather than using up directed attention. According to Dr. Marc Berman of the Rotman Research Institute of Toronto, stimulating indirect attention has been shown to also recharge directed attention, increasing working memory by up to 20%.

With this in mind, Berman suggests that workers spend even their 10 minute breaks taking a “true” break – not browsing the internet or chatting with coworkers, but instead taking the time to relax, go for a walk, or perform other activities that stimulate indirect attention, and thus recharge directed attention as well.

For more helpful tips on improving the health of your workplace, contact Wellsource today at 800-533-9355.

Sources

1. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ways-stay-healthy-work/story?id=14363408#1

Workplace Health Programs Lead to Fewer Obese Employees

There are plenty of reasons why employers should be concerned about the health of their employees. Workers who eat well, get exercise, and lead overall healthy lives are more productive, get sick less frequently, and cost their employers less in health expenses. Company wellness programs like those offered by Wellsource are designed with this in mind – by investing in the health of the people who work for them, businesses end up saving money in the long run and being more profitable. According to a recent study, the companies that invest in these programs are seeing results.

A recently completed study revealed that 17% of young “millennial” employees at workplaces that encouraged employees to follow multiple healthy lifestyle practices, were clinically obese. At companies that only promoted one kind of healthy lifestyle choice, or did not promote healthy living to employees at all, that number jumped to 24%. The study was conducted over a 10-year period, with participants answering an initial set of questions about their health choices in middle school and high school, and then answering another round of questions after they had entered the workforce.

The study also found that many employees reported eating fast food, drinking sugary drinks, and making other poor diet choices because they were conveniently available. In other words, unhealthy lifestyle choices are often the result of our environment – when unhealthy food is the most convenient option at work, many employees will choose eating poorly over spending the extra time and energy that it would take to eat something healthier.

Does your workplace need to improve its lifestyle advocacy efforts? Wellsource can help! Call us today at 800-533-9355.

Sources

1. http://ewn.co.za/2015/08/31/Healthy-workplace-tied-to-fewer-obese-young-workers

How “Toxic” Work Environments Hurt Employee Health

The relationship between employees and the company they work for can be a delicate one, with both parties needing to balance their own needs with what the other expects from them. When the right balance is met between the demands of an employer and the emotional wellbeing of their workers, the relationship is fulfilling and profitable for everyone. But when employees feel like they are in a “toxic” work environment, it can have a negative impact not just on their mental health, but their physical health as well.

It’s no secret that stress, anger, and other negative emotions can have physical effects on the body, including increased blood pressure and depression. This extends to the workplace as well. In a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that employees who feel like they have little control over their work environment, or who feel they are not supported by coworkers or employers, are four times more likely to die from heart disease, and twice as likely to suffer from depression.

More than that, though, it was found that employees who feel they work in a toxic environment feel little connection to their employer: 72% of highly stressed employees report having a low connection to work. On the other hand, employees who feel a high level of connection between themselves and their employer report feeling committed to achieving company goals, and are 70% less likely to feel stressed out by their jobs.

In other words, workplace wellness doesn’t stop at exercise incentives and lessons in nutrition. Creating a space where employees feel valued by their employer and supported by their coworkers improves not only the health of the people who work for your company, but the health of the company itself.

Sign up with Wellsource today by calling 800-533-9355.

Sources

1. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=381339
2. http://fortune.com/2015/08/25/toxic-workplace-could-destroy-health/

Is Sedentary Behavior America’s Biggest Health Risk?

Most people know that sitting for long periods of time probably isn’t good for their health, but few people really understand just what a widespread health risk, long-term sedentary behavior really is. According to University of South Carolina research scientist Steven Blair, physical inactivity is almost certainly “the biggest health problem we have in [this] country.”

Just how big a problem is sedentary behavior? According to some research, four hours of sedentary behavior in a row is enough to undo all the benefits of one hour of exercise. Considering that many working Americans sit at their desk all day long only to go home and watch TV on the couch, the long-term effects of sedentary behavior are a pressing issue that is having a big impact on the U.S. workforce.

So, what can be done? While care for an individual’s health ultimately rests with that individual, workplaces can help encourage healthy behavior, and modify their policies so that employees aren’t sitting for long periods without a short break. Some of the steps businesses can take to discourage sedentary behavior include:

• Holding stand-up meetings and allowing employees to use stand-up desks
• Providing exercise machines or creating space for employees to get physical activity
• Allowing employees to take short “walking breaks” once every one or two hours to stretch their legs
• Instituting a workplace health program.

Company wellness programs like those offered by Wellsource help businesses and their employees improve their lives and save money on health costs. For more information, contact Wellsource today at 800-533-9355.

Sources

1. http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/news/14049773/tips-for-better-workplace-health-get-off-your-butt-more

Workplace Wellness Prevents Chronic Diseases

The cost of healthcare is rising every year, for both employers and individuals. There are a lot of factors that lead to this situation, not all of which are within the control of employers or their workers. But there are still some ways that companies and their employees can combat the rising cost of healthcare: implementing corporate wellness programs.

According to the CDC, 75% of healthcare costs are generated by chronic diseases, which include heart disease, stroke, and obesity. In addition to being the biggest burden on the healthcare system, many of these conditions are also largely preventable. Stroke, heart attack, and other chronic health problems are often caused by lifestyle choices, meaning that programs that help people reverse harmful lifestyle choices can largely lead to these kinds of health problems being prevented.

Workplace health programs don’t just improve the overall health of the people who work at a company; they reduce that company’s healthcare costs as well. People who live healthy lifestyles tend to have lower health claims, resulting in savings for them and the companies that pay a portion of their employees’ premiums. And, when employees live healthier lives, they are less likely to miss work due to illness. Corporate health initiatives help reduce costs both by reducing sick days and by bringing down the cost of health care.

Learn more by contacting Wellsource today at 800-533-9355.