Introduction

If you work in an organisation, chances are that you know how difficult it can be to get everyone on board with the idea of creating a wellness plan. There are so many reasons why this might not happen: people's busy schedules, other priorities, lack of time…the list goes on. But one thing is clear: if this has happened to your organisation at any stage in its life cycle then there's probably something wrong somewhere along the line.

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What is a wellness plan for?

- To help employees prevent, manage and recover from mental health problems.

- To help employees be more resilient to stress.

- To provide support for mental health problems.

- To ensure that people stay in work and reduce absence rates.

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Offering support.

Offering support.

One of the most important things you can do is make sure that your employees know how to access help when they need it. This includes giving them access to the resources they need and making sure that your organization does not have any hidden barriers for people seeking support in times of crisis or mental health issues. Helping someone who needs it is an act of kindness, but also one that can prevent further harm from being done by them or others around them if left untreated for too long.

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Creating a wellness plan.

Creating a wellness plan is a complex task. It’s important to do it right, so you can see the results of your efforts in the future.

First Things First: What Should You Include In Your Wellness Plan?

The first step in creating your wellness plan is deciding what you want to include in it. Because there are so many different ways to think about wellness, this decision might be difficult for some people and organizations. However, if you keep these five points in mind when writing down what will make up the rest of your health care system:

- Health promotion and prevention strategies that address issues such as diet and exercise habits; stress management techniques; lifestyle changes like smoking cessation programs or weight loss programs—and even healthy cooking classes! This will help employees understand how they can improve their overall health while also helping them feel more connected with colleagues at work as well!

- Tools such as apps (like Fitbit), food tracking systems (like MyFitnessPal), meditation apps/supplements etc., which are useful tools that people can use while improving their personal lives outside work hours too!

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Involve wellbeing champions in planning.

This is a really important step. If you’re going to create a wellness plan, it needs to be implemented by people who care about the wellbeing of the organization and are willing to put in extra effort. They can help bring other people on board and help with implementation of the plan once it’s created.

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Train line managers on signs of mental illness

As a line manager, you're in an excellent position to help your colleagues who are struggling with mental health issues. You can do this by:

- Knowing what signs of mental illness look like and how they affect an employee's work performance.

- Being aware of the symptoms and warning signs of depression, anxiety disorders and other common types of mental health problems.

- Being able to recognize when someone needs help from a colleague or supervisor because they're not feeling well enough to complete their tasks at work (or even just being around others).

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Make sure your colleagues know how to access help if they need it (e.g. phone, text or online counselling services).

You should also make sure your colleagues know how to access help if they need it (e.g. phone, text or online counselling services).

The best way to do this is by having a clear process for staff to access support and have open lines of communication between the wellness manager and their team members. Ideally you should have an active system of support for all employees that includes:

- A formalized procedure for reporting workplace concerns;

- A person who can take these reports on behalf of the employee;

- Accessible resources such as information pamphlets on mental health issues in the workplace;

- An online forum where people can discuss their experiences with each other (this could be especially useful if there are specific issues affecting one group within your organization).

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A well thought out wellness plan can make a big difference to the culture of your organisation.

A well thought out wellness plan can make a big difference to the culture of your organization. When employees feel supported and valued, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work, less stressed and more confident about asking for help.

If you want to create a healthy workplace culture where people are happy and healthy then it’s crucial that you invest some time on creating an effective Wellness Plan.

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Conclusion

We hope this blog has helped you understand what a wellness plan is, the benefits and how to create one for your organisation. We also want to encourage you to think about how you can get involved in creating a wellness plan for yourself as well!

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