Wellbeing…
Sometimes seen as the current buzzword or tokenistic however I believe this comes from it being “done” as a tickbox exercise.
Having worked in a leadership role where wellbeing was my core responsibility, it is so much more than that.
Wellbeing in the workplace is about adapting systems and procedures so that they support workload rather than adding to it, being open minded to new ways of working and recognising individuals for who they truly are. It is not about providing yoga sessions and pizzas on Friday (these are nice to have, they are not the solution). There are some great examples out there of schools blocking PPA to be taken as a half/whole day from home, birthdays off and opportunities for paid sabbaticals. Other, less “showy” changes such as making registers easier to access, simplifying forms and shortening meetings can make a big difference. We’ve all been in meetings where it
finished “on time” despite everything being said and done 15 minutes earlier!
It is important to say that we have personal responsibility for just as much as our employers do and it is absolutely something that we should be prioritising. It is so much more than the word of the moment. If I asked you what you do to support your own wellbeing, what would you say?
When I asked staff, I got responses ranging from “I don’t” or “I haven’t got time” through to “I go walking at weekends”, “I have removed email from phone” and “I make sure I go home at 4pm at least once per week”.
I do not doubt that these things help and it was good to hear that people are actively and intentionally doing things to support their wellbeing. For those who said “I don’t (have time)”, there were often other barriers that seemed to be getting in the way.
Having enough hours in the day being an obvious one but also money and perception around what wellbeing looks like.
Something that really resonated with me recently was the idea of the Seven Types of Rest. Why did I like this? Because it moved away from just doing things that support wellbeing to thinking about why they work and being more mindful about our lives as a whole. There are things we are already doing that with a few minor tweaks can be really supportive to our wellbeing – helping to remove barriers around having enough time. I would also say here that if you feel you do not have time, let’s flip this. Ask yourself what impact it would have if you felt better and your wellbeing levels were higher. If you make an hour or so now, it will pay back much more than that in the longer term. For anyone worried about cost or perception, the Seven Types of Rest concept is helpful too because again, you can think about what you are already doing.
Some people may wish to make some bigger changes and of course, this is fine and being intentional about your rest is key. It is not something that just happens – you need to plan for it.
So what are the Seven Types of Rest? You will notice that some of them are quite active – it is not all about sitting down and doing nothing. Why – because the key is being intentional about what you do.
Here goes:
1: Physical rest – move your body in some way, you choose how, when and how long.
2: Mental rest – read, do a puzzle, take a break from “work mode”
3: Emotional rest – talk to a someone you trust, write about your feelings (nobody needs
to read what you write)
4: Sensory rest – engage as many of your five senses as you can
5: Social rest – spend quality time with someone you care about
6: Creative rest – draw, paint or write (again, nobody needs to see it!)
7: Spiritual rest – find some calming music, talk to your dog, help someone
Join me to find out more about the Seven Types of Rest and why they work so well along with practical examples about how you can use these to support your wellbeing. Wellbeing for Educators – 2nd July 2024 at 4pm (1 hour).
With the summer holidays coming up, it is an ideal time to focus on you. Self care is NOT selfish!
