The Wellness Trends For 2023 That Every HR Person Should Know About
The challenges we all face today are well-known; the cost of living crisis, the energy crisis, economic uncertainty (or, put another way, the certainty of recession). Not to mention the perceived threat of AI and of course, the war in Ukraine. And whilst the threat of COVID has somewhat faded into the background, it’s certainly been an unusual time. For the last 2-3 years, Bodyshot Performance has been leading the way in employee wellness. We’ve won awards for our work and shared important messages with thousands – both on stages and within our content. Much of what we focused on then were workshops with very practical things people could do to look after themselves. Topics such as nervous system management, sleep, fitness, energy and mental health.
Things have changed now. I believe people are overwhelmed with information, and confused about what’s ‘right’ and what’s disinformation. Getting access to content isn’t an issue. It’s about helping people understand how to implement and build successful habits and deliver that message in an energising and inspiring way. If you’re an HR Manager or Director or have a responsibility to employee wellness and energy of teams, here are the trends to focus on this year:
Energy Management
A key contributor to burnout in the working world is the belief that we must perform at high level year-round. Apart from a few short holidays, many of us think (and might even encouraged to do so) we have to give our all to our working lives. As a result, we take few breaks and rarely slow down. It is this lack of cadence as I call it, that leads to chronic stress and burnout. The central message of my work is we need to manage energy by identifying the big events you need to perform for. Only then can we begin to get short periods of recovery (rest) in between. For more on this idea go to www.leannespencer.co.uk.
Financial Wellbeing
In a very uncertain economic climate, financial wellbeing is about feeling secure and in control. It is knowing you can pay the bills today, deal with the unexpected, and remain on track for a healthy financial future. It’s clearer now than even ever what the role that financial wellbeing plays in people’s wellbeing and resilience. Bringing in speakers and experts in financial wellbeing, and sharing resources, tips and ideas that help people navigate potentially challenging times can result in happier, healthier and resilient teams. Check out this recent webinar we ran with Financial & Wealth Expert Samantha Bradford on this topic.
We also have a free to download wellbeing trends 2023 infographic from the session with key highlights, created by the very talented Liam from Leodo.
Connection and Inclusivity
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace create a deeper trust and engaged workforce. Hybrid now spans our workplaces, events, and communications. As a result, it’s essential to create accessible and inclusive environments for our teams to thrive. Younger generations will expect workplaces to promote inclusive hiring policies built around gender, race, age, and so forth, underpinned by a clear sense of corporate identity, purpose and values. If employee wellness isn’t embedded in your company values and company culture you may not be able to attract and retain the best people. I also believe offices will become environments to meet and collaborate in rather than the main place work is done. We will see technology increasingly used to bring teams together (for example the Wellgiving platform).
Mental Fitness
I believe we will see the continuing normalisation of mental health in the working world. What I mean is it will become normal to openly discuss how we’re feeling, and less of a ‘thing’ companies focus on, becoming less stigmatised but also less ‘othered’. Companies will adopt elements of my Cadence Approach to prevent chronic stress and burnout. In addition, we will see leaders who have high levels of EQ and demonstrate empathetic leadership. I also think AI and other types of technology, including biohacks which replicate natural light for example, will be introduced to assist with mental health. This will perhaps be particularly so when used in combination with talking therapies.
In short, creating a culture that fosters happy, confident and empowered people, means your teams are more engaged and do better work. Companies who operate in a more traditional sense will ultimately be left behind as younger generations demand change and the older generation of employees suffer an increasing sense of fatigue and burnout. Let’s make the investment in time and money and do the right thing for the people of your business. The time for prioritising employee wellness is arguably the only way.
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