Covid-19 has been an unsettling time for many people in the workplace, with employees suddenly having their working environment transformed from the white washed walls of their company office, to the familiar walls of their own home. This period has required a great deal of adjustment and for many, the reliable routine of commuting to work every day, chatting to colleagues and returning home in the evenings, is now a thing of the past.
Whilst the measures that have been implemented during Covid-19 will hopefully not last forever, it is important businesses are taking the right measures to protect their employees’ wellbeing during this vulnerable time.
Our Business Mile is a useful tool to help businesses do just that. Our simple initiative supports your workforce to become more active, healthier and happier, by simply engaging your employees to participate in regular walks, whether on their own, or as part of a team.
With many employees now working from home, their usual daily activity has been disrupted. They are no longer doing their regular walks to work, no longer running for the bus, or strolling to lunch with colleagues. These might not initially seem big things, but people no longer needing to be as physically active and being less socially stimulated, correlates negatively with employees’ mental and physical health. This is reflected in statistics with 38% of people in the UK reporting that they were concerned about how the pandemic had affected their mental health*, and the communications industry and tech industry reporting their largest increase in job stress and demotivation during the pandemic**.
So, what can you do to help?
It is a universal fact that getting out and doing any form of exercise can have extraordinary benefits for both our physical and mental wellbeing. No matter how small or big your business, The Business Mile can be implemented as an initiative to encourage employees to be more active each day, by walking a mile. We recognise that vigorous exercise isn’t always an obtainable and realistic option, whereas gentle exercise is much more accessible and can meet all employee abilities.
The Business Mile gives your employees a reason to get outside and move, without which, they may have no inclination to do. It’s a gentle nudge towards a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Not only does The Business Mile inspire the workplace to all walk a mile, it also reinforces a positive culture of employees making a commitment to walk more miles; and whilst employees are still working from home, this is something that can be done with their family and friends. Employees are also able to see how many miles their colleagues have completed which injects a level of competitiveness into the workplace.
Picture this, Sally has been staring at her computer screen all day and hasn’t left the house. Its 6pm and she feels burnt out and quite low. She checks The Business Mile Tracker and sees that her colleague, Julie, has now overtaken her by a mile. Sally wasn’t planning on going out this evening, but her competitive nature gets the better of her and she decides she wants to beat Julie. She drags her husband out for walk and they do their mile. She gets back and her head feels clearer, she feels more energised and much more positive than she did earlier in the day.
The Business Mile is a simple and effective way to look after your employees’ wellbeing, both during and after Covid19, and definitely puts some fun motivation back in to the workplace!
If you would like more information on The Business Mile, check out our website or please email us on info@masonfoundation.co.uk
