FOUR WAYS TO FIND OCCUPATIONAL WELLNESS

Wellness is a concept that affects all parts of our lives and certainly something that we should bring into the workplace. It is expected that the average Nigerian worker spends eight (8) hours a day doing work-related duties so it makes sense to incorporate elements of wellness in such a major area of our lives because occupational wellness has the ability to improve our lives. Therefore to find occupational wellness, take note of the following:

Find the Positive: Not every job is perfect and some jobs can be downright difficult at times. Try not to let the bad parts of your day get in the way of your happiness. Every job has its share of issues from fast-approaching deadlines to angry customers or clients to settle down. Instead of ruminating on all the things that went wrong or irked you during the workday, focus on the positive: maybe a customer was extra friendly to you or you accomplished a difficult task that you thought you couldn’t do. Focusing too much on the negative has the potential to turn your dream job into a nightmare.

Personal Touches: Bring elements of home or a touch of your personality to your work space. Leave a souvenir from your favorite place on your desk or wear your favorite accessory if you have to wear a uniform to work. Keep your favorite snack in your desk drawers or listen to your favorite Pandora station while doing simple tasks, if your job allows it. Any personal touches that can keep you relaxed and fend off stress will make you more productive and content at work.

Plan for the Future: In an ideal world, everyone would land their dream job as soon as they completed their education or training. Even if you are lucky enough to be in your desired field, you still have to keep the future in mind of where you would like to end up in a few years or a few decades. Having a job that is not necessarily what you really want to do is not a career death sentence either. Creating a plan with goals and deadlines about where you would like your career and finances to be in the future will help keep you from getting stuck in a dead-end job.

Know Who to Call: There isn’t always a cut and dry answer to every issue that comes up at work. Customers might have strange requests or clients might be asking a series of detailed questions you don’t know how to answer. Identifying at least one person in your MDA who you know will have the answers or is willing to help you out when in need will definitely make your working life less stressful. Be willing to pay your co-workers back when they help you out of a pickle. Remember, to also cover for colleagues if they call in sick or help them out when they are swamped with too many tasks.

Credit: https://www.rtor.org/2015/10/08/occupational-wellness/