Challenge 2021: How to improve the physical and mental well-being of my employees?

February 10, 2021 5 min read

^{By: Lucas Melman, CEO of Gympass México}

” Health ” is probably the main desire, interest and motor of both personal and company agendas in 2021. In an environment as challenging as the previous year, it is increasingly essential to know the new tools and platforms that allow meeting the regulations already established such as NOM 35 , as well as the recently approved reform to regulate teleworking .

One of the concerns that we hear the most in Gympass from the Human Resources area is how to support teams, especially because according to a study by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), 85% of Mexican organizations lack adequate conditions for its employees to have a balance between their personal and work life, which causes physical and psychological disorders.

One of the elements that companies can rely on is precisely technology: bringing together integrated platforms where employees find tools that allow them to achieve precisely that balance: from food to adopt or deepen healthier lifestyles, physical training options or start meditation practices to improve the quality of the day to day.

Let us also consider that according to information from the Gartner consultancy, 41% of employees would be willing to continue with the home office scheme, being that before the pandemic only 30% worked remotely from time to time and that the circumstances themselves will be conducive for more and more people to join this work modality.

^{Image: Depositphotos.com}

We know how challenging the year is, so I would like to share five actions that can support you to address the concerns of work teams at the beginning of 2021.

1. Explore flexible schemes: Teams likely have different needs in order to meet their goals. It is important to consider various approaches to design policies that allow teams to benefit as much as possible from the benefits of remote work and to adequately meet their objectives. Remember that showing flexibility goes a long way towards building support networks and value relationships that benefit everyone.
2. View wellness as an integrated concept. One of the main learnings that 2020 left us is that physical well-being is as important as emotional well-being, due to the impact it has on social skills as well as the ease of proper concentration, empathy, idea generation and teamwork. According to Gympass’ own study at the regional level, 77% of the users interviewed highlighted the importance of companies offering wellness solutions, however, only 34% of companies had an approach that also included the emotional aspect and not just the physical.
3. Strengthens resilience capacities: It is no coincidence that companies use phrases and images associated with the sporting world: “Eyes on the goal”, or “achieving market positioning is not a short race, it is a marathon”. Physical activity is a great teacher so that both from the individual and from the formation of teams we know our strengths, we improve our communication skills and it is an experience that can be capitalized in a positive way both by leaders and by the companies themselves.
4. It fosters collaborative environments: Collaborative work is an essential ingredient in all processes, in this new context, teams can be impacted by the geographic barriers of remote and dispersed work; However, establishing common challenges through physical activity or wellness on an integrated platform can be a catalyst to spark powerful conversations that allow them to stay creative, innovative and close.
5. Don’t forget about self-care. The Human Resources area was one of the areas that suffered the greatest wear and tear during 2020. It is also important that those responsible for the optimal functioning of the teams are included in the physical and emotional care agenda, with exercise routines and monitoring of activities either meditation, yoga and those applications for a better quality of sleep. Happy employees are not only synonymous with healthy people, but also with productivity, loyalty to the company, aspects that provide a healthier work environment.

Companies are one of the productive engines of any economy. They cannot forget that they are entities made up of people, who unite their efforts, talents, discipline and interests to achieve a common goal. To the extent that the approaches are more comprehensive and measures are adopted for the physical and emotional care of the teams, there will be a positive impact that allows the development of potentialities and capacities to increase well-being, generating virtuous circles in the new dynamics of the labor market .