Here at New Leaf, as part of our SME Wellbeing Pledge, we’re asking businesses to organise and encourage green workplace wellbeing initiatives.
So, why is it so important to prioritise these green wellbeing pause points across the working week?
The benefits of green workplace wellbeing
It lowers absence due to ill health.
In Rachel Kaplan’s report on the role of nature in the context of the workplace, she found there was a 23% decrease in sick leave taken by employees with a view of nature.
She also reported that those with a view of nature ‘felt less frustrated and more patient, found their job more challenging, expressed greater enthusiasm for it, and reported higher life satisfaction as well as overall health.’
It impacts future recruitment prospects.
A 2021 survey by Forbes revealed that 62% of employees identified employee wellbeing as a key deciding factor when applying for a new job.
A poignant reminder that workplace wellbeing initiatives are just as important to future recruits as they are to existing employees.
It contributes to an organisational response to the climate crisis.
Sustainable development has never been more poignant or profitable, which is why so many of us are interested in how to make our small businesses more sustainable.
Embracing green workplace wellbeing initiatives can increase the positive impact you’re having on the wellbeing of your employees and the world they inhabit by encouraging everyone to get involved, contextualise the work you do and take action.
It creates a healthier, more inclusive workplace culture.
The IGNITION project – designed to find nature-based solutions to the climate emergency – found that green pause points boosted workplace morale, addressed access to green spaces, decreased work-related stress and increased workplace productivity.
Findings also suggested that these nature-based solutions reduced staff turnover as employees felt more valued.
How can we encourage and organise workplace wellbeing pause points? Good question.
8 green initiatives to boost workplace wellbeing
1. Enjoy a workplace wellbeing walk
We all know how beneficial nature can be for our mental wellbeing, but how often do we interact with it during the working week? Escape the office for an hour and meet with your team for a wellbeing walk in the local area.
We’re hosting a wellbeing walk with an artistic twist here in Somerset, and we’d love for you to join us. We’ll start in East Quantoxhead before wandering along the coast at Kilve and returning via the stunning countryside of the Quantock Hills, stopping along the way to record our creative journey.
Learn how to make paintbrushes from feathers, grind pigment, write with charcoal ink, and capture your creativity with raw, organic materials. We’ll also be using our cameras to capture a visual diary of the day.
Somerset sole traders and SMEs in the Arts and Entertainment sector can register for free. See you on 3rd September!
2. Take your meetings outdoors
Who says meetings have to take place in stuffy board rooms? Gather up your notebooks and herd everyone outside for your weekly check-in.
Swapping the boardroom for the open air can help nourish different parts of your brain and help you grow more in tune with the world around you, so get creative with how you present information outdoors. Copy-and-paste slideshow presentations, begone!
Switch screen-based graphs for interactive flipcharts that physically bring ideas to life.
Call upon the teachings of the natural world to inspire your musings during the meeting.
Underappreciated employees are twice as likely to experience poor mental health, according to a recent study conducted by Wildgoose, here is a link to the original survey so use this time to celebrate the contributions your employees have made and make it clear that their wellbeing is important.
Outdoor meetings aren’t just for groups either. Why not take your calls as you pad the pathways of your local park?!
3. Plan outdoor teambuilding events
Teambuilding has come a long way since the days of trust falls and two truths and a lie.
Employees may not have access to green spaces in their daily lives, so it’s all the more appropriate to organise teambuilding days that allow your team to engage with nature.
Look for local landmarks, walks, and places of note. Head somewhere you can learn more about the natural world around you – whether that’s via garden tours, wildlife walks, or sustainability-related activities. If you’re a Somerset-based business, why not stop by St Agnes Well, our well of wellbeing, for some quiet time and space for reflection.
Mindful event management companies now offer a range of green activities, from forest bathing to mindfulness workshops, which could be a great option if you’d prefer to follow a ready-made itinerary.
4. Add some plants to your office
Bring the outside in by embracing biophilic workspace design.
Adding some greenery to your office can increase productivity, increase motivation, and reduce stress levels.
Marlon Nieuwenhuis, a leading researcher at the University of Twente, conducted a study in 2014 that revealed enriching a ‘previously Spartan space’ with plants increased productivity by 15%. She went on to tell Science Daily, ‘It identifies a pathway to a more enjoyable, more comfortable and a more profitable form of office-based working.’
Check out our blog post on the many ways you can green your office space with ease.
5. Volunteer outdoors as a team
In our post on how to make your small business more sustainable, we discussed the importance of supporting your local community through charitable donations, activism and positive action.
Why not combine your quest for green wellbeing initiatives with charitable ones and volunteer outdoors as a team; work together to rewild surrounding land, participate in planting schemes or pair up with local charities to fundraise.
Giving back makes a huge difference, not only to the communities you’re positively impacting but also to your mental health.
6. Encourage mindful moments in nature
With our busy schedules and ever-growing responsibilities, it may feel like we don’t have time to pause for wellbeing, but mindful moments in nature don’t have to be time-consuming.
Sometimes it’s simply a case of taking note of our surroundings, as suggested in the ‘Five ways to wellbeing’ report often cited by practitioners.
Here are some simple ways you can add green pause points to your working week:
- Tend to the office plants – feed them, water them, have a little chat.
- Open the windows for some fresh air and take some deep breaths in.
- Enjoy your lunch break outdoors, away from your desk.
- Pause at the start of each day to take stock of your surroundings before you head into work and get stuck into spreadsheets and social media.
7. Create an outdoor space for working and relaxing
If you have access to outdoor space at work, it might be time to give it a little refresh.
Add some low-maintenance flowers, comfy seating options and luscious greenery to boost your collective mood and productivity levels. If the space is big enough, you could use it to conduct outdoor meetings or even social gatherings after work.
The Space To Breathe study, conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, looked at the value of green spaces for employee wellbeing across three NHS sites. Staff who said they regularly spent time in these spaces during the working day, on average, reported significantly higher levels of wellbeing.
8. Introduce a monthly focus
Green workplace wellbeing isn’t about hosting a single mindfulness session or handing out a lacklustre pamphlet filled with vague self-care activities before never speaking of it again.
Make mental wellness part of your workplace culture by focusing on one green wellbeing initiative a month. Set yourself a collective goal or end reward for extra motivation.
Monthly green wellbeing initiatives could include:
- Encouraging walking, cycling or carpooling to work. Hand out awards for the most committed and the most creative way of getting to work!
- Trying new recipes using locally-grown produce. End with an epic office feast featuring all your favourite dishes from the month.
- Growing plants with locally-sourced seeds. Once your plants have sprouted, hold a prize-giving competition inspired by country fairs – complete with rosettes.
- Creating artwork or writing inspired by nature. Finish the month by hosting an exhibition to celebrate all of your efforts.
Make it as fun and interactive as possible to see the best results.
Start a dedicated email thread or work-approved group chat so everyone can share updates as the month progresses! Take it one step further by welcoming a speaker to share their expertise.
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Mental health services for Somerset SMEs
New Leaf is working with the team at Somerset Public Health to deliver workplace emotional wellbeing training to small and medium-sized (SME) businesses across Somerset in industries that have been heavily impacted by COVID – construction, agriculture, health and social care, visitor economy, and arts and entertainment.
Sign up for our fully-funded mental health training, sign the wellbeing pledge and commit to tackling workplace wellbeing and supporting your employees. Lots of businesses have already signed up and taken the pledge. Join them!
We hope this work will create a legacy for Somerset as the wellbeing capital of the UK, a place where people want to live and work or stay for a much-needed break.
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Here at New Leaf, we are passionate about empowering mindful and compassionate communication. You can delve into the archives and read some of our mental health blog posts, from how to reconnect with nature to boost your mental health to how to talk to someone about mental health.
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Are you keen to discover how New Leaf Workplace Wellbeing can help you act upon your corporate social responsibility and support your employees? Email Becky at [email protected] for more information.
This post was written in collaboration with Bee Higgins, the copywriter and content writer behind Vivatramp Creatives.
