An organisation’s objectives and goals are met only when its staff are performing at their best. If the staff’s physical health and mental wellbeing are compromised, they become more prone to illnesses. A healthy workplace is defined not only as the absence of diseases but also includes the protection and promotion of health.
What is a health and wellbeing framework?
A health and wellbeing framework can be described as a statement of what an organisation values as excellence in staff (and perhaps customers' or clients) wellbeing. It may be written as a policy that supports staff create a planned and systematic approach to wellbeing. The Bounce Fitness Health and Wellbeing Framework statement reads:
This framework provides a structure that supports staff to be healthy, happy, engaged and successful. Having a strong health and wellbeing framework will help staff avoid physical and mental health issues, and if they do become unwell, will provide greater support and a return to work sooner. The framework will provide evidence-based strategies that focus on prevention and early intervention.
A health and wellbeing framework is necessary for organisations because it provides guidelines on how to achieve a balance between maximising productivity and caring for their staff’s health and wellbeing. It focuses on improving people’s health and wellbeing, both physical and mental. It guides managers on how to support and meet the needs of staff, as well as guide staff on how to properly care for themselves alongside meeting the requirements of their job role.
Furthermore, a health and wellbeing framework describes the key principles involved in a healthy workplace, as well as the action plan that details how to achieve this. It includes a set of processes that are continuously implemented, not a one-time task. It requires the involvement of all members of an organisation to promote a healthy workplace. Therefore, aside from planning and implementing a program, the program also needs to be regularly evaluated to decide whether it should be continued, improved, or replaced.
Workplace personal health and well-being focuses on providing work processes that benefit the health of employees and prevent the development of chronic disease risks in the workplace. Some of these diseases associated with stress from the workplace include obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, sleep disorders, arthritis and depression.
A workplace health and wellbeing framework provides a comprehensive framework for planning, implementing, and evaluating health and wellness initiatives in the workplace. The framework serves as a guide for creating a healthy work environment, enhancing employee wellbeing, and ultimately improving organizational performance.
A workplace health framework typically includes the following components:
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Leadership and Commitment: Top-level management demonstrates a commitment to employee health and wellbeing by establishing policies, allocating resources, and actively participating in health promotion initiatives.
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Needs Assessment: Conduct a thorough assessment of employee health needs, risks, and interests through surveys, interviews, or data analysis. This helps identify the specific health concerns and priorities within the organization.
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Goal Setting: Based on the needs assessment, organizations establish clear and measurable goals for improving employee health and wellbeing. These goals are aligned with the organization's overall mission and values.
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Strategy Development: Develop a comprehensive strategy that outlines specific interventions and programs to address the identified health needs and goals. This includes selecting appropriate interventions, setting targets, and allocating resources effectively.
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Implementation: Executing the planned interventions and programs to promote employee health and wellbeing. This may include initiatives such as health education, workplace policies, access to healthy resources, physical activity programs, mental health support, and work-life balance initiatives.
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Communication and Engagement: Ensuring effective communication and engagement with employees throughout the implementation process. This includes raising awareness, providing regular updates, and encouraging employee participation and feedback.
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Evaluation and Monitoring: Regularly assessing the effectiveness and impact of the implemented interventions and programs. This involves collecting and analyzing data, measuring outcomes, and making adjustments as necessary to improve results.
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Continuous Improvement: Using the evaluation findings to inform future planning and improve the workplace health framework. Organizations actively seek feedback from employees, stakeholders, and relevant experts to refine and enhance their strategies and initiatives.
Organizations demonstrate their commitment to creating a supportive and healthy work environment by implementing a workplace health and wellbeing framework. It benefits employees by promoting their health and wellbeing and positively impacts productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall organizational success.
There are many factors that should be considered which affect workplace health and well-being. These are broadly categorised as work organisation, the physical environment and worker health.
- Work organisation: This refers to the way work is done and includes systems, policies, procedures, processes, work demands, work characteristics and the organisational context.
- Physical environment: This refers to the place where work is undertaken and includes the plant, equipment, materials, vehicles, buildings and structures.
- Worker health: This refers to the physical, emotional and mental capacities of employees and the behaviours that they demonstrate.
In this section, we will explore factors that impact physical health and factors that impact mental health. Before then, however, we will look more broadly at how the nature of one’s workplace impacts one’s personal health and wellbeing from a specific perspective: job control. This remains an important research question as more people work from home. But do they really have control over their environment? What does ‘control’ really mean?
How does the nature of one's workplace affect an employee's personal health and well-being?
A seminal study was undertaken by Robert Karasek titled ‘Lower Health Risk with Increased Job Control Among White Collar Workers’ on the impact of the workplace on employee health and well-being. The research showed that employee control over their work and the demands of the workplace, when combined, directly affect workplace stress.2
More recent studies have incorporated the 'job-strain model' which was first proposed in 1979 and explained the relationship between job demand and employee control. These relationships and combinations were used to identify the following categories of workplaces:
- Active workplace: High job demand and high control workplaces that are characterised by the ‘matching’ of employee skills and control with the challenges associated with fast-paced workplaces and those associated with high levels of learning.
- Passive workplace: Low job demand and low control workplaces characterised by a general passiveness in the workforce and associated with a general decline in overall problem-solving activity.
- Low strain workplace: Low demand and high control workplaces characterised by low job strain and associated with moderate levels of learning.
- High strain workplace: High job demand and low control workplaces characterised by high job strain and associated with a higher chance of negative employee health outcomes.
Data suggests that employees that experienced high levels of autonomy and control in their workplace are more likely to be satisfied with work and were more positive on measures relating to job satisfaction. On the other hand, those that experienced high job demands are more likely to be dissatisfied with work and less positive on measures relating to job satisfaction which eventually will lead to stress and other issues impacting personal health and well-being in the workplace.
Factors that impact physical health
Physical health refers to the condition of a person’s body. It considers both the absence or presence of disease and a person’s activity or fitness level. Many things can affect your physical health, and the factors that can negatively impact it are called hazards.3
| Factor | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Biological hazards | This refers to bacteria and viruses that can cause illnesses. These are present if you work with people and animals with infectious diseases or if you are exposed to bodily fluids. | You have come into work sneezing. |
| Chemical hazard | This refers to exposure to chemical substances. This includes chemicals in any form, such as solid, liquid or gas. Examples include cleaning products, paints, pesticides and gases. Being exposed to chemicals without proper protective equipment can result in illness, skin irritation, corrosion and even explosions. | You have been asked to clean up a spill that contains sharps, without being provided with the appropriate PPE. |
| Physical hazard | This refers to environmental factors that can harm someone without necessarily touching them. Examples are heights, radiation, noise, extreme temperatures and machinery. | Hot frying pans and pots. |
| Safety hazards | This refers to any physical factors in the environment that can directly harm someone if they come into contact with these. An example is anything that can make someone slip, trip or fall, such as cables and wires on the ground. | The cooktop has been left on and a towel has fallen onto it catching on fire. |
| Ergonomic hazard | This refers to working conditions or body positions that can cause strain to a person’s body. This includes repetitive movements, poor posture, lifting heavy objects and using force frequently. | You are often seated at the produce table and have noticed your posture is poor. |
Fatigue
These hazards can result in injuries, diseases and even fatalities. However, another possible result of poor physical health is fatigue which is characterised by feeling extremely tired.
Causes of fatigue
- Excessive workloads
- Feeling stressed for extended periods of time
- Long shifts
- Night shifts
- Inadequate or poor sleep.
Imagine that Person A works on a construction site and operates heavy machinery. If exhausted they may lose control and damage the machine and harm themselves or co-workers. Fatigue can be detrimental even in jobs that do not require much physical activity. Person B is an accountant creating a financial report for their organisation. Because their fatigue makes them sleepy and unfocused, they may accidentally input an inaccurate value. This may not physically harm any people but it can still have major consequences for an organisation and the people in it.
Fatigue risks
Hazards and risks may be inter-related and, in some cases, cumulative. In consultation with employees, employers must develop control measures to address the potential risk of fatigue arising from the working hours and demands of the work.
Watch the following video that discusses tips for preventing fatigue at work.
Note that physical hazards do not exist just in the workplace. These can be present in your personal life, too. Even if you are familiar with your home and you believe that it is generally safe, you may find that your actions can also be considered as physical hazards. Lack of exercise, not eating nutritious food and not getting enough sleep can all be considered hazardous to your health as well. Take note of your daily activities and consider their effects on your physical health.
Factors that impact mental health
Being mentally healthy is defined as the state in which a person can handle the normal stresses in their life, work productively, and realise their full potential.
It affects how you think, feel, and act. When one’s mental health is negatively affected in the workplace, this is usually manifested as stress. Stress is the state of being mentally or emotionally tense.
How stress is experienced varies from person to person, but here are some common signs of stress that you can refer to:
- Feeling sad, depressed or lonely
- Loss of motivation, commitment and confidence
- Feeling confused and indecisive
- Lack of or too much sleep
- Unintentional gain or loss of weight
- Increased smoking, drinking or drug usage
- Being tardy or taking more time off
- Being angry.
What are stressors?
The factors that cause stress are called stressors. You may experience stress in your personal life, coming from stressors in your relationships, finances, daily responsibilities, environment and any unplanned changes. Minor feelings of stress are normal. You can experience these even while doing routine, mundane things. It becomes a problem if your stress becomes overwhelming, and you find it difficult to do the tasks you used to have no problem doing.
Meanwhile, in the workplace, you may experience stressors including organisational, individual, job role-related or extra-organisational factors.
Organisational factors
- Ineffective communication
- Few promotional opportunities
- Exclusivity in decision making
Individual factors
- Family issues
- Financial issues
- Sudden career changes
Job role-related factors
- Monotonous nature of the job
- Lack of confidentiality
- Fear of being unemployed
Extra-organisational factors
- Inflation
- Technological changes
- Social changes
- Climate change
- Pandemics and other global events.
Working from home
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in changes to the working arrangements of millions of employees who are now based at home and may continue to work at home, in some capacity, for the foreseeable future.4 A literature review conducted in 2020 found a small but statistically significant decrease in self-reported health which could not be explained because normal health indicators and job demands remained unchanged. The same research reported that working at home could have negative or positive impacts, depending on the demands of the home environment, level of organisational support, and social connections external to work.
The research identified key themes to developing optimal working conditions for employees working from home including organisational support, co-worker support, technical support, boundary management support, and addressing gender inequities.
Although stress is natural and inevitable in a workplace environment, too much of it can start to impact your performance at work and even cause physical illness. If a person experiences chronic stress, they are at an increased risk of experiencing cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal problems and depression. It is also important to note that stress from your personal life can impact your work performance, and your workplace stress can impact your personal life as well.
Conducting a risk assessment for personal health and wellbeing
To protect yourself from poor physical and mental health, you must first identify which hazards and stressors are present in your workplace and personal life. Carrying out a risk assessment will allow you to identify and analyse these factors.
Identifying hazards and stressors involves finding things and situations in your workplace and personal life that have the potential to harm people. Take time to observe factors in your workplace and your personal life to get a better idea of what risks might be present.
Select each heading that will guide you through doing a risk assessment.
- Information about workplace hazards may already be available, from both your organisation and external sources. You can refer to safety data sheets (SDS), equipment and machinery operating manuals, inspection reports, reports of previous incidents and input from WHS committees.
- For reports of previous incidents, you should also check the near misses and complaints by employees. As for information in your personal life, you can also check for inspection reports about your home to identify any physical hazards.
- In your personal life, you can assess possible risks by reviewing your medical history. If you have any existing or previous conditions, take note of these and consider if they still pose risks. Have you fully recovered from the condition, or is it something that arises from time to time?
- Make a rough timeline of events that have caused you physical harm or severe stress. This can give you a general idea if those events are likely to happen again and impact your health and wellbeing.
- Prepare a checklist of things to look out for. The items will depend on your workplace and personal situation, but include are electrical hazards, slipping or tripping hazards, equipment operation and maintenance, ergonomic issues, social interactions and work processes like staffing and scheduling.
- Look at all aspects of work, such as the type of activities, how the activities are done and the physical work environment. Take note of the equipment and materials and how they are used.
- Talk to the people involved in the activities. Ask how long their shift is, if the time allotted per task is enough, any issues they encountered and any physical and emotional strains they feel due to work.
- When you look for physical hazards and emotional stressors in your own life, try to see things from an outsider’s perspective. You might overlook certain things since you are familiar with them and do not consider them as hazards or stressors. Consider all your daily activities, even the tasks that seem mundane. Do these pose any type of risk to you, and how do you prevent or manage this risk?
- You may classify the hazards you see during or after your inspection. If you notice that something is obviously a certain type of hazard, you can note it down immediately as such. But remember that not all hazards are obvious, so you must take time after the inspection to go over everything you observed and check if there are any more hazards. This is important for identifying stressors, as these are not always apparent.
- During this stage, you must also note down any potential hazards and stressors. These are factors in the workplace and your personal life that have not caused incidents yet but have the potential to do so. You may find it easier to identify these factors by thinking about their long-term effects.
- This involves considering what could happen if a person is exposed to them and how likely it is to happen. To estimate how severe a risk each hazard poses, you should consider the type of harm that can occur, how severe it is and how it could trigger other hazards.
- To figure out how the likelihood of the risk occurring, think of how often the task is done or how often people come into contact with the hazard or stressor. For example, an electric appliance may have a low possibility of catching fire, but if it does, it can severely harm people.
The following methods show how to address hazards and stressors, listed from most effective to least effective (5) These are sometimes also called control measures which are actions to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks as far as reasonably practicable.
- The most effective option is to eliminate the hazard or stressor from your workplace or personal life. Use this method if it is possible to stop doing a task or to delegate it to someone who is more capable of handling the task.
- If elimination is not possible, the next best thing is substitution. To do this, think of safer or less stressful ways that the task can be performed. You are not changing what the main task is, but you are changing the way you do it.
- If substitution is not possible try isolation or engineering controls. This is when physical changes are made to the environment, such as adding barriers between people and the hazard. For example, if there are stairs in your workplace that have flimsy hand railings, you can ask management to replace them. Or, you may find it difficult to get enough sleep. You cannot eliminate or replace sleep with other tasks, so you can instead make changes to your sleeping environment, such as getting more pillows.
- If the above options are not possible, the next step is to change the way you work through administration controls. It aims to only change certain aspects of tasks. If you are responsible for monitoring equipment but notifications from your phone keep distracting you, you can opt to put it on silent mode. With this method, your main task is not altered, but you remove distractions to prevent harm to yourself and others.
- If all else fails, using personal protective equipment (PPE) is the final solution. Like isolation, this method is more applicable to physical hazards than mental stressors, but they can apply to mental wellbeing. For example, you want to meditate at home, but the noise keeps distracting you, you can buy noise-cancelling headphones so you can meditate. Doing this does not change anything about the task or the environment in which you do it, but it allows you to complete your objective anyway.
Not included in the list of methods in the pyramid is reframing your mindset. If you have already tried the previous methods, but none of them works, try to view the situation in a more positive light. It is important to remember that this only works if the task is causing you mild stress, not if the task is causing severe harm to your physical and mental health. Take a look at the major hazards and stressors in your workplace and personal life and see if any of the methods can be used to address them.
For more detailed instructions on doing formal risk assessments in the workplace, you can refer to the Safe Work Australia’s Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.
Scenario
The support workers at the Serenity Community Center have raised a concern during their team meeting regarding the safety of the outdoor recreational area. They have noticed that the pathway leading to the garden is uneven and poses a risk of trips and falls for both staff and clients. After a thorough discussion on possible solutions, the team has agreed to implement the following controls to address the issue. Firstly, they have decided on a modification control by arranging for the pathway to be repaired and leveled to eliminate the uneven surfaces. This will significantly reduce the risk of accidents and ensure a safer environment for everyone. Secondly, to further enhance safety, the team has chosen to implement a protective control by installing handrails along the pathway. These handrails will provide additional support and stability for individuals who may require assistance or have mobility challenges. By implementing these controls, the Serenity Community Center is proactively addressing the safety concerns in the outdoor recreational area. This commitment to maintaining a safe environment aligns with the center's dedication to promoting the wellbeing and mental health of both staff and clients.
Scenario
Emily, a mental health support worker, is overseeing the implementation of a new community program at the Serenity Mental Health Center. As the responsibilities and tasks associated with the program start piling up, Emily begins to feel overwhelmed and stressed both at work and in her personal life. She realizes that in order to manage the project effectively while maintaining her own wellbeing, she needs to implement a safer and less stressful approach.
After careful consideration, Emily decides to employ the 'substitution' control measure to reorganize and prioritize her tasks. She breaks down the project into smaller, manageable tasks, such as program development, resource allocation, staff training, and community engagement. By dividing the project into more manageable components, Emily can approach each task with a focused mindset and a clear plan.
To further support her stress management and productivity, Emily utilizes a project planner tool. This allows her to schedule tasks, set realistic deadlines, and track progress. By having a visual representation of her project timeline, Emily can alleviate the feeling of being overwhelmed and maintain a sense of control over her workload.
Additionally, Emily allocates one hour each morning as dedicated time to focus solely on the project. During this uninterrupted time, she can concentrate on critical tasks, brainstorm ideas, and make progress without distractions. By setting aside this designated period, Emily ensures that her attention is solely directed towards the project, promoting efficiency and reducing stress.
Through the implementation of these measures, Emily demonstrates her proactive approach to managing her workload and prioritizing her own wellbeing. By utilizing the 'substitution' control measure, she modifies her work approach without changing the main task at hand. This allows her to navigate the demands of the project in a more organized and stress-free manner, ultimately contributing to a positive mental health environment at the Serenity Mental Health Center.
In this section, we will discuss researching techniques for managing physical and mental wellbeing. We will start with physical wellbeing.
Techniques for managing physical health
The three key areas of physical health are physical activity, diet and sleep. Living a healthy lifestyle will help reduce the risk of diseases, improve your immune system and increase your lifespan. Your physical health is also linked to your mental wellbeing, so taking care of it will help you in all aspects of your life. Before planning your personal health and wellbeing strategy, research techniques that you can use. You can check books or search for online resources to give you some useful ideas. You can also consult with your healthcare providers so you can get professional advice. This is especially important if you have existing medical conditions or have any specific concerns about your physical health.
Participating in physical activities
Maintaining a healthy weight is important in the prevention of chronic diseases. Being at an unhealthy weight, such as being underweight, overweight or obese, increases your risk for cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes and even some types of cancer. Joining a gym or an exercise program can improve your overall weight, bone and functional health. It can also reduce and prevent the risk of chronic health conditions such as hypertension and stroke. If you cannot go to a gym, just being physically active in general can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, as well as improve your stamina and range of movement.
A technique to figure out whether you are at a healthy weight is to calculate your body mass index (BMI). BMI measures your body size and classifies you into a group. These groups indicate whether you are at a healthy weight and how high your risk for certain diseases is. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight (kg) by your height (m2). There are also BMI calculators online that can assist you. You can access the BMI calculator at the NSW Department of Health.
Once you have calculated it, refer to the table below for an explanation.
| BMI | Classification |
|---|---|
| Less than 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 - 24.9 | Healthy weight |
| 25 - 29.9 | Overweight |
| 30 and over | Obese |
Keep in mind that a healthy BMI range can also differ between age groups, ethnicities and levels of athleticism. For example, a healthy weight BMI may be lower for Asians and higher for people of Polynesian origin. A healthy weight is also higher for older people and for athletes. Once you have calculated your BMI, decide on what your goals are. First, do you need to maintain, lose or gain weight? Next, is there a specific physical ability you want to enhance, such as increasing stamina, flexibility or strength? With these in mind, you can decide what physical activity to focus on.
Major types of exercises
There are three major types of exercises.
- Aerobic exercises: Aerobic exercises increase your heart rate and breathing rate, as well as work your muscles.
- Strength training: Strength training help build stronger muscles and bones.
- Flexibility exercises: Flexibility exercises keep your joints flexible and reduce the risk of injury during other activities.
Most physical activities fall under aerobic exercises, while flexibility exercises are usually done before and after working out. You do not necessarily have to do formal exercises if you keep yourself active throughout the day. Walking, doing chores and going up and down the stairs are all considered physical activities that can raise your heart rate. You can even do these while you are at work. For example, instead of using the elevator, you can opt to use the stairs instead. You can also take quick breaks every now and then to stretch certain muscles that feel sore. However, if you have a sedentary lifestyle, you should commit to setting aside time for formal exercise.
To start being active, you should plan what physical activities you need and want to do. Consider the questions in the following table.
| Question | Implications |
|---|---|
| Do you have any health conditions or physical limitations? | You need to plan your activities around what you can and cannot do. If you have conditions that prevent you from moving too much, plan less rigorous exercises. It may help if you ask your doctor what exercises they recommend you do, as well as the exercises you must avoid doing. |
| How long should you exercise? | For most people, 30 minutes of physical activity daily is just the right amount to raise their heart rate. If you have not been very active recently, it is best to start with fifteen minutes a day and slowly increase the time. Do not overexert yourself by starting a long workout session immediately. Do not try to rush your progress and take it slowly. |
| What spaces and equipment do you have access to? |
Physical activity does not have to be formal exercise. However, going to a gym and taking part in exercise programs can be helpful if you do not know where to start. A trainer can help you figure out the best exercises to do and motivate you. However, these are not necessary if you just want to include simple physical activities in your everyday life. You can also be active even without going to a gym. You can do this by taking walks, jogging or cycling outside. If you cannot go outside, you can work out indoors through dancing and doing exercises that do not need a lot of space, such as squats, push-ups and sit-ups. If these are available to you, you can also use gadgets such as a heartbeat tracker or a pedometer, which records the number of steps you walk and how many calories you burn. These can help you record your progress in a more detailed manner, but you can make do with just your phone or watch to track the time. |
What is a physical activity plan?
A physical activity plan is a plan and a record of the physical activities you do. Fill your physical activity plan with what you want to do each day and what time you plan on doing them. This can also act as your weight tracker, so you can include your weight and BMI. At the end of the week, check if you have done what you planned for each day and adjust it if you need to. If you feel that you can do more rigorous exercises, you can add more. Be realistic with your goals and be committed to achieving them. You can use the following physical activity template as a guide.
| Physical Activity Plan | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day/date | Goal or activity | Time/duration | Intensity (light, moderate, rigorous) | Monitoring | Personal reflection |
| 25/7/2021 Mon | To strengthen arms by regular swimming (twice weekly for 1 hour each session) | 40 minutes | Moderate | Minor pain in left shoulder after forty minutes of freestyle and backstroke | I felt invigorated after swimming and slept well |
You might like to adapt this plan and then use it as a mental health activity plan.
Other things to keep in mind when you assess and plan your physical activities include:
- setting time to warm up and cool down before and after every workout
- stopping immediately if you get hurt while exercising
- exercising with other people to motivate you more
- finding more opportunities to stand to minimise the amount of time you spend sitting
- trying to vary the exercises you do each day to prevent boredom and to work out different muscles
- wearing sun-protective clothing if you exercise outdoors.
Maintaining a balanced diet
Diet refers to the food that you consume on a regular basis. Having a healthy diet means eating the right amount of nutritional food and avoiding too much unhealthy food. Managing your diet properly also helps you maintain a weight that is considered healthy for your age and height.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines is a comprehensive guide that can help you figure out techniques for managing your diet. The key guidelines from the document that you should remember are:
- Guideline 1: Choose nutritious foods and drinks that meet your energy needs.
- Guideline 2: Drink plenty of water and eat a wide variety of foods, specifically vegetables, legumes/beans, fruits, grain, lean meats and dairy.
- Guideline 3: Limit intake of foods with saturated fat, added salt, added sugar and alcohol.
You should be especially wary of food with added sugar. Added sugar is one of the major reasons for unhealthy weight gain and health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Food with added sugar is usually very low in nutrients, so you should be mindful of how much of it you consume. You do not need to completely deprive yourself of eating sweet and salty foods or drinking alcohol if you enjoy those, but you must limit the amount that you consume. Developing healthy eating habits takes time and self-control, but it will benefit you in the long run.
To get into the habit of eating nutritious food, you should create a dietary plan with the guidelines above in mind. It is best to get a dietician or nutritionist to assist you, but some things you need to consider when designing your plan are the questions in the following table.
| Question | Implications |
|---|---|
| What is your current diet? | List down the food that you normally eat, the portion sizes and how many times during the day you eat. You should also note how often you eat pre-packaged, takeaway and restaurant food. Then, estimate how many calories you typically eat in a single day. Calories are the energy you get from consuming food, and you can find this information by looking at food labels’ nutritional facts or by searching online. |
| How much energy do you need every day? | This includes thinking about your overall goal. Is your objective to maintain, lose or gain weight? Are you physically active every day, or are you mostly sedentary? The number of calories you need to consume depends on what you want to do. If you have already planned your exercise activities, doing this step will be easier. |
| How much time and money can you spend preparing your own food? |
Food preparation involves going to the groceries, prepping food and cooking it. Cooking your own meals is the best way to manage your diet. You know exactly what you put in your food, and you can adjust the portions according to your needs. Cooking and bringing your own meals to work can also save you money and time looking for restaurants during your breaks. If you do not have much time or cannot increase your budget to buy groceries and cook food, you may have to turn to getting takeaway or eating at restaurants. However, you should choose restaurants that provide healthy options. Keep an eye out for any restaurants that offer healthy meals near your workplace. Check their menus and ask if they can remove or reduce certain things from your order, such as sugar and salt. They may also be willing to replace certain ingredients if you ask, such as substituting margarine for butter. |
| What are other factors that may influence your food choices? | These include religious beliefs, allergies, availability of food in your area and personal preferences. If you find an existing dietary plan that you think will work for you, make sure that you also consider the factors mentioned. Even if the plan suits your religious beliefs and preferences, the meals it suggests may have ingredients that are not available in supermarkets near you. |
Your dietary plan is a record of the meals you plan to eat for each day. Here, you will also write down what you actually ate for the day, including drinks and snacks, and when you ate them. It may also help you to include what activities you did for the day, so you can check whether the amount of food you eat is appropriate for the energy you expend.
After each week, you should review whether you followed the plan and see if you achieved the goal you set. If not, you should adjust your plan for the following week. You can use the meal plan template designed by the Department of Health to guide you.
Tips to remember when you plan your diet include:
- eating meals at regular times
- reading the labels on pre-packaged food
- avoiding cooking with too much oil and butter
- finding alternatives for added sugar and salt
- sticking to your list when shopping for food
- avoiding shopping when you are hungry.
Learn more about the Australian Dietary Guidelines in the following short video from the ACT Nutrition Support Service. At the time of publishing this module, this resource had not been updated since 2013. It is also important to remember that there are diverse views on what constitutes a ‘healthy’ diet.
Getting enough sleep
Sleep is essential for the cells in your body to be repaired and the information in your brain to be consolidated. Lack of sleep increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity and infections. It can also make you less productive and influence your mood. All the sleep-related habits you have are referred to as sleep hygiene. Examples of good sleep hygiene are going to bed at consistent times, avoiding caffeine close to night-time and getting exercise during the day.
There are two main types of sleep.
- Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep: Eyes flicker rapidly behind closed eyelids, heartbeats are faster and breathing is irregular.
- Non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep: Refers to light sleep and deep sleep. During light sleep, it is easy to be woken up. During deep sleep, the body is inactive and being woken up is difficult. Dreams can occur during deep sleep but these are experienced as incomplete snapshots.
Four to five periods of REM sleep are typical in one night. In a normal sleep cycle, you will alternate between REM and non-REM sleep throughout the night. The further you are into your sleep, the less you experience deep non-REM sleep. There tends to be more REM sleep during deep sleep.
Fatigue can become an occupational hazard. Feeling sleepy is not the same as fatigue, but getting enough sleep can help treat fatigue. When you are sleep deprived, you experience ‘microsleeps’ throughout the day. Microsleeps are brief episodes of sleep while you are awake. You are not aware of this and cannot control it, so it can be dangerous in certain situations.
Another issue with sleep deprivation is ‘sleep debt.’ If you did not get enough sleep, you pay off your ‘sleep debt’ by getting more sleep the next night. However, this is not a recommended habit. Your body requires a total number of hours per night, not a cumulative number over the course of a week. Adults usually need seven to nine hours of sleep every day. Even if you make up for lost sleep, it will not allow your body to regenerate properly.
Tracking your sleep
If you feel sleepy during the day, are unable to concentrate, feel cranky or do not feel energised when you wake up in the morning, then you may not be getting enough sleep. You can get more sleep by tracking exactly how much sleep you get and what activities you do during the day affect your sleep. Keeping a sleep diary is a record of your sleep hygiene that only takes a short amount of time every morning and night to write in.
Keeping track of your sleep patterns is a good technique to help you figure out if there are any things that you should change with regard to your sleep hygiene. However, if you have a sleep disorder, you should consult with a doctor and seek treatment.
What you write in your sleep diary should include the following list.
- The time you went to sleep
- The time you woke up
- How long it took for you to fall asleep
- How many times your sleep was disturbed
- What disturbed your sleep
- How refreshed you felt when you woke up
- How sleepy you felt during the day
- How many naps you took.
To improve your sleep hygiene, you should avoid the following before bedtime.
- Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant and should be avoided at least four hours before sleep.
- Alcohol: Although alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it can disrupt your sleep. It should be avoided at least four hours before sleep.
- Heavy meals: You should have your last heavy meal for the day at least two hours before sleep.
- Digital screens: Digital screens act as stimulants and should be avoided at least 30 minutes before sleep.
The following document ‘A better night’s sleep: A self-help Guide’ on the Government of Western Australia website offers more advice for getting enough sleep, as well as a template for a sleep diary.
Good mental wellbeing goes beyond just feeling happy every day. You should also be able to thrive and realise your potential. If you keep yourself physically healthy, your mental wellbeing will improve as well, but it also takes more than that. Mental health experts advocate wellbeing as a way of improving our lives. Wellbeing helps us stay resilient, build social support and self-efficacy, and cope with adversity. The three aspects of mental wellbeing that you can manage are connections with others, mindfulness and purposeful activities.
Similar to researching techniques for physical health, you can refer to credible books and websites for information. If you have any concerns about your mental health, you can consult with healthcare providers, therapists and counsellors for professional advice.
Connecting with others
Spending time with your family, social circle or people in your community can help strengthen your mental health and wellbeing. It can make you feel happier, more secure and give you a sense of purpose. When you feel down, you may want to avoid others completely. However, it is during these times that you should go out of your way to connect with others. Positive connections can lower anxiety, alleviate depression and raise self-esteem. Even if you are an introvert, you need social connections in your life!
Connecting with others can be achieved either by strengthening your existing relationships or building new ones. Consider who the people closest to you are and when the last time you spent time with them was. Some things to remember when planning techniques for connecting with others during social activities are described in the following table.
| Question | Implications |
|---|---|
| What do you usually do with them? | List down the activities you normally do with that person and see if they strengthen your bond. |
| What activities can you do with them? | You can do any activity as long as it is enjoyable for both of you and it progresses or strengthens your relationship. |
| How often can you spend time with them? | Other aspects of your lives may prevent you from spending time together. Although it would be better to spend time with them on a consistent and regular basis, periodic catchups are just as good provided what you do with them is meaningful. |
Making new connections
You may find yourself not able to strengthen your existing relationships, which you can usually experience if you move to a new place away from family and friends. In this case, you should strive to meet new people and build relationships. One way to make new friends is to attend meetups relevant to your interests. If you have a certain hobby, you can research if there are clubs or gatherings related to it. You can meet like-minded people there and work on your hobby at the same time. You can also check if there are any volunteer opportunities in your area. Helping other people boosts your sense of connection even more.
Dealing with issues
Certain situations can cause conflicts or a lot of tension between you and other people, which can negatively influence your mental wellbeing. When such situations arise, you must remember the following points.
- Do not blame the other person: Avoid placing blame on the other person. When speaking to them, avoid accusing them or trying to start an argument with them. To open up dialogue in a direct but non-confrontational way, you can use the ‘I - statement.’ This involves saying your emotions and why you are feeling that way. An example of an ‘I – statement’ is: 'I felt scared when you raised your voice at me.' It allows you to take full responsibility of what your feelings, but also point out what the other person needs to address.
- Focus on the problem, not the person: To find a solution that will satisfy everyone involved, you and the other person must focus on the issue at hand and not on each other’s traits. When you both acknowledge your differences and tackle the problem without trying to make major changes to each other’s personalities, you can collaborate on finding a good solution.
- Communicate effectively: You must communicate what the issue is effectively so that the other person knows exactly what you must need to resolve it. Be direct and assertive without being argumentative. If intense emotions prevent you from doing so, take time to calm down before resuming the discussion. Resolving conflicts immediately is important, but you need to be in the right headspace to do it.
If you are having problems that you cannot solve by yourself, the people in your life can offer you their support. It is important to remember that people are not mind-readers, so you need to communicate what issues you have instead of expecting others to already know about them. You may find it difficult to talk to your friends and family about what you feel, but doing so lets them know what the problem is and how they can help. Even if they cannot help you solve your problems, they can listen to you and be there for you.
Sometimes, you may need help from more than your friends and family. Certain conditions require treatment from a professional. Do not hesitate to seek professional help if your problems become too overwhelming.
Practising mindfulness
Practising mindfulness means training yourself to be more self-aware. It is about experiencing your body and your emotions at the moment without any judgment. When you practise mindfulness, you simply let your thoughts come and go without lingering on any of them. This helps free up the ‘mental clutter’ that worries you every day. Since it is about focusing on the present, it will help you from obsessing over the past and worrying about the future. Mindfulness is not a type of meditation, but you can try meditating in order to achieve it. Mindfulness is something that can be practised at any time of the day in any place. It also does not aim to solve any of your problems or difficulties. Instead, it allows you to know what thoughts are causing you stress and react to them calmly.
Practising it regularly will help you feel more positive, reduce your stress and improve your clarity. The following steps can guide you in developing a mindfulness exercise to suit your own needs.5
- Establish a routine: Plan the time and duration of your mindfulness exercise. You can start planning to do it for 10 to 15 minutes every day.
- Choose a place: Find a place that is comfortable and free from distractions. If it is difficult for you to find a quiet place, you can try mindfulness anywhere, as long as you can focus. For example, you can try it while doing household chores.
- Identify an anchor: Choose something that allows you to identify when you get distracted. Breathing is commonly used as an anchor, but you can use any of your senses.
- Focus on being present: Be open and aware of whatever enters your mind during the exercise. Refrain from being critical of them. The goal is not to completely clear your mind or become calm. The goal is to be fully aware of the present without judging.
- Notice thoughts and feelings that appear: Acknowledge the thoughts and feelings that show up during the exercise, but do not dwell on them. Let them pass through your mind once another thought appears.
- Return to the anchor when you get distracted: If you realise you are becoming distracted, return to your anchor and slowly ease yourself back into focusing on the present.
- Re-orient yourself to the day. Once you finish the exercise, re-orient yourself by thinking of what you need to do for the day.
Watch the following 6-minute video where neuroscientist Richard Davidson and clinical mindfulness experts explain how mindfulness training can lead to greater resilience to stress.
Participating in purposeful activities
Purposeful activities can be physical, creative or intellectual. Purposeful activities can be your work, a hobby, volunteer opportunities or anything else that gives you a sense of purpose. Work is one important source of purpose. Going to work can improve your self-esteem, establish social connections, enhance your financial security and allow you to contribute to society.
Perfect work-life balance is difficult to achieve, so it is up to you to decide which aspects you need to focus on more. There are times when you may need to focus more on earning money instead of spending time on your non-work interests. There are also times when you need to be with your family more than you need to be at work. Regardless of what you need, try to maintain the boundary between your work and personal life.
Meanwhile, hobbies are a great way to unwind from your daily routine. Your interests may be creative, musical, athletic, academic or something else entirely. A few examples you can try are creating art, playing music or journaling to express yourself. Doing something that expresses yourself can give you a sense of accomplishment and purpose. It can also boost your confidence and connect you with other people. You can do your hobby with a group to connect with others that have similar interests.
Volunteering
Another activity you can try is volunteering. Based on your interests and advocacies, you can look for relevant organisations in your area that need volunteers. Some volunteer positions require specific expertise, but for most positions, you will usually be briefed and trained on what you need to do. Volunteering is a great way to contribute meaningfully to the community, and you can invite your friends and family to be involved.
The 2016 Census showed that 3.6 million people had volunteered in the community in the previous year, or 19.0 per cent of the population, up from 17.8 per cent in the previous census (2011).6 This was an increase of 530,000 volunteers over five years!
To find out more about volunteering and volunteering opportunities near you, visit the Volunteering Australia website.
You can look for any resources that may be available in your workplace or personal life to identify which techniques are most suitable for your health and wellbeing strategy. The activities you plan for your health and wellbeing strategy should be based on resources that you have easy access to.
Internal resources
In your workplace, resources may include those on the following list.
- Office therapists
- Wellbeing Program
- Pet therapy
- Mental health days
- Recreational spaces and activities
- Break time
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Policies and procedures.
To identify these workplace resources, you can refer to your organisation’s policies and procedures and ask your co-workers to see if these are available and when you can access them. For example, the Bounce Fitness Health and Wellbeing Framework provides details of how to contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
External resources
Outside the workplace, resources may include those on the following list.
- Health clinics and centres
- Gyms and fitness centres
- Organisations for specific groups (migrants, LGBT+. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, people with disabilities, etc.)
- Health professionals (counsellors, therapists, psychiatrists and doctors)
- Community programs
- Clubs and hobby groups.
To assist your research, you can check the following sites managed by the Australian Government Department of Health and other credible sites for extensive lists of resources and studies you can use.
| Type | Resources (links to URLs) |
|---|---|
| Managing physical health | |
| Managing mental wellbeing |
|
Work health and safety (WHS) laws require organisations to manage risks in the workplace and ensure the health and safety of their employees, customers, suppliers and visitors. However, these laws vary depending on the type of industry that your organisation belongs to. It is also important to note that they vary from state to state as well.
The Model Work Health and Safety Act 2011
You will notice some states and territories refer to ‘Work health and Safety’, others to ‘Occupational Health and Safety’ and others ‘Occupational Safety and Health’. Confusing, right? This is because Australia is a federation of different states and territories. Regardless of the different names of the acts, they do have the same objectives. The Model Work Health and Safety Act 2011 aims to provide some consistency between the acts. It forms the basis the of WHS Acts that have been implemented in most jurisdictions across Australia.
Some notable legislative requirements that the Model Work Health and Safety Act 2011 states are:
- Part 2, Division 4, Section 27 – Duty of officers: WHS officers must ensure that there are appropriate resources and processes that can help eliminate or minimise risks to an employee’s health and safety. This requirement addresses workplace stress because it informs employees of resources and processes they can utilise.
- Part 3, Section 38 – Duty to notify of notifiable incidents: Employees and management must inform the relevant personnel immediately after an incident has occurred. They must provide the necessary details through phone call or written means and keep records of the incident for future reference.
- Part 5, Division 2, Section 48 – Nature of consultation: Employees must be given opportunities to express their views and raise WHS issues. This requirement addresses workplace stress because it allows employees to discuss any issues or concerns that pose harm to their health and safety.
The following infographic lists the legislation for each state and territory.
WHS/OHS for Australian States and Territories
WHS/OHS for Australian States & Territories, © Employsure 7
Organisational policies and procedures
Do you know the difference between a policy and a procedure?
- Policies: Policies are statements that state a set of principles that help organisations achieve their set goals and objectives. They are a precise plan of action that guides the decisions and achieves outcome(s). They clearly state the goals and conditions and are similar to a report in length. They are also formally written and may use very technical language.
- Procedures: Procedures, meanwhile, are a list of steps an employee must adhere to when completing a particular task or activity defined by an organisation. They are detailed actions that have to be executed in the same manner to obtain the same result described in the policy. These are written to make the policy workable and achieve the intention of the policy.
It is easy to get confused by the differences between policies and procedures. Refer to the following guide to differentiate policies from procedures.
| Point of comparison | Policies | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency of change | Rarely changes once finalised and implemented | Frequently changed and updated for continuous development |
| Conditions needed for best implementation | Best implemented when all employees fully accept the requirements written within it | Best implemented when they are created and listed in a logical process that can be easily followed |
| What it reflects | Reflects and supports the fulfilment of an organisation's mission statement | Represents a policy statement's practical application |
Both employers and employees must do their part in ensuring workplace health and safety. Your organisation should have briefed you on their policies, and a copy of them should be available for you to review at any time.
Scenario
Bounce Fitness has policies and procedures relating to health and wellbeing. These include the:
- Bounce Fitness Workplace Harassment Prevention Policy and Procedure
- Bounce Fitness Personal Protective Equipment Policy and Procedure
The following table explain some of the relevant requirements of each.
| Policy | Requirements of employees |
|---|---|
| Bounce Fitness Workplace Harassment Prevention Policy and Procedure |
Employees must not harass others, such as abusing a person loudly, leaving offensive messages, sabotaging a co-worker’s work and giving unjustified criticisms. Employees must not maliciously exclude or isolate other co-workers. Employees must report cases of workplace harassment to the Centre Manager or General Manager of Human Resources. |
| Bounce Fitness Personal Protective Equipment Policy and Procedure |
Staff at the cafe must wear the correct footwear to reduce the risk of injuries from equipment and slips, trips and falls. Staff must ensure ear protection by monitoring noise and music levels in the cafe. They must ensure that the music level does not require people to raise their voices when speaking. Staff must wear earplugs if necessary. Employees must wear spectacles or goggles if there is a risk of chemical or metal splashes, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour or radiation. |
You should also note when the policies and procedures were last updated. Policies and procedures are subject to change, so make sure that you have current copies. Legislation may also change, so the policies that correspond to it must be updated or replaced. Being familiar with the current versions of legislation and organisational policies and procedures ensures that you know what to do in situations that pose risks to your personal health and safety.
Key points
- Doing a risk assessment can help you identify factors in the workplace and in your personal life that affect your physical health and mental wellbeing.
- Managing your physical health involves identifying techniques for improving physical activity, diet and sleep.
- Managing your mental wellbeing involves identifying techniques for connecting with others, practising mindfulness and finding purposeful activities.
- Review any resources available in your workplace and personal life to see if these are suitable to be used in your planned personal health and wellbeing strategy.
- When reviewing legislation, policies and procedures, check for their recency and their applicability to your area.
The final activity for this topic is a set of questions that will help you prepare for your formal assessment.
In Summary, organizations demonstrate their commitment to creating a supportive and healthy work environment by implementing a workplace health and wellbeing framework. It benefits employees by promoting their health and wellbeing and positively impacts productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall organizational success.
You are responsible for your own health and wellbeing, especially in workplaces. The tools you can use to establish a routine for yourself include:
- focus on your sleep, diet and exercise
- creating SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.)
- review your workplace to see areas that impact your health and wellbeing and create a plan for change.
Work health and safety (WHS) laws require organisations to manage risks in the workplace and ensure the health and safety of their employees, customers, suppliers and visitors. However, these laws vary depending on the type of industry that your organisation belongs to. It is also important to note that they vary from state to state as well.
