According to the World Health Association (WHO), most people spend 1/3 of their adult life at work. Assuming another 1/3 of their adult life is spent sleeping (if they’re getting enough sleep), this is really a lot of time! Therefore, understanding what occupational wellness is, why it’s important, and how you can improve it is vital to your workplace happiness.
RELATED: What Is Wellness and Why Is It Important?
What is occupational wellness?
Before improving your occupational wellness, it’s important to understand exactly what it is. In a nutshell, occupational wellness has to do with maximizing your workplace happiness by focusing on work that brings you a sense of joy, satisfaction, and accomplishment. It can be achieved by exploring various careers pathways and successfully managing working place stressors.
Why is occupational wellness important?
Since most people spend a lot of time at work, it’s important to make sure you have a sense of pride and accomplishment in what you do professionally. Therefore, before jumping into a career path, I recommend doing your homework and researching what it takes to be successful in that industry. Also, explore what kind of a work/life balance you’ll have as well as how colleagues work together in that line of work.
If your an employer, really think about what you provide your employees. Is there the opportunity for growth within your company? Do your employees feel they work in a positive and safe environment? Do you have programs in place that support their overall health and wellbeing? These are all important things to consider if you want to keep them around.
Whether an employee or an employer, keeping occupational wellness at the forefront of your mind will pay dividends for your professional life.
How can you improve occupational wellness?
The first thing, setting professional goals is one of the best ways to improve your occupational wellness. Whether broad or specific, when you write down career goals, you’re much more likely to work with a purpose and follow through with them.
Another way to improve occupational wellness is to seek out mentors. Having someone who can provide you with professional guidance and career advice is invaluable. Plus, there’s a good chance they’ll have experience with many of the problems and hurdles that you’ll encounter throughout your career.
Lastly, commit to maintaining a strong work-life balance and living in the present at all times. In other words, learn to turn work off! This includes making time for hobbies, social activities, and vacations.
Conclusion
Whether you like it or not, work takes up a significant amount of time in our lives. As a result, it’s important to maximize your workplace happiness and overall occupational wellness.
Do you have ideas or recommendations on ways to improve occupational wellness? Leave them in the comments below.