Key Take Aways:
- The global mental health crisis is worsening, with notable increases in depression and anxiety rates, emphasising the need for more robust support systems.
- Positive psychology and the science of human flourishing provide practical tools and strategies for improving wellbeing, which are yet to be fully integrated into corporate and educational frameworks.
- Corporate wellbeing initiatives offer a significant opportunity for differentiation in the marketplace, attracting talent by prioritising employee health and happiness.
- Leadership from the top is crucial; the practices and priorities of board members and executives can set the tone for an organisation's culture of wellbeing.
- Simple, scientifically validated practices, like cultivating moment-to-moment awareness, acknowledging and learning from negative emotions, and fostering gratitude, can significantly impact our mental and emotional resilience.
The Global Mental Health Crisis
We are living in an era where mental health is becoming an increasingly pressing issue. We are facing a global mental health crisis where one in three employees in the Western world are struggling mentally.
In the face of this crisis, positive psychologist Erica suggests that board members can take simple, practical actions to improve their own mental wellbeing and resilience and importantly cascade these actions throughout their organisations delivering a happy workplace for all and a company able to re-energise their competitive advantage.
This is the second year of the Mental State of the World Report providing a view of the Internet enabled English speaking population in eight countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and South Africa.
The Science of Happiness
Leadership and the Cultivation of Wellbeing
Crucially, the culture of wellbeing, like corporate culture, starts at the top and ultimately begins with the board.
As an experienced corporate strategist and sustainability expert, Erica has spent over 20 years working at executive and board levels. Her journey of self-discovery and growth has taken her from the self-help section of Exclusive Books and Barnes and Noble to the frontiers of positive psychology and extreme distance running.
Erica’s experience, as a corporate coach, has evidenced to her that there is a strong correlation between the wellbeing of the workforce and financial sustainable performance of the organisation.
Leaders who prioritise their own mental health tend to have more engaged and productive teams. To help board members improve their wellbeing and resilience, Erica recommends several practical actions that board members can take, including practicing gratitude, engaging in physical activity, cultivating positive relationships, and setting boundaries.
“Wellbeing and performance are strongly correlated, and leaders who prioritise wellbeing tend to have more engaged and productive teams.” Erica Terblanche
Corporate Wellbeing as a Differentiator
Amidst the backdrop of the mental health epidemic, corporate wellbeing initiatives stand out not just as moral imperatives but as strategic differentiators. Organisations that authentically commit to the health and happiness of their employees can distinguish themselves in a competitive landscape, attracting and retaining the talent that is increasingly prioritising wellbeing over traditional markers of job attractiveness.
Practical Steps Toward Enhancing Wellbeing
The journey to improved wellbeing is paved with simple, yet profoundly impactful practices. Erica shares strategies such as cultivating moment-to-moment awareness, constructively engaging with negative emotions, and fostering a mindset of gratitude. These practices, scientifically validated for their positive impact on mental and emotional resilience, offer tangible pathways for individuals to enhance their wellbeing.
“A wellbeing culture starts with the Board and the best way to incorporate that culture into the Board’s Agenda is to actively live it.”
Why not try them out for yourself?
- Take a few minutes each day to reflect on what you are grateful for. These positive thoughts create a positive chemistry, puts into context the negative issues which support an improvement in overall well-being and positivity.
- Exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on mental well-being. We all know that we feel better after exercise, it deflects the mind, time to focus on yourself and energises the blood flow and activates muscles. Erica suggests finding an enjoyable exercise activity that raises the heart rate, and make it a regular, but non onerous, part of your routine.
- We are social creatures, we positively feed off engagement with one another. The pandemic evidenced the impact of isolation. Social connections play an important role in our wellbeing living outside of ourselves and sharing life with others. It is important to prioritise building strong relationships with your colleagues, family, and friends, empowering you to be well and to add value to others.
- Everyone needs healthy boundaries in which they function, these being vastly different, one person to another, and that includes board members. Set boundaries around your work and personal life, to prevent overwork, burnout or isolation and instead maintain a healthy engagement with the world to foster your own well-being.
Together, these four practices will unlock your personal “joie de vivre” and allow you to fully appreciate being in the present.
“Positive psychology is the study of human flourishing and optimal functioning, and it focuses on strengths, rather than weaknesses.” Erica Terblanche
Charting the Course Forward
When board members lead by example and these behaviours and culture cascade into their organisation, a culture of wellbeing and resilience is created. By modelling these behaviours, themselves, they create opportunities for team members to engage in activities that promote wellbeing and build positive relationships, creating a positive, productive environment for their teams.
Erica’s insights highlight the importance of prioritising mental wellbeing and resilience for both individuals and organisations. By taking simple, practical actions, board members can improve their own wellbeing and create a culture of positivity and productivity within their organisations. In doing so, they can gain a competitive advantage in an increasingly challenging business environment.
As we venture further into this series, the aim is to explore the multifaceted ways in which the culture of wellbeing can be nurtured and leveraged within the corporate context for greater effectiveness and fulfilment. Erica’s insights serve as a foundational pillar in this exploration, guiding us towards a future where corporate success is inseparable from the wellbeing of its people.
