A Comprehensive Toolkit for Leaders—4 Strategies for Healthier, More Productive Employees

Workplace productivity is all about who grinds the hardest—right? 

Not exactly. There is a better approach to protect employees from burnout while also getting the work done.

I’m a licensed professional counselor in Texas, specializing in comprehensive wellness. I’m also a clinical trainer for Spring Health. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the connection between workplace productivity and a comprehensive approach to wellness. 

Let’s imagine I have a project deadline and am not sleeping well. I’m also anxious, sitting at my desk all day, eating poorly, and consistently feeling burned out from my workload. I won’t be as productive in meeting my upcoming deadline or working as effectively as I could be. 

My productivity suffers when my overall wellness is neglected, regardless of how hard I continue to grind.

In this blog, we’re exploring an alternative framework for understanding productivity and well-being, discussing how leaders can be wellness advocates, and outlining a comprehensive toolkit for practical steps organizations can take to transform workplace culture.

Redefining productivity: a comprehensive approach

A comprehensive approach to wellness means ensuring that we take care of our physical and mental health and consider all facets of health to be interconnected. 

This approach considers health multi-dimensional, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual health.

Comprehensive well-being in the workplace involves supporting team members in every health area through organizational strategies and personalized care for individuals and their families. An excellent place to start for HR or workplace leaders is to think about what they need in times of struggle amid the ebbs and flows of daily life. 

What support or benefits would have helped after losing a loved one? What would have been helpful when dealing with a physical or mental health challenge? We’ll get into more specific strategies later, but this is an excellent framework from which to build.

Grinding is not the best productivity metric

Productivity is often associated with constant activity and grinding, but consider the definition of grinding: it’s a connotation of something being broken down. 

A recent survey of employees found that 65% of full-time workers are burned out, and 72% report that burnout affects their productivity. So, how can we think about productivity in ways more aligned with a comprehensive approach?

First, instead of focusing on traditional productivity metrics like output, we can consider the quality of the work being done, the healthiness of the workplace culture and environment, and the strength of relationships.  

The sign of a healthy workplace environment is a productive, creative, and resilient workforce—because employees feel psychologically safe, are not burnt out, get along, and are happy to be at work.

A comprehensive approach to well-being will reduce turnover, absenteeism, and presenteeism as employees get the support they need to be healthy. The cost of poor workplace well-being is high. 

Let’s consider strategies for implementing a comprehensive approach at the organizational level and for individuals and their families.

Managers as wellness advocates

How can managers be empowered to foster a culture of well-being? My most recent supervisor was adamant about prioritizing self care. She modeled this in her own life and emphasized it for her team members, which showed us that we had permission to do the same. 

Leaders can play a vital role in setting the tone for workplace wellness. They are in a position to change the culture and impact lives by:

• Fostering collaboration over competition
• Encouraging a growth mindset
• Providing resources for mental health, self care, and physical health
• Partnering closely with HR so they understand what benefits are available and are ready to connect employees when necessary
• Promoting training and community development

Training and development for leaders

For leaders to set the tone, it can be helpful to partner with an outside organization to show them how to implement these strategies in a helpful way for their organization. This might include:

• Onsite training
• Webinars
• Mentorship relationships

Open communication combats stigma

In the workspace, people are rarely comfortable being vulnerable. There’s still so much stigma around discussing mental and emotional health at work, but a culture of silence, especially between leaders and employees, doesn’t allow for growth or change. 

When employees work for a leader who shows empathy and grace during personal or work struggles, offers resources, and speaks openly about their own well-being, they feel psychologically safe and valued by their organization. 

This is great for wellness and also a massive driver of productivity. An employee who feels connected with their organization is better able to fully show up at work.

A comprehensive toolkit for the workplace

Now that we’ve covered why it’s important to reframe productivity and how organizational strategies can support this reframing, let’s outline a comprehensive toolkit for addressing employee wellness on the individual level. 

Cultivating a supportive environment for self care

When people are stressed, they’re both unhappy and work less productively. Here are five proven self-care practices that might help reduce stress:

• Practicing deep breathing and mindfulness
• Facilitating opportunities for movement during the workday
• Mindful eating
• Self check-ins: what do I need, how do I feel, and how do I want to feel?
• Listening to music 

Empowering employees through mindfulness

Mindfulness is simple. It’s bringing our attention to the present moment. That’s it. 

When we are stressed, overwhelmed, feeling down, or worried about the future, our attention is everywhere but the present moment, leading to disconnection. 

Mindfulness practices can help employees alleviate stress and regulate their emotions during busy work days. They allow them to better understand how they’re feeling and what they might need and focus on the task in front of them.

Workplaces might consider offering:

• Opportunities to practice mindfulness before meetings or throughout the workday
• Designated times during the workday when everyone can have a mindfulness moment
• Speakers or trainers who teach employees about mindfulness practice

Encouraging healthy eating habits

I get excited and passionate about the link between people’s mental and emotional well-being, physical health, and eating habits. 

The largest nerve in the body is the vagus nerve, which directly connects our brains to our digestive system. It plays an important role in our moods, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. If the food we put into our body isn’t good for us, our stomach communicates to our brain that we don’t feel good.

Even though it’s easy to reach for unhealthy comfort food when we feel down or stressed, these foods don’t help us feel better. I’m not saying we should never eat comfort food, but it can be helpful to practice eating mindfully when there’s a direct connection between our moods and what we eat.

Workplaces can encourage healthy eating habits by providing fruits and vegetables in the office or offering healthy alternatives to highly processed sweets and chips in vending machines. They can also provide nutritional education to employees.

Physical activity is integral to wellness

Getting moving, especially for those of us who spend a significant portion of our day at a desk, can significantly benefit our mental and physical health. Some of these benefits include: 

• Improving sleep
• Relieving stress 
• Increasing energy and stamina
• Improving our moods

Workplaces can promote increased physical activity by partnering with organizations that provide: 

• Related benefits 
• Offering yoga or other classes 
• The flexibility employees need to incorporate movement into their workday 

Again, by focusing on comprehensive wellness, we’re shifting the mindset from constant grind mode to foregrounding employee well-being in all areas of health—creating a culture of true productivity instead of burnout. 

An approach with tangible upsides

Comprehensive wellness in the workplace is about the entirety of an employee's well-being. I encourage you to become more intentional about advocating for all aspects of health: mental, physical, spiritual, communal, and emotional. 

All of these contribute to wellness and are deeply intertwined. A person is less likely to thrive if even one of these facets of human experience is ignored. This is why it’s important for organizations to consider implementing strategies that address transforming workplace culture and comprehensive, personalized care for employees and their families.

There is such a huge upside here for both employees and workplaces. A comprehensive approach to employee well-being is more than just a feel-good initiative. It’s a strategic investment with tangible benefits for all parties.

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