Wellbeing means different things to different people and there are many definitions. Many refer to aspects of the physical and mental but go beyond the basic definition of health.
There are also references to financial stability, social satisfaction and personal fulfilment. Below are some examples of what wellbeing can mean;
- the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
- the experience of quality of life, including working life.
- it is about ‘how we are doing’ as individuals, communities and as a nation and how sustainable this is for the future.
The UK ONS (office national statistics) defined 10 broad dimensions of wellbeing;
- The natural environment – Within offices this might include live plants and access to outside space and natural light. Plants are a simple way to help bring nature into the office. Studies have shown that indoor plants can reduce stress levels in the work environment and improve productivity. Plants also remove pollutants from the air including benzene (found in some plastics and fabrics) and formaldehyde (found in cosmetics, carpet cleaner and fabric softener)
- Personal well-being – This is a particularly important dimension which we define as how satisfied we are with our lives; our sense that what we do in life is worthwhile (including our work), our day to day emotional experiences (happiness and anxiety) and our wider mental wellbeing.
- Our relationships – Which is relevant to both in and outside the office
- Health – A healthy workplace needs provisions in place to support colleagues mental and physical health
- What we do
- Where we live
- Personal finance – Workplace support mechanism for advice on personal financial issues including pension planning…
- The economy
- Education and skills – Within the workplace this might include opportunity for personal growth and development.
- Governance – This might refer to the wider society and the workplace and includes things like sense of control and decision making.
Designing office spaces and work environment that allow flexibility of movement, giving colleagues some choice and control over how and where they work increases wellbeing, staff engagement and productivity.
