In today's society, awareness of employee health is becoming increasingly important. Forward-looking companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of occupational health management and health coaching to promote the well-being of their workforce. With my consulting company gojoo, I deal intensively with the aspects of a healthy lifestyle in the professional environment and can draw on a wealth of experience from my 10 years of professional activity in this field.
Corporate health management in general
Companies that are committed to the health of their employees not only create a pleasant working environment, but also promote the productivity and commitment of their workforce. In my view, this commitment and the support of companies in implementing a healthy lifestyle for their employees is an important component of health promotion in society. However, I do not see the responsibility for one's own health as lying solely with the employer, as this is where health-promoting impulses can be provided. The responsibility for one's own health always lies with oneself.
Working from home as a challenge and an opportunity
The establishment of the home office as a socially accepted working model comes with many advantages and challenges.
The boundaries between work and private life can become blurred, resulting in longer working hours and reduced physical activity. Sticking to fixed working hours, taking regular breaks for short walks and setting up an ergonomic workstation are important to promote healthy working habits.
Above all, the home office is flexible and thus offers new opportunities in two vital areas.
Sports and movement
Working from home has not only revolutionized everyday working life, but also offers numerous benefits for physical health. New opportunities are opening up, particularly in the area of sport and exercise. One of the most obvious advantages of working from home is flexibility. Instead of spending hours commuting to work, employees can use this time for sporting activities. Whether it's a jog in the morning, a bike ride in the lunch break or yoga in the evening - the flexibility of working from home makes it possible to integrate sufficient exercise into the working day. The variety of digital fitness offers is particularly supportive. From online yoga classes and fitness apps to virtual group training sessions - this broad spectrum makes it possible to find the right offer to suit your personal preferences.
Overall, the flexible working conditions of the home office offer an excellent opportunity to enrich the daily routine with more exercise and sport. Employers benefit from healthier and more motivated employees, while employees can improve their health and quality of life.
A conscious diet
Working from home also opens up new opportunities in the area of nutrition, which can help to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The biggest advantage of working from home is the opportunity to eat more consciously. Instead of making do with snacks under time pressure, home workers can make the most of their lunch break to prepare a balanced meal. By controlling the quality of the food and providing healthy options according to personal preferences, a healthier diet can be promoted.
A unique opportunity to be more conscious of your diet. Control over the environment, flexibility in breaks and availability of fresh food can help promote a healthy lifestyle.
A mentor as the key to success
Many of the things described above are well known to some people. Nevertheless, implementation often fails due to ingrained habits. My experience in recent years has shown that the support of a coach or mentor in both a professional and private context makes absolute sense for a successful change in health-oriented routines. New routines can be established slowly but sustainably. This can include, for example, reading nutritional information and ingredient lists on packaging or the integration of sensible and carefully selected food supplements. Introducing a gymnastics session in the form of a "moving break" are also slow steps towards developing new habits.
Every aspect mentioned above contributes to ensuring that employees are not only professionally successful, but also personally healthy and satisfied. It is important that companies want to promote the health of their employees and set various impulses so that the topic of health becomes more and more important. This change can create the necessary motivation to adopt new habits.
Geschrieben von:
Daniel Hirschinger, Sportwissenschaftlicher und Gesundheitscoach
www.fit.gojoo.de