Our well-being defines a big part of the meaning of success. Our purpose and values guide us toward fulfillment, abundance, and happiness.
In this blog, we will discuss what factors make up wellness- Mind (social, occupational, intellectual), body (physical, financial, environmental), and soul (spiritual and emotional) and how we can interrelate it to business. We will discuss wellness programs in the workforce, the importance of habits, recognizing boundaries, and finding the right balance. This content is based on a CADA Culture x R Planet NFT conversation where Co-Founder Juliana Mejia answered the following questions:
Q1: Let’s start with what wellness is. What makes up wellness?
Wellness is about how we live and the joy and fulfillment we experience. I see it as the art of daily practicing healthy habits to attain better physical and mental health outcomes so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving.
Several critical areas of your lifestyle make up overall wellness, including social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep, and mindfulness. Each one has an impact on your physical and mental health. This is important because it allows you to nurture personal responsibility for your health/well-being.
Q2: How are the different components of wellness interrelated to business?
Mind (social, occupational, intellectual), body (physical, financial, environmental), and soul (spiritual and emotional)
When we worry about money, we sometimes experience anxiety (emotional). This can lead to medical problems (physical) and trouble at work (occupational). When this happens, we may even question our spiritual sense of meaning and purpose (spiritual). At the same time, when we are not working (occupational), we may lose opportunities to interact with others (social) and may not be able to afford the good food and medical care we need to stay well (physical). We may even need to move our home to a place that feels less safe and secure (environmental).
How interconnected is that? Workers who feel they have a better work-life balance tend to work 21% harder than those who feel overworked.
Q3: As an individual, what should you do or set in place in order to strive for balance?
Harvard Business Review wrote an article stating for people to make fundamental changes in their lives, they must:
• continuously remember to pause
• connect with their emotions
• rethink their priorities
• evaluate alternative
• implement changes
— throughout their personal and professional lives.
As a founder, what can you do to support your team to create balance & why would you want to create this culture? What are the benefits?
Balance allows us to be healthy; our health is our wealth, as they say. The importance of our health, both mental and physical, is often overlooked. We’re usually so busy striving to achieve, working hard, maybe playing hard too, and generally rushing from one thing to the next.
Without good health, it is impossible to do anything. Our health is our most precious gift; we often take it for granted and neglect our bodies until something goes wrong. If we fail to take time for relaxation, have an unhealthy diet, and don’t exercise, our bodies will say ‘ENOUGH!’
As we develop a wellness program for the workforce, we have little traditions like Monday Motivation, Tuesday Talks (brands we love, podcasts, articles, etc.), Wellness Wednesday, Tipsy Thursdays (marketing tips, SEO, content tips), and Funky Fridays. And at the end of our weekly meetings, we celebrate our wins.
Life/work balance may look different for everyone, but should there be a standard for everyone?
Not really, but traditionally, if we work full time, most of us do a five-day workweek and work eight or more hours per day. Unless our job requires us to work overtime, we generally take two days off per week.
We spend most of our waking time at work, which is how the world is today (unless financial freedom allows us to manage this).
We must ensure that in our free time, we take care of ourselves and do what we enjoy and nourish us personally. A good rule to stick to is to schedule important personal activities and holidays early so we can get the time off when we want it!
What are the signs that you may be reaching burnout and need to rethink how you structure your days?
I think of it as a work hangover. Physical or emotional exhaustion also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. When you lack the energy to be consistently productive, have trouble getting started, have changes in sleep habits, have extreme stress, feel unsupportive or isolated from others, or when a job is chaotic, you need constant energy to remain focused.
In life, you can apply safety instructions before taking an airplane: They advise us to fix our air masks first before attending to others. Likewise, ‘fill yourself up’ first, and then you will be more than happy to give your time and attention to others.
“I can’t tell you the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.”
If you haven’t taken care of yourself and your needs, including time for yourself, you will probably feel resentful of giving to others. To ensure a win-win for you and the people in your life, find a balance between your time to pursue your dreams and goals and time for sharing with others.
This can sometimes be challenging, especially if you have a family and people who depend on you and require your time and attention. I believe that communication is critical. Be open and express your needs with your friends and family and listen to them too. It’s much better to get things out into the open and discuss how you can all meet your needs.
Q4: At times, it may feel overwhelming to think about all of the different parts of wellness and how they impact each other. And we know more often than not that getting each area of life flowing and with ease is more challenging than it looks. Is that even possible?
It all comes down to one daily decision. It’s about staying focused and consistent. This is where habits and boundaries come in. In today’s world, we are challenged by the promise of instant gratification and taking the easy route versus doing the ‘right’ thing for ourselves. There are long-term and short-term gratification and goals. And our society is so used to instant gratification that it is ultimately harmful. Things take time, it’s all a journey, and it’s not about achieving overnight success or a balance. It’s a cycle.
Some examples of the choices we often have to make:
- Choosing to cook from scratch using healthy ingredients that we already have in the fridge or calling for a takeaway instead.
- Going for that run rather than relaxing on the sofa with a glass or two of wine.
The more we choose what we know is good for us and others, the more self-esteem and discipline will become automatic and natural habits.
Be flexible to change, know yourself, and listen to your body, and it’s ok to say no, celebrate your wins, and implement personal power rituals and routines to stay motivated (mind).
And what can we do when there’s one or a few areas of wellness that are out of alignment?
You can do anything but not everything at once. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. There’s a difference between pushing yourself and becoming overwhelmed with too many projects. Be mindful of how much you’re taking on. Decide what your priority is right now, and avoid involving yourself in too many activities simultaneously.
Determine your priorities and your goals. Everyone’s happiness and purpose look different.
We’d like to thank R Planet NFT for their insight on NFT in relation to wellness. Make sure to connect with them on their Instagram, and Twitter. Let us know what you thought of this blog in the comments or on our Instagram @cada_consult
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