Improving your health is often easier said than done. Self-regulation strategies offer valuable tools for achieving health goals despite the challenges of everyday life.

There is a broad variety of interventions and measures available for promoting physical and mental health. They range from more exercise during daily working life and mindfulness exercises through to learning how to say no. We are familiar with most of the benefits of these measures, many of which are backed by scientific evidence. But hand on heart: how many healthy habits have we actually made a lasting part of our daily routine? It’s not that easy. Simply being aware of the benefits is often not enough for us to change our behaviour. It’s not long until routine and our deeply ingrained habits resurface. But it doesn’t have to be like that. There are self-regulation strategies suitable for everyday use, which can help you achieve your goals. Self-regulation is a broad concept of which there are various definitions in literature and which covers different approaches and methods. Below are some methods, which fit particularly well within a daily routine.

Use your imagination

“If you have a positive mindset, you can do anything”. This motivational sentiment only goes so far. In fact, studies have shown that exclusively positive fantasising about a desired future can actually hinder goal achievement (Oettingen & Wadden, 1991; Oettingen & Mayer, 2002). This is because overenthusiastic thoughts of success give rise to the feeling of already being successful. This in turn reduces the motivation to take positive action (Kappes & Oettingen, 2011). The mental contrasting method (Oettingen 1996, 2012, 2015) offers an alternative by combining the visualisation of goal achievement with a realistic take on the obstacles involved. This approach acknowledges that the desired future has not yet been attained and enables an assessment of whether it is realistic. Believing you can overcome obstacles strengthens motivation and improves your chances of achieving your goal (Krott et al., 2019). The effectiveness of this self-regulation method has been substantiated by, among others, the study by Johannessen et al. (2012) involving students who wanted a healthier diet. Those participants who mentally contrasted their wish were more successful in achieving their goal than those who simply fantasised about how good it would be.

Application in three steps:

1. Identify wish: which health goal do you actually want to achieve? 
   Example – focus more on the positives by being more grateful.
2. Envision the future: actively imagine how it would be if this goal were to be achieved.
   Example – you focus more on the positive things and start the day by expressing your gratitude.
3. Identify barriers: think about which obstacles could stand in your way. Be realistic about them.
   Example – there often isn’t enough time in the day and the television or media consumption is a more attractive option in the evening.

Make specific action plans

Implementation intentions (Krott et al., 2019) can help you focus more on overcoming the obstacles identified through mental contrasting. Several studies show that implementation intentions lead to a higher success rate in goal achievement (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). The combination of implementation intentions with mental contrasting is abbreviated as “MCII” (Krott et al., 2019).

Application in two steps

1. Define the “when”: in which situation can I implement my desired behaviour? When must I surmount an obstacle?
   Example – If the challenge is that there’s no time in the evening or the new habit gets forgotten during the day, it can be consciously shifted to the morning: “When I have my morning coffee, then…”
2. Define the “then”: what exactly would you like to do at the time in question?
   Example – “…then I will take two minutes to write down three things I’m thankful for.”

Smart goal definition

Studies such as the one by Locke & Latham (2013) recommend defining specific goals to increase the likelihood of their actually being achieved. The probability of success lessens when goals are unclear. Although there is nothing new about these findings, it is not easy to implement them in everyday life. The SMART goals of Drucker (1977) help to optimise the definition of individual goals in a simple way. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

Practical example

• Specific: while having my morning coffee, I write down three things I’m grateful for.
• Measurable: take two minutes every day.
• Achievable: two minutes a day is realistic within my daily routine.
• Relevant: being grateful helps to focus on the positive.
• Time-bound: start tomorrow and review after four weeks (add date here).

Defined SMART goal: from tomorrow, I will take two minutes when having my coffee every morning to note down three things I’m thankful for. After four weeks (add date here) I will review whether I have implemented my goal.

Consciously set out your goals

The study by Matthews (2015) showed that 43 percent of participants who verbally defined their goals went on to achieve them. This figure rose to 76 percent for those who wrote down their goal as well as saying it. Writing down a goal can strengthen commitment, especially if it is read on a regular basis or consciously acknowledged (Matthews, 2015).

Possible applications: you could, for example, write the goal down on a Post-it note and put it in a place where you would like to be regularly reminded of the goal. Alternatively, you could put a reminder in your calendar.

Creating the right conditions as an organisation

As well as the individual, companies also bear considerable responsibility for the physical and mental health of their employees. Workplace health management (WHM)can help create the framework conditions to enable and support health-promoting behaviour during the working day. The WHM team at XpertCenter Ltd. helps companies to create health-promoting framework conditions. Click here for more information about our services. We look forward to hearing from you.

References

Drucker, P. F. (1977). People and Performance: The Best of Peter Drucker on Management. Harper’s College Press.

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A metaanalysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.

Johannessen, K. B., Oettingen, G., & Mayer, D. (2012). Mental contrasting of a dieting wish improves self-reported health behaviour. Psychology & Health, 27, 43–58.

Kappes, H. B., & Oettingen, G. (2011). Positive fantasies about idealized futures sap energy. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 719–729.

Krott, N. R., Marheinecke, R., & Oettingen, G. (2019). Mentale Kontrastierung und WOOP fördern Einsicht und Veränderung (Mental contrasting and MCII promote insight and change). In S. Rietmann & P. Deing (eds.), Psychologie der Selbststeuerung (The psychology of self-guidance), 187-212. Springer Fachmedien.

Locke, E., & Latham, G. (2013). New developments in goal setting and task performance. Routledge.

Matthews, G. (2007). The impact of commitment, accountability, and written goals on goal achievement. Dominican University of California.

Oettingen, G. (1996). Die Psychologie des Zukunftsdenkens: Erwartungen und Phantasien (The psychology of progressive thinking: expectations and fantasies). Hogrefe

Oettingen, G. (2012). Future thought and behaviour change. European Review of Social Psychology, 23, 1–63.

Oettingen, G. (2015). Die Psychologie des Gelingens (The psychology of success). Pattloch.

Oettingen, G., & Wadden, T. A. (1991). Expectation, fantasy, and weight loss: Is the impact of positive thinking always positive? Cognitive Therapy and Research, 15, 167–175.

Oettingen, G., & Mayer, D. (2002). The motivating function of thinking about the future: Expectations versus fantasies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1198–1212.

“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, we would have found the safest way to health.” – Hippocrates

Humans have been on the move ever since we took our first steps. It all started with hunter-gatherers roaming the wilderness to collect berries, roots and tubers, or to track and hunt buffalo, horses or other animals. At that time, movement was an integral part of every person’s life; if you couldn’t get around, you couldn’t survive. Thousands of years later, the Industrial Revolution and increasing prosperity in the Western world transformed how and where we worked, while urbanisation and new modes of transport mean we no longer have to travel so far to buy essential items. Although these changes have many indisputable benefits, the one major disadvantage is that we no longer move around as much as we once did. And that’s where the problems begin.

Here we highlight the impact of our sedentary lifestyles and offer practical solutions to help you incorporate exercise into your everyday office routine, enabling you to recharge your batteries and improve your overall level of wellbeing.

Sit idle at your peril

A lack of exercise causes or contributes to a range of negative health outcomes, including excess weight and obesity, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disorders. These ailments are collectively referred to as non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As physical inactivity is a major contributor to many NCDs, it’s considered the fourth-highest risk factor for premature death worldwide (Kohl, 2012). NCDs are also widespread in Switzerland, affecting 2.3 million people in 2017. As a result, it’s not surprising to learn that 80% of Swiss healthcare costs are spent on treating NCDs (CHF 52 billion in direct costs in 2011; Bundesamt für Gesundheit, 2024). NCDs are also the most common cause of death in our society, with more than 4 in 5 deaths attributed to these diseases. Of these totals, 2,900 premature deaths and CHF 2.4 billion in direct treatment costs are attributable to physical inactivity each year (Bundesamt für Sport, 2013).

A little exercise each day keeps NCDs at bay

Admittedly, it isn’t always easy to fit enough exercise into our daily routines. We spend a large part of our time sitting in an office staring at a screen, or take the car or train to and from work. We can even get our dinner delivered right to our door in the evening. So what’s the point of walking everywhere?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75-150 minutes of high-intensity exercise each week for our health and wellbeing (e.g., Bundesamt für Sport, 2022). “Moderate intensity” refers to any activity that causes our heart rate and breathing to increase, such as brisk walking, cycling or climbing stairs. This kind of exercise does not usually make us sweat and allows us to continue a conversation without any difficulties. “High intensity” refers to any activity that makes us sweat and breathe more heavily to the point that it is difficult to continue a conversation, such as dancing, playing football or swimming. Following these recommendations can have significant health benefits and reduce the risk of developing conditions such as NCDs.

However, the latest guidelines emphasise that any exercise is better than none, and the more the better. People not enjoying sporty activities may find it easier to achieve significant benefits by making small adjustments to their daily routine rather than sticking to a conventional training plan. What’s more, a little effort can go a long way. Overweight people can lower their risk of cardiovascular diseases by 20% with as little as eight minutes brisk walking (where you begin to sweat slightly) each day (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, 2019). Furthermore, around 2,400 steps per day is enough to reduce mortality from cardiovascular diseases, while around 4,000 steps per day reduces overall mortality risk. If you still need convincing, evidence suggests that even short active breaks can boost your attention span (Niedermeier et al., 2020) and mood while reducing feelings of fatigue (Bergouignan et al., 2016).

Movement snacks for the office

Here are some simple ideas on how to incorporate more activity into your daily routine and make steady progress towards your physical activity goals:

• Break up long periods of sitting: Move between sitting and standing every 30 minutes or so. Do you work from home but do not have a standing desk? Simply grab a cardboard box or laundry basket and place it on your desk, and voilà! You have a makeshift standing desk. However, standing all day long is not particularly comfortable either, so bear in mind that the next position is always the best! Make sure you change your working position at regular intervals.
• Skip the lift and take the stairs: This piece of advice might be as old as the hills but it still works. Climbing stairs every day reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome (a combination of impaired carbohydrate metabolism, high blood pressure, impaired lipoprotein metabolism and obesity) (Whittaker et al. 2021). It can also aid weight loss and improve physical fitness (Michael et al., 2021), thereby reducing overall mortality risk (Boreham et al., 2005).
• “Walk with me”: For many professionals, each week is full of meetings, including some that are purely designed for exchanging ideas and opinions. These meetings can be easily combined with a short walk in the open air. Encouraging your team to walk while they’re talking can make it even easier to achieve 30 minutes of physical activity and be productive while doing it.
• Get moving during breaks: Isn’t there an incredible coffee shop half a mile from the office? Grab a colleague and head out together for an invigorating cup of coffee, with no extra charge for the exercise! And don’t worry – the energy boost you get from walking will more than make up for the couple of minutes it takes to go and get the coffee!
• Bonus tip: Get yourself a smaller water bottle so that you have to go to the tap more often to refill it.

References

Boreham, C. A. G, Kennedy R. A, Murphy M. H, Tully, M., Wallace, W. F. M., & Young, I. (2005). Training effects of short bouts of stair climbing on cardiorespiratory fitness, blood lipids, and homocysteine in sedentary young women. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 39, 590-593.

Bundesamt für Gesundheit. (2024, January).Zahlen und Fakten zu nichtübertragbaren Krankheiten [Facts and figures on non-communicable diseases]. https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/zahlen-und-statistiken/zahlen-fakten-nichtuebertragbare-krankheiten.html

Bundesamt für Sport BASPO, Bundesamt für Gesundheit BAG, Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz, bfu – Beratungsstelle für Unfallverhütung, Suva, Netzwerk Gesundheit und Bewegung Schweiz. (2013). Gesundheitswirksame Bewegung [Health-enhancing physical activity]. BASPO 2013.

Bundesamt für Sport BASPO, Bundesamt für Gesundheit BAG, Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz, Beratungsstelle für Unfallverhütung BFU & Netzwerk Gesundheit und Bewegung Schweiz hepa. (2022). Bewegungsempfehlungen Schweiz. Grundlagen [Exercise recommendations for Switzerland. Basic considerations]. BASPO.

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. (2019, September). Sport senkt Herz-Kreislauf-Risiko – auch ohne abzunehmen [Sport lowers cardiovascular risk – even without losing weight]. https://www.bmbf.de/bmbf/shareddocs/kurzmeldungen/de/sport-senkt-herz-kreislauf-risiko.html#searchFacets

Bergouignan, A., Legget, K.T., De Jong, N.P., Kealey, E.H., Nikolovski, J., Groppel, J.L., Jordan, C., O’Day, R., Hill, J.O., & Bessesen, D.H. (2016). Effect of frequent interruptions of prolonged sitting on self-perceived levels of energy, mood, food cravings and cognitive function. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 13, Article 113.

Kohl, H. W., Craig, C. L., Lambert, E. V., Inoue, S., Alkandari, J. R., Leetongin, G., & Kahlmeier, S. (2012). The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. The Lancet, 380(9838), 294-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60898-8

Michael, E., White, M. J., & Eves, F. F. (2021). Home-Based Stair Climbing as an Intervention for Disease Risk in Adult Females; A Controlled Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2). Article 603 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020603

Niedermeier, M., Weiss, E.M., Steidl-Müller, L., Burtscher, M., & Kopp, M. (2020). Acute Effects of a Short Bout of Physical Activity on Cognitive Function in Sport Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Article 17.

Whittaker, A. C., Eves, F. F., Carroll, D., Roseboom, T. J., Ginty, A. T., Painter, R. C., & de Rooij, S. R. (2021). Daily stair climbing is associated with decreased risk for the metabolic syndrome. BMC Public Health 21, Article 923. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10965-9

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” Albert Camus, 1952

The Christmas holidays are now a distant memory. Some of you will have taken down your decorations the day after Christmas. Others will have left them up to add a bit of colour to the start of the new year. And the Carnival festivities will soon be upon us. These rituals provide comfort by marking out time in a manner familiar to us (Lang, Krátký & Xygalatas, 2020). They do not hold the same meaning for everyone. For example, the end-of-year holidays can be a difficult time for some. That said, we all need temporary and/or spiritual beacons to lead our lives by, as they help to satisfy our desire for security and give us a sense of belonging (Maslow, 1954).

And so here we are, and the world of work did not grind to a halt on 23 December 2023 (how’s that even possible?). Everyone is super-busy with meetings, emails and projects, and yet we are not really firing on full cylinders. Sunlight does not often reach the plains. It’s cold. It’s dark, and the Christmas lights have long been forgotten. A study of preindustrial societies in Tanzania, Bolivia and Namibia has shown that people in these communities sleep for one hour longer in winter than in summer (Yetish & al., 2015). It’s normal for you to want to stay tucked up in your snug and cosy bed, because we tend to sleep more in the winter than in the summer (Mattingly & al., 2021) despite the artificial light. We can find it hard to summon up energy and motivation for work in the early part of the year, when all we want is a duvet day.

A section of the population suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a wintertime condition characterised by a lack of concentration, a degree of sleepiness, cravings and a depressive or anxious state of mind (Rachid & al., 2003). Studies have shown the condition’s prevalence varies according to location and age (from 0.4% to 10% of the population). If your own strategies don’t suffice to dispel your low mood, it’s worth reaching out to a therapist (www.psychologie.ch). That said, we can sometimes feel rather listless during the winter without having SAD.

So how can we fend off the wintertime blues and loss of motivation on a daily basis? Here are some general tips from Dr Norman Rosenthal, an expert in treating SAD:

• Grab as much daylight or sunlight as you can
• Keep active, and outside wherever possible
• Stick to a regular sleeping pattern
• Plan (regular) activities to perk you up

And how do you find a spark in the workplace during the winter?

• Create rituals for yourself: remember they provide a sense of security, as well as helping us to get things done! Start the day with a cup of tea or coffee, make a list of tasks that you can realistically get done, schedule breaks, and end your day by putting on some loud music and dancing or going for a walk…
• Grab some daylight at lunchtime and work close to windows. Phototherapy lamps are also highly recommended, especially in the morning. 
• Seek out the company of colleagues, who lift your mood. If you work from home, arrange to call one of your colleagues for a chat from time to time.
• Let yourself procrastinate: it can help to make us more creative, provided you don’t grind to a complete halt (Shin & Grant, 2021). Allowing yourself to be less productive to ignite your creativity can be helpful at this time of the year.

Observing and thinking about your motivation at work can help you understand it’s not a constant. Your energy levels naturally go up and down. It’s perfectly normal for your professional motivation to wax and wane, too. One final piece of advice: just accept that you will go through hard times now and then, work can be a challenge and you just won’t feel up for it sometimes. When you have these feelings, refocus on what makes you happy in your daily life.

Our occupational health team can help you to discuss motivation issues with your teams and support you with rolling out measures to give it a boost. Get in touch with us.

Bibliography

Lang, M., Krátký, J., Xygalatas, D. (2020). The role of ritual behaviour in anxiety reduction: an investigation of Marathi religious practices in Mauritius. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

Maslow, A. H. (1954). The instinctoid nature of basic needs. Journal of Personality, 22, 326–347

Mattingly, S. & al. (2021). The effects of seasons and weather on sleep patterns measured through longitudinal multimodal sensing.NPJ digital medicine, 4(1), 76.

Rachid & al. (2003). Luminothérapie et troubles affectifs saisonniers dans la pratique clinique. Médecine & Hygiène, 61 : 1756-9

Rosenthal, N. (2015). Don’t be sad: how to beat seasonal affective disorder. The Guardian

Shin, J., & Grant, A. M. (2021). When putting work off pays off: The curvilinear relationship between procrastination and creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 64(3), 772-798.

Yetish & al. (2015). Natural Sleep and Its Seasonal Variations in Three Pre-industrial Societies. Current Biology 25, 2862–2868

Innovation and creativity are central to business success. However, if team members are hesitant to express their thoughts, share ideas or discuss mistakes, the team’s performance and innovation capabilities could be compromised. If this concern resonates with you, consider the role of psychological safety in the workplace as a solution.

What is psychological safety and how does it influence employee performance and satisfaction? How can leaders and colleagues nurture an environment that champions innovation? In this blog post, we will address these questions and provide valuable insights on strengthening psychological safety in the workplace.

Understanding psychological safety

Psychological safety gauges the level of trust and comfort among team colleagues when confronting uncomfortable truths, admitting mistakes or displaying vulnerability. Teams with a robust psychological safety culture value constructive feedback. Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities, and feedback is welcome. Every team member is encouraged to share their opinions and seek assistance without their skills or knowledge being questioned. In teams that are psychologically safe, everyone’s opinion matters.

Why is psychological safety crucial?

In today’s world of fast-paced change, unpredictability, intricacy and ambiguity, companies and teams need to evolve faster than ever to succeed. Psychological safety has positive effects: mistakes are out in the open, leading to rapid remedial measures being taken; collaboration is improved; and potentially game-changing ideas for innovation can be shared. Psychological safety in the workplace can foster a positive working environment and improve the well-being of employees.

Three practical tips for continuous improvements in psychological safety

The following three tips will enhance psychological safety in your team:

Tip 1 – Give constructive and appreciative feedback: Feedback and psychological safety are closely intertwined. By using the four-part of the Nonviolent Communication (NVC) method developed and described by Marshall Rosenberg based on observations, feelings, needs and requests, feedback can be delivered constructively and appreciatively, based on facts rather than stinging criticism. Forexample, “When I noticed you didn’t attend the meeting yesterday (observation), I felt concerned and disappointed (feeling) because I value reliability and collaboration (need). Could you let me know in the future if you can’t attend a meeting (request)?”

This communication method is useful for trust, authenticity, accountability and transparency while stimulating collaboration and performance in teams.

Tip 2 – Try “yes, and” thinking: One method for putting psychological safety into practice in teams is “Yes, and…” thinking. Often our conversations centre around “Yes, but”, which typically introduces criticism or leads to pushback. Instead, try framing a “Yes, and” statement, which connects an objection with a forward-looking idea from the outset, fostering a positive and constructive atmosphere.

Tip 3 – Try an appreciation circle (including being the one in the centre): Appreciation is a key building block for psychological safety, and the appreciation circle aims to emphasise this. Here’s how it works: Pick a team member and for two minutes have all the other team members tell them what they appreciate the most about them, focusing solely on positives. The person in the middle listens during the discussion and provides comments afterwards. This gives team members the opportunity to get to know each other better and appreciate each other’s strong points and abilities.

“Psychological safety is the soil, not the seed”. Psychological safety provides the fertile ground where ideas can germinate, fostering an environment where innovative thoughts can thrive and blossom.

XpertCenter AG’s Health Management Competence Centre supports you in your efforts to protect the health and well-being of your employees. Our WHM experts can be relied upon to provide you with personal advice and support, wherever you are, in setting up or expanding your WHM policy. Click here for more information about our services. We look forward to connecting.

How can workplace health management help make a difference in the face of the inexorable ageing of the world’s population?

There’s no doubt life expectancy is increasing and the world’s population is getting older as medical care continuously improves, people become more health-conscious and birth rates move steadily lower. Do the maths and we see older generations increasingly outnumbering younger generations. The Federal Statistical Office forecasts the number of people aged 65 or over will climb from 1.64 million today in Switzerland to 2.67 million by 2050 – an increase of over 60%!

What are the implications of these trends? In today’s ageing society, companies must find ways to create attractive working conditions for seniors. This article explains why that matters and how workplace health management can help to positively influence this demographic shift.

What does ‘silver society’ mean?
Silver society is a term that captures the effects arising from the greying of the world’s population as well as the multiple challenges and opportunities for our society that come with it. As older generations are leading active and healthy lives and enjoying easier and more personalised access to communication, education, technology and mobility solutions than ever before, they feel mentally and physically fitter than any previous generation. This tends to continue into their retirement years and explains why many seniors have a completely different attitude to life and to their age. Research indicates almost two-thirds on average of those aged 65 to 85 feel at least ten years younger than they actually are.

So 60 is the new 50. Although many people today work on beyond the usual retirement age, some employers still see age as a barrier. Yet with the tangible drop in the birth rate and societies getting older, the possibility of continuing employment beyond the usual retirement age brings major opportunities for businesses.

Three reasons why employers should hold onto their employees

Address staff shortages: over the next ten years, 1.1 million people from the Baby Boomer generations are set to retire. Given the declining birth rate, there are not enough young people to pick up the slack. Making greater use of senior employees would help tackle this situation.

Secure the passing-on of knowledge: when 1.1 million people retire, the cross-generational knowledge and expertise they have amassed over many years – which could benefit younger employees – is lost. However, if the right working conditions are created to enable employees to stay on for longer, the knowledge they have gained over many years can either remain in the business or be passed on before they leave.

Achieve greater diversity: Members of teams made up of people in different age groups tend to be more productive and perform to a higher level. One contributing factor is that diversity generally boosts innovation and organisational attainment.

How workplace health management can play a part in strengthening senior employees’ loyalty

• Promote physical and mental health: although many seniors feel fitter than ever, employers should take preventive and sustainable steps to improve the mental and physical health of older employees with age-appropriate health management programmes. Suitable options may, for example, include ergonomics training or awareness workshops addressing issues such as motivation and virtual collaboration.

• Make mindfulness part of everyday routines: negative stereotypes or prejudice are often associated with older employees. Practising mindfulness can train people to be non-judgemental, which in turn helps to promote better interpersonal relationships. Specific mindfulness training is an excellent place to start.

• Develop individual skills: as well as thinking flexibly, we also need to pursue lifelong learning in today’s fast-moving world. That holds true for all generations. In a dynamic business environment, it’s important for older employees to be able to become proficient in new tasks and to upskill continuously by acquiring the latest knowledge. As part of this, it may be worth enhancing selectively the individual resources employees are able to draw on. Provided there is a willingness to learn, they can achieve the requisite level of specialist and health expertise and self-competence.

Relentless change

The Swiss population is set to get even older over the coming years. This represents a challenge both for pension funds and workplace health management. It’s vital that we take preventive measures to promote the mental and physical health of (more senior) employees.

Chronic stress in the workplace not only affects people’s health but costs the economy billions of Swiss francs every year. Health Promotion Switzerland recently published new figures on the subject.

The Job Stress Index measures the average correlation between work-related stress and the resources offered to employed people in Switzerland. Sources of stress include time pressure and organisational problems, while resources encompass a high degree of freedom to act and supportive behaviour from superiors. Stress costs the Swiss economy around CHF 6.5 billion per year, according to the Swiss Health Promotion Foundation, which this year surveyed a representative sample of 3,022 workers between the ages of 16 and 65.

Effects of the Covid-19 pandemic

Almost 30% of employees are still in the critical area with significantly more stress than resources. But for the first time since 2014, the number of people who feel emotionally exhausted has risen to over 30%. The additional strain stems mainly from pandemic-related phenomena such as fear of infection, social isolation and increased use of IT and communication technologies. These factors not only have an impact on the perception of stress, but also on health. Although Health Promotion Switzerland gives employers and employees a good overall mark for coping with the pandemic, increased emotional exhaustion is a warning sign that employers should not ignore.

Workplace impact of chronic stress

On average, employees miss 6.5 days of work per year. Chronically stressed employees become ill more often and are also less productive at work. It is therefore worthwhile for companies to systematically address this issue within the framework of workplace health management (WHM), specifically to minimise stress on employees and offer them more resources. Chronic stress cannot always be prevented by such efforts. Even so, if WHM is systematically deployed, chronic stress can be recognised sooner and the individual concerned helped at an early stage. Absence-related costs can be cut by up to 25% through lower absenteeism.

The many benefits of workplace health management

The specialists at XpertCenter AG advise and support companies in setting up their own WHM system. An initial assessment of the current situation is made through interviews with management and/or the human resources department. Afterwards, an appropriate package of measures is developed, including an optimised absence management process, plus onsite/online workshops and training for employees and managers on topics such as mindfulness, resilience and work-life balance. Measures can also focus on manager awareness to encourage appreciative, health-promoting behaviour.

Individual job stress index as a barometer

Health Promotion Switzerland provides an online survey tool that companies can use to determine if their workforce is feeling drained and, if so, to what extent. Comparing results with the rest of Switzerland can then mark out the operational gains that may result from improvements in a company’s stress situation. The WHM consultants at XpertCenter AG are accredited by Health Promotion Switzerland and can help you to use the tool and assess the results.

Invest in your employees’ health

XpertCenter AG’s Health Management Competence Centre will support you as you strive to protect your employees’ health and wellbeing. Our WHM experts can be trusted to advise and support you personally and locally in setting up or expanding your WHM policy. For more information about our services, visit us here. We look forward to hearing from you.