Connection in the workplace is so much more than bringing people together in the same physical space. To truly enhance connection, we need to look beyond the physical, at the emotional connection of people. Tools such as mindfulness, empathy, compassion, and finding a sense of purpose and belonging can help to build emotional connection.

Photo Timon Studler

Compassion has the power to make humans do incredible things. It releases oxytocin, and lights up the areas of our brain linked to empathy, pleasure, and care-giving. It makes good things happen, and can make life better for others.
There is a very real place for compassion in the workplace. Leaders are the ones who can embody compassion and create a culture where people support each other through growth. Leaders and team managers set the cultural tone of an organisation. A leader who leads with compassion can dramatically impact the wellbeing of their teams.

In 2023, Sunrise Well partnered with Pain Education and Management, an organisation with an innovative pain management program, to develop a comprehensive, informed educational presentation on sleep and lifestyle modifications. Initially this formed part of a pilot program bringing education and management out of the hospital setting and into the community, delivered by a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts. This article looks at Sunrise Well’s involvement in the program and the challenges and successes experienced in the implementation of the program, and future directions.

Burnout is a growing concern in today's fast-paced world, especially within high-pressure environments. So many people leave their jobs because they have either reached burnout, or feel dangerously close to reaching it. Occupational burnout often refers specifically to a state of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. This condition can significantly affect one's physical and mental health, leading to a range of burnout symptoms that impact both personal and professional life, but there are things you can do to prevent burnout and reduce the impact it has on your life.

People getting stressed cannot be looked at through a single lens. Managing stress at work is complex and multi-faceted. We need to consider many concepts at once, including the environment, the job itself, psychosocial factors, and the sociocultural makeup of the individuals involved. How stress is managed at work is equally complex and cannot be ‘fixed’ by a single standard approach. Ideally stress management is approached from multiple angles for the most effective outcomes.

Loneliness is an increasing burden in our modern world and has serious impact on physical and psychological health and wellbeing. It is important for all areas of society to play a part in reducing isolation and increasing social connection. Organisations can create awareness and initiatives to help prevent the feeling of loneliness at work. This can have positive impact on the individual, as well as the culture and overall employee engagement.

This article examines the complexities involved when addressing workplace stress, including how stress manifests at the organisational, environmental, and individual level. We look at the physiological pathway of stress and the various conditions that can contribute to an increased level of stress at work. We also look at recommendations for leaders when responding to workplace stress and management of psychosocial hazards at work.

Psychological safety is an essential element in creating a happy, positive and supportive team, however training in empathy, communication skills, and emotional intelligence is often neglected in favour of technical skills. Here we look at why psychological safety is so important and how strong psychological safety can support psychological health and safety and reduce the risk of psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

The conversation on workplace wellbeing has taken a new direction. C-suite executives are realising that wellbeing is more than an optional employee perk, it is a strategic imperative. Whether in daily operations, or change management, it is essential to bring wellbeing into the conversation and begin measuring it objectively. Many organisations, however, don’t know where to start in measuring employee wellbeing, so this article provides some of the key factors to consider when you begin the process.

Research shows that by mid February only one in five people will still be fulfilling the New Year’s resolutions they set for themselves at the start of the year. This article looks at some of the common reasons why health goals fall short, and explores some practical strategies to help maintain the momentum for healthy lifestyle change into the future.

We’ve had almost a year to settle in to the federal legislation on managing psychosocial hazards, and yet there’s still plenty of discussion around the way these changes should be integrated into the workforce, who is responsible for it, and how it should be done. In the wellbeing space, there has been a fair amount of mud slinging and soap-box pontificating around it, and I admit I’ve been part of the discussion too. So now we need to move forward on this debate so we can roll up our sleeves and get into it - together.

Workplace Wellbeing in 2024. What will change and what will stay the same in the world of wellbeing at work? ‘Wellbeing washing’ is on its way out, but what will take its place? Organisations which embrace wellbeing in all aspects and actively address psychosocial hazards in the workplace will reap the benefits of happier and healthier employees, with less risk of psychosocial harm.