Creating Healthy Workplace Atmospheres

Health is a condition of psychological, physical and social well being where infirmity and illness are absent. A wide variety of definitions are used for such terms across the globe. These definitions all have one thing in common, however. All of them stress the importance of maintaining health and preventing sickness through a number of daily activities including eating a well balanced diet, getting regular exercise, not smoking, and avoiding stressful situations. In order to achieve optimal health, one must also take good care of their body through a healthy diet and regular exercise and monitor their weight on a regular basis. This is the basics of good health, and it applies to all of us.

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What is considered to be healthy varies from person to person, and in each of us there are certain characteristics that we look for in a healthy lifestyle. Some of these characteristics are things like having a strong work ethic, having regular sleep patterns, and having a strong sense of personal hygiene. Other aspects of physical and mental health include physical fitness and a high level of stress tolerance. The idea behind all this is that as you age, your body becomes less able to fight off infections and diseases, and that in turn leads to a weak immune system that leaves you prone to disease.

Public health conditions in America at present are at an all time high. One might argue that this is because of the lifestyles people lead, but the fact remains that more people are being diagnosed with conditions related to lifestyle, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and arthritis. What is also increasing is the number of people who are now being treated for serious diseases such as AIDS, HIV, and various forms of cancer. Many people might attribute these increases in cases of such diseases to increased stress levels in modern society, but scientists have continually stated that these increased cases of AIDS, HIV, and cancer are directly linked to the lack of basic personal hygiene and improper diet.

So how do we solve the problem of these increasingly complicated diseases without going down the road of extreme medical treatment? First, you have to realize that the source of stress and anxiety is mental stress. The problem isn’t so much in the fact that the person is ill or physically ill, it’s more to do with the fact that they can’t handle the constant drumbeat of worry and fear that constantly gnaws at their mind and prevents them from living a healthy life. It is important for you to recognize the root cause of the stress in your life and eliminate it if possible.

A great place to start is with your occupational health and safety plan. In this comprehensive document that is written for all employers, you will be given thorough instructions on the proper methods of maintaining safe working conditions, healthy eating habits, and other pertinent information that will help ensure that your workforce remains healthy and disease free. Occupational health and safety policies will vary greatly from company to company, so you need to make sure that you get one that covers your entire staff. It should cover all aspects of your staff’s working lives, so that even if they are not directly involved in your business, they will still be included in the plan as a protected group. It might be prudent for you to also include a wellness section to your occupational health and safety policy. This wellness section will outline the proper methods of keeping your employees both physically and mentally fit.

You should also include a good overall health plan that includes your employee’s nutrition and vitamin intake. It will also outline the best way for you to encourage good lifestyle choices among your workforce. Good lifestyle choices include exercising, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco use. These choices aren’t only good for employee health and productivity, they are also good for your company’s bottom line. By making a concerted effort to create a safe, healthy, and fun work environment for all of your employees, you will be able to spend less time and money sending your staff to doctor’s offices, keeping them away from illnesses that can easily be prevented.