Improve Your Wellbeing at Work: Small Shifts That Make a Big Difference
Most organisations want to support wellbeing, but the real challenge is weaving it into daily life, not just into policies or away days.
It’s easy to talk about wellbeing in strategy meetings, but much harder to live it in the moments that shape the working day - when your inbox is full, meetings are back-to-back, and the pressure is on.
True wellbeing isn’t built on grand gestures or one-off initiatives. It’s built on the small, consistent actions that define how a team works, communicates, and supports one another. You don’t need a huge budget or a new corporate programme. What matters most is consistency, intention, and care - day by day.
1. Make Wellbeing a Shared Responsibility
Wellbeing isn’t the job of HR or a single department. It’s something everyone contributes to, from how meetings are run to how teams check in with each other.
Creating psychological safety is key. When people feel they can talk openly about their workload, energy levels, or mental health without fear of judgement, you start to build a culture that genuinely supports wellbeing.
Try this:
Begin team meetings with a short check-in question: “What’s one thing that would make today feel more manageable?”
Encourage people to share what supports their focus and balance, not just their targets or to-do lists.
These simple conversations start to normalise wellbeing as part of everyday work, not a separate topic.
2. Redesign Work Habits That Undermine Wellbeing
Every team has unspoken habits that drain energy like constant notifications, meeting overload, or the pressure to respond instantly.
Taking time to reset these norms won’t reduce productivity. In fact, it often does the opposite - helping people focus more deeply, recover faster, and produce better work.
Try this:
Block out “focus hours” or shared “no-meeting” time each week.
Encourage short, device-free breaks throughout the day.
Normalise healthy email boundaries. For example, include a note in your email signature if you work non-traditional hours: “I sometimes send emails outside standard hours, please don’t feel any pressure to respond until your normal working time.”
Everyone can play a role in improving workplace habits, but when leaders model these behaviours, it sends a powerful message that balance is supported, not just spoken about.
3. Build in Recovery, Not Just Resilience
We often hear about “building resilience”, but recovery is equally important. Without recovery, even the most motivated and capable team will eventually hit exhaustion.
Rest isn’t a reward, it’s a requirement for sustainable performance.
Try this:
Take micro-breaks between meetings to reset your mind.
Step away from your desk for lunch (ideally, somewhere with natural light).
Try walking meetings or occasional “no-video” calls to reduce digital fatigue.
These small changes add up, helping people feel refreshed, more creative, and less reactive under stress.
4. Integrate Wellbeing into Systems and Rituals
To make wellbeing part of your culture, it needs to be built into systems and routines, not left to chance.
Try this:
Add wellbeing reflections into 1:1s or team reviews.
Celebrate small wins, not just big outcomes.
Use short check-ins or pulse surveys to ask how people feel, not just what they’ve achieved.
When wellbeing becomes part of normal work rhythms, it shifts from being a “nice-to-have” to something embedded in how the business operates every day.
Common Barriers to Embedding Wellbeing
Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to slip back into old habits. Some of the most common barriers include:
Time pressure: Believing there’s no time for wellbeing, when it actually improves effectiveness.
Mixed messages: Saying wellbeing matters but rewarding overwork.
Leadership inconsistency: When some leaders model healthy habits and others don’t, it causes confusion and disengagement.
Lack of follow-through: Treating wellbeing as a one-off campaign rather than an ongoing cultural commitment.
Recognising these barriers helps teams plan and make progress that lasts.
Progress Over Perfection
Embedding wellbeing into the workplace doesn’t require a perfect plan. What matters is small, consistent progress.
Start with one change like a team check-in, a protected lunch break, a clearer boundary around email and build from there. Over time, these small shifts create momentum.
The goal isn’t just to have a wellbeing strategy, it’s to create a workplace where people feel supported to thrive, every day.
If you’d like to learn more or implement changes in your business, head over to the Corporate Wellness section of my website to learn about how I can help you.