{"id":6767,"date":"2021-05-19T13:18:53","date_gmt":"2021-05-19T13:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/?p=6767"},"modified":"2024-04-11T08:03:41","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T08:03:41","slug":"creating-a-happier-work-environment-in-a-post-pandemic-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/2021\/05\/19\/creating-a-happier-work-environment-in-a-post-pandemic-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a happier work environment in a post-pandemic world"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cardiff University alumna,\u00a0Megan Wesley (BA 2015)\u00a0is co-founder and director at\u00a0Libratum,\u00a0a\u00a0\u2018wellness in the workplace\u2019\u00a0company\u00a0she created\u00a0with her mum before COVID-19 hit. Megan explains why now, more than ever, wellbeing is so important\u00a0and\u00a0shares some of\u00a0her top tips\u00a0for employees and employers\u00a0to help\u00a0them\u00a0create\u00a0a positive place to work.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I went along to an open day at Cardiff University, I fell in love with it. I did a tour of the campus and went into the city after to have some lunch. I had a really good feeling and knew this is where I wanted to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating, I went into PR and worked in a small PR agency in Berkshire. I worked for a couple of agencies and really enjoyed the creative, interactive side of PR.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Then I got a sponsorship with a PR agency in Melbourne called OPR. It was very exciting but very high stress. I had my first experience of working under tight deadlines and big projects. When I returned to the UK, my mum and I came up with the idea of offering something that supported employees through challenges they might face both in and out of the workplace.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, COVID-19 has brought wellbeing to the forefront. It\u2019s been on the agenda for a lot of companies, but the pandemic fast forwarded it to the top of the list, with many employees struggling during this time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some very real concerns that employers are facing around their employees and how the future of their working model will look. But there\u2019s also a real opportunity for employers to think creatively about how they engage and how they support them in the transition out of the pandemic.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for employees<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Set clear boundaries<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People struggle with work-life balance and having your desk in the same place as your lounge or your kitchen or your bedroom can make it very hard to draw boundaries. You may start to feel that all you do is work. You need to be clear with your colleagues about when you\u2019re available, and ask yourself if you really need to be in every meeting. Be clear about meeting times and when you start work and when you finish work. Rest and recovery time is important to make sure you show up at your best.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have a good routine <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we have a good routine \u2013whether that means doing exercise in the morning or listening to a podcast at the end of the day, going out for a short walk or taking a shower \u2013 it helps separate your day. It can also build really good habits for health and wellbeing over the long term.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep inspired <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s reading books, listening to podcasts or spending time with family, staying connected to the things that really inspire you is really important for keeping you motivated.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay connected<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep connected with people by giving them a call, joining initiatives in your company or having a 1-2-1 with your manager and letting them know where you are and what\u2019s going on with you.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay active<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if it\u2019s just going out for a 15-minute walk at lunchtime, it can make a huge impact on your wellbeing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for employers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Think strategically<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re often being strategic at work – we have a strategy for everything. But when it comes to wellbeing, we\u2019re not very strategic. It\u2019s a relatively new area for companies. We often see a bit of a \u2018throw paint at the wall and see what sticks\u2019 approach. A holistic wellbeing programme helps to drive a consistent message to your employees and delivers a lot of value. Part of your policy could be to make sure everyone has a 10-minute break during\/in between meetings. It\u2019s really hard for people to roll from one meeting onto the next. By your third fourth meeting you\u2019ve completely forgotten what was said in the first one!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay attention and be open<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone is absent a lot, that\u2019s an indication that something is going on for them and they may not feel comfortable telling you, their employer. If we cultivate an open culture, then someone can feel able to address the problems their facing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get creative <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will be a lot of anxiousness with returning to the office and that can play a big role in how people show up for work and how they feel about their employer. It\u2019s an opportunity for companies to be really creative in terms of their approach. If you go for a hybrid working modal, be considerate around those employees working from home, consider their setup and how to involve them in meetings. Make sure they feel part of the team. Think about whether there\u2019s one day a week where everyone gets together for a catchup. As an employer, you\u2019re able to offer a flexible work environment and can be very supportive of where people are in their life.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for new graduates<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Look for employers that care<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look for an employer who invests in wellbeing and does things to better the world because, typically, that indicates they are a company that cares. Your job can have a massive impact on your wellbeing, and you\u2019ll want to have a really positive experience in the workplace, so be sure to look for a company that looks after their employees.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to change direction<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started out in PR and transitioned into the wellbeing industry. You can always change direction. Don\u2019t be afraid to try something, it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll be stuck doing it for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the time to really explore and find out what you enjoy<\/strong>! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cardiff University alumna, Megan Wesley (BA 2015) is cofounder and director at Libratum, a \u2018wellness in the workplace\u2019 company she created with her mum before COVID-19 hit. Megan explains why now, more than ever, wellbeing is so important and shares some of her top tips for employees and employers to help them create a positive place to work. ","protected":false},"author":1811,"featured_media":6790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[199,39,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-stories","category-cardiff-connect","category-news"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1811"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6767"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6803,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6767\/revisions\/6803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}