Five Ways Young Professionals Can Promote Wellbeing in the Workplace

By Caoimhe Kenny

The pandemic is taking a toll on people’s wellbeing and mental health. Here are several ideas for how young professionals can prioritize themselves in order to improve their work performance and happiness.

As the global pandemic rages on and workplaces shift their perspective on remote work from a short-term solution to a long-term reality, the discussion around workers’ mental health and wellbeing is more important than ever. Every demographic has its own set of unique challenges during these times, and young professionals are no exception. YPs may be more likely to live alone and away from their families, exacerbating feelings of loneliness and isolation. Some YPs may be living and working in less-than-ideal conditions—eating, sleeping, and working in a tiny studio apartment—while others may be trying to juggle working from home with caring for or schooling small children. Whatever your challenges, prioritizing your mental wellbeing in the current climate is an imperative. Here are some tips to get you started:

In short, employees with strong wellbeing perform better at work, and companies with a thriving workforce have greater success and a solid competitive advantage. While that sounds simple, the reality is that life and business are complex, even more so over the past eight months. The good news is that savvy employers are stepping up, even with limited budgets, to make a positive impact on employee wellbeing through wellbeing programs. 

However, not all employers are embracing these programs. In a recent poll, when asked “Do you feel prepared to develop a competitive wellbeing program?” 63% said they were not prepared or unsure if they needed to be. Perhaps knowing the many advantages of developing and sustaining a thriving workplace culture will shift that response – and benefit those employers who make that shift.

So what are the specific advantages? They include, among others: