Article 14 December 2022

Prioritising your physical and mental wellbeing this festive season

The festive season is often a time for celebrating, socialising, and reuniting with loved ones, and spending time with friends and family can be great for our wellbeing. That being said, there are a range of personal circumstances which might mean the next month stirs up mixed or difficult emotions for many people, so it’s important to be mindful of other people’s feelings and unique experiences. 

We recognise that a healthy workforce plays a vital role in achieving the ‘Exceptional every day’, and have a range of wellbeing support in place, which we would encourage you to make use of over the coming weeks.  

Your physical and mental wellbeing should be consistently prioritised to maintain positive health, and you shouldn’t ever feel that your circumstances aren’t severe enough to be deserving of attention.  

On Learning Hub, you can find a dedicated e-learning module on Winter Wellbeing, which helps you to explore the ways in which you can maintain physical and mental health at what is often a challenging time of year. The course only takes 15 minutes, and will offer you practical insight on cultivating healthy habits. 

Building on this practical approach, the Enable Network are hosting a ‘Wellness Action Plan’ session on Monday 19 December, from 12-12:30pm. Wellness action plans are a great way to have a conversation with your manager about your health and wellbeing and what support you might need at work to help you thrive.

Join this session to learn all about creating your own action plan to keep you well.

Ensuring your voice informs our planning, we listened to colleague feedback around our Employee Assistance Programme, Vita Health. It is now easier than ever to seek support through the programme, as you can access the website, freephone number and counselling without needing a referral from your manager.  

The Vita Health website also brings a range of resources to your fingertips, covering topics ranging across Healthy Eating, Maintaining a positive mindset, Stress-busting strategies and more. 

Finally, a service which is available not only to you, but members of your household – Virtual GP. By using the Virtual GP, you can flexibly schedule a GP consultation to access expert advice, reassurance and where appropriate, diagnosis, without needing to leave your home. 

Hopefully for some of us the holidays might give us some time to relax and replenish the batteries. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas, festive season and new year, and remember – there is a range of help available to anyone who needs it.