Using attention to increase awareness, concentration and focus on specific situations, as well as the current moment and the task at hand, has been shown to improve wellbeing and mood. These are skills that can give us greater creativity, accuracy, and productivity. Becoming more consciously aware of the things we’re experiencing in all aspects of our life in the short and long term, together with the thoughts and feelings that occur from one moment to the next can help us reflect both on the here and now and the future.

The Workplace Wellbeing Wheel is a handy tool that can help you reflect and can be used in your everyday work life, particularly during times of change, as it outlines the areas that are associated with health and wellbeing at work. Completing the wheel gives you the opportunity to consider various aspects of work and evaluate what is working well or maybe not so well. You then have the opportunity to consider what can be done to make a difference and plan for what you would like to change. You can download the guide and write your plan using the resources available.

These are the seven areas the wheel covers and some of the resources available to support you:

  • Role: This area provides information on how understanding your role can support your wellbeing at work.
  • Demands: Here you will find some of the practical tools and techniques we can explore to help us manage demands, for example sleep or working remotely.
  • Control: This area provides information on how taking active steps to control your workload can help support your wellbeing at work. For example assertive is an important communication skill which can help you take control, reduce your levels of anxiety and improve your self-esteem. Check out this How Assertive are You? quiz to see if developing your assertiveness could be supportive.
  • Relationships: Relationships with managers, peers and colleagues can positively and negatively affect the way we feel, they can be important sources of support, but they can also be sources of stress. Check out the range of resources available here.
  • Change: This is an inevitable aspect of organisational life and can be essential for future growth. However, sometimes the change process can lead to people feeling anxious and uncertain about aspects of their work or employment status. Things can change fast, such as with COVID-19 and dealing with uncertainty can be stressful, Coping with uncertainty is a short video that explains six strategies to help you manage.
  • Support: Having support around you can enhance your wellbeing and cushion the stress responses people might otherwise experience when their jobs are demanding, and they feel they do not have control over those demands. Have a look through these resources to get the support you need.
  • Personal Factors: Are there any other issues/concerns/stressors outside of work that it would be valuable to take account of? This might include unexpected life changes, health issues, caring responsibilities, difficulties at home or home working etc. Here you will find an interactive wellbeing self study e-learning course or perhaps this infographic on Resilience might be valuable to help you develop an action plan to improve your own resilience levels.