People with mental health challenges, no matter the severity, can thrive in the workplace and be valuable team members. Allies play an important role by helping to provide the empathy and compassion they need to overcome key challenges. Our collective will, empathy, and compassion can break down the formidable barriers...
Knowing when and how to engage with someone who may be struggling with their mental health can be difficult. Talking about mental illness isn’t easy, particularly at work and particularly for people with a mental health condition. You don’t want to jump to conclusions about someone or seem judgmental. You...
Research shows that maintaining a well-balanced gut microbiome is an integral part of both short- and long-term health. After all, a properly functioning gastrointestinal system is the foundation for the health of your entire body, with the ability to impact everything from your cardiovascular system and chronic disease risk to...
Education on mental health issues is the foundation for helping people be better allies. If you’re a leader, encouraging or instituting better education at your company is a big-picture way you can be a mental health ally. You will likely experience a mental health challenge at some point in your...
What is the best way to drive innovative work inside organizations? Important clues hide in the stories of world-renowned creators. It turns out that ordinary scientists, marketers, programmers, and other unsung knowledge workers, whose jobs require creative productivity every day, have more in common with famous innovators than most managers...
A generation ago, it was normal to get a job right out of high school or college and stick with it until you retired. That’s no longer the case: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years the average worker stays at one job is 4.6...
Financial stress is something most people deal with at one time or another, whether it’s paying off student loans, purchasing a first home, or affording quality health care. In fact, in a recent survey, 85 percent of people said that they feel stressed about money at least sometimes, while 30...
Multiple studies have shown that simple productivity measures are not enough to guide the transition to hybrid work. Employees do not necessarily have to do more to be successful. Our personal lives have always bled into our professional lives. Even when we worked at the office, phone calls from home...
You may find yourself constantly putting off your most important professional goals in favor of more pressing matters. Maybe you have a skill to master, networks to build, or targets to smash. But between meetings, email, and your regular to-do list, there is no time to work on that big...
It is so easy to second-guess yourself—holding back your opinions, comparing yourself to others, and making too much of other people's reactions. It holds you back and deprives everyone who would have benefited from your ideas. Imagine this scenario: You just got a promotion. You feel out of place sitting...
We’ve always heard the importance of starting the day with a great breakfast… but yet somehow putting this into consistent practice seems to be easier said than done for most. Putting actual food into your body every morning is not only about refueling your energy tank. Eating a high-quality, nutrient-filled...
For entrepreneurs, their minds can be the greatest asset they possess, especially during these life-changing times. In general, an entrepreneur's brain is certainly configured differently from others. Studies have shown that when it comes to identifying and selecting opportunities, a founder entrepreneur's mind thinks differently. But this brain power needs to...
As 2020 ends, we find ourselves entrenched in today's new normal, where being healthy is primarily defined as not getting sick with the pandemic virus. Our lives have become all about face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, and social distancing. Yet, being healthy is more than being disease-free. Think of wellness...
Even before 2020 imposed the remote work model on organizations, many viewed the concept as attractive. Work from home appealed to the productive professional who could see the advantages that this methodology could bring to undisturbed concentration in a peaceful environment that contributed to focus. Whether we desired it or...
As 2021 takes off, HR has certainly embraced a variety of measures to deal with the new sensibilities brought on by the events of the past year. As they transformed into a model that can support the well being and stability of organizations through a difficult period, they have established...
2020 is over and we are all still here. As we look back at the year defined by a worldwide pandemic, it's an understatement to say that that we have transformed as individuals, families, corporations, and industries. HR found itself in a crossroads of either transforming to a new reality...
On average, you will take around 16 breaths per minute. This means you will take 23,040 breaths just today and 8,409,600 breaths this year. Out of all those breaths, how many can you remember taking consciously? Although breathing is an important part of your autonomic nervous system, your body's control system...
[disclaimer] In the midst of our quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak, many people are being forced to work from home for the foreseeable future. Your work may be pretty much the same as before, but your work setup is probably different (couch, meet butt). Although it’s cozy, this desk alternative isn’t ideal for your back—which is...
[disclaimer] Sounds wrong, right! Eating ourselves to death? But it does make sense from a scientific standpoint, as it what the vast majority of Americans are doing every single day. We are overfed and badly under-nourished. This is surprisingly easy to do as we overload on empty fat and sugar-filled calories...
2020 has completely shifted our day to day routines, to say the least. Among the changes for many is working or schooling from home. Sitting for hours on end, it seems we yearn to get up and get moving to feel better. Maybe a stroll outside will do the trick....
The Ironman, Crossfit Games, or maybe Mr. & Ms. Olympia competitions evoke the thought of what strength and fitness are supposed to be. And though they do take a great deal of training and hard work, as important as many of the abilities showcased on these platforms are, the relationship...
In recent years, companies have hopped on the bandwagon of creating products that tout brain power-boosting abilities. Notably, energy drinks or pill supplements filled with artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and a plethora of unspoken chemicals that can wreak havoc on your body and your brain, the very thing it promises to...
Society often makes a distinction between nature-buffs and non-nature buffs, but you don’t have to enjoy being outside to enjoy the company of plants. Indoor plants can actually be extremely beneficial to us in a myriad of ways, and for those of us afraid of the commitment, there are many...
[disclaimer] WWD knows that sometimes the days can feel shorter but the daily grind is endless and we find ourselves challenged to keep our energy levels high. Browse through these top WWD picks to help obtain and maintain your energy levels and focus throughout the day. Zhou Neuro-Peak Capsules WWD loves this tool...
[disclaimer] We know that sleep reinforces our immune system, but scientists also theorize sleep has a restorative function for the brain, and that learning continues during sleep. WWD wants to enhance your physical and mental capabilities so here are some excellent products to help maximize your sleepy time. Youtheory Sleep Nighttime Powder This...
[disclaimer] WWD knows that a good office chair will boost comfort, better your productivity, and improve posture while eliminating back pains. With all these factors weighed in, here are some of our preferred selections to give you all those benefits and more. Embody Chair by Herman Miller The Embody chair stood out to...
We've all been experiencing highs and lows in our motivation this year, and you may find yourself in a bit of a rut at this moment. If that's the case, at WWD we declare that it's time to make adjustments, to shake off the dust, and pick it up where...
Your knees are the largest joint in your body, and they’re in charge of so many of your movements. And new research suggests that those who perform physically demanding jobs are more prone to developing osteoarthritis in the knees—which proves that taking care of the knee joint health is essential...
Whether you have intermittent bouts of stress, anxiety, and depression or it’s a chronic problem, you can change. When you adopt positive habits, they can have a powerful effect on many areas of your life. Let’s take a look at three habits you can adopt today to ease stress, anxiety,...
According to a recent study conducted by CreditWise, finances are the number one stressor for nearly three-quarters of Americans. When these issues come to work, productivity suffers, and employees feel less satisfied with their employment. Research has consistently shown that employee financial stress causes businesses $500 billion in lost productivity...
Mindfulness—including practices such as yoga, journaling, meditation, and more—has surged in popularity in the last several years. People typically seek out these activities to control stress and improve mental and emotional wellness, but with limited research on the physical impacts of the practice and no reimbursement incentives from health plans...
ServiceNow, the leading digital workflow company that makes work, work better for people, today announced a new integration with Uber for Business to help solve one of the largest problems businesses face—helping their employees feel safe when commuting to and from work, as soon as it’s safe to reopen. Using...
Employers want to help employees meet their short-term financial needs during the COVID-19 pandemic first. Employees are seeking financial guidance to help them navigate the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and take control of their finances. Nearly 60 percent of workers say that they or a close family member...
A study published in July 2019 in the journal Current Biology indicates a poor night’s sleep—specifically, restless rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep—negatively impacts brain function, including the work of amygdalae. These are almond-sized clusters of nuclei located deep within the brain’s temporal lobes and responsible for the consolidation of memories for long-term...
While a majority of employers believe that their employees will return to their workplaces after COVID-19’s impact diminishes, working from home isn’t going to disappear. The reality is that a huge number of people were already working from home (almost 10 million workers in the U.S. in 2019); that number...
When it comes to financial wellness, one hot topic is student loan repayment assistance. According to the 2019 Employer’s Guide to Financial Wellness1, 36 percent of struggling employees want some form of student loan repayment as an employee benefit. However, according to a 2019 International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plan...
Have you ever heard of sleep architecture? Your body’s natural daily rhythms are regulated by structures in the brain that help determine when you fall asleep and wake up. People progress through a series of distinct physiological stages during sleep. Each stage of sleep serves an important purpose in keeping...
If you’re embarking upon any kind of journey amid an ongoing pandemic, you could probably use some practical, proven-effective pointers for keeping yourself and your family healthy and virus-free along your route. Yale- and Harvard-trained ER Physician, Dr. Darria Long Gillespie, is one of the medical experts who has joined...
Passion provides powerful motivation for learning, yet a recent survey among the US workforce showed that just 13% of all employees exhibiting the type of passion in their work environments that helps them truly improve in their professions. Since before the outbreak, corporate leaders everywhere are wondering - especially in...
It was a throwaway comment, and you were unaware that it was demeaning. But now that a colleague has brought the slight to your attention, you realize what you said was offensive. As a person who wants to be a good ally to your colleagues of any race or ethnicity,...
After being called out for manifesting what to you is unconscious bias, what should you do to maintain quality of life and relationships in the workplace? In the community? Even in your family? How do you apologize after you’ve committed a microaggression? How and when should you try to make...
During much of the 1990s, organizations hired employees faster than they expanded their offices. With layoffs in the early 2000s recession, and again in 2008, surviving workers regained some space, largely because companies held long-term leases and were loath to invest in office reconfigurations. But as hiring rebounded, leases came...
In the times of COVID-19, walking quickly became the workout darling. With gyms closed and at-home workouts the new norm, a walking workout not only one of the best ways to get some fresh air while social distancing (something even experts recommend, as long as you abide by the six-feet-apart...
To foster healthier communities, businesses are taking a holistic approach – understanding the interconnection between the community, their employees, and health outcomes. Despite the dramatic changes experienced globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies and brands of all sizes and industries are still leading the way with innovative concepts for...
Corporate environmental health and safety practices have become headline news amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations are under increasing scrutiny to ensure they’re adhering to proper safety guidelines as they reopen their doors. The way safety leaders deliver this information to their staff will have a significant impact on their ability...
Online learning, specifically microlearning, is increasing in popularity among safety professionals. The National Safety Council, for example, established the SAFER (Safe Actions for Employee Returns) program to help guide employers through the process of returning to normal operations after the pandemic. The program framework includes a focus on communications. Microlearning has...
As travelers tentatively begin to take to the skies again, U.S. airlines have been launching new health and safety measures to make them feel more comfortable with flying amid the coronavirus pandemic. The latest effort: pre-flight health questionnaires meant to rule out if a flier has been exposed to or contracted COVID-19. United Airlines...
Although Don Draper had another kind of crisis, it was a crisis nonetheless. We - on the other hand - have been inadvertently thrown into a global pandemic that - like it or not - is still in full effect. Risks of infection are still present, jobs have been lost...
As the world navigates the new workforce landscape, the demand for talent will only grow. Modern industry has received a drastic jolt in 2020 and, as digital interphases have become a critical need for some business, it's imperative that companies (across many more industries) act aggressively to close the tech...
In early March, there were fewer than 100,000 cases and 4,000 deaths globally. Now, not quite three months later, infections exceed 5.5 million and employers face a whole new set of questions as they consider how to reopen the workplace after weeks or months of restrictions. As always, employers must...
Employees should be safe while on the job; that includes healthy air quality. Although laws and policies exist to protect workers, problems with air quality on the job are often overlooked. Breathing unhealthy air at work can be dangerous, but it's also preventable. In a recent study conducted by Harvard...
Companies that use offices as “centers of gravity” and places for connection likely won’t require as much space as before. Their workplaces will become more about human experiences and collaboration rather than square footage. While organizations are looking forward to bringing back workers into the office, they are also rethinking the...
It seems like Zoom has been on everyone's desk (or at least in their minds) for the past 3-4 months as part of a nationwide surge in virtual conferencing due to the COVID-19 outbreak and now we are faced with another controversial point to add to the remote conversation. Zoom...
Many have suffered profound losses during the pandemic and have not had sufficient opportunity to grieve. Almost all of us have experienced loneliness. There will be more cases of anxiety and depression, and some survivors and their families will have post-traumatic stress syndrome. Access to mental health services was often poor before...
According to a new study, the treatment gap between men and women who have strokes has significantly narrowed from 30% to 13% in 10 years. The study, published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, examined 24 existing studies published between 2008 to 2018, with one...
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a global reckoning with the awesome power of infectious diseases to grind economies to a halt. The forced lockdowns and retreat into home isolation have also given us a heightened awareness of the role our surroundings play in our health and wellbeing. While no one...
If you don’t already, you will soon know someone who has been ill with Covid-19 and survived. They will be our friends, our family, our neighbors, and our colleagues. History will judge us by the way we treat them. Unfortunately, as my and others’ research makes clear, stigma has exacerbated the suffering...
With nearly 690+ million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, LinkedIn has made a name for itself as the largest professional network in the world and the platform continues to reinvent itself to enhance the user's experience. Last month, it rolled out a new its latest tool...
Uber rides were down in March 2020, but started to rebound in recent weeks after some states reopened. Now, the company is instituting big changes to make riders and drivers safer -- and boost selfies. Both riders and drivers will be required to wear masks during trips, and riders will be allowed to ride...
Jessica Nguyen was hoping to find one activity that could involve all 450 client services associates during her company’s annual community service day. But she soon realized it wasn’t a realistic goal with a workforce that’s spread over five states.“Each location has an interest in different activities, so I decided...
With the country more divided than ever on whether or not to return to the office, another alternative arises for business owners and corporations: testing on site. But can it help curb the spread? Experts have weighed in and the short answer is no. Not only can it hinder the...
You might have to work from home - either because you and your team or business have always been virtual or because of emergent issues like the current coronavirus crisis -but that doesn't have to keep you from networking. Keeping in touch with your connections is always a good idea. Here are three easy...
In a typical year, you will take two million breaths in your office. This, however, is not a typical year. The pandemic spawned by the novel coronavirus has forced a global reckoning with the awesome power of infectious diseases to grind economies to a halt. The forced lockdowns and retreat...
International business travel is unlikely to rebound until after this pandemic has receded. Many countries, if they allow international arrivals, require 14 days of quarantine, and business travelers might be quarantined again on return home. International business will continue to use teleconferences and videoconferences for many months to come, and...
For many of us, needing a new client, new business, or a new employee has meant turning to LinkedIn. In the current climate of economic uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, I see it. Friends and professional contacts who have never had a LinkedIn profile or haven't paid attention to theirs forever are all of a sudden back...
The tech skills gap has been a problem for a while now, and as the world navigates the new workforce landscape, the demand for talent will only grow. Now more than ever, tech skills are needed in every industry. Companies will need new tech support to enable efficient remote work. Waves of innovation spurred from...
When volleying between two candidates, what qualifications determine the final cut? Every hiring manager has interviewed Paul and Sam, but not every Paul and Sam has been hired for the same reason. Meet Paul. Paul is one of the final candidates for a marketing coordinator position at a budding tech startup....
If you are eligible for an early retirement package that your company is offering in these tough economic times, you’re probably weighing its financial pros and cons. But there’s another side to retirement you ought to be considering, too — its influence on your health and happiness. To someone who...
The coronavirus has killed dozens of Americans and sickened many others. At the same time, it has caused most people to drastically alter their daily schedules as schools have closed, and working from home has become of the order of the day. This kind of upheaval also can wreak havoc...
If you recently lost your job or a good chunk of your income, you’re not alone. An astronomical number of people are out of work right now — and most people don’t have any emergency savings, leaving them to wonder how they’re going to make ends meet. That’s a scary place to be, but it doesn’t have...
You started your company with a mission that you believed in, and today it is incredibly humbling to see your staff truly take pride in the work they are doing. You have built a dream team that you can rely on, and now you are ready to start utilizing them in new ways to grow your...
Given the recommendation of social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have some confusion about your new work from home situation. Like, that your office is now a crumb-encrusted couch, and your commute is best explained as “waking up” and “going to bed.” Because of these environmental factors, it’s...
While a staggering 20.5 million jobs were lost in April with 33 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits since the start of the pandemic, many businesses continue to hire--and not just Instacart or Amazon. Industries including technology, health care, and financial services continue to bring on employees. Glassdoor even created an...
Over the past few years, employers have started to use smartphone apps that give workers immediate access to their earned pay in return for a transaction fee of a few dollars. Now, there are signs that their use has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower-paid workers are not the only...
More employees than ever are working remotely due to COVID-19, and some companies may continue to implement more flexible work arrangements even after their physical businesses reopen. Without the in-person oversight that onsite work offers, people are looking for tools and systems to self-manage their productivity. To help you find...
Obviously, no one could predict or be fully prepared for a pandemic, so to say that some have had a smoother transition than others would be a gross understatement. From learning new vocabulary words to incorporating new and more frequent hygienic practices to seeing all of your peers and clients...
It's quite plausible that the most difficult part of 2020 has been uncertainty. Uncertainty about how contagious COVID-19 really is and when it's going to end (and how). We face uncertainty about the travel that we have planned. Uncertainty about the economy. Uncertainty about our jobs. Yet, uncertainty can be...
Just like you can catch a cold or the flu, you can catch anxiety too, be it from a friend venting about her job troubles or watching a TV interview with survivors of a natural disaster. Given how the human brain is wired, “it’s all too easy for us to 'catch'...
As COVID-19 struck businesses, most of which were completely unprepared for this type of situation, topics as essential as inclusion and diversity in the workplace were pushed to a realm of secondary, non-essential items. As workplaces shut down and employees moved to work from home, the reality and dynamics of...
For many in the learning field, COVID-19 has thrust us into uncharted territory. We’re doing our best to stay home as much as possible, which in many cases means figuring out how to do our jobs from home. And even if we’re not working from home, we’re grappling with how...
Remember Woody Allen’s remark that 80% of success is showing up? That is especially useful advice in a downturn. Start going to all those voluntary and informal meetings you used to skip. Be visible. Get out of your office and walk the floor to see how folks are doing. Take...
The initial appeal that comes with working from home is that you’re not tied to the confines of a desk. Work from your bed! Or the couch! But once you realize you’ve got neck tension and your sore wrists, this freedom loses its appeal. Though we rarely give our wrists much thought, R....
Life is hard for working parents — and you don't need to be one to know it's the truth. Several industry surveys consistently report that a majority (60%) of North American parents have experienced burnout at work. Top symptoms cited by researchers included such colorful descriptions as "extreme frustration," "constant exhaustion"...
The Coronavirus has upended just about everything. We all want to see our lives get back to normal, but what will that mean? The future is murky, and we all agree there will be some permanent changes to the world. These are bound to alter our working environment. Here are...
We are living in an era of technology obsession and smartphone addiction. I hear it all the time: “I can’t go anywhere without my phone” or “I feel anxious when I’m not able to check email” or “If I’m not on my social feeds, I feel like I’m missing out.” Not...
It's no secret that the travel industry has taken a big hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though there are things we can do now that business travel is on hold, we don't know when we'll be able to travel as normal again. And while both business and leisure travel (and bleisure...
Although there's been some debate about whether workplace health promotion programs, more commonly known as wellness programs, work, there still companies exerting their best efforts to develop innovative programs to suit the wellness need of their teams. Asking if CWPOs work is similar to asking whether reviews, training programs, employee...
Many of us have been sheltering in place for months — and with most gyms closed, this period has changed the way we incorporate movement into our days. Some have invested in at-home fitness equipment or online training sessions, while others have reassessed what a “workout” has to look like, fitting in small bursts...
Hiring friends into your startup is a mixed blessing. The good part is that you know your friend's strengths and weaknesses and whether they share your values. If, on top of that, your friend brings a skill your startup needs, bringing a friend into your startup can be great. Still,...
As a nexus of technology, community, and the locus of our livelihood, the workplace is a topic of perpetual interest in architecture and interior design. The novel coronavirus pandemic, however, has disrupted the workplace in ways that few pundits anticipated. Previously, design firms, industry specialists, and academic researchers speculated on...
Skater Dan Jansen, seeded first in the world for several years between 1984 and 1994, failed to win it in 3 consecutive years. His coach suggested he focus on “being technically correct, aggressive, fluid, and to have fun. With little pressure to win, he skated like a champion, stayed focused...
With over 88% of organizations encouraging or requiring work from home, workers around the world are swapping their office time for virtual time, which means days are spent on teleconferences. And we’ve all been on that teleconference call: the dog barking in the background, keyboards clicking in constant percussion, or...
From posting live workouts online via social media to using virtual class vendors, teams are continuing to serve their staff by keeping them engaged in health and fitness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual Group Exercise Class Schedule The fitness center staff at a national insurance company is offering Take a Stress Break...
Workplace wellness programs typically include focus areas such as eating healthy, exercising, seeking preventive screenings, and dealing with stress, but has your organization addresses emergency preparedness thoroughly? Emergency preparedness is an often overlooked area of health and wellness but is an important subject that your team needs and would likely...
If you are like most people, you think of trust as this fuzzy, feel-good thing. "I like somebody, therefore, I trust them," is how Joel Peterson, author of The Ten Laws of Trust, puts it. In reality, trust is the operating system upon which relationships function. In the absence of trust, there is no workability. Think...
There are thousands of studies that have shown mindfulness meditation can positively impact mental and physical health. Whether it’s by reducing stress, improving sleep, increasing focus, or improving relationships, research shows mindfulness works. While the research on mindfulness, especially digital mindfulness programs, is still growing, there is evidence to support the use of...
Did you realize that you will spend about a third of your life asleep? Yet often we don’t give the same attention to sleep that we give to other necessities, like food and water. This is probably why more than 70 million Americans suffer from dysfunctional sleep or a sleep...
As consumers, we want to know where our food comes from, where our clothes are made, and what exactly is in our shampoo. It’s about knowing what chemicals we use or are exposed to in our daily lives. While it’s easier to manage what’s introduced in the home, the workplace...
Millions of travelers are understandably concerned about flying in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. One of the paramount issues is determining if the air on planes hastens the spread of infection. The Centers for Disease Control is blunt about flying during the age of the coronavirus. “Travel increases your chances of getting...
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of people across the world — including the millions of people in the US who’ve lost their jobs. If you’re among them and need income urgently, here are six ideas for earning money right now that might help. Become a virtual tutor Schools across the country...