Wellbeing Archives - Highfield Professional Solutions Ltd

What have we done in our first month with our new well-being platform Heka? Read about George’s well-being experience.

Well-being is …well important. We hear it often, and it couldn’t be more true. It seems like an easy statement doesn’t it? But how can you keep on top of your well-being whilst at work? The juggle between your health, career success, responsibilities and more can be a bit of a challenge on your own. You ideally want a job where your work and personal life are not at odds with each other right?

Aim to find a company that has a work-life balance to be proud of, somewhere that provides opportunities and support to help you achieve this. Imagine being able to work in a way that brings you happiness and fulfilment in the way you individually need for your own unique well-being needs. Can you get a personalised working experience that matches all of your needs? You should never settle for less than you are worth!

So many questions can come to mind when looking for a career that supports your mental health and well-being because it is just so important to maintain a healthy balance. Lockdown taught us the importance of spending more time on ourselves so it is only natural if you worry about how starting a new job will impact your well-being. Highfield and DataX are no strangers to well-being needs, we all have them! We keep trying new things and seeing where the next challenge takes us towards improving the health and well-being of everyone here. Two years ago we were one of the first companies to introduce the 4-day working week and then last year we brought in unlimited holiday this year it was our wellbeing pot.

There are many different aspects to well-being and we all need different support at different points in our life. For example, at one point you may want support with your sleep, next month it could be your diet, maybe keeping fit or a health check. And so, as your needs can change month to month, signing up to one benefit for the year wouldn’t work for most people. This is what led us to partner with Heka, a well-being service that provides a wide range of benefits to suit individual needs that you can change each month. Our people get a monthly well-being pot for each individual that they can use to spend towards any of the amazing products and services that Heka support such as gym memberships, exercise equipment, financial appointments, and healthy eating (like Hello Fresh and Huel) to name just a few. There is so much on there to suit a wide range of needs.

One of the biggest factors we prioritise is the fact that everyone is individual, and therefore, a ‘one size fits all’ just…doesn’t fit all. We trust our people to know what’s best for them, and we want to help them achieve it. The response has been really positive, with people picking a variety of benefits to suit them. We spoke to George, one of our amazing consultants who had a life ambition to learn piano and used Heka to help him achieve this!

Hey George, What benefit did you choose this month?

Piano lessons.

What inspired you to choose this?

I want to be able to walk up to a piano in a train station and play a few bangers.

Is there an end goal or was this something you were keen on just trying out?

To master Afterglow by Wilkinson

(A great choice by the way George!)

What effect will this have on your well-being?

Only positives, it’s nice to work out my brain on something outside of work, that will give me true self-satisfaction.

How was your first lesson?

An eye-opener! It gave me a newfound respect to anyone that can play an instrument.

Will there be more lessons? Are we looking at the next Mozart or Chopin?

For sure, next lesson is already booked in.

How did you feel after your lesson?

Like I’d taken my first step of a marathon…with only one leg.

Has the opportunity inspired you to try something new or save up for a dream?

This is new and a dream so for now I’m sticking with mastering the keys.

What’s your plan for next month’s allowance?

More lessons.

Anything else you want to say about your first month with the Heka benefits?

Seems a great platform, it has many different options, there’s something for everyone on there.

After buying a cheap keyboard from a guy down the street, George used the lockdowns during Covid to begin teaching himself how to play, but life got in the way -as it does- and it had been a while since he’d been back on the keys. Unfortunately, though, Heka didn’t have a partnership with the music teacher that George had found.. However! With some back and forth chats together, we managed to arrange with Heka for the lessons to be covered, and the personalised service gave George his first piano lesson.

We’re thrilled to see the benefits already being made to people’s wellbeing and all the different ways people are taking care of themselves. There are definitely going to be plenty more stories to come!

Visit our vacancies page if you move to a more personalised wellbeing benefit and enjoy a company that works relentlessly behind the scenes to develop this for you.

June 14^th is the start of men’s health week this year, addressing the physical, mental, and emotional health of men around the world. Awareness of men’s health is vital, particularly for male dominated industries such as construction and engineering. There is often a reputation surrounding careers in construction and on worksites that a level of ‘masculinity’ is expected, potentially leading to unhealthy work practices and wellbeing. This is why it is important to continue providing support systems for men, allowing for a new, and positive message to be spread as well as reducing the stigma surrounding emotional and mental health.

Wellbeing is highly supported among our teams at Highfield, with fitness opportunities like yoga and meditation classes in the office, as well as two trained mental health first aiders. We always aim to look after staff and provide as much support as possible; engaging in their wellbeing to create a positive and enjoyable work environment.

We thought it would be a great opportunity to speak to one of our consultants, Josh, who is very successful in his role and someone who is committed to looking after his health both physical and mental. Here are some of his tips!

|| What do you do to care for your mental and physical health?

I always do my best to make sure that I’m in a good headspace and can tackle any challenges that are thrown my way. I attend a CrossFit gym most days and compliment this with running, swimming, cycling or walking. As well as this, I try to find time in my day for reading/listening to books to make sure I’m always learning about new ways to deal with life!

|| How often?

Every single day I’ll make sure I do any or all of the above – these are my non negotiables and I’m pretty grumpy if I don’t do any of it. I guess that’s proof that it works!

|| Why do you do it?

These are the things that make me feel good. I think it’s great to always be learning and growing whether that is personally of professionally and I’m by no means the best at any of the above so it’s a journey that helps keep me motivated and mentally robust.

|| What challenges do you think men face in regards to their health (mental, physical etc)?

I think there is a lot of pressure for men to put on a brave face and not show weakness when in uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations. It is ok to ask questions if you’re unsure. I think it’s always a lot quicker to say you can’t deal with a certain situation than to struggle through it, get anxious about it and then not be able to do any of it. People need to understand it’s okay not to have all the answers and that they can’t always be good at everything all the time.

|| Do you have any advice for other men wanting to do more for their health?

Be brave enough to be bad at something new. Find something that interests you and makes you feel good/happy, obsess over it, go through the initial stages of learning and then continue to grow and excel. Maybe try it with a friend or someone that has similar interests – who knows, you could make new friends or join a new community of like-minded people!

Be selfish with your time. Time is finite and we only have a limited amount of it, don’t spend time doing things that don’t result in you being a happier, better version of yourself.

For international men’s health week this year, there is the CAN DO challenge which focuses on helping any negative effects this pandemic may have had on the health and wellbeing of men. With communication being such a main focus over the last year as we turned to working and living remotely, there is a desire to continue this drive for connection and extending it towards a more personal level. Discussing mental health worries at home and in the workplace will always be the first, and biggest step to take.

For each day of this awareness week, there is a themed task to complete for the CAN DO challenge to help our journeys back to stability and positivity. It is flexible and adaptable, allowing for creativity in how you choose to take part. This helps to keep the focus on ensuring men’s health is prioritised, while being achievable and accessible for everyone. Anyone can take part and it is designed to help reconnect people and get you active, improving men’s wellbeing.

#connectmonday

Connect with other people. For example call an old friend that you haven’t spoken to since before lockdown, or check in on your neighbour and see how they’re doing.

#activetuesday

Get out of the house and get your body moving. Take part in any form of exercise or activities to keep up your physical health.

#noticewednesday

Have a break from social media, phones, and computers in order to take notice of the environment around you. This can be embracing nature, people, hobbies, etc.

#discoverthursday

Learn something new. Read a new book, try a new skill, learn a new language (maybe in preparation for when we can start travelling safely again)

#offerfriday

Do something for someone else. It’s been proven to boost mental health when we perform kind gestures for other people, whether that’s family, friends, or strangers

We often miss our surroundings as we get caught up in busy lives and routines, so it can be important to regain perspective and enjoy what’s around you or something you love. It easy to get caught up in our jobs without taking a step back to review our health, ensuring we have perspective and the chance to focus on what we need or want.

Mental, physical, and emotional health should always be cared for, but with stigma still surrounding these for men, it can be difficult to take the right steps. The idea of having to be ‘masculine’ often means the avoidance of expressing emotion and feelings, creating a damaging way of working and living. Embrace this week as a chance to reflect on your personal health and that of friends, neighbours, and colleagues. We can all work together to make an environment that is supportive and positive for men’s health.

Category: Wellbeing

Wellbeing’s importance in your career

Men’s health week advice, awareness, and the CAN DO challenge