Wellness White Paper

SA A4 Wellness white paper:A4 White Paper 13/7/08 19:19 Page 1
Wellness White Paper

This ‘Wellness White INDEX

Page
Paper’ is a guide for 3 Winning the Hearts and Minds of people
companies on how to 3 What is the scope of your ‘Wellness Strategy’?
3 What measurements are in place already?
implement a coherent
4 So let’s remind ourselves of some of the
‘Wellness Strategy’ inside statistics
their business. With the 4 CIPD Research
5 Working over 48 hours/wk increases to
huge push by central
3.3 million
government for companies 5 Line managers are key
to adhere to guidelines as 5 Is Stress the new Black?
6 Rise in Chronic Disease
set out in the Health at
6 Stress starts in the Brain
Work policy produced by 7 How to start an education process around
Dame Carol Black, wellness
7 Staying Alive – a model for wellness training
companies are often at a 7 Staying Alive provides the framework for
loss how to even begin to Self-Responsibility
consider a coherent 8 Company trainer profiles
9 The ripple effect
strategy.
Page 2

Winning the Hearts and Minds of people What is the scope of your ‘Wellness Strategy’?
This is how any new initiative in any company has to Another major area for consideration is how committed your
begin. Getting buy-in from everyone – and not just senior organisation is to the wellness of its employees. The kind of
management – is vital if the initiative is to be both activities that need to be considered are:
accepted and adopted. When people are not educated in • Health screening
why a new initiative will benefit them, they will unlikely • Exercise initiatives
engage in the activity that is suggested by the company. • Heart focus
Even if some people do participate they will do so • Nutrition focus
reluctantly and with other motives. Often the aim of having • Wellness Education
people maintain the new initiative will fade and find itself on • Stress management
the rubbish heap of failed initiatives, allowing plenty of • ‘Back to work’ initiatives
criticism to exist and spread around the company until • Counselling
next time there is a new initiative. • Health appraisal
Nowadays many companies have communication • Occupational Health
policies and strategies for engaging the workforce from • Safety focus
top to bottom. Communicating any new policy around
wellness therefore has to become part of that What measurements are in place already?
communication strategy. Considerable losses in any company are attributable to
absenteeism - and the measurements of such losses are
Yes it will take time but it is absolutely the key to understanding the scope of improvement that
essential for success! is needed.
Initially, it’s important that Senior Management buys into
any new process - and they have to both begin (and be Just knowing what absentee levels your company is
seen to begin) the process first to lead the way. How currently experiencing is not sufficient. More important is
otherwise can they realise and appreciate what they are knowing what employee absence is actually costing your
asking their teams to engage in? company.
The cost of absenteeism is often substantial – and yet this is

rarely considered when organisations begin to consider
whether or not it makes commercial sense to invest in staff
development programmes.
Therefore a good system for analysing past, present and
future costs are essential.
Measurements will significantly support the

case for budget expenditure in the area of
wellness.
Page 3
So let’s remind ourselves of some of the • The average length of time off for an employee suffering:
statistics National Statistics - depression is 30 days for each sickness
absence spell
• 175m working days lost in 2006 due to sickness - from stress is 21 days
absence (CBI) - anxiety is 21 days
• 30m working days lost due to work-related ill-health or • 40% of respondents report an increase in stress-related
injury (HSE) absence, with just 9% identifying a decrease
• 2.6 million people claiming incapacity benefits, with - Main causes for stress;
600,000 people following on each year. - Workload
• 1.3 million older people prevented from working - Management style
because of ill-health - Organisational change
• Stress and Mental Health is one of the biggest issues - Relationships at work
facing employers - Pressure to meet targets
• 80% of those absent from work for 6 months will be - Long hours
away from work for 5 years - Job insecurity
• After 2 years claiming incapacity benefit, people are • Stress
more likely to die or retire than work again. - 22% of respondents report their job are either
• Cost to the economy extremely stressful or very stressful
- Loss of productivity - £13bn a year (CBI) - 38% say their jobs were moderately stressful
- Sick pay • Excessive pressure
- Insurance premiums - 15% of employees say they are subject to
• Average employee absence level increased 0.2% to excessive pressure at work everyday
3.7% 8.4 days per employee (CIPD) - 29% report they are subject to excessive
• Average absence in the public sector is 4.5% (10.3 days pressure once or twice a week
per employee) compared to 3.3% (7.5 days per • The number of people claiming incapacity benefit for
employee) in the private sector. mental and behavioural illness is 37% of the overall
• Average cost of absence is £659 per employee per year • Attitudes and engagement
• 35% of employees only are engaged in their work, the
CIPD Research balance may be at work and are not present in their
• Mental ill health is the 2nd largest cause of time lost due attitude and commitment towards the company
to sickness absence in UK organisations
• Stress, depression and anxiety account for over 50% of
these mental health problems
Page 4

People working over 48 hours a week The ‘Royal College of Psychiatrists' report published to
increases to 3.3 million support the Black report calls for "training of workplace
An extra 180,000 people across the UK are working more line managers in how to recognise mental distress or ill-
than 48 hours a week in 2008, according to a TUC health and how to respond in ways that do not lead to
analysis of official statistics released in June, 2008. unnecessary exclusion from the workplace.
“They should support people who have, or are at risk of
The analysis, included in the new TUC report – ‘The Return developing, health conditions. Support may mean
of the Long Hours Culture’ - has found that the number of adjusting or adapting working practices, patterns or job
people working long hours has increased at a faster rate roles where appropriate to do so."
over the last year than the decline in excessive working
between 1998 and 2006. Is Stress the new Black?
Dame Carol Black is doing a fantastic job in highlighting that
In the first quarter of 2008, the total number of people stress is a very big issue – and every day it seems that there
working long hours increased by 0.5 percentage points are new statistics to confirm it. However is the renewed
(180,000 people) to 3.3 million. The sharpest increases in focus on stress going to reduce it? Or will the opposite
long hours working occurred in the East of England (up happen, with the result that stress levels worsen?
2.1 percentage points) and London (up 2 percentage
points). Between 1998 and 2006, the number of people Any doctor will tell you that stress is not something that you
working more than 48 hours was reduced by 3.7 can get hold of, it doesn’t smell, you can’t see it and indeed,
percentage points (707,000) from 3.8 million to 3.1 million. you can’t hear it.
The TUC report argues that the recent increase in the So are our senses telling us anything?
number of people working long hours is due to the
challenging economic climate, which has made Well physically, there may be a symptom that occurs that
employers more reluctant to recruit new staff and instead can be attributed to stress - although it could just be normal
work existing employees harder. “wear and tear” and a lack of proper nutrition, exercise and
a healthy balance between work and life.
Why your line managers are key in the
deployment of your wellness strategy Our focus on stress will indeed increase the amount of
Line managers have a key role in ensuring the workplace is cases that people will identify as stressful. Many
a setting that promotes good health and wellbeing. Good questionnaires have been created to suggest that “you are
management can lead to good health, well being and stressed” – with the workplace receiving the blame.
improved performance. The reverse can be true of bad
management. The manager is the key agent of change. A renewed thinking is urgently needed to
prevent a nation of stress addicts!
Line managers also have a role in identifying and
supporting people with health problems to help them to
carry on with their responsibilities, or adjust responsibilities
where necessary.
Page 5

Rise in Chronic Disease “As a doctor of chiropractic, I’ve seen first-hand
Disease patterns across Britain have changed the effects of stress on my patients. It is not short
significantly over the past 50 years. Improved health care episodes of acute stress, but chronic, long-term
has led to a decrease in communicable disease rates stress that most weakens the body. Most of us
while rates of chronic disease have risen significantly, rarely face the immediate threats to physical
irrespective of level of income. survival that our ancestors had to deal with, so we
may fail to realise the impact on us of years spent
Chronic disease represents the major source of health worrying about job security, credit card debt,
problems for adults, with an overwhelming 37% of deaths whether our kids will experiment with drugs, and so
in the total population attributed to cardiovascular on. When we chronically live in high-stress mode,
disease alone. or when we are constantly looking for problems
that may affect us at some future moment, we
It is estimated that chronic disease rates will continue to engage the body’s emergency response to stress
rise disproportionately. Much of this is due to an increase all the time.
in poor lifestyle factors that are known risk factors for
chronic disease. These include poor nutrition, smoking Why is this such a problem? The chemicals that
and lack of exercise. Despite increasing rates of chronic continually flood our body when we are under long-
disease, healthcare improvements have led to better term stress are the culprits that begin to alter our
management of many of these conditions. internal state and pull the trigger of cellular
breakdown. Moreover, when we’re always on high
As a result, most people afflicted with chronic disease are alert or in emergency mode, our body doesn’t have
able to continue to lead highly functional lives. While this the time or the resources necessary to repair and
means that they will be able to remain economically regenerate itself. The body can even become
active, managing their conditions properly will be crucial to addicted to the chemical state of being under stress.
ensuring their continued contribution.
But as we’ll demonstrate, the ability to overcome
Source: Building the case for wellness Price Waterhouse Coopers – stress lies right between our ears. Most stress
February 2008 ends up as emotional/psychological stress, and
that means it’s the autosuggestions of our own
Stress starts in the Brain thinking that affect the body so intensely. In other
The latest research in neuroscience is showing us that words, we can turn on the stress response by our
stress starts in the brain and is fully attributable to the way thoughts alone, and they can have the same
that we think and give meaning to circumstances in our measurable effects as any threatening stressor in
lives. our environment.”
The following is a quote from leading neuroscientist

Dr. Joe Dispenza and author of ‘Evolve Your Brain’ –
The Science of changing your mind.
Page 6

How to start an education process around • The employee has also got a responsibility for his/her
wellness own wellness in the workplace and indeed his/her own
Having got buy-in from senior management and once the private life.
communication process has started throughout the • The mistaken view of separating work from personal life
business – with employees starting to look forward to an results in an increase in stress phenomena.
increased awareness in wellness the following 6 step • The human organism includes the brain and wherever
approach is suggested: the brain goes so do all an individual’s issues and
1. Form a steering group for wellness, made up of HR, concerns, whether they are at home or at work.
Occupational Health, Line Managers and Staff. • This phenomenon can only be tackled by the individual
Communication goes out from this group to the board and not by the employer.
and the business. • The employer can facilitate the process for the individual
2. Begin with an education process around wellness and to take responsibility for their own mental wellness.
spread the message of self-responsibility.
3. Use a consistent assessment system that allows Staying Alive provides the framework for
people to look at themselves in depth. One such Self-Responsibility
system is the wellness inventory provided by Staying 1. Through the Wellness Inventory®, which is an online
Alive, which is based on 30 years’ research and takes a self-assessment in 12 dimensions of wellness -
holistic approach. researched for over 30 years and based on a holistic
4. Train line managers in the use of such a wellness approach.
inventory for their people. In this way it can become the 2. Through inter-active ‘Mind – Your Wellness’ workshops,
new wellness “appraisal”. where individuals will learn about the 12 dimensions of
5. Develop “Wellness Days” every month, allowing staff to wellness, together with hugely powerful ‘Mind-
contribute with ideas and to detail how they can take Coaching’ techniques which bring about balance
responsibility for delivering them. After all, it’s not just up together with the motivation for self-responsibility.
to management to deliver wellness. 3. Staying Alive uses the Wellness Inventory® as the
6. Deliver training around wellness regularly, as ‘repetition is foundation for its teachings and includes the latest mind
the mother of skill’. Staying Alive provides a ‘Mind Your research in its programmes, engaging individuals to see
Wellness’ training programme, which includes detailed themselves from a different and new perspective.
training on how to improve wellness through your ‘Mind’. 4. Staying Alive uses innovative and fun ways for ongoing
support including weekly webcasts, a support website
Staying Alive – a model for wellness training and weekly goal reminder emails.
'The purpose of Staying Alive is to unlock the inherent 5. Staying Alive teaches a 20-minute exercise routine that
abundance of 'Wellness' in every individual and facilitate activates the whole organism, activates every muscle
their ultimate potential for 'Happiness', whilst developing group and invigorates every organ:
the intuitive power of the 'Mind'… Psychocalisthenics® . Once learned, this exercise can
Staying Alive’s philosophy towards Wellness in the be performed by the individual for the rest of their lives
Workplace and prevent a multitude of ailments.
• The employer has a duty of care and responsibility -
enabling employees to achieve the best possible
environment for wellness in the workplace. This
includes everything from communication through to
catering and environment.
Page 7

'I was inspired to take ‘I believe in giving people
'Wellness' into the all the available tools
corporate sector after upfront for lasting change’.
my own career in There is now so much
corporate for 28 years. I research in the ‘power of
have seen and the mind and therefore I
experienced first-hand enjoy leading the way in
the amounts of stress our training and wish to
that exists within capitalise on all these
Michael de Groot corporations. Stress not Traceyann Croshaw latest tools and techniques
only causes poor performance by employees, it from neuroscience to benefit individuals’.
also causes dysfunctional relationships in and
outside the business. This has now become so Traceyann is a cutting edge ‘Mind Coach’ and one of the
acute that corporations are being encouraged to few of her kind in the UK. She brings over 15 years
look after people's wellbeing at work. This does not experience from the field of personal development and
only ensure that the employee's wellbeing is taken training in competitive sales environments. She is a Clinical
seriously it also has a major impact on their private Hypnotherapist and assists individuals with Stress and
life and therefore flows through to better Weight Management, plus many other conditions.
performance and also a happier life in general.' Traceyann joined Staying Alive to provide the
underpinning technology for individuals to achieve
Michael’s background as a senior board director in immediate and lasting change. Traceyann runs her own
several global multi- nationals has assisted him in busy clinic in the UK and works with people on a one to
designing and shaping an appropriate strategy for one coaching basis and in group training and
companies to implement wellness. This has resulted in development sessions. Throughout her career her
Staying Alive running informative and experiential passion for empowering the individual remains steadfast.
programmes for companies and individuals, enabling Using such techniques as Neuro-linguistic programming,
participants to take self-responsibility for wellness. The (NLP), visualisation, self-hypnosis and state of the art
uniqueness of Staying Alive's offer is in the ability to sound technology incredible shifts can take place within a
provide individuals with the tools to achieve lasting persons thought process. Staying Alive is privileged to
change in their wellness, utilising the latest scientifically have someone like Traceyann join in partnership to
researched techniques available in the world. Staying facilitate a fast change process for individuals. In our
Alive pride themselves on being a learning organisation current modern fast-paced world, people are looking for
and as such the team are able to provide individuals with immediate solutions and certainly she teaches a
a huge arsenal of resources from some of the top technology that allows individuals to make some very fast
teachers in the world of personal development. Michael is changes in their behaviour. Her style of training is
also a qualified Kinesiologist* registered with the supportive and it encourages individuals to practice what
Kinesiology Federation in the UK. Michael runs his own they are being taught.
practice in the UK. He spent over 1000 hours studying
with one of the World leaders in personal development,
Anthony Robbins, and completed his world renowned
Mastery University and Leadership programme. Michael
developed the launch of the ‘The Wellness Inventory' into
the UK corporate sector. *(Kinesiology is a
complementary alternative medicine, in the process of
being recognised by the government as an Occupational
Health Therapy)
Page 8
THE RIPPLE EFFECT (Author Unknown) a mistake in seeking out the Master? After all he was not a
The Master was walking through the fields one day when student; perhaps he could not be helped? Puzzled, the
a young man, a troubled look upon his face, approached young man waited. "Were you able to stop the ripples with
him. "On such a beautiful day, it must be difficult to stay so your hands?" the Master asked. "No, of course not."
serious," the Master said. "Is it? I hadn't noticed," the "Could you have stopped the ripples, then?" "No, Master. I
young man said, turning to look around and notice his told you I only caused more ripples." "What if you had
surroundings. His eyes scanned the landscape, but stopped the pebble from entering the water to begin
nothing seemed to register; his mind elsewhere. Watching with?" The Master smiled such a beautiful smile; the
intently, the Master continued to walk. "Join me if you like." young man could not be upset. "Next time you are
The Master walked to the edge of a still pond, framed by unhappy with your life, catch the stone before it hits the
sycamore trees, their leaves golden orange and about to water. Do not spend time trying to undo what you have
fall. "Please sit down," the Master invited, patting the done. Rather, change what you are going to do before
ground next to him. Looking carefully before sitting, the you do it." The Master looked kindly upon the young man.
young man brushed the ground to clear a space for "But Master, how will I know what I am going to do before I
himself. "Now, find a small stone, please," the Master do it?" "Take the responsibility for living your own life. If
instructed. "What?" "A stone, please find a small stone and you're working with a doctor to treat an illness, then ask
throw it in the pond." Searching around him, the young the doctor to help you understand what caused the
man grabbed a pebble and threw it as far as he could. illness. Do not just treat the ripples. Keep asking
"Tell me what you see," the Master instructed. Straining his questions." The young man stopped, his mind reeling. "But
eyes to not miss a single detail, the man looked at the I came to you to ask you for answers. Are you saying that I
water's surface. "I see ripples." "Where did the ripples know the answers?" "You may not know the answers
come from?" "From the pebble I threw in the pond, right now, but if you ask the right questions, then you shall
Master." "Please reach your hand into the water and stop discover the answers." "But what are the right questions,
the ripples," the Master asked. Not understanding, the Master?" "There are no wrong questions, only unasked
young man stuck his hand in the water as a ripple neared, ones. We must ask, for without asking, we cannot receive
only to cause more ripples. The young man was now answers. But it is your responsibility to ask. No one else
completely baffled. Where was this going? Had he made can do that for you."
Page 9
Version 1.0 – June 2008 We are a member of the ‘Quantum Alliance’ Group of
Companies, creating ‘Quantum Change’ in people.
Author: Michael de Groot KFRP www.quantumalliance.eu
Conditions of use A % of our profits support Orphans in Uganda
through www.aimforchange.org.uk
The material contained within can not be

reproduced without strict permission of the We launched last year the ‘Global No Drive Day’
author. initiative www.globalnodriveday.com
Copies can be distributed by the recipient

for the use of educating and informing
colleagues of the benefits of having a
coherent wellness strategy and
education/communication plan in place for
its deployment.
Contact details
01827 881360
info@stayingalive.eu.com
www.stayingalive.eu.com
Page 10

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SA A4 Wellness white paper:A4 White Paper 13/7/08 19:19 Page 1