This informal CPD article, ‘Wellness and Learning: A Complete Approach to Professional Growth’, was provided by iAM Learning, who are transforming the way your workforce trains and retains, using high-end animation, lovable characters and captivating stories to make even the most serious subjects appealing and unforgettable.
Say you’re managing an employee struggling with tight deadlines and heavy workloads. You decide the best thing you can do is send them on a training course to upskill and help them manage their workload better. But when they come back, far from being a high-flyer, their performance just kind of levels off. Why is that?
The combination of a heavy workload and tight deadlines is likely stressful. Stress and anxiety cloud a person’s ability to absorb new information, so the course will probably have little effect.
On the other hand, when employees feel mentally well, their cognitive functions, like memory, focus, and problem-solving, are at their best.
Long term benefits
Integrating wellness into your learning and development delivers long-lasting benefits.
For example:
- Enhanced Performance: Employees who manage stress effectively are more focused, productive and innovative.
- Higher Retention Rates: Supporting well-being reduces burnout and increases job satisfaction. Satisfied people want to stick around.
- Improved Culture: Your team becomes part of a workplace culture that values wellness and growth, which in turn helps you collaborate, trust each other and be more creative.
- Sustainable Growth: When employees thrive, businesses benefit from sustained performance and long-term success.
- Stronger Leadership: Leaders who prioritise their own well-being set a positive example, creating more empathetic and effective teams.
- Increased Adaptability: Employees with strong mental well-being are more resilient, helping them adapt to change and maintain performance during challenging times.
Of course, wellness initiatives take time – they can require long-term commitment. They may not have immediate results, and the impact may vary, depending on individual differences and organisational culture.
Practical tools for maintaining mental and professional well-being
The benefits of considering wellness when learning seem worthwhile. But how can a leader begin to implement this change in a workplace that isn’t currently set up that way? It starts with equipping your employees with ways to empower them to manage their stress and stay focused.
Techniques like setting realistic goals instead of piling on unreasonable amounts of work can be useful. Time management apps can also help. Promoting a culture of peer support can benefit everyone involved, and recognising your team’s efforts can also help boost morale and motivation—it needn’t cost a fortune. Often, token gestures like employee of the month schemes and certificates can motivate people towards smaller goals.
If you want to spend a little more, the ROI for interactive workshops focussing on resilience, emotional intelligence and stress management, for example, can be huge. They may provide your team with actionable techniques that they can apply daily (and even teach to others).
How can organisations help integrate wellness into professional development?
Blending wellness practices with professional development can help your people beyond their professional lives. If your goal is to help support their ability to absorb and apply new skills effectively, then you can play a key role in creating an environment which prioritises both well-being and learning. Here are a few ideas which can have lasting results:
Stress management: Encourage regular breaks and manageable workloads to improve focus and productivity
Mindfulness and emotional intelligence: Introduce mindfulness techniques, such as deep-breathing and meditation, to enhance emotional regulation and concentration. Emotional intelligence training helps individuals navigate workplace relationships, boosting collaboration and morale.
Physical well-being: It’s not all in the mind. Promote physical health, like exercise and good nutrition, to support cognitive function and energy levels, indirectly improving learning capacity.
Wellness resources: Offer resources like counselling services, stress management workshops and mental health days.
Flexible learning schedules: If you allow your people to learn at their own pace, this will reduce pressure and increase retention.
Supportive leadership: Train other managers to recognise and address signs of burnout and promote open conversations about mental health.
Work-life balance: Encourage a culture that values work-life balance to help prevent burnout.
Create safe spaces for learning: Building environments where your team are comfortable asking questions and making mistakes without fear of judgement enhances their confidence and engagement.
While these strategies are beneficial, implementing them may involve costs and logistical challenges. Some employees may also prefer traditional learning methods.
Prioritising wellness alongside professional learning creates resilient, motivated employees. As you’ve seen above, simple strategies can unlock individual and organisational success and empower your team to thrive and sustain long-term growth. However, the success of wellness programs can be complex, and their effectiveness may depend on consistent leadership support and employee engagement.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from iAM Learning, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
References:
1. World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). "Mental health in the workplace." https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work
2. American Psychological Association (APA). (2022). "The impact of stress on cognitive functions." https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
3. Harvard Business Review. (2016). "The ROI of employee wellness programs." https://healthconsortium.net/sites/default/files/Board_of_Directors/Committees/OYOH%20Committee/how-to-design-a-corporate-wellness-plan.pdf
4. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). (2024). "Workplace well-being and productivity." https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/well-being-factsheet/
