With many organisations considering the option of having a hybrid or flex option for their team to work from home and work from the office, the importance of how our work environment or place of work affects our health and wellbeing may be underestimated.

Along with the management of ergonomics, slips, trips, falls and manual handling, we also need to consider temperature, noise, and how our surroundings make us feel?

Being a people leader is a tough gig and this year it's been even tougher. Along with trying to manage customer expectations, reduced revenue, and the usual operational challenges, the external environment threw even more challenges at you.

You've been managing your teams remotely, trying to balance homeschooling with zoom calls, spending far too much time sitting at your desk, and the only exercise you've been getting is the walk to the fridge and back! Is it any wonder you are feeling tired, foggy, heavier and emotionally drained?

Excess body weight and lack of physical activity is known to contribute to chronic health conditions.   Australia ranks in the worst third of OECD countries for obesity among people over the age of 15 with a whopping 63% of Australians said to be either overweight or obese.  And this trend is on the increase; back in 2004 - 2005, the National Health Survey indicated that just over half of us (54%) were classified as overweight or obese.  We have a growing problem (pun intended).

When we think about it, it makes sense that not getting enough sleep will impair the way we perform, but we push that out of our minds when we have a deadline to meet and a pile of paperwork on our desks.  In fact, working long hours, pulling all-nighters, and sending emails in the middle of the night has kind of become a badge of honour in many of our "high performing organisations".