Why Wellbeing Over Wellness Matters Even More Right Now

It was exactly 10 years ago that I packed up a Toyota Camry with all of my belongings and drove from New Hampshire to San Francisco to start a new chapter in my life. At the time, I had no job lined up. I had a Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and a fitness trainer background.

When I arrived in San Francisco, I quickly made a name for myself as a personal trainer in the city. I trained numerous individuals working in tech who were stressed, overworked, and unhealthy. No amount of burpees or miles on the treadmill were going to help my clients be "well".

I was introduced to corporate wellness about 7 years ago and loved the opportunity to meet my clients right where they were - at the office. I trained them on their lunch breaks, talked to them about their eating habits in the break room and in the cafeteria and tried to talk them out of going to happy hour every night. It still wasn't enough to help them be "well". They were still incredibly stressed, struggling at home, and ultimately, struggling in their job performance.

In my current role as a Wellbeing Consultant at Sequoia Consulting Group, I've found my sweet spot with the term, "Wellbeing". The two terms: Wellness and Wellbeing are often used interchangeably. But in the work I do, there is a difference. Wellness is limited to physical fitness and nutrition. "Wellbeing" encompasses the whole person - physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. An employee does not leave their personal lives at the door when they walk in the office - or these days, before the Zoom call starts. We must keep this in mind in order to truly take care of our employees.

The past 5 months, I've been on maternity leave and have witnessed the working world completely change. Knowledge workers have shifted to a world of work most were not used to: filled with new challenges that directly impact their work performance. It is imperative that we view employee wellbeing as not just a membership to a fitness app. Employers must consider the employees with aging parents, the employees home-schooling their children, and the employees who live alone. It has become unreasonable for employers to expect a typical 9-5 work day from their employees - flexibility is crucial to well-being right now.

I look forward to the conversations I'll be having with employers as I return to work next week. To discuss the new strategies of employee wellbeing during this new world of work.