Workplace wellness programmes: 'It's about HOW we help individuals amid the stress that's actually not going to go away'

While there has certainly been a shift in our society around openly discussing mental health, there is still a stigma attached to the issue, especially in the workplace.

This is the main reason why many of the wellness programmes instituted by companies aren't as successful as they'd like them to be, says change management consultant Zanele Njapha. (Known as 'The UnLearning Lady', Njapha is board chair of the The UnLearning Children Foundation, which helps young people to build emotional resilience.)

It is necessary for organisations to understand that the issue isn't necessarily WHAT you do, but HOW you do it, Njapha says.

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She emphasizes the importance of integrating regulating systems and tools within the way you work already.

"It's not pizza on a Friday; it's how we work and how we integrate that into our systems."

A great place to start is to look at nervous system regulation, she says - 'to think about how we help our individuals amidst the stress that's actually not going to go away'.

This then flows into what companies are introducing that helps employees to regulate their autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious processes like your heart beating and your breathing.

'It comes down to smaller components like physical activity and how you integrate that; your sensory input, and mindfulness activities as well, Njapha says.

She cites Daniel Pink and his view on motivation, which holds that the best way to motivate an individual is to find out what is already motivating them:

"So, it's about starting with the conversations about what works at a personal level, and then working towards that in the workplace."

Njapha notes that employee wellness programmes are most successful in those countries where organisations have the support of their government, which then drives regulation and also compliance.

To listen to Zanele Njapha in conversation with Stephen Grootes on 702's The Money Show, click on the audio link below: