Flourishing is a holistic state of well-being that goes beyond happiness and satisfaction. It involves experiencing growing and living with positive emotions, positive psychological functioning and positive social functioning, most of the time.
In a recent employee wellbeing research study, only 16% of U.S. employees are in a high state of well-being, compared with 58% at the 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Flourishing is not something that happens by chance, but rather something that can be cultivated and enhanced through intentional actions and practices leading to greater access to creative solutions, resulting in improved problem solving skills and enhanced productivity with oneself and in the community.
6 Practices for a Flourishing Team
Promote gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to increase well-being and happiness. It involves appreciating the good things in your life, both big and small. An example might be Gratitude Mondays, where employees start each week by sharing something they are grateful for.
Volunteering and acts of kindness
When we volunteer or perform acts of kindness, we experience a “helper’s high” that can boost our mood and increase our sense of well-being. Acts of kindness can help people flourish by providing a sense of social connection, purpose, happiness, and well-being.
Initiatives to spread kindness at work might include a positive affirmation in every team huddle, create a kindness wall, find reasons to celebrate the goodness and finally take every opportunity to recognize and thank your employees for their great work.
Focusing on strengths
Strengths are the positive qualities that we have or develop in ourselves. They include skills, abilities, talents, virtues and character traits. When we use our strengths and live according to our values, we are more likely to experience positive emotions and feel fulfilled. Developing strengths can enhance confidence, performance, creativity and growth. It can also help us overcome challenges during times of stress.
Help employees recognize one another’s strengths. When team members learn to value the strong points within their group, they can communicate effectively and maintain a positive environment. If team members know their strengths positively contribute to the group, they may feel more connected to one another as part of a professional community.
Connecting with others
Social support is important for our mental health and well-being.When we connect with others, we experience a sense of belonging and connection that can help us feel more positive emotions and improve our overall well-being.
Research shows that when employees are invested in each other’s personal growth, we build a culture where friendships can thrive and employees flourish. Create opportunities and structures within your team that will allow employees to share something they’re struggling with so the rest of the group can offer ideas, contacts, and resources to support them and thereby cementing high-quality connections.
Promote Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help reduce stress, improve your focus, enhance emotional intelligence, increase self-awareness and self-regulation. Even short — seven- or eight-minute — bursts of mindfulness have been shown to result in more productive, helpful and pleasant employees.
Consider creating protected blocks of solitude to allow employees to focus on higher-level thinking and creativity by leveraging automation of repetitive tasks through technology.
Professional help
If you or someone on your team is struggling with mental health issues or other challenges that are impacting their ability to flourish, it’s important to seek professional help.
How wellness coaching can help your team flourish
Coaching is one of the ways to flourish. By seeking a wellness coach and engaging in activities that enhance your well-being and move you forward in life, you can discover the secrets of flourishing and live a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life. Coaching can help you set realistic and meaningful goals, connect with your internal motivation and look for creative ways to achieve your goals and celebrate your successes.
Author: Emma Carpenter
Sources:
https://www.greatplacetowork.com/
https://positivepsychology.com/
