Ten occupational therapy tips to boost your workplace wellbeing

Working environment 

Adaptations to the workplace environment

"Ergonomics aims to make sure that tasks, equipment, information and the environment fit each worker." (HSE 03/13)

Have you assessed your work environment ergonomically?

Ask yourself: 

• Are you confident that you are sitting, standing and moving in the optimum positions to minimise musculoskeletal problems?
• Are sound and light levels appropriate for your work?
• Are the tools and equipment you use supportive of your needs?

Your employer should provide you with advice and information on the recommended positions for desk work, consultations, surgery, administration and moving and handling.

The following resources will help you assess your current situation:

• Ergonomics and Human Factors at Work - A brief guide - Health and Safety Executive guidance to help you determine if you are working in the optimum ergonomic way.
• Ergonomic Equipment in the Workplace - UK Standards and Best Practices -  Worksafe UK guidance on selecting equipment that supports good posture and reduces risk.

An occupational therapist can undertake a work placement assessment with you and offer guidance and education on the optimum positioning and movement in all your work roles.   

Organisation in the workplace 

Why it matters

Working in an organised environment saves time, and effective time management not only supports workplace efficiency but can also preserve important energy to maintain work demands and reduce fatigue, minimise frustration and maintain motivation.

Daily and weekly planning

Plan each day and week, prioritising tasks but adding in variety to balance the physical and psychological demands of the work.

Minimise disruptions

Avoid multitasking and minimise disruptions, which can create overload and inefficiency. An organised work area reduces wasted time looking for lost equipment. An organised day with scheduled breaks and rest periods improves productivity and reduces fatigue.  

Try a time audit 

You could evaluate how you spend your working days and weeks with a time audit. It can be a great first step to improving your organisation in the workplace, having first achieved an understanding of how each day happens against how you want to spend your time.

Virtual scheduling assistant Clockwise provides a time audit guide and template - there are many others available free online if you want to find one that works best for you.   

Pacing 

Pacing is a self-management skill to plan to balance time spent on activities with periods of rest. It helps improve a person’s ability to meet work demands while preserving energy for enjoyable and meaningful activities.

According to the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT, 2023), pacing involves:

• Breaking up activities into smaller tasks, spread throughout the day
• Adjusting tasks to reduce physical or mental energy demands
• Incorporating rest periods within activities to allow energy to recharge
• Stopping, pausing and resting between activities whenever possible
• Sitting and resting wherever you can during tasks

Sharing  

Sharing your wellbeing challenges, goals and self management strategies with colleagues, managers and employers can be a first step towards gaining their support. If they know that you have set goals to improve your wellbeing, they can encourage and motivate you, as well as providing other support you may not even be aware of needing.  

Preparing for the conversation

Before you speak to anyone at work, prepare what you want to say. You could start with an email ahead of the meeting, so you get across exactly what you want to say in the way you want to say it.

This also gives your colleagues the opportunity to consider what you have said before the meeting, maximising the time you have in the actual meeting for solution-focused discussions.

Tips for a productive meeting

• Ask for the meeting to be held at an optimum time - avoid the end of a busy day, for example.
• Have an outcome in mind that would be best for you, and set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to help achieve it.
• Attend the meeting with possible solutions, and suggestions for realistic adjustments. 

Mind and body 

Regular exercise 

Choose an exercise/s that you like and are most likely to continue. You should also decide upon the frequency, duration and intensity, striking a balance between achievable but ambitious.

Getting started

A good starting point is to introduce exercise three times per week, with sessions lasting 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how strenuous the activity is.

Start with low to moderate exercise, for example:  

• Two 30-minute walks and one yoga or Pilates session
• One 45-minute gym session (low to moderate intensity), one 30-minute swim, and one 30-minute walk

Monitor and adjust 

Continuous review of your exercise progress and level of fatigue is important. You can alter the exercises based on how you feel, but do this gradually.

If your fatigue symptoms get worse after increasing the intensity or duration of exercise, it is recommended that you continue at the level of exercise until the symptoms stabilise.

Over time, you could aim to meet the NHS recommendation for adults: 

• At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, or
• 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week - or a mix of the two. (Exercise - NHS) 

Important note

If you have a chronic health condition, you are advised to seek medical advice before starting or increasing an exercise schedule. 

Sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene involves supporting people who have poor sleep to achieve better habits and a lifestyle that can support better sleep, such as regular exercise, pre-bedtime regimes and good nutrition.  

Why sleep quality matters

Sleep quality is essential for wellbeing. Improving sleep is a huge area in itself and, again, is very individual.

Good sleep habits include:

• Having a regular pre-bed routine
• Not eating late in the evening
• Avoiding alcohol in the evening
• Keeping the bedroom quiet, dark and at a comfortable temperature
• Practising mindfulness techniques

For further advice, see the NHS website: Fall asleep faster and sleep better - Every Mind Matters  

Nutrition and hydration

A healthy diet is good for everyone’s health. Most people know the "good" foods and what a healthy, balanced diet looks like, but it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves now and again.

Hydration 

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is important. Try to limit the amount of high caffeine or high sugar drinks you have.

Healthy eating 

There are many online resources for maintaining a balanced, healthy diet. You could start with:

• The Mediterranean Diet - widely recommended for its health benefits; multiple resources online.
• NHS Eat Well website - comprehensive guidance in eating well from the NHS.

Food choices for energy

Foods rich in fibre and protein help maintain energy levels. Avoiding ultra-processed foods is vital - even though these foods can seem an easy option if you are tired and don’t feel able to shop and prepare regular meals.

Consider simple, nutritious meals that do not take long to prepare if you are tired. Or you could try one of the many options for delivered meal kits that are based on nutritious, healthy meals, which reduce the preparation time even more.  

Mindfulness

There is extensive information available on mindfulness, its reported benefits and how to practice it. A great starting point is the NHS Mindfulness resource. 

Occupational balance

Do you feel it's 'all work and no play'?

Do you have enough 'me' time?

Occupational balance is achieved when an individual experiences the right number of occupations and the right variation between occupations - for them and for their needs.

Occupational therapists advocate that improved wellbeing and better quality of life is experienced if a person has occupational balance. Too much work and not enough time to engage in meaningful leisure activities and interests creates an occupational imbalance, which can result in ill health. People with stress-related disorders or depression often experience this imbalance.

How to assess your balance

Keeping a daily diary can help you assess your occupational balance. From this, you can determine if you need to make changes to your lifestyle to make more time for enjoyable occupations and to engage in a variety of personally meaningful occupations.

Three good things 

It can be too easy to focus on the negative things: the things that didn’t go so well, or the things we wish we could have done better. While these are important reflections and learning points to improve practise, they can negatively impact our wellbeing.

Changing the focus to the things that did go well can give us a more realistic or positive perspective. And things done well are equally good for reflection and learning.

Weekly wellbeing check-in

At the end of each week, take a few minutes - perhaps during your commute home or just before shutting down your computer - to think of three good things that happened at work that week. 

Examples to reflect on:

• A grateful pet owner or client
• Praise or positive feedback from a colleague
• You simply knowing you did everything as well as you could.

Keep a record

It might be beneficial to note or record your three good things in a diary or on your phone. Then, after a month or so, you can revisit the things that went well - and appreciate your achievements. 

Remember: change takes time

Many of these tips need to become habits. Stick with it! Behaviour changes and adjustments take time to settle in. On average, it takes around 66 days to form a new health-related habit (Kim et al., 2022).

Further information and support

If you require further support, consider seeing an occupational therapist. You can ask your GP for a referral, or find a qualified independent (private) occupational therapist locally or online.

Make sure they hold the protected title 'occupational therapist', which ensures they are regulated and meet professional standards.

About the author

This page was written by occupational therapy expert Professor Nicola Spalding - view Nicola's biography.