ENHANCING OCCUPATIONAL WELLNESS

By: Braj Kishor Gupta

Ours is primarily a volatile age. Everything seems to be in a state of flux. Change has become a reality perhaps much more prominent than ever before. Against this background, we need to understand the concept of occupational wellness. It was till recently we only talked about occupational hazards. The focus then was on the limitations and seamy side of life. For instance, the employer would look for an opportunity to find faults with the employee. Today the same employer looks for a chance to appreciate the work done by the employee. This is a case of paradigm shift. This shows a change in our mindset, our desire to explore the brighter side of life. This is a welcome change.

This change has taken place due to the explosion of new knowledge. We live in the knowledge bank society. We are getting enlightened every moment unlike Buddha’s Enlightenment that happened but once. Today we know for sure that human mind is the most precious gift to humankind. It is of paramount importance to have a tranquil mind. To be at peace with oneself is all about achieving mental wellness. There is a direct link between personal wellness and professional wellness. So, there is no point talking about occupational wellness without ensuring that the individual’s needs are met & her/his emotional intelligence is also well taken care of. It is then and then alone that the person besides being at peace internally can be in harmony with the outside world. After all, everything is truly created twice, first in the workshop of mind & then in reality.

Fortunately, occupational wellness can be improved. Among many factors that can contribute to it, the following deserves special mention:

SELF ESTEEM- A person is in fact the sum total of the self esteem. It is important that the employee is made to feel good. It is this feel good factor that would go a long way in maximizing both personal wellness & professional wellness of the person. The person needs to be told about her/his strength time and again. William James, a noted psychologist is right when he says; the greatest desire in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.

LEARNING NEW SKILLS- In order to remain confident in life one has to keep learning new skills. After all, what was relevant till yesterday is fast becoming irrelevant today. We live in an age of obsolescence. There is a need to learn and acquire new skills & knowledge both for our survival and achieving excellence in life. This has a direct bearing on mental as well as occupational wellness.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE- Life is indeed a beautiful blend of good and bad. We need to choose. Man is privileged to be a choosing creature. Hence, we can learn to count our blessings. The more we think of our blessings, the blessings will multiply. The Bible says what you focus on will multiply. Can we begin the day by thanking the Lord for heralding the new dawn & go to bed by showing our gratitude to Him for making our day.

Life is indeed the most precious gift of God. It is our birth right to smile & with smile around mental wellness and occupational wellness cannot be far behind