We wake up in the morning, rush to get ready for work, rush to get to work, become irritated when we are stuck in traffic, rush to get to the office, rush to get from one meeting to the next, grab a takeaway, rush to get home, finish off work we brought home from the office, fall asleep on the couch, wake up in the morning…and the cycle continues. While we are running from one spot to the next, we do not take time out to give ourselves a decent break, and as a result of this our health suffers.
This has been realized and various lifestyle management programs have been put into place to counter the ill effects that modern-day living has on our health. Lifestyle management programs bring to the fore the importance of promoting one’s own health and encourage people to gain control over their health and lifestyle. Employers have realized the importance of having healthy employees in the workplace and have included lifestyle management programs as a part of their Employee Wellness Programs. Employers noted that by placing emphasis on the health and well-being of their staff through lifestyle management programs there was a reduced incidence of absenteeism as staff felt better and less fatigued. Employers also noted that as a result of lifestyle management programs there was a reduction in staff health risks and lesser use of medical aid which resulted in major savings.
Life management programs can be done in-house by having health days where doctors and nurses can be invited to do health check-ups on staff and discuss issues such as the importance of healthy eating, good sleeping patterns and the importance of safe sexual practices. Alternatively, employers can send employees to life management service providers. Lifestyle management programs generally covers factors such as lifestyle consultation, stress management, diversity management and the road to health. Lifestyle consultation focuses on factors such as eating habits, blood pressure and smoking. Stress management looks at ways of reducing stress levels. Diversity management assists in dealing with diversity and the road to health provides a way forward for continued health and well-being.