Well-being Is Not a Workshop

It is tempting to frame well-being as a calendar item: a month of activities, a visiting speaker, a set of posters and a mindfulness app.

But well-being that works is not an event. It is a way of designing work so people do not need to recover from it. The real levers are in the everyday.

Well-being comes from a workload that fits the hours available, managers who ask how you are and mean it, flexibility that treats adults like adults and clear priorities that allow people to switch off without guilt.

The truth is most employees know what would help them feel well, but the system does not always allow it. And while not every pressure can be removed, the pressures that can be fixed must be fixed.

Recognising that balance is not perfect or permanent allows leaders to focus on what is within their control instead of pretending everything can be solved at once.

Start by removing friction. If approvals take weeks, reduce layers. If meetings steal the day, set a default of shorter, fewer, clearer sessions. If emails flood evenings, agree on response norms.

These are not soft changes. They free up energy for better work and reduce costly turnover.

Well-being is also about safety – the kind that lets people speak up without fear. When someone says they are overwhelmed, the right answer is not resilience training; it is addressing the cause.

You build trust by acting on feedback and showing what has changed because of it.

Managers are the multipliers. Equip them to notice early signs of strain, to have human conversations and to balance empathy with standards.

Role modelling matters. If leaders never rest, never unplug and praise only late nights, people will mirror that and burn out quietly.

Recognition plays a part as well. Thanking people for the right things, collaboration, learning and helping teammates signals what matters.

It tells people that they are seen for more than output. Small rituals help: a check-in that asks what you need this week, a Friday wrap that celebrates wins and lessons, and a moment to pause after big pushes so recovery is built in.

Real well-being is not about perks. It is about dignity at work. It is clarity, fairness and flexibility wrapped in respect.

It accepts that life and work will sometimes pull unevenly, but it ensures that people are not left to carry the weight alone.

When you get that right, performance rises because people have the space to be human and great at the same time.

– Herlé Otto is an employee wellness consultant at Old Mutual Namibia.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.