Wellbeing

The antidote for life's challenges.

Imagine a Ferrari in your garage. All that power, all that performance... but with an empty fuel tank. Great potential, wasted.

People are similar, in that they require energy to function well. Only when staff are feeling their best will they be able to deliver their best work. Not surprisingly, research links greater employee wellbeing with better business performance.

Kaya has been researching, measuring and improving employee wellness since 2014.

We understand the science of optimal wellbeing.

Exploring wellbeing

This is what we mean by wellbeing

Wellbeing Continuum • © Kaya 2015

Consider wellbeing as a continuum. At one end we're feeling good and functioning well. At the other end we're likely to feel overwhelmed and may be struggling to cope with the challenges we face. When such feelings are prolonged, this end represents mental ill-health.

When we're in a good place – mentally, emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually – that's what we call 'optimal wellbeing'. In the optimal wellbeing zone, life feels good. Work does, too. We feel positive, engaged and fulfilled. It's a dynamic state though, because we don't always feel good and we're not always doing well.

The Domain of Wellbeing • © Kaya 2015

Wellbeing and resilience

Like a seesaw, our wellbeing is determined by our perception of the challenges we face versus the resources we have available. Everyone faces challenges. They are a common and necessary part of our lives. However, facing greater challenges will damage wellbeing if they are not balanced out by a greater amount of resources. Resilience is our ability to cope effectively when challenges arise.

We have little control over the challenges we face. No-one chooses to be injured, feel stress or have relationships under strain.

What we can control is investment in our resources. Greater wellbeing resources move us towards optimal wellbeing. They offset the impact when life's inevitable challenges strike, helping us cope better. Greater wellbeing resources provide greater resilience.

What are wellbeing resources?

Research shows that there are seven key resources that contribute to optimal wellbeing. These are not aspirational, abstract concepts, but are measurable behaviours. Increasing the amount of these seven resources provides resilience, enabling us to cope better when challenges are encountered.

It is up to an individual to decide how much time and energy they wish to invest in building wellbeing. While leaders and organisations cannot 'give' wellbeing to their people, they can create an environment which supports employee wellbeing.

Wellbeing Resources • © Kaya 2017

Measuring wellbeing

The Wellbeing IndicatorTM

The Wellbeing IndicatorTM measures the seven key resources that contribute to optimal wellbeing.

The Wellbeing IndicatorTM

Individual assessment

Identifies wellbeing resources which are current strengths and highlights those a person may wish to develop to build resilience and wellbeing.

Team assessment

Measures group wellbeing and identifies which resources a manager could target for most effective wellbeing initiatives.

Organisational assessment

Audits the extent to which an organisation's strategy, policies and practices support employee wellbeing

In keeping with our view on wellbeing, the Wellbeing IndicatorTM is not a diagnostic tool to identify mental health issues.

Improving wellbeing

Wellbeing programs

We've developed a suite of wellbeing programs from 90 minutes to two days in length, targeted from individual to organisational-level needs. Explore the sections below to see which program best suits your needs.

Individual wellbeing

Practical wellbeing

Introduction to wellbeing

Understanding wellbeing

Being a well being

Team wellbeing

Quality wellbeing conversations

Mental health awareness

Organisational culture

Building a culture of wellbeing

Building wellbeing capability

Building wellbeing coalition capability

Managing change

In keeping with our core philosophies, our evidence-based solutions are tailored to your organisation, industry and needs. Longer programs can also be delivered as shorter modules over an extended period, and a mixture of delivery methods is possible for shift or site workers.

Wellbeing coaching

Individuals often know what they should be doing to live healthier, more fulfilled lives. Wellbeing coaching offers a unique opportunity to explore the unhelpful thinking patterns that keep us trapped in old behaviours. Willpower is overrated.

Coaching helps a person to develop more constructive thinking about wellbeing, which is the essential ingredient for enduring change.

Beyond our core team are our Wellbeing Business Partners. At Kaya, we believe optimal wellbeing is the foundation of performance. It's hard to deliver your full potential if you're running on empty. To reach as many people as possible, we've carefully selected like-valued professionals across three continents, who are fully accredited to deliver Kaya's evidence-based wellbeing resources.

Client stories

Building resilience through wellbeing

Developing individual wellbeing in employees and leaders

How wellbeing can create a high-performance team

Building wellbeing capability

Building employee wellbeing, globally.
Accessing wellbeing expertise, locally.

We believe that organisations should have access to best-practice wellbeing solutions, wherever they are in the world.

Collectively our accredited Business Partners span three continents and speak eleven languages. The diversity of our Business Partners provides access to wellbeing expertise, delivered by experienced facilitators and coaches in your region.