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What is Spectrum? A dive into the wellbeing programme

When we think about benefits, obvious ones that might come to mind could be monetary, healthcare, and salary sacrifice. When it comes to wellbeing, though, that encompasses a range of subjects, and can include physical health, mental health, and financial wellbeing. Wellbeing benefits are not to be swept under the rug, as 87% of employees consider health and wellness offerings when choosing an employer.

So wellbeing benefits are getting more popular, right, but what services are out there?

Spectrum

Spectrum.Life is the wellness service that aspires to ‘encourage and empower your team members to take control of their health and wellbeing.’ That sums it up nicely. A tool that assists employees to prioritise physical and mental wellbeing, Spectrum has a variety of programmes to aid users. Let’s look at the platform in more depth.

24/7 Support

Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. Not everyone wants to speak to HR every time they come across personal obstacles, so having an outside point of contact can be reassuring and help to ease the mental load.

An Employee Assistance Programme is a fantastic way to facilitate this need, and with the Spectrum support line, your team (and their families) can have in-the-moment access to this support, from financial assistance to career counselling. Knowing they aren’t alone can be a huge help. They also offer 24/7 in-the-moment support with up to eight structured counselling sessions.

Digital Gym

Whether it’s a pilates session or an intense cardio routine, there’s plenty of workouts from beginner-friendly to advanced classes. Paying for a gym membership and going to a workout space where people seem so confident can be intimidating for anyone starting out on their fitness journey. But with 56% of UK adults regularly exercising, there’s enough people with an interest in moving more to suggest that more workout options are desirable.

The thing is, whether it’s going for a walk with the dog, or doing a lunchtime exercise video, there’s no ‘right way’ to exercise. The best way is the way that works best for you! Spectrum offers up a weekly timetable of digital classes so you can get some movement in without even leaving your home – perfect for those remote and hybrid working roles. And you don’t have to stick to a strict schedule, there’s training plans for you to enjoy whenever.

Wellbeing Hub

For those looking to take more control of their physical and mental wellness, the Wellbeing Hub offers a personalised log to track exercise, nutrition, and more to receive a tailored plan based on your stats and preferences. See the macronutrients you’re getting, and find delicious recipes to suit your dietary needs.

And it’s not all about diet and exercise, wellbeing also includes sleep and stress. With one in five adults in the UK feeling anxious either most or all of the time, there is clearly a need for more mental wellbeing resources.

The Sound Space offers podcasts looking at all different aspects of health and wellbeing for you to find inspiration, laugh along, and hear from others with similar experiences. To help you sleep or reduce stress and anxiety there are also specific meditations that you can go through, so no more staying up and scrolling the night away.

Browse the articles available to learn more about specific topics, from gut health to managing stress.

Recipes

Deciding to try out some new recipes is something we all find enthusiasm for, but after trawling through blogs that take ages to get to the recipe, we can already be left with a sour taste! For simple, quick, and waffle-free recipes that include nutritional information, the Spectrum recipe section is ideal. From vegan to gluten-free, there’s meals, snacks, and desserts catered to specific needs. Spend less time Googling and more time enjoying delicious food.

Be Inspired

We’ve all made New Year’s resolutions only to break them two weeks later and vowed to try meditation, only to leave that app collecting dust in the depths of the homescreen. Spectrum.Life isn’t about enforcing strict rules and trying extreme solutions, it’s a space to focus on both physical and mental wellbeing to try to make daily life more manageable. A few exercise classes a week and a new health podcast to listen to on a walk can work wonders for starting out on the journey.

Add it on!

If this sounds like a service that would be useful for your team, you can add Spectrum.Life to your plan, and see how fantastic the platform is.

Learn more with a free demo from our friendly advisors.

What is Spectrum? A dive into the wellbeing programme Read More »

Recipe ideas and healthy eating with Spectrum.Life

It might be Healthy Eating Week but with poor diet being the biggest factor for preventable ill health in England, understanding our body and what it needs has never been more important.
So how can we encourage employees to take up healthy habits, and create a working environment that can thrive with new eating attitudes? Enter: Spectrum.Life.

Wellness at your fingertips

Having access to tools that can help employees keep on top of any new healthy eating behaviours is critical. Our partner; digital workplace wellbeing platform Spectrum.Life provides a base for all types of nutrition and self-care. Whether you are interested in recipes and exercise classes or meditation and mindfulness, the platform offers videos and helpful advice on everything from women’s health to how to correctly fuel your body for activity.

Write that down!

It’s not always easy to keep track of what you eat when you’re hard at work but a food diary is a great way to monitor what we’re munching, as well as identifying the good foods we are missing from our diets and what we are perhaps eating too much of. Spectrum.Life has a handy food tracking and diary option so Members can quickly access the recipes they have bookmarked and have optics on all their nutritional goals.

Give your day a boost

Eating right is key to staying engaged and alert throughout the day. There is nothing worse than getting past lunch and having energy levels plummet; it’s not just bad for an employee’s health, but for the whole workplace.

Performance in an organisation can increase when people are fuelled by foods that assist in our productivity, and new research even suggests foods with probiotics like yoghurts and kimchi can help release happy chemicals, reducing feelings of depression and anxiety! The recipe search on Spectrum.Life is your employees very own online nutritionist. It provides easy-to-follow steps to help them create delicious meals and prevent food boredom (and snacking) from setting in.

Going veggie

Veganism is on a meteoric rise. The number of vegans in the UK have quadrupled between 2006 and 2018, according to research by The Vegan Society. A plant based diet has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, as well as a diet which is usually lower in cholesterol than their meat eating counterparts.

For some people, going veggie can seem a bit daunting. If completely cutting out meat isn’t for you, trying a flexitarian diet might be the way forward. Encouraging employees to take part in Meatless Mondays or to give a Veganuary style challenge a go could introduce eating habits they turn into a way of life.

Spicing up office lunch times

Sharing recipes with colleagues is a great way to inspire others to get involved with trying healthier alternatives, and get your employees talking about what has worked for them. Here are a few quick and easy recipes you can suggest to get the ball rolling:

If it’s that all important protein your employees are wanting to increase in their diets, this simple but nourishing Chicken satay salad will do the trick. Packed with plenty of protein per serving, these are perfect for those in your organisation interested in using good food to increase their fitness goals.

What about for something that looks like a treat, but is beneficial to your health? These Sloppy Joe stuffed peppers are a real naughty-but-nice meal that are loaded with healthy ingredients. Veggies need not miss out – just swap the meat and cheese to vegan alternatives!

For the vegans and vegetarians in your company, A flavourful Tofu stir-fry with chinese spices will give them a delicious boost, whilst providing the nutrition they require while maintaining a plant based diet.
Point your employees to the host of videos and tips on Spectrum.Life to explore – while HR can examine the metrics to show who is engaging (and could be potential ambassadors for making those positive healthy choices), and who might need more guidance and support.

Think about your approach

Do be mindful that food and nutrition can be a sensitive topic for a lot of people. It’s estimated that 1.25 million people are living with an eating disorder. If you feel a colleague needs more support, you can point them towards your company’s Employee Assistance Programme where they can access professional advice.
We may not be aware of those with a difficult relationship with food when discussing nutrition so be sensitive, and rather than focusing on fad diets and unhealthy habits, explore the benefits of a balanced diet and a positive attitude towards food and how we view it in our daily lives

Explore the Spectrum.Life platform by requesting a demo today.