The Powerful Connection Between Engagement and Wellbeing

In the distance there is a faint ringing, a distant tolling of bells, and my mind is fighting through a haze as I try to identify the source of the jarring sound. It is a familiar feeling as I remain suspended for a few moments in that space between sleep and waking. My eyes start to crack open, and I instinctually reach for my phone to shut off the blaring alarm. Like many of the recent mornings, I remain groggy in the darkness that seems almost identical to the darkness I fell asleep in.

Several weeks ago, those living in the U.S., or in many countries across the Northern Hemisphere, would have experienced the end of Daylight Savings Time as clocks turn back one hour, and we enter that colder, darker season leading toward the upcoming Winter. For many of us this is a difficult physical and mental transition. The shift to shorter days, earlier sunsets, longer nights and lower temperatures also brings with it a sense of withdrawal, isolation, and loneliness. These feelings can be countered by the joy and festivities associated with the Fall and Winter holidays, but for some those same holidays may be filled with complex feelings of sadness, grief, anxiety, and depression.
With that in mind, there are a myriad of ways that we might define our own wellbeing. Looking at some of the more standard dictionary definitions for wellbeing, we find it means “the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy” or “the state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous” as it relates to our welfare. Yet, many of us may not find ourselves currently in a state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. In contrast, we may find ourselves in a state of discomfort, declining health, or fleeting happiness. Whether it is due to the current state of global affairs and conflicts, domestic or local political climates, or our own challenges closer to home, with complex family dynamics, health issues, or feelings of loss and grief, we may in some ways be feeling a sense of negative wellbeing, or illbeing.

The Impact of Negative Wellbeing

Taking that one step further, we need to acknowledge that a negative state of wellbeing not only has consequences on our own feelings and health, but also has a direct impact on surrounding areas of our lives. This can affect our loved ones at home or our coworkers and the inadvertent influence we may be having on our broader workplace culture. It can also reduce CSR engagement in employee volunteering and giving programs. As noted in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being “Competing work and personal demands can also negatively impact the health and well-being of workers in a variety of ways. These role conflicts can magnify psychological stress, increase the risk for health behaviors such as smoking, unhealthy dietary habits, alcohol and substance use, and medication overuse, and cause disruptions to relationships both at work and at home.”

At this point you may be asking, why focus on this negative state of wellbeing? The number of people that feel this way is relatively small, isn’t it? The answer is no, it is the majority of people who are feeling and reporting at least one symptom of a mental health condition. In fact, in that same U.S. Surgeon General’s report, it was noted that in a “2021 survey of 1,500 U.S. adult workers across for-profit, nonprofit and government sectors, 76% of respondents reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, an increase of 17 percentage points in just two years. Furthermore, 84% of respondents reported at least one workplace factor (e.g., emotionally draining work, challenges with work-life balance, or lack of recognition) that had a negative impact on their mental health.”

The data and statistics from the past few years are staggering and as we continue to navigate the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must acknowledge one striking impact it has had. The toll on people’s mental health. As noted in the World Health Organization’s 2022 World mental health report – transforming mental health for all “Rates of already-common conditions such as depression and anxiety went up by more than 25% in the first year of the pandemic, adding to the nearly one billion people who were already living with a mental disorder.”

That said, all hope is not lost as we look to address the current state of mental health and wellbeing and its impact on engagement. We have some incredible resources and tools available to us and we also have intrinsic motivation on our side as well. As discussed in our recent webinar on this same topic Unlocking the Powerful Connection between Employee Wellbeing and Engagement , as practitioners we have an opportunity to use our CSR and employee engagement programs as a tool to positively impact employee wellbeing. Vice versa, a positive state of wellbeing can potentially increase employees’ likelihood to engage in philanthropic and “give back” activities.

Before we dig into the influential relationship between engagement and wellbeing, it is important to start by defining both terms for the purposes of this discussion. For the sake of this post, we are going to focus on the following definitions for Employee Engagement and Wellbeing:

Employee Engagement:

From a workplace culture perspective:
An employee’s level of emotional commitment and dedication to their work, their employer, and the mission and shared goals of their organization.
Engaged employees feel their work makes a difference and care about their team and their company’s success.

From a CSR perspective:
Employee engagement typically refers to both employee volunteering and employee giving participation.

Wellbeing:

From a workplace culture perspective:
Linked to physical and psychological safety, respect, inclusion, purpose, and belonging at work.

From a CSR perspective:
The relationship between an employee’s state of well-being and their propensity to “give back” via volunteering and giving.

The PERMA+4 Framework

With these definitions in mind, we can lean into positive psychology and the PERMA+4 framework for work-related wellbeing, performance, and positive organizational psychology 2.0 to illustrate the inherit connection between our wellbeing and engagement.

As the PERMA+4 framework notes, it is a combination of the original PERMA framework focused on:

• Positive emotions: Experiencing happiness, joy, love, gratitude, etc. in the here and now (something we often associate with “give back” activities such as volunteering and giving).

• Engagement: Being highly absorption, immersed or experiencing flow while engaged in activities of one’s life (which is a critical aspect of our CSR and employee engagement programs).

• Relationships Having the ability to establish and maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships with others characterized by experiences of love and appreciation (which are often fostered and deepened during volunteering and giving engagement activities).

• Meaning: The experience of being connected to something larger than the self or serving a bigger purpose (which is a key part of the “why” and sense of purpose and impact we are driving through our programs).

• Accomplishment: Experiencing a sense of mastery over a particular domain of interest or achieving important or challenging life/work goals (which is often a resulting feeling associated with volunteering or giving).

Combined with the +4 focused on:

• Physical Health: Operationalized as a combination of high levels of biological, functional, and psychological health assets. (Giving back through time, talent, money, or other forms of giving can have a positive physical impact with the chemical release of Dopamine, the ‘feel good’ chemical, and Oxytocin, the ‘cuddle’ or ‘love’ hormone).

• Mindset: Adopting a growth mindset characterized by an optimistic, future-oriented view of life, where challenges or setbacks are seen as opportunities to grow. This may also be a function of psychological capital, perseverance or grit. (Engaging in new, diverse, and ideally inclusive experiences can provide opportunities for learning and professional development and growth). 

• Work Environment: The quality of the physical work environment (which includes spatiotemporal elements, such as access to natural light, fresh air, physical safety and a positive psychological climate) aligned to the preferences of the individual. (Volunteering engagements often offer opportunities for employees to step out of their office or typical work environment and experience a new environment).

• Economic Security: Perceptions of financial security and stability required to satisfy individual needs. (Supporting employees desire to give back through programs such as volunteer time off, volunteer incentives, matching gifts, and giving incentives are ways to further support economic security).

Tips on Connecting Engagement and Wellbeing

Now it’s time to get more tactical. There are lots of ways that you can start tapping into this incredible connection between engagement and wellbeing. The following are just a handful of ideas to get you started.

1. You can start by setting up a cross functional strategy meeting across HR, CSR, DEI, Sustainability, and other areas of your business to discuss the current programs focused on employee engagement and wellbeing and identify opportunities for collaboration, evolution, and expansion.

2. Your CSR and HR teams can partner together as you evaluate nonprofit partners that may be able to both provide employee services (e.g., mental health counseling, training in peer counseling, etc.) as well as be a potential grant partner or organization that employees can volunteer with.

3. Your CSR and HR teams can partner together on potential wellbeing and fitness challenges that can have a philanthropic “give back” component. For example, you could set up activities or challenges that encourage employees to complete certain wellbeing tasks while simultaneously earning key incentives for giving or unlocking larger philanthropic donations.

If nothing else, use this moment as inspiration to start the conversation. What is the current state of wellbeing and engagement at your organization? Do you have programs and initiatives in place that are supporting both and are they coordinated? Whether they are sharing it or not, you have employees that are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. Yet, through engagement programs, we have the power and opportunity to foster community and connection, to help individuals define their sense of purpose, and to foster a supportive culture of safety, empathy, inclusion, belonging, and giving back.