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What’s better than sleep? Quality sleep. It's often dependent on the sleeping environment itself. A relaxing environment is crucial for rest, whether it’s an energizing nap or a good night’s sleep. A proper resting environment promotes valuable sleep which can be essential for physical and mental health, especially helping you excel at work. Improving your sleep is a great way to decrease your risk of illness such as heart disease as well as your anxiety and stress response. It also helps to improve your cognitive functions, like memory consolidation and learning, which can boost productivity. Feeling well rested can keep you more motivated and perform better with work and everyday tasks. Creating your Comfortable Environment There are a few simple ways to make sure you are maintaining a comfortable environment that promotes the best quality sleep. Some of these important factors to consider include temperature, noise, and light. The ideal temperature for sleep varies from person to person, but in general, a cool room temperature between 15.6-19.4°C (60-67°F) is recommended for optimal sleep. This is because your body temperature naturally drops during sleep, and a cooler room can help facilitate that process. If the room is too warm, it can cause discomfort and make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Noise can be a major disruptor to sleep, especially if it's loud or sudden. Even small noises can wake you up or prevent you from falling asleep. White noise, such as a fan, can be helpful in masking outside noise and promoting a quieter sleep environment. Some people sleep better with certain sounds like music or ambient noise. Light can have a significant impact on your sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to bright light, especially artificial light from electronic devices, can suppress the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Ambient lighting, on the other hand, can help form a calming and relaxing atmosphere. Many people also prefer a dark sleep environment. When napping during the day, it can be hard to find a dark environment in which case blackout curtains or eye masks can be used. . Did You Say I Could Nap at Work? According to a survey by Sky, the average Brit naps three times every work week. This is convenient when working from home. It is often easy for people to alter their home environment to fit their sleeping needs and receive quality sleep. But what about employees in the office that need to re-energize with a quick nap during the day? The challenge is that they don’t have the right environment to do so. Workplaces are starting to recognise this and be more intentional with their workplace design. Imporving rest spaces at work are helping create a more inclusive work environment allowing employees to be their best. Designed especially for the workplace, Rest Space offers sleeping pods focused on things that are going to give you the best opportunity to rest and recharge: temperature control, noise reduction, and calming lights. Quiet fans make sure air is constantly circulated through the space, creating a cool environment. Outside noise level is kept at a minimum through the use of multiple absorbing and blocking layers. Additionally, there is a bluetooth speaker that allows you to listen to any soothing sound of your liking. A variety of ambient lights can also be used to create your comforting atmosphere. We have created the perfect environment to fit individual needs of a ‘perfect sleep’ that allows you to feel refreshed with a boost of energy, mood, and performance. To learn more about the features and benefits of our products, visit restspaceldn.com.

Our wellbeing, both physical and mental, should be our top priority as human beings. Just like one needs to love oneself first to be able to love others, one must feel recharged and energized to be productive in the workplace. There is no specific recipe to wellbeing and everyone’s journey in trying to achieve it and maintain it differs. This blog seeks to give the reader awareness of the positive impact that taking care of your wellbeing can have on your professional life and provides the reader with 3 ways they can enhance their own wellness with the last one being vital. The main problem when it comes to wellbeing is that we tend to have a misconception of what is essential to promote it. There are infinite ways to enhance one’s wellness and we’ll discuss two of those ways below. However, there is an essential component that serves as the foundation of it all: Sleep. If we don’t manage to take control of our sleep, all the other things will still help but will never be enough. According to the Mental Health UK Organization, almost 1 in 5 people in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep and 37% of adults in the UK cite work as reducing the amount of control they feel they have over their sleep. These are both concerning statistics that can be changed by creating consciousness on the importance of sleep in both individuals and companies. 1. Move Your Body According to research, moving your body for as little as 15 minutes can have a positive impact on your day. Some benefits include, but are not limited to, a boost of energy, a better mood, sharper memory and thinking, and better sleep which can all help in your personal and professional life. One study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. With busy schedules, there isn’t always time to hit the gym or go on long runs/walks as desired but try squeezing in a short walk, a yoga practice, a jump rope session, or whatever gets your body moving and see the benefits yourself! 2. Do Something that Makes YOU Feel Good As mentioned in the introduction, there is no specific recipe for wellbeing and everyone’s journey is different. Take the time to truly ask yourself: What makes ME feel good and energized? What do I want to do for MYSELF today? This can range from reading a light novel, to baking cookies, to drawing, to calling a loved one or simply doing nothing. Yes, doing nothing is completely acceptable! According to Dr. Russell Thackeray, a licensed clinical psychologist who consults on the topic of productivity, people that practice self-care have better cognitive ability, better focus and better concentration. Try to do at least one thing for yourself each day and you’ll see many benefits! 3. Prioritize Sleep Last, and most importantly: sleep. Getting control of your sleep is the basis for wellbeing. If you don’t master this, chances are you won’t succeed. Research conducted by the University of Michigan shows how chronic exposure to poor sleep quality is associated with depression, anxiety, and other conditions. A good night's sleep can improve your memory, performance, emotional and social intelligence which can all contribute to your performance at work. The key takeaway is that sleep is the basis, and once you manage to achieve it, you can then move on to find other ways to improve your wellness like the two mentioned above. Studies also show how you are more likely to be promoted at work if you regularly practice napping, so the next time you feel that fatigue kick in mid day, take a power nap and see how your mind and body feel recharged! How can RestSpace Help? Going back to the beginning of the article, 37% of adults in the UK cite work as reducing the amount of control they feel they have over their sleep. This comes as no surprise. Being in the office from 9 to 5 and getting home to kids to take care of, laundry to get done, or even more work to do, it is hard to keep a healthy sleeping schedule. RestSpace is proud to offer those companies searching to improve their employees’ wellbeing the perfect solution. Check out the Restspace Everest on our website linked below, along with our blogs that can help you enhance your wellbeing in infinite ways you’ve never thought possible! RestSpace Website: https://www.restspaceldn.com/team-3 Other Sources: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/sleep/ https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/why-sleep-is-so-important-to-your-health.html#:~:text=Sleep%20is%20essential%20to%20every,touches%20every%20aspect%20of%20health. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325353#social-and-emotional-intelligence https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2021/04/moving-your-body-can-help-protect-your-mental-health/#:~:text=Getting%20moving%20for%20just%20a,spare%20every%20day%20of%20week%3F https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall/2020/01/05/self-care-isnt-just-good-for-you-its-also-good-for-your-productivity/?sh=5fef47a719ff

Workplace well-being is a key component of any organization's success. As a well-being leader, it is essential to help your organization prioritize employee well-being by helping your colleagues understand how it can positively impact productivity, staff retention, and general job happiness. In this post, we'll follow up on some of the takeaways from our workplace well-being panel this month. Looking at some implementation tips, and key takeaways from one of our speakers on workplace well-being strategies for 2023. 1. The Challenges Of Employee Well-being As a Leader “Never assume what works for one always works for others - "Empathy" is one of the leadership skills required in a diverse, multicultural workplace. As people define well-being and priorities differently, leaders are required to flex their communication styles and approaches to first better understand people's motivations and own challenges. Without understanding that, it will be more difficult to come up with effective strategies that could work with the majority/in the short term - than address the minority/long-term challenges in the way you believe is sustainable. Building a healthy and well-performing team is not a one-day job, but as a leader, it is important to come in open-minded and enjoy the process.” — Kana Maniwa (C.O.O, Bloomberg, London). 2. Key Element/Approach of a Good Strategy. The following essential components can help shape your well-being strategy for the workplace: Creating a Culture of Well-Being: By incorporating well-being into the organization's values and mission, leaders should work to foster a culture of well-being. Employee involvement in well-being projects should be encouraged through regular communication, feedback, and participation. Resources and Tools: Offering employees access to resources and tools that promote their well-being can include flexible work schedules, opportunities for physical activity, and access to mental health support. Measurements and Evaluation: Setting metrics and gauging the success of well-being projects can assist leaders in pinpointing areas that need improvement and guiding their decisions with data. Kana Maniwa wrote ”Be pragmatic when creating a strategy - use the most recent dataset both quantitative and qualitative (even though quantitative data of employee wellbeing is very difficult to get), have a practical guideline on how to handle certain situations, and make sure to have enough feedback channels during the implementation phase to allow constructive feedback to be sent through. For example, an aspect of employee well-being strategy includes cultural inclusivity at the workplace. Let's say some of your team members are practicing Ramadan leading up to Eid, and informing the rest of the team to "be mindful about eating lunch at your desk" isn't good enough. They need to communicate why and how they should respect and support their employees' cultural practices. Practically, if people aren't suggested to eat lunch at their desks - do we have alternative areas that both parties could utilize (rather than asking them to step out of the office all the time)? 3. Why Employees Struggle to Engage with Workplace Well-being Initiatives "Most workplace wellbeing initiatives aren't always preventive/preemptive in application and communication, meaning employees don't often spend time going through company benefits or HR libraries until they are in the need of support. Even recently, I didn't know what kind of cancer screening support was in place through the Employee Support team at work - I found out because I was speaking with my colleague who used the service recently. The vast amount of information available on such "Employee Benefit & Information Sharing Page" is not often digestible, and people don't spend enough time reviewing it. This also is a wider conversation for companies to have when it comes to being more creative and increasing awareness. - Is there any internal activation event we could do to increase awareness for new guidelines being released? - Are we being considerate enough in communication and arrangement of that - small things we could do like doing something related to their dependents/children's benefits, doing this event first thing in the morning or last thing on the day makes no sense as those most eligible employees might be on duty for school pick-ups. I strongly think many things help eliminate the first struggle around information accessibility - without solving this, we won't make further progress with employee engagement. - Kana Maniwa (C.O.O, Bloomberg, London). Workplace well-being strategy should engage employees and leaders across your organization. This can include helping leaders nurture a well-being culture, engaging employees in well-being initiatives, making accessible the resources and tools that you offer, and assessing the effectiveness of initiatives. Leaders can create a workplace culture that supports employee well-being and ultimately leads to increased productivity and job satisfaction by understanding the challenges of employee well-being, implementing key elements of a good strategy, and addressing reasons why employees struggle to engage. Join us at our next meetup, a workshop to help put together a view of what your strategy might look like.

This year has been an exciting year for Rest Space. We launched our new product, the Rest Space Everest with a stacking option. It was exciting to share this and have some key and vital transport and healthcare professionals test it out. We are glad to announce that in May 2022 we delivered four Rest Spaces to Transport for London for their bus driver safety and wellness initiative. It is great to see the bus drivers utilising the Rest Spaces ensuring that you have a safe and enjoyable journey. In September 2022, Platinum Business Magazine invited our founders, Kate and Supa to talk about Rest Space’s journey, you can read it here on their website. In November 2021, GEN UK our COO and co-founder Supa was invited to talk in a panel session on Effective Allyship in Business. And our CEO and co-founder Kate was interviewed by the BBC World Services mini documentary series looking at Napping on the job. Finally to close off our 2022, we recently delivered a Rest Space to King’s College Hospital Doctor Mess. We hope the healthcare workers are able to rest during these busy times. Next year we look forward to helping more of our key workers improve health, safety and wellbeing by providing adequate rest facilities and education to improve sleep. We will be looking for professional service companies to work with to improve well-being as more staff return to the office. Special Announcement! Coming next year, we will be starting an in-person workplace wellbeing community here in London, click here to stay updated! From everyone at Rest Space, we’d like to say thank you for your continued loyalty and faith in us. Put your feet up, take some naps and have a well-deserved rest this festive period and let every day of the holiday season be filled with joy. Best wishes for 2023, Kate, Supa and the Rest Space team

In the past few years, especially following Covid-19, a significant surge of companies focusing on employee health and well-being has occurred. For many, the pandemic negatively impacted people, placing their well-being in the workforce in jeopardy. With this in mind, employers are trying to find ways to support their employees as best as possible. The impact of ignoring employee well-being goes beyond just productivity, and “to build a more resilient workforce and rebuild the economy [...], employers should prioritize well-being, which is the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy”. Discard the Blame the Worker Approach Before this shift, most companies approached issues with employees through the blame-the-worker approach or trying to identify quick fixes for big problems. It is much easier for companies to place the entire responsibility of finding a solution on the employee. But, this mindset is outdated. There are no quick fixes to mental health that result in lasting change and personal growth for employers. The progression of an individual's mental health is not linear, and treating the process as such will not nurture employee well-being. Research suggests that employers should approach lessening emotional and mental health issues amongst employees in the same manner a business typically addresses physical safety hazards. To properly support one's colleagues, getting to the root or cause of the problem is crucial when looking for long-term solutions. Now more than ever, employee well-being impacts the entire organisation, and change begins at the top. Managers and team leaders can play a significant role in their employees' rest and stress habits by addressing and reinventing a company's culture to focus on well-being. Supportive behaviours should begin with the top leadership as they can eliminate workplace conditions that negatively contribute to workplace well-being. If these poor practices can get replaced with safer ones, companies can begin to redesign the work environment to prioritise health, safety, and well-being. Ways to Promote Employee Well-Being So what factors play a significant role in employee well-being? #1. Decreasing the demands of work #2. Increasing employee control over where, how, and when they work #3. Improving social support Work demands can look different within each company or department. But, as a general caution, creating reasonable time, mental, and emotional requests for employees is crucial. Rather than getting more work done, long work hours and intensive time pressures result in employees becoming burnt-out or less productive as the day progresses. With the new option of working at home, implementing a hybrid workweek represents another strategy to increase productivity and well-being. Many companies aim to get everyone back in the office, but this presents more of a challenge than expected. Developing a flexible work schedule that benefits the employee and the company can significantly change overall productivity and well-being in the workplace. Allowing employees more leniency to generate their work schedule allows employees to feel more freedom and less time pressure when completing tasks. Lastly, social support is crucial. Solely implementing and promoting employee well-being is not enough. Acting on well-being initiatives is necessary. Creating a healthier work environment only goes so far if no one practices it. For example, supporting better sleep for employees and sending late-night emails do not add up. By talking positively about sleep and mentioning napping, managers can also work to make hours more flexible and introduce places to rest into the workplace to really promote the new healthy living initiative. How Does This Shift Help? By implementing these objectives, company culture can change dramatically. The addition of development and training programs into a business can improve people’s ability to communicate, problem solve, present, and resolve conflict. By discussing well-being openly and positively, along with taking action to do so, the culture that places work above personal needs disappears. This mentality empowers people in the workplace to take care of themselves, allowing them to be at their best for others. If employees feel appreciated and cared for and experience less absenteeism, productivity can skyrocket, and overall performance increases. Why Rest Space? So how does Rest Space fit into all of this? Our goal is to destigmatise napping in the workplace by altering the language used to reflect more positively. Rest Space wants to demonstrate that napping and getting good sleep can benefit everyone through education and awareness, which starts in the office. A Rest Space sleep pods can contribute to this shift in company culture by granting employees easy access to a location to rest and recharge. Go to our website restspaceldn.com to read more about the benefits of napping and how our nap pods can fit into your workspace.

There has recently been a shift in the way corporate leaders have begun to look at the idea of nap breaks in the office. Back-to-office mandates are now ensuring that employees show up for workdays in the office, but many people are dreading the long hours at the desk. With the emergence of stay-at-home work, many employees were able to put a greater focus on well-being and sleep, but this shift back to in-person work causes worries about how sleep will be prioritized. The culture of tirelessly working through the day and constantly running to the coffee machine has been the norm amongst corporate offices for years, but recently companies have begun to reassess this idea. Many of the most successful business leaders now realize the benefits of nap breaks, and as a result sleep prioritization is becoming widely accepted in corporate cultures. A National Sleep Foundation survey found that the average adult is only getting 6 hours and 49 minutes of sleep a night. This is simply not enough sleep for the normal worker to be continually productive during the day. It was estimated in 1942 that the average adult was sleeping around 8 hours a night. There has been quite a change in the way our society values sleep. With the rise of “nose to the grindstone” corporate cultures and the fast-paced environments that many of us live in, there is a real sleep deprivation problem that has created great health risks. This problem is not only affecting people at an individual health level but is also causing economic shifts on a global scale. The impact that lack of sleep has on a developed nation equates to a loss of 2% in GDP. While this number may seem small, the value of a 2% drop in GDP in the UK would equate to roughly £40 billion. This is a large financial loss, and recently many company leaders have found that investing in employee well-being and productivity can lead to greater economic growth. To fix this sleep deprivation issue, many companies have begun implementing tactics to encourage employees to prioritize sleep and well-being at work. Here are some examples of companies who have recently taken steps towards fixing the sleep problem: Nike Nike has invested a great amount of money in sleeping rooms at their headquarters in Portland, Oregon. They have also asked employees to fill out a schedule regarding when they typically feel the need for naps throughout the day. The company has realized that not everyone runs on the same schedule, and even allowed employees to set their hours based on whether they feel more productive in the morning versus the night. When asked about these new corporate practices, Nike CEO Mike Parker stated, “Most of us are out of balance, and that’s OK, but you need to keep your eye on overall equilibrium to be successful.” This focus on sleep balance has been instrumental in Nike’s continued success and they are beginning to communicate more with athletes on the benefits of sleep. Hootsuite The tech company that has become one of the biggest social media marketing agencies is now putting a great focus on the idea of sleep wellness in its offices. At the company’s Vancouver headquarters they have “sleep cabins” which promote the idea of quick 10-30 minute naps during the day. With the competitiveness of the tech industry, many employees are often working late hours, which eats into the amount of time they dedicate toward sleep. The CEO of Hootsuite, Ryan Holmes, realized this theme and is now very vocal about the change that needs to happen in what he calls a “workaholic” culture in the tech industry. He stated on Linkedin, “In your job, from time to time, you can sprint, but long-term success depends on maintaining a marathoner’s steady gait.” This idea of long-term success through sleep was something that pushed Holmes to ensure sleep areas were available to all his employees. As a result, Hootsuite has seen a great number of employees respond positively to this idea and has pushed a wave of other tech companies to follow suit. Google Google has also created spaces for an employee to relax or take naps during the workday, and almost all of their offices integrate state-of-the-art sleep pods. Many different senior executives have pushed their teams to use well-being apps that promote keeping track of sleep schedules, and this heightened awareness of sleep importance has moved Google to take on their own projects focused on curing sleep deprivation. Google has invested in sleep-tracking software and hopes this will change the way society values sleep. The issue lies in how consumers react to these products. Google found that 38% of consumers don’t use a sleep tracking app because they forget to use it or the wearable features are uncomfortable. The hope is that in the future the products will be effortless, and the stigma surrounding sleep importance will be diminished as more companies like Google put sleep at the forefront. While those are just a few examples of companies that are innovating sleep culture, there are still many that struggle to break the workday napping stigma. A Harvard study found that 51% of the workforce claimed they felt sleepiness on the job interfered with the volume and quality of work they could achieve in a workday. Yet, as a National Library of Medicine study found, a quick nap not only improves productivity but also creative power and mood throughout the day. It also has tremendous health benefits, as that same study found that taking a midday nap an average of 3 times a week created an inverse correlation in coronary mortality risk. A New Corporate Sleep Culture If individual companies implement these napping practices, it will create more excitement amongst employees in returning to the office, and those employees will feel they can better contribute to different projects. When employee morale is low during the day, encouraging a quick rest through sleep pod implementation can boost the mood of the office, and in the end, work more towards achieving company goals. Hopefully, with this new emergence of sleep acceptance in the corporate sphere, there will be more companies that pursue sleep prioritization. As many companies have already seen, breaking the stigma surrounding naps during the workday, and implementing a space to catch up on sleep can be the key to increasing overall productivity. Rest Space offers a unique solution to this corporate sleep deprivation problem. For inquiries about Rest Space’s high-quality sleep pod products, please follow this link.

The Holiday Season It’s the Holiday Season, so we all know what that means. Several long weeks of sweet treats, presents, and parties. This time of the year is full of good cheer and unforgettable memories. But, approaching this season often increases stress and anxiety levels. And in the blink of an eye, the post-holiday blues will set in as the festivities finally conclude. Post-Holiday Blues The post-holiday blues leave people in short-term distress. Some characteristics of the post-holiday blues mimic symptoms of anxiety or mood disorders. This downturn appears after an active holiday season and manifests in many ways. Some examples of this are difficulty concentrating, irritability, low energy, and insomnia. In a study conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “64% of people report being affected by holiday depression [...] triggered by financial, emotional, and physical stress of the season”. Struggling to maintain a balance throughout the holiday season is a common problem that often gets ignored. Although the holidays are great, the aftermath and the inevitable return to the office impact people’s health. The Importance of Sleep The best way to combat this low morale is to catch up on rest. The holidays leave everyone physically and emotionally drained, so it is crucial to get uninterrupted sleep and as much rest as possible in the following weeks. Sleep impacts the body’s systems. Lack of sleep, as well as lacking quality sleep, puts individuals at risk for respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Additionally, sleep deprivation causes problems with one’s metabolism and ability to focus on and complete tasks. In our society, while combating busy schedules and long work hours, it is not unordinary to prioritise several tasks before sleep. And the added activities of the holiday season only further aid this neglect. But this should never be the case. In a case study by the American Psychological Association, research revealed that “when they do not get enough sleep, 21 percent of adults report feeling more stressed. Adults with higher reported stress levels (eight, nine, or 10 on a 10-point scale) fare even worse — 45 percent feel even more stressed if they do not get enough sleep. Five percent of adults with lower reported stress levels (one, two or three on the 10-point scale) say the same”. The absence of proper sleep results in people feeling more irritable, sluggish, and unable to concentrate. This cycle can become dangerous if not addressed. Improving one’s sleep cycle will increase mood, drive, health, and brain performance. And the first way to combat this issue is to establish a nighttime routine that allows you to get better sleep. Here are four steps to getting better sleep: #1. Get Into A Daily Routine #2. Prepare Your Body for Sleep #3. Create a Restful Environment #4. Manage Your Worries Understandably, these tips may seem implausible as they take more time, but establishing these systems is crucial in combating sleep deprivation. The National Library of Medicine reviewed an empirical study on The Role of Sleep Hygiene in Promoting Public Health. Sleep hygiene represents “a set of behavioural and environmental recommendations intended to promote healthy sleep”. The empirical study highlights caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol as substances one should avoid before sleeping. Additionally, the introduction of exercise, sleep time regularity, and minimal noise is associated with better sleep. Napping as An Alternative For many, implementing a nighttime schedule or incorporating these activities into a daily routine may require an entire shift in lifestyle, which is very time-consuming. If getting enough quality sleep seems like a challenge or more of a long-term possibility, the introduction of napping into one’s routine acts as another positive approach to combating stress and anxieties after the holidays. Studies completed at the Salk Institute reveal that napping improves brain function and boosts the ability to process and store information”. The study suggests that those who power napped successfully maintained high brain activity and memory compared to those who did not nap. A study completed at the Harvard School of Public Health also deduced that “people who nap were 34% less likely to die from heart problems”. Naps reduce stress and can boost the immune system by reducing cortisol levels in the blood. How Can Rest Space Help In the workplace, a negative stigma surrounds napping, making searching for an appropriate place to rest and recharge a challenge or impossible. During the holidays, people's minds wander more than usual as many other tasks outside of the workplace must be completed. This is where Rest Space comes in! Rest Space offers designated spaces for employees to nap. These sleep pods promote healthy living and benefit and increase productivity inside and outside the workplace. Instead of entering into the holiday slump, nap pods allow users to catch up on much-needed rest and continue working throughout the day without feeling progressively less motivated and exhausted as the day goes on. Leading up to the holidays, these workplace nap pods can ensure people remain focused throughout the day on given tasks and still feel rested and able to complete their massive to-do lists in preparation for the holiday season. Once the holidays conclude, Rest Space nap pods establish a rest space for people to resort to when jumping back into work. Shifting from being on holiday and back in the office can feel overwhelming or tiresome, but establishing these rest space pods fosters a healthier and more stable work environment. If you want more information or to learn more about our products, contact us at RestSpaceLDN or visit our website at restspaceldn.com.

By: Michael Paine and Tanner Gold It is important for companies to have a sustainability strategy to participate in one of the revolutions defining this century. Promotion and awareness of environmental benefits can be found in all industries and locations around the globe. Here at Rest Space, a sleeping pod and workplace wellness company we have conceptualized a sustainability strategy to do our part in this advancement. From a top-down perspective, clear communication and messaging related to addressing the climate crisis results in increased customer engagement, financial benefits, and a role in the greater green business community. From there, granular and digestible goals will help spur your team into action and ingrain awareness into their daily workflows - which produce the yearly output. Though the concept of sustainability strategy may seem intimidating to some with its risks of greenwashing and fear of a “green goblin” taking over the company, these fears are unfounded. Studies show [Forbes] that starting with a preliminary sustainability strategy, even on a small level, is an effective way to modernize and inspire innovation from employees and stakeholders. A good starting point for a sustainability strategy is an examination of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. These are 17 explicit priorities defined and agreed upon by the international council to advance sustainable development for nations and corporations. Select the goals most relevant to your enterprise, whether it's a product or a service business, with some core and some aspirational ones. Consider the implementation of an in-depth focus on a few for greater impact (1-3) with a breadth focus on a wider swath (1-8) in order to strike a balance in distilling your strategy. JetBlue is one of the first airline companies to commit to the UN’s goal commitment by 2030. They admit and have committed to the campaign for net zero global emissions and to eliminate the unnecessary emissions they have as a company. What are some things companies can do to improve their sustainability? Foster sustainability in company culture with increased awareness and active recruitment of employees with experience in sustainable efforts Seek to integrate sustainable suppliers into your supply chain Advocate for authentic green business practices through messaging and marketing campaigns Stay open to partnerships and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in your sector of business and beyond It is important to encourage a spirit of collaboration and inclusion along the creation of the sustainability strategy process. While a defined leader, CSO, or VP of sustainability with both high-level academic scientific research and real-world business experience can provide executive leadership and oversight in larger organizations, they should not dominate the conversation. For example the National Health Service in the UK has Dr. Nick Watts who serves as the chief sustainability officer. He strives to create a net zero emission health service. From valuing customer feedback through surveys, and taking note of ideas from service, intern, and junior roles - senior leadership will then have a broader and more clearly informed view of the organization's needs, wants, and current positioning of sustainable efforts. The ideas ideally are advocated for and in constant evolution through consultation to refine and redefine principles as the organization grows over time. Responses to geopolitical, financial, technological, and personnel challenges will increase the resilience of strategy in a dynamic and interconnected world. Taking the basic steps towards sustainability strategy may not immediately fix yesterday’s missteps but jumping into the green pool will yield results for your business today, tomorrow, and in the future.

I recently attended a panel on sustainability in wellbeing with some great leaders in the industry. A point that stuck in my mind was, 'to have a sustainable wellbeing culture we need to shift our mindset from guilt to pride.' We know the importance of looking after our wellbeing, yet often we feel guilty when looking after our own wellbeing during work hours. It stems from years of hearing that ‘time is money’ and seeing bad examples of leadership that penalise any behaviour that isn’t short of burnout. Things have shifted. But despite us encouraging our peers to look after their wellbeing or management encouraging you, these feelings of guilt still remain. What does this look like? It can manifest in different ways. Such as hiding the wellbeing activities we do, marking our calendar with ‘meeting’ instead of ‘run’ or claiming you were on another call instead of on your daily digital detox walk or nap. It also manifests by us feeling guilty and profusely apologising when a preplanned wellbeing activity clashes with an unplanned work meeting. Instead of feeling guilty for not being able to make a work meeting due to a scheduled wellbeing activity or your working hours; shift your mindset from apologising to one that states it proudly. For example, “I’m really sorry I have to spend time with my daughter *insert over-explanation* but I’ll *insert promise that stretches you even further to make up for it*” to “I will not be able to make this meeting because I am spending some time with my daughter. *or wellbeing priority*” To shift the culture each and every one of us needs to lead by example. One area I still see a lot of guilt is with a workday nap. This is usually presented through hiding your nap or by not sharing it and pretending you were doing something else. What many of us don’t see is around 80% of people admit to napping at work, it is already the norm. Potentially the most consistent wellbeing activity any workforce does engage in. As science proves what thousands of years of human experience already taught us, workplace napping is slowly starting to shake its stigma. Napping during the day makes us more effective all-round. Job Performance A recent survey found that nappers were more likely to be in a managerial role and to have received a promotion in the last year compared to non-nappers. With 53% of nappers receiving promotions in the last year, compared to only 35% of non-nappers, and 55% of nappers worked in a managerial role, compared to 41% of non-nappers. This is no surprise when you start to count the hundreds of research studies that have found napping improves productivity, creativity, interpersonal skills, mood, motivation, ability to deal with conflict, decision making… The list goes on. We should not feel guilty for wanting to be better at our work, yet we hide it when we take a nap to improve our performance. Incidents At least 18% of work-related incidents are due to fatigue. It is not hard to find many high profile disasters where fatigue is attributed as the main cause: the Space Challenger explosion, the Chernobyl disaster and the Exxon Valdez oil spill to name a few. We hope your organisation never experiences a disaster like that. But what about the incidents in your organisation that are untrackable? A decision that throws the project off track for months, a bug that reduces subscription renewals, a tweet that gets the company ‘cancelled’, a trade executed with an extra 0 at the end or a clause misinterpreted on a contract. You get the idea. The challenge with fatigue is that we are not able to judge how fatigued we actually are, often these incidents are put down to oversight and the true cost of fatigue is never fully understood. We should not feel guilty for taking pride in our work, yet we hide it when we take a nap to improve the quality of our work. Diversity and inclusion These quotes from real people speak for themselves: ‘Since developing health issues it's very difficult to be out for the day without a place to nap’. ‘Having access to a Rest Space was an absolute Godsend! In my first trimester, I was naturally exhausted. Travelling and working long office hours was tough and I wasn’t ready to share my pregnancy; we had waited 6 years!’ ‘I have been advocating for ‘rest breaks’ for people with ME since 2014’. ‘I really needed space to recollect myself in privacy, or make up for the sleep disruption I had during my menopause’. Although most employees will really need a space to rest at least a few times in the year, there are employees where having a private space to rest in the work environment will transform their experience and allow them to truly be their best at work. We should not feel guilty for managing our personal circumstances, yet we hide it when we take a nap to improve how we get on with the day. Wellbeing Our body and mind are very active when we sleep, we go into repair mode. This makes napping great for physical and mental wellbeing. A cat nap reduces stress, boosts happiness hormones and reduces cortisol levels. A nap allows us to put some emotional distance from events and view them more objectively. A nap helps manage burnout and anxiety. Napping helps our physical wellbeing too. Studies show that napping 3 times a week can reduce the likelihood of heart disease by up to 37%. It also helps improve our self-control and levels of ghrelin (hunger hormone). This can be hugely beneficial for employees trying to manage their health. We often reach for sugar and high processed foods when instead we could have a short nap. It is important to note that napping isn’t a substitute for a good night's sleep. It can be a vital tool for employees that are not able to have a good night's sleep because of children, stress, working hours and the myriad of reasons beyond their control. For those with great nighttime sleep, it just makes them even better. We should not feel guilty for managing our personal circumstances, yet we hide it when we take a nap to improve our wellbeing. Some tips on how to frame your nap at work: ‘I was taking a nap, which is great because now I can really get stuck in this piece of work’ ‘I will be having a nap then, we can schedule the meeting for after when my creativity will be on top form.’ ‘Let me sleep on it and get back to you after my nap’ Now that you have a better understanding on how napping is benefiting you AND your company it is time to turn the guilt associated with napping to pride. It's just bad business not to have a rest culture at work. The next step is getting a rest space.

The benefits brought on by a short respite from the day’s activities have been enjoyed by many iconic figures and luminaries throughout history. Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill enjoyed this habit, writing in his memoirs, “Nature had not intended mankind to work from eight in the morning until midnight without the refreshment of blessed oblivion which, even if it only lasts 20 minutes, is sufficient to renew all the vital forces.” Consider Leonardo Da Vinci’s utilisation of Polyphasic sleeping, with 20-minute naps every four hours to sustain his master brushstrokes. Or Einstein and Dail’s fondness for micro naps, punctuated by the drop of a small object as they fell asleep as a built-in alarm clock. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the emergence of dedicated physical spaces for napping was pioneered by Japanese Architect Kisho Kurokawa. As a leading founder of the Metabolist movement in architecture, he emphasised synergy with the natural environment as well as the impermanence and interchangeability of buildings. These principles led to the development of the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo in 1972, and thereafter design refinement of the first-ever “Sleep Pods” at the Capsule Inn in Osaka in 1979. The cultural acceptance of napping on the job due to exhaustion in Japan is known as Inemuri. Unlike the siestas of Spain, it is common for Japanese business people to pass out in public, or at their desks without negatively affecting their workplace reputation. The connection to both the benefits of a nap as well as a contained space to nap in took another step as the 21st century loomed large on the global horizons. Japanese Capsule Hotel The term “Power Nap” was coined by the American psychologist James Maas in 1998. A catchy moniker that rolls off the tongue is a foolhardy way to infuse the public’s imagination with awareness of short-term naps growing and receiving media coverage in the U.S. through the early 2000s. This coincided with the rise of the tech industry and the adoption of amenities in the workplace. Images of ping-pong tables, dogs, free food, and evidently, space to relax and nap became coveted, and commonplace especially in Silicon Valley as the exhausted coders scrambling to conquer the Internet needed a place to charge their batteries. For example, one of the first contemporary nap pod companies, Metronaps, was founded in 2003. The Mountain View, CA Googleplex headquarters of the Internet search giant was built in 2004. These technology companies installed nap pods for the numerous benefits fatigue management provides. Taking naps offers advantages such as improved alertness and mood. Additionally, periods of relaxation in all types of working roles can lead to improved task performance and memory retention. These will lead to better overall results for an organisation and the growth of the technology sector contains prime examples of companies who invested in their nap/sleep infrastructure and achieved great success. After the Great Recession passed and once-tightened perks were expanded, the mid-2010s saw a resurgence of the nap pod marketplace and consumer interest in napping culture. This revolution was spurred by a widespread appetite for lifestyle science literature on the topic of sleep and wellness. Bestselling titles such as The Sleep Revolution by media entrepreneur Ariana Huffington in 2016, and Why We Sleep by U.C. Berkeley professor Matthew Walker influenced millions of people to take their sleeping and napping habits more seriously. Further interviews with popular intellectuals, such as those featuring Dr. Walker on health/wellness podcasts such as Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Huberman Lab, or Dr. Peter Attia’s the drive allows for long-form exploration and explanation of the intricacies of sleep science to an interested audience. In the present day, innovative companies such as Rest Space are providing a high-quality solution for the modern nap pod market, taking advantage of the health-first momentum that is here to stay and unlocking tangible productivity benefits provided by a well-rested workforce. More information on Rest Space can be found here.

The one thing that everyone in the world has in common today is sleep. A relief we all look forward to but not all of us can attain. An action that comes naturally to all now seems like a daunting task for some. Distractions across all platforms of our lives contribute to us not being able to count the sheep. Across the world there are people who suffer from bad nights of sleep. In the United Kingdom alone nearly 16 million adults suffer from sleepless nights and almost a quarter of them get less than 5 hours of sleep a night. Sleep deprivation is considered to be anyone who gets less than the recommended amount of sleep a night and can be controversial to one’s lifestyle. Sleep deprivation In the world today, there are a variety of lifestyles that require putting in late nights, getting up early, and countless disruptions we can’t control. These issues all put an unnecessary strain on one’s sleep schedule sending us on a downward spiral. When a sleep schedule has been disrupted it can lead to sleep deprivation. Naps can help reduce the chance of sleep deprivation by counteracting the grogginess of being sleep deprived just from a simple 30 minute nap. In a study conducted by the University of Taiwan, students found that lack of sleep and an inconsistent sleep schedule have led to sleep deprivation which eventually causes lapses in everyday motor skills. These skills such as cognition, vigilance, and memory are all affected by sleep deprivation. The study has found that within students the median amount of sleep has decreased by an hour within the last 20 years. Since the amount of sleep is decreasing the students found an increase in the inefficiency of sleep. Thus, acting as a major contributing factor to sleep deprivation. Sleep Deprivation not always a bad thing When one hears sleep deprivation the first thing that comes to mind is that this is bad. In some cases yes this can be bad, but to others it is viewed as a good thing. Some people who suffer from sleep deprivation find themselves more creative and focused on the tasks at hand. Setting aside the bad effects such as impaired decision making, reduced concentration, and irritability, sleep deprivation can lead to an increase in stamina and increased creativity. Scientists have conducted studies finding that the brain fatigues at different rates for each person leading to some being able to handle longer periods of sleep deprivation. Also from this study scientists conducted an experiment where they compared people who were given 30 minute naps every 4 hours vs people who had an uninterrupted 3 hours of sleep at a time. From the experiment it was found that the people who took naps while experiencing sleep deprivation were more alert and performed better on tasks than those who slept uninterrupted. Solutions to Sleep deprivation Yes the easiest solution to this entire problem would be to sleep, but to people who suffer from sleep deprivation this is not possible. Solutions can depend upon a large scale of factors. The solutions soon to be mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg in the fight against sleep deprivation. Prior to trying these solutions if you are someone who suffers from Insomnia and sleep deprivation severely contact a healthcare provider and seek attention. Naps are a given tactic in the fight against sleep deprivation. 20 to 30 minute naps have been found to increase alertness and help the fight against the grogginess brought by a sleep deprived person. Plan B is to change one’s diet to eliminate items that contain caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. These items all disrupt a sleep cycle which contributes to sleep deprivation occurring. We have a few blogs that have alternative methods to help in the fight to regain our sheep. Here are a few blogs that may also help: Breathing to help sleep https://www.restspaceldn.com/post/your-breath-is-the-key-to-a-good-night-s-sleep Your optimal sleeping hours https://www.restspaceldn.com/post/i-sleep-for-~9-hours-a-night-and-i-wake-up-at-~9-30-am-i-am-normal-how-much-sleep-do-you-need How Rest Space can Help Rest Space believes that the health and well being of workers is the backbone of any business. After years of seeing people struggle in the workplace to stay awake, Rest Space decided to change the belief behind naps in the workplace. This drove Rest Space into creating the Everest, a soundproof napping pod, to be placed in the everyday business. Everest allows for wellness to be spread in the workplace via naps in the pod. A 20 minute nap has been seen to increase productivity in the workplace by 34%. Thus creating a positive effect in the workplace and creating the first step in the fight against sleep deprivation. Businesses should start to focus more on the wellbeing of their employees and help in the fight against sleep deprivation. Feel free to reach out about Everest or if you have any questions about the product. In the end sleep deprivation varies from person to person which is a dangerous game for some to play. As a business, employees who suffer from sleep deprivation can act as a liability in the workplace. By having an Everest nap pod by Rest Space you can cut down on the liabilities and see more productivity by encouraging naps in the workplace.

The Problem Although there has been an increase in the prominence of napping in the workplace, with 80% of Gen-Z workers having admitted to taking naps at work, there still remains a significant portion of people who buy into the negative stigma associated with napping at work. Some of these stigmas link napping with laziness and will often associate napping with children and the elderly. However, this viewpoint can be damaging for those who struggle with sleep in an increasingly sleep-deprived society. According to a study done by Atomik Research, 21% of employees choose not to talk about their sleep related problems due to fears that it would hold back their careers. In order to better support these employees and their wellbeing, napping should be promoted in the workplace. Napping in the workplace is not unheard of. Countries such as Spain, Italy, Japan, and China all have customs in which employees are given the opportunity to nap during work hours. In Japan and China, these naps are seen as a way to demonstrate hard work and also improve concentration and performance at work. Many companies in the U.S. and the U.K. have also embraced napping in the workplace. Here are some ways to help promote napping in your workplace. Education Education about napping is one of the key ways to dispel the stigma surrounding napping in the workplace. Some points to mention are the health benefits, as the Cleveland Clinic states that napping can improve employees’ performance and boost their memories, all of which are important to the wellbeing of employees. For employers, one of the main reasons to consider workplace napping are the productivity benefits of napping; a Harvard study showed that a 20-30 minute nap boosted employee productivity and NASA found that naps as short as 26 minutes increased performance and alertness by 34% and also led to a 16% increase in reaction time. Furthermore, education about how to nap is just as important as learning about the benefits of napping. For instance, the Mayo Clinic recommends that naps last only about 10-20 minutes and warns that the longer a person naps, the more likely they are to feel groggy afterwards. However, studies have found that 90 minute naps allow for the greatest amount of refreshment, as the 90 minutes allows for a full sleep cycle to occur. Tips like these are important for employees to understand in order to best take advantage of the benefits of napping in the workplace. Workplace Policy There are also ways to improve the effectiveness of napping in the workplace. Allowing employees to nap while at work is not enough, employers need to create a culture in which napping is not only normalised but promoted. Some policies could be setting time limits on naps to ensure that employees do not experience sleep inertia, causing them to wake up more tired than before they started their nap. Another policy that could greatly promote napping in the workplace is allowing employees to take technology breaks during naps. In the advent of email and instant messaging for the workspace connecting employees to work on a 24/7 basis, many employees may feel pressure not to nap in case they are needed at a moment's notice. Allowing employees to sign off of their email and messaging during their naps would alleviate these worries and give employees the opportunity to disconnect from their work for a brief time. Allowing employees to personalise their naps also helps to promote napping in the workplace. Studies have shown that there are a wide variety of factors that affect the effectiveness and efficacy of naps for different people with some suggesting that these differences may be rooted in genetics. Allowing employees to choose when they take naps would increase the effectiveness of naps and better support all employees who choose to nap during the workday. Additionally, allowing employees to have their own napping accessories (pillows, eye masks, earplugs, etc.) would also help to improve the effectiveness of naps in the workplace as employees would be able to nap in greater comfort, increasing the efficacy of naps. Rest Space One of the most important and beneficial ways to promote napping in the workplace is to have a dedicated space for employees to nap in. Fortunately, that’s where Rest Space comes in. Rest Space has created the perfect environment for napping in the workplace, with built in privacy and a variety of features that enhance sleep. Rest Space also offers premium support to help employees learn about the benefits of napping, how to nap, and how to take advantage of Rest Space’s nap pods to achieve the best quality of sleep. If you are interested in promoting napping in your workplace, get in touch with us and find out how our affordable nap pods can benefit your employees.