Well at Work: Creating Wellbeing in any Workspace

by Esther M. Sternberg, Andrew Weil (Foreword)

Full of science-backed tips on how to design any workspace for physical and emotional wellbeing, “ Well at Work helps us thrive wherever we work.” (Arianna Huffington)

Whether you work in a traditional office or a corner of your bedroom, staying well at work need not be a luxury. But wellness at work isn’t just about staying physically healthy; it’s also about reducing stress and improving mood, focus, energy, and productivity.

Well at Work reveals how to optimize our workspaces for wellbeing across the seven domains of integrative stress and resilience, movement, sleep, relationships, environment, nutrition, and spirituality, and even the air we breathe. You’ll
Along the way, you’ll meet the scientists and doctors, designers and architects, and building science professionals who are striving to make workplaces more conducive to wellbeing. And you’ll glimpse into the future of the workplace, where artificial intelligence and the metaverse will help us create environments that respond to our individual needs.

Above all, you’ll come away with a menu of simple, “innovative, and often overlooked” (Dr. Richard Carmona) steps anyone can take to be—and stay—well at work.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Business, Workplace

320 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Mrs Schuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ohhhhhh I so wanted to love this book!!!!!! :(

To start with, Esther Sternberg is one of my favorite scientists and I absolutely adored her previous two books; in fact they were the source of inspiration for me to move away from a career in private practice to pursue a PhD and career in academia.

I also contextualise this feedback from other the fact that my research field is the way in which workplace environments impact neurophysiological stress and cognition (so this is really my jam and field).

But that said, I learnt nothing new. Usually her books are a perfect balance of science and insight and fountains of information. This book for me was more colloquial and story telling. The science was much lighter than previous books and referenced all the seminal works, but missed out on much newer and arguably more relevant information.

The whole book feels quite surface, but as I said, this is something that I really study deeply. Perhaps if you’re new to this field, this would be a very nice introduction into the general concepts and ideas.

I would 500% recommend reading her other books; as they are exceptional, as is her research.

[Janelle King · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this read to give me more insight on how I can help my corporate and career coaching clients better navigate wellness at work. Although written by a medical doctor, I wasn’t expecting it be more so on environmental, architectural, and medical factors. I skipped past the first section and DNFd at 90%.

[Kimberly Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book thinking it would be aimed at the individual employee, with strategies for improving their own wellbeing as it relates to work. Instead, the audience seemed to be architects and company executives with the power to create or overhaul entire buildings, such as by seeking LEED certification or increasing open office space for movement. As a fully remote employee, the bulk of this book felt barely applicable to my wellbeing, at best.

[Knjiga i Kavica · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECENZIJA
4⭐️
Osjećaj se bolje na radnom mjestu - dr.med. Esther M. Sternberg
Moram priznati da sam očekivala potpuno drugaciju verziju ove knjige. Više poslovnih savjeta i kako se nositi s pritiskom, burnoutom i zahtjevima posla. Ovo je samo dokaz kako naslovnica i naslov mogu prevariti.
U stvari, dobili smo u prvom dijelu povijesni pregled i put do uspjeha autorice i kako je doslo do tog cijelog koncepta brige o mentalnom, fizickom i psihickom zdravlju.
Drugi dio daje ne baš konkretne smjernice. Autorica vješto kombinira povijest i sadašnjost. Na primjerima točnije kroz priču nam predlaže kako se nositi sa stresom, kako biti produktivniji, kako kolege na poslu utjeću na naš društveni život... tosu neka od pitanja na koja autorica daje odgovor. S druge strane, priroda, zdravi radni uvjeti i klima također su od vitalne vaznosti za zaposlenike.
Čaj, kava, vrijeme u prirodi, meditacija - prema misljenju autorice kljucni su u prevladavanju stresa uz prethodno provjerene metode. Treći dio knjige autorica je posvetila budućnosti. Kako će se definirati radni prostori budućnosti? Kako će ljudi reagirati i spajati prijateljstva?
Mogu reći da mi knjiga ima dosta nepotrebnih dijelova i objasnjenja. S druge strane, kao zaključak autorica navodi promjenjivost, prilagodljivost radnim uvjetima i poslovima, sklad prirode i ureda, pronaći i prilagoditi radno okruženje svakom pojedincu.
Super zvuci u teoriji, ali teško izvedivo u praksi. Premda se korporacije i ustanove bave mentalnim zdravljem i dobrobiti zaposlenika - nemaju svi isto shvaćanje i posložene prioritete zdravlja (mentalnog i fizickog) zaposlenika.

[Philip Vanhoutte · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES: Integrative Health embraces the Workplace!

Well at Work brings the story of how the Impact of the built environment has been integrated
into Integrative Health over the past decade. Driven by the pandemic that made offices places of
peril, it asks designers and architects to design spaces so people stay healthy, perform at peak
and heal/prevent disease. With an inside-out approach that puts individual experience front
and center.

In her prescription for healthy workspaces Dr. Sternberg reveals how stress and well being can be
measured in response to space and environmental conditions, as performed in her GSA Wellbuilt for Wellbeing Study.

The book stood out for me in the Domains of Stress+Resilience, Movement and Environment:
- How every building feature impacts stress response and resilience. And why building
design should focus on supporting stress-reducing activities
- How a portfolio of activity-based work zones can simulate movement, combined with
programmed restorative breaks
- How nature@work (biophilia) can make a big difference

Smarter Working practitioners, their leaders as well as HR and Building Designers will be
grateful to have this medical professional perspective on the way we should work.

Philip Vanhoutte, co-Author of the Smarter Working Manifesto and co-founder of the European
Smart Work Network

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept and premise of this book--super interesting, and of course timely! It's been interesting to watch life go on and see what role covid plays in it past a pandemic mode, as it were, and this examines that at length.

Sternberg and I definitely fall a ways apart on the spectrum politically and spiritually, and some of that plays out in how much I enjoyed (or didn't) this read. Some discernment is, as ever, necessary. And I'll admit, I plain skimmed through a portion of it--it was just tedious to me!

I understand her other books may be more readable, so I might give those a try in future. For now, this did prove nominally interesting and got me thinking. Several chapters were particularly fascinating/relevant to me, so I spent more time with those.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, basic measures for maintaining and building wellness in the workplace. However, I admit I skimmed through the many anecdotes in search for the sections that directly pertained to today. Overall, it is a good read. It is my first time reading Dr. Sternberg's work, and I believe her message to be relevant, especially in the "post-pandemic world."

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well at Work... this book I expected much more from! It provided rationale to why spaces are designed a certain way and how people feel in different spaces, but I was hoping for how can I make my space work for me or give me things to request from my employer. It's a lot of grand ideas, but no real approach to making spaces work better for real people.

[Michelle Gladstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe some interesting tips somewhere…? Lots of backstory which I found unnecessary. Some research backed stuff, yes please. Not a bunch of talk and then one tip buried beneath so many words. Mostly skimmed. I don’t think I’m the intended audience. Obviously. Haha.

[Kifflie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great explanation of why our workplaces should encourage health and well-being. I can't wait to see how things are going to continue changing over the next decade or so.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m gonna buy some plants for the office. Some good info, pretty dense, narrator is slow, sped way up.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice introduction to wellness principles. A bit shallow. Not actionable. Might be a good place to start if you are new to Dr. Sternberg’s writing.