Burnout is a new epidemic of the 21st century. According to Gradus Research, employee fatigue and burnout are the main issues that reduce productivity at work. To help Ukrainians restore work efficiency, BetterMe, which cares for the physical and mental health of more than 150 million people, together with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine within the All-Ukrainian mental health programme “How Are You?”, which is being implemented at the initiative of the First Lady Olena Zelenska, developed the Programme on Increasing Productivity at Work.

This was announced by Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy of Ukraine, during the meeting of the Interdepartmental Coordination Council on Mental Health. The event was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and the participation of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.

The Programme on Increasing Productivity is a comprehensive tool for supporting the physical and mental health of employees, which will help improve stress resistance and concentration at work. All Ukrainian employers may join for free.

Cooperation between business, the public sector and non-governmental organization is aimed to draw the attention of a wide audience to the problem of burnout, improve the health of Ukrainians and, at the same time, increase the efficiency of our businesses. Companies with high-performing teams show 25% higher growth rates, according to Bain & Company.

“War, anxiety, constant stress - everything affects each of us, including our productivity at work. Every year, 12 billion days are lost worldwide as a result of mental health problems of workers and employers. It costs the global economy a trillion dollars every year. To help Ukrainians deal with stress, combat burnout and be productive, the Government of Ukraine, with the assistance of First Lady Olena Zelenska, is implementing a comprehensive project to strengthen mental health and professional resilience for employers, employees and job seekers. I am glad that non-governmental organizations that care about mental health at work share our values. I believe that our joint project with BetterMe will help millions of employees,” Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, said.

“Out of 150 million BetterMe users, about 1.6 million are Ukrainians. During the war, we realized how important it is to support each other at home, at work or in shelter. Learning to calm down and master anxiety is difficult, but we believe in the power of small steps. The Programme on Increasing Productivity is a self-help tool created in accordance with this very principle. 15 minutes of exercise at the workplace or 10 minutes of meditation while waiting for a business meeting can change the mood for the whole day. If you do them for a whole week, the effect will increase significantly,” Viktoriia Riepa, Founder and CEO of BetterMe, commented.

What does the Programme on Increasing Productivity at Work consist of?

1. A set of quick workplace exercises in BetterMe application: Health Coaching

According to the ACE study, short exercises at the workplace have the effect of increasing productivity by 22% and increasing creativity by 17%.

A set of short exercises in the office is aimed at increasing productivity, stress resistance and concentration. The exercises are specially adapted to be performed in the office or at home at the desk and do not require a change of clothes or shoes.

The set includes the following exercises: yoga stretches, a light leg warm-up, standing full body workout and more. The duration of each exercise is 5-10 minutes.

2.  BetterMe burnout prevention programme: Mental Health

14 million Ukrainians will need psychological help as a result of a full-scale war, according to estimates by the Ministry of Health.

The course programme was specially developed by psychologists from Ukraine and the USA. It provides for:

• Burnout prevention training course

The course is presented in the form of micro-learning with short blocks of information in the format of stories, familiar to users of social networks. Interactive tests, bright visualizations and exercises facilitate the perception of information and take the user only 10 minutes a day.

• Audio course to restore productivity

The 28-day course is created in a convenient audio format for podcast lovers. During the month, listeners will have access to various practical tips, psychological practices, exercises and meditations to prevent and recover from burnout.

In addition to the content created as part of the Programme on Increasing Productivity at Work, all other content of BetterMe: Health Coaching and BetterMe: Mental Health applications, which are currently free in Ukraine, will be available to users.

How to join the programme?

In order to join BetterMe Programme for Increasing Productivity at Work, a Ukrainian employer must:

• Fill in a questionnaire on the BetterMe for Business website using the link;
• At the request of the BetterMe team, provide the company’s corporate email domain (or employee email list) to provide access to the Program;
• After that, within 3 working days, BetterMe will notify about the creation of free access of the company’s employees to BetterMe applications, which will be available for 12 months.

Background:

BetterMe is a Ukrainian company that cares for the physical and mental health of more than 150 million people around the world. The company has developed two applications: BetterMe: Health Coaching and BetterMe: Mental Health. Currently, they are free for Ukrainians. The company also launched BetterMe Store with products for a healthy and active lifestyle.

All-Ukrainian mental health programme “How Are You?”, initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska, aims at building a quality system of providing services in the field of psychosocial support and developing a culture of mental health care.