beyond the physical well-being of their workers and delve into their inner selves.

That was the message from corporate wellness consultant Lise Baldwin, who said a sense of inner satisfaction can have a positive effect on people's work and home life.

Speaking to Hamilton Lions Club, she said health on the outside is just the tip of the iceberg and there was a need to look beyond that to help workers become whole people -- in turn making them more productive in the workplace.

Within Wellness Bermuda, she said they practised an all-dimension approach to increase the joy of living.

"That is why we do not just look at fitness, diet and stress but also incorporate areas such as balance, play, spirituality, loneliness, body image and relationships,'' she said.

"If we broaden the view of wellness beyond the physical realm to include happiness, fulfillment and social connections then we would have more people interested in wellness.

"It is quite possible that it could provide a social vaccine to today's many problems.'' Wellness Bermuda originated from a need within companies, who were looking for a more proactive role in helping their employees' well being, and already initiatives have begun in schools, international companies and Government departments.

Their work goes beyond, for example, a seminar, and addresses the work people do and the context that they do it -- thus reducing workplace stressors and occupational health risks.

The scheme is a colloboration between the worker and workplace, and focuses on positive aspects of someone's life and not the negativity.

All this can point to a better and happier worker, which leads to benefits for the employer.

"Stress on the job continues to be a leading cause of illness and accounts for billions of lost dollars. In many cases we can say we are literally working ourselves to death, '' she said.

"This is most apparent in the black Monday phenomenon, where more fatal heart attacks occur on Monday morning at 9 a.m. than any other time of the week.'' Ms Baldwin stressed wellness also takes into account health factors, not the risks but recognising the healthiest people indulge in small pleasures in life.

"Wellness is not about scaring people, it is not about trying to get people to change out of fear of dying, but about how they can increase their joy of living.

"We work with clients from a positive, pleasure-based focus. In fact those who relish life and expect to enjoy it for a long time are three times less likely to die young than those who are negative.'' As part of Employee Assistance Programme of Bermuda, Wellness Bermuda does much work in the community and workplace, through seminars, workshops, counselling and corporate needs assessment.

It is a concept that Ms Baldwin believes that is on the cutting edge in Bermuda and will grow.

She said: "The trends are astounding as people search for more fulfilling, healthy and meaningful lives. While we are living longer, more often we are asking -- are we living better?'' Lise Baldwin HEALTH HTH