Quick ways to Promote Workplace Wellness
There are lots of ways employees can naturally mitigate tension and anxiety while promoting wellness at work. Topping the list are connecting with others, being prepared, getting enough rest, calming the mind, getting the blood moving, giving back, getting outside, relaxing the body, and finding mental focus. Here are quick ways to go after each.
Encourage rest.
Some forward-thinking companies have added nap rooms to their offices. When employees stay awake burning the midnight oil working, there are nap rooms at company headquarters to help them catch up. Most of us don't a the 7-8 hours of sleep we're supposed to have each night, so if you allow employees to take a power nap, you'll see a boost in energy, productivity and creativity. Promoting wellness in the workplace sometimes means encouraging napping.
Encourage meditation
Getting into a routine of practicing mindfulness meditation can be tricky if you have a very busy lifestyle and are continually on the go. Yet regular practice can actually help your busy lifestyle as you’re more focused and more able to deal with stresses that are thrown your way. You may also find you have more energy from practicing meditation.
Encourage exercise
Start small. Try taking a walk after dinner twice a week, or doing push-ups during commercials while you watch TV. Mix it up. Learn new stretches and warm-up exercises or Join a fitness class. Choose an activity that's new for you.
Encourage giving back
Encourage your employees to volunteer together at least once a quarter. Some options include building a home, serving in a soup kitchen and cleaning up at the local animal shelter. Volunteering together affords your employees a valuable sense of camaraderie that will continue to pay dividends once they’ve returned to the office.
Encourage breaks
Taking breaks at work does increase productivity, even if machines and computers are idle for a few minutes. The short time away gives employees the chance to stretch tired muscles, find relief from sustained positions and postures and retain any information they might have learned in the last hour or so.
Encourage awareness
Empower your teams to not only manage and reduce stress but to thrive, both inside and outside of work. Create a team culture that validates the pillars of a healthy, mindful, successful life. Normalize shutting down at night, taking actual vacations, and taking a sick day when needed. By increase awareness of stress triggers, you'll go a long way to prevent burnout.
Encourage morale
Remember to set aside time each month to celebrate your company culture wins. High morale only occurs when employees feel taken care of by their company. And because this year has been filled with stressful distractions, ensuring your people are getting the support they need to bring their best selves to work each day is more important than ever.
Invest in employee wellness to improve employee engagement
In an increasingly stressful and demanding world of business, employees want to work for employers that care about them. If you want to improve employee engagement and work-life balance while reducing stress and burnout among your staff, consider which employee wellness programs will be the best fit for your organization in the coming year. Your people will remember how you supported them during COVID-19.