Are you a team lead or business owner looking to promote wellness at work? The following 4 ideas are a step up from conventional wellness perks and they help promote a healthier and happier workforce long-term.
- Walking Meetings – Taking your meetings out in nature or even for a walk around the building can lead to more relaxed, honest and creative discussions. Walking meetings are most productive for:
- brainstorming sessions when a free flow of new ideas is necessary for the next big project
- 1:1 performance evaluations or for difficult conversations where a relaxed environment is needed for conflict resolution
- informal check-ins that might normally take place in the break room
- Team Retreats -When was the last time your team got away to commune together outside the confines of the office? Team retreats don’t have to break the bank or require overnight lodging; check your local area for team-building activities, parks and even hiking trails where your team can spend a day or two nurturing deeper connections across all departments. If paid outings don’t fit your budget right now, you can use your office for an onsite retreat of team building games, brown bag lunch and learn sessions and an informal town hall. Offsite retreat ideas include:
- rock climbing or other indoor recreational activities
- yoga in the park
- hiking day trips or a local boat ride with lunch
- Ergonomic Workstations – The physical office might be set up ergonomically and in direct contrast to the working stations employees have at home. Education about proper seating, keyboard placement, mouse and monitor configuration and posture can help prevent strain and overuse injuries.
- Mindful Breaks – Designate periods of the day for mindful breaks and cultivate a company culture that prioritizes mindfulness. You can do this by:
- encouraging all employees to set calendar reminders for 5-min breaks to stand, stretch and focus on their breath and body
- sounding a cymbal or other soothing sound at the top of the hour to remind people to take a break
- establishing no meeting days
- reducing all 60-min meetings down to 50 minutes to allow for a 10-min break on back to back meeting days
Wellness in the workplace goes beyond conventional perks to foster a company culture of care. Companies thrive when they regularly assess employee wellbeing and create opportunities for employees to take care of themselves and contribute to the organization’s success.
You can start to implement these ideas today and make wellness in the workplace a sustainable practice for all. Want to book a chair yoga session for your team? Contact me here to learn more!
