Do you need new ways to get your employees engaged and excited about coming to work? Wellness programs are a great way to do just that. Perhaps you have tried in the past, and they just didn’t stick. Don’t get discouraged. Each employee base is different. You need to find something that resonates with yours.
As an added bonus, wellness programs are the type of perk that can differentiate your business from others hiring. In a competitive hiring market, it’s nice to know you’ll come out on top.
One of the most common misconceptions about wellness programs is that they are expensive and only for large companies. You can institute a wellness program for much less than you think.
5 Inexpensive Wellness Ideas
When most people think of wellness, they think of eating right and working out. Yes, both of those are important, but your employees already know that. Being well and practicing wellness means something different to everyone. Your employees might not want to participate in a weight loss challenge or be encouraged to workout 30 minutes a day for optimal health – they want some new ways to incorporate wellness that they may not have thought about before.
Here are several ideas that don’t involve counting calories or steps to get your employees on board and embracing wellness in the workplace:
- Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfully meditating is actually really hard. It means turning off and focusing solely on the “now.” There are many free apps and websites you can use, but it is simply a practice to breathe and refocus. Encourage employees to take five minutes in the morning before their shift starts to meditate. Or encourage them to use this practice when something is upsetting; perhaps they are having a hard day or dealing with a difficult client.
How do you meditate mindfully?
Set a timer for five minutes, find a comfortable seat, and focus on breathing, and nothing else. When the mind wanders, bring it back to the breath. That is it. You can create a poster to keep in the breakroom with directions or print one out online.
- Take (and encourage) breaks: Make sure your employees are actually taking their breaks! Again, this one is simple. Some people eat at their desk for lunch or spend hours sitting without mentally checking out of work, and that is not always good for overall well being. Along with a lunch break, encourage balance in the workday by allowing employees to take at least 15 minutes every couple of hours to decompress.
And an important reminder about breaks…you need to take breaks, too. When employees see their boss working 10-hour days with no break, that sets an expectation. If you want wellness to work, you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself as well.
- Create a Relaxation Station: If possible and if you have the space in your building, create an area devoted to relaxing. With puzzles, coloring books, stress balls, and plants, this area will be a great place to encourage creativity, employee bonding, and allow for a space to take short breaks throughout the day.
- Implement walking meetings: Not for exercise, but because there are several really great benefits to walking and getting up to move. If you work in an office, this is especially important, as moving helps blood flow and actually leads to more productivity. If your employees are already on their feet all day, then have meetings in a relaxing area of your business, not a boardroom.
And most important of all…
- Ask for suggestions: You need buy-in from your people to make wellness programs work. Ask for opinions. If your employees don’t like your ideas, be open to their suggestions. With input from your employees and focusing on areas of wellness that are most important to them, they will want to see the program succeed and make it a priority.
Finally, when you have a wellness program you and your employees love, launch it. Give it some fanfare. Use branded stress balls as giveaways. Show your commitment to employee well-being.
It is time to think about wellness in a more holistic way; whether you have two or 200 employees, implementing these ideas and asking what your employees need will help boost morale and make wellness a central component of your company.
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