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Originally Posted On: https://woliba.io/blog/how-to-incorporate-wellness-in-the-workplace/

 

Almost 85% of employees in the U.S. suffer from stress related to their workplace. Without support from employers, this problem will continue to grow over time.

That is why companies need to account for employee wellness when running a workplace. Plus, it has many benefits for running a successful business! These include increased productivity and decreased staff turnover.

In this article, we will discover how to incorporate wellness in the workplace. We talk about reducing stress levels and providing comprehensive support for employees. We also discuss how to boost their physical and mental health.

Let’s dive right into it!

How to Incorporate Wellness in the Workplace?

Create a Supportive Environment

Communication and support are the foundations of a good work environment. It helps your employees feel understood, and it can iron out any issues that crop up.

Try and integrate the following things into your workplace to boost communication.

Open Office Feedback

One way that you can support your employees is by giving them an opportunity for honest feedback. Recognize that not every employee will want to give feedback in the same way. So make sure that you provide many avenues for communication.

This could be in the form of weekly chats within teams to review how everything is going. This can also help teams to bond if they are not usually in the same place.

It could also help to have a feedback box or email address. This way people who feel inhibited to share their feelings can be open without having to voice this in a big group.

The most important part of the process is to show that you are listening and being proactive. Get serious and show commitment to making their workplace a nicer place for everyone.

Recognize and Reward Employees

Often, a big problem in workplaces is that employees don’t feel appreciated. This can be challenging for employers with large numbers of employees, or have a remote team.

Luckily, there is an easy solution for this!

Using an employee engagement platform connects you with your employees with ease. It can act as an in-house social media platform so that everyone can stay in communication.

Here you can send direct messages and rewards to employees who are going above and beyond. It also facilitates personal moments, such as celebrating birthdays or important workplace milestones.

Make sure to also provide tangible rewards to employees as recognition. This could be in the form of incentives, pay raises, or bonuses.

Base rewards on personal effort and development rather than only based on performance. This way you can celebrate many types of employees who work and perform in different ways.

Promote a Healthy Lifestyle

Another way to incorporate wellness is to promote living a healthy lifestyle. If your employees feel good, they will be more creative and motivated at work.

Here are a couple of great ways to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the workplace.

Exercise Opportunities

Exercise is well known to have a huge host of benefits for the human body. It keeps our brains healthy, prevents excess weight gain, and fights diseases.

Provide employees with opportunities to exercise throughout the day. This could be with in-house classes or through virtual fitness platforms.

If you have a large office complex, create beautiful spaces for employees to walk through. Getting outside for a quick walk is an easy mood booster.

A great way to motivate your employees to get moving is to add incentives. A perfect way to do that is through a customized wellness program, which can track their activity. Employees can have easy access through an app or their work computer, so there are no excuses to slack!

Balanced Nutrition

In fast-paced environments, employees may end up eating for convenience rather than health. The worst still is that they might skip eating altogether.

Combat this by providing ample time to eat throughout the day so they don’t rush. You could offer a healthy food bar with fruits and high-protein snacks.

This will keep them satisfied throughout the day, and the quality of their work will improve.

You can also provide nutrition information and support through your company communication platform. Having a library of tasty recipes available will spark their inner chef and inspire them to eat well.

Mental Health Matters

Mental health in the workplace is often a topic that gets avoided or misunderstood. By providing comprehensive support, employees will enjoy happiness and productivity benefits.

Let’s look at a couple of ways you can increase office morale and support mental health.

Mental Health Support Systems

Make sure you create an environment where people can be open about their mental health. Employees should feel they can be honest if they are struggling and that they need extra support.

Have an open-door policy with managers, so that there is always someone to reach out to in times of crisis. This open communication can help you to fairly allocate work so no one gets overloaded.

If you want to take it to the next level, then you could provide an in-house mental health officer. This person would be a third party, whose sole purpose was to provide mental health support.

Meditation and Physical Environment

Meditation is a powerful tool in any mental health toolbox. It helps to relieve stress and improves self-esteem.

It can also increase attention span and boosts memory retention. So your employees will be more productive and motivated.

Provide spaces for employees to meditate and relax. Or encourage meditation apps throughout the workday to create some headspace.

The physical workplace environment is crucial in creating a sense of well-being. Providing comfortable, ergonomic furniture is vital for good posture and preventing body pain.

Adding greenery to the office can also help keep people calm and happy. Plants reduce noise pollution in open-plan spaces and are great visual stimulation. Taking care of them can also create a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Empower Employees

Having empowered employees means that they will want to give their best in the workplace. It will also attract quality people to your business, as they can see that it is a place where their work will be valued.

Here are some ways that you can empower your employees at work.

Learning Opportunities

Learning and improving will help employees feel better about themselves. Give your staff a chance to learn and grow throughout their time at the company.

This could come in many forms including:

• Online courses
• Professional development seminars and workshops
• Motivational speakers
• Providing certifications
• Scholarships for higher study
• Supportive performance reviews and feedback

Adding value to their lives with learning brings a greater return to your business. This is because they’ll become more well-rounded and better prepared for any situation.

Create Community

Connection and community are foundational pillars of a happy workplace environment. They help employees feel satisfied at work and increase comradery amongst peers.

You can help build these connections through team-building and social activities. These activities prevent employee loneliness and increase inter-team communication.

Create space in the business calendar for employee bonding that isn’t related to work. Team volunteering days help the local community and foster a sense of togetherness.

Finding Balance

A huge challenge employees find in the workplace is having a poor work-life balance. As workplace demands grow, they make sacrifices causing their personal lives to suffer.

Encouraging staff to find a balance between their work and home lives is key to a happy workplace. Here’s how you can do that as an employer.

Taking a Break

Taking a break from work is necessary for everyone sometimes. This time helps us to reset and come back with our batteries fully charged.

Provide your employees with plenty of vacation time so they can rest. Make sure employees feel comfortable taking these days without guilt or worry.

Sometimes taking vacations isn’t possible, due to seasonal work or large projects. But even during busier periods, make sure you still provide employees with a chance to unwind.

Allowing them time for hobbies is also important. Encouraging employees to pursue interests outside of work also increases creativity and drive.

Childcare Options

It can be stressful for working parents to find good childcare solutions. It can be expensive or difficult to organize and can leave them feeling backed into a corner.

Try to be supportive in these situations. If possible, provide childcare options through the workplace.

This could mean offering a contribution to the costs or providing onsite care. Facilitating flexible hours or working from home could also be a way to help working parents.

Build a company culture where your employees feel that their family life matters.

Master How to Incorporate Wellness in the Workplace

We hope this article provided a good outline of how to incorporate wellness in the workplace. By implementing these business tips, you will have a healthier, happier body of staff.

This will pay dividends in workplace productivity and a sense of community at work.

If you want to take your employee wellness to the next level then Woliba is the solution! Our unique and intuitive platform is designed to boost employee wellness and engagement.

If you’re interested in taking your company culture to the next level, schedule a demo today.