If COVID19 has shown us anything, it’s that we all need more wellness in our lives. From daily exercise, to staying connected with friends and family – finding balance and joy every day is more important than ever. With flexible working arrangements becoming more prevalent in more workplaces, how can you find new and exciting ways to implement and/or spruce up your Corporate Wellness Program to keep people motivated and connected?
Having worked in corporate and as a yoga and meditation educator, I’ve seen both sides of the coin. Time and time again, Corporate Wellness Programs are implemented with great enthusiasm only to have staff attendance drop off week after week. Common reasons for this include:
Now I’m not saying that attendance needs to be mandatory (I’m definitely on the pro-choice side of the fence) however, the culture of your business can encourage employees to take their wellness seriously. Motivate employees to prioritise their health, because a happy person is a productive person.
When you think about the most inspirational people in your life, what qualities do they possess? They’re authentic, engaging, resilient and filled with passion and knowledge – but most importantly they show up. It doesn’t matter whether they fumble or don’t get things right the first time – they show up.
So be that leader – show up at all the events, whether they be social or wellness related. Sign up for a mindfulness and meditation membership, bring along your colleagues and promote community. I don’t need to quote any studies for you to understand the strong correlation between wellness and effectiveness.
It takes time to create a new habit and lifestyle? Though running a wellness event every now and again for your team is better than nothing, the real benefit lies in integrating wellness into all of your lives – including at work.
There are plenty of affordable digital platforms, such as Sprout and Nectar, that makes it easy to inspire and incentivise healthy lifestyles. By using tools such as wellness challenges to boost morale and maintain culture. And of course, if you want a completely tailored corporate wellness package that incorporates face-to-face and online platforms just visit Mirosuna.
The traditional office model of separate offices or partitioned desks is well on its way out. With companies such as Google who allow their staff to bring their pets to work, as well as having “massage credits” that employees can gift each other for “a job well done”, the sky really is the limit when it comes to creating a culture and community that supports wellness.
Wellness doesn’t just include the weekly fitness or yoga class (though these are fabulous options). For some, these things just aren’t their cup of tea. So think outside the box, reward a job well done with a massage or day retreat and keep evolving with your employees.
The old saying “you’ve gotta spend money to make money” has its merits. With COVID19 taking us on an emotional rollercoaster of uncertainty, most of us have experienced high job insecurity, financial strain, poorer health and increased rates of anxiety and depression. It showed all of us firsthand the utmost importance of our mental health and wellbeing.
With working arrangements constantly evolving, now is the perfect time to show employees that “yes – things will be different, but we are committed to your health and wellbeing.” So whether its investing in offering employees complimentary healthy meals, increasing new parent leave, committing to a corporate wellness program or finding innovative ways to reward great work – now is the time.
Mudita – taking pleasure in another’s happiness
Us humans are social creatures. We rely on each other’s company and support for our health and happiness – we rely on our community. But with so many people living from penny to penny, along with our environment degrading at record speeds, it’s time to ask ourselves – are we doing enough? Though donating money to causes which are dear to your heart is one way to do it, there is nothing quite like the physical action or helping another human. Psychologists have found that taking pleasure in another’s happiness is an effective way to get out of our heads and bask in borrowed sun. So align yourself with a cause, rally the troops together and give back to the community – you won’t regret it!
Wellness is a multi-faceted, ongoing personal journey that all of us will embark on at one stage or another in our lives. The more time and energy we invest in our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others the more joy and the better our health will be.
Here at Mirosuna we offer many of the above employee wellness programs. By getting in touch with us you can find out how we can become your wellness partner and tailor make a solution and curriculum that works to achieve the most effective wellness results for you and your employees.