7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Team’s Wellbeing
When it comes to bolstering the success of your employees, it’s so important to focus on wellness. If staff members don’t take care of themselves, the negative impacts reach far beyond just that person. It can also affect your business through productivity losses, absenteeism and turnover.
While individuals probably recognize the importance of looking after their minds, bodies and spirits, it can be difficult to do so in practice. That is especially true as a person’s list of tasks and projects starts to grow, meetings take up more time than anticipated and responsibilities at home and at work pile up.
By focusing on health, you can make a difference for your people and your company. In fact, the American Psychological Association found that when leadership publicly supports wellbeing initiatives, employees are more likely to take advantage of those programs. Businesses also see benefits in terms of greater motivation and retention. To inspire your team’s success, start small with some simple tips that anyone can integrate into their workweek.
Easy Employee Wellness Ideas You Can Introduce Today
1) Encourage team members to set one health-related goal.
Sometimes, people feel like wellness is all or nothing – we need to eat all our vegetables, run a marathon, meditate and learn something new all at the same time. That approach can be very overwhelming, hard to achieve and ultimately demotivating. Instead, encourage staff members to set one objective for their physical, mental, financial or career wellbeing and offer to check in with them in upcoming one-on-one meetings to inspire progress.
2) Schedule power days.
When people are not able to focus on their work, it can add to their stress. Set up a periodic power day each month or quarter where your team has no meetings and is encouraged to shut off their email and chat systems (at least for significant chunks of the day). Having dedicated, uninterrupted time to work can boost productivity and help employees make a big dent in some of the to-do’s that may be contributing to their anxiety.
3) Pair up staff members to support relationship building.
Team building doesn’t have to be expensive or overly time consuming. Invite coworkers to make their own bonding activities by partnering colleagues each month and asking them to choose how they want to connect. Maybe they want to meet for a virtual coffee, a craft project, a lunch or any other event of their choosing. By giving them opportunities to bond according to their preferences, you can strengthen relationships, which promotes a more positive workplace experience.
4) Discover new ideas with a wellbeing channel.
We can all use some wellness inspiration now and again – both for health reasons and to simply get out of our usual routines. Create a chat channel or an email thread where your teammates can offer tips and tricks to support healthy practices. You could focus your conversations on particular topics like recipes, exercise or mental fitness strategies, or you can leave it open ended for your employees to decide what they would like to share.
5) Get some steps in.
If you are in person with your coworkers, consider turning one of your meetings into a walking meeting. Even if it’s just a short jaunt around the parking lot, adding a few more steps into your day will make a positive impact, and you can still connect on work! If you are operating remotely, periodically send a message to your people to invite them to get up from their desks, stretch for a few minutes or take a walk outside to clear their minds.
6) Create a self-care award.
This one is perhaps the most “difficult” tip, and it’s still pretty easy! Individuals who are motivated by recognition or some friendly competition may feel more encouraged to prioritize their health when they are acknowledged for it. Give a positive shoutout to staff members when they do take steps to support their physical, mental or emotional fitness and consider periodically giving away an inexpensive prize (like a gift card to a popular salad shop) to support your colleagues.
7) Set up a Wellness Week.
By making wellbeing something that your group practices consistently, it’s easier to integrate into day-to-day life. To encourage healthy practices, schedule 15 minutes each day on your team members’ calendars for one week (or 15 minutes every Wednesday for a month). Ask individuals to use that time to engage in one simple self-care exercise like deep breathing or journaling. For Emergenetics® Associates who want some ideas and templates, visit the Attributes in Action section of Emergenetics+ for our Wellbeing Wednesday email series.
Some of the ideas listed above may resonate more with your staff than others, so I invite you to take the suggestions to your next team meeting. Ask your employees where they would like to start, or if they have any other ideas to build on the initial recommendations. By working together and making wellness a priority, you will all benefit.
Discover how Emergenetics can help you create a more positive, productive culture by exploring our website or filling out the form below to speak with one of our staff members today.
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