Health and wellbeing are the most integral parts of life. Keeping physically active promotes good mental health by elevating mood, reducing stress, and boosting overall motivation and energy. Companies that promote health and wellbeing for their workforce see a staff with improved decision-making capabilities and increased confidence, who are overall more productive. More and more organizations are rolling out corporate wellness programs, like TBG Wellness, which establishes a company culture of health and happiness. Here are just a few initiatives that organizations can introduce through corporate wellness programs that encourage good physical and mental health for their employees:
- Yoga Sessions – Yoga increases strength, balance, and flexibility. It can provide back pain relief and is known to ease symptoms of arthritis. Yoga promotes heart health, and it is relaxing, helping those who practice yoga sleep better. Plus, company-wide yoga sessions can be great for team building.
- Wellness Workshops – Guided meditation and mindful breathing exercises are two examples of workshops that organizations can host to promote mental health which employees can utilize in the office and in their personal lives.
- Wellness Challenges – Friendly competition through either individual or group fitness challenges help promote physical health while making it a fun and potential team building activity!
- Fit Friendly Furniture – Making furniture like standing desks, balance ball chairs, and under-desk pedal exercisers available to employees encourages a healthy work environment.
The above are just a few examples of how wellness can be integrated into the workplace. By encouraging employees to prioritize their physical and mental wellbeing, organizations are taking strides in promoting healthier lifestyles both in and out of the office. In addition to the above, organizations can partner with local gyms to provide employees with a discount, or even offer a monthly allowance towards wellness promoting services such as getting a massage. Organizations are also offering mental health days, and some even have a company-wide mental health day where everyone is given a free day to alleviate the pressures or guilt of individuals taking advantage of a mental health day to recharge. Wellness is a different journey for everyone, so whether your organization provides one, or all these initiatives, take advantage and participate, or lead the way in helping develop a wellness program at your company – and if you’re interviewing for a new role, don’t be afraid to ask, “Does your organization have a wellness program?”
– Casandra Valencia, HR and Operations Manager and Deirdre Lyons, Director of Operations
