Initiatives wellness centres can put in place to motivate healthy habits.

It’s no secret that businesses are starting to recognise the value of investing in corporate wellness programs that foster their employees’ physical and mental health. Sparkling water on tap, guided sound healing or regular skin checks are just some of the initiatives that large Australian businesses are now offering.

In our current financial climate, many of these offerings may be out of reach for your business’ bottom line. If you’re looking for corporate wellness offerings that don’t break the bank, check out our 5 tips below for cost effective strategies to help your employees feel healthier and happier. 

1.      Complimentary fruit bowl in the office

Do you know how often your employees reach the 3pm slump? Or how often they go to buy a snack and end up buying foods that aren’t necessarily the healthiest option (lollies, chocolate etc) thinking it will provide them with the boost of energy to get through the day? This unfortunately happens a lot more often that you’d think.

Although these foods taste great (we agree!), they may cause sugar levels to spike, and then likely slump worse than before. Fruit contains high volumes of fibre which promotes feelings of fullness for longer. It also has natural sugar making it a much healthier option than the snacks outlined above.

Having something as simple as a fresh fruit bowl available for employees, can not only contribute to healthier eating habits at work, but also reduce time spent out of the office buying snacks. Additionally, healthy adaptations can lead to increased positivity and motivation to eat healthier externally which makes everyone feel better!

2.      Walk and Talk

Often employees complain of being chained to their desk or stuck in meetings for 8+ hours a day. Sitting down and being sedentary all day can cause discomfort and tightness for lower backs and necks, as well as increase blood pressure levels. Blood doesn’t get pumped to muscles throughout the rest of the body whilst sitting still. As a result, this can negatively impact the ability to regulate sugar, burn passive calories and digest food. Being sedentary for long periods of time has also been linked to increase cases of anxiety and depression.

It’s said that many people prefer to share their thoughts whilst ‘shoulder to shoulder’ as opposed to ‘face to face’. Getting away from the boardroom and introducing walking meetings into the schedule could assist with building team morale and promoting open communication which will therefore reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

The concept of “walk and talk” is incorporating walking or moving meetings into daily routines. This could be as simple as a walk around the office/building if the weather is not permitting. We’re not asking you to go on 10km hikes around the city but encouraging employees to get up from their desk and do some work whilst moving, could be all it takes to release some endorphins and boost productivity within the workplace!

3.      Ergonomic assessments in the office

An ergonomic assessment involves an evaluation of one’s work environment and the impact this has on their overall health. It identifies any risk factors that may result in physiological damage to the body such as overall postural imbalances, neck positioning and lower back discomfort. Whilst it’s known that being sedentary all day every day isn’t ideal, we understand that corporate jobs require employees to sit at a desk for most day-to-day tasks.

Screens placed at eye-level, supportive lumbar positions in chairs, and keyboards that support the hand and wrist are just a few examples of things that can be modified to make sitting at a desk easier. These are consequently less likely to injure an employee and can prevent further damage to a pre-exiting injury!  

4.      Book exchange

Moving away from physical health now, a book exchange is a great initiative for employees to share interests with their colleagues. Workers are encouraged to bring in physical books that they have read, been recommended or even books that have been sitting at home unused.

Reading books has many health advantages like; improved brain connectivity, reduced stress, reduced depression symptoms, and it can also improve an individuals’ ability to empathise. In a work environment, this could lead to positive relationships between employees and help create a sense of community. The resulting benefits are improved mental health, improved mood, and enhanced social connectedness between staff. Employees will likely look forward to work and have positive mindsets towards their job.

5.      Healthy catering for lunches regularly (promoting taking an actual lunch break!)

Often workers will complain about not having enough time for their lunch break. This problematic cycle of excessive work, lack of rest and lack of nutrition can cause employee burn out, increased stress levels, and distorted eating patterns. If the body isn’t receiving enough fuel, this can further result in brain fog and reduced efficiency within the workplace.

We suggest a solution could be providing and sourcing a healthy option of catering/snacks for your workers regularly. This could be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, depending on your budget. By encouraging this behaviour, it not only fuels them with nutritious sources of food, but also encourages them to take the time to eat their lunch and assures them that it is important to rest and rejuvenate whilst on the clock.

In office catering could also be used as an incentive. Reward your employees for returning to the office with a delicious spread every now and then. This could be a Lunch & Learn strategy or simply a team break. It will help to bring in a crowd and foster social connections, encouraging colleagues to interact on a basis outside of regular work.

Studies have shown that there is a clear positive association between workers’ productivity and their overall health and wellbeing. Workers who were considered to have healthier habits were shown to be three times more efficient than those who were considered unhealthy!

Whilst we are not suggesting that you implement all five of these initiatives at once, we encourage you to use these as simple suggestions to improve the overall health of your employees. By doing so, you can help to create healthy habits that make your workplace a welcoming, supportive environment that promotes the importance of employee overall wellbeing.

Healthy workers = Happy workers = Happy workplace!

Did you know? For every dollar you invest into your employee’s wellness, you receive an average of $2.30 back? For more interesting tips and facts, check out our blog post: Corporate Wellness: What Works?