5 Ways to Promote Culture and Wellness

The concept of workplace wellness isn’t just some trendy initiative—it can be a reasonable and holistic approach to increasing employee satisfaction, motivation and retention for the long-term. In fact, an emphasis on health boosts spirit and productivity.

However there’s no need to shell out the funds for an on-site massage therapist or fitness center, especially if you’re a startup with fixed budget constraints. Instead, these five ideas promote workplace wellness from a practical, inexpensive standpoint. The emphasis is on enhancing performance and maintaining an organization culture that regards each employee as not just a number—but as an asset whose general health matters.

Create an Open and Calming Space: While configuring the physical setup of your office, boost natural light sources to brighten and invigorate the atmosphere. Limit the use of cubicle dividers, fostering team communication and collaboration to refresh the mind, sharpen focus, and moderate stress. Don’t neglect to decorate with indoor plants like ferns, bamboo, palm trees or aloeVera, which are low-maintenance air purifiers that help reduce both tension and fatigue. If possible, create a meditation or stand-up work area space that can be shared by everyone throughout the day.

Make Healthy Snacks Accessible: Instead of stocking the lunch room with doughnuts or cooking Chipotle burritos at executive or board meetings, purge junk food from the office and offer nutritious choices instead. Not only for your employees, but for the business too. Employees who eat healthy all day long were 25 percent more inclined or likely to have higher job performance
Plant-based alternatives like natural product, fruit, raw vegetables, protein bars, almonds, sunflower seeds, hummus or dark chocolate maintain mental stamina throughout the workday. They’re also easy to stock and can be purchased in individual packs, perfect for employees to reclaim to their desks.

Opt for Moving Instead of Sitting:Rather than remaining sedentary for long stretches of time, sneak exercise into the workplace through incentives like standing desks instead of office chairs, and outdoor walks instead of conference room gatherings. Research demonstrates the average office worker spends around 10 hours sitting on a daily basis which increases the health risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, and joint or muscle issues. Start an office-walking initiative, encouraging employees to walk together at lunch and take walking meetings. You can incentivize this with a simple reward system that doesn’t cost a lot to implement. Reward employees with things like: catered lunch, company-sponsored breakfast, work from home half-day, half-day Fridays, etc.

Plan Active Team-Building Events: Don’t just move in the workplace; arrange an outing that supports both physical activity and employee bonding —this way, employees don't need to set aside a few minutes outside of work hours.
One fun thought is to take all the members of your department for adventure like rock climbing. This active, collaborative pursuit ranked second in most popular hobbies and requires collaboration and teamwork as employees belay and spot one another. Other active, team-building activities might include:
Host In-Office Wellness Workshops:Take office wellness a step further by bringing professionals into the office. They can instruct your employees new systems, techniques,methodologies and strategies for being healthy in a fun, group setting. Here are a couple of workshops to consider:

Self-Defense: This is a fun, and non-conventional workshop idea that will empower employees and get them up and moving. When looking for an instructor who has a real-world training style (more applicable to employees), videos you can watch, and is a good fit for your culture.

Meditation Workshop: Meditation is reliably and consistently noted as one of the most effective methods for reducing stress and improving overall well-being; yet individuals refer to not having the capacity to “get into it” as the reason for not giving it a try. Check with nearby yoga studios to find someone who can lead the workshop. Many yoga instructers are also trained in meditation.