Imagine yourself to be mentally and physically worn out and tired. It is not about just one day, rather takes place for an entire week.
Are you able to concentrate on your work? Are you able to focus on yourself? Are you able to function normally in general?
Most of you are going to say NO!
One of the most important factors contributing to your distraction, confusion, and demotivation at work is the disruption in your mental and physical wellness. A person’s wellness is directly correlated to their daily functioning. How a person is feeling, both mentally and physically determines how they behave, work, and function in general. That is where wellness programs come in which are designed with the motive to cater to the overall wellness of the employees.
So, YES, Employee Wellness Programs are very necessary!
What are Employee Wellness Programs?
Employee Wellness Programs are programs that cater to the wellness of an employee. Wellness programs are introduced in companies to take care of all their employees. Under such programs, a variety of initiatives are taken to keep the employees and in some cases, their family members, healthy in every sense.
When we talk about the wellness of an individual, it consists of both mental and physical fitness which is gained through taking care of various aspects. Overall Wellness can be achieved through wellness programs that take care of all aspects of wellness like physical health, mental health, Nutrition wellness, Spiritual Wellness, Social Wellness, and Self Awareness.
Wellness Programs:
1. Physical Wellness
The majority of employees spend most of their working hours sitting in front of computers, rarely moving. When they get home, they are either exhausted or want to engage in entertainment, so they don’t get or take out time for exercise.
When an employee is physically unwell/unfit, they become very lazy, demotivated, distracted, and unable to focus. On the other hand, when employees are physically well, they tend to be more active and enthusiastic in their work. A person’s health or to say, physical wellness, is therefore very important and plays a crucial role for the employee and their work.
Wellness programs directed toward gaining physical wellness can consist of exercise and physical fitness sessions every day at a certain time. Doing exercise every day would benefit the employees to a great extent and would improve their memory; improve their quality of sleep; reduce anxiety and stress; maintain blood pressure and sugar levels; improve heart health; and much more.
One of the important aspects of physical wellness largely depends on the amount and quality of sleep that an individual is getting. Therefore, programs can include a flexible schedule for the employees so that they don’t have to compromise on their sleep for their work.
Another important factor that determines the health of employees is the amount of water intake. Employees get too busy with their work that they forget to drink plenty of water at their workplace and we all know the importance of drinking water. Therefore, the program should include some setup that helps each employee to keep a record of the quantity of water they are drinking, maybe a huge bottle with hourly markings.
2. Nutrition Wellness
When we talk about physical wellness, nutrition in our diet plays a huge role. Therefore, employees should be encouraged to eat healthy meals, inclusive of fruits, green vegetables, fresh juices, sprouts, proteins, and other nutrients.
A very fun way to make the employees consume healthy food is by introducing something like a “Wellness Wednesday” rule in the organization where everyone can commit to eating healthy.
The wellness program should include sessions where limiting alcohol use and avoiding tobacco products should be talked about.
Looking for a perfect way to introduce physical wellness for employees? Check out the comprehensive plan here.
3. Mental/Psychological Wellness
The wellness of an employee cannot be achieved only by focusing on one aspect alone. Mental wellness is equally important as physical wellness, if not more. Employees’ overall behavior is influenced by their mental state.
Wellness programs directed toward gaining mental wellness should focus on catering to the emotional and psychological well-being of every employee. The counselors shall be available for employees to speak with whenever they feel the need to vent or want to share a week-long concern. For serious issues, the program can consist of professional psychologists whose appointments can be easily booked for the employees.
Wellness programs cannot take care of employees independently, it needs to be implemented in the cohesion of improvement of work cultures. One of the most important aspects for employees is a flexible schedule so that they have the freedom to work in a way that suits them and does not exhaust them.
GoodLives conducts various workshops that aim at achieving mental wellness of the employees. This can range from music wellness and expressive art therapy; to sessions on relationships, anxiety, and much more.
4. Spiritual Wellness
When we talk about wellness, we usually forget about the importance of spiritual wellness in our lives. Spiritual wellness is something intangible and cannot be seen but can be felt.
An individual is highly impacted by attaining spiritual wellness. Therefore, a comprehensive wellness program can include sessions on yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, if not daily, but on alternate days. Yoga relaxes us to a great extent and helps us sleep better. It strengthens us, not only physically but mentally. It gives us a magical power that we feel within ourselves. On the other hand, mindfulness allows an individual to gain strong qualities such as self-control, mental clarity, improved emotional intelligence, and concentration.
The program can also include volunteering and community service so that the employees get a chance for self-realization which caters to their wellness.
GoodLives understands the significance of spiritual growth, greater peace, and connection and hence, conducts various workshops such as yoga and mindfulness to achieve spiritual wellness of the employees.
5. Financial Wellness
To be financially stable and independent is every individual’s goal. After all, don’t we all struggle with managing our finances?
Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that employees feel secure with their money. Such wellness programs should include various awareness sessions on topics such as budget planning, saving tactics, and much more. Regular aid should be provided to employees so that they can deal with financial issues. A dedicated economic team put in place can assist the employees regularly in managing and controlling their finances.
6. Social Wellness
An individual is a social creature and has a certain role in society. Everyone acts following the role they play in society, yet that is insufficient. Their ties to other members of society and their sense of community are very important.
Therefore, the wellness program shall also aim at attaining the social wellness of every employee. Ensuring social wellness may also include addressing issues like office politics, and friction between various teams. One of the best ways to attain social wellness is by initiating group activities which can include, games, movie nights, team bonding and building activities, group outings, group lunches, and anything that brings the employees together.
Along with developing bonding and a strong social relationship with fellow employees, social wellness is also about being aware of your role in the workplace. Here, social awareness plays an important role. Therefore, creative workshops shall also be conducted once in a while on maintaining healthy social relations, developing bonds, communication, interpersonal skills, and much more.
7. Self-Awareness
To be self-aware not only includes – knowing your strengths and weaknesses but also being as accepting of your vulnerabilities, lows, and flaws as we are of our strengths, achievements, and highs. Our weaknesses and vulnerabilities help us to build on our strengths and that is so helpful in the work we do.
Being self-aware helps us to focus on our actions, beliefs, thoughts, and emotions. It is so important for each individual to believe that they are in control of what they do and being self-aware does just the same. It boosts our confidence and gives us high self-esteem which leads to flourishment in the work we do.
Therefore, workshops should be conducted on various topics relating to self-awareness. Games and activities must be created in a way that employees not only get to know one another but learn about themselves and become aware of what they like and what they don’t like.
Self-awareness is one of the most critical aspects, thus, wellness programs should concentrate on making employees aware of themselves so that they can have better-thought clarity.
What does GoodLives provide to the companies for their employees’ wellness?
Are you struggling to take care of all your employees?
GoodLives will provide you with a one-stop solution!
When you are relaxed, you can think better and regulate your thoughts better. A relaxed mind can deal with different emotions in a better way!
Our wellness program consists of an extensive plan to cover all aspects of wellness. To increase awareness, we can send automated nudges that build continuous feedback loops and drive positive actions together. There are regular check-ins and all this data is analyzed, then indicates a possible burnout and prompts the managers to take the required action. This will help the managers to keep a check on the employees of their team and understand how each employee is feeling.
Companies will get a 360-degree view of their employees’ wellness (different aspects). Our wellness program will ensure maximum participation of the employees, increase productivity, and much more. For more information, talk to us and discover what GoodLives can do for you!
Always remember, great employee wellness programs = great employee health!
0 Comments