Make Office Well-Being Soar

The well-being of everyone at the office is of utmost importance! We read this successful snack company’s looong list of ways to boost employee well-being in 2020 and it’s no happy 'snaccident' we loved their suggestions. (Note to self: people who snack are good people.) To save you a long read, here are 11 of our favorites:

1. Get Straight to Gratitude! 
Not only does research support that gratitude is great to receive, but it’s also great to give! Cultivating a company culture where gratitude is a daily practice doesn’t happen overnight, but the more you encourage it in your workplace, the more of a difference you will see.

2. Pioneer Purpose
You don’t have to start the conversation by asking: “What’s the meaning of life?” Just help your employees and coworkers personalize their well-being based on what they see as their individual purpose. If they aren’t sure about their purpose, reviewing your company’s Mission Statement might be a good place to start. With well-being plans that actually fit an employee’s needs, it becomes a perk rather than a chore.

3. Find Friendships
Do you remember your 2nd grade teacher separating you from your friend because they thought you weren’t getting any work done? Now, that might be true for 2nd graders, but it may not be for adults. Research from Ohio State suggests that teams who work with friends often perform better.

4. Stay Alert With Standing Desks
Don’t put it off anymore. Standing desks are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason: humanity wasn’t made for a sedentary life. Don’t believe us? Then believe Harvard. If you’re not ready to stand for the whole day, a sit-to-stand desk like the Think Desk is the perfect option.

5. Encourage Personal Development
We love this idea and implemented this practice with our own team! Give employees access to tools like LinkedIn Learning to further their skills, and to increase accountability, have monthly check-ins where they can share something they've learned.

6. Prevent Problems
Stopping a problem before it starts is a great initiative. One way to look out for your team’s well-being is to provide flu shots company-wide. Many pharmacies will administer vaccines for you in your office, and your employees won’t even have to leave the building.

7. Feeling Sick? Stay Home!
If your employees are worried about being looked down on for staying home sick, something fundamental may need to change in your company culture. Encourage employees to take a sick day when they aren’t feeling well to keep themselves and coworkers healthy. 

8. Encourage Employee Autonomy
Research from the University of Birmingham shows that higher levels of autonomy in the work environment, hours, tasks, and pace can greatly impact an employee’s well-being. By trusting employees to get what they need to do done, you should find a big boost to company morale. 

9. Vote For Volunteerism!
Altruism is said to benefit both the receiver and the server. Set up company volunteering days or offer paid time off to do volunteer work. Whether employees work together to serve their community or do it on their own, you will see tremendous benefits to well-being in the office.

10. We Need Natural Light
Psychology Today purports that natural light has many healthy benefits, both physically and mentally. If your office space is windowless, then adding windows should be your first step. If you’d rather not completely renovate your space, consider putting office workstations or comfy lounge seating near the windows you do have.

11. Mental Health Matters
Last, but certainly not least, make sure to promote mental health awareness. Millions of people around the world struggle with their mental health, but it doesn’t need to be silent suffering. To destigmatize mental health in the workplace and boost employee well-being, it needs to be talked about. Your HR team can even come up with a list of resources through your health insurance provider.

Now that we’ve gotten your gears moving, take some time to think about which of these wellness-boosting tips can be implemented in your workplace. You don’t need to try all 11 at once; maybe just start with one and see what a difference it can make!