ealth and wellbeing at work is an extremely complex topic. Health encompasses a range of different physical, mental and emotional needs which differ from person to person, which is why employers can often struggle with encouraging wellbeing in the workplace.
At Catalyst Team Building UK, we help organisations utilise highly engaging activities to improve employee satisfaction and business growth. Having worked with a host of different organisations and industries, we have noticed some key strategies that modern businesses can use to boost employee health. Using these techniques, you should find it significantly easier to not only make your employees healthier and happier but also to see that translate into improved productivity as well.
Ergonomic Furniture
Ergonomics is the science behind designing furniture, tools and items to suit the human body effectively. In the workplace, ergonomics can play a role in all manner of work from desk height and chair shape through to monitor size and keyboard positioning.
Often, organisations can make the mistake of considering ergonomic furniture as an unnecessary expense, but this is far from the truth. In fact, ergonomic workplace design can make staff happier and simultaneously save money. Ergonomics prevent many of the repetitive strain injuries, aches and pains that come with using poor furniture selections. This means that employees spend less time talking about back or wrist ache and more time working, boosting productivity. Building on this, ergonomic design has been shown to decrease the number of sick days that employees take, saving businesses money in wages, too.
When it comes to health and wellbeing, you can’t go wrong with the addition of ergonomic furniture.
Musical Events and Activities
Music is one of the most unifying forces in the world. Despite the barriers of language, there are countless musicians and songs which are internationally renowned, recognised and enjoyed. In a workplace filled with different personalities, backgrounds and individuals, music is a great tool to use when trying to reach out and connect with everyone within the workforce.
Having music in the office can help, or alternatively, organising musical events or running musical activities can also make a huge difference. Catalyst Team Building UK has a range of activities available to help with this. A few examples include Orchestrate!, where team members learn how to play instruments and perform an orchestral piece within a few hours, and more rhythmic choices like BeatsWork, where your team becomes a collaborative percussion band.
These activities don’t just bring teams closer together and emphasise the power of a united group. They also help to relax and engage participants, drastically improving workplace attitude and health.
Employee Assistance Programmes
Employee assistance programmes come in a range of shapes and sizes. Some specialise in medical welfare whilst others are driven by mental health or financial stability. In a way, employee assistance programmes often act as counselling services for struggling staff members and for some, they can be a welcome lifeline that helps individuals manage their problems.
Regarding health, there are few better wellbeing at work ideas that an employer can implement than anonymous and paid for support from qualified professionals. If you have the means, consider exploring the different types of employee assistance programmes available and keep in mind any common struggles that your staff seem to be facing.
Research shows that self managed programs are favoured by employees. Apps where the participant is in control to do it in their own time and pace. Meditainment Online! is a guided mindfulness program delivered on mobile, tablet or computer. Integrated into the company intranet or as a standalone app, Meditainment Online! boasting over 34 guided meditations.
Meditainment Online! is a renowned team mindfulness and meditation activity which is perfect as a strategy for improving employee wellness and satisfaction. Each of the guided meditation offerings features a blend of meditation methods with stories, music and sounds of nature, creating a wholly unique meditative experience. Each meditation begins with a short and calming exercise that leads into an engaging storyline which takes you on a journey to a calming natural environment.
Mindfulness Icebreakers
Health and wellness icebreakers can vary in scope and approach, however, they can be exceptionally effective in the hectic workplace atmosphere that many employees get stuck in. Ranging from joke-telling and simple silent contemplation all the way through to short meditation sessions, mindfulness icebreakers are a powerful tool when used in moderation. Initially, consider giving staff a range of icebreaker options to ensure that as many people as possible are engaged. After all, different groups prefer different styles of activity.
Wellbeing Team Building Activities
Finally, it’s important to consider the effectiveness of wellness activities at work. At Catalyst Team Building UK, we leverage over 45 years of team building experience to provide outcome-driven wellbeing team building activities that relax, engage and help team members work through stress.
Our group meditation activity, Meditainment, is an excellent example of this. By creating a single group meditation event, team members are empowered to make decisions and guide the direction of the activity. This simultaneously creates a greater bond between participants and relaxes them, giving those taking part a sense of control which decreases stress and removes tension.
Particularly in high-pressure work environments, this approach to health and wellbeing can be absolutely invaluable.
Using these strategies, you should be able to quickly and easily improve the wellness of staff within your organisation. For more information about Catalyst Team Building UK and how we can help you engage and develop your staff, explore our range of events here or get in touch for bespoke advice tailored to your needs.
