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In a world always on the go, it can be easy to forget to take care of ourselves. This is especially true in most workplaces. Some may feel that they can’t find a moment to rest, leading to burnout. Companies across the globe have turned to wellness programs to uplift employees and help increase productivity and employee morale.
However, wellness is not one-size-fits-all. Some wellness programs can be too general or don’t involve caring for employees’ mental and emotional well-being. Wellness practices and personal needs are everchanging, so shouldn’t the programs that encourage wellness change too?
Managing 22 companies worldwide means making sure my employees are cared for. When creating wellness initiatives for my businesses, I always reflect on my research on holistic wellness to create the best programs for my employees.
What Are Employee Wellness Programs?
According to the National Institute of Medicine, an epidemic of “lifestyle diseases” has plagued the United States. Lack of exercise, poor diets and drug and alcohol use have all led to chronic diseases and, overall, a decline in quality of life.
To address this issue, companies implement wellness programs. These programs directly affect the employees and the company as a whole. Companies committed to giving employees adequate wellness programs and benefits note significant improvements in employee satisfaction and financial goals.
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Traditional Wellness Programs
Workplace wellness programs gained traction around the 1980s. Some companies offer traditional wellness programs, such as gym memberships and incentivized fitness challenges, but these narrow initiatives are short-lived and have little lasting impact.
Exercise programs are commonly geared toward fitness and weight loss, but they don’t consider any psychological or emotional reasons behind weight gain or unhealthy lifestyle choices. The dismissal of any mental health counseling or stress management tactics makes these conventional fitness practices unsuccessful.
Traditional wellness programs often follow a standard, leaving little room for personalization. Employees with chronic health conditions or differing lifestyles find these programs to be of no use for them, leaving these programs to have low participation rates and minimal outcomes. Traditional programs can feel like a check-off of a to-do list rather than leaving any lasting impact on a company’s culture and productivity.
What are Holistic Wellness Programs?
Holistic wellness programs are driven by a need for inclusion and stress management in the workplace. These multifaceted programs address physical, psychological, mental, and emotional well-being.
Holistic programs offer employees a much broader range of wellness practices. Genetic testing is a common practice with these holistic programs, which allows for a deeply personalized approach to wellness and explicitly targets a person’s needs. Mindfulness practices, team bonding and counseling services are just a few wellness approaches that work in tandem with physical fitness and nutrition in an inclusive program.
Comprehensive wellness programs are associated with increased workplace performance, leaving employees feeling satisfied and happy with their wellness practices. A study from the Harvard Business Review found that companies tend to evaluate the monetary value they’re getting in return for creating these programs. However, companies should shift their focus to fostering strength and commitment in their organizations, as the employee-employer relationship is one of the most essential tenets of any business.
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Creating a Holistic Approach to Wellness
Practicing wellness in all facets can be done at all levels, whether you’re coordinating a program for a corporation or personally want to improve your health. The first step in creating a wellness program is identifying the areas you want to target. For a workplace, it can be useful to send out an anonymous survey to understand what employees want.
Once you’ve gathered any necessary information, you can divide the program into mental, physical, psychological, and emotional health sectors. Here are some activities and practices for each area of wellness:
- Mental: Practice mindfulness and stress management with meditation sessions or purchase gratitude journals for daily self-reflection. Natural remedies that assist in mental clarity include turmeric, ashwagandha, and magnesium, all possessing relaxing qualities.
- Physical: Find workout classes in your area to attend, and include low-impact classes like yoga or pilates. During my research, I’ve found that a variety of natural supplements aid in recovery to help enhance physical wellness. Some examples include milk thistle, which promotes cell regeneration, and dandelion root, which breaks down fat and waste in the body.
- Psychological: I always encourage businesses to provide access to counseling services when it comes to psychological wellness. When researching these four pillars of wellness, I was fascinated by the role genetic testing plays in unlocking personal wellness. Genetic testing allows for deeply personalized wellness and considers any psychological or physical conditions.
- Emotional: Prioritize team bonding activities to create a sense of belonging in your organization. Research has shown that a collaborative team, open communication and feeling supported in the workplace impact individuals’ emotional well-being.
A holistic wellness approach is more sustainable in the long run and contributes to community culture. Nurturing a workplace culture of wellness and putting employees first allows them to flourish and feel safe at work. Ultimately, a holistic wellness culture will benefit all aspects of an organization, not just the employees.
Employee health is an integral part of a productive and successful organization. When building a vision for my work, I took a holistic approach to all aspects of wellness. Without incorporating wellness, organizations can suffer from low employee performance and retention. Companies that take a comprehensive and personalized approach to employee wellness have seen improved job satisfaction and feel like their workplace provides a sense of community. In today’s environment, wellness has become more important than ever, and the workplace is no exception.
