How do you engage your employees in wellness activities that are fun and meaningful?

Sometimes we just need to start somewhere. Having built wellbeing experiences for many clients, here are my top 6 tips: ?? Wellbeing programmes should not be created as a tick box exercise, they are to support and retain your people. ?? Get the leaders involved. ?? One of the most impactful actions we can all take is to move more. Make room for your employees to do just that. ?? Wellbeing is a mix of physical, social, emotional, financial, mental, spiritual and professional - consider them all. ?? It is not a race. You do not need to cover all aspects of wellbeing and have everything mapped out at the start. ?? Once you've spoken with your people about what they need and want...keep talking and reiterating.

it's important to offer a variety of options that cater to different interests and preferences. Additionally, creating a supportive and inclusive environment where employees feel encouraged and rewarded for participating can further enhance engagement.

> Offer a mix of activities (yoga, challenges, healthy potlucks) to cater to diverse interests and fitness levels. > Encourage teamwork in challenges or group fitness sessions to boost engagement and fun. > Provide small rewards and celebrate milestones to keep employees motivated.

> Cater to diverse interests and preferences by providing a range of wellness activities, such as fitness classes, meditation sessions, cooking workshops, or team-building exercises. > Ensure that wellness activities are easily accessible to all employees, regardless of their schedules or physical limitations. > Consider offering on-site or virtual options. > Encourage employees to participate in wellness activities by creating a supportive and inclusive environment. > Recognize and celebrate achievements to motivate and inspire others.

> Offer a mix of activities - social sports leagues, healthy cooking classes, or meditation workshops. Let employees pick what interests them, boosting participation. > Create friendly challenges with step trackers or team competitions. > Reward engagement with small prizes or recognition, keeping it fun and motivating. > Host lunchtime yoga sessions or walking meetings. > Offer flexible participation options (virtual/in-person) to cater to different preferences and schedules.

Yes get more people involved by having multiple options for people to join. If you have different things to do, more people will want to join and feel that there is something for them

"One size fails all" - when it comes to wellness initiatives at workplaces. Mixing it up a bit is a good start. Some of the suggestions we give it to employers at BibVault during initial consultation : - Start with an open mindset - Do not stick with one activity all the time. - Do not just go by the suggestion of loud voices. Consider quiet voices too. - It's not about being flashy but all about being relatable. - Do not expect 100% participation from Day 1. Consistently remind, show and attract them to participate. - Do not set himalayan milestones - Make it gamified with simple, actionable and acheivable ones.. ( SMART measures ) - Implement creative activities with creative approaches. - Adjust and improvise

Survey your staff, you'll find most are tired of dated mindfulness and nutrition programs. Low utilization rate and morale tells this story too. In this time with high inflation, and the desire for more freedom and flexibility, financial health and wellness resources are key.

Not everything should be a one size fits all program. It doesn't work, not everyone is the same person. So people will want something different than others. Make sure your vendors are either holistic or each offer something specifc.

Nobody is a one trick pony. People like different things. So having multiple options such as hiking, or group projects, mental health counseling, stress management, financial wellness, these things appeal to different people. Having diversity is what sets your program apart.

We asked the employees directly what fun engaging wellness initiatives would they like to see in their wellness program! We used survey monkey to collect data and with the leadership team, a wellness committee, and the employee feedback we created a engaging and fun wellness program.

It can always be more fun and enjoyable. i think a lot of people think these are things that have to be done, which isn't always the case. Sometimes it can be something people WANT to do.

Incorporating fun, social elements into wellness activities is key. An experiential approach that engages the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—can dramatically increase participation. For instance, 70% of U.S. companies use gamification to boost employee engagement. By using incentives and creating teams, you not only make wellness enjoyable but also build community. Additionally, organizing events and workshops that involve experiential activities ensures that employees connect on deeper levels, enhancing overall wellness and job satisfaction.

Making wellness activities fun and social encourages participation and builds a sense of community. Organize team challenges, social events, and group activities that foster camaraderie and enjoyment. For instance, we held monthly wellness challenges with prizes, such as step count competitions and healthy recipe contests. These activities not only promoted health but also strengthened team bonds and made wellness initiatives more appealing and enjoyable for employees.

Creating a fun and social environment can significantly boost participation in wellness activities. Team challenges, group classes, and social events encourage camaraderie and make wellness a communal effort. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 85% of employees who participated in social wellness programs reported improved team dynamics. Fun and social wellness activities foster a sense of community and support, enhancing overall employee well-being.

Wellness initiatives will not have the desired effect if they feel out of alignment with the company vision and culture as a whole. In many cases, leaders will hear about a wellness issue, schedule a random one-off activity out of nowhere, and it will leave the team rolling their eyes and seeing right through it. Wellness initiatives and activities will fall flat until the team understands that they are cared for and loved.

Identifying wellbeing goals which align to your company's strategic objectives will allow employees to understand how their personal wellbeing and engagement in corporate wellbeing programmes impacts the wider business.

Aligning wellness activities with your company's values and mission ensures they resonate with employees and reinforce organizational culture. If your company values sustainability, incorporate eco-friendly practices into wellness programs. At a company I worked with, we integrated environmental awareness into our wellness initiatives by organizing clean-up hikes and promoting sustainable eating habits. This alignment made the activities more meaningful and supported the company's broader mission and values.

Ensure that the wellness activities reflect and reinforce the organization’s values and mission. For example, if your company values community service, incorporate volunteer activities into your wellness program. If innovation is a core value, introduce cutting-edge health and wellness technology, such as fitness tracking devices or VR meditation experiences. Aligning wellness activities with corporate values not only makes them more meaningful but also reinforces the company’s commitment to these values, making employees feel more connected and engaged.

It has to make sense for everything to line up. People can generally go in a singular direction, if everything aligns we're good. It's when things start to get staggered and confusing. So making sure the fun things already align with your values will make a lot of sense.

Nothing is really it's best the first time you do something. It should get better over time. Which is good. As long as you evaluate the weak spots and grow off that. You can do employee surveys, or management surveys, group calls with the vendor. Different ways to figure out how to grow.

A mí me ha resultado útil manejar las encuestas de satisfacción y reacción de los participantes de las actividades de bienestar, también considerar futuras actividades.

Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your wellness activities. Gather feedback from participants through surveys, focus groups, or informal conversations. Monitor participation rates, employee satisfaction, and changes in employee health or productivity as metrics of success. Use this data to refine and improve the program over time. Being responsive to employee feedback and willing to make adjustments shows a commitment to their well-being and can help sustain engagement.

Regularly evaluating and improving your wellness activities ensures they remain effective and engaging. Gather feedback from participants, track participation rates, and measure outcomes to assess the impact. After each wellness event at my company, we sent out feedback forms to understand what employees enjoyed and what could be improved. Using this feedback, we continuously refined our programs to better meet employees' needs and preferences, ensuring sustained engagement and success.

Regular evaluation and improvement of wellness programs are essential to their success. Collecting feedback from employees and analyzing participation data can highlight what’s working and what isn’t. According to the Global Wellness Institute, companies that regularly evaluate their wellness programs see a 64% increase in employee satisfaction. Continuous improvement ensures that wellness activities remain relevant and effective, leading to sustained employee engagement.

Choose a long form approach instead of a one-off lunch and learn or 7 day challenge. You value your employee's health and want to minimize the impact absenteeism, medical issues and low employee engagement have on your people, culture, and bottom line. So skip the lunch and learns. Research points to single points of education or short term programs acting more as edutainment than change makers - interesting for a few days, but rarely kickstarting long term change in behaviour. Instead, choose a corporate wellness provider that offers 12+ week, evidence based programs that focus on the bite sized and practical health tools to create long lasting habit change in your team.

When designing wellness programs, consider the holistic needs of your employees, including mental, physical, and emotional health. Incorporate technology, such as wellness apps and virtual activities, to reach remote workers. Ensure inclusivity by offering activities that cater to diverse interests and abilities. Lastly, secure leadership support to emphasize the importance of wellness, creating a culture that values and promotes employee well-being at all levels.

Something that is overlooked in most wellness programs is training to address the root cause of more stress, anxiety, tension, pain and burnout. Every activity that was mentioned in this article--yoga, meditation, hiking, cycling, or dancing--are things that you do outside of work and do little to address how people sit, breathe, interact with screens, take breaks and structure their 40-60 hours working each week. For wellness programs to be successful, they need to teach employees what stress is, how screens and sitting impact their nervous systems and bodies, and then provide actionable body, breath, mindset and environment tools to improve employees mental and physical resilience.

Consider the accessibility of all wellness activities. Ensure that they are inclusive of all employees, regardless of their physical abilities or health conditions. Offering adaptive sports, for instance, can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate. Consider the incentives you provide for participation. Small rewards or recognition can be great motivators. Finally, keep in mind the broader impact of these wellness initiatives. They should not only improve health outcomes but also enhance overall job satisfaction and retention, contributing to a positive workplace culture.