What if having to go to work wasn’t awful? Hear us out. Often we associate work with negative feelings like exhaustion, stress and tension, but the actual work we are doing isn’t the source of the problem. This could mean that the work space itself is cultivating a vibe that is not conducive to an elevated office morale. Tense environments result in tense people, and when an entire staff is tense, their work suffers. The more appreciated employees feel, the more they will try to benefit their company. It is to the employer’s advantage to lead a team with positive reinforcements, rather than fear and punishments. Bringing workplace wellness techniques into the office exhibits that the employer cares about their employee’s wellbeing. Knowing their emotions are being considered will help an employee to feel comfortable, valued and cared for. This translates to their work through the risks they take, their loyalty and their desire to go beyond the call of duty. Workplace wellness doesn’t have to be expensive. Many times, the best workplace wellness options are free or a small cost to pay for happy, hardworking employees.

Simple Tips to Incorporate Workplace Wellness

Healthy Snacks

Providing healthy snacks and intentional eating options instead of junk food ridden vending machines are a cheap way to insure that employees are not filling up on sugar throughout the day and crashing by the early afternoon. Snacks like fruit, nuts, yogurt and teas will improve the mood and energy levels of your employees.

Take Wellness Walks

If you’re noticing a bit of a lull in the work of your employees, ask if they’d like to take a short five to ten minute wellness walk. Getting outside may help them to breathe fresh air into their ideas. It reinvigorates the mind and body, and will ultimately aid in their focus when they return to their desks. Even just a quick stroll or walking meditation can release endorphins and cause an increase in energy that will help sustain employees through long projects.

Try a Group Meditation Before Meetings

Take 3-5 minutes before you dive into a meeting or conference for a group meditation. The interconnectedness the meditation will provide helps everyone to feel supported, grounded and on the same level so that you can start your meeting off on the right foot. It also gives everyone a few quiet minutes to gather their thoughts, release any stress and just breathe! Create a zen den or a special space that everyone can also take a few minutes to meditate on their own when they feel overwhelmed and need a sacred space to retreat to. Take it to the next level by providing sets of healing crystals or crystal harmonizers for employees to use as they please.

Provide a List of Ways to Relieve Eye and Back Pain

There’s no positive aspect to having employees that can’t keep their eyes open, and are constantly fidgeting around in their chairs. Offering them some helpful tips to alleviate their work-related aches will let them know you sympathize with having to sit or stare at a computer all day. Some tricks to consider are getting up to stretch every half hour, sitting farther away from the computer screen, and taking eight long, drawn out blinks every hour.

Create a Collaboration Area

A comfortable lounge set up in an unpopulated part of the office can be a great space for employees to commune and let the ideas flow. Sometimes employees just need to get away from the desk and be in a different setting to dispel their creative blocks. It is also helpful for establishing a sense of community within the office.

Regroup Meetings

Having a morning huddle to reconvene on what goals people should focus on most, and just chat casually before diving into their work is a beneficial way to start the day. Instead of forcing employees to get into things, let them know you’re in tune with what their doing and what you’d like to see from them. Talking with them on a more personal level as well will let them better transition into their work instead of spending their first half hour struggling to adjust.

Highlight Goals + Celebrate Triumphs

Keep a white board up where employees can jot down ideas, goals and inspirations for wellness in the workplace and to try outside of work. Whether it’s a healthy meal they’d like to cook or a marathon they’re training for, this is a way for employees to connect and motivate each other. Anything that gets employees healthier at home and in general will improve morale and work production.

Practice Gratitude

When people do good work, let them know! Praising good work ensures that your employees will strive to continue those efforts in the future. Forget about employee of the month that turns good work into a competition, and just take a moment to commend that work when you see it. Practicing gratitude is great way to keep employees from feeling under appreciated. Ways to practice gratitude include sending out a company-wide email highlighting the achievement of a certain department, sending a text to an employee thanking them for the good work they put in that day, buying lunch for your department or company after a big project or simply saying thank you to an employee after they finish a task.