By Ashley Wilhoite, BSN, RN, Wellness Director
One common barrier we often hear about from clients participating in our wellness program is how it can be a struggle adjusting to healthy habits within the workplace. With daily stress, work potlucks, pitch-ins, and various goodies coming through the doors at work, it can certainly be tough to maintain healthy habits amid all the temptation. But there are ways to avoid these pitfalls. Below are a few helpful tips to promote health and wellness within the workplace.
Consideration for your team – Help your team out! Working together promotes continuity and boosts the overall consensus of the team.
Keep your values – Remain true to what you believe in, even if others’ opinions differ from your own. Your opinion matters.
State your goals to your coworkers – If your coworkers don’t know that you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle, then they may unknowingly approach you with temptation.
Set an example for others – When talking about your health and wellness goals in front of others, you never know who you might end up encouraging to take the first step in their own journey.
To take it even further at work, here are a few ideas for fun challenges you can implement at the office to stay on track with your wellness goals and maybe even help others as well:
Gratitude Challenge – There is always something to be thankful for…always! Challenge your coworkers to express gratitude by writing down something they are thankful for. Do this every six weeks or however long it may be beneficial for you and your team.
Meditation Challenge – Any job can be stressful to some degree. It can be quite tiring trying to juggle family obligations and seemingly endless deadlines at work that often feel heavy and consuming. Help yourself and other employees reduce stress by challenging them to take five minutes a day to meditate or practice a deep breathing technique. Breathe, Calm, and Insight Timer are free apps that you can download to your phone. Using air pods and these apps are a good way to relax and take time away without even leaving the office. The apps work well to promote a calm, relaxed environment, even if only for a few minutes.
Movement Challenge – Sitting too much for long periods of time can have detrimental effects on your health. Challenge your coworkers to sit less at work by standing and walking around or by using a standing desk for at least 30 minutes each day for the length of your challenge. You can also take a brisk walk on your breaks to get the blood flowing.
Healthy Food Challenge – Bringing in food is a popular office activity to help break up the monotony of the daily grind. But too often, the provided food options aren’t the greatest for the waistline. Challenge your coworkers to bring a healthy appetizer or dish to an office potluck each week for six weeks. Consistency is key when learning healthy habits; the hope is to trigger others into living a healthier lifestyle, too! True health and wellness involve daily conscious efforts on your part.
By following these pointers and maybe incorporating some of your own, you can stay the course of true well-being. If ever you need any help on your journey, our wellness team is always ready to offer you all the tools you need to succeed. Feel free to reach out to us at (502) 618-0995 to find out all the ways we can help.
