I'll leave the number crunching, i-dotting and t-crossing to others.
I'm here to talk to you about new and radical (and frankly common sense)
ways to improve your company's culture, take care of your employees, and help
your business thrive. Call me wacky, but I have seen the future, and if
we don't start making people matter by addressing their stress and other health issues with compassion,
we're in trouble.
Here's my list of transformative workplace enhancements, in no particular order.
1. Teach them to meditate and let them do it at work.
Did you know 25% of large US companies have launched stress reduction
initiatives such as meditation and mindfulness training? Google, General Mills,
Target and Apple offer meditation and/or mindfulness programs to their
employees and are reporting amazing results.
Meditation should be taught in every business on the planet. There
have been over 1,000 scientific papers written on the benefits of meditation in
the past twenty years. It's a powerful tool for relieving stress,
re-wiring the brain, and balancing body chemistry. Think of it as wellness
from the inside out. External health improvement incentives, like cash
bonuses, work temporarily. But internal changes sustain. Teaching
employees to meditate will enhance every aspect of their professional life,
personal life and health.
2. Offer and support mindfulness training.
Mindfulness and meditation are closely linked. In my mind,
meditation is the mechanism that allows for mindfulness. Mindfulness is a
state of awareness and acceptance. It fuels creativity, adaptability and
critical thinking through a process of detaching from habitual, non-productive
thinking. In the workplace, this translates into more clarity, focus,
compassion, productivity, collaboration and innovation.
Instead of cultivating people who will work harder and longer, start
inspiring those who will bring innovation and inspiration to their job.
Nurture creative, adaptable, productive employees who will thrive
and motivate others.
3. Let them take a nap.
Seem ridiculous? Well it worked in preschool and it will work in
business, too.
We, as a society, are exhausted! Insomnia is rampant and our
health is suffering. Allowing employees a 20-30 minute break in their day
to lean back or lay their heads down and sleep will increase their focus and
productivity tenfold. Even better, create a dedicated napping space with
comfy chairs, sofas or cots and yoga mats. There is nothing like a
20-minute power nap to refresh and rejuvenate the mind.
4. Offer nutrient-dense, natural energy-boosting snacks for free.
There is nothing worse for your bottom line than overweight, unhealthy
employees who binge on caffeine, sugar and processed foods all day. You
lose on so many levels when your employees make bad food choices. For
example, the inevitable mid-morning sugar crash after noshing on donuts is a
concentration killer. Additionally, all of the health problems related to
obesity are causing your health care costs to soar.
Investing in healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds,
and creating a culture of healthy snackers, could save you tons on healthcare,
productivity and absenteeism.
5. Get them moving.
I
ntroduce and support a mini-workout culture. Create a routine
that involves some type of movement throughout the day. Even 5 minutes of
standing, stretching and walking three times a day could make a huge difference
in your employees' overall mental and physical health. Encourage exercises
based on their job. Sitting at a computer? Try neck stretches, arm
movements and hip stretches. Standing? Keep the ankles, knees and
hips flexible with targeted but simple movements. Encourage movement!
Expect it! Make it fun!
6. Encourage hydration.
Dehydration is a huge, often overlooked health problem. Even mild
dehydration can cause headaches, sleepiness, and lack of focus.
Provide healthy, clean, filtered drinking water for free and encourage
consumption. Why not purchase a cool refillable water bottle with your
company logo on it and give one to every employee who participates in a Get
Hydrated program? Educate your workers about the importance of staying hydrated and
support them by providing good, quality water.
7. Time! Time! Time!
One of the greatest stressors of modern times is time. Everybody
wishes for a few more hours in the day or an extra day in the week. Our
to-do lists keep growing and time seems to be speeding up. Help your
employees reduce their stress and create better work-life balance by giving
them time.
Offer time off as an incentive for your wellness programs. Consider flextime
and other accommodating time options. Can they work from home one day a
week? Can they earn time off through performance reviews? Finding
creative ways to award time to your employees will pay off in the form of
happier, less stressed, grateful and more productive workers.
