Wellness Wednesday

Health should be our #1 priority…everything and everyone comes after it.  Gen Z is growing up with wellness classes, wellness rooms, and ‘Wellness Wednesdays’ in elementary school.  For many employees, wellness has become a part of the work day…whether employer-offered or self-directed.  

What wellness-related offering does your employer have or what wellness activity do you do during your work days?

Employer offerings range from easy-to-implement, low-cost such as emailing newsletters with key health topics, hosting lunch & learns or health fairs with vendors and massages, and/or forming groups to walk together at lunchtime to more complex-to-implement, high-cost such as building a wellness room, sleep pods, or on-site gym and/or hosting wellness retreats.  Other employer offerings include gamifying programs, offering monetary or prize incentives for reaching certain goals such as losing weight, quitting smoking, or getting a physical exam, sponsoring gym memberships or fees for activities such as marathons or cooking classes, and/or providing healthier food and beverage options such as a yogurt and fresh fruit bar or salad bar.  Some of the many benefits to employers include enhanced productivity, lower absenteeism, and increased employee satisfaction and retention.

Regardless of what an employer offers, we as individuals are ultimately responsible for our health and wellness.  Some self-directed activities we can weave into our work days include getting up every hour or two to walk or stretch, meditating or breathing exercises during lunch breaks, eating healthy snacks throughout the day such as energy bars, nuts, or fresh veggies and hummus.

Small changes can make a huge and long-lasting impact on you and your health.  Take good care of yourself before all else!  #wellnessprograms #benefitprograms #health #fokuspointdigital

Post written in honor of my dad, Frank Bakes (1936-1995), who walked daily during his lunch break at Burns & Roe.

Ideas to get more steps into your day…

-park farther

-choose a bathroom on another floor

-take the stairs instead of elevator

-walk the long way to a meeting