The Pillars of an Effective Workplace Wellness Program via HBR

The Pillars of an Effective Workplace Wellness Program via HBR

Strategically integrated wellness programs have six strong pillars that simultaneously support their success, regardless of the size of the organization. Construct them well, and your institution could see the kinds of big returns that the 10 companies in our sample have garnered. Source: Harvard Business Review 1. Multilevel Leadership Creating a culture of health takes passionate, persistent, and persuasive leadership at all levels—from the C-suite to middle managers to the people who have “wellness” in their job descriptions. It’s easy to find employees who don’t participate in wellness programs. Some cite lack of time, little perceived benefit, or just a distaste for exercise. Others don’t know about available services or blame […]

Why Sleep is Important

We’re always on the lookout for ways to transform our lives, but sometimes we forget that — along with exercise — there’s another miracle drug within our control: sleep. If you have a few days off over the holidays, one of the best things you can possibly do with your time is work on fixing your sleep habits. Our sleep problems are so bad that the CDC refers to them as «a public health epidemic.»   While a tiny percentage of the population does just fine on little sleep, those people are incredibly rare. Almost half the population doesn’t get enough sleep: 40% of people sleep less than the recommended seven to nine hours a night (teens […]

Air Purifying Plants that Clean Your Office Air

We need fresh air to live a healthy and full life, but it’s fast becoming a luxury. Residents of many major cities around the world are faced with smog and poisonous gases from motor vehicles, fossil fuel based power plants, and factories. The good news is, there is a simple solution you can use at your office or at home to make your air much cleaner. While air purifiers might help, air purifying plants are a great and natural way to clean your air supply. In this article, you’ll learn more about air pollution, its dangers, and how to choose the best air purifying plants that suit your needs. Source The Pollutant Problem According […]

15 Time Management Tips for Achieving Your Goals

15 Time Management Tips for Achieving Your Goals

The truth is that time is the greatest equalizer in life. No matter who you are, your age, income, gender, race or religion, you have the same amount of time as the next person. Whether you’re filthy rich or dirt poor, your time is the same. It’s not about how much time you have. It’s about how effectively you manage your time. Source: Entrepreneur One of the most effective skills you can have in life is powerful and effective time management. If you’re not managing your time well, there’s no way you’re going to reach your goals at work and the life outside of it. Sure, you might make some progress. But your […]

17 Corporate Wellness Ideas | Nutrition & General Health

17 Corporate Wellness Ideas | Nutrition & General Health

Employee wellness programs globally, have become a staple in many corporations as a way to attract top talent, keep them happy and productive, and decrease employee turnover. More so in Greece, where the financial situation has led to increased pressure while reducing employee benefits overall. But the key to having a successful corporate wellness program is by encouraging overall wellbeing while still keeping it fun. If you can’t get your team engaged then your wellness program ideas will quickly lose steam. So make your initiatives fun, try new ideas and see what your team values the most. Source 1. PROVIDE YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH HEALTHY OFFICE SNACKS Healthy snacks aid in […]

A 3-Step Approach to Handle Flu Season @ Work

A 3-Step Approach to Handle Flu Season @ Work

The winter season in Greece has began and its marking its way with symptoms of cold and flu. Here’s how to keep your workplace healthy — or fight back when something ends up going around. Source: Inc Along with the rain and the cold, the change in time and the sorter day, your employees are probably inadvertently tracking plenty of germs into the office. That’s nasty for them and nasty for you — sick employees are (contagious) unproductive employees. You can’t make it warmer in November so what, if anything, can be done to keep your workplace as healthy as possible?Here is a sensible approach to three key areas. Prevention The […]

6 Yoga Exercises You Won’t Be Embarrassed to Do at Your Desk

6 Yoga Exercises You Won’t Be Embarrassed to Do at Your Desk

Many of us sit behind our desks and stare at computer screens for far too much of the day. Although concentrated work can be beneficial to our jobs, it can be taxing on our bodies. The following yoga exercises will help you relieve any tension you might feel after too many hours of poring over spreadsheets. The poses also provide long-term benefits with regular practice. Each pose takes fewer than two minutes to complete, and you can do the whole series in just 10 minutes—but I promise you’ll feel the effects long after. Source:  Harvard Business Review   Breathe deeply throughout the poses because sending oxygen to your muscles allows […]

Forbes: Work-Life Balance Vs. Work-Life Integration, Is There Really A Difference?

Forbes: Work-Life Balance Vs. Work-Life Integration, Is There Really A Difference?

Most people have heard the term “work-life balance,” but in recent years, the phrase “work-life integration” has been gaining popularity and given way to headlines such as “work-life balance is dead” and “work-life integration: the new norm.” Despite the growing popularity of work-life integration, is there really a difference between it and work-life balance? Source According to Merriam-Webster.com the word “integrate” is defined as “to form, coordinate, or blend into a functioning or unified whole.” Thereby concluding that work-life integration focuses on incorporating the different area’s of one’s life to create a whole picture. Balance, on the other hand, has almost twice as many definitions on Merriam-Webster including, “stability produced by even distribution of […]

Work-Life Balance is Dead | Here is why we should aim for work-life integration instead

Work-Life Balance is Dead | Here is why we should aim for work-life integration instead

Once upon a time, work took place outside of the home during designated hours. Today, that world is a fairy tale. If you checked your work email this past weekend, you’re likely aware that at most companies there is an unspoken expectation that employees tend to emails at all hours. Ron Friedman, Ph.D. is a social psychologist specializing in human motivation Source: PsychologyToday.com It would be easy to blame heartless managers or short-sighted CEOs for the collapsing boundaries between work and life. But the causes of this cultural shift are far more complex. As human beings, we thrive on feeling needed. Neurologically, certain elements of work can be addictive. Studies […]

Forbes: The Truth About Employee Well-Being: Research Shows What Really Works

Forbes: The Truth About Employee Well-Being: Research Shows What Really Works

It turns out, a basket of fresh apples and an awe-inspiring motivational poster don’t count as a comprehensive wellness plan. But, according to research, it also turns out that comprehensive wellness plans alone often fall short of truly impacting an employee’s overall well-being—a concept that encompasses much more than just physical health. Source | David Sturt and Todd Nordstrom As a disclaimer, we don’t have anything against apples and motivational posters. In fact, we’re huge fans of comprehensive wellness programs—those that provide a laser-tight focus on physical health and include healthy snacks, fitness routines, and comprehensive information that could help employees improve their own health. However, new research reveals that when […]