5 tips for increasing staff engagement with wellness

The buzzwords for this year's World Health Day are 'no action today, no cure for tomorrow'.

These words couldn't be more relevant when it comes to the health and wellness of every single individual, within every single organisation around the world.

At The Tonic we're all about instant action to improve the health, performance and energy of everyone we work with. So today, here are the top 5 ways in which any organisation can instantly improve staff engagement with wellness programmes.

Tomorrow we'll post the top 5 individual wellbeing behaviour changes that create the greatest instant impact and provide the longest lasting results.

Make sure you and your business are taking action today to develop a healthy and engaged workforce for tomorrow.

1. Get people excited

Communicate the value to individuals within your business of your wellness initiatives, not the value to the organisation. Explain clearly the personal benefits they will experience if they take part.

2. Create something for everyone

A range of flexible initiative that are well subscribed is much more successful than a limited number of expensive, under-utilised interventions. Be creative with your wellbeing solutions.

3. Cultivate the desire to opt in rather than the desire to opt out

Start small and make your initiatives effective. Word will spread and everyone will want to take part. Before you know it you'll be managing a waiting list rather than spending time persuading people to come along to events

4. Keep it fresh, keep it simple.

Timing is a big part of staff adopting wellness change so make sure you send regular, consistent messages but keep the initiatives simple. Ongoing, straightforward initiatives will have a greater cummulative effect than fancy interventions that no-one understands. Think about awareness raising events and practical, useful workshops rather than complicated competitions or online surveys.

5. Appeal to groups and individuals

Think about the people and the teams within your business and target them accordingly. Some staff will prefer group initiatives, others will opt for interventions targeted at the individual. If you're not sure what people would respond to best, ask them.

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Image by wwarby at Flickr

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How to Help Staff Quit Smoking

It's No Smoking Day on March 9th and, whilst we don't run any initiatives specifically related to quitting smoking, we have worked with many smokers who have chosen to give up cigarettes during, or very soon after taking part in, our general wellness programmes.There's a large element of timing involved in when people choose to give up smoking and you certainly can't put pressure on them to quit - it simply doesn't help and chances are they're already putting a good deal of pressure on themselves to stop.

Here's how we achieve success in this area.

1) Focus on positives

There's little point repeating the negative consequences of smoking. Smokers are all too familiar with these. Instead send messages that focus on the positive elements of not smoking such as increased energy, better concentration, inner calm and a stronger immune system

2) Lay down a challenge

No one likes to feel they are operating below par in any area of life. Asking the general question of what would lead people to the greatest improvement with their health and wellbeing will usually steer smokers in the direction of giving up without you having to be too heavy handed with the message

3) Add accountability

People choose to stop smoking on our programmes because we provide a manageable time frame for them to work with. If they can stop for a couple of days, a week, a month or a couple of months over the duration of a modular programme, this can be enough to convince them they can become a non-smoker for the long-term.

March 9th is a good reminder to staff to be vigilant with their wellbeing habits Use No Smoking Day as part of your ongoing schedule of events and communications to ensure that healthy living is such a priority with employees that they'll always respond to opportunities to raise their game with their wellbeing.

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Changes to Exercise & Diet are Top Staff Wellbeing Objectives

According to a recent survey conducted by us, when asked what their wellbeing priorities for change are, an overwhelming 39% of office workers expressed the desire to take more exercise, while 22% said they'd most like to eat more healthily as their top priority.

These preferences illustrate quite clearly what we've suspected for a long time - when it comes to energising and engaging staff and helping them tackle stress, simple wellbeing initiatives that get people active and eating better pay dividends.

Other popular objectives chosen by participants in the programmes provide further insight into how wellbeing interventions should be targeted:

• Improve work-life balance
• Improve my sleeping routine
• Lose weight
• Drink more water
• Reduce caffeine intake
• Make more time for myself
• Reduce alcohol intake
• Improve stress management
• Stop smoking / reduce smoking
• Make more time for my family

It's all pretty straightforward stuff but very worthwhile bearing in mind when you're considering which of the many wellbeing initiatives available to you will have the greatest impact for your staff.

Read more about our findings on the Employee Benefits Magazine Website

Email info@the-tonic.com to request a copy of the full Press Release on our Study

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Solutions for Sleep Deprived Staff

Here's an interesting idea from one company on how to help people deal with sleep issues.

Sleep deprived staff offered a siesta

The statistics in the article are quite frightening, particularly that 'the average worker has a weekly sleep debt of 12 hours - due to only getting an average six hours and 21 minutes sleep per night. This is one hour and 39 minutes below the recommended quota of eight hours sleep per night.'

There are many ways to ensure a good night's sleep - here are a few interesting links you might like to share with your colleagues to help them feel rested and energised throughout the day:

How to sleep like a baby

Eat your way to a great night's sleep - part 1

Eat your way to a great nights sleep - part 2

Sleeping your way to weight loss

How to stop feeling tired all the time

Sleep well!

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10 Professions with the Highest Levels of Depression

Someone sent this to us today. It makes for worrying reading. It's one thing to find your job boring or stressful, but depressing? It's upsetting to know that some people find themselves in this position.

The 10 Professions with the Highest Levels of Depression

1. Nursing Home Employees and Childcare Providers
2. Food Service
3. Social Workers
4. Doctors and Nurses
5. Artists
6. Teachers
7. Secretaries and Administrative Support
8. Maintenance Workers
9. Financial Advisers
10. Lawyers

You can read the reasons why these professions are depressing by clicking on the full article. Here's hoping that employers in these sectors are forward thinking enough to take steps to address the wellbeing of their staff before things get too serious for affected employees.

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