Practical Ways To Incorporate A Holistic Wellness Program into Your Organization

By Darryl Lewis

Over 66 percent of all U.S. employers have begun to offer wellness programs to their employees. These programs address many aspects of wellness, including emotional, spiritual and physical health. However, you don’t have to be a huge corporation to implement a holistic wellness program. As a small business owner, you can easily establish your own holistic wellness program without destroying your budget with these ideas.

1. The quiet room

Let’s face it: The office is a very busy place, and sometimes busy can be synonymous with noisy. The constant sounds of phones ringing, fax machines beeping and printers printing can be a bit overwhelming to some employees. Choose a room in your office to be the “quiet room." This should be a small room that employees can reserve for working on extra difficult projects, or even just to take a couple of minutes for themselves to breathe and release some stress.

Many U.S. offices are also beginning to allow employees to use quiet rooms as a “prayer room.” A majority of U.S. employees identify as being religious and participate in various forms of prayer and meditation. Enabling your employees to practice these activities will help them feel spiritually and mentally rejuvenated -- increasing their overall productivity.

2. Bring your (inner) child to work day

Sure, businesses should be professional, but that doesn’t have to translate into being uptight all the time. Allow your employees to bring their inner child to work. Taken literally, this means let your employees play! You can even incorporate this into a team-building exercise by having employees challenge and motivate each other in fun and unique ways.

For example, one fun and unique way to let your employees play at work is to hold Lego building competitions. This encourages teamwork, creativity, problem-solving and even bonding in the workplace. You might want to designate a specific room or area for Lego building though, as it can easily become a bit messy and take up quite a bit of space.

3. Hydration oasis

Hydration is a very important part of your employee’s health that often goes overlooked. Being properly hydrated can help increase focus and balance, control appetite, and even improve your employees’ moods.

However, you don't have to promote healthier hydration habits by drinking water alone. In addition to the water cooler, stock your organization's fridge with fresh fruits, vegetables and yogurts. These foods contain high water percentages to keep your employees hydrated throughout the day. To save money, buy locally at a farmer's market or produce stand.  Take your hydration oasis to the next level by getting a blender or juicer from a flea market or thrift shop.

4. Bike rental program

To encourage your employees to bike to work more often, offer a bike rental program as part of your employee benefit package. Some busy cities such as Philadelphia, New York City and Los Angeles already offer bike rental programs to citizens, and they may be more than happy to extend a discount to your organization, especially if you can get enough employees to become involved.

There is also Zagster, an organization that works to design, build and operate bike-sharing programs for businesses across the country. If your business is on a very tight budget or is a startup with only a few employees, buy some bikes from the thrift store or flea markets.

5. Volunteerism

Serving others and the environment is a major component of holistic wellness. Set aside some time for you and your employees to devote to a positive cause. This can be as simple as participating in a local food drive or creating greeting cards for elderly residents at a nearby nursing home. Help improve your company’s sustainability efforts by planting a tree or starting a garden right outside of your office. Implementing a volunteer program is a great start to boosting your company's morale. Employees will feel more like a team, knowing that they're working together for an outcome greater than a paycheck or product.

Creating a holistic wellness program for your business doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. When you choose any of these ideas, you’ll be able to improve the overall wellbeing of your employees while enhancing the company’s work culture.

Image credit: Pixabay/geralt 

Darryl Lewis is a digital marketing and a fine/performing arts enthusiast. His concern about social and environmental issues is unwavering, always seeking opportunities to create a positive impact on the people in his community and the world. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing from Stockton University. Follow him on Twitter @dlew4life