Newsletters
By Lauretta Jaye
Over the last few years, individuals have been focusing on their personal wellbeing. Wellbeing now encompasses all aspects of a person’s life including eating well, having an active lifestyle, contributing to the world, mindfulness… the list goes on.
Similar to individuals, organizations are now meeting their employees where they are and have made a pivot from focusing on only corporate social responsibility to total company wellbeing.
What this Means
The definition of corporate wellness is simple: it is any program designed to encourage healthier lifestyle choices for your workplace.
According to a recent study, Corporate wellness programs are nearly an $8 billion industry in the United States alone, and the segment is expected to grow another 7.8 percent by 2021. Globally, it’s a $40 billion industry.
Why You Should Care
According to the Centers for Disease Foundation, worker illness and injuries cost U.S. employers $225.8 billion annually, or $1,685 per employee. In addition, $1 trillion is lost due to unaddressed employee chronic disease each year, according to the Milken Institute.
A study by the University of Louisville found that every dollar invested in a wellness program generated $7 in healthcare savings. The study also revealed that changing certain behaviors decreased the average number of health risks among employees from 5 or more health risks to 0 to 3 risks.
Those are some pretty staggering numbers and are a clear indicator that corporate wellbeing programs are an investment organizations need to make.
The 7 Dimensions of Wellness
Organizations shouldn’t be intimidated to establish a corporate wellness program. There is no one-size-fits-all solution as wellness means different things to different people. We found the seven dimensions of wellness, created by the University of California Riverside, that provide a great foundation. Companies should create solutions to help their employees strive towards balance in each.
How Giving Fits In
Wellness expert Deepak Chopra’s 7 Spiritual Laws, similar to the 7 dimensions of wellness, were created to help us understand and strive towards achieving a sense of purpose and wellness. The second law is the Law of Giving: The universe operates through dynamic change…giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.
Giving is part of wellbeing. As we read through what it means to be socially, emotionally, spiritually, environmentally, occupationally, intellectually and physically well, we see a multitude of ways where giving can be incorporated and utilized to achieve each.
Whether the giving is through the investment of time, energy or means, it is a crucial part of achieving wellness both individually and as an organization.
Image credit. Originally published here.
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