11 Ways To Promote Employee Wellness During the Winter Months
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It’s normal to feel down and lose motivation in the winter when the temperatures are colder, and there are fewer hours of daylight. To keep your employees energized and engaged this year, check out the following eleven methods for promoting wellness all winter long.
1. Boost Benefits Packages
As fall comes to a close, review your employees’ benefits packages and offerings. You can even consider offering them access to a gym membership so that they can stay active when it’s colder outside.
“The first thing your company can do is reevaluate the benefits it offers to employees. What can be added to help encourage team wellness throughout the winter and the year as a whole? Even small additions can make a big difference,” says John Hall, co-founder of Calendar.
Along with offers to promote physical wellness, check to ensure that your team’s benefits cover counseling or therapy. Access to a trained mental health professional can make a world of difference when your employees are trying to combat the low mood that often comes in winter.
2. Prioritize Work-Life Balance
Because there’s less sunlight and ordinary tasks may take longer due to colder temperatures or snow, winter can sap the energy out of your employees. That’s why promoting a healthy work-life balance is more important than ever in winter.
George Fraguio, Vice President of Bridge Lending at Vaster advises, “Encourage your employees to take frequent breaks away from their screen and build no-meeting time into their schedules in the winter. On a larger scale, winter is also a time when your team should be taking PTO and going on vacation or, at the very least, taking time to unwind at home.”
It’s important to be explicit about the importance of work-life balance with your team. If you notice everyone is working their hardest this winter, you can even put scheduled company-wide breaks on their calendar so they remember to take a quick break every day.
3. Provide Wellness Tools
Sometimes, what your employees need to prioritize their wellness in winter is a bit of inspiration. Provide everyone with water bottles, and put a wide selection of tea bags in the break room so that everyone stays hydrated.
“Before winter rolls around, examine the ergonomics of your workplace,” says Greg Hannley, Founder and CEO of Soba Mesa. “Make sure all of your furniture promotes good posture so that your employees don’t leave the office feeling achy.”
Ergonomics are especially important to consider in winter when people are already more prone to bodily pain and aches. Different ergonomic accessories, such as footrests and monitor arms, can greatly improve the quality of your teams’ workstations.
4. Plan Group Activities
It’s harder to meet up outside during the winter, so many people experience heightened social isolation. To combat social issues bringing your employees down, plan company-wide events like lunches out, indoor sports competitions, or volunteer work.
“Carve out time in the winter from your teams’ schedule to incentivize attending company-wide events. These events will likely light your employees’ spirits and will contribute to creating a more collaborative, harmonious culture,” notes Dovas Zakas, CMO & Cofounder of The Pets Table.
Group activities are especially beneficial if you onboard new team members in the fall. Giving everyone a chance to get to know each other outside of work promotes trust as well, creating even more of an incentive to prioritize social connectivity.
5. Create a Culture of Positivity
While you’re working to promote your team's physical wellness, it’s also important to create a positive office culture. Although this is arguably harder to achieve than some of the more tangible methods on this list, it is vitally important and will have long-lasting effects.
Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce highlights, “Goal-setting can be an incredible way to boost your team’s morale during winter. At the beginning of the seasons, have everyone set both personal and professional goals, and check in frequently to make sure they’re being met.”
It can be beneficial to help your team visualize these goals. Put together a team-wide “vision board” in the office so that as goals are met your team can celebrate one another.
6. Offer Meditation and Mindfulness Workshops
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Meditation and mindfulness are two great tools that your employees can practice this winter to maintain their mental health. Especially for team members who deal with anxiety, these practices can improve their quality of life and make them more resilient at work and in their personal lives.
“Bringing a professional into your office to teach meditation and mindfulness is one of the best ways to show your team you care. Along with improving their mental health, it can make them more focused and energized at work,” adds Bob Craycraft, CEO of Cadence.
If your company is on a tight budget this winter, consider giving your employees access to digital platforms that offer meditation and mindfulness education. Online options are cost-effective ways to promote these practices without having to physically bring someone to your office.
7. Promote Counseling and Therapy
A stone of a thorough mental health practice with always be counseling and therapy. However, in corporate settings, there’s often a stigma assigned to therapy, which is why it’s important that you and others in leadership positions are vocal about promoting them.
“Companies that make it easy for their employers to access therapy—ideally free or low-cost—reap the benefits of mentally well, productive staff,” says Keith Ferrazzi, founder and chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight. “While insurance coverage for therapy should be a given, it’s important to destigmatize therapy and counseling and ensure that staff is not shamed for using it.”
Encourage your employees who may benefit from therapy to seek it out either in person or virtually. Virtual help is a great option for people who may not have the time to make an in-person appointment every week.
8. Train Management on Mental Health Support Techniques
One of the best ways to care for your employees’ wellness in winter is to provide in-depth mental health support training to management. It is important to train your leadership team to identify signs of anxiety and depression and understand treatment options for both.
Lance Patterson, CEO of Juice Beauty, a company known for their CC cream notes, “When your management knows how to support employees who are struggling with their mental health, they are far more likely to seek help. The result will be a team who is far more satisfied and committed to their work.”
If they don’t have proper training, management may see troubling behavior but choose not to address it for fear of making the problem worse. Equipping them with simple tools and resources will make the thought of having conversations regarding mental health far less daunting.
9. Cater Healthy Food
When it comes to physical wellness, the three main components are exercise, sleep, and healthy eating. You can promote a healthy diet for your team by ordering healthy food to the office during the winter.
“Getting your entire team to go out to eat can be difficult, especially if certain employees have children or family to care for,” says Justin Soleimani, Co-Founder of Tumble, a company known for their washable rugs. “Ordering healthy meals straight to the office makes it easy for your employees to have nutritious meals without having to sacrifice their time outside work.”
Be sure to poll your employees before ordering to determine what type of food everyone likes and whether there are any allergies or intolerances. Although you want the food to be healthy, you don’t want to order food that no one will eat.
10. Organize Holiday Gift Giving
Organize a holiday gift exchange to break up the dreariness of winter for your team. This will provide an opportunity for your employees to get to know one another better and give them something to look forward to.
“Gift-giving during the holidays is one way to create a festive feeling in your workplace and keep your team energized. Arranging a gift exchange where everyone is given a specific colleague to purchase a gift for can be especially useful for team bonding,” adds Ruslan Polinovsky, Sr. Director of Marketing at LUSA.
Provide a limit on the amount of money that should be spent on gifts. This will prevent the celebration from becoming a financial stressor.
11. Lead by Example
In order for these pratices to be effective, your employees have to actually do them. In terms of winter wellness, leading by example may look like talking about your own experience with therapy with your team or organizing a fun group activity.
Leah Francis, Head of Growth at Postable, a company known for their Christmas Cards, says, “Your team may look to you for motivation to engage in wellness practices. Be candid about what methods work for you, and encourage your team to prioritize their wellness this winter, regardless of what that looks like.”
Scheduling wellness check-ins with your team is an effective way to ensure everyone is practicing self-care. Having a quick, one-on-one meeting with your employees will show them how invested you are in their wellness.
Staying Well During the Winter Slump
It is notoriously harder to embrace new wellness practices during winter, especially when you’re working a full-time job.
“Making your employees’ winter wellness a priority is mutually beneficial. You’ll strengthen your relationships with your team and, in turn, they will likely be able to produce higher-quality work and be more focused in the office,” notes Brandon Adcock, Co-Founder and CEO of Nugenix, a company known for their Instaflex Advanced supplement.
That said, you can introduce these methods to your team and prepare for the healthiest, most productive winter yet.
