Key Takeaways
- Work can be overwhelming — 77% of workers have experienced work-related stress in the past month. It makes me wonder who the other 23% are. And where do they work? 😂
- Wellness challenges focused on daily movement, mindfulness and improved sleep, make a big difference in employees’ well-being.
- Making wellness activities fun, accessible, and rewarding is key to getting everyone involved and excited. Notably, 70% of employees enrolled in wellness programs report higher job satisfaction.
- Twello offers wellness programs and resources designed to boost your team’s health, happiness, and overall productivity!
Workplace Stress and the Importance of Wellness
Work is filled with stressful variables. Workload, expectations, colleagues, work-life balance, and more are common contributors to workplace stress.
These are just a few reasons why workplace wellness is so valuable.
84% of workers cite excessive workload as a significant contributor to stress.
We know it can be challenging to find fresh and fun ideas to get your employees involved in the workplace culture, especially for remote and hybrid teams.
That’s precisely why our workplace wellness ideas are easy to implement and will have a lasting positive impact on your employees.
Top 10 Workplace Wellness Ideas
1. Daily Fitness Challenge
One of the most straightforward ways to run a wellness challenge is by encouraging your staff to complete just *one* small fitness activity per day, such as a pushup or a jumping jack, and then increase repetitions over the course of a month as the challenge progresses.
You could even offer a bonus vacation day to those that stay consistent for the entire month.
When it comes to fitness, it’s especially important to remember that everyone on the staff is starting at a different level and some folks may need accessibility accommodations.
That’s why it’s important to reward consistency rather than the final result.
Take a look at our Break a Sweat Boot Camp class for some excellent ideas on how to get people excited about getting fit.
2. Mindfulness Walking Challenge
Another excellent practice to encourage is walking meditation. When we think of meditation, we typically picture someone sitting down. However, walking meditation is an excellent option that promotes both mental and physical health.
The idea is to walk slowly, monitor your breath, and keep it in sync with your footsteps. You can create a challenge that asks remote workers to try walking meditation once per day.
Consider creating a forum for your staff to discuss the benefits they experience.
We offer a Mindfulness for Boosting Focus class that could be a great supplement to your walking meditation challenge.
3. 8 Hours of Sleep Challenge
Unfortunately, far too many people struggle with consistent sleep, especially those of us who spend our days hunched over a computer! 🙋🏻♀️
A lack of physical exertion and disruptions to routine can negatively impact sleeping habits.
Encourage your staff to make lifestyle adjustments to improve their sleep habits.
You can create a challenge where employees compete for the most nights of 8 hours of sleep within a specific time period.
Mindfulness can also help improve sleep, and your staff might benefit from our Mindfulness for Improving Sleep course.
4. Mindfulness Challenge
Here at Twello you know we’re going to be suggesting mindfulness!
Why? You can check out our ever-growing list of 50+ Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation at Work but if you don’t have time to pop over there I’ll save you the click: mindfulness is the most affordable and accessible tool we have to improve our well-being quickly, offering staggering benefits to our emotional, mental, and even physical health.
Mindfulness is the process of becoming aware of what’s happening in one’s mind and body on a moment-to-moment basis, often referred to as being “present.”
To cultivate mindfulness, folks need to practice it regularly.
A great challenge for your team is to practice mindfulness for 5 minutes per day for 10 days straight.
At Twello, we offer a workplace-specific Mindfulness 101 course that teaches all the fundamentals of cultivating a mindfulness practice.
Many of our clients (think Capital One, KPMG, and Spotify) book Mindfulness 101 year after year in May to kick off Mental Health Awareness Month but it is a popular workshop year-round.
5. 30 Days Of Meditation Challenge
Meditation, much like mindfulness, is a practice of becoming more aware of yourself. During meditation, the focus is typically on one’s breath to become more conscious of the thoughts and feelings that arise.
While it may seem simple, meditation can be difficult. However, over time, it helps to calm anxiety and produce feelings of clarity. Decades of research support these benefits.
Twello offers a Meditation 101 course to provide your staff with the building blocks for effective practice.
6. One Month Of Journaling Challenge
Journaling is an excellent method for processing thoughts and feelings, shown to reduce stress and anxiety. It allows individuals to reflect on life events and extract valuable lessons.
Challenge your staff to journal daily for a month, assessing their progress each week. Our Science of Gratitude Journaling class can provide avenues for journaling success.
7. Water Drinking Challenge
Drinking enough water is essential for physical and mental health. For a generally healthy person, four to six cups of water per day is recommended, according to Harvard Health.
Our Mindfulness and The Body class can help individuals learn how to assess their body’s dietary needs. You could also challenge your staff to drink the appropriate amount of water each day, with an incentive such as water bottles to encourage hydration.
8. Daily Stretching Challenge
Sedentary work can lead to muscular pain, and stretching is a great way to ease into physical activity. Practices like yoga and general stretching are beneficial for employees.
Challenge your staff to complete a yoga program, whether for a few days or a few months. You could also explore our Mat Yoga and Chair Yoga classes to see if they fit well with your team’s needs.
9. Self-Care Challenge
Self-care is the practice of meeting your body and mind’s needs. Exercise, personal hygiene, rest, and psychological wellness are all essential parts of self-care.
Challenge your staff to create self-care goals for the next month and track their success. Mindfulness is particularly helpful in understanding what the body and mind need. Our Mindfulness for Work-Life Balance course provides more insights into these practices.
10. Mindful Eating Challenge
Nutrition directly impacts mental and physical health, making it vital for overall well-being.
Mindful eating helps people develop a deeper awareness of flavor, food sources, and the pace of eating. Twello offers a Mindful Eating and Nutrition class that can help significantly with mindful eating practices.
Build Your Workplace Wellness Program With Us
We hope these wellness challenge ideas for remote employees were useful to you. The possibilities are endless when it comes to workplace wellness challenges!
Encourage wellness in the workplace this summer with team challenges. We’re here to help!
Explore our site for more ideas on corporate wellness, insights into wellness challenges, and more.
Are you ready to begin putting solutions in place? Your company’s path to wellness doesn’t need to be stressful. Contact Twello today to schedule a free consultation.
