Why Wellness Webinars For Employees Matter In 2024
The numbers are IN.
In a dramatic shift since 2019, a staggering 73% of all teams are expected to have remote workers by 2028, according to Upwork.
Perhaps even more staggering — and I’m slightly reluctant even to put this on the record — but Buffer has reported, “ninety-eight percent of respondents (remote workers) would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers.” 98%.
Now, I’m no mathematician, but remote work isn’t going anywhere. At the same time, executive teams are putting pressure on HR to “just get more people in the office already.”
And with any evolution in the workplace: HR, wellness, and leadership teams are tasked with devising innovative and timely solutions to accommodate and support their teams through this evolution.
Ugh, it always lands on your shoulders, doesn’t it?
But have no fear. If you’re looking for a data-backed review of the most popular wellness webinars for 2024, you’ve come to the right place.
The best thing about wellness webinars is they are the perfect fit for remote, hybrid, and onsite teams. They are also the best bang for your buck – if you have flat-rate pricing.
As the Co-Founder of Twello, a corporate wellness company, it’s literally my job to know what topics are most important to today’s workforce.
Note: this isn’t just about keeping up with trends; it’s about aligning with a fundamental preference among the workforce and shaping a work culture that meets these evolving demands.
For my visual learners, we’ve compiled the data from our class participants in 2023 into a handy-dandy little chart:
The Top 10 Wellness Webinar Topics [2024]
#1: Mindfulness 101
The reigning champion three years in a row.
The scientific benefits of mindfulness are well documented. A Harvard study found that practicing mindfulness has many proven health benefits, including reducing stress, chronic pain relief, depression, and anxiety.
Considering the costs of health insurance, investing in the health of your workforce is a no-brainer. Including virtual mindfulness activities for groups to support your staff is wise.
Mindfulness 101 is the ideal introduction for the skeptical beginner. This webinar examines the science behind mindfulness and simple techniques that even the busiest people can apply to their day to become more mindful.
There are no requirements for this webinar: no mat, no equipment, no candles, and no crystals. Bring only your team, an open mind, and maybe a comfy chair to help you enjoy the session!
#2: Chair Yoga
If we’re being honest with one another — and I think we are — I’ll let you in on a little secret.
My Co-Founders and I never expected Chair Yoga to take off the way that it did.
We started offering it in mid-2020 when so many of us worked from closets, and mat yoga wasn’t accessible. Since then, it has skyrocketed to our 2nd most popular class and remains there.
Why?
Chair yoga is the most accessible version of yoga for the whole team.
People of all ages and all fitness levels can take this class, and they don’t need any prior experience in yoga.
It also doesn’t hurt that it improves strength, flexibility, and mobility. Research also shows it boosts mood, combats stress and anxiety, and enhances mental clarity.
The instructor will demonstrate mindful movement, plus some simple stretches you can do at home in a chair to help wake up the mind and body at the start of each day.
This course is also useful for companies who want to support their team with pre-meeting wellness activities.
See it for yourself by requesting a quote below!
#3: Mindfulness For Stress Reduction
Did you know that there is a negative correlation between overall stress and productivity?
So stress ⬇️, productivity ⬆️.
Organizations also find a decrease in turnover, an increase in employee engagement, and a boost in overall employee well-being.
In Twello’s Mindfulness For Stress Reduction class, participants will learn two of the most accessible stress-reduction mindfulness techniques around.
Even novices can apply these techniques to promote positive mental health.
The session closes with an enjoyable and relaxing extended meditation for all participants.
So why not try introducing feel-good Friday or wellness Wednesday ideas to your weekly staff support calendar?
#4: Meditation 101
Sometimes, “the quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass
Meditation 101 provides an overview of two common, beginner-friendly meditation practices:
- Guided meditation
- Silent meditation
And very importantly, these practices are secular (non-religious), inclusive, and accessible to all team members.
This class is also skeptic-friendly and features data on the benefits of sitting back and taking a deep breath or two.
Need more data to show your boss? Here’s a list of over 50 studies highlighting the benefits of meditation at work.
#5: Mindfulness For Boosting Creativity
Want your business to thrive ahead in 2024?
Invest in a creative workforce.
In theory, creativity is something that comes naturally to most of us – until the pressures of everyday life get in the way.
But creativity is essential to running an innovative and competitive business.
A workshop on mindfulness for boosting creativity may be just the thing your team needs at the moment.
You’ll get hands-on training around topics such as convergent and divergent thinking, plus tips and tricks for creative brainstorming at your next meeting.
#6: Mindfulness For Improving Sleep
Around four out of ten people experience constant occupational fatigue at work.
And that’s a big problem. Why? Researchers liken 4 hours less sleep to having drank 4 to 6 drinks. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I should be stepping into the office after I’ve had a few.
In some jobs, tiredness reduces productivity. In others, lack of sleep has catastrophic consequences.
This workshop will demonstrate the three most common barriers to a restful night’s sleep.
You’ll also learn a bit about how to use mindfulness to improve sleep quality.
And you’ll discover other practical changes your team can make to their routine to help achieve better sleep
#7: Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is NOT a diet.
It encourages a more intentional and present-minded approach to eating, which can have numerous benefits for one’s physical and psychological well-being (think less self-criticism, improved digestion, and even better nutritional choices).
A virtual session that introduces the concept of mindful eating will help give your employees the tools and techniques they need to reach their own health goals – without preaching or shaming an individual for their current health.
This class also wraps up with a guided mindfulness tool you can use when you’re on your coffee or lunch break – and in 5 minutes or less!
#8: Emotional Inteligence 101
Emotional intelligence helps us to understand and notice emotions in the workplace.
Our Emotional Intelligence 101 class takes an innovative approach to increasing emotional intelligence in the boardroom, conference room, and even the break room!
Learn a simple mindfulness framework to increase empathy, communicate effectively, and reduce conflict.
#9: Science of Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude may be the most accessible, affordable tool we have to increase optimism, emotional resilience, and happiness.
In our Science of Gratitude Journaling wellness webinar, you don’t need a pricey Moleskine notebook to practice gratitude journaling; any piece of paper will work just fine.
#10: Pilates
Is your team looking for more mindful movement?
Increase flexibility and improve body awareness with our restorative pilates classes.
Pilates is known for improving posture and easing back pain, all too common ailments for office workers.
Your certified instructor will provide modifications and progressions, always allowing you to work at your own pace.
10 Benefits of Virtual Wellness Webinars For Employees
Virtual wellness webinars reached the mainstream, and for good reason.
Many (dare I say most?) working professionals struggle to find time for wellness practices outside of work hours. Wellness webinars have emerged to help employees fit wellness practices into their day without leaving the office.
Here are some of the reasons for their rapid rise in popularity in the past 5 years:
- Wellness webinars can support a wide range of physical ailments, such as chronic pain and high blood pressure. Offering wellness webinars can reduce healthcare costs for your company and help ensure your employees are happy and healthy when they start the day.
- A study conducted by Stanford University School of Medicine shows meditation can lead to a 30% decrease in stress-related symptoms that often lead to serious illness.
- Multiple neuroimaging studies have shown that meditation enhances neural pathways in the brain responsible for concentration and attention, critical skills in today’s beeping, buzzing, slacking, pinging office.
- Unfortunately, mental health issues are growing, and the Lancet estimates 12.4 billion workdays are lost every year due to mental health problems. Mindfulness-based wellness programs, in particular, can help improve mental health outcomes for employees.
- As workforces become more remote and global, virtual classes are a positive way to bring people together with one common goal, increasing facetime and corporate culture.
- Putting supportive practices in place can help increase your staff retention, demonstrating to your team that, as a company, you care about investing in their wellbeing.
- Modern life is stressful, and a busy job can add to that, so wellbeing classes are an effective strategy to help your employees manage the stresses that come with the job.
- Virtual classes (especially chair yoga and pilates) can be saved and repeated whenever your team needs it most. Busy season? Major conference coming up? Pop on your 25-minute chair yoga session and enjoy the stress-blocking properties of mindful movement.
- Millennials experience more depression at work more than any other generation. Millennials are also likely the least engaged generation in the workforce. Research suggests only 29% are actively engaged while 55% are not engaged, and 16% are actively disengaged. Keeping millennials healthy and engaged is a growing concern for most organizations.
- Classes like Emotional Intelligence 101 and Increasing Psychological Safety help employees in common areas of conflict, such as customer complaints, intrapersonal conflict, and even those little lunchroom tiffs.
Key Findings From Our Survey Of 600+ Corporate Wellness Webinar Attendees
First off, where did we find over 600 professionals to survey in the first place?
As the #1 virtual corporate wellness vendor, a lot of employees come through our (virtual) doors every year.
We decided to start tracking class preferences three years ago. And it turns out it’s pretty interesting (at least to me 🤓), especially changes over time.
These were the key findings this year:
- Mindfulness is #1 and Chair Yoga is #2, AGAIN
- These results were gathered across industries but primarily represent 9-5ers, such as accountants, lawyers, etc.
- You’ll notice these classes are slanted towards seated, calming classes – if your team is looking for some movement-based classes, they will likely prefer Chair Yoga, Mat Yoga, Pilates, and Mindful Movement
- Over the last the years since we began tracking attendance and preferences at scale, Improving Sleep and Mindful Eating have gained in popularity while Mindful Communication and Psychological Safety have dropped off the Top 10 List
How To Book Wellness Webinars For The Workplace
This is the part of the blog where I have to toot my own wellness horn – so to speak.
Twello wellness webinars are engaging, popular, and led by certified mindfulness and yoga teachers.
That’s what sets us apart from Beverly in Accounting, who started practicing yoga 2 weeks ago and wants to teach it to the whole organization (no offense, Beverly).
It is no wonder many leading employers (🎺Amazon, Netflix, KPMG, PwC, EY… the acronyms go on🎺) all have weekly or monthly wellness webinars in their calendars.
Unlike in-person training, summits, and conferences, arranging virtual webinars and classes for your team is hassle-free. You could even turn them into an event such as a virtual wellness fair or virtual health fair.
To make a start, get in touch with our team. We’re very, very good at this.
We only need a few little pieces of info to whip up an instant quote for you.
Missing some of that info? No problem! We’re here to give class recommendations depending on your industry, org size, and company culture.
Looking forward to meeting your team in 2024.
