Corporate Wellness – What Is It & 5 Corporate Wellness Trends

Over the last year, the corporate world has certainly been flipped on its head. This has been stressful for business owners and team members alike, as everyone has scrambled to figure out what the new normal will look like. The new normal being something that is more sustainable for humans to participate in in a healthy way.

It is a good thing that the corporate world was forced to make changes; some cultures that are deeply rooted in toxic work habits will never change unless they have to in order to survive. This week, we talk about new corporate wellness trends that we hope will be sticking around to stay for good. 

What is Corporate Wellness?

Employee wellbeing is everything now that the workplace has molded itself into a structure that is entirely unprecedented. In the midst of one of the most tumultuous years in many worker’s lives, it can be difficult for individuals to keep their head in the game at work. This is exactly why so many companies are reimagining what their daily work experience looks like, and offering unique wellness programs to their teams.

Corporate wellness in the workplace involves any activity or experience which promotes healthy physical and mental activity, as well as any organizational or educational information created to support best practices overall. Engaging in these practices will improve health outcomes overall, while also boosting productivity and happiness levels throughout the workday.

It is important to remember that you should be striving towards a culture rooted in wellness in order to help you and your employees be the best version of yourselves. Wellness activities should not be viewed as mindless tasks, rather an opportunity to take your mind off of work, while still engaging in something that positively benefits your working experience. 

Why Emphasize Wellness?

You should choose to focus on promoting wellness as a central effort in your company because it entirely determines the culture of your workplace. When you put the needs and wellbeing of your workers first, people see that, and it makes your company all the more desirable to be a part of. 

Companies are creating environments that work to reduce stress, not add on to it. These new wellness practices encourage a happier and more successful team; a team that feels valued and invigorated to do a job well done.

Corporate Wellness Trends

Below is a list of the corporate wellness trends that have risen to significance throughout the past year.

1. Mental Health Support – Mental health programs are being widely invested in by companies, as well as being made much more accessible to workers around the world. It has been recognized that people are unable to do their best work if their mind is occupied elsewhere, and they deserve the support needed to work through these mental and personal roadblocks.
2. Increased Flexibility During the Workday – There is more trust and looseness around what a workday looks like; employers want their employees to want to go to work, so this has now adapted to a more flexible schedule for many workers.
3. Opportunities to Connect with Coworkers – Now that working with other people is only happening on rare occasions, in the corporate setting, there has been a larger emphasis on making sure that teams have time to truly get to know one another.
4. Holistic Wellbeing – There has been a shift in how wellness, and health in general, is approached in the workplace. Instead of just considering eating healthy and exercise, companies are also asking what they can do to ensure financial wellness, emotional wellbeing, mental health, too.
5. Emphasizing Intention – Intentionality creates greater opportunities for clear communication, motivation, and achieving goals in the workplace. Take a look at our article about 12 Reasons Why Your Company Should Emphasize Intention.
6. Gardening– Gardening for health. Corporations are now helping their teams and customers connect with good things, get outside, breathe in fresh air, and grow something really good. Gardening can make you feel good about your mental health, physical health and helps you get your own “nature prescription” wherever you live, work and play. If you would like to find out more about corporate gardening experiential workshops reach out to Doug Platts at doug@gardenuity.com

Start Your Journey

It’s all about valuing the people around you, and what each of us does in order to keep a system running. In the corporate world, you can show your team how much you care by engaging in conversations, and asking them what would serve them best. Even better, introduce them to gardening experiences; it’ll make your team happier, more productive, and you’ll have a beautiful environment.