How To Implement Workplace Wellness Habits That Actually Stick

Engaged and empowered employees are on the other side of optimized overall wellness.

“Workers now expect their employers to view them as individual human beings and provide benefits that support them on a personal level.” – Kayling Gaver, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Tapcheck, shared in an opinion piece for Employee Benefit News.

Deploying tools for enhanced wellness in your office isn’t enough anymore. The emphasis is now being placed on the inclusion of time to integrate these practices while at work, to ensure they stick. For CEOs and Business Leaders, this may mean sacrificing ‘work time’ in the short term, but within as little as a month, employees have been shown to be more engaged, energized, and excited to work. A worthy ROI.

Employers are now in the business of health. Here to discuss this statement and how to implement workplace wellness are 3 industry leaders:

Time Blocking Wins Every Time

Tarryn Reeves is The Book Queen and CEO of Four Eagles Publishing, the publishing house of choice for Conscious Disruptors, Visionaries, and Leaders. At her small but mighty company, she recognizes that her team’s well-being is the heartbeat of high-level customer service and a sustainable business.

“Top quality service is so important to me and my business. It is what our reputation is based on. If my team is not healthy, engaged, and empowered, it results in poor quality work, poor client service, and necessary micro-management. These are all the things I do not invite into my business or my team.”

At the helm of Four Eagles Publishing, Tarryn utilizes time-blocking and encourages her team to do the same, by taking longer breaks for lunch, and lingering a little longer outdoors for fresh air and movement. It has allowed productivity to soar as her team returns to the office with an elevated mood and heightened engagement for the rest of the day!

“I encourage myself and my staff to take great care of themselves. Emphasizing the results of taking time off when needed to recharge and initiate open conversations to ask for more time and help when needed, has built a team that pours from full cups! We’ve noticed individual productivity has increased, which has impacted our business ecosystem in a huge way.”

Time Blocking is a simple tool that breaks down your day into manageable blocks of time for each task or project. It can drastically improve focus while keeping you on track to your weekly, monthly and annual goals in line with your overall vision.

Cultivating A Self-initiated Workplace Culture

 Echoing the importance of time being a crucial piece of the workplace wellness initiative is Kortney Murray. She heads up Coastal Kapital, her self-made, financial services company in Florida, whose mission is to guide others through the choppy waters of Business Financing.

“I want my employees to take time for mindful decompression, so they can be present in the workplace. I aim to include my team in all decision-making, hear everyone’s voice and incorporate something from everyone. It lets my team know that they are more than a warm body in my office. I want my team to have a place to grow.”

Kortney is a big believer in ‘Sweat Equity’: “without effort and presence, you will have a much longer road to reach your goals. I love participating in my everyday Work-culture and ensuring that self-care takes front and centre for us all!”

Optimizing your Workplace Culture to elevate and energize, demands strong Company Values at its core, clear communication within the organization, and a CEO at the wheel who is grounded and leading without their ego.

“I have allowed an open environment where my employees really make their own time. What I have found is the more you give, the more you receive in return.”

Optimize Your Human Essence

Shar Moore, Founder of the Feminessence® Movement, is a CEO who is in tune with the potential that resides within each of us: “wellness habits stick in our company because of the unique way we utilize our human-essence – which demands flow between seasons.”

Humans were designed to hibernate in winter, forage in spring, sleep at night, and be active during the day. Our energy, productivity, and longevity require us to be in tune with our Circadian Rhythm, not just the constant grind of the 9 to 5.

In the same way that our natural flow would adjust to the seasons, our work-life should take on an element of adaptiveness: “Some months we have huge deadlines to meet for publishing, which means all hands on deck. In these months, we adjust our social calendar slightly to make time for rest that will fuel us to meet our deadlines. We then move into a season of nurturing, spacious lunch breaks, and work-social life that is tipped more toward the social side to build fulfilment.”

In Closing 

It’s unrealistic to expect ourselves or our employees to operate at a constant pace throughout the year, month, or even the day. What it really comes down to is managing time in a way that allows us to play to our innate strengths while fully expressing our human nature. We are playful beings, and not machines after all. Our productivity is directly proportionate to our sense of wellbeing, and like Yin and Yang, our daily lives must reflect balance and harmony in the interest of sustainability and most importantly, happiness.