35 Tips to Increase Employee Health and Wellness

In need of some fresh health tips to share with your employees?

Sharing health tips is a simple way to get wellness content in front of your employees without hassle — especially when they’re in an easy-to-digest format like the list in this post.

These are easy to share on your team’s Slack channel, in an email, at your next meeting, or even on your office bulletin board.

Below, you’ll find tips to encourage your employees to focus on their physical and mental health that they can start using as soon as today.

Ready for health points to share that will keep your team feeling their best?

Here are 35 health tips your employees will appreciate:

1. Take a daily walk - Get your exercise in and boost your creativity when you get outdoors and take a walk. Research shows that walking benefits the body in numerous ways including increased flexibility, decreased obesity risk, and even improves immunity.
   
   
2. Explore nature - Time outdoors offers healing advantages that you might not normally think about. Research has found that time outdoors can reduce stress, anxiety, and acts as a natural energy booster. Head to your local park or favorite hiking trail or even around your neighborhood for a mood lift.

3. Get your sleep - The less sleep you get, the more likely you will feel quick to anger, anxiety, and a host of other unpleasant feelings. Plus, lack of sleep reduces your body’s ability to fight off infections, leaving you more vulnerable to illness. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night; do your best to settle into a relaxing bedtime routine an hour before you want to hit the sack.

4. Wash your hands - You’ve heard it plenty of times this year, but to prevent germs from spreading at home and at work — wash your hands often! Singing the happy birthday song twice while rubbing your hands together in warm, soapy water will kill germs on contact.

5. Connect with your colleagues - Social connection is critical to good health and a crucial part of workplace wellness. Stop by a coworker’s desk for some brief chit-chat or connect virtually for a coffee chat to maintain a sense of closeness as a team. Social connection is a key element of healthy workplaces and solid relationships.

6. Consume immunity-boosting foods  - When the weather gets colder and flu season starts, it’s important to maintain a strong immune system. Eating healthy foods with vitamin C (like acerola cherries, bell peppers, and oranges) can give you the antioxidants needed to fight off infections. Try The Simple 4-Week Immunity Booster Challenge to strengthen your immunity today!
   
   
7. Eat less salt - Many processed foods have a high salt content, making it difficult to keep salt levels under control if you snack on a lot of pre-packaged foods. Canned goods often have a lot of salt, so opting for foods labeled with “low sodium” can be a smart food move. Additionally, consider keeping your salt “budget” in mind when making food choices and salt your food in moderation.

8. Reduce your sit time - Sitting impacts your health in a variety of ways. With more of us working remotely, you may feel like all you do is sit all day long! Research shows sitting for five-plus hours daily is equivalent to smoking 1.25 packs of cigarettes. Another study showed a sedentary lifestyle may put you at risk for early death. When possible, get up, stretch, host a walking meeting, or do a mini-workout to get your heart rate up and circulation going. 

9. Give supplements a try - Work with your primary doctor to see where you may be deficient in essential vitamins and nutrients. Your physician may request blood work in order to pinpoint where you may need additional supplementation. Two supplements to consider are vitamin D and C. Vitamin D deficiency is a common concern but can be easily remedied with time outside and/or a vitamin D supplement. During cold and flu season, you can up your vitamin C intake to up to 2,000 mg daily.

10. Try positive thinking - Optimism can help individuals experiencing tough times, research shows. Plus, feeling happy can improve overall health and wellness. Next time you’re looking at the glass half empty, try to see the flip side. Give these positive thinking quotes a read if you need a little inspiration.

11. Drink more water - When you stay hydrated throughout the day, you keep your energy levels up and ward off headaches. Keep a reusable water bottle nearby and set an alarm to go off every hour to fill it up again. If you feel lethargy or a headache coming on, down some water before heading for the coffee pot or soda machine.

12. Park far away - Whether you’re going out to the grocery store, the library, or just shopping, add some extra steps in by parking further from the store. The extra movement is good for your muscles, your heart, and your mindset.

13. Create a regular meal plan - When you’re consistent with your meal planning, it makes it easier to save money and eat healthier. Pick a day of the week that you always do your shopping (never shop hungry, you’ll buy more!) and stick to it. Create a grocery list of your favorite go-to meals that are easy to make during the week, like crockpot recipes.

14. Do eye exercises - With the increase in employees working remotely from home, many of us are using digital devices more than ever. That also means an increase in digital eye strain, too. Make it a point to look away from the screen often and do eye exercises to minimize issues like dry eyes or headaches.

15. Drink some coffee - As it turns out, your cup of daily java may not be as bad for your health as you may think. Plain coffee can benefit your health as it contains antioxidants, which protect your cells from damage. Plus, coffee intake temporarily increases alertness and may even reduce depression.

16. Try therapy - Sometimes, it helps to talk with a professional about life’s challenges. Doing so with a neutral person like a therapist can help you approach problems with a new outlook. It also can help you identify ways to improve any mental health concerns like anxiety, which impacts 40 million Americans every year. 

17. Take breaks - We all need breaks from work. Every 50 minutes or so, make a plan to step away from your workspace. It will refresh your mind and get your circulation moving as you stand up and walk around your workspace.

18. Snack well - Prep your snacks for work during meal prepping on the weekends or the night before. Pre-package your own almonds, fresh fruit, or chopped veggies to have on hand for easy and healthy snacking while working.

19. Skip electronics before bed - Need a really good night’s sleep? Stop using electronics — which emit a blue light that interferes with your body’s ability to sleep — at least an hour before bed. This means cell phones, televisions, iPads, and any other screens.
    
    
20. Breathe - Learning deep breathing exercises can help you in moments of stress and anxiety. Breathing deeply can lower your heart rate and help calm you in the most anxious of situations. Here are 4 Easy Workplace Breathing Exercises to Reduce Stress at Work.
    
    
21. Find workouts you love - Do your best to move your body daily. Ideally, you want to aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. You’re more likely to stick with it if you do an activity you love, whether it’s yoga, walking, kickboxing, salsa, or something else.
    
    
22. Read daily - Reading is a great stress reducer and an easy way to learn new information. Check out our list of 19 healthy living books to add to your reading list.
    
    
23. Don’t be so hard on yourself - Think about how you would talk to your dearest friend after a breakup. You probably act empathetic and kind, right? Now imagine a scenario where you talk to yourself after a presentation or proposal you messed up on. You’re likely a bit hard on yourself. When you find yourself quick to offer negative self-talk, see how you can change the script to a more positive, encouraging internal dialogue.
    
    
24. Make time for play - Just as playtime is important for kids, it’s important for adults, too. Take time away from work to focus on doing activities you love. Whether it’s dancing, working out, taking a language class, or something else that excites you, put it on your calendar and make it a habit.
    
    
25. Be mindful - Mindfulness is a practice you can put into place daily. Reduce your stress and increase your joy by learning to live in the moment and be mindful of your daily activities, thoughts, and actions.
    
    
26. Reduce your sugar intake - Too much sugar intake has been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and inflammation. Watch your daily sugar intake to ensure you’re not getting too much. According to the American Heart Association, women should limit their sugar intake to less than 24 grams and men 36 grams or less daily.
    
    
27. Get your health appointments scheduled - Before the new year starts, consider getting the rest of your health appointments scheduled. You may also want to get a head start and book out for next year, too. Planning and scheduling ahead allows you to get those essential visits in before life distracts you and health issues ensue!
    
    
28. Try a meditation app - Meditation is an excellent way to calm your mind and focus on the present moment. Research shows meditation can improve anxiety and depression, and even sleep. Meditation apps are available and free to use on most devices. Give it a try today!
    
    
29. Give up smoking - Ready to give up your smoking habit? Consider taking an online tobacco cessation class that provides smokers the support they need to quit. Ask a fellow smoker to join you in quitting so you can support one another.
    
    
30. Consider a biometric screening - If your employer offers biometric screening opportunities, consider taking advantage of it. Doing so can help you pinpoint potential health risks or issues before they become too serious.
    
    
31. Shop the perimeter of the store - When you’re grocery shopping, consider picking up whole foods. These are foods that are closest to their natural state and can be found easily in nature. Next time you go grocery shopping, consider doing your best to shop the perimeter of the store and skip going down aisles with temptations like candy or cookies.
    
    
32. Give a plant-based diet a try - No, you don’t have to go vegan to enjoy the benefits of a plant-based diet. It just means you opt for more veggies, fruit, fish, and healthy fats while limiting your meat intake. Learn more about plant-based diets to see if it might work well for the health benefits you seek.
    
    
33. Journal - There are lots of documented benefits to journaling, including improved mental well-being and better organization of thoughts. If you’re going through a crisis or just the daily challenges of life, journaling is an effective way to track symptoms and feelings to learn how to better explore your emotions.
    
    
34. Eat fermented foods - Certain foods can increase the good bacteria in your gut, which can help overall wellness. Fermented foods, in particular, are known to keep bad bacteria from overtaking your gut. Foods like pickles, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut are all great options to incorporate into your diet.
    
    
35. Don’t drink your calories - Sugar-sweetened drinks can quickly run up your recommended calorie count for the day. Every soda, smoothie, sweet tea, energy drink, and sweetened latte adds up. Swap out sugar-filled drinks with flavored water instead.

Pick and Choose the Health Tips That Work For You

We’re all on different life paths and health journeys.

The health tips above are simply suggestions and opportunities to pick and choose what works for you and your employees. Every step taken toward wellness is a move in the right direction of living a more fulfilled and positive life.

It’s our hope that even just one of these tips can do that for you or your team.

Want some more inspirational content to share with your employees for your workplace wellness program? Check out this content:

• Cut the Sweets Sugar Challenge
• The Employee Wellness Project
• Tap the Power of Mindfulness
• 6 Easy Fitness and Wellness Challenges for Any Workplace

Thinking about making wellness a bigger part of your workplace? We’d love to help you get started! Whether you’re just beginning or looking to add fresh, fun wellness activities, we’re here to brainstorm what will work best for your team.

Ready to learn more? Get a quote today, and let’s make wellness a priority together!

What are some of your favorite health tips? Share them in the comments below!