In recent weeks, mental health discussions sprouted from the unlikeliest of places: the Tokyo Olympic Games.

After gymnast Simone Biles’ recent departure — and stunning return — to the Olympic stage after a brief mental health break, she tackled the subject head on during interviews.  The four-time Olympic gold medalist stepped away briefly from the Tokyo Olympics and withdrew from several competitions after realizing she wasn’t in the right mental headspace.

"We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day, we're human, too," said Biles, according to The Associated Press. "We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do."

As a nod of unity to the talented gymnast for talking about mental health, we decided to round up mental health quotes of the day for you to share. Quote them to your staff daily, send them in an email, or even put one on a sticky note placed on someone’s desk who you know needs it.

Ready to inspire your own mental health conversations at work? Read on.

Looking to make life easier for your teams in 2021 and beyond?

Then investing in and using digital HR tools is a wise move. Intuitive tools paired with technology is a great way to keep your team connected and engaged.

As teams move into a hybrid or fully remote work environment, having the best tools for your employees to connect, engage, and collaborate is essential. Build trust in your remote — and in-house — employees by showing them you’re willing to invest in their work environments.

But it can be overwhelming to figure out just which HR tools are worth investing in. That’s why in this post we share the best tools to use in the workplace and the key features of each to make your decision easier.

HR folks, get ready to share these amazing tools with your leadership to get workflows moving smoothly while skyrocketing employee engagement!

For those working from home, it may be a pain in the neck for more reasons than one — including literal pains in the neck and back.

Thanks to improper work stations and sedentary lifestyles, neck and back pain is becoming more of a problem for at-home workers. Unfortunately, many remote workers are finding neck, back, leg, and shoulder pain are now becoming the norm, according to the UT Southwestern Medicine Center.

It’s an expensive problem for employees and employers, too.

The American Chiropractic Association reports, “Back pain accounts for more than 264 million lost work days in one year — that’s two work days for every full-time worker in the country.”

Ouch.

With remote work becoming the norm, now is the time to help your team work more comfortably. Here’s a look at how to relieve neck and back pain and how to prevent it in the first place.

Is employee engagement important?

The answer is a resounding yes.

As more companies move into hybrid work models, it’s more important than ever to keep employees engaged to minimize staff turnover and improve efficiency and productivity.

Sadly, only one in five employees actually want to work for the company they’re hired by, according to the Workforce Institute 2021 Engagement and Retention Report. Worse yet, about half of employees surveyed plan to actively job hunt this year. Eek.

A lack of employee engagement could be caused by numerous factors including: poor company communication, false alignment with the company’s mission, minimal recognition, and more.  

Below we share the importance of employee engagement and how to engage your employees even more so they never want to leave your company.

Looking for a health observance to promote at work next month?

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, an annual observance dedicated to the importance of vaccinations for all ages. For employers, this is a great time to raise awareness about which vaccines adults need, reasons to vaccinate, and how to find vaccination sites with ease.

Since the COVID vaccine rollout, there has been much interest in vaccines, how they work, why we need them, etc. 

National Immunization Awareness Month is a great opportunity to dispel COVID vaccine myths and update workers on other shots they may need beyond the COVID shot.

Staying well at work seems trickier than it used to be.

Unfortunately, COVID is making a comeback with new variants shutting down places like Australia and Bangladesh, halting business operations for many. With these new outbreaks (and some health organizations encouraging vaccinated folks to mask up again), it’s important for employers to stay vigilant in keeping their in-office teams safe.

With every state seeing an increase in COVID cases, it’s essential for companies to prepare and practice prevention efforts to keep the virus from spreading. In doing so, leadership can help employees who have come back into the office stay well at work and feel comfortable staying in the workplace.

“A simple trick to adopt in the office is to post reminders about health and safety throughout the office,” says Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy, a primary care doctor for DoctorSpring. “It should become common practice for everyone. Condition them to adopt such protocols so that it will be a normal practice for them.”

Want some more guidance?

Here’s what your company can do now to help your team stay well at work:

What does your self-care strategy look like?

If your idea of self-care is scrolling Instagram while eating last night’s cold pizza (no judgment, we’ve all been there), you might need to up your game. Self-care isn’t just bubble baths and face masks. It’s the stuff that keeps you sane, healthy, and, let’s be honest, tolerable to be around.

So let’s dive into the types, benefits, and strategies that’ll have you feeling like a million bucks (or at least not like an overworked zombie).

Short on energy to workout?

You might just need a motivational video workout to get you going.

With the hybrid work model becoming the norm, many workers are sitting a lot longer than usual. But that doesn’t have to be you or your team.

Share this post with your coworkers and employees to get them inspired to get up and move their bodies. Doing so daily can help prevent back pain and poor posture while increasing energy and blood flow. Looking to lose weight or keep cardiovascular health in check? Regular exercise does that, too.

Below, you’ll find five inspirational and motivational video workouts to offer a visual of how to do a workout that doesn’t require equipment or a change of workout clothes.

Job stress is more real than ever.

Add in coming back to the workplace during an ongoing pandemic, and it’s enough to make most employees want to crawl back into bed. While gathering back to a somewhat normal workplace might feel exciting, it can also feel a bit terrifying, too.

During the past year, health officials have constantly reminded us to keep our personal interaction bubbles small, so it makes sense employees are feeling uneasy. Plus, every day we’re learning what is considered safe in the post-COVID vaccination world. With new updates daily, it can add fuel to the anxiety fire.

As employers, being empathetic and addressing those concerns will help make the adjustment back into the workplace easier for your employees.

Not sure exactly how to do that?

Below, we share insight on how to acknowledge employees’ concerns and a variety of ways to ease their anxiety.

In need of some ideas for healthy road trip food options this summer?  

We’ve got you covered.

When it comes to road trip planning, mapping out routes isn’t the only important part of the process. Equally important are the road trip food options. If your usual go-to is a bag of chips, energy drinks, and handfuls of French fries, it’s time to shake up your routine.

That means a need to plan and prepare snacks for the road.

Not sure where to start? Below, we have 10 delicious and nutritious ideas to help you pack up your cooler a whole lot faster.

Get ready to get your snack on.