Has it been awhile since you picked up a book?

September 6 is National Read a Book Day, the perfect time to buy a new title or pull your favorite novel off the shelf.

Reading is excellent for brain health and it’s also a healthy stress reducer at the end of a long work day. Aside from leisurely reading, it’s also a great opportunity to educate yourself on any topic that interests you.

Below, we’ve included a list of 19 books on fitness, self-help, wellness, and positivity to celebrate National Read a Book Day.

Happy reading!

Sometimes, you just need to take a breather and let go of stress.

Studies show the majority of stress most Americans feel comes from their job. High-pressure deadlines, agitating colleagues, and too much work can all contribute to daily work stressors. 

Too much stress comes at a cost, of course.

Workers with high-levels of stress are more likely to have an increased risk of hypertension, heart attack risk, and other disorders like insomnia. While stress can take a physical toll on employees, there are ways to alleviate it, too.

Wellness programs focused on stress relief like deep breathing exercises can help.

Breathing exercises are:

• Easy to learn
• Don’t require special equipment
• Can be done anywhere

This post will outline breathing exercises that will help employees stay mindful of their breathing throughout the day.

Ready to help employees have some fun while getting in shape?

An office health challenge focused on fitness is the perfect solution.

Competition is a natural part of office dynamics, so colleagues and leadership might as well have fun with it. Fitness challenges are a great way to encourage friendly competition and healthy habits.

Plus, it’s as easy as incorporating simple fitness routines like daily yoga challenges or even a 30-day step program. Looking to start a new wellness campaign anyways? Fun office challenges can be a great kick-off to larger wellness initiatives.

If you’re looking to keep your staff motivated, energized, and inspired, an exciting office challenge may just do the trick.

Flu season is coming in fast.

Not surprisingly, flu season is expensive for businesses, as it results in lost productivity and a spike in healthcare claims.

Annually, the flu costs U.S. businesses around $10.4 billion in direct costs for hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults.

Luckily, one little shot can help with that. Vaccination against the flu may reduce risk of getting ill by 40 to 60 percent.

But getting it on time and before flu symptoms arrive in the body is key. Peak flu season is from December to February, but it can run from October to May.

And with a recent delay in some shipments of flu vaccines, it’s especially important for employees to get their flu shot as soon as it’s available. The delay shouldn’t cause shortages of the vaccine, and we have already received our vaccine here at TotalWellness.

So, just how effective is the flu shot? We share all the details below.

 You may have noticed things look a little different around the TotalWellness website these days.

 On August 15, we launched our brand-new website redesign.

 While our navigation is new, our mission is still the same: to help people live healthier lives. To keep you updated, we’re sharing the details of what’s new and exciting around these parts of the web.

 Read on to learn about what’s changed and where your favorite content now lives.

7,000 dogs.

On average, that’s the number of furry coworkers sharing work space with Amazon employees at the famous Seattle headquarters during the work week.

Dogs “working” on the Amazon campus can expect treats from receptionists. If they need a break, they can romp around the doggie deck where there’s space to run and even sniff a fake fire hydrant.

While your office may not have quite as much room, it’s not a bad idea to consider the development of a pets in the office policy. A recent news story revealed that big companies across the U.S. recognize the benefits of having pets around and have adjusted company culture accordingly.

It’s widely recognized how pets help people with mental and health issues, but there are also big benefits for workplaces to include pets on the unofficial employee roster. Studies and work places cite benefits like higher levels of work satisfaction and recruitment competitiveness.

Curious about what your office would look like with pet coworkers? Here’s what we found about the major benefits of pets in the office:

August 15 is National Relaxation Day.

This national “holiday” is one day to let employees chill, but relaxing self care shouldn’t be considered only once a year. Companies that take the time to invest in employee mental wellness see fewer employees suffer from burnout.

It’s a great opportunity for employers to bring workplace stress levels down a bit while also talking about the importance of daily self care routines.

Here are seven ways to unwind for National Relaxation Day:

Is your company leadership thinking about hosting a biometric health screening?

The results of a biometric screening can drive wellness initiatives that create an overall healthier workforce.

It's also a great investment in the health of individual employees. These screenings can help employees take the first step to healthier living by knowing what their baseline of health looks like.

A biometric screening includes:

• Blood pressure
• Height/Weight/Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Waist circumference
• Glucose
• Total cholesterol
• HDL
• LDL
• Triglycerides

On-site biometric screenings are an easy way for employees to get instant results and health directives. It also provides leadership a full picture of the overall health of their team.

Curious about the benefits of hosting one? 

Here are five reasons why hosting an on-site biometric health screening is a great idea:

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), a campaign to spread awareness about the importance of immunizations for people of every age.

After the 2019 measles outbreak, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that vaccines will be an important part of healthcare discussions in the upcoming months. And, as flu season grows closer, the great debate of vaccines is going to be all over the news again.

NIAM is a great time to dispel vaccine myths and instead spread the facts that immunizations are important for kids and adults alike.

Here’s a look into why employers may want to encourage the appropriate vaccinations for workers each year:

August is National Breastfeeding Month.

To kick-off the month, August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week. Since breastfeeding (including pumping at work) can be a sensitive subject, it’s best for employers to approach it with a “just the facts” attitude. This includes offering insight and education to workers on their rights and the laws surrounding breastfeeding.

Lactation laws exist, which includes having a private room for female employees to express milk.

Here’s a look at what employers need to know to best support breastfeeding moms this month and all year long: