Happy New Year!

The new year offers a fresh start for everyone.

We make resolutions with a renewed sense of hope.

But so often we find New Year’s resolutions coming from a negative perspective — lose weight, break bad habits, stop doing this or that. It's really no surprise that 92% of resolutions fail.

Many people use the new year as an opportunity to make large bucket lists or attempt extreme makeovers. That’s a nice aspiration, but for most people, this type of approach is doomed to fail.

One way to alleviate stress and improve your mental health at the office is to work from a clean and organized workspace. Each employee probably prefers his or her own style of organized workspace, but here are a few cleaning tips to get you started:

Employee exhaustion can be a huge problem in the workplace. A workforce that is tired all the time is more likely to make mistakes, become ill and work less productively. That’s not to mention the problems that exhausted, crabby employees can make when it comes to teamwork.

Stress is a natural part of life and can be caused by various factors, such as work, personal life, and relationships. While some stress can be helpful in motivating us to take action, too much stress can harm our physical and mental health.

When stress begins to affect our daily life or work, it's important to take steps to address it. We can identify the source of the stress and reduce or eliminate it. Alternatively, we can practice stress-reducing techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or physical activity.

It's also essential to recognize when our colleagues or co-workers are experiencing high levels of stress. We can do this by paying attention to changes in behavior, attitude, or work quality. If we notice these signs, we can suggest some stress-reducing techniques that have worked for us, or encourage them to seek professional help if necessary. By supporting each other and working together to manage stress, both individuals and organizations can thrive.

A wellness champion is someone who is a model participant in your wellness program. They don’t have to be the fittest employee at your company, but they do need to be invested in their own well-being. They also need to be someone who’s in good standing at your company; a person whom other people enjoy.

It’s helpful to find wellness champions in your program because they can be an extension of your employee recruitment strategy. They can also help to boost engagement by being involved in and excited about the wellness activities you sponsor.

Some wellness coordinators are just awesome at what they do. They run wellness programs that employees enjoy, and they do so without hiccups. But what habits do these rockstar coordinators have that make them so good at their jobs? Here are 10 things that they do everyday:

They watch the news. Or read it online or listen on the radio. No matter what method they use, rockstar coordinators stay updated on what’s happening in the world. Health trends are always changing, and wellness coordinators need to keep up.

An extended workday isn’t necessarily and agreed-upon amount of time. In fact, the definition is that the workday is longer than “normal.” Many employees who work extended workdays work 8-12 hour shifts, but they typically don’t work five days every week.

Even employees who work a “normal” work schedule don’t always work regular hours. In fact, employees who work a regular 40-hour work week usually end up working 47 hours every week on average. This is especially true for salaried employees who don’t necessarily log hours or get overtime payment.

Technology is officially everywhere. It’s always new. It’s always trendy. And, it’s always changing. Keeping up with the tech world can be nearly impossible. Combine that with the always changing atmosphere of the wellness world, and we’ve got a real challenge on our hands.

Tech and wellness can complement each other nicely, but it’s important to remember not to sacrifice function for the flashiness of new trends. If you’re thinking about working the latest tech trends into your corporate wellness program, consider these three areas of wellness. 

Odds are, you’ve heard the warnings before. Stress is harmful on a variety of levels. Aside from being damaging to your mental health, stress in the workplace can:

• Destroy opportunities for teamwork
• Reduce productivity
• Diminish quality of work
• Harm the physical health of employees

We’re not naïve enough to suggest eliminating all stress from your workplace because some situations are just stressful no matter what you do. It is important, however, to recognize when your workforce is under too much stress and take steps to help employees alleviate that stress.

While the holidays can be the most wonderful time of the year, they can be the worst when it comes to maintaining healthy habits. The hustle and bustle of holiday preparations can really take a toll on everyone.

To help you handle the holidays like a champ, we’ve created a comprehensive holiday healthy guide. Download the guide for tips and tricks to stay physically, mentally, financially and emotionally healthy this holiday season.