Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Each year, about 610,000 people die of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s one in every four deaths. With February being American Heart Month, now is the perfect time to educate yourself and your workforce about the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Many Americans are at risk of developing heart disease due to high-risk health behaviors. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking are three key risk factors for heart disease. According to the CDC, almost half of Americans (47%) have at least one of these risk factors. Unhealthy lifestyle choices and certain medical conditions can also contribute to a higher risk of heart disease, including:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use

Although heart disease can be a scary topic, it’s important to spread awareness to help educate your workforce. Since heart disease is largely preventable, employees should be urged to practice heart-healthy behaviors. A healthy heart can be achieved through a nutritious diet, low stress levels, living tobacco-free, and regular exercise. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), six in 10 people – have one a chronic health condition, and one in four adults had two or more chronic health conditions. These chronic diseases and conditions – including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, arthritis, and certain types of cancer – are some of the most common, deadliest, and costly health issues in the United States.

The good news is many of these chronic diseases and conditions can be prevented. However, many adults don’t practice preventative behaviors to help lower their risks for these diseases. This could be because many people are uneducated about the power of prevention or how to live a healthier lifestyle to combat these risks. One possible solution for this is developing a workplace wellness program that focuses on prevention. Focusing on the power of prevention could help educate employees on how to reduce their risk for these serious health problems before it’s too late.

Employers should view prevention as a priority for employee wellness. Not only do these chronic diseases and conditions slow down a workforce, they’re extremely costly too. In fact, the CDC states that 86% of the nation’s $2.7 trillion annual healthcare expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions. Because many of these costs can be reduced through preventative healthcare, it’s crucial that employers emphasis prevention in their employee wellness programs.

With approximately 48.3 million adults in the United States experiencing a mental illness each year, prioritizing mental health and practicing self-care is essential. However, finding time to prioritize your mental health and practice self-care can be difficult for most full-time employees. Busy schedules and long hours can make it difficult to schedule therapist appointments or find the time to read a self-help book. 

Luckily, you can now use your phone to boost your mental health. Technology has come a long way in the last decade, and there’s now an app for almost everything – including mental health and self-care. Using apps is an easy, convenient, and affordable way to boost your mental and emotional health. Plus, it’s not nearly as time-consuming as other alternatives. 

Below are seven of the best mental health and self-care apps that you should utilize to feel less stressed, improve your mood, and feel happier and healthier.

Having an endless supply of free, unhealthy snacks five days a week can be quite a temptation for many employees. Indulging in donuts, soda, birthday cake, and bagels during the workday is all too easy when these treats are readily available. However, employers should consider the impact that these food choices have on employee health and well-being.

The 2018 Employee Health and Wellness Checkup by Robert Half shared some insight on what employees think of office food. This survey of 306 HR managers and 1,006 workers in the US found that workers listed their biggest obstacle in achieving their health and wellness goals as: 

• Food at office celebrations – 30%
• Snacks brought in by coworkers – 22%
• Free meals – 10%
• Vending machines – 10%
• Office candy jar – 10%
• Happy hours/after-work drinks – 9%
• Business trips – 8%
• Bagel Mondays – 3% 

These findings show us that unhealthy foods found in offices are one of the biggest challenges for full-time employees who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. The survey also found that 44% of employees claim to eat healthier when they work from home. This could be because many employees are tempted by unhealthy choices throughout the workday. From leftover birthday cupcakes to regular pizza parties, it can be hard for employees to make smart nutritional choices.

We are all guilty of being a Negative Nancy every once in a while. But being a pessimist can have some major health consequences. This is because a negative attitude and mindset can increase tension and stress in the body. In fact, studies have found that the potential health consequences of pessimism can include: 

• A weaker immune system
• Chronic stress
• Higher risk of heart disease and stroke
• Chronic aches and pain 

In contrast, a 2015 study found that optimists were more likely to eat healthily, keep a healthy BMI, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy blood pressure. Keeping a more positive and optimistic attitude can help you feel happier and healthier.

Unfortunately, we can’t always control our negative thoughts or attitudes  –  especially if we’re unaware of them! But with a little bit of practice and some self-awareness, you can learn how to identify negative thoughts and transform them into positive ones. 

For many employers, the most challenging aspect of workplace wellness programs is getting enough employees to participate. Just because your company offers an excellent employee wellness program doesn’t always mean your employees will be jumping up and down in excitement to get involved. 

One reason for this is many employees have questions about the benefits and purpose of corporate health initiatives – and rightfully so! You can’t expect employees to just start competing in challenges or changing their workplace habits without being educated first. An effective wellness program will explain its goals and answer any questions employees might have.

If your company isn’t seeing the participation rates desired, it might be because your employees aren’t fully educated on the benefits, initiatives, or purpose of your employee wellness program. Below are some common questions that employers should address with their employees to help educate, motivate, and inspire employees to get involved:

Not feeling very productive at work today? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! A recent FlexJobs survey reported that only 7% of workers feel most productive during regular work hours. So if you’re like the majority of workers, the office is not the place where you do your most productive work.

A good rule of thumb to increase workplace productivity is to work smarter, not harder! This means that incorporating some healthy workday habits can help you feel way more productive (and much happier) than working extra hours or skipping lunch break ever would.

Below are nine sneaky tips that are guaranteed to help you feel more productive at the office – without working harder or longer!

Working out solo can get lonely. Not to mention, it’s a little too easy to skip the gym when you’re not feeling motivated! However, having a workout buddy by your side will help you stick with your fitness goals and make exercise much more enjoyable.

If you’ve made it a goal to get more active this year, you might want to consider finding a workout buddy to help you stay on track. Keep on reading for some awesome benefits of a workout partner, and some advice for finding one!

Many of us dedicate our New Year’s resolution to living a healthier lifestyle and getting in better shape. And while it might be easy to start the year off strong, after a month or two, many of us tend to lose our steam when it comes to hitting the gym on a daily basis. That’s why it’s so important to make regular exercise a habit – not just a New Year’s resolution. 

Our bodies were made to move, not sit in a chair all day! With 80% of American adults not meeting the national physical activity recommendations (150 minutes of exercise per week), it’s important to focus on moving more and sitting less on a daily basis. And while the thought of daily exercise might sound impractical for full-time employees with a busy schedule, with a bit of creativity you can add physical activity into any part of your daily routine.

That’s why we believe that exercise can be more than just an intense, hour-long sweat session at the gym. Exercise can be any form of physical activity that gets your heart pumping. For example, raking the leaves, taking your dog for a walk, and gardening are considered forms of exercise. Moving more doesn’t have to be one more dreaded task to add to your to-do list. Start thinking of exercise as play!

We all know that New Year’s resolutions don’t always lead to success. In fact, most of them fail – with only eight percent of people following through with their resolutions. And while we believe that developing a New Year’s resolution dedicated to improving your health is a fantastic idea, it might not be the best approach. 

Rather than having one specific New Year’s resolution this year, try adopting some healthy habits that are more likely to stick with you over a long period of time. Focusing on forming healthy habits is a bit more realistic and easier than having a resolution of losing 20 pounds, for example. You’ll be more likely to see results and improve your wellbeing by developing habits that will keep you healthy and happy year after year.

So, if you want 2018 to be your healthiest and happiest year yet, consider adopting some of these seven healthy habits for a happier “new you”: