Positivity can make all the difference in an employee’s journey towards better health. A positive mindset has some obvious mental health benefits including decreased stress, improved relationships and a lower risk for depression and anxiety.

What you might not have known, however, is that optimism has also been associated with some awesome physical health benefits. Many optimistic people are more resilient—meaning they can bounce back more quickly and easily. Their resilience helps them to overcome and avoid illness much more efficiently than their pessimistic counterparts.

Wearable fitness trackers can be a great tool for employee wellness. Many employers have begun to use wearables as tools for tracking physical activity, measuring sticks for challenge participation and even as incentives.

All of those things make wearables work in wellness—for some companies. Unfortunately using wearable fitness trackers isn’t always a feasible option for many companies. In some cases, the tech trend doesn’t even fit the company culture.

Making healthy change where you work requires setting goals. In fact, any change requires a goal. Goals provide a sense of direction when you’re hoping to make changes. They can also motivate you to develop good habits. Goals are even used to determine whether or not you’ve been successful in your quest for change.

Setting goals as part of your employee wellness program is one way to make sure the program is efficient. Monitoring your progress as it relates to your goals shows you if you’ve been using your resources well.

A lot of people use the words “wellness” and “well-being” interchangeably. Others define them as two separate concepts. We’ve decided to take a closer look at these two words to figure out just what they mean for you and your corporate wellness program.

Let’s start with the basics. Is there a difference between wellness and well-being? Yes, we definitely think there is.

Does that mean one is better than the other? No way!

As a wellness coordinator, you’re probably one of the people employees reach out to with questions. In corporate wellness, many employees have similar questions. This is especially true with corporate wellness programs that are just getting started.

It’s incredibly important to be able to answer employee questions smoothly and correctly. We don’t want to put any extra pressure on you, but your answers really can sway employees to or from your wellness program!

This infographic lists some common questions you might get as a wellness coordinator. Each company might want to offer slightly different answers. There’s really no “right answer.” What’s important is being prepared to discuss these things with your employees to help them feel good about being part of your wellness program.

You probably have a corporate mission statement where you work, but have you ever thought of creating a wellness mission statement?

This type of mission statement is just like any corporate statement in that it’s meant to guide your wellness program. Your wellness mission statement should drive your goals and clarify what you’re doing in employee wellness.

Most large employers offer a wellness program, but Gallup research shows that only 60% of U.S. employees are aware that their company offers a wellness program. This disconnect illustrates the need for improved wellness communication.

When it comes to employee wellness, communication makes all the difference. Effectively communicating about your program can help drive engagement. Improved engagement leads to improved results. So it’s true that wellness communication is worth your time!

A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean carving out two hours every morning for the gym or only eating fresh produce for lunch. The ideal healthy lifestyle is built up of small, healthy habits you do throughout the day.

It’s no secret that small businesses have unique needs when compared with large businesses. Due to their small size, they also have unique opportunities.

The good news is that many small businesses recognize these opportunities when it comes to employee wellness. In fact, one study found 93% of small businesses believe employee health is good for their bottom line.

We definitely agree. Employee wellness can be an excellent tool for small businesses.

Here are just a few reasons why:

In any business operation, it’s best not to let your resources go to waste. You want your time, efforts and money to go as far as they possibly can. This idea can be easier said than done with it comes to abstract business operations like employee wellness.

When you put a lot of time, effort and resources into your employee wellness program, you’re going to want to be sure it’s worth it. There are a lot of different ways to evaluate your program, but it can be a bit tricky to equate the value you get out of the program with the resources you put into it.

In the wellness field today, there are two primary evaluation methods for ensuring your wellness program is outputting at least as much as what your company is inputting.