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.

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:

Summer can be slower for many businesses, which makes it a perfect time to review and revamp your company’s wellness programs.

Wellness programs aren’t “set it and forget it” kind of initiatives.

To be successful, your program should be evaluated and improved regularly. This starts with having a clear understanding of objectives and goals. Looking at participation, program satisfaction, behavioral changes, and cultural changes can help you settle on the best way to update your wellness programs.

Unsure how to start the evaluation process?

Here’s a look at the employee-facing metrics that can quickly improve lackluster programs:

Technology makes it easier than ever to learn about health issues and make healthy choices. 

Whether you’re looking to add more steps into your day or get your full 7 hours of sleep, there are apps for creating a healthier lifestyle.

There’s plenty of health apps out there, but the best ones are the apps you’ll actually use.  

If you’re looking for health and wellness ideas in the workplace, start with what your employees are already using — cell phones. You might as well make health and technology work together, right?

Here we share our top 5 apps for everything from meditation to weight loss.

Whether you realize it or not, there’s likely at least one employee struggling with chronic health issues in your workplace.

In fact, 133 million Americans deal with the challenges of chronic health conditions each year.

Sadly, it’s also the leading cause of disability and death in America.

Chronic illness often comes with pain, which can limit a person’s ability to work. By keeping this in mind, along with a prearranged plan, employers can support staff with compassion and flexibility.

Below, we share insight on how to best support chronically ill workers.

In theory, it seems like a wellness program would go off without a hitch.

A relatable scenario: Give employees fitness wearables. Ask them to wear it daily. Offer rewards to active participants.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

While there’s never a 100% guaranteed perfect strategy, there are ways to set up your employee wellness program for favorable results.

Each year, TotalWellness collects extensive data to better understand the health status of U.S. employees. In 2018 alone, we conducted over 100,000 biometric screenings across workplaces in the United States.

Our biometric screenings consist of a variety of health measures including:  

• Cholesterol
• Blood sugar
• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Blood pressure
• Waist circumference

These screenings offer pertinent insight to the well-being and health of employees — both men and women. From C-suite leadership to blue and white collar workers, we’ve screened everyone in-between to get a thorough idea of employee wellness. Once the results are finalized, we share a report with each company’s wellness team to better support employees through wellness programming.

Now, we want to share the nationwide results with you.

It's cold. It's dark.

And you really don't want to get out of bed.

Chances are your employees feel the exact same way. Unfortunately, the winter months often lead to lower morale and less workplace productivity.

Sound familiar?

Read on to learn how seasonal weather impacts your employees and how to keep your employees motivated during the dreariest time of year.

As an employer, you want to see your staff as healthy as possible.

With the constant rise of healthcare costs, employers are learning that adding preventive measures for chronic health issues makes sense to maintain a healthy workforce.  

Studies show wellness coaching programs boost quality of life in several areas, which could explain why more companies are bringing corporate wellness coaches into the workplace. By working with a wellness coach, employees have a better chance of reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes.