Is anxiety real?

For over 40 million Americans, it’s very real. In fact, it’s the most common mental illness in the United States, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI).

Because of this, anxiety can’t be shrugged off and labeled simply as “negative thinking” or another dismissive term. Many individuals don’t receive treatment, and when the condition is shrugged off by colleagues, friends, and employers, it can feel invalidating and cause even more anxiety.

Despite being treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering get treatment. Don’t let myths further fuel the misconceptions around anxiety disorders in your workplace.

Here’s a look at common myths about anxiety both employers and employees should know.

Are your employees reporting more positive at-home COVID tests?

It’s probably no surprise. With the recent arrival of the at-home test options, more individuals are testing themselves if they’re feeling ill. More people will be traveling this summer across state lines and hanging out with large crowds and with loved ones, making catching COVID more likely.

So, what does that mean for workers coming back from vacation? When can they come back to work if they do test positive at home?

Below, we share the details on the at-home COVID tests and the most updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for isolation after that positive test comes back.

Want to get your employees together for a fun summer event?

Hosting a family health and fitness day is a perfect way to do it. June 11 is officially known as Family Health & Fitness Day as sponsored by the National Recreation and Park Association. While it’s great to participate on the day of, consider this an event that’s relevant any time during the summer.

If you want to set up your own special event for your employees and their families, check out our step-by-step guide below on just how to do it.

Read on for planning tips, theme ideas, social media marketing templates, and more!

Hydration is important to keep in mind as it’s about to get incredibly hot in most places for summer. As it gets warmer, you’ll likely be more active outdoors and need to reach more often for your water bottle. Staying hydrated can help you feel your best while also avoiding heat-related illnesses

Water is essential to the body for a few reasons:

• It promotes cardiovascular health
• It keeps the body cool
• It cleanses the body
• It lubricates joints and muscles

Below, we pooled health experts’ knowledge to get you hydration myths and facts all in one spot. Learn the facts about hydration from experts like certified sports nutritionists, physiologists, and other wellness educators. They offer insight into how water isn’t the only way to hydrate the body, the truth about consuming too much water, and the advice surrounding the “eight glasses of H2O a day” saying.

Read on to dive into all you need to know about hydration as summer quickly approaches.

Ah, team engagement.

If it’s one of the areas your business does well in during every season except summer, you aren’t alone. Studies report between June and August, workplace productivity dips by about 20 percent!

Certain industries tend to experience a summer slowdown when more workers and leadership take vacations and generally soak up the short-lived summer season.

While your workforce may be ready to hit the road for multiple vacations and long weekends, that doesn't mean it needs to disrupt your regular programming for wellness at work. Keep employees excited about wellness by making it engaging and exciting to focus on their health.  

Here’s a look at 11 fun and easy summer team engagement ideas!

Unmanaged stress. COVID. Burnout. Chronic illness.

Those are probably just a few of the health struggles your employees have dealt with over the last couple of years. If you have an employee wellness program, then you likely have helped many of your employees through some of those challenges.

And if you don’t have an active corporate wellness program, now is a chance to revisit the biggest perks of marketing well-being programs to your workers. Too many employees get by feeling “okay” when their active participation in a wellness program could elevate their energy, productivity, health, and so much more.

A well-developed, targeted corporate wellness program could be a game-changer for many in your workplace. In fact, research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that nearly 200,000 wellness participants improved five of seven health risks after one year of participation in a corporate wellness program.

Wondering if your wellness program is worth keeping or expanding? Below, we give you five of the very best benefits to employee wellness programs.

How many of your bad habits at work are slowing you down?

Whether that means physically, mentally, or just stalling out on a project, your daily habits play a huge role in productivity. The pandemic forced many to work from home and in turn, no doubt created some bad working habits — ahem, like that third trip to the pantry in less than an hour…

No matter your undesirable habit, you can break it. Below, we share tips on how to beat bad habits like procrastination, mindlessly snacking, tardiness, and more.

If you’re looking to reset your mindset and improve your habits for the better, this read is for you.

Looking for some simple summer wellness tips?

We’ve got you covered.

Yes, your workforce may be ready to hit the road for multiple vacations and long weekends, but that doesn't mean it needs to disrupt your regular programming for wellness at work.

Keep employees excited about wellness by making it engaging and fun for them to focus on their health. Make summer's wellness campaigns all about connection, enjoyment and liveliness.

Read on for tips to share with your team and ideas to implement in your workplace this summer!

How is your wellness program looking these days in today’s hybrid world?

More than ever before, being able to reach employees about their health in an engaging way is an essential part of healthy companies. When staff members aren’t always in the office all the time, it can make it challenging to keep wellness campaigns feeling cohesive. That’s one reason why employers must get creative in their approach to modifying current wellness programs. 

There’s no doubt that employees are reevaluating their priorities around work-life balance. In fact, 53% of employees are more likely to prioritize health and well-being over their work than before the pandemic.

A wellness program that crosses successfully over into the hybrid realm is one focused on more than just fitness programs or on-site workplace wellness. The most impactful programs take employee needs across all aspects of wellbeing.

Read on to learn how it’s done.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

That makes it the perfect time to refresh employees' minds on the importance of mental health activities. Embrace the need to discuss mental health in the workplace and talk about the importance of exploring mental health activities on a regular basis.

With one in five adults experiencing mental illness, it’s essential to remind your staff of ways to stay mentally healthy. With hybrid workplaces, it can be particularly challenging to figure out ways to have those discussions, but this list makes it easier.

Below, you’ll find ideas that are easy for employees to do that don't demand a ton of time, but that are still beneficial to mental health.