These days, engaging employees is even more challenging, but especially remote workers.
Luckily, it’s possible to promote wellness even from afar with virtual activities that are fun and easy-to-do. Best of all, they don’t require a ton of pressure on participants, making it much more enjoyable to join in.
Don’t let employees lose their favorite health perks or wellness activities just because they’re working remotely!
Ready to get started with connecting your team to engaging wellness activities?
Here are 13 wellness virtual activities ideas to try:
1. Online Lunch Date
Keep your employees connected and socializing with online lunch dates to boost their social health. Ask everyone to gather for a lunch Zoom gathering, if possible, to catch up and eat together. You might consider sending your workers a gift card to a chain restaurant as a thank you for their work. Prefer to keep the social gathering after hours? Opt for a digital happy hour gathering after work together!
2. Charades
They say laughter is the best medicine and it’s good for your health. Your team is bound to get laughs with this classic game that’s simple to play — even virtually. Have a moderator send out one or two words or phrases to a person that can help them act out their role. Set a timer for three minutes and allow team members to guess the correct word. Up the excitement by raffling off a Charades board game to giveaway during the event, too!
3. Messy Desk Clean-Up Challenge
Clutter not only slows down workflows, but it can cause mental clutter and distraction, too. Help your employees feel better about their workspaces by cleaning them up. This can be done as a live event or with a set deadline. For the live event, have your messiest team members show off their desks before setting a timer for, say, five minutes, to see who can get their desk looking organized the quickest. If a live event won’t work, consider a desk makeover challenge with before and after pictures posted into a Slack channel. Set a time parameter they’re allowed to “clean up” and have them submit their photos. Have your team vote on the best and most impressive makeover!
4. Gather Around the Tiny Campfire
If you have a small enough team, send your team the makings for s’mores (marshmallows, mini chocolate bars, graham crackers, toothpicks, and a non-scented tealight candle). Pick a day to come together on a video chat to tell campfire stories and make your s’mores together. Be sure to grab a screenshot of everyone with their perfectly roasted marshmallows!
5. Motivational Workshops
Feeling your team needs a little motivational push? Consider bringing in some virtual motivational speakers to inspire them. Or, share webinars focused on well-being and wellness that will encourage them to live their healthiest lives. Get them pumped up by sending out reminders and motivational quotes leading up to the event.
6. Offer On-Demand Fitness Options
If your team lost access to the company gym or even their local gym, they may be feeling the effects of a more sedentary lifestyle working remotely. Consider purchasing a membership for on-demand fitness platforms to help them stay active. Fitness Blender and Wellbeats are just two options. Or, send them a list of free fitness resources to try!
7. Digital Lunch and Learns
Lunch and learns are a great way to gather your team together for valuable wellness information. You can find an expert to talk about pretty much any aspect of wellness your team needs to hear from financial wellness to nutritional insight topics. Have your team bring their lunch and listen in to a respected wellness expert.
8. Morning Meditation SessionUse ideas from our Ultimate Guide for Planning a Year of Lunch and Learns to get started!
This virtual activity is a great way to allow the wellness leaders in your organization to step up to the plate. If anyone is certified in meditation or mindfulness, ask them to consider leading a regular morning meditation session. It doesn’t need to be every day, but it can be a nice way to round out the workweek or even start off a manic Monday a little more calmly.
9. Create a Health Tips Forum
Some employees may be quietly working on their own wellness journey, but it doesn’t mean they don’t want to share or learn more about well-being. Consider starting a shared folder, drive, or channel where your team can share their favorite health, fitness, and wellness resources on a daily basis. Encourage employees to share links to their favorite health sites and recipes for simple conversation starters.
10. Nutritionist or Dietician Sessions
If one of your company’s wellness initiatives includes getting employees to eat healthier, a dietician or nutritionist session may be for your team. Whether your company hires a nutritionist for a set number of virtual workshops or one-on-one consults, it’s a win for your employees’ health. Find an expert through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
11. Moments of Gratitude
Gratitude reflections are a great way to maintain a positive outlook on life. Before or after a meeting, open up the floor for conversations about things your team is grateful for. It’s even more essential for leadership to offer their two cents, too. According to a John Templeton Foundation study, people are less likely to express gratitude at work than almost anywhere else, and a startling 60% of people never express thanks at work. Start giving thanks to your team and watch the gratitude ball start rolling.
12. Steps ChallengeCheck out our free Guide to Cultivating Gratitude in the Workplace!
Steps challenges are one of the easiest wellness challenges to organize and put together. You can create your own worksheets and tracking programs or join a virtual race together as a team. Consider having your team downloading the Fitbit app or another tracker to make it simple to track steps. Offer to raffle off prizes like water bottles, t-shirts, and other fitness gear to engage participants.
13. Yoga
This is another great virtual activity that can be led by a passionate team member. If you have any yogis in your company who aren’t camera shy, see if they would consider leading a short yoga session virtually. Or, hire a local studio or pay for a streaming service that offers yoga classes for your team to do together.
Virtual Activities Can Reengage Your Employees
Let your remote workers know they aren’t forgotten.
Their well-being still matters — emotionally and physically — which is why offering them engaging wellness virtual activities is a win for any company.
If your remote employees have been pushed to the back burner with all the chaos that has ensued during the pandemic, this is an excellent way to loop them back in.
Improve your company’s culture, employee engagement, and morale by increasing the way you interact with remote employees. Such investments show that they are still a valued part of the team whether they’re working in-house or not.
Want more ideas on how to keep your remote team healthy? Check out our free downloadable: Your Essential Planner to Engage Your Remote Team in Wellness.
