One of the worst things you can do for your wellness program is to get stuck in a one-track-mind way of thinking. Many wellness coordinators do things one ways just because, “that’s how we’ve always done it.” That can be an easy way to get stuck in a wellness rut.
The best way to refresh your wellness program is to refresh your mindset—think outside the box a little bit. Even if you’re not super innovative when it comes to wellness activities, you can benefit from some outside-the-box thinking.
And it all starts with three big perspective shifts…
Progress not Perfection
The focus of your wellness program should always be on progress. Every wellness activity you host should be designed to help your employees continue to move forward on their health journeys. It’s the forward motion that means the most when it comes to health.
That forward motion—or progress, as the experts say—is even more important than racking up a variety of healthy screening measures. It’s not at all bad if a majority of your workforce is checking in with a healthy cholesterol level. Even if that’s the case, though, there are still improvements that everyone can make.
That’s because health is a process. It’s not a platform you can reach and simply stay there without any further effort. It’s a continuous journey, and everyone can keep moving forward. Focus on that forward progress, rather than getting stuck in a “perfect results” frame of mind.
Engagement not Participation
Measure your wellness program success with employee engagement, not employee participation. It is true that the two are linked, but engagement is a much better measure of whether or not people are actually taking part in your wellness program.
Participation is often a one-time measure that occurs when employees sign up for your wellness program. Yes, it is important to get people in the door—and participation is a good first step! But it can’t be the final measure.
Employee engagement with wellness involves more of a commitment or investment by your employees. It requires them to actually take advantage of what your program has to offer, rather than checking the boxes to say they’re a participant.
Engagement is a better measure of wellness success because of that extra investment. Employees who are engaged with a program tend to be more successful in that program, making it a much more valuable evaluation.
Broad Definitions not Narrow
Health and wellness is a broad area of interest. It encompasses overall well-being from a physical health perspective, but also from a holistic perspective. It includes things like mental health, social support and even financial wellness.
In today’s day and age, people can decide exactly what health means to them in their lives. Obviously there are proven measures and guidelines to determine a person’s health risk. How a person fits into those guidelines, however, is completely up to the individual.
That’s because people can get healthy in so many ways! Being physically active doesn’t have to mean having a gym membership—it can mean walking the dog or chasing your kids around. Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean organic or expensive—it can mean choosing blueberries over a donut for breakfast. Stress relief doesn’t have to mean mindful breathing or yoga—it can mean spending an evening with family instead of logging in to check emails. All of these are great healthy behaviors that your employees probably already have.
Health works best when it fits into the daily lifestyle of each, individual person. Broaden your definitions of healthy behaviors to encourage outside-the-box thinking on all levels of your wellness program.
Employee wellness is a process. It’s important that your wellness program is adaptable and customizable to the needs of your workforce. Try to avoid the tunnel vision that can come with age-old habits. Re-vamp your wellness program and shift your perspective.
How do you think outside the box for employee wellness?
