Don’t Let Workplace Well-being Take a Holiday

Nov 23, 2016

It's that time of year again...cookies and pies and fudge....Oh, My!

The holidays bring people together, both at home and at the workplace. There's nothing like a good holiday party to lift your spirits. But, we all know that the holidays can also do a number on our physical and emotional health. Maybe you're stressed about family coming over or getting your holiday shopping done...and then that plate of your coworker's prize-winning fudge is just too hard to resist.

We spend at least one-third of our day at work, so workplace well-being efforts are more important than ever during the holiday season.

The "busy-ness" of this season can lead us to make poor food choices and to not be  as  physically activity as we should. If we're not careful, that can lead to unwanted weight gain, a drop in our productivity at work (and at home), and other health issues.

That doesn't mean you have to avoid the office potluck or pass on Grandma's pumpkin pie. You just need to go into each day with a plan.  It's probably not realistic to set a goal to lose weight this month. Perhaps a better (and attainable) goal is simply to maintain and not gain.

Here are some things you can try at your workplace:

• Incorporate a holiday theme into a fitness event:  hold a "Turkey Trot" walk/run or organize a company "field trip" to go snowshoeing or tubing. Maybe you can even just try having some walking meetings during the work day.
• Encourage healthy holiday eating: Create a cheat sheet for employees to help them make healthier choices at holiday gatherings or host a healthy holiday recipe exchange. Better yet, do the recipe exchange in conjunction with a healthy holiday potluck! If you have an on-site cafeteria or vending machines, use color coding to identify items as healthy, moderate, or eat sparingly.
• Take advantage of the daylight: Winter means shorter days, so employees are likely coming to work and leaving work in the dark. Encourage employees to get out for some physical activity during a break. Offering flexibility in break times helps employees maintain their fitness efforts while also getting an opportunity to recharge their emotional health as well.
• Remember that well-being includes emotional, financial and social health, too: Provide opportunities for employees to get out in the community in volunteer; allow flexible schedules for employees to take care of errands like holiday shopping or running to the post office; implement a dollar limit for any "Secret Santa" gift exchanges and even consider planning your workplace holiday event during normal business hours so employees don’t have to give up free time with their families.Showing appreciation to your employees and concern about their health and wellness is a great gift that will provide your company with a positive return on its investment.

   Investing in your employees' health and showing them appreciation is the best gift you can give this holiday season.