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The holidays are a tough time of year for all of us to stay healthy. 

3-fun-ways-to-increase-employee-engagement

People are too busy to work out and co-workers, neighbors, friends and family are heaping delicious holiday treats and baked goods at your door. So, how do you keep your employees engaged in your wellness program during the holidays? Play to the season! The holidays are a perfect time to ramp up your wellness efforts and inspire your employees to keep their healthy habits despite the yuletide cheer going around. Here are a few things you can do:

Hydration

Drinking water during the holiday season can sometimes take a back seat to drinks more celebratory in nature (think: sparkling wine, not sparkling water). But keeping your body hydrated is essential to your overall health – especially when the furnaces are blasting, and the food intake is increasing. By drinking more water during the holidays, your employees can lower the number of calories eaten at meals and improve overall heart function. It’s one of the best things to do during this gluttonous time! But how do you inspire your employees to drink their daily recommended water amount? Start with the two G’s – gamification and gifts.

  1. Fun activity: Hanukkah H2O Challenge – in honor of the festival of lights, try a water drinking game with your employees. Challenge them to up their water intake for 8 days straight. All employees who reach their water intake goals get a branded water bottle! Encourage teams to participate too and ramp up the competition to foster relationships and camaraderie.

Keeping active

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to keep to your workout routine during the holidays. Family’s in town, schedules are off, it’s snowing… but sticking to even a scaled back exercise routine is key to keeping your employees on track with their wellness goals.

  1. Fun Activity: Twelve Days of Fitness – here at Businessolver, we ramp up our fitness goals with a challenging (but fun) workout inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas. Just like the song, the workouts build on each other. For example, on day one: one-minute plank. Day two: a two-minute wall sit. You get the idea! The great thing about this workout challenge is that any of your employees can participate whether they’re in-office or remote.

Mental health

Despite the cheer in the air, holidays can be a rough time for some people. Be sure to keep communication avenues open for employees who may need a little extra support during the holiday season. Mental wellness is just as important as physical wellness and depressed employees are not as productive or engaged in their work. Remind employees about the resources available to them, whether that’s a free mental health consult or any available literature they may need to find the resources they’re looking for.  

  1. Fun Activity: Holiday Gift Giving – “Secret Santa” is not just fun with the family, but also with the whole team! Pass out a questionnaire to your team with a few fill in the blanks like, “favorite candy,” “favorite scent,” “hobbies,” etc. then collect all the entries and have your team pick from the pile. Limit gifts to $10 dollars or whatever amount works best for your group. Then, host a gift swap party! It’s a fun way to engage employees, build moral, and celebrate everyone in a fun, holiday-themed way.

Being innovative and creative about how you deliver wellness communications and activities can cut through inertia and help engage employees in your well-thought out activities. Plus, a robust wellness strategy fosters a positive company culture which in turn, is a great recruiting tool to attract and retain talent. Data shows, that employees want to feel connected to the place they work and leaders they work with. Despite the holidays being a difficult time for wellness, figuring out a few fun and creative ways to get your employees motivated will have lasting, positive effects.

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View all Posts by Tracey Orman