With the holidays coming and the cold weather here to stay, we must talk about how to keep wellness at work and how to keep morale up. Employees spend the majority of their day at the office. In the winter, it feels especially long with the late rise and early set of the sun. It’s easy to feel run down and groggy this time of year. Here are a few things your office can do to promote happiness in the workplace to soothe those winter blues.
Positive Office Aesthetic —
How is your office decorated? Lively and bright or lifeless and dull? Is there natural lighting, or artificial? Is it organized or are there boxes laying around? For many people, it’s hard to work in a disorderly space and this could create some productivity issues. Some ways to improve the overall office aesthetic to help employees improve their mood are:
- Incorporate natural light with many windows
- Clear out the clutter
- Decorate for holidays – or just in general. A little holiday cheer never hurt anybody
- Create an open-concept office – so your employees don’t feel boxed in
- Encourage employees to decorate their workspace, appropriately
- Make the space conversational
De-Stressing Activities —
Too much stress can put a strain on employees and affect the quality of their work. It’s important to have activities for employees to blow off some steam or get their minds working on a slow day. Even offering relaxing spaces around the office can help employees regroup. Happiness begins by taking care of your body. Some easy mood-lifting things you can incorporate around the office are:
- Yoga – have a yoga instructor come in once a week during lunch hours
- Small exercise room with basic equipment
- Television with a streaming program
- Lounge areas
- Encourage employees to get moving through the workday
- Make it a competition—whoever can get the most steps in a week gets a small prize
Value Employees —
Valuing employees is a key part of being a successful company as a whole. If your employees feel valued, they will want to try their hardest, provide their best work and enjoy doing it. If they don’t feel valued, this may not be the case. A few small things that can make employees feel valued are:
- Having involved management
- Open-door policy
- Frequently showing appreciation and recognition to all employees, departments, and teams
- Listening and valuing employee opinion on everyday things – decorations around the office, snacks they want to see in the breakroom, office operations
- Readily available snacks, coffee, tea, and water for your employees to enjoy
Develop a Fun Committee —
Fun committees are a great addition to any office. Having a set group of people who are dedicated to planning fun events around the office is the perfect way to keep morale up. Fun committees can be in charge of planning events like:
- Holiday parties
- Pitch-Ins
- Office Competitions
- Game Days
- Employee Appreciation Days and Gifts
It can be hard to keep your mind and body feeling good when there is constant chaos around you. Following these steps to a healthy and happy mindset could help you find the balance you need to beat those winter blues. We always promote wellness at work, but some people need a boost of happiness as the winter blues approach.
