The Four Pillars to Having a Successful Workplace Wellness Program

​Educate and Motivate. 
Given the wealth of information available online now, employees often find themselves confused on what is really the right approach to their health. One size does not fit all and educating your team members to make better decisions, explore healthy options and listen to their bodies is key. That’s why education is at the root of any successful program. I’ve found a variety of different ways to educate that are effective, from lunch and learns to webinars to my unique Coach-on-Call program and wellness challenges; all providing small tidbits of daily education. The key with these programs is that the presenter is a lively, motivating speaker so attendees feel inspired to take action. 

Enable and Empower Everyone. 
Wellness doesn’t have to be complicated and I will ensure a seamless approach to your company’s wellness goals. Once we’ve begun to educate your teams on the mind/body connection, it’s important to make it easy for them to follow through on what they learned. For example, I’ve worked closely with cafeteria managers and HR staff to create a ‘Peace and Pear approved’ Green Bowl Program. Employees know that whatever meal was in the Green Bowl that day was a healthy and delicious lunch option. Even if your office doesn’t have a full cafeteria, we can incorporate healthy snack options in the vending machines. Something as simple as giving employees large water bottles and provide filtered water and lemons in the office to make morning lemon water, which energizes, detoxes and hydrates employees is a great start. This simple act alone can help employees stay hydrated, avoid the sugary waters and sodas in the vending machines and improve energy levels by up to 50 percent. Another option is to offer fruit for morning and afternoon snacks. Apples, pears and berries are low-glycemic and packed with antioxidants and fiber to fill everyone up.

Incentivize Your Team. 
A little friendly competition goes a long way. Team-based wellness challenges with prizes help employees take what they’ve learned and motivate them to create healthy habits. Online wellness challenges can include multiple office locations or departments and build camaraderie company wide. Giving mindful prizes for participation is also effective to increase participation, especially for those individuals who are hesitant to participate.
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Be Consistent in all Phases. 
Finally, simply doing a one-off wellness event to check the boxes isn’t enough. Just like any new habit or change to routine, consistency is key. Planning out a full year of wellness in advance of the year keeps the program top of mind in the office. It also allows you the opportunity to provide different offerings, as not everything will appeal to everyone. Examples include offering a combination of lunch and learns, monthly newsletters, fitness classes, wellness challenges and even superfood smoothie and juicing classes. Running a good wellness program, with high engagement and sustained results can quickly become a full-time job. Outsourcing to a wellness focused company will not only save you time but also dollars. 
To learn more about Christine's work and Peace and Pear’s corporate wellness programs, check out https://www.peaceandpear.com/corporate-coaching.html