Like Team Building, “wellness” as a popular concept has been around for many years. More and more companies are realizing wellness programs are an important way to help keep their employees healthy, motivated, and productive. Gyms at work get employees on campus earlier or staying longer, cafeterias have healthier eating options, and yoga classes are commonplace at lunch. All of these are great ways to help workers stay on their A games … except for the fact most of our offices and gyms are closed.
At the same time, wellness is more important than ever right now. Employees are behind a screen more and interacting less with real people, leading to increased feelings of isolation, stress, anxiety, and even depression. Like everything else, our concept of wellness needs to shift with our new environment. How do we keep our people connected and happy in addition to fueled and energized?
Wellness for Everyone
Traditional forms of wellness only go so far. They appeal to certain types of people while leaving others out.
There is one form of wellness that works for everyone …
LAUGHTER
There’s a reason the old adage has stood the test of time. Laughter really is the best medicine. Studies range from showing direct medical benefits like stress reduction and muscle relaxation to less measurable effects like feelings of being uplifted or fulfilled. In any case, we know there’s no downside to laughing!
Stop, Collaborate, and Listen
Laughter’s benefits don’t stop in our physical bodies. Socially, we know it connects us quickly and easily. I’ll take it a step further…
I believe teams who laugh together,
collaborate together.
A colleague asked me one time, “When is the last time you had a really good belly laugh?” I thought for a moment, “two weeks ago, ” I said. He replied, “I can’t recall ever having a really good belly laugh.” I was shocked. It never occurred to me people needed an excuse to laugh so hard their cheeks hurt. Some of my fondest memories in life involve uncontrollable laughter.
I chose my profession because I want to cause people to have fun. I want to see people laughing. I want to remind everyone how important it is. I want to bring this feeling and experience to all my clients.
With remote work, school, and life in general, the need for laughter is more important than ever. We have to be intentional and create opportunities to laugh with each other, feel closer, communicate, and share ideas.
Of course, all of this leads to happier and healthier employees, which leads to better collaboration and increased productivity – the exact goal of wellness programs in the first place.
Keep it Simple
Team building and wellness don’t have to be complicated or expensive. Our unique Team Connecting™ concept encompasses the best intentions of team building and the real benefits of wellness programs. By infusing fun and laughter into a normal workweek, we help bridge the social distancing gap affecting all of us in major ways.
Contact us if you’re resonating with this. We believe in talking to real, live humans, so you can reach us at 619-972-GRIN (4746) or smile@grin.events. Game on!
