Do you go to work each day in a healthy workplace, or do you consider it toxic? If it’s not as healthy as you’d like, what can you do to improve it?
You make choices every day that can influence the overall culture of your workplace – and that includes influence over how healthy that culture is.
When you hold an early morning meeting, do you bring: doughnuts? bagels? fresh fruit?
Do you use candy as a motivator in training sessions?
Do staff members eat lunch while sitting at their desks, trying to get caught-up on their work as their energy is draining away?
Do you do anything to encourage playfulness in the workplace? Toss a nerf football around, perhaps, or take a break to shoot hoops?
What about meetings? Do they always take place indoors with attendees sitting around a table? Have you ever tried moving your meetings outdoors, or at least into a room with lots of windows and the feel of the outdoors? Or what about a “walking meeting”? Among the many benefits of walking meetings: brain studies have shown that we think better when we’re moving, and it’s much less likely for the meeting to expand arbitrarily just to fill the hour.
If you are looking for ways to make your workplace healthier, there are some great resources out there for you. Many cities and counties have developed Healthy Communities programs to partner with businesses, schools, and other organizations to find ways to make the healthy path the easy path. Here’s an example of a program in San Diego.
Small changes can make a big difference. What if you improved the lighting in your office stairwells and hung employee’s or their family member’s artwork there? What if you offered oranges at a training event instead of candy? What if everyone were encouraged to spend 30 minutes being physically active during each workday? Have you ever noticed an increase in your own energy and productivity after you’ve moved around a bit or eaten a healthy snack?
Imagine what you could accomplish if you worked every day in a healthy workplace! What small step can you take today toward creating that kind of environment?
Shari
I wish my workplace was healthier. I do participate in our Wellness Committee. We have brought several healthy lunch and learn events to our employees. Most recently we have coordinated for bi-weekly chair massages. Despite these measures, however the biggest barrier to our success is management endorsement. I could definitely set a better example personally as well by ensuring that I leave my desk for breaks and lunch. Thanks for challenging me to consider my role…