Workplace wellness programs have become increasingly popular in the United States as employers recognize the importance of promoting employee health and well-being. From physical fitness challenges to stress management techniques, employers can do many different things to encourage healthier employees.
By implementing employee wellness program ideas related to mental health, physical activity, and healthy eating, employers can create a workplace culture that promotes overall health and wellness versus toxic workplace environments that decrease employee morale.
In this article, we will explore 14 wellness challenges for the workplace that any supervisor can jump on to implement for their team members, including sleep, financial wellness, and work-life balance.
Read related wellness articles to support working professionals
19 Self-Care Activities for Social Workers: A Practical Guide
51 Positive Affirmations for Work When You Want To Quit
27 Self-Care Activities for Staff Meetings to Plan for Now
50 Self-Care Activities for Teachers Who Are Stressed Out
Healthy Eating Challenge
Workplace wellness challenges like this one can be one of the best ways to promote physical health. Eating healthy is separate from weight loss because the focus is on promoting eating a well-balanced, nutritious meal rather than achieving a specific weight loss goal.
Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into their diet can improve their overall health and decrease grabbing fast food on their lunch break.
Offer incentives that motivate your employees, like gift cards to healthy restaurants. This challenge can be an excellent opportunity for healthy competition and long-term lifestyle changes.
Sleep Challenge
Lack of adequate sleep can lead to health risks such as stress. The sleep challenge encourages employees to get enough sleep each night, typically 7-9 hours.
Such wellness challenge ideas can be an excellent tool for promoting work-life balance and employee well-being. Create sleep trackers for your employees and encourage them to participate in the sleep challenge.
Step Challenge
The step challenge is a great way to promote physical fitness. Encourage employees to wear fitness trackers and challenge them to walk a certain number of steps each day. This challenge can be a fun way to promote healthy living and friendly competition.
If your corporate wellness program allows, purchase some affordable fitness trackers or app programs that can help employees track their steps and progress. By providing employees with the tools they need to participate in the step challenge, you can encourage them to participate in their physical health and well-being actively.
Water-Drinking Challenge
Drinking enough water is essential for good health. Buy motivational water bottles, provide different in-fused water drinks in the office or break room, and promote a water-drinking challenge among your employees.
This challenge can be a great way to promote healthy habits and encourage employees to develop new hydration-related habits. Consider forming a wellness committee to help organize and promote the water-drinking challenge and provide incentives for employees who participate.
Strength Training Challenge
Offer free gym class passes for your employees and create a goal around attending streangth trraining group fitness classes offered at the gym.
Encourage employees to incorporate strength training into their daily routine by providing resources and setting a specific goal. This challenge can include activities around increasing dumbell weight or lifting.
Lunch Break Challenge
The lunch break challenge encourages employees to take a break from work and enjoy a healthy lunch. Provide resources for healthy lunch options and encourage employees to take their full lunch break.
What’s more, you can purchase lunch bags to give to employees as a way to promote healthy eating habits and make it easier for them to bring their healthy lunches to work.
Financial Wellness Challenge
Achieving financial wellness is a crucial aspect of overall health and well-being. Employers can help their employees by encouraging them to set personal finance goals and providing resources to achieve them.
By bringing in financial experts to speak on budgeting, saving, and investing, employers can provide valuable resources to their employees and help them develop the skills they need to achieve financial self-care goals..
Public Transportation Challenge
Incentivize employees to use public transportation as an alternative to driving to work. By providing resources for public transportation options and offering incentives for participation, employers can promote healthy living and reduce their company’s carbon footprint.
Fitness Challenges for Remote Employees
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be challenging for remote employees. Encouraging them to participate in fitness or physical challenges by downloading fitness apps that can promote healthy habits and employee engagement.
Incorporating fitness challenges into a workplace wellness program can positively impact employee health and well-being, especially for remote workers. Employers can demonstrate their commitment to promoting a healthy work culture by providing employees with opportunities to participate in these challenges.
Fresh Produce Challenge
Incorporating fresh produce into your diet is crucial for maintaining good health. Luckily, there are many creative and delicious ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables, such as blending them into a refreshing cold press juicer or adding them to a vibrant salad.
If your team needs more motivation, provide them with resources to recipe books or blogs listing recipe round-ups.
Wellness Book Club Challenge
Immersing oneself in a good book can positively impact mental health and well-being. To promote this, employers can encourage employees to join a wellness book club that focuses on books related to health and wellness.
This challenge can be a great way to promote employee engagement and overall health, as it provides a platform for employees to discuss and learn about various wellness topics.
Examples include mindful eating books, mindful drawing books, affirmation books, and books on self-care and healing.
Work-Life Balance Challenge
Achieving work-life balance is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. Employers can support their employees by encouraging them to set personal goals related to work-life balance and providing resources to help achieve them.
Work-Life Balance Can Look Like
- Setting goals for employees to leave promptly at the end of their shift.
- Allowing them to use their paid time off without questioning their reasons.
- Encouraging them to take mental health days when needed.
Stress Management Challenge
Stress levels can significantly impact your day-to-day, so employers must prioritize stress management initiatives. These initiatives can also help employees develop coping mechanisms for managing stress at work and in their personal lives.
Examples of stress management challenges can include offering pilates classes, scheduling yoga classes at the worksite, or planning a workout session like Barre3 off-campus. By providing employees with opportunities to participate in these activities, employers can demonstrate their commitment to supporting their employees’ well-being.
Mindful Eating Challenge
The Mindful Eating Challenge is a great way for employers to promote healthy eating habits and encourage employees to develop a more mindful approach to eating. This challenge includes setting goals around eating slowly, without distractions, and listening to physical hunger cues.
Employees are encouraged to use their lunchtime to engage in mindful eating exercises, such as taking time to savor each bite, focusing on the flavors and textures of their food, and being present at the moment.
To participate in the challenge, employees can track their progress using a food diary or an app that helps them stay on track with their mindful eating goals. Employers can also provide resources such as workshops, training, and coaching certification courses to help employees learn more about mindful eating and develop healthy habits. By incorporating the Mindful Eating Challenge into a workplace wellness program, employers can promote healthy eating habits and encourage employees to be more mindful about their food choices, leading to better overall health outcomes.
