It is common for employers to create all sorts of motivation campaigns, including those to increase sales, improve customer service or retention rates. However, many employers may overlook one of the most important elements in creating a productive and enthusiastic workforce: employee wellness.

 In recent years, hard economic times have required employers to cut workforces and reduce, or eliminate bonuses and raises. Today’s employees may be the most stressed out and overworked to come along in decades. Because of the high unemployment rate, these workers do what they have to do to keep going, because though they may be tired, stressed out and overworked; they know that they are still better off than their friends who are unemployed.

 As employers, addressing the wellness of our employees can offer many benefits. A happy workforce is a productive one, and employees are happier when they feel well, when they get enough rest, and they learn to manage stress effectively.

 Simple Wellness Strategies

Wellness campaigns needn’t be expensive. There are many simple ideas that you can implement that can help employees become more attuned to their own health and well-being. Some simple ideas include:

•  Lunch and learn seminars on weight management, stress management and common health issues.
  

• Exercise campaigns that encourage employees to walk during lunch and track their miles. Incentives like gift cards or time off for the person who walks the most miles can help create a fun and friendly competition.
  

• Find a yoga instructor who will offer classes at work during lunch breaks or after work.
  

• Mobile massage therapists can offer chair massages during lunch.
  

• Bring in a nutritionist to help employees evaluate their diets to look for ways to improve their eating habits.
  

All of these ideas are easy to implement and inexpensive. Be sure to ask employees what programs they would like to see, and tailor your efforts to your own staff.

Employees Will Appreciate Your Effort

Another benefit you’ll see from implementing a wellness program in your office is appreciation from your employees. When you show enough concern about their well being to provide workplace programs to help them get healthy, they gain renewed faith in your commitment to them. Just knowing that their employer cares about their health and wellness increases their satisfaction at work.

 Over time, wellness awareness programs can help increase productivity. Well-rested, healthy employees are more focused, more pleasant to be around, and more committed to excellence. Fewer days are lost due to sick time and doctor appointments. Turnover due to stress and burnout are reduced. As an employer, the time and money you invest in attending to the wellness of your staff will be time and money well spent.

Laughter Yoga

There has been scientific research that shows that laughter can help resolve many workplace issues.  The challenge in the past is finding an effective way to deliver laughter.  Today we have Laughter Yoga sessions that can be done in any work environment.  There are many benefits for an employee to participate in classes the promote laughing continuously for 15-20 minutes. 

A session will typically start with warm up techniques that include clapping, stretching and body movement. It could also include chanting.  A session combines yogic breathing (Pranayama) with laughter.  We can all laugh at will and once started can lead to real, contagious laughter.  Studies prove that the body cannot tell the difference between real or simulated laughter. Studies have also show that participating in laughter yoga session participants can experience reduced blood pressure, decreases heart rates and increased positive attitudes. It can also improve concentration.  It is a great way to start the day with a session of laughter. 

There are many long term benefits that include better performance, more commitment and motivations which results in reduce absenteeism and overall happier employees.

 Five Benefits of Laughter Yoga

1. Health

Laughter yoga can help healthy people maintain good health. I can also go along way to help those with illness. Regular sessions of laughter yoga can help strengthen the immune system.  It also provides a great cardio workout and stress relief. Studies shows that ten minutes of laughter yoga is equivalent to a half hour of cardio workout.  Benefits are often experienced after the first session.

 2. Personal
When you laugh, endorphins are released in your brain, creating a cheerful mood. It can also help you remain more calm throughout the day and less likely to get upset.  I can also reduce the number of negative thoughts throughout the day.

 3. Business
As a healthy stress reducer, laughter yoga is a safe and effective way to reduce the day to day stresses experienced during our weekday.  The brain needs 25% more oxygen than other body organs for optimal functioning and laughter yoga increases the supply of oxygen, leaving you with more energy to deal with day to day activities. Studies show that it can also increase self confidence, communication skills and employee motivation. I can also help with creativity.

 4. Socially

Laughter is a great way to connect with others. As social beings we have the need for appreciation and acknowledgment and by laughing with a group we can create deeper bonds and friendships.  Laughter can also help fight depression.

 5. Life’s Challenges

Regular sessions of laughter yoga helps create a more positive mental attitude, which will help you cope more effectively with difficult life situations. 

Wellness Programs in the Workplace by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

In the past month I interviewed my Alliance Partner who spoke about the importance of having wellness programs in the workplace.  I am highlighting the most important points we covered during our interviews in this week’s blog.

Here are a few statistics:

60% of Canadian adults spend their entire workday seated, and 56% are classified as “Physically inactive.”

The majority of Canadian adults (over 15 million) spend half their waking hours at work – this does not include the time they spend commuting.

It is no wonder employees suffer increased depression, osteoporosis, obesity, type 2 diabetes, arthritis and heart disease.

There is also the impact on the organization:

• Increased disability payments & higher workers compensation claims
• Decreased productivity
• Increased absenteeism
• Poor employee satisfaction

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada – Healthy Living Unit:

• Physical activity can reduce the risk of colon cancer by as much as 50 percent.
• Regular physical activity reduces the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and coronary heart disease – the latter by as much as 50 percent.
• Physical activity can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 50 percent. Diabetes is a complicating factor in heart disease and stroke.
• The risk of osteoporosis is reduced through regular physical activity during childhood and adolescence and there is also evidence for maintenance of bone mass through physical activity and calcium supplementation in adulthood.
• Regular physical activity improves function and relieves symptoms among people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In many cases, fewer medications are then necessary.
• There is evidence that persons who are overweight can reduce their risk of disease by being active and fit

There are many benefits of offering a work wellness program including a positive return-on-investment, some of these include:

• Reduced costs of healthcare
• Improved morale, stamina and overall well being
• Improved self image
• Reduces stress levels and more employee engagement
• Improved productivity
• Reduced absenteeism
• Improved teamwork and employee relations
• Reduced costs of recruiting
• Reduced illness and workplace injuries

To Laugh or Not to Laugh?  That is the Question

by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

It is common knowledge that humour is good for us.  It can go a long way to reduce stress and lighten up a difficult situation.  Laughing can help employees connect with one another and also helps them be more in the present moment.  Sometimes a joke can completely change the outcome of a situation.  The old adage “Laughter is the Best Medicine” is still true today.

Often, though we may not think of funny and leadership in the same sentences.  After all running a company can be very serious business. Effective leaders know how to use humour to set the tone and send the powerful message that “work can be fun.”  There is however a time and place and of course any jokes should be office appropriate. Sometimes we can all get so caught up in what we are doing that we forget to take time to laugh.  Ask yourself

• When was the last time I had a good laugh with my co-workers?
• If you are a leader, what can you do to lighten things up once in a while?
• On a scale between 1 – 10 (with 1 been deadpan boring and 10 being off the charts hilarious), how would you rate your company/department on a “fun place to work scale?”  If you are not sure look around, what do you see, are people serious all the time or do you see people smiling and enjoying working together.

I have worked with a lot of organizations that have lost the “sense of play” due the serious nature of their business and difficult economic situations.  Those who have recognized the negative impact have taken steps to shift their culture and have yielded great results.  Happy employees can produce more effectively.

There are many reasons to add more humour to your day and here are my top five:

1)    It can help defuse a difficult or a sensitive situation.  Simply smiling and making a remark that would help those involved look at things with a little humour.  Of course the comments need to be completely appropriate.

2)    As a leader, being able to laugh at one self and show that you are human too can go a long way to connect with your employees. They are less likely to feel intimidated by you or your position.

3)    Great teams laugh together.  Encouraging fun activities both inside and outside the office can bond a team.  It can greatly enhance corporate culture and create memories that the team can look back on and have a good laugh.

4)    As a leader creating a culture that allows for laughter and fun in the workplace can be very motivating.  Energy is higher and people are more productive when they are happy.  If the opposite exists people can feel stifled and exhausted and can burn out.

5)    People will remember the key points of presentations when the leader is able to share a funny story from the past. An “in the good ole days” can show progress and provide a good laugh in the process.

“A sense of humour is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Can Mental Practice Enhance Your Leadership Effectiveness? 

By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

In the world of sports it is common to hear that a professional actually does mental practice in addition to actual practice to enhance their performance.  I was curious what some of the experts say about imagining yourself performing tasks like giving presentations or training, delivering a difficult message, conducting an interview or being interviewed or going on a sales call.  I know when I deliver both my sales and presentation skills programs I always recommend that people mentally rehearse their presentations.

According to Dr. Scott Williams, Department of Management, Raj Soin College of Business ,Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio leaders can most definitely improve their leadership effectiveness and master their managerial behaviours.

Research has shown that when someone does both mental and actual practice they achieve better results than by just actual practice alone.  This is not just in the world of sports.  I know personally I have used visualization for many years prior to any program or what I thought might be a difficult situation.  Often people who worry a lot about negative things happening to them don’t realize that they are actually contributing to the likelihood that what they don’t want to happen, will in fact happen.  That is what they mentally rehearsed. 

So how can you use this to enhance your leadership effectiveness?

By mentally rehearsing you experience more confidence as you will be more prepared.  We have all heard the saying “practice makes perfect,” actually that is not 100% true because if you are practicing incorrectly you will not achieve mastery in whatever you are trying to improve on .  With mental practice you are practicing perfectly and it can really increase your confidence even though it is imagined.  The assumption here is that you would already have a certain level of experience or skills for whatever it is you are working to improve upon. Mental practice is effective as a supplemental way to develop your skills and does not replace normal avenues for learning new skills.

Mental practice can also help reduce stress.  By taking the time to mentally rehearse you are giving yourself an edge that can support you to be at your very best.  Think about the areas where you can start to use this in your everyday activities:

• When giving difficult feedback
• When you have to give a very important presentation
• When you are working in areas that you are a little less confident
• Day to day visualize yourself handling everything that comes your way with ease and confidence
• To improve your ability to listen and communicate

The techniques we have been taught to mentally practice for sports can also be applied in business and all areas of your life.

What area are you going to mentally practice to enhance your leadership skills?

A few Tips to effectively create mental practice:

• Find a place where you will be uninterrupted
• Close your eyes, take a couple deep breaths, relax and mentally go through the steps to perform perfectly what it is you want to practice
• Pay attention to as many details as possible
• Actually create the practice in your mind exactly how you want it to go, notice how you feel, what you see, hear or smell (include as many of your 5 senses as possible)
• See yourself successfully completed
• Do this several times (up to seven is said to be most effective)
• Open your eyes, smile and go about your day with new confidence

Power of Humour: Making it work at the office

by Wendy Woods

I have spent a lot of time in hospitals lately as my dad deals with severe radiation burns.  Despite the challenges, stress and lack of resources within the healthcare system, I’m amazed at hospital staff who use humour to put patients at ease.  Even a few simple words can get a patient to laugh, smile and momentarily forget their troubles.  Here are some of my favorite hospital moments:

* Prior to surgery in August, staff had to put a hair net on my dad.  When they gave him an unattractive cap, they joked about having to take his picture.  Next when they had to get him slippers, they promised him the ‘Armanis’.  It was the perfect way to help lighten the stress of surgery.

* While my dad was waiting for one of the many tests, scans and procedures, one of the nurses told him “Running away was allowed”.

* An orderly, who took my dad for a CT scan, walked in calling him ‘handsome’ in the most respectful yet fun way.  Once he found out my dad’s last name was Woods, he started calling him Tiger after the famous golfer.  My dad and those around him laughed especially in light of the recent controversy surrounding Tiger.

If hospital employees can use humour effectively, you too can use it in your work environment to reduce stress, enhance relationships or improve teamwork.  Use humour in conversation, at meetings or in presentations.  Start small, with these simple suggestions, until you find your comfort zone.

1.    Find funny quotes instead of making up your own humour.  There are many sources but try these two to start http://thinkexist.com/quotations/funny/  and http://www.quotes-museum.com/

2.    Share a funny story.  It’s easy to find funny stories or news however the best stories are ones that involve you.  Laughing at yourself allows your colleagues to see your humility, ability to take yourself lightly and your sense of humour.  Just ensure the story is appropriate for the office and won’t risk offending anyone.

3.    Repeat a great one liner or joke from a show, movie or comedy routine.  A few good examples for the office are” “Houston, we have a problem” (Apollo 13), “I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” (Wizard of Oz), or “Show me the money” (Jerry Maguire).  Obviously it’s up to you to find an appropriate time and place to use any line.

The more you practice using humour at work, the more you’ll see its workplace benefits.