Wellness Programs for Teams — Why They Work & How

If you’re here, then I assume two things:

1. That you read the title - therefore you must be curious about well-being programming for a team that you’re a part of or responsible for in some capacity

2. That you care about your people, as well as your bottom line ($$$) and productivity

And you would be right in assuming two things about me:

1. I’m qualified to give you the facts about employee well-being and how it affects you and your business

2. I’ll leave you with answers and action items, not more questions

So let’s dig into the data about teams and people these days…

The Problem

• 50 Million (or 20%) of adults in the U.S. experienced a mental illness in 2019, and this number is projected to significantly rise in light of the current environment (whether you’re considering economy, Covid-19, climate crisis, or something else). - 2023 State Of Mental Health In America Report

• Worldwide surveys done in 2020 and 2021 found higher than typical levels of stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression. By 2022, levels had lowered but were still higher than before 2020. - Mayo Clinic, 2024

• Stress and poor mental health lead to:

• Lack of energy

• Lack of focus

• Constant worry

• Reduced creativity

• Negative effects on personality

• Staff turnover

• Tardiness

• Reduced peer relationships & culture

• Reduced output quality - Business

The Solution

• Research at companies like Google, Aetna, and Intel show that increasing mindfulness in the workplace can:

• reduce stress levels

• reduce emotional exhaustion

• reduce turnover (due to improved job satisfaction)

• improve focus

• improve thoughtfulness

• improve decision-making abilities

• improve mental agility

• improve resilience

• improve self-awareness

• increase openness to new ideas

• increase compassion and empathy

• increase commitment at work

• increase engagement

• improve overall well-being - Forbes

So…? → Action Items

(What were the things that brought about all the positive changes listed above?)

• Company-provided yoga & meditation classes

• Scheduled time for mindfulness (like regular classes or workshops) in individual or group settings

• Time for being as opposed to doing (such as brain breaks, email reminders to employ tools learned in the classes, and a working culture that encourages doing so)

• Leading by example (leadership teams participating in the mindfulness programming and showing that it’s taken as seriously as other meetings and company priorities)

 - Herald Scholarly Open Access, Frontiers in Psychology (Scholarly Open Access), American Psychological Association

And the kicker?

Your teams are smart. They know the difference between a company culture that “checks off” a wellness box by providing free access to a meditation app, free lunches on Fridays, or that one group meditation class you give in May for mental health awareness month.

The companies that truly improve their productivity alongside reducing turnover, unhappiness, and stress – those are the ones that commit to longer-term wellbeing programming. Programs that take time to get to know your business, your teams, your obstacles, and build a long-term plan to get you all those improvements in a way that is genuine, and will last.

So what now?

Get in touch with a seasoned wellbeing program creator, someone who is as dedicated to the growth, nurturing, and happiness of your people and your company, and start building something creative. Something new. Something meaningful. Something that will last. Start now, like these participants did:

“Already recommended the workshop. I really love the balance of practical tools and tips with the overarching purpose of the work. Very impactful. Thank you so much.”

— David M., Digital Decluttering Workshop Participant

“For me, the session was the perfect mix of art meeting science. Both the grounding exercise to start and the experiential at the end were important in reaching our audience that needed that moment to ‘stop.’ And we’ve had many share how thankful they were for the session overall.”

— Ritika K., Community Manager

“The session seemed like just the right duration and with the content not being overly heavy on the audience. It covered the topics that are on top of mind for people, but sometimes you just need a reminder and a pause to be mindful about burnout. And I think the session did that. I'm happy with the feedback we've received from the employees.”

— Smitha M., Director of People

“I enjoyed this workshop a lot. I will be applying a lot of tips I learned to my personal relationship to work through conflicts better!”

— Melanie, Charity:Water

“Prerna explained seemingly difficult concepts easily and in a way everyone can understand. Mindfulness can be intimidating for a lot of folks, but she invites a delightful curiosity to the practice.”

— Azuree C., Corporate Wellness Program Participant

Or keep reading about the research here.