Both wellness in the workplace and overall health have become increasingly important over the last few years. 

Not only did the pandemic re-prioritize health for many people, but the subsequent shift to remote and hybrid work has brought out new challenges for employees to thrive at work. 

Wellness in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. Team leaders and business owners need to create an environment conducive to health and wellness, while each individual needs to set boundaries and priorities to achieve it. 

There are many ways to prioritize this at work — here are five simple wellness tips for the workplace to get started today. 

5 Wellness Tips for the Workplace

When you think about wellness, what comes to mind? There are a few basics that we all know to do: 

• Prioritize a healthy diet
• Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night
• Move your body daily
• Socialize with loved ones
• Seek professional help when you need it
• Manage social media and news consumption
• Practice stress management

These are the foundation for individual health and wellness, and they’re important for your productivity and performance at work, too. 

But beyond those basics, what are some ways to prioritize wellness at work? Here are X wellness tips for the workplace to incorporate into your routine today. 

1. Design Your Work Environment

Work takes up a third of your day. In fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours working over their lifetime. 

So it not only matters what you do with this time, but where you do it. Designing your work environment contributes to overall wellness. Here are a few things to consider: 

• Productivity: Where do you get your best work done? For some, it’s their quiet home office. Others go a bit stir-crazy at home and opt for a private office at a coworking space or a monthly hot desk membership. 

• Calm: What does your work environment look like? Does it inspire calm and focus or is it adding to your stress? Focus on a clear, clutter-free environment. You can also consider adding plants or decor you enjoy to create a more soothing space. 

• Support: Does your workplace have everything you need to get work done? Colab Space, for example, offers personalized, boutique-style offices and has on-site staff to support your needs. We also offer amenities like bookable meeting rooms, wellness room, high-speed internet, coffee and tea, free parking, and a cleaning service.   

2. Take Regular Breaks

One of the biggest problems with remote work is how easy it is to constantly stay connected to your work. There’s less separation between work and home, so people tend to work through their breaks and work extra hours. 

But taking regular breaks is essential for your well-being at work. Not only does it give your brain a break, but you can use them to do something positive for your physical and social self, too. 

So we encourage you to both take your breaks and use them well. Here are a few ideas for what to do: 

• Connect with colleagues: Use your lunch break to build relationships. This could be with your colleagues by going out to lunch or getting to know someone new in the common areas of your coworking space.

• Get moving: Physical activity is so important — we know this. So, use your break to take a walk or go to an exercise class. It’ll break up the day while getting a workout in. 

• Zen out: If you’ve had a particularly rough day, use your break to meditate, journal, or spend some time away from your screen. This can be the positive boost you need to get through the day. 

3. Set Healthy Boundaries

This one’s not easy for most of us, but it’s essential for wellness at work. Boundaries are the basis of keeping up healthy habits or establishing wellness practices. 

If you want to do something good for yourself, you need to protect the time it takes to do it. Here are some boundaries you may need to set: 

• Time: Be clear with your colleagues when you’re working and when you’re not. You can do this by setting time blocks in your calendar or refusing meeting invites when you’re not available. 
• People: You often don’t have a choice about who you work with, but you can set some boundaries around how much time you spend with them. For example, if you have a colleague who likes to gossip, it’s reasonable to limit the time you spend with them. 
• Tasks: Similarly, most people don’t have too much say over their work tasks and responsibilities. But if you’re getting overwhelmed by your workload or it’s forcing you to work overtime, it’s time to have an honest and direct conversation with your manager. And if you’re self-employed, it’s time to have that talk with yourself!

4. Practice Gratitude

Thankfulness is a powerful mindset to cultivate. There are multiple studies that show how gratitude can help improve sleep, lower blood pressure, boost self-confidence, improve resiliency, and a host of other positive benefits. 

We previously wrote about gratitude practices to support your work and personal life —here are a few of our top suggestions: 

• Journaling: Cultivate a habit of jotting down a few things you’re grateful for each day. It can help train your brain to be more thankful because you’ll start looking for things to write every day. 

• Writing thank-you notes: A simple email or note expressing your thanks can go a long way. It makes someone else feel good while establishing your own gratitude mindset. 

• Gratitude countdown: When you’re feeling stressed, take a 10-second pause. As you count backward from 10, think about something you’re grateful for each number. It’s a quick reframe you can do to turn your mood around. 

5. Have Frequent Check-Ins

The last major tip we have for wellness in the workplace is to frequently check in with your colleagues, employees, or other team members. This creates space for people to process what’s happening and support each other. 

There’s a lot of value in social interactions at work, but it’s something you need to intentionally cultivate on remote and hybrid teams.  

Here are a few ideas: 

• Host regular in-person team meetings: This is a natural time to check in and see how people are doing.  
• Optimize one-on-one check-ins: Try something different like going for a walk or grabbing a coffee to foster a more genuine connection. 
• Invite feedback: Some employees may not feel comfortable speaking up or sharing how they’re doing. Invite feedback through the use of surveys or anonymous feedback platforms. This way, you can see how people are doing and make adjustments to help improve wellness at work. 

As we mentioned, workplace wellness is everyone’s responsibility. As you go through this list, what’s one thing that stands out to you? Audit your own work and workplace and choose one of these wellness tips for the workplace you can start today to increase both physical and mental well-being. 

If you’re looking for a professional and welcoming workspace community, you’ll find it here. Book a tour of The Colab Space today.