How to beat those hump day feelings in the office!
We all need a pick me up in the middle of the week. After two long days in front of the computer, thinking about that upcoming deadline, or maybe just what you should have for dinner, it’s not surprising Wednesdays feel like a bit of a drag.
Why not consider setting up something for a Wednesday that you and the team can look forward to? Set aside time during the middle of the week that gets you thinking about something else for half an hour. Here are some ideas for Wellness Wednesday:
- HEALTHY COOKING CONTEST
If your office is set up into teams; plan the month in advance, as to which team will cook each week. Then, at the end of the month, vote for your favourite Wednesday Wellness Lunch. The only rules are that the food has to be healthy! Healthy food helps employees concentrate for longer and is more filling.
It is also an opportunity for people within the office to mingle and socialise with each other which maximises team building and bonding.
- DESIGNATED COFFEE SHOP STOP
Once a week, an employee from each team can take orders and wander down to the local coffee shop and grab everybody a hot drink. It gets them away from their screens, a chance to have a walk and chat to colleagues who they may not usually interact with. It also gives them huge brownie points with the other members of the office, as they are treated to a well needed drink. The only rule being it’s a different group that collects the coffees every week so that everyone has a chance to get out. Try choose a healthier tea over a harmful coffee however!
- WEDNESDAY WELLNESS WALL
Create a space on a wall that everyone can see and once a week designate time for employees to write something about a colleague that would make them smile. Allow people time to read the wall and discuss what they’ve read. It puts a smile on everyone’s face and gets people talking. Add to it every week, and at the end of the month let your colleagues keep the ones that are written about them. The only rule here is that you have to write about someone different every week.
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT JAR
Similar to the wellness wall, but less time-consuming; place a jar in a communal area, and every time a colleague does something helpful, or goes above and beyond, write it down on a little note and pop it in the jar. At the end of the week, nominate someone to read them and deliver them to the people who are named on them. Give everyone who has a note written about them the grace to go home early, or buy them a coffee. Just a gesture from the boss is sometimes enough for employees to feel valued.
- HEALTHY SNACKS PROVIDED
Create a communal drawer, perhaps in the staff kitchen and regularly fill it with healthy snacks/fruit for the staff to dip in and out of when they start to feel peckish. Once again, this allows them to get away from their desks and they might get the chance to say hello to other colleagues. The action of providing healthy snacks shows employees that management values its workforce's wellbeing. Why not buy a different snack every week, meaning team members try new things.
- HEALTHY COMPETITION
Create a mini competition within the office based on something healthy; for example, a step count competition.
Many people have fitness trackers or the ability to count steps on their phones in their pockets. Create a wall or white board area and challenge staff to get the most steps recording their amount during working hours. This might encourage them to go for a walk on their lunch break, or have walking meetings instead of staying in front of their screens. It might motivate others and encourage a healthier life style as well!
