The corporate scene is ever-changing, and it’s evident that a post-pandemic corporate world must take into consideration the health and well-being of its employees. Creating a happy and positive work culture isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must. It’s the secret sauce that makes employees feel good, work better, and stick around for the long haul. With a positive work culture, it trickles down into every facet of a business’s success. Benefits include boosted team morale, highly engaged teams, a decrease in employee burnout, an increase in employee retention, an increase in sales and profitability, and much more. So, let’s dive into some strategies to create a work vibe that puts employee well-being front and center, and fosters a culture that’s buzzing with positivity!

Boosting Team Harmony: A Wellness-Centered Approach

Team engagement centered around wellness is a transformative approach that invites individuals to connect with themselves and others on a deeper level, nurturing a holistic and harmonious work environment. It’s not just about physical well-being, but also emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Some activities to consider could be group meditation sessions and sound baths, wellness workshops, movement based classes that center mind-body connection, and hosting virtual team-building events that can drastically shift your work culture. These intentional team-building activities can strengthen relationships, improve communication, and enhance collaboration among team members.

At Gaia Goddess, our weekly team meetings are often started with a grounding meditation typically led by Maria Marshall, the founder and CEO. It’s the perfect way to shake off any remaining Sunday Scaries and enter Monday feeling connected to our roles in the business and deeply affirmed in our tasks. This approach may not be for everyone. If you’re responsible for hosting meetings, at the very least consider adding a gentle ice-breaker to your agenda before immediately launching into tasks and to-do’s. How we initiate and lead meetings sets the tone for the work week, so infusing some grounded and intentional energy could be just the trick needed to support everyone in their tasks.

Elevate and Acknowledge Achievements: The Power of Positive Recognition

Being seen in the workplace is such an underrated gift! Extending gratitude and appreciation to those who help your business run may seem like a small act of kindness, but the impact can be profound. Nurturing one’s skills can look like words of affirmation, which can be accomplished through personal thank you notes or public acknowledgements. Of course, this isn’t limited to a team leader, founder, or manager, but when we see someone in a higher position publicly extending recognition, it can create a space where others feel comfortable giving little shout-outs to their teammates as well. At the end of the day, everyone is working towards the same mission and a common goal, so it’s important that it feels like that. There’s a reason why the players on the bench are so invested in the game, cheering and encouraging their teammates on the sidelines. Because they feel a part of the team to some capacity their efforts and contributions don’t go unnoticed even if they don’t get to play. 

Create a culture that values open communication where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback. This weaves threads of vulnerability and safety where someone wants to commit and show up for their job because they have a recognized stake in the effort. Take some time to reflect on the ways you can spotlight the efforts of your team in a way that’s authentic and unique to you and your company’s mission and values. Then, put it into action!

Enhancing Quality of Life: Strategies for Achieving Work-Life Balance

Prioritizing employee wellness and promoting a healthy work-life balance are crucial strategies for creating a better workplace. As many businesses have shifted to incorporate more remote hours, finding a healthy work-life balance remains relevant as many people continue to struggle with this delicate balance. If you are responsible for shaping your work culture, try leading by example. When the leader takes time for their mental, physical, and spiritual health and is transparent about it, it encourages others to do the same. Life is already hectic enough. Ask yourself, can you create a work environment where people don’t take the stresses of work home with them? How can you create an environment, whether virtual or in-person, that promotes care, empathy, and safety? What boundaries, whether you’re an employer or an employee, need to be set in place? Perhaps that’s not taking calls or reaching out after a certain time, and implementing a ‘no-email/texts after hours’ policy to respect personal time. Perhaps it’s decreasing the number of in-office days, and promoting the use of all vacation/personal days. This could even look like providing resources to support mental health, including seminars on stress management or even providing mental health and counseling services. The possibilities are endless! When we can create containers for these facets of our lives, our experience at work will be pleasurable for all involved. 

Remember, a nurtured team is an effective and efficient team, and the journey towards creating a positive work culture begins with each one of us!