Creating a Culture of Corporate Wellness by Investing in Healthier People

The benefits of implementing a corporate wellness program are well-documented, and the benefits can be evident with employee wellness as well as a healthy bottom line. Any organization can benefit from a customized-holistic-workplace wellness program. For example, the cost of healthcare for employees can be staggering. Currently, the most expensive method of managing healthcare is through crisis management. That is, to delay intervention until a health problem exists, and then rely solely on treatment. Holistic corporate wellness, on the other hand, works to prevent these future costs by focusing on maintaining good health.

Studies indicate that for every dollar spent on a corporate wellness program, the returns have been a cost savings of between $2.30 and $10.10. Research studies on wellness indicate that individuals who take responsibility for maintaining personal health are healthier, happier and more productive. These people take fewer sick days and have lower healthcare costs. This can result in decreased absenteeism, fewer sick days, reduced claims, lowered health and insurance costs, and improvements to employee performance and productivity. Holistic corporate wellness programs translate into fewer injuries, less human error, and a more harmonious work environment. Wellness programs are instrumental in keeping people on a healthy living pathway, especially in office environments where the employees may be sedentary for significant portions of the day.

Research indicates that lifestyle choices are the most important factors in determining overall health. The secret is not in healthcare, but in consistent self-care. While traditional medicine has been primarily focused on illness, the holistic-wellness approach encourages personal responsibility for one’s own health and well-being. Employees of corporations that support this philosophy experience great benefits – namely, working in a workplace that is positive and healthy.

Wellness is a preventative approach, designed to provide optimum levels of health, as well as emotional and social functioning. Holistic wellness places emphasis on all aspects of an individual’s life. It is the integration of body, mind and spirit. Most importantly, it is the understanding that everything we do, feel, think and believe has a direct impact on our overall health.

Holistic corporate wellness provides the essentials for optimal health. It offers nutrition counseling, diverse exercise choices such as yoga and pilates, and even meditation and Reiki for energy healing.

The body is an instrument that must be nourished with the appropriate food, exercise and stress management techniques. The holistic health approach at work provides the physical, mental and spiritual components of self-care to foster a healthier and more productive workplace.
A way to begin is with a simple breath. The breath connects the mind to the body and creates better circulation throughout the brain and the entire body. This in turn supports overall health, relaxation and the ability to focus. Stress reduction is a natural by-product of the deep breathing, and is in contrast to the shallow breathing that most people have during times of anxiety and depression. Implementing stress management techniques is a vital part of wellness and can be implemented without disruption to a company’s workday.

Now that you’ve understood the importance of workplace wellness, integrating wellness into your corporate community requires you to determine your particular needs and goals. Are you seeking to reduce healthcare costs? Improve employee retention, morale and productivity? Be sure to express these goals so that they are relevant, attainable and measurable.

Your company’s wellness should follow a similar procedure and should be approached with the same care and concern as any of your projects. Making the right decision can have a positive effect on your state of health, both physically and financially. Investing in your employee’s wellness makes good business sense. The bottom line is healthy employees mean a healthy business.