Is 2020 the Year Your Wellness Program Really Takes Off?

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The holidays are officially over. We’re getting back into the work groove. And of course, everyone has made the obligatory resolution to become healthier in the new year. You notice enrollment in your corporate exercise activities jumped by more than 10% in the last week alone. 2020 seems off to a great start for your wellness program. If this keeps up, everyone in the company will be engaged in the wellness program by the end of February, right?

Wrong! The new year is a time when people take stock and make resolutions. They decide to shed a few pounds…to eat healthier…to get more exercise…or to quit smoking. Those who make New Year’s resolutions are sincere about them and most will take some immediate actions, like signing up for a gym membership. But sadly, the failure rate for New Year’s resolutions are about 80% according to US News and World Reports and most people will lose their resolve by mid-February. So, expect gym attendance to plummet in just a few weeks. Psychologists can cite any number of reasons resolutions fail, but one of the biggest tends to be unclear and unrealistic goals. 

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But the new year is an opportunity for corporations to engage people in their wellness initiatives. It really is a time for self-reflection and for changing direction. The real question is, how can your program encourage and reinforce a healthier lifestyle?

First, let’s stop thinking of Wellness as physical well-being. Most corporate programs focus on diet, exercise and regular health checks. While these are important to being physically fit, there’s more to living a healthy lifestyle. The National Wellness Institute (NWI) uses “The Six Dimensions of Wellness Model” to create a much more holistic view:

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This model was created by NWI co-founder, Dr. Bill Hettler, who realized gratifying social connections, intellectual stimulation, finding meaning through spirituality, a healthy emotional environment and an occupation that provides purpose and satisfaction were all as important as physical well-being in living a healthy lifestyle. Enlightened corporate wellness programs are finding new ways to engage employees by adding different dimensions to their program. Think of how you could expand the reach of your wellness program and engage employees with:

  • Lunch-and-learns discussing financial well-being

  • Encouraging employees to create intellectually stimulating groups, like book club

  • Incorporating community outreach and charity into your total wellness program

  • Offering webinars on the pressing industry issues to engage employees and gather their ideas

  • Establish a wellness working group to represent your entire workforce suggest ways to improve your program

Creating a balanced approach to wellness, and not just looking at it through a physical dimension, offers opportunities to engage more workers and simultaneously helps them become healthier and more well-rounded individuals. Remember, one of the goals of any wellness program should be to increase employee satisfaction and act as a differentiator to encourage employee retention. Expanding the meaning of wellness helps keep your program fresh. Think of adding some extra dimensions to your program early in this new year to keep them engaged. It might even help them stick to and even succeed in achieving some of their new year’s resolutions.

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