When you think of employee wellness, what comes to mind? Perhaps a state-of-the-art gym for employees to use at work, or maybe healthcare benefits for employees?
If you’ve thought of these, or other options pertaining to physical health, your approach to worker wellness is most likely more traditional. But historically, traditional views of employee well-being have fallen short. In fact, more than 80% of large employers offer a workplace wellness program, yet nearly 83% of employees report feeling emotionally drained from their work.
In more recent years, and largely in part to shifting work perspectives due to a global pandemic, the way companies have approached employee wellness has changed. Now, companies have realized that there’s a lot more that goes into an individual’s well-being than adequate healthcare. In fact, companies are shaping their employee wellness programs to offer support in physical, emotional, mental, and financial health too.
In addition to an expansive wellness program, there’s a surefire way to guarantee employee and company success and well-being. And it starts with creativity.
But first…what is worker wellness?
Employee wellness is an all-encompassing term for the activities and programs deployed by a company that aim to improve employee health and well-being. Such programs may include:
- Free office snacks
- Unlimited, paid vacation time
- Parental leave (for both parents)
- Daycare and nursing stations
- Gym membership discounts, or an onsite gym
- Flexible work arrangements (i.e., remote work)
- Etc.
Worker wellness is a proactive solution to avert exorbitant healthcare costs of sick employees, demanding work symptoms like burnout, sleep deprivation, stress, and sick leaves/absenteeism. Ultimately, employee well-being is crucial to the success and health of an organization.
Companies who invest in human capital have a clear understanding of this, and that happy employees make better employees. When companies support employees through wellness programs, they actively create happier, healthier workers.
The linkage between creativity and well-being
Leading organizations know that investing in your employees happiness and health is necessity – and resourceful worker wellness programs are the way to do that. But there is an additional way to improve happiness and health at work.
Looking to improve organizational well-being?
Creativity, or creative activities have been commonly associated with flourishing levels of happiness in individuals. In fact, when people engage in creative endeavors each day, they report feeling happier and more energized. Studies have even shown that tapping into your creative side can actually improve your overall physical and emotional health.
This is not to say that creative activities or methods are an alternative to the perks and promises of an established wellness program. It’s to say that creativity and wellness complement each other in astounding ways. When employees are happy, they are three times more creative, and, when they are provided with creative outlets or the option to be creative at work, they are happy.
The benefits of incorporating creativity into your wellness program
Let’s play a game of “Would You Rather.” Would you rather:
- Attend a company meeting where participation is not evenly distributed, or have a graphic recorder to illustrate, encourage, and amplify responses from each team member?
- Never, or scarcely be recognized for your contributions at work, or have a personalized visual bio, or internal social listening mural created for you or your team?
- Be unsure of roles, objectives, or overarching meeting or project goals, or have a strategic visualization plan that defines team roles, clarifies next steps, and guides the team on a clear path toward success?
Now, we admit that we may have had our thumbs on the scale with some of these alternatives, but the point remains – no matter how diverse or niche your industry, the problems that plague businesses are universal. Infusing creativity, listening, and empathy can create a happier, healthier, more productive team. And that’s not all.
Employees are drawn to open-minded, forward-thinking organizations. As such, creativity attracts and keeps top talent. Additionally, creativity helps improve performance levels, and create more meaningful collaboration among team members. But perhaps the most beneficial to the organization and employees is that creativity results in a wider range of positive workplace outcomes, higher job satisfaction, and reduced stress. So why not shape your wellness plans on the backbone of creativity?
If you’re looking to weave creative methods into your work, you’ve come to the right place. Experience the affect creativity has on your employees by giving us a call today.
