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Recently, as the Wellbeing Officer for Alyfe, I spoke in front a packed house about the power of gratitude AND how to bring it into the workplace. I was honored to present at the Health Action Council Annual Symposium in Columbus, Ohio. I shared how appreciation and respect is a better motivator than money! How active gratitude makes people feel better physically, emotionally, psychologically – not just at work, but in life.

I want to take a moment to send a big THANK YOU to YOU!  2018 has been an incredible year, and I am deeply grateful that you’ve chosen to spend your time with us. This year, we’ve seen more of our team more than ever step into their full potential, grow in ways they couldn’t have imagined and fulfill their purpose of making this world a better place. And, I can’t wait to see what 2019 will bring!

Most people that use tobacco want to quit but don’t know how. As a company it’s important to support and encourage your employees to lead a healthy lifestyle; whether it’s losing weight, managing stress, or quitting smoking. So what does a happy and healthy employee mean to your organization? It could look like higher productivity levels, less turnaround, or a more engaged culture.

Alyfe Wellbeing Strategies is a special place to be, and we have much to be thankful for. Each one of us at Alyfe is grateful for you. Our clients. There are numerous times during the year when we say thank you, but this week of Thanksgiving we want to make a formal note to each and every one of you.

This question is something we ponder a lot at Alyfe Wellbeing Strategies. One thing we know for sure? Our clients LOVE our strategic account managers who hold all the pieces together and are the boots on the ground. We believe this “secret sauce” of white-glove service, active co-creation of wellbeing initiatives, and a passion for high-performance habits makes our strategic account managers some of the best in the industry.

We have always advocated a best practice is to have a one-on-one private “teachable moment” at the end of a screening process. We bring highly trained staff to complete the seamless screening process, and then we have each participant meet with a Registered Dietitian to explain what each number means—and why they should care.

In our last blog, we talked about how to recognize the signs of depression with a colleague, and in this blog, we address what steps we can take to support our colleagues. We are not mental health counselors, therapists or doctors. It is not your position to diagnose an employee’s depression.  However, there are ways in which we can support those in our “work family.”

As a start, we can help remove the stigma around depression by beginning to have open conversations in our workplaces about mental health. Treating it as a health condition, talking openly about it, and making all our employees aware of their options helps our employees feel comfortable seeking the assistance they need, when they need.

You can’t always choose what happens to you, but we can always choose how we feel about it. The feeling calm, peace and gratefulness is the difference between striving to thriving. We’re not here to invalidate the negative emotions, but we do believe that if we can change our perception, AKA our thoughts, we can change our life. 

Given the damage actively disengaged employees can cause, it is important for organizations to proactively encourage engaged employees. The good news is that preventing employee disengagement is possible.  As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Disengaged employees can cost up to $550 billion every year in the US alone in a combination of increased rates of absenteeism and low productivity.  That’s not “just a few extra dollars.” By comparison, those companies that have high levels of engaged employees have 22 percent higher profitability than their less engaged counterparts and 10 percent higher customer satisfaction ratings.

Here are instructions for a simple meditation that you can do at your desk. There is no need to be a certain way, or try to become “thoughtless. And remember that even if you can do this for two minutes a day, it will be beneficial. The important thing is to be consistent.

No matter how busy you think your life is, you definitely have 10 minutes a day to spare. Yes, the emails won’t stop, and the phone keeps ringing. All the while, the stress levels seem to be creeping up. But there is a way to find quiet in the noise of every day life. Mindfulness meditation is the answer.

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your house.  Its a perfect time to refresh your body, mind and spirit! After the cold of winter is finally gone, use the change of season to set a routine that revitalizes your body, brings new life to your home and creates more joy in your life. Don’t forget to open the windows of each room to let the old air circulate! Here are some steps to up-level your body, mind and spirt!

“When you’re on your death bed and reflecting back on your life, what you are going to be proudest of are the things that made your life meaningful. You won’t necessarily regret not being happy, but you’ll regret if you don’t lead a meaningful life.” — Emily Esfahani Smith

Coaching is more than an occupation.  For the most dedicated, it’s a calling — a calling to assist others in living the full measure of their lives.  Its an opportunity to hold space for hope, for resilience, for transformation. It’s a chance to earn the trust of another being, while the coach helps to create the construction of their clients dreams.

Increasingly more employees and managers seem to be seeking a more spiritual connection at one of the biggest parts of their lives — their jobs.  Spirituality is the basic feeling of being connected with one’s complete self, others and the entire universe. It’s not about bringing religion into the office or requiring that employees chant mantras at their workstations. Rather it’s an attempt to create a sense of meaning and purpose at work –  and a connection between the company and its people.