Employee Wellness Activities & Games and Workplace Wellness Program to Keep Employees Happy

Employee Wellness Activities and Games and Program Ideas for the Workplace

As a manager trying to help employees thrive, organizing wellness activities for remote staff posed an interesting challenge. We wanted to give our distributed employees ways to improve their overall health and connect with teammates—but figuring out the right approach was tricky.

Providing flexible remote work hours already relieves some pressure, but employees still face declining physical and mental well-being working in isolation. We needed to create initiatives that would boost morale and engagement among employees scattered across the country.

Our planning team researched wellness activities suited for remote participation. We focused on ideas to promote financial, physical, and emotional health through virtual team-building and learning. Our new wellness platform allows Employees to access fitness classes, nutrition guides, budgeting tools, and resilience training.

Biweekly video calls facilitated conversations on combating anxiety, loneliness, and burnout. Employees even engaged in virtual laughter yoga and meditation sessions together. These simple connections made a difference in coping with stress.

Surveys showed the wellness programming translated to noticeable personal growth for individuals. But more importantly, employees felt closer to their distributed colleagues, reducing feelings of isolation. Providing outlets for remote employees to interact while caring for mental and physical health boosted morale more than we imagined.

While keeping a distributed workforce healthy poses challenges, our employee wellness platform proved it was possible. Investing resources to help employees thrive in and out of work pays dividends through engagement, loyalty, and resilience when challenges emerge. Our team may be remote, but wellness initiatives keep us connected.

Employee Wellness Activities

When planning our next team-building event, our committee wanted to improve employee wellness with fun outdoor activities. We pictured giving employees a day to engage with each other away from their desks, hoping some fresh air and laughter would lift morale.

However, securing the right venue posed unexpected challenges. Our initial location was overrun by territorial squirrels, sabotaging plans for outdoor games and relaxation. Flexible work hours meant little without a place to gather. So we pivoted to a squirrel-free park, eager to get back on track.

Yet miscommunication with the bus company had us accidentally dropped at the zoo for an hour before arriving at our venue. Two derailments would frustrate any planning team, but we refused to let setbacks ruin our goal of supporting employee wellness.

Finally gathered in the sunshine, our resilient team was ready for some fun. A mix of games, mental health discussions, and crafts activities brought out employees’ playful creativity. Watching coworkers bond while making art and exchanging stories reenergized us all.

Despite squirrel invasions and detours, we provided a day for employees to engage with their whole selves. Our patience and adaptability enabled moments of joy and connection too valuable to abandon over mishaps. Investing in employee morale breeds loyalty, while financial wellness ensures retention. If a happy team means accommodating squirrel picnics too, we’ll consider that for next time!

Virtual Employee Wellness Programs

After rallying from previous planning mishaps, our team finally gathered, ready to engage in wellness activities for employees. We worked hard to provide employees with a fun day promoting healthy habits for all on-site or remote employees.

Kicking things off with virtual icebreaker games got everyone laughing and set a tone of camaraderie. Coworkers shared personal stories, finding common ground beyond work responsibilities. These team-building activities and employee wellness program ideas helped employees engage in healthy conversation. 

However, right before starting a mindfulness session, catastrophe struck yet again. The outside caterer had undercooked chicken sandwiches, leading to sudden collective illness. Our healthy employees agenda was disrupted by urgent trips to find relief.

In the chaos, our spirits deflated. But resilient Jodi reminded us that keeping spirits up was the whole point as she made a dash for the port-a-potty. Getting sidetracked stung after the effort invested in team building for employee health.

Yet we carried on with our agenda as soon as everyone returned, shaken but spirited. We shortened activities to leave time for connection and recovery. Laughter flowed as freely as before, emotional bonds overcoming physical discomfort.

While we wish the food poisoning hadn’t occurred, it didn’t ruin our investment in physical, mental and emotional health. We still made space for employees to support wellbeing in each other’s company. With flexibility and compassion, even disruptions can’t undo what team camaraderie builds.

Out of the Box Workplace Wellness Ideas

Undeterred by previous setbacks, our hardworking and dedicated committee rescheduled the outing for the following week. They carefully checked the weather forecast, ensuring clear skies, and ordered many curated boxes from SnackMagic instead of taking chances with another caterer.

As fate would have it, we woke up on the day of the event to find torrential rain pouring down. Determined not to let the weather ruin their plans, we embraced the shower and turned their wellness activities into a hilarious impromptu water fight. It was one of the best out-of-the-box wellness ideas ever!

While it wasn’t planned event ideas for mental health awareness, it worked, as we all got to splash in the rain and munch on snacks. Talk about finding your inner child! 

Wellness Wednesday Ideas for Employee Engagement

As the day progressed with wonderful mental health activities for adults, our team members were finally getting into the spirit of the outing. Sarah, Dave, and Lisa had planned the perfect Wellness Wednesday ideas. Including tug-of-war and trust falls and finding joy in every moment. 

A stray balloon slipped from Lisa’s grip, floating higher and higher into the sky. The team found themselves chasing after the balloon in matching SwagMagic company apparel. They were stumbling over obstacles and laughing uncontrollably as they failed to catch it. We couldn’t wait for them to plan more fun adult wellbeing activities! 

Benefits of wellness activities for the workplace

Encouraging Employee Well-Being through Corporate Programs

Implementing a comprehensive workplace wellness program can have wide-ranging benefits for both employees and the company as a whole. Such programs encourage employees to prioritize their health by providing opportunities and incentives to adopt healthier lifestyles. Simple initiatives like offering fitness classes, organizing team sports events, providing access to ergonomic equipment, and conducting health screenings can go a long way. Companies that allow employees to take time for wellness activities tend to have happier, healthier, and more productive teams.

Increasing Employee Engagement and Collaboration

Incorporating health and wellness into the work environment is also a great way to boost employee engagement and collaboration. Activities like team sports, group fitness challenges, and volunteering events enable employees to build stronger connections with their peers. This leads to increased morale, better communication, creative collaboration, and an overall positive office culture. Something as simple as a shared commitment to wellness can unite teams and breakdown hierarchical barriers. Sponsoring participatory wellness programs is an effective team-building strategy.

Promoting Healthier Lifestyles for Improved Productivity

Perhaps most importantly, prioritizing employee health and wellbeing has been clearly linked to increased productivity in the workplace. Unhealthy employees tend to be absent more often and achieve less while working. Workplace wellness programs aim to educate staff on leading balanced, healthy lifestyles to prevent burnout. Employees who exercise regularly, maintain healthy diets, manage stress, and get enough sleep have more energy and focus to apply to their work. Companies that care about their employees’ mental and physical health demonstrate their investment in the workforce. In turn, employees feel motivated to do their best work. By supporting employees’ personal wellness, companies can increase productivity.

The key is creating a culture that enables employees to thrive both in and outside of work. Emphasizing health and wellness creates a positive environment and diverse opportunities for all staff to enhance their own lives.

Finding Joy Even When Things Go Wrong

Despite all the mishaps, our Fun Outing Committee achieved its ultimate goal. They brought their colleagues closer together through laughter and shared experiences. The team outing, albeit plagued with unexpected obstacles, became a memorable event we would recount for years. 

Here is a comprehensive list of all the beautiful things we did together on our fun employee outing!

1. Tug-of-War
2. Three-Legged Race
3. Sack Race
4. Water Balloon Toss
5. Egg and Spoon Race
6. Human Knot
7. Blindfolded Trust Walk
8. Hula Hoop Contest
9. Capture the Flag
10. Balloon Pop Relay
11. Limbo Contest
12. Musical Chairs
13. Pictionary Tournament
14. Office Olympics (paperclip shot put, stapler toss, etc.)
15. Scavenger Hunt
16. Group Yoga or Pilates Class
17. Zumba Dance Party
18. Karaoke Battle
19. Ping Pong Tournament
20. Giant Jenga

These games and activities helped us work as a team and build trust with one another. SwagMagic and SnackMagic were more than happy to provide the prizes, and we were thrilled to spend so much fun time together outside of work. 

Nothing brings a group of people closer together than experiencing food poisoning at the same time, and we will forever laugh at the way we all had to run to the restroom almost simultaneously. 

We’re looking forward to the next round of wellness games and activities for our office, and you can be confident that SwagMagic and SnackMagic will play a substantial role! 

Fostering Employee Wellness through Workplace Activities and Games

After reading about the benefits of incorporating wellness activities and games into your workplace, it’s time to take action! Consider launching a company-wide wellness challenge to give your employees a fun opportunity to improve their health while bonding with coworkers.

A friendly competition can motivate staff to move more, snack healthier, reduce stress, and prioritize self-care, even during busy work hours or while working from home. With simple tracking and rewards, wellness challenges are easy to set up and can make a real impact. Even small wellness initiatives have been shown to boost employee satisfaction, energy, and focus.

Invest in Your Employees with Wellness Initiatives

Regarding corporate wellness programs, the potential positive impacts make the investment worthwhile. Simply providing opportunities for employees to enhance their physical, mental, and social well-being can lead to a happier, healthier, and more engaged workforce. Activities like walk breaks, intramural sports, board game breaks, and step challenges are simple, budget-friendly ways to prioritize employee wellness.

The benefits range from reduced health insurance costs to improved retention rates and productivity. Promoting health at work isn’t just an employee perk – it’s an intelligent business strategy. Employees who feel cared for and given opportunities to grow will repay your investment with loyalty, creativity, and more robust performance. What wellness activity will you start with? Your employees are waiting!