Are you looking for some wellness ideas for remote employees to help them stay happy and healthy while working from home?
It’s so important for remote workers to make wellness activities part of their daily routines. Not only will these activities help boost energy, focus, and motivation—they’ll also give you the chance to connect with your team on a personal level.
So if you’re looking for ideas to make your workspace a bit livelier, we’ve got plenty of suggestions for activities that are sure to bring some fun and lightheartedness into your day. We’ll break down the importance of adding wellness to your daily routine, as well as tips and tricks to making your own work more engaging.
Why and How to Incorporate Wellness Activities
Nowadays, it almost feels like our entire lives revolve around the office. That’s why it’s so important to incorporate wellness activities into your daily routine as a remote worker. With a few tweaks and adjustments, you can make your workspace healthier for both yourself and your team!
Not only do wellness activities increase morale and foster collaboration–they also help reduce stress, leading to increased productivity from your team. Furthermore, integrating even the most basic activities into workflows can make all the difference in providing mental breaks and achieving work-life balance.
From incorporating physical activity sessions to introducing mindful practices like meditation or mindfulness exercises, taking the time to invest in yourself can go a long way in terms of creating the best possible working environment for you and your team.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we have you covered! Here are some fun wellness activities that will help remote workers stay healthy, motivated and engaged:
- Regular stretching/yoga sessions
- Virtual team lunches or coffee breaks
- Fun challenges or competitions
- Outdoor activities such as hikes or biking trails
- Exercise classes over video chat
- Games like bingo or trivia night with virtual prizes
Take these ideas as inspiration for your next meeting! A few tweaks and adjustments can make all the difference for remote workers across the board.
Incorporating Technology Into Home Wellness Activities
Wellness activities don’t have to be limited to the office. Your team members can now easily bring the same level of fun and engagement with technology right into their homes. Here are a few ideas that you can use to spice up your remote work culture:
- Virtual Games: Host virtual game nights using platforms such as JackBox, Kahoot, HouseParty, or even Zoom. It’s a great way to stay connected with the team while having a bit of fun.
- Virtual Exercise Classes: Incorporate virtual fitness classes into your wellness program. This will help keep everyone in shape and feeling good about themselves. Platforms like Peloton make it easy to stay fit in the comfort of your own home.
- Online Brain Teasers & Puzzles: Encourage team members to take short breaks and have some fun with virtual brain teasers and puzzles. These activities can be simple and help relieve some stress from long days of work.
No matter what activity you choose, always remember that embracing technology is key for keeping employees engaged and motivated during this strange period of work-from-home life!
Strengthening the Team With Virtual Bonding Events
You may not know this, but virtual bonding events can be a powerful tool to strengthen camaraderie within a remote team! It can be difficult to foster collaborative relationships with teammates when you don’t see each other in person. That’s why it’s important to create digital environments where employees can connect with one another on a human level.
So, how can you achieve that in practice?
Fun Team Challenges
Organizing virtual challenges is a great way to engage your remote team and improve productivity. Whether it’s setting up a competition for the fastest typing speed, the most trivia knowledge, or the biggest Minecraft castle—everyone will get in on the fun. It’s easy to do—just create an online form that everyone signs up for and allocate an appropriate prize.
Online Team-Building Games
If you’re looking for more structured activities, there are plenty of online team-building games available online. Why not give an escape room or murder mystery game a try? Most of these come with puzzles and mysteries to solve as teams, making them great ways for virtual colleagues to interact with one another in order to get ahead!
Plus, don’t forget about good old-fashioned video chat hangouts! These provide a chance for employees to connect face-to-face (even if it’s virtually) and share stories about their lives outside of work.
Keeping in Motion With Remote Exercise Classes
Exercise is essential for physical and mental health, and that holds true for office-based employees as well as remote workers! So why not get the gang together to take a remote exercise class?
You don’t have to be an expert gym rat—all you need to do is pick an exercise class or activity you all can do together. Here are just a few ideas:
- Yoga or Tai Chi – These classes are perfect for improving flexibility, concentration and relief from aches and pains.
- Dance – Who doesn’t love cranking up the tunes and having a little dance party? You can even take it a step further with specific dance classes like Hula or Bollywood.
- Sports – Engage in a friendly competition (with inactive members acting as referees) with online sports tournaments like badminton, basketball, cricket, or soccer.
- Workout – We all know that cardio is key! Get your group together for an online workout class that includes things like jumping jacks, burpees or squats while you’re all (virtually) in the same place.
You may find yourself getting creative with these activities—from running races in your houses to simple stretching exercises on video calls—but in any case, don’t forget the importance of staying active while working remotely!
Tips for Carving Out Personalized Time for Wellness
It’s easy to forget to schedule in time for yourself when working remotely—we get it! But carving out time for wellness activities is essential. Here are some tips to help you make it a priority:
- Establish a Schedule: Create a regular routine that works best for you and stick with it. This will ensure your wellness activities don’t end up being pushed off or forgotten throughout your day.
- Honor Your Boundaries: Setting boundaries is important, especially when it comes to work-related tasks. Set up some clear boundaries between work and leisure, so you can make sure to honor the set aside times for wellness activities during the day.
- Find a Balance: Depending on your lifestyle, you may need to find a balance between Zoom meetings and creative outlets that help you relax, like yoga or painting classes. You can also incorporate an energizing activity into each workday such as a quick workout session or an outdoor walk during lunchtime.
- Make It Fun: Think of activities that are enjoyable and would break the monotony of your home office atmosphere, such as cooking classes, virtual game nights with friends, movie marathons with family or outdoor gatherings (remember to practice social distancing).
By following these tips and making time for yourself, you will feel more refreshed and productive throughout the day!
Benefits of Establishing a Healthy Working Routine
You may not have realized it, but establishing a healthy working routine is incredibly beneficial to remote employees! From focusing on self-care to setting up a dedicated workspace, here’s why you should prioritize wellness activities when working from home:
Improved Productivity
It’s natural for remote workers to build healthier habits, such as sticking to a consistent sleep schedule and setting achievable goals. This also extends to productivity – without the everyday office distractions, you can easily focus on one task at a time and finish tasks more efficiently.
Mental Health Boost
Getting fresh air and engaging in regular exercise can do wonders for your mental health – both of which are easy to do when you work remotely! Additionally, making sure you stick to regular breaks throughout the day will help manage stress levels.
Enhanced Interactions with Teammates
Wellness activities can also help foster teamwork and cooperation among your teammates. Whether you’re having virtual group workouts or organizing virtual lunch dates – it’s up to you and your team how fun (or competitive!) these activities can be!
These are just some of the benefits you’ll get from engaging in wellness activities while working remotely. Try them out today and see the difference they make in your life!
Conclusion
Working remotely can be a great opportunity to stay connected with peers, unleash creativity, and revitalize your motivation. However, it can sometimes be hard to find the right balance. With these tips, you can encourage your remote workers to stay active and engaged – even when they’re miles apart.
From virtual happy hours and wellness challenges to virtual exercise classes and team lunches, it’s all about finding the right mix of activities that captures both fun and productivity. With the right plan, you can keep your remote team connected, better informed, and overall, healthier. With that, have fun and get creative – the possibilities are endless!