Health Enhancement Systems (HES), a workplace wellness campaign industry leader with more than 20 years of experience making workplaces more sustainable, offers a respite from the constant flow of Zoom meetings and virtual events.
Much of the world’s workforce is working remotely, and even outside of work, communications have gone virtual to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus and keep people safe. The problem is that people are experiencing burnout and fatigue caused by an array of virtual meetings, events, conferences and phone calls. Employees are tiring of virtual programming, and companies are having trouble engaging employees as a result.
A feeling people are facing is that they only have so much time and energy that can be dedicated to virtual events. Often confined to their homes, workers are feeling increasingly disconnected from the outside world – especially the real, in-person connections.
HES provides immersive experiences that allow participants to escape from the stressors of remote work. Many HES campaigns encourage getting out of the home and into nature (subject to social distancing guidelines), affording workplaces the unique opportunity to interact with coworkers around positive, non-work matters. Too often, interpersonal work conversations relate only to work matters, which can interfere with an individual’s ability to build meaningful, fulfilling workplace friendships and relationships.
HES campaigns are designed to be intrinsically motivating, without the need for constant notifications and reminders often associated with wellness apps. These campaigns are designed and presented in a way that is upbeat and inspiring. Participants generally feel connected to the subject matter, rather than grow to resent a program that oversimplifies the problems facing them in a tone-deaf manner.
Several HES campaigns include activities that can enhance emotional well-being and develop invaluable life skills by giving participants the opportunity to:
- Practice meditation
- Contemplate mindfulness
- Show gratitude
- Experience connection
- Improve physical and mental strength
Because most industries recognize that burnout, low morale and disconnectedness are real issues facing employees, many workplaces have attempted to incorporate Zoom happy hours, morning stretch sessions, and other similar initiatives. For many workers, these initiatives exacerbate the problem, adding to overloaded to-do lists and serving as a reminder that the virtual world and real world are quite different. HES campaigns provide a sustainable alternative providing an outlet to de-stress.
HES campaigns further provide employees the opportunity to establish social ties with their peers. In essence, these are the water cooler conversations that happen in a workplace and represent the casual encounters that define a workplace culture.
By engaging in activities that are compatible with their interests and lifestyles, participants of HES programs are more likely to make the most out of the experience, building lasting habits from what they learned. Personalized programs help participants feel they have a say in their campaign and a sense of control over the process, a critically important sentiment during a time when so much is out of people’s control.
Programs are completed offline and simply logged online, helping participants get away from the digital world that is causing so much fatigue. The immersive themes that run through each campaign provide participants with relief from disturbing news, and instead present positive images, intriguing facts, and empowering ideas.
