According to a recent study from the Cleveland Clinic, there are seven unusual tips for you and your employees to be happier and healthier in 2013. These are simple things each of you can do to improve morale almost immediately:
1. EAT MORE CHOCOLATE. Eating chocolate, just 6.7 grams a day, can decrease the impact of heart disease, increase blood flow to the brain, and even fight depression. According to research, a small square 2 or 3 times a day can have great health benefits, and who does not like chocolate? Make sure you have chocolate available in your cafeteria or vending machines, especially 70% dark which is the healthiest. Some companies are even scheduling a daily “chocolate break!”
2. DANCE. Dancing burns calories, strengthens muscles and bones, brings the benefits of music and rhythm, and is fun. A great way to build relationships in the workplace is to have special times each week to learn and practice line dancing, salsa, other ethnic dances, and even the old standby of Rock ‘n Roll!
3. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Try anything new, like learning a new dance, working on a puzzle, taking a class or learning a foreign language. This can even be as simple as taking a new way to work one day each week or reading a new magazine or experimenting with a new computer program. Every workplace has amazing resources in its employees, so find out what people love to do in their free time and what special skills they have and set up internal learning workshops.
4. TAKE A MENTAL TIME OUT. When the stress is too great, take a personal or vacation day and do something JUST FOR YOU! Even taking an extra hour at lunch and walking in a park or meeting a friend from outside work or going to the gym can boost endorphins and morale.
5. DRINK COFFEE. Surprise! New research shows that drinking 2 or 3 eight ounce cups of coffee can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease by as much as 40%. Just be wise about overdoing it. I know Starbucks will LOVE this one!
6. GO SHOE SHOPPING. OK, Guys, this is for you, too. How your feet feel is directly related to your mood. Women, replace those terribly high heels with thicker ones 2 1/4 inches or lower and go for square toes rather than pointy. You can save the pretty ones for evening!
7. LAUGH. This is my favorite! Laughter has positive effects on so many aspects of our lives — mood, blood flow, and sleep, to name a few. In fact, research has shown that 10 minutes of belly laughing is as beneficial for your system as ONE HOUR of rowing! Why not have a “Laughter break” at the same time every day and challenge people to make those around them laugh. I suggest every workplace reception area should have a large, clear glass bowl filled with cartoons and jokes so that when you are having a bad day, you can find something quick to make you smile.
AS I travel around the world speaking on how to achieve greater employee engagement, over and over again I realize it is the SIMPLE things that make the most difference. These seven things can help you to create a happier, healthier workplace with little or no cost, and you will have fun doing it!
