Getting involved in National Wellness Month

National Wellness Month is observed in every August across the world.

The brainchild of health and wellness organisation Live Love Spa in 2018, the month-long  global movement was created ‘to inspire self-care, build healthy routines and reduce stress for a happy, thriving community.’

It promotes the improvement of society’s physical, mental, and emotional health through small, consistent lifestyle changes. If you’re a business leader then it’s a key opportunity for you to show your dedication to your employees’ holistic wellbeing.

‘Supporting mental health in the workplace isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a smart investment’ states Talk Works, a UK mental wellbeing organisation.

‘According to a report by Deloitte UK, for every £1 spent on mental health interventions, employers see an average return of £5 through reduced absenteeism, presenteeism, and staff turnover.’

National Wellness Month has now blossomed into a vibrant, nationwide event embraced by leading wellness brands like Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and Circadia. Followers are invited to join the movement and take the pledge to make small daily acts of self-care a priority.

What are the goals of National Wellness Month?

Encourage self-care: whether it's taking a walk, meditating, or getting enough sleep.

Promote healthy habits: such as drinking more water, exercising regularly, and eating nutritious foods.

Reduce stress: through practices like mindfulness, deep breathing, or unplugging from technology.

Build community wellness: encouraging workplaces, schools, and families to cultivate supportive environments.

Inspire preventive care: promote regular check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings to maintain physical health. 

Long-term habits: the ultimate goal is to move beyond a single month and foster lasting changes in lifestyle and mindset, creating a foundation for continued well-being.

How can our workplace celebrate National Wellness Month?

There are many creative incentives to engage your colleagues this August. Why not try…

Fitness challenges: involve your team in fitness challenges that promote physical activity and camaraderie. Challenges like step counts, yoga sessions, or home workouts can create a sense of unity while prioritising wellness

Nutrition and mental health talks: arrange informative workshops about nutrition and mental health. Invite experts to address these topics and provide actionable insights for maintaining a healthy mind and body.

Improve sleep: inspire employees to monitor their sleep patterns through sleep-tracking devices or apps. The aim is to gather data on sleep duration, quality, and other metrics while encouraging employees to set personal sleep goals.

Get mindful: team meditation and mindfulness sessions are proven to lower stress levels, improve concentration, create greater self-awareness, and bring people together. Schedule ten minutes at the start of each work day and see the difference it makes.

Invest in resources: treat your staff to organisation-wide apps like HeadClear to help monitor and support their mental health at work. Investing in your people in this way helps to develop an inclusive and wellbeing-focused culture that will drive your business forward.

Gift hampers for staff wellness: another simple idea is to buy in bulk gift bags and curate wellness-focused gift hampers for your colleagues. These hampers can include items like nutritious snacks, wellness books, stress-relief tools, and more.

Run a book club: the 30-day Book Club challenge requires reading a specific part of the book daily or weekly and then meeting regularly to discuss the key themes. This can aid your teams to share ideas and have valuable conversations whilst indulging in a calming activity.

Provide staff benefits: offering a comprehensive suite of employee benefits catered to various aspects of wellness can not only alleviate employees’ stress but also encourage them to continue working at your organisation.

Activities like this can inspire people to take control of their wellbeing - not just for a month, but as a long-term commitment.

Don’t forget to acknowledge and reward those who engage and achieve - happy National Wellness Month!