Blog Archives - Page 5 of 9

March 31, 2022October 22, 2024

Yoga Poses To Combat Sitting All Day At Work

Desk job employees: when’s the last time you took a moment to stretch your muscles?

Stretching is so much more than being able to touch your toes or being flexible – it’s an opportunity to build a healthy mind-body connection that so many of us seem to lose sight of because our desk jobs are so demanding mentally.

The hard truth? Humans aren’t made to sit 8-10 hours per day. In fact, long periods of sitting can actually be harmful in the grand scheme of things. But don’t worry, our certified yoga instructors have created a beginner-friendly sequence of poses to combat sitting all day.

But before finding your zen, it’s important to understand how desk jobs can harm us when we sit for hours on end.

How Your Desk Job May Be Harming Your Health

This may be a wild guess, but if you’re reading this you’re most likely hunched over your desk (or phone). You landed here because you know your desk job can quite literally cause aches and pains in your lower back, wrists, and even result in headaches.

Long story short – our bodies suffer at the hands of our desk jobs. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do about it. Taking a few moments each day to stretch can improve our posture and mood – ultimately resulting in feeling better. Yoga is an ideal way to loosen tight muscles and address certain areas on the body that don’t get as much movement as they should when sitting all day.

The Best Yoga Flow For Desk Jobs

From breath work and grounding poses to Warrior II and balancing, we’ve prepared a simple, yet effective sequence of yoga poses to help you feel better after sitting all day at work. Hold each pose for 5-10 breaths. As with any exercise, listen to your body. No pose should be painful or uncomfortable. It’s all about finding that balance between effort and ease.

Balasana (Child’s Pose)

Start off in Child’s Pose. This shape not only lengthens the spine, but opens your hips and grounds you before setting an intention for your practice. From here, find your breath – breathe in and out through your nose.

How To Find The Pose: Come on your hands and knees and bring your toes to touch and knees wide as you move your hips toward heels. Walk your hands forward until your forehead comes to the mat or floor. If it’s comfortable, close your eyes.

Marjaryasana/Bitilasana (Cat/Cow Pose)

Cat/Cow Pose improves spine flexibility and stretches your back muscles. Perfect if you have to drive long commutes on top of sitting all day.

How To Find The Pose: From Child’s Pose, come onto your hands and knees making sure they’re shoulder and hip width apart. Inhale and press through your palms. Round your spine as you drop your head to find Cat Pose. On the exhale, drop your belly towards the floor, then lift your gaze and look up – coming into Cow Pose. Match breath to movement and cycle through 5-7 rounds of Cat/Cow.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

Downward Facing Dog Pose provides a juicy stretch in all the right places. It improves circulation and helps release tension in the neck.

How To Find The Pose: Root down into your palms and begin raising your knees off the mat. Lift your hips and straighten your legs if possible. In your first Down Dog, pedal the feet to ease into the pose. Firm the outer arms and shoulder blades. Look back at your toes. Shake the head yes and no to release tension in the base of your skull.

Uttanasana (Standing Fold Pose)

This inversion pose is ideal to alleviate anxiety and reduce tension headaches. For beginners, make sure to bend your knees as much as you need to avoid pulling a muscle. Standing Fold Pose is known to help with digestion, as well as stretching your hamstrings.

How To Find The Pose: Root down into your palms and begin raising your knees off the mat. Lift your hips and straighten your legs if possible.

Tadasana (Tall Mountain Pose)

Tall Mountain is another key pose in any yoga flow. It’s in this shape that you’ll have to practice your drishti (focused gaze) to keep the mind and body still. This pose is beneficial if you’re working on your balance and helps lengthen your spine.

How To Find The Pose: Root into your feet and come all the way up until you’re standing with your arms overhead. Depending on how your body feels, you can stand with your feet together or hip-width distance apart.

Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)

Warrior II pays homage to the Hindu god, Shiva. This pose is a test of endurance and strength for any yogi because your legs are doing most of the work to hold yourself still while the core is engaged to stabilize the torso. Another benefit of Warrior II? It’s a beloved hip opener that is easily modified to be accessible for all levels of fitness.

How To Find The Pose: From Tall Mountain, step your right foot back and bring the edge of your foot in line with the short edge of your mat. Bend the left knee. Your hips should be open towards the right side of the room. Bring your arms into a T and look over your left hand, again finding your drishti. Repeat on the left side.

The Cooldown

After you’ve gone through the poses above, come onto your back and take a few deep breaths. Add in an additional twist by lifting your legs, bend at the knees, and let them fall to either side of you. You can use blankets, yoga blocks, or books to bring the floor up if your knees don’t quite touch it yet. After this, extend your arms by your sides, legs go long, and close your eyes as you find the best pose of all: Savasana.

A Little Yoga Goes A Long Way

Finding just 15-20 minutes a day to stretch your body has lifelong benefits – especially if you work a desk job. No matter if you have perfect posture or not, these yoga poses keep your mind-body connection intact and improve circulation. Practicing yoga is all about listening to what your body needs and that changes by the day.

Corporate Yoga: Practice Yoga With Your Coworkers

Not only do our bodies benefit from yoga, but our relationships can, too. There’s a certain kind of chemistry that happens between groups of people who practice yoga together. Bonds formed on your mat carry into the workplace and can improve communication within and between departments. Body Techniques provides both in-person and online yoga classes for workplaces with desk jobs just like yours. Learn more about our corporate yoga programs and why stress management is so important in corporate settings.

March 29, 2022March 29, 2022

5 Ways to Combat Zoom Fatigue

A change in workplace trends has taken place over the past two years of uncertainty and has left numerous people working from their homes instead of being in an office. In doing so, employees lost the ability to walk over to their coworkers to ask questions or just to have some friendly conversation. This workplace adjustment led to a rapid increase in virtual meetings, more popularly known as Zoom calls.

While the ability to communicate with employees who are potentially all over the world is extremely beneficial, it also has its downfalls—a major one being Zoom fatigue. Similar to feelings of burnout, Zoom fatigue refers to the exhaustion that comes from excessive virtual meetings. If you’re struggling to overcome Zoom fatigue, this is for you.

Come to Meetings Prepared to Focus

A large contributor to Zoom fatigue is the physical impact it can have on your eyes as most virtual meetings expect you to have complete focus on the video during the meeting. The blue light emissions from the screen can cause migraines, which only enhances Zoom fatigue by the end of the day. On top of this, long-term exposure to blue light can alter your circadian rhythm and negatively impact your sleep cycle. While you may spend most of your days in front of screens you simply cannot escape, comfortable blue light eyeglasses are a great option to help protect your eyes from your increased screen time. Wearing these glasses while you are in meetings, looking at your calendar, or simply looking at your phone can help reduce symptoms like blurry vision, dry eye, eyestrain, and more. Incorporating these glasses into your daily life may also positively impact your work/life routine and allow you to get a good night of sleep.

Creating the right environment is important when it comes to maintaining focus. With that in mind, we additionally recommend taking meetings in a designated workspace, making sure that the lighting of your room is optimal, and even wearing headphones to ensure you are in the right mindset for your meeting.

Turn Video off if it’s Not Mandatory

While some virtual meetings require your undivided, visible attention and presence, not all are this way. If possible, opt for turning your video off if it’s not necessary. It’s a small adjustment, but it can make a big impact. Having your camera on puts added pressure to look and act a certain way, which inevitably leads to those feelings of Zoom fatigue. Have you ever been in a meeting that you can’t seem to focus on because your brain is running through a daily to-do list? Take advantage of opportunities that you don’t need to have a camera on, and maximize your time if possible.

Rotate Who the Host is

Having to be the meeting host for every meeting can quickly become exhausting. As the host, the expectation is that you are “on” at all times and prepared for anything. While it may seem like it’s not that difficult of a task, it can take its toll by the end of the day. If you find that you’re ending calls feeling tense and listless, consider creating a rotation for who hosts the meetings. Best case scenario, you only have to host one meeting a day, or possibly even one a week.

Make Time to Decompress

Creating pockets of time to decompress throughout the day is essential to avoiding burnout. There are days that feel overwhelming and stressful with constant to-do lists forming and finding time to take a breath and step away from the computer screen can help immensely. From taking a walk during your lunch hour to meditating during breaks between meetings, scheduling time for yourself to level-set your feelings and stress levels can help make the daily grind more manageable.

When your days seem to never end with back-to-back meetings with no breaks in sight, it’s important to make time to decompress when you log off. Reducing your screen time after work hours can give your eyes and brain much-needed rest. Consider creating a meditation routine that can help you alleviate residual work-related stress, and if you find it usual for yourself, finding opportunities to meditate together with your coworkers may help foster self-care routines for them as well.

Institute a No Meeting Day

Structuring your week to include one meeting-free day can really help reduce Zoom fatigue. Limiting the days you have meetings will make those meetings you do have feel more important and create a sense of efficiency with each agenda you run through. These particular no-meeting days give you the opportunity to focus on complex assignments that require your undivided attention. Dedicating time to these tasks without the interruption of call after call can help you feel accomplished and can cross items off of your to-do list faster.

Choosing your meeting-free day is up to you; it could be a day in the middle of the week to give you a nice break, or it could be on Fridays to help end your week on a more relaxing note. Consider speaking about this with your boss or coworkers to see if a team-wide no-meeting day would be beneficial for everyone. Creating a work environment that ensures efficiency and wellness is important to the success of all.

Participating in Zoom calls takes a lot of effort. Being focused, looking presentable, and preparing for every meeting, sometimes at a moment’s notice, can take a great deal of mental strength. Virtual meetings are here to stay, so it’s important to implement a few of the strategies listed above and prevent the sometimes unavoidable, but incredibly manageable, Zoom fatigue.

March 17, 2022March 29, 2022

Employee Wellness Best Practices For Health Care Workers

Making mental health resources accessible for health care workers is no longer a desired benefit, but a necessity. As most doctors, hospital administrators, and patient care managers know – sound mental health requires a lot more work than the occasional day off of work. From maintaining healthy diets to company-sponsored massage, employee wellness is attainable with the right stress management program in place.

Read on to learn how implementing just a few employee wellness best practices around your healthcare facility can keep staff in the right state of mind to continue helping those in need.

How To Implement Stress Management Programs For Health Care Workers

When narrowing down employee wellness options consider asking your nurses, receptionists, hygienists, and administrators what they need in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Starting this conversation shows your employees that you see them as real people and not just a means to an end. This can be done in the form of an email survey or hosting a company meeting to get their feedback. Body Techniques has several options to help you implement wellness best practices specific to the healthcare industry. With our expertise, you can easily show gratitude to your employees.

Employee Wellness Ideas For Health Care Workers

We’re all too familiar with the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” This also rings true for prioritizing employee wellness. Giving your faculty and staff guidelines for maintaining a healthy work-life balance equips them with different outlets to look and feel their best. As a result, they’re happier at work and more productive in their daily roles. Our clients tend to see the most success from their company-sponsored stress management program when it’s supported by additional mental health best practices:

Keep Healthy Snacks Around The Office Or Breakroom

While everyone loves a mental health donut every now and then, we all know that sugar is one of the worst things someone can consume when they’re having a bad day. Instead of surprising the office with sweets, try keeping fruits and/or vegetables around for your employees to snack on throughout the day. If this isn’t feasible for your medical practice, an engaging alternative could be hosting a monthly potluck where everyone brings in their favorite healthy dish. These events not only build morale amongst your staff, but equip their bodies with the right foods to power through each shift.

Create A Collaborative Work Playlist

Find the right tune and you’ll improve just about anyone’s mood. If your healthcare facility allows, create a playlist that employees can add their favorite work-appropriate songs to. If your practice doesn’t have speakers throughout the office, try adding a bluetooth speaker to your breakroom or employee lounge to help ground your staff when they need to take a break.

health care workers at a lunch and learn

Host Lunch & Learn Sessions

A huge part of employee wellness is nurturing growth. Host a quarterly lunch and learn session to keep staff members at the forefront of any updates either within their field, or something totally off the wall and fun!

female health care worker receiving a corporate massage with body techinques

Stress Less With Corporate Massage

Corporate massage is quickly becoming a must in terms of maintaining mental health for doctors, EMTs, nurses, practitioners, and really everyone who works in healthcare. Body Techniques has helped hundreds of medical practices empower their employees through corporate massage. The most successful? Roaming massage.

If you’re wondering to yourself, “What is a roaming massage?” It’s an all-encompassing solution for busy healthcare facilities (like hospitals and urgent care) that brings a much needed massage right to your staff. One of our certified massage therapists meets your nurses on their floors or stations and provides a chair massage. This is ideal for nurses who are sitting in front of their computers or need a mental health break after charting.

Encourage Balance, Not Burnout

Keeping your staff in the best mental state possible is essential to operate a successful medical practice. Body Techniques is here to help you turn the page when it comes to prioritizing employee wellness. By taking the time to hear what your staff is looking for in terms of work-life balance, you can create a custom program that meets their needs so they can, in turn, provide the highest quality of care to your patients.

Getting started is easy – talk to us today to learn the value of maintaining mental health at work.

February 10, 2022February 10, 2022

Diet & Nutrition Tips To Promote Mental Health At Work

diet and nutrition tips for better mental health at work

Mental health at work. It’s something Millennials and Gen Z have made us think twice about as they take the workforce by storm. While employers can implement different stress management programs that prioritize mental health, there are numerous ways employees can promote their own mental health at work.

One of the best ways? Maintaining a healthy diet.

Fueling our body with the proper nutrients it needs is essential for mental health. Incorporating a few diet and nutrition tips into your daily routine can make all the difference in your mental state on the job.

But how does your diet relate to mental health? Read on to learn how what we eat impacts how we look and feel no matter where our workday takes us.

How Your Diet Impacts Mental Health

Eating well should be included in anyone’s wellness plan. Our brain and stomach are so intertwined that most refer to the stomach as our second brain. This relationship is the foundation of a sound mind-body connection because billions of bacteria live in the gastrointestinal tract. When we eat healthy food, good bacteria grow, which positively affects neurotransmitter production. The brain receives these positive signals and can brighten our mood as a result.

The catch? This process is flipped when we eat unhealthy foods: poor neurotransmitter production can contribute to a poor mental state. Knowing how food impacts our mood helps us navigate diet and nutrition best practices – ultimately empowering our mental health at work.

Diet & Nutrition Tips That Can Boost Your Mental Health At Work

When we eat healthy, we feel healthy. What you choose to snack on or prepare outside of work (and during) contributes to your overall mental health. Keep the following diet and nutrition tips in mind as you grocery shop for those desk snacks.

Color Your Plate With Fruits & Veggies

Brightening up your plate with portioned fruits and veggies is a fun way to practice better nutrition. Take advantage of your break room fridge or invest in a small office fridge to keep healthier snack options like grapes, mini sweet peppers, or blueberries nearby!

Incorporate Omega-3 Fats Into Your Diet

Depression and other mental disorders have been tied to low omega-3 fat intake. You can easily add omega-3 fatty acids into your diet by taking fish oil supplements, grass fed meat, or pastured eggs.

Steer Clear Of Added Sugar

This can be hard if you’re accustomed to snacking on processed foods throughout the day, but worth it in the long run. Added sugar can be identified on nutrition labels in a variety of ways including high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose (table sugar). Eating too much added sugar can lead to illnesses like type 2 diabetes and heart disease and, without a doubt, weigh on your mental health. An important mindset we practice here at Body Techniques is that moderation is key, so go ahead and treat yourself to a breakroom donut, but try not to go overboard!

Create A Plan With Your Healthcare Provider

While there are best practices for a healthy diet and eating nutritious foods, it’s important to talk to your doctor to create a plan based on your unique needs. Your healthcare provider will be able to help you navigate mental health, diet, and long-term nutrition goals in a way that makes sense for you!

Change Doesn’t Happen Overnight – Be Kind To Yourself

Shifting our diet takes a lot of practice and time to “relearn” how to eat healthy foods. When everything is said and done, what we eat impacts our mood. You can prioritize your mental health by being mindful of the food you eat and how it makes you feel. Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and try new fruits, vegetables, or meal prep recipes if you think it’ll promote better mental health. After all, you deserve it!

Talk To Your Employer About Nutrition Benefits

More and more employers are rolling out wellness benefits for employees. Body Techniques works with businesses in every industry and can provide holistic wellness programs that help you and your colleagues be mindful about wellness at work. Discover how easy it is to get a custom quote and take control of your mental health today.

January 26, 2022February 1, 2022

A Simple Way To Show Gratitude For Healthcare Workers

mental health programs for healthcare employees

It goes without saying – healthcare workers are at their limit. Physically and mentally. Medical practitioners and healthcare employees across the country are at a breaking point.

And who could blame them? They’re caught up in the perfect storm: being on the frontlines of a pandemic, focused on providing care to others, with little-to-no access to mental healthcare of their own (like stress management programs).

It’s past time to express gratitude and move away from burnout culture with tailored care for the doctors, nurses, and allied professionals. After two years of navigating this pandemic, these teams are in need of support and lasting change.

But what is the best way to support healthcare workers in a way that prioritizes their mental health? We’re here to support healthcare organizations that are going ready to go the extra mile to keep employees’ mental health a priority.

Why Mental Health At Work Matters Now More Than Ever

Two years into a pandemic, healthcare workers are facing staffing shortages, continually shifting guidelines, as well as juggling their own personal responsibilities at home, all while trying to provide the highest level of patient care.

This is why promoting mental health at work is imperative for healthcare facilities. Nurses and others in healthcare are constantly understaffed, and many are reconsidering their career paths. It’s time for those who have a say in hospital benefits to implement new programs, packages, mental health days; whatever it takes to show your healthcare workers you value their contributions and wellbeing.

How To Show Gratitude for Frontline Healthcare Workers

Healthcare workers deserve a benefit package positioned around mental health. What that looks like is up to you, but know we can help to design and tailored programs to suit your environment and needs. Managing stress levels is a key element in any successful healthcare career. Body Techniques creates customized corporate massage programs that provide the mental break your frontline workers should have access to.

We make implementation seamless thanks to our trained and certified massage therapists. The massage therapists come to your facility to set up and carry out one-on-one massage sessions to keep stress levels low. As you create your benefits package, you can choose from several on-site massage programs for employees including:

Chair massage therapy: This convenient method of massage uses chairs specifically made to provide a soothing massage experience. We suggest this option for employees who spend a lot of time at desks or nurses and staff who are required to be on their feet for long periods of time.

Roaming massage: Busy healthcare facilities like hospitals need solutions that work with daily operations instead of slowing them down. Roaming massage is specifically designed to solve this problem by bringing the massage directly to your staff. Our massage therapists meet your nurses on their designated floors and provide massages as they’re sitting in chairs in front of computers before or after charting.

Table massage therapy: If you’re planning an internal mental health day or employee celebration ideas, a table massage is a great way to show gratitude for your staff. Our massage therapists use a series of techniques to make employees instantly feel relaxed. After their massage experience, they feel lighter, happier, and ready to take on whatever comes next.

Reflexology: We have taken this ancient practice and transformed it into a proven method of stress release for healthcare professionals. Our therapists gently apply pressure to the reflex points to help energy flow to help your employees find a state of balance and calm to help them make level-headed decisions in high-stress situations.

Choosing to celebrate mental health by subsidizing a corporate massage program keeps your employees healthy and present on the job. Body Techniques works with the unique layout of your facility to have a designated massage “space” be it a breakroom, empty meeting room or meeting nurses on their assigned floors at their stations.

Remember, the biggest benefit (and goal) of implementing corporate massage is to promote mental health amongst your healthcare faculty and staff. Without resources like this, your employees will continue to feel burned out.

Tip: Our clients have the most success when an internal “mental health day” is celebrated. Healthcare workers can get a 15-minute chair massage in before making their rounds or returning to their stations. Make it an employee appreciation event with catered food and mental health resources specifically for those in healthcare.

Say Thanks Through Actions, Not Words

Show your staff and faculty you appreciate the hours they’re putting in by improving your benefits. Pizza parties are a great start, but today’s workforce is demanding a healthy work-life balance that goes beyond. Encouraging mental health through employee perks like corporate massage or other stress management programs sends a message that you truly care about your employees and want them to feel good mentally and physically.

Celebrate Mental Health With A Corporate Massage

With a consulting physician guiding our safety policies and protocols, we are confident we can work with you to start shifting healthcare work from burnout to balance.

Do your part: equip your healthcare employees with the right tools they need to keep mental health top of mind. Talk to us today about how to build a benefits program designed to combat the unique challenges that come with healthcare stress management.

December 22, 2021February 15, 2022

10 FAQs To Help Prepare Your Office For A Corporate Massage

The benefits of corporate massage go a long way – a really long way. Not only are routine corporate massage sessions beneficial to the staff who receive them, but your business also thrives with the newly added employee perk. Let’s be honest… Who doesn’t want to work for a company that has free massages available to anyone who wants or needs them?

Body Techniques has perfected our corporate massage services for every kind of setting. No matter if you’re looking to book a one-time employee celebration event or seeking to enhance the wellness package you offer employees, we make onboarding easy by handling the logistics.

And while we facilitate the nuts and bolts, businesses should keep a few things in mind as they prepare the office for our most popular service. In this article we’re highlighting our top 10 FAQs on how to plan for a corporate massage event.

Corporate Massage Event Planning Tips

Planning a successful corporate massage event starts with organization. At Body Techniques, we guide you step-by-step so you’re always ahead of the game. In your initial assessment, we’ll identify what kind of corporate massage you’re interested in:

Chair massage
Table massage
Reflexology

If you’re in the initial decision making stage and not sure what kind of massage would be best for your employees – ask them! Taking the time to add a benefit crafted around your staff’s specific wants and needs builds trust in their employer, which ultimately helps you avoid the fallout from a widespread resignation.

Now, onto our top 10 corporate massage planning FAQs.

1. How Soon In Advance Should I Book My Corporate Massage?

We’ve found clients have the best planning experience when they book a month in advance. Sometimes this isn’t possible, so we suggest a minimum of 2 weeks to plan your corporate massage event. Learn more about how corporate massage works here.

2. What Space Or Room Should We Use For The Session(s)?

Planning a one-time event at a health and wellness conference looks a little different than a recurring in-office corporate massage. Luckily, we’ve had plenty of experience with both and found the following works best:

Special events like conferences, fairs, and conventions typically have a designated area for the massage table to be set up ahead of time. This can either be around other vendors or in a quiet space to help participants tune out the bustling crowds.

In-office corporate massage – recurring or single sessions – ideally have a space or room that’s semi-private so the rest of your office isn’t distracted. Conference spaces, communal areas, or empty offices all work well for employees to trickle in throughout the day to receive a massage.

3. How Should I Notify Employees?

We all benefit from reminders. Blame social media or a world dependent on screens, but regardless you have to have a plan when it comes to marketing your employee event! Both single and recurring sessions can be included in your internal company newsletter or distributed by email. If you have a break room, create a flyer and hang it up! Bigger corporations can task department heads with relaying the who and what to help streamline communication.

All in all, there’s never a wrong way to notify employees about a perk like this.

4. What Else Can I Do To Host A Memorable Employee Event?

We love seeing employers going above and beyond for their team! If you’re looking to add a little something extra to your upcoming corporate massage, consider one of the following:

Company merchandise table: Think t-shirts, notebooks, tote bags, etc.
Refreshments: Set up a table with snacks, drinks, or go all out and get lunch catered.
Photo booth: If you’re hosting a big event, photo booths are a great way to encourage employee engagement and they’ll most likely share their pictures on social media! Two PR birds with one event.

5. Do I Need To Do Any Setup Preparations?

All you need to do is have a space for our certified Massage Therapists (MTs) to do their thing. On the day of your event, our MTs will arrive early to set everything up prior to the scheduled start time. Because each employee’s body is built differently, we take the time to listen to them and provide a comforting massage tailored to what they need. To make sure your event runs smoothly and as scheduled, you can utilize our proprietary booking software to keep everything on track.

6. What Can I Do To Promote Employee Attendance?

We already mentioned having special merch and refreshments to create interest in your upcoming corporate massage, but if you’re looking for something more, we’ve seen a lot of success when clients host raffles for prizes like full or have days of PTO. Other prizes we’ve seen include:

Preferred parking spots
Additional massage credits (recurring events)
Lunch
Technology like smart TVs and Apple products

If your organization decides to host a raffle, be sure to include it in your internal promotions of the event to create more buzz!

7. What If I Need To Cancel Our Corporate Massage Event Last Minute?

Even the most organized managers can’t plan for last minute schedule conflicts (hello COVID-19). If you need to cancel your event, notify your Body Techniques contact ASAP and we will help you navigate next steps. Never hesitate to reach out to us for additional support – we are here for you! Remember, this is all about showing gratitude for your employees. They’ll appreciate the event no matter what – even if it needs to be rescheduled!

8. How Can I Continue The Fun After The Event?

Keep the celebration going by sharing photos to your company social media accounts or add them in your next newsletter. Be sure to include any raffle prize winners should you decide to host a giveaway!

9. One-Time Events Or Recurring Corporate Massage Sessions: Which Is Better?

One-time events are great, but life happens. Deadlines creep and all employees may not be able to take advantage of this onsite benefit when the massage event is only hosted on one specific day. Instead, consider making this productivity-boosting benefit a regular occurrence in the office so that your team can all enjoy some rest and relaxation.

10. What If My Employees Cancel The Day Of?

If there are day-of cancellations, our massage therapists are able to fill those slots with employees who did not register in advance. If all appointments are filled, our MTs are able to put together a waitlist so that any last minute cancellations can be filled. We work hard to get everyone a session, and are always happy to return onsite if there are employees who did not get a chance to receive a massage.

If you do have recurring sessions and notice a large amount of employees are either cancelling or not RSVPing at all, we can support you in finding out why. Sending out an email survey or asking for direct feedback is always a great first step.

In the end, you can always rely on analytics to solidify the best next step. Body Techniques can provide you with analytics to gauge how many people received massages, cancellations, and how many people were on the waitlist.

Talk To Us About Your Corporate Massage Needs

Sometimes companies need an extra hand to manage workplace stress and show their employees they care. Body Techniques uses state-of-the art software and analytics tools to make your upcoming event a breeze. Talk to us today about how you can take your employee appreciation up a notch.

December 8, 2021December 8, 2021

Virtual Wellness Activities For Employees

If you haven’t considered expanding your benefits package to promote a healthy work-life balance this is your sign.

Why? Employees often struggle with feeling connected to their company culture and day-to-day business operations – especially remote workers. We don’t suggest dragging your feet on this one. If your place of work stalls on improving employee benefits, the fallout could be detrimental to your long-term success.

Enhancing your company benefits to include things like virtual wellness programs not only boosts employee morale and participation but gives your employees the well-deserved mental break they need! Read on for corporate wellness activities that unite your entire workforce including anyone WFH.

How Virtual Wellness Keeps Remote Employees Connected

Virtual wellness programs are ideal for corporations or organizations that have remote and hybrid employees. Not only can they help with stress management, but these kinds of activities help promote team bonding which is essential for successful project completion, communication between departments, and independent working capabilities. When your employees are connected to their work and the people they work with, the possibilities are endless.

Bring Your Team Together WIth Corporate Virtual Wellness

Mapping out a fresh benefits package brings up a lot of questions like, “What are the best virtual wellness programs?” or, “How long should each virtual session last?” Luckily, our trainers specialize in corporate wellness to ensure this investment exceeds expectations and can walk you through the process. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite virtual wellness programs that work best for remote employees:

The Daily 15: Make The Most Out Of A 15-Minute Break

Sometimes a quick 15-minute break is all you need to reset. The Daily 15 is our quick, yet impactful virtual wellness program that boosts energy and lowers stress for remote workers. The Daily 15 has a new activity every day from self-care to fitness and even yoga! Employees also have the opportunity to see classes ahead of time so they can pick and choose what activity works best for their bodies and goals.

BT Mindful: Build Stronger Minds & Team Chemistry

Empower employees to sharpen their mind-body connection while simultaneously strengthening team chemistry with BT Mindful. This virtual wellness program can be a single workshop or is also available in four, eight, and twelve-week series. The longer your BT Mindful series, the deeper we dive into meditation, work on building healthy daily routines, and learn how to manage stress levels on and off the clock.

Tip: Not sure what virtual series employees would like? Send out a survey asking them to submit their preferences and implement feedback directly from the source!

BT Engage: Online Group Classes For Everyone

Should you want a traditional corporate virtual wellness program, BT Engage is for you. These online group classes hit four essential core areas of stress management:

Fitness: Zumba, cardio kickboxing, or online bootcamp
Yoga: All experience levels welcome
Stretching: Twist and tone muscles to improve posture and pain relief that’s all to common with WFH life
Self Massage: Get professional guidance from our trained massage therapists on self massage techniques

Virtual Wellness Comes In All Shapes & Sizes

Just like no two businesses operate the same, no two employees have the same WFH routine. Add some consistency into the mix with corporate virtual wellness activities to keep remote workers grounded to their jobs and connected with their team. Even as little as 15-minutes can strengthen our stress management skills to become the best version of ourselves. If you’re not sure what virtual program would be best for your workforce, just ask! Odds are your employees will be thankful you’re taking their opinion into account as you improve employee wellness benefits.

Start Building Your Benefits Today

Looking to build on your benefits package? Body Techniques helps hundreds of businesses make the most out of their wellness dollars and get a major return on the investment. Reach out to us today to tell us more about your current setup and goals you’d like to achieve moving forward. We can’t wait to meet you!

November 23, 2021November 23, 2021

Meditations You Can Do At Work

How many times have you had to tell yourself to take a deep breath while on the clock?

No matter what profession you work within, simple meditation practices like deep breathing can provide the mental reset you need to make conscious choices that aren’t clouded by stress. When we take the time to practice different meditations at work, we become more equipped to respond to situations versus reacting.

Should you find yourself becoming overwhelmed keep these workplace meditation practices top of mind – the benefits they reap go much deeper than we realize.

The Benefits Of Meditation For Stress Management

Before understanding the benefits of meditation for workplace stress management, it’s important to have a grasp of what mindfulness at work actually is.

At its core, mindfulness is about being present. When you are in the office or working from home, this can be a challenge. Pings, emails, phone calls – did someone bring snacks? All of these things can pull you away from the task at hand and in doing so, heighten stress and anxiety.

Bringing mindfulness to work means you truly focus on the here and now. Whether that’s a project or a conversation with a coworker you work towards eliminating the mindless chatter and truly listen. There is no magic potion for achieving mindfulness. Instead, it is a constant practice and reminder to ourselves to be present and aware.

The benefits of mindfulness – especially at our jobs – reduce the stress that bog down our productivity and general happiness. It helps lower our heart rate and anxiety. We can make level-headed decisions without sweaty palms and tension headaches. While practicing mindful meditation at work isn’t rocket science, there are a few tricks to keep in mind as your workday unfolds.

Getting started is the hardest part but once you’ve finally found your Zen the rest comes naturally!

How To Meditate At Work

It all starts with finding a moment of calm. In the meditation world, we call this setting an intention. Why do you need to meditate? What brought you to this moment? Internally repeating a short phrase to yourself can help center your workplace meditation practice. It’s also beneficial to make sure the space you’re meditating within is free of clutter and distractions. Yogis refer to this sense of purity as Saucha. One of the Niyamas of Yoga, Saucha literally means cleanliness and/or clearness.

Your intention is set and your mind is clear. All that’s left to do now is choose your meditation method.

Tune Out The Chaos

If you’re able to bring headphones or earphones to work, finding a soft meditation playlist on Spotify can help you tune the world out from your desk. Closing your eyes is encouraged because you’re eliminating any visual distractions to really transcend into your meditation session.

Walk It Out

Ever heard of open-eyed, moving meditation? This is a great meditation to do at work if you’re able to get a few steps in during lunch or a 15-minute break. Taking a walk to meditate helps us connect with nature and builds a strong mind-body connection.

Practice Breathing

If the weather isn’t permitting you to take a stroll, you can always utilize breathing exercises that you can do literally anywhere – the car, desk, breakroom, wherever! A few breathing exercises that pair well with any level of meditation are:

Alternate nostril breathing – Inhale through your left nostril while holding your right nostril closed with your right thumb. At the bottom of your exhale switch nostrils by closing off your left nostril and continuing to exhale smoothly through your right nostril. Remove your finger from the left nostril and exhale fully. Continue alternating your breathing through each nostril for 3 to 5 minutes.
Ujjayi breathing – Also known as the “victorious” breath, Ujjayi breath work helps calm the mind and recenter your thoughts. To begin, take a big inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth emptying all of the air out of your lungs. On your next inhale, breathe in through your nose and keep the back of the throat slightly constricted. Imagine you’re inhaling through a straw if you’re having trouble getting started. As you exhale, keep the mouth closed and think about how you would breathe out to fog up a mirror in front of you. This controlled, steady breathing is known to create energy through the body and even lower blood pressure!

Participate In A Company-Sponsored Wellness Program

They say there’s strength in numbers. Practicing meditation with your coworkers is a great way to keep anxiety at bay and build team chemistry at the same time. Body Techniques offers a variety of both in-person and virtual meditation workshops that employers can incorporate into their benefits package. Group breathing and meditation exercises help you and your coworkers relax and feel refreshed once it’s time to get back to work.

There’s No Wrong Way To Meditate At Work

Meditation has been around for thousands of years – meaning there’s really no “wrong” way to practice it. Exploring work-friendly meditation techniques opens a door to a whole new world of stress management. You can do it alone at your desk, grab your coworker for a walk, or ask your manager about a monthly company-sponsored mediation program to help everyone stay calm, cool, and collected.

We’re Here To Guide You

Body Techniques has an entire staff dedicated to helping our clients find the perfect stress management solution for their unique office environment. Even employees working from home can benefit from guided meditation practices! Now more than ever, employees are demanding legitimate benefits and healthcare perks from their employers – let us help you create a wellness program designed to keep your team happy and healthy! Talk to us today to get started.

November 11, 2021November 11, 2021

5 Ways To Help Employees Stress Less During The Holidays

While some see the holidays as an opportunity to slow down and appreciate the magic in the air, this time of year can create high-stress levels at the office when it comes to annual reporting, evaluations, and client deadlines. Managers can try to lighten the mood with a holiday party, but this sometimes has the opposite effect due to unanticipated financial and time commitments. In the end, an effort to help employees stress less during the holidays turns into extra anxiety no one is prepared to take on.

In our experience, the best way to help your employees enjoy the holiday season is with dedicated workplace wellness programs that are designed to give people the tools necessary to manage healthy stress levels. Read on for five of our favorite ways to fight end-of-year burnout and truly celebrate your employees for another year of hard work – but first, let’s cover why corporate wellness plays such an important factor in overall company longevity.

Why Workplace Wellness Is Important

When people are happy about their jobs they are more productive. So, how do you keep employees happy in a world where “The Great Resignation” is making national headlines?

Introduce benefits to your office that help retains employees.

If you’re not sure what those benefits look like, all you have to do is ask your employees what they’re looking for. Workplace wellness comes in many forms – including stress management programs. Not only do these benefits keep employees happy, but it keeps them healthy! A stronger mind-body connection unfolds and your staff becomes more efficient, focused, and willing to go above and beyond for their teammates.

While the benefits of workplace wellness programs are obvious, knowing the right way to implement them requires a unique approach to maintain “business as usual” during the crazy end-of-year operations. Each program brings a different perk to the office. The idea is to find the right one for your employees.

corporate chair massage therapy services

Reduce Tension With Chair Massage Therapy

Chair massage therapy is the perfect way to show gratitude for employees who sit all day. Also known as corporate massage, this stress-relieving program reduces tension in the back, neck, shoulders, head, arms, and hands. Your employees will instantly feel rejuvenated and ready to hone in on the next project. Body Techniques offers multiple onsite massage programs in addition to chair massage:

Table massage therapy: Using a series of techniques, our practitioners apply rhythmic finger pressure, gentle rocking, stretching sequences and deep structural work to achieve a relaxed and balancing effect in the body.
Reflexology: Our therapists apply gentle pressure to the reflex points, facilitating a free flow of energy that creates a state of balance and deep relaxation in your employees.

We believe in keeping things as easy as possible for our clients – which means we bring the massage directly to your workspace. Never worry about employees going offsite to take advantage of this 5-star perk. Think of it as a well-deserved mental break before getting back to the daily grind!

corporate fitness classes for employee wellness

Build Team Chemistry Through Movement

Some of your employees may still be working from home, which can make the task of offering universal benefits even more challenging. Incorporating fitness classes into your benefits package can not only increase employee productivity but boost chemistry between departments entirely, no matter if they’re in the office or WFH!

The thing is when your employees trust each other the possibilities are endless. Communication is instantly strengthened and people become prideful in the work they deliver. Body Techniques offers virtual and in-person fitness classes for just about every workout you can think of.

Bootcamp (basic and advanced levels)
Zumba
Pilates
M.A.S.H. Bootcamp
U-JAM Fitness

Consistent movement and exercise keep stress levels at bay all year long. When your employees look good, they feel good and come to work with a healthy mindset to conquer those daunting year-end projects.

corporate yoga and meditation workshops for employee wellness

Breathwork Sustains Sanity

In addition to workplace stress, your employees are also dealing with the anxiety that comes with seeing toxic family members, buying gifts, traveling, and all of the other holiday unpleasantries. Offering a yoga or meditation workshop equips employees with mental tools to logically process these kinds of things without becoming overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. While best results come from consistent practicing, even a one-time session can provide useful insight on how to keep the heart rate low with breathing exercises.

Use Acupuncture To Calm Nerves

For corporate settings that love alternative approaches to stress management, acupuncture is the ideal way to prevent burnout at work.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

During an acupuncture session, the central nervous system is stimulated. Our body releases endorphins, circulation improves, and our immune systems can get a boost along the way. Who couldn’t use a combination of all of these in the midst of potentially stressful holiday planning?

virtual wellness programs for corporate settings

Virtual Wellness Programs Lower The Risk Of Exposure

Body Techniques practices a strict protocol around the safety and cleanliness of our workspaces. If you’re looking for a zero-risk wellness program in terms of germ exposure, virtual wellness is a great solution to keep employees engaged and safe. From a mindful 15-minute break to stretching and self-massage follow-along programs, our specialists design virtual wellness calendars customized to your organization’s specific goals! We’ve found that even though employees are not together in-person, they still bond over virtual platforms and feel safe while doing it.

Employers: Do Your Part To Reduce Stress During The Holidays

As the holiday season quickly approaches, keep in mind that employee retention is grounded in sound benefits that promote healthy work-life balance and stress levels. Don’t be afraid to ask your team directly what would make their lives easier as the year winds down. There are numerous ways to reduce the burden that comes with end-of-year business operations and holiday expectations as a whole. Exploring different workplace wellness benefits can show your staff you care about their wellbeing and give them the right outlets to channel any unwanted stress.

Customize Your Workplace Wellness Benefits Today

Thousands of businesses are already reaping the benefits of our stress management programs. During your consultation, one of our team members will help identify the best approach for your office setting, employee count, and underlying needs. Contact us today to learn more about the process and help your employees stress less this holiday season!

October 20, 2021October 28, 2021

Workplace Wellness: How To Avoid “The Great Resignation” Fallout

workplace wellness helps retain employees

In August alone, 4.3 million people quit their jobs. In other words, think about what would happen if half of New York City simultaneously resigned at once.

The Great Resignation of 2021 is real. And it’s happening right in front of us. While some would argue that people “don’t want to work”, that’s just not the case. Proactive employers should be doing everything in their power to avoid the harrowing fallout that comes with losing valuable employees – all at once.

Understanding why so many people are “no longer accepting the unacceptable” working conditions, lack of benefits, and overall workload can help employers create strong retention strategies that promote workplace wellness and sustain a healthy work-life balance.

Why Are So Many People Quitting Their Jobs?

People leave jobs for all kinds of reasons that are specific to the company they worked for. Any voluntary resignation should be reviewed carefully by Human Resources or higher-level management to improve the working environment and ultimately prevent future employees from leaving for the same reason.

The COVID-19 pandemic ripped the rug out from everyone – especially corporate organizations. It’s believed that so many people are resigning in 2021 for multiple reasons including:

A high-demand for mid-level employees who don’t need as much initial training. As the world shifted to working from home there was a lack of means to provide sufficient, hands-on training for entry-level employees. Mid-level employees who wanted to leave their current positions and find new jobs felt the risk of leaving a company they’ve built up credibility (and subpar benefits) with was too high.
Healthcare and technology industries were hit hard after “pandemic” became a part of our regular vocabulary. High stress work environments such as these caused excessive burnout. As a result, employees prioritized their mental and physical health and gave resignation notice.
People also experienced “pandemic epiphanies” and came to the conclusion that they’re ready to start fresh and pursue other passions instead.
Lack of recognition, hazard pay, increasingly long shifts, and mandated requirements to come to work during a global pandemic.

Taking into account why people are collectively deciding to leave your company should be a wake-up call that a change needs to happen – and fast. Implementing solutions to strengthen employee retention rates should be top of mind in a time like this.

How To Retain Employees During The Great Resignation

Giving people a reason to want to work for you shouldn’t be a burden. It should be an opportunity to become the place employees brag about to their friends and family. Avoiding mass resignation fallout starts by being ahead of the conversation, so there isn’t a confrontation.

So ask yourself:

Are employees quitting their jobs because the workload is too high?
Does my team feel like they have a dead end job with no advancement opportunities?
Are you requiring them to keep their cameras on all day if they’re working from home?

If you’re struggling to come up with a logical solution, never be afraid to simply ask employees what could be done to make their jobs easier and more enjoyable.

Workplace Wellness Promotes Employee Longevity

Helping employees find fulfillment in their day-to-day job responsibilities will help sustain (or grow) your retention rate. An often overlooked opportunity to create a healthy work-life balance is incorporating workplace wellness programs. Exploring different ways to equip employees with the right mental tools that keep stress levels low shows them you value their time and see them as humans rather than a means to a profitable end.

Virtual Wellness For Remote Employees

An essential part of loving your job is loving your coworkers. Body Techniques offers a variety of virtual wellness programs that keep your remote employees engaged with one another, as well as your business. Each program is designed to meet your team where they’re at, literally. From 15-minute mental reset sessions to meditation workshops and corporate fitness classes, virtual wellness is a giant step forward to improve the benefits and work environment within your company.

In-Office Corporate Massage

While there are many workplace wellness strategies you can use to strengthen your retention rates, corporate massage therapy is a client favorite. After all, who doesn’t look forward to the day they get a massage at the office? Our specialized massage therapists are able to bring your workplace wellness benefits on-site and provide a program based on your budget and office space.

Corporate massage helps employees take a well-deserved mental break from the daily grind. After the massage, they feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the next big project. All thanks to the benefits you provided.

Corporate Yoga & Meditation

Introducing corporate yoga to your employees sets the foundation to help them live a healthy work-life balance. Routinely practicing meditation, breathwork, and mind/body connection it’s easier to break up daunting projects and deadlines into smaller, more manageable pieces and lower stress levels.

Employees Stay When They Feel Valued

If The Great Resignation isn’t enough to convince you that it may be time to rethink the benefits you offer, the risk of losing valuable, multiple employees should light the fire. There’s never a bad time to invest in the perks you offer. In fact, your employees will appreciate that you’re making a move to prioritize their health and lower stress levels across the board. Show employees you care by offering – and encouraging – workplace wellness!

The math is simple: when employees are less stressed about their jobs they’re happier and efficient in their work. Not to mention they’ll be more likely to stay with your company because they enjoy what they do.

Schedule A Consultation Today

Adding workplace wellness to your benefits is the right thing to do. Body Techniques works with businesses nationwide to help employees stress less, work harder, and enjoy the lives they live. If you have questions about pricing or how to incorporate our stress management services we’d love to hear from you! Schedule your consultation today to get started.