Discover the Keys to Workplace Happiness and Mental Health

Explore the importance of workplace happiness and mental health through various topics. Learn about the power of regular check-ins, cultivating a positive work environment, the impact of pets in the workplace, promoting well-being through nutrition, and effective strategies for prioritizing employee mental health. Find valuable insights, practical tips, and resources to create a supportive and thriving work environment.

The Power of Regular Check-ins

In today’s fast-paced workplace, staying connected through regular check-ins has a profound impact on well-being and organizational success. Simple gestures like sending a quick text, email, or making a brief phone call can foster connection and support, therefore promoting a positive work culture.

Cultivating a Positive Work Environment

Creating a positive work environment is vital for employee happiness and productivity. Implement practical strategies, such as recognizing and appreciating employee contributions, prioritizing their well-being, and infusing happiness into daily work life. By doing so, you not only enhance job satisfaction but also foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie among your team.

The Impact of Pets in the Workplace

Explore the benefits of having pets in the workplace, as they can bring joy, reduce stress, and create a friendly atmosphere. It’s important to establish thoughtful policies that consider the well-being and preferences of all employees. By allowing pets, you can promote a harmonious work environment and boost employee morale, thus creating a positive and engaging workplace culture.

Promoting Well-being through Nutrition

Understand the strong connection between nutrition, well-being, and happiness. Promote healthy eating habits at work to enhance employee satisfaction and overall well-being. Educate employees about the importance of nutrition and provide them with resources to make informed choices. By prioritizing their physical health, you contribute to their mental well-being and productivity.

Strategies for Prioritizing Employee Mental Health

Making employee mental health a priority is crucial for organizational success. Discover effective strategies to address burnout, reduce stress, and create a supportive work environment. By implementing initiatives such as flexible work hours, employee assistance programs, and open communication channels, you demonstrate your commitment to their well-being. Consequently, this leads to higher employee engagement, retention, and overall happiness in the workplace.
Unlock the secrets to workplace happiness and mental health. Enhance well-being, foster positivity, and prioritize mental health. Explore the power of regular check-ins, cultivating a positive work environment, the impact of pets at work, promoting well-being through nutrition, and strategies for employee mental health. Find valuable insights, practical tips, and resources to create a supportive and thriving work environment.



  • What You Can Do to Build Employee Happiness Today

    Employee happiness is key to a successful workplace.

    International Day of Happiness is March 20. How happy are your employees?

    Employee happiness is the natural result of a recognition-rich culture that engages everyone. The biggest mistake that leaders can make is to assume that happiness happens naturally in the workplace. It’s important to be proactive, ask questions, and consistently assess levels of engagement. We’re not afraid to boldly state that employee engagement equals happiness… and if it doesn’t, there are some other systemic issues at play that may need to be explored.
    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • The Importance of Checking In

    checking in can be as easy as a quick text

     

    In today’s fast-paced workplace, it can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day. So, how often do you take a moment to check in on colleagues and employees? Taking the time to check in with people can have a number of benefits for both individuals and organizations. The power of a text, brief email or even a quick phone call can make a tremendous difference.

    Research Supports the Power of Checking In

    There was an article in the New York Times, “Text Your Friends. It Matters More Than You Think.” It outlines research that states that “most of us underestimate the power of the casual check-in” and it got us thinking. We are firm advocates for small gestures – a thank you note, a social media shout-out, a favorite snack. A check-in can be a simple but powerful move.
    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Manifest Happiness at Work

    Cat videos can make people happy at work

    Manifest Happiness at Work

    How does happiness manifest at work and what can business leaders do to increase it? Cat videos. You think we’re joking, but we may not be! Infusing happiness into the workplace IS your job — and it matters. What are you doing to bring joy to employees?

    In a recent video with Katie Couric and Dr. Laurie Santos, professor of psychology at Yale University and host of “The Happiness Lab” podcast, they discuss “how wellness influences consumer behavior, how it can be prioritized in the workplace, and why it matters to businesses and brands.”

    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Pets in the Workplace: Work Perk?

    There are pros and cons to having pets in the workplace

     

    It has become increasingly common to allow pets in the workplace, given the right environment and permission. Dogs, especially, can lighten the mood, relieve stress and offer a friendly face. In most cases, a cat will decline the invitation, but there are exceptions. However, a pet-friendly environment shouldn’t serve as an employer branding ploy – the policies need to be thoughtfully considered and respectful to everyone.

    Should pets be allowed in the workplace? Some Pros and Cons.

    Dog in glasses readingPros: (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • The Connection Between Happiness and Nutrition

    Nutrition and happiness are connected. Apples make a great snack!

     

    A great workplace starts with healthy employees. Plus, there is a strong connection between happiness and nutrition. Why not make work a healthier, happier place to be, one step at a time? We’re here to help.

    Many organizations have committed to a healthy workplace, and wellness programs continue to flourish in businesses of all sizes. However, even with strides in tech-based wellness initiatives and other fancy programs, nutrition is a fundamental piece of wellness. Don’t leave nutrition-based education to personal trainers, dieticians and nutritionists. A healthy lifestyle can start at home AND at work. (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • March: Time to Build Workplace Happiness!

    Happy Girl
    Get out your calendar and start scheduling some fun – and happiness will follow! March is the ideal time to build workplace happiness. Winter is dragging on and, for many of us, spring still seems a long way off. Luckily you still have opportunities to share workplace appreciation and inspire some easy fun this month.

    Hopefully you have already downloaded our free Day-to-Day Employee Appreciation Calendar for 2024 so these celebrations may already be on your radar. If not, download it today and let’s get started!

    Don’t forget St. Patrick’s Day on March 17! It’s always a fun occasion to wear green and have a little office fun. But the MOST important day of the month is …… March 20!
    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • How to Prioritize Workplace Well-Being

    If workplace well-being isn’t on your priority list, now’s the time to put it on the top. Worksite wellness initiatives have been gathering steam for quite a while, but the pandemic wreaked havoc on health in a wide variety of ways. To truly appreciate your team members, be sure to provide a healthy environment where the whole being can thrive.

    exercise - how to prioritize workplace well-being

    Photo: Dylan Gillis, Unsplash

    According to a recent report by Gallup,

    “Organizations are responsible for the wellbeing of their employees — alleviating burnout is the right thing to do. And, it is essential for engaging and retaining top talent.”

    Burnout is real. And it’s costly. Intelligent leaders are in-tune with the signs are offer ways to address the problem.
    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Crisis in Workplace Burnout and How to Help

    workplace stress - image of a fraying rope about to break

    Workplace Burnout Has Worsened During Pandemic

    NPR’s Life Kit recently addressed the growing problem of workplace burnout.  They shared results from a survey supported by Harvard Business Review from the fall of 2020 which indicated that burnout is a global problem (respondents were from 46 countries) that has gotten worse during the pandemic.

    Here are some statistics:

    • 89% of respondents said work life was getting worse.
    • 85% said well-being had declined.
    • 56% said demands had increased.
    • 62% of those struggling to manage their workloads experienced burnout “often” or “extremely often” in previous three months.
    • 57% of employees felt that pandemic had a “large effect on” or “completely dominated” their work.

    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • The Care and Keeping of First Responders

    Healthcare workers at the Lenox Health Emergency room
    Manhattan, New York, USA – May 21, 2020: Healthcare workers at the Lenox Health Emergency room entrance are greeted to cheers and thanks for their essential service during the covid-19 pandemic in New York city. (Manhattan, New York, USA – May 21, 2020)

    First responders were always at the frontlines, heroically confronting risks to their own safety and well being.  High stress and trauma were already part of their realities. But the COVID-19 pandemic has exponentially increased that risk, stress and trauma.  Employers of first responders are thinking of ways to better support and appreciate first responders and how changes to the workplace might help.

    (more…)
    Read Full Post
  • Five Solutions to Keep Remote Workers Happy

    Employee Engagement

    As workforce leaders find their way through the COVID-19 world, defining ways to keep remote workers happy and engaged is of utmost importance. Remote working isn’t new to the world of work, but for many industries and people, it’s a brand new endeavor.  

    According to the New York Times, “In a May working paper, Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor in management science at M.I.T., and a group of academics reported survey results indicating that half of those who were employed before the pandemic were now working remotely. That’s a significant increase — pre-Covid-19, the paper estimates, the figure was about 15 percent. (In 2018, a U.S. Census Bureau survey found that just 5.3 percent of Americans worked from home full time.).”

    According to SHRM.org, “This working arrangement may seem exciting at first, but it can lose its appeal over time, resulting in disengaged employees. And, when employees aren’t engaged, their productivity and motivation can suffer.”

    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • A Yale Class Can Help Employees Be Happier

    Help employees be happier with these practical, science based recommendationsWith an acceptance rate under 7% and ACT scores of admitted students hovering around 32-35, the likelihood of most people having access to an Ivy League education in Yale’s hallowed halls are slim. But we can all benefit from the fascinating and completely practical information that is shared in one of that revered educational institution’s most popular courses, “Psychology and the Good Life.”

     

    Psychology Professor Laurie Santos specializes in evolution and animal cognition, but after living among undergrads when she became head of Yale’s Silliman College (think the Houses of Hogwarts), she realized just how stressed out and depressed they were.  Reviewing mental health surveys from the National College Health Assessment she learned that the issues Yale students were having were similar to those of college students across the country.  Students report already high and increasing rates of anxiety, depression and hopelessness.

      (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Want a Happy Workplace? Embrace Equality & Diversity

    Build a happy workplace
    Building a happy workplace is a priority for many employers. It starts with doing the fundamentals such as diversity, equality and fairness well.  Embrace these and you’ll have the foundation needed for building a great workplace. Add a commitment to employee appreciation and you’ll create a happy, productive and loyal workforce.

    Inequality Breeds Unhappiness

    Why is that even when, in general, we are more prosperous, we are less happy?  Jonathan Rauch explores this issue in-depth in a New York Times op-ed
    In America (and also in other countries), an impressive postwar rise in material well-being has had zero effect on personal well-being. The divergence between economic growth and subjective satisfaction began decades ago. Real per capita income has more than tripled since the late 1950s, but the percentage of people saying they are very happy has, if anything, slightly declined.

    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • There’s a Science to Happiness in the Workplace

    Nuture happiness in the workplace

    Happiness in the workplace is achievable — and you can learn how.


    On September 3, the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, will launch a new online course, “The Science of Happiness at Work.” Based on the center’s hugely popular free course “The Science of Happiness,” this new course will teach attendees why it matters so much to promote happiness in the workplace and how to do it. As the center puts it:

    People who are happier at work are more committed to their organization, rise to positions of leadership more rapidly, are more productive and creative, and suffer fewer health problems. More and more, research is suggesting that happiness should not be an afterthought for workplaces; it should be an essential goal, entwined with the kinds of 21st century skills that are key to individual and organizational success today.

    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Resources to Build an Employee Wellness Program

    Building an employee wellness program should take into account diet, exercise and overall wellbeing.

    Building an employee wellness program includes exercise and diet activities, but should go beyond those, too.

    Thinking about building an employee wellness program?
    They’re still quite popular with businesses looking for perks that will benefit both workers and leadership. Per HR Dive, in a 2017 study by Virgin Pulse, 85 percent of employers surveyed said their wellness programs were good for employee engagement, recruitment, retention, and overall company culture. More than just offering exercise- and diet-related options, these programs are increasingly incorporating mental-health components as well. That shift has proven popular with employees, 85 percent of whom say they want help managing stress. (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Banish Monday Office Blues with #MondayMotivation

    #MondayMotivation is as easy as a smile

    A little smile goes a long way to make Mondays better #MondayMotivation #ItDoesntCostAnythingTo (Photo via Ben Smith, Flickr)

    For some people the Monday blues can kick in on Sunday evening.  But there are plenty of cost-free things to do to banish those beginning of the workweek blahs and start the workweek off with a smile.
    Tap into the popular hashtags #ItDoesntCostAnythingTo and #MondayMotivation” on social media and you might just find that you can change your own attitude and perhaps improve the moods of your employees and colleagues. After all, gratitude is contagious!

    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Why and How to Start Building a Healthy Workplace

    Employee health and fitness matter to every business.

    Employee Health and Fitness Day is Coming Up!

    Held annually on the third Wednesday of May, Employee Health and Fitness Day is an excellent opportunity to show support for all things wellness. Why? Because employee health should be prioritized year-round, and this is a great day to share that commitment with employees. Read on for why you want to create and maintain a healthy workplace and ideas for how to celebrate.

    (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • 9 Ways to Kickstart Employee Wellness Goals

    Employee wellness goals are easy to achieve by supporting healthy habits.

    Encourage and reward employee wellness goals like shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables. World Health Day is April 7! (Photo via USDA, Flickr)


    Spring is here, and World Health Day is April 7 — two good reasons to set employee wellness goals this month to support and engage healthier habits in your workplace!
    Most employees aren’t even aware of the wellness benefits their company offers. According to the Transamerica Center for Health Studies 2017 Consumer and Employer surveys, 62 percent of employers say they provide employee wellness programs — yet only 40 percent of employees say their organizations offer them.
    “The survey isn’t the first source to show a disconnect between how employers and workers view their wellness programs,” HR Dive noted. A 2017 Willis Towers Watson survey showed 81 percent of employers said their wellness programs were meeting workers’ needs, but 61 percent of employees disagreed. (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Sharing Employee Gratitude Keeps Holiday Stress Away

    Share your holiday employee gratitude

    Put a big smile on employees’ faces by spreading gratitude in your workplace this holiday season. (Photo via USASAC, Flickr)

    Prioritizing employee gratitude helps keep holiday stress from hijacking your workplace.
    Fun activities with a focus on wellbeing, appreciation and making social connections are the antidote to the kind of stress that can distract employees and derail productivity over the holiday season.
    Keeping employees engaged and healthy is particularly difficult during the holiday season. The weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year offer a lot of challenges when it comes to productivity, illness and work performance,” Forbes contributor Alan Kohll writes. (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Employee Christmas Gifts Aren’t Complete Without Gratitude

    Your employee Christmas gifts aren’t complete without an expression of gratitude.

    Employee Christmas Gifts Need Thank You Cards - Download our Catalog of Winter Holiday Designs.

    Your employee Christmas gifts aren’t complete without “Thank You” cards — take advantage of gThankYou’s Winter Holiday Gratitude Cards, free with every purchase.


    Good news: all gThankYou Gift Certificates come with customizable, personalized Gratitude Cardsfree!
    Simply choose your design and give us your personal message of holiday appreciation for recipients. We create your custom card and can even add your company logo or management signature if you like. gThankYou Gratitude Cards are the perfect addition to make your employee Christmas gift meaningful and memorable.

    We’re excited to unveil new Gratitude Card designs for the 2017 winter holidays, adding to dozens of favorites to fit any company culture and occasion.
    It’s absolutely essential to show your appreciation to employees, at the holidays and year-round.
    A paycheck isn’t enough, no matter how generous.
    A new study from Payscale shows that how employees feel about their organization’s approach to pay and compensation has a higher impact on their job satisfaction than the actual amount they are paid. (more…)

    Read Full Post
  • Workplace Incentives That Turn Goals to Reality

    Workplace exercise incentives that work!

    Cash doesn’t work, so what are the workplace exercise incentives that actually motivate? (Photo via Global Panorama, Flickr)

    It’s time to rethink workplace exercise incentives involving cash.
    New research shows money does little to motivate gym visits, even among people who have the intention of exercising more.
    The experiment, conducted by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers and published in the National Bureau of Economic Research, randomized about 800 new gym members into four groups.
    The control group received $30 after six weeks, unconditionally. The other groups were rewarded for going to the gym at least nine times in the first six weeks of membership — with a $30 Amazon gift card, a $60 Amazon gift card or an item of their choosing from Amazon worth about $30, respectively.
    (more…)

    Read Full Post

How gThankYou Certificates Work

Step 1

Order Certificates

Choose the gThankYou Certificates you want and order them online or by telephone.

Step 2

Ship directly to your business

Your order is delivered by UPS. Nearly all orders ship the day received. Overnight shipping is available.

Step 3

Distribute to your employees

Personalize your gThankYou Certificates with Giver name or logo (both optional) and give them to employees.

Step 4

Redeem at any grocery store

Recipients redeem Certificates at major U.S. grocery stores and select the items they want.