While so much emphasis in wellness is often on physical health and nutritional habits, sometimes the underlying reasons for these poor habits is overlooked. Alexandra Drane, president and co- founder of Eliza Corporation, calls these reasons "The Unmentionables", as they are often not spoken about.
They can include things like:
- Depression
- Financial problems
- Job stress
- Caregiving
- Martial trouble
Finding time to exercise or cooking healthy meals is hard enough for the average person, but compound that with persistent worry about caregiving for a parent, or wondering how the bills are going to get paid this month, can make it nearly impossible. Oftentimes in order for you to help employees make healthier choices you must first address the unmentionables. Though this can be a big feat to tackle in workplace wellness, there are three easy ways you can start:
1. Make sure your current wellness events, such as educational lunch & learns or coaching sessions, include ways to over come the barriers that unmentionables can create. Examples include a budgeting class for people with financial problems, or counseling for those with martial trouble. By limiting the impact these unmentionables can have on an employee’s life makes it easier for them to have more “room” for healthier habits.
2. When possible take away the negative stigma in addressing these concerns. For instance, try re-naming programs. Turn your 6-week Stress Management Program into an Energy Management program. By focusing on the positive side (energy vs. stress) employees will be more likely to engage in the offering.
3. Introduce effortless de-stressors into the work environment. This can include offering outdoor seating for breaks, walking paths, social opportunities, ping-pong table, posting funny comics, etc.
As wellness programs continues to evolve, so does the scope of offerings. Be sure to consider ways to address the unmentionables in order to develop a meaningful and relevant program with real results.