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Why You Need a Corporate Wellness Program

Implementing a corporate wellness program can offer a range of benefits for both employees and employers. Here are some of the advantages associated with a good corporate wellness program.

Improved Employee Health

Wellness programs encourage employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. As a result, this can lead to reduced risks of chronic diseases, lower healthcare costs, and overall improved well-being.

Increased Productivity

Healthy employees are often more productive. However, regular physical activity, stress management, and healthy eating can contribute to higher energy levels and better focus at work.

Reduced Absenteeism

Employees who participate in corporate wellness programs may experience fewer health issues and, consequently, take fewer sick days. This can lead to a decrease in absenteeism and increased overall attendance.

Enhanced Employee Morale and Satisfaction

Offering wellness programs demonstrates an employer’s commitment to the well-being of its workforce. This can contribute to higher job satisfaction and a positive company culture.

Stress Reduction

Wellness programs often include stress management components, such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Reducing stress can lead to improved mental health and a more positive work environment.

Team Building

Participating in wellness activities, such as group fitness classes or wellness challenges, can foster camaraderie among employees and contribute to a positive team culture.

Attracting and Retaining Talent

A comprehensive wellness program can be an attractive perk for potential employees. Thus, it may also contribute to employee retention by creating a positive and supportive work environment.

Healthcare Cost Savings

By promoting preventive health measures and healthier lifestyles, employers may see long-term cost savings in terms of reduced healthcare expenses and insurance premiums.

Increased Employee Engagement

Employees who feel supported and valued by their employers are likely to be more engaged in their work. As a result, corporate wellness programs can be part of a holistic approach to employee engagement.

Positive Brand Image

Companies that prioritize employee well-being often enjoy a positive reputation among clients, customers, and the community. A positive brand image can contribute to the overall success of the business.

Employers need to tailor wellness programs to the specific needs and preferences of their workforce. Effective communication and regular evaluation of the program’s impact can help ensure its success and continued improvement.

The Benefits of Yoga: Mind, Body, and Soul

Mindfulness and Breathing | Why Is It Important?

What exactly is mindfulness? Why is breathing important? These are things that I never think about. How do they help? In the hustle and bustle of our lives, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, and distractions. We find ourselves caught up in the past or worrying about the future. We forget to live in the present moment. However, amidst this chaos, lies a way to reclaim your inner peace. It’s called the practice of mindfulness and breathing, or as we like to refer to it – breathwork.

Understanding Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the art of paying attention to the present moment with non-judgmental awareness. For instance, you will observe your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without getting entangled in them. By practicing mindfulness, we become more attuned to our internal experiences. As a result, you respond to life’s challenges with greater clarity and compassion.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Stress Reduction: Research shows mindfulness can lower stress. In addition, it reduces the impact of stress on our bodies and minds.
Improved Mental Health: Regular mindfulness practice has been associated with decreased symptoms of anxiety, and depression. Lastly, it also improves mood disorders.
Enhanced Focus and Productivity: Mindfulness helps sharpen our focus and concentration, so we can be more present and productive in our daily activities.
Better Relationships: By being fully present in our interactions, we create deeper connections, and above all, establish empathy with others.

The Power of Breathwork

To begin with, breathwork involves intentional control and awareness of our breath. It is an ancient practice found in various spiritual and healing traditions worldwide. In short, our breath serves as a bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind. As a result, it is a potent tool for transforming our mental and emotional states.

Benefits of Breathwork

Stress Relief: To begin with, specific breathing techniques can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering the body’s relaxation response and reducing stress.
Emotional Regulation: Breathwork allows us to navigate and release pent-up emotions, helping us find emotional balance and stability.
Increased Self-Awareness: Focusing on our breath helps us become more in tune with our bodies and thought patterns. It fosters self-awareness and personal growth.
Heightened Energy and Vitality: Conscious breathing can oxygenate the body more effectively. As a result, it provides a natural energy boost.

Combining Mindfulness and Breathwork

The combination of mindfulness and breathwork creates a powerful synergy, reinforcing each other’s benefits and deepening the transformative experience. So, here is how to integrate these practices into your daily routine:

Start with Simple Breathing Exercises: Begin your mindfulness journey by practicing simple breathing exercises. Observe the sensation of your breath, its rhythm, and its depth. Gradually explore more structured breathwork techniques such as deep belly breathing, alternate nostril breathing, or the 4-7-8 technique.
Develop a Regular Meditation Practice: Dedicate a few minutes each day to mindfulness meditation. Find a quiet space, sit comfortably, and focus on your breath or a specific point of focus (e.g., a candle flame, or a mantra). Whenever your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the present moment.
Practice Mindful Living: Extend mindfulness beyond meditation. Engage fully in everyday activities, whether it’s eating, walking, or conversing with others. Be present and attentive to the experience at hand.
Attend Workshops or Retreats: Joining mindfulness and breathwork workshops can deepen your understanding of these practices and provide a supportive community of like-minded individuals.

Conclusion

It’s a fast-paced world and we are pulled in multiple directions. As a result, the power of mindfulness and breathwork offers calm and resilience. By recognizing awareness of the present moment and thinking about the flow of our breath, we unlock the potential to lead more balanced, focused, and better lives.

Embrace these practices with an open heart, and watch as they unravel a profound journey of self-discovery and inner peace. Remember, the power to change lies within each breath and every mindful moment. In short, these things really do work!

About Me

Next Steps

Interested in how mindfulness and simple breathing techniques work? I bring these ideas to life at company meetings, offsite events, team-building activities, or annual meetings. Let’s discuss how I can support your next event!

How to Survive A PowerPoint Presentation

We’re Stuck With It

Let’s talk about how to survive a PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint burst onto the scene in 1987. It launched around the time that PC purchasing was increasing and more companies and businesses were becoming computer savvy. Bill Gates did not invent PowerPoint, contrary to popular belief. It was created by Robert Gaskins, and he originally called it Presenter, under a company called Forethought. Who knew he would be responsible for the brain drain?

However, the story gets better. Microsoft got a sweetheart of a deal buying the software for $14 million. By comparison, Google paid a billion dollars for YouTube. They made it better, of course, and today we use its stylish features and special effects in our day-to-day business worlds. Post-COVID, I doubt it will ever go away.

Presentation Survival

I was at a conference when the “featured presenter” took the stage, let’s call him “Jeff.” The topic looked interesting. I was ready. A new learning opportunity. After his bio introduction and topic overview, he clicked on slide one. Seated in the front, I noticed something jarring on the bottom of the slide. It read 2 of 156.

This was the PowerPoint buzz-kill moment. I was stuck, literally, in PowerPoint prison, forced to gut out a 156-slide presentation. Content aside, it was the longest hour of my life. Have you been there? I turned around and saw the “nodders” and the “bailers” going into a PowerPoint coma or just leaving. When Jeff concluded, the next presenter began. Not one break, a pause, or time to stretch. More presenter pain. I had eye strain, a headache, was sore, and certainly bored.

A Big Surprise

The moderator out of the blue asked everyone to stand up and stretch. “Before we move on let’s all stand up together and stretch before our next presentation.” What a simple idea. She knew that was an hour of pain. By adding a simple ‘body and mind break’ everyone in the room had a chance to refresh as the day went on.

That’s what Corporate Calm does. We enter during those presenter intervals and teach simple techniques to keep you focused and energized. Without coffee. Without Redbull.

A Lesson Learned

As you are building out your meeting agenda, we can help with where and when we can add the most value. Corporate Calm will help you get through your meetings. I’ll walk directly on stage, and share a story, and the collective audience will go through some very basic mindfulness and stretching techniques. My rapport with the audience creates engagement. It’s the mind-body balance so one appreciates until they do it. I’ll come back at the end of the day to help people wind down, and prepare for their evening.

What I’ve Learned

Audience receptivity is very positive. The approach is well received. We know the grind of PowerPoint and multi-presentation days. I also conduct breakout sessions giving participants a broader overview of how we exhaust our mental energies in front of a computer each day and then forget to take care of our bodies. Along with that, I’ll lead yoga classes in the morning or evening, with no experience required. I care about getting you through each day. Your teams need to be mentally alert, focused, energized, and ready to tackle that next PowerPoint presentation. I hope this gave you some ideas and solutions for how to survive a PowerPoint presentation.

That’s what we do.

Welcome To Corporate Calm!

Why Yoga?

Corporate Calm fills a growing need for companies of all sizes to improve their company retreat, offsite event, planning meeting or leadership team gettogether with the benefits of yoga. Our research shows that employees who are lucky enough to be present at a two, three, or four-day conference look forward initially with enthusiasm and interest in the chance to “get away.” While you are onsite you might be just actively listening, or presenting, or asked to participate in a breakout session. During the day the body becomes tired and lethargic. You are in a different place and exposed to different experiences. This experience, although rewarding, can also have an impact on your mental state. You may become bored, tune out, drink more coffee than usual and drink more alcohol to deaden the pain of another full day of meetings. That’s where we come in.

Your Meetings

The Corporate Calm Team lead participants during stressful and draining meetings. We come on stage or we set aside a breakout room to help you decompress. No yoga experience is required. Our “quick hit” breaks will energize your mind and your body – keeping you attentive for the duration of the day. Many meeting planners are unfortunately forced to condense a lot into one day. We get it. Meeting planners we speak with have found that spicing up their meeting with our proven “yoga breaks” is a nice alternative to “and our next speaker needs no introduction,” no matter how excited you are for another presentation. We guarantee during our spot breaks you’ll have a fresher mind and stronger body for the duration of your event.

Keep Your Team Fresh

Makes sense. Doing yoga or meditation at a Tim Cook led Apple quarterly company meeting? Or an Amazon function? more and more companies are realizing the value of an offsite event is what you retain and take back with you. When you are sitting all day, listening, checking your phone, drifting and daydreaming, the chances of good retainage of the information shared decreases. Add to that large greasy breakfasts, big evening meals, and overflowing buffets, and you’ve put your body into a coma state. That’s where we come in.

Exercises For Life

Like most meeting participants, we sit at desks and work on a laptop or PC during the day. This rigid posture and body position takes a toll. We’ll give you ideas that you’ll take back to your home location and use immediately. If you have the luxury of working from home or have to carry the burden of answering emails at your home desk location, the same ideas we share with you at the conference will work.

Working Out

Awesome. However, the workout we provide is completely different than the traditional morning run, weightlifting event or cardio workout many people do at home, in a class or at a gym. We help you understand how to slow the impact of carpal tunnel syndrome, minimizing upper body pain from leaning into your monitor, and relieving a tension headache and eye strain from staring at a monitor each day. We complement your existing workout and don’t replace it. Remember, there is no yoga experience required.

Get Started

Let’s discuss a solution for you. We want to hear what you have planned. Our expertise is in developing a yoga plan that your employees will benefit from and be talking about. It’s time for work yoga!

We look forward to working with you!