Productivity, performance, and both mental and physical and health get a boost from practicing good habits. Key to that is identifying healthy habits and establishing a routine that allows you to practice them. A great way to get started on them is to practice Wellness Wednesday.
What Is Wellness Wednesday?
Wellness Wednesday is a weekly event or observance that has the goal of encouraging and promoting habits that improve one’s overall well-being. Set in the middle of the week, it’s a good way to focus or recharge.
Whether you observe Wellness Wednesday in the office or, if you work remotely, at home, these small ripples of self-care can grow into waves. In turn, those waves will promote good health, help get the creative juices flowing, and deliver positive results.
What Can You Do on Wellness Wednesday?
Following are some suggestions for what you personally can do on Wellness Wednesday, reflecting many different dimensions of wellness. Keep in mind that you don’t have to implement all of these Wellness Wednesday tips. The point is to reduce stress and have a calm mind, and that’s a lot harder to do when you feel pressure to check off all the items on a list.
Wake Up Early
To have a happy Wednesday, start it by waking up early. The house and the world are quieter places then, and it also gives you maximum time to balance work and life throughout the entire day.
Eat Breakfast
Another positive way to start off and set the stage for a good day is to eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast. Many people skip breakfast, but it’s been proven that eating a good breakfast helps people concentrate and perform better.
Get Some Exercise
Incorporate exercise into your day. Physical activity is good for the body, but it’s good for the mind as well since it gives you a break from work. You can go to the gym for a yoga class, go for a bike ride, or even do a walking meeting by grabbing your earbuds and heading outside.
Create A Personal To-Do List
Assess what you have to do and create a list for it. When doing this, take stock of both personal and work items that need to be done.
Schedule It In
After creating your personal to-do list, make a schedule for the day. It’ll help you stay organized and on task. Don’t hesitate to make new plans or just a slight change if what you’ve been doing isn’t working.
Get Organized
Before you start tackling your schedule, get organized by making sure you have everything you need and that it’s ready to go. That way, you’ll save time and go about your tasks more efficiently.
Bite-Sized Goals
It’s important to have objectives and long-term plans, but you can’t get there all at once. If you set smaller incremental goals, you’ll get where you want to be without burning yourself out.
Reward Every Success
This applies whether you’re a manager, a team member, or working alone. When something goes well, take a moment to recognize it and build self-confidence in yourself and others.
Listen to Music
Unless music distracts you from completing tasks, listen to music while you work and go about other things. It’ll make your day more enjoyable, and it will help relax you. If you’re around others, just make sure you have earbuds or that it’s at a volume that doesn’t distract others.
Find a Relaxing Activity
Give yourself breaks during the day. One method is to find a relaxing activity that you enjoy. Examples could include reading, getting a massage, taking a walk, or catnapping on the couch. If you can, include these breaks in your schedule so that you’ll be more likely to take them. Scheduled breaks also work well as motivation. Your own self-gratification is healthy for you.
Watch Comedy
Laughter is healthy. If you enjoy comedy, take a little time to watch a show you like. This helps lighten your spirits and can counter negative thoughts and feelings.
Create a Personal Wisdom Collection
As you go about work and life, you’ll accrue wisdom from your own experiences, others’ insights, and other sources (examples: sage advice from the Dalai Lama or the wry observations of Groucho Marx and Mark Twain). You can gather this wisdom into a collection of “Wellness Wednesday Quotes” that you can always refer to for inspiration.
Discover Plenty
Be a lifelong learner. Having that mindset will open new vistas and help you create new aims.
Talk to Someone
Humans are social creatures. In the office, take some time to talk to colleagues and build connections. If you’re working from home, get on the phone or Zoom or some other medium that allows you to see or hear others to provide some essential human interaction. Bonding with good people helps you grow as a person.
Drink Water
A major component of mental wellness is physical wellness. One of the best and easiest ways to do that is to drink plenty of water so you stay properly hydrated. When you’re dehydrated, you may not think as well and could develop headaches. Bonus: Drinking water can fill you and help you avoid unnecessary snacks.
Have Some Coffee When You Want
A lot of people include coffee in their daily routines. Some sip it all day, while others have it only at specific times. Enjoy your coffee when and how you want it.
Stay Positive, Look For Goodness, and Make the Most of Moments of Joy
There are times when things won’t go well, and that’s when you need to draw upon your inner strength to stay positive and practice optimism. Focusing on yesterday and what’s gone wrong rather than today and the present moment is a negative way to go about achieving your goals. Correct and reflect on what didn’t go right, but look at what is going well and how the right thoughts and efforts can build upon that. And don’t forget to celebrate joy and success.
Get Enough Sleep
Finally, plenty of restful sleep is essential for having the energy and the mindset to have a wonderful day. Figure out how much sleep you need to function optimally and make yourself get that sleep by keeping to a schedule.
Conclusion
Wellness Wednesday habits improve productivity, morale, and mental and physical health. There’s a lot of flexibility involved, so you can practice them on your own or with your team.
If you work at a school, the faculty can get together on Wednesday afternoons or make a habit to practice these habits schoolwide. At the office, gather the staff for an event in a conference room, schedule Wellness Wednesdays seminars, etc.
Don’t be afraid to try new things, and remember that you can practice these habits on Mondays, Fridays, and any other days; they don’t have to be just for Wednesdays and special occasions.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
