Better together: How community and connection build healthier habits

In the previous episode, I talked about some of the things that can go wrong when we put corporations in charge of our wellbeing. In this episode, I share an example of what it looks like when it goes right, and how corporate-sponsored wellbeing programs can actually have a very positive impact on individuals and workers as well as on the company’s bottom line. 

Lindsey Soroka is a registered dietitian and works as a health promotion specialist for a major national corporation, where she’s in charge of (among other things) engaging the employees in wellness education, services, and programming. 

Lindsey and I first worked together when her company brought me in to offer the 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade program to their employees, Afterward, we sat down to talk about what she’s learned about motivating people and why major corporations want to invest in wellbeing programming.

But there are valuable lessons for all of us in this conversation. In particular, I hope you catch the ways in which our efforts to enhance our own wellbeing can ripple out into our families, workplaces, and communities. 

Key Takeaways

  • Companies are in business to be profitable, but the smart ones recognize that in order to thrive as a company, they need a healthy, stable and well-resourced workforce. 
  • If you are feeling burned out or overwhelmed at work, you may not feel like you have the bandwidth to explore your employers’ wellness resources but this is actually the time they may be most valuable (and your employer really does want you to use them).
  • When trying to establish new behaviors, a short-term commitment can make it feel more doable.  But a good short-term challenge will be designed with the long tail in mind. 
  • Doing something as part of a group really helps to foster a sense of wellbeing and connection. And it helps you stick with it.
  • Reaching out to someone who’s had a positive impact on you not only means the world to them but can also benefit your own mental and physical health.  Be on the lookout for opportunities to do that.

Mentioned

30 Day Nutrition Upgrade (starts November 8th)

Contact Monica to discuss corporate wellness programming