Memes abound on Wednesdays. Hump day can be one of the toughest days of the week for most employees. Most likely you have a lot on your plate and your next glorious weekend break is still days away. So how can you set up your work space so you and your employees can make the hump day blues a thing of the past? Read on for easy, inexpensive tips to give your workplace culture a much needed mid-week boost.

Make Time For The Team

Most companies bring employees together sporadically or during the traditional company meeting setting. Or even possibly at the mandatory happy hour that occurs after hours or on Fridays at 5.

However, why wait till the monthly company meeting or an after work event to make time for your team? Instead, try moving your employee events to mid week. Look for ways to celebrate team successes and give your people a reason to push through to the weekend. If you are dead set on happy hour activities, think about scheduling an afternoon event instead. Most likely you will have better attendance and employees won’t feel like they’re sacrificing family, personal, and weekend time to hang together with their co-workers.

 

workplace engagement

 

Instead of the typical Monday company “state of the union” address, try changing things up a bit. Cater in lunch and use the company meeting time as a way for employees to connect with one another while covering important company initiatives. Gathering on a Wednesday to break up the week a bit for your employees is a great way to keep them motivated and engaged. We’ve written about the importance of team lunches, and they’re a fantastic way to bring your team together to fight mid-week repetition together.

Take a Breather

Mindfulness in the form of meditation and gentle yoga can reap copious benefits for your company, while also helping your employees to battle that mid-week slump. According to Forbes, one company implemented a 10-week program of meditation and gentle yoga and found after doing so that their employees were more productive while also feeling far less stressed. Meditation works to stop the constant thoughts and noise in one’s head as you’re focusing just on your breaths as well as a mantra, or just focusing on nothing at all while breathing in and out.

If you have the ability to do so in your office, create a meditation or yoga room with dim lights and soft throw pillows that your employees can use to sit and meditate. A great meditation app to try is Headspace, which talks the user through how to meditate and gets them started.

Let There Be Light

Research has found that employees with exposure to natural light feel better and are more productive than their coworkers who are only exposed to artificial light in the office. If your office space has windows, don’t put heavy drapes or blinds over them. Let the light in so they can get a good old dose of Vitamin D.

 

workplace engagement

 

If your office space isn’t full of natural light, you can try holding mid-week meetings outdoors or creating an outdoor area for employees to congregate for meals or to work solo. Either way make sure you and your employees take a mid-week break to get outside and soak in the natural light.

Take a Stand

We’ve all read about the terrifying results of a sedentary lifestyle. Give your employees the option to stand by purchasing or building (if you’re feeling all HGTV) a few shared standing desks. Most people don’t want to stand all day every day, but it’s a nice option when desk life gets tedious throughout the week.

By implementing one or all of these office additions, your employees may even look forward to these mid-week rituals, instead of counting down the hours until Friday.