We all know that happy and healthy employees mean greater productivity, less absenteeism, and an all around happy team. Throughout my past 21-years in the workforce, I have learned what I appreciate about working for a company and what I really wish would be different. When Nathan and I started Makes Scents Natural Spa Line three and a half years ago, we knew exactly how we wanted to care for our employees. From experience, we knew how it feels to wear a pair of “employee” shoes and how easily the work and health of an employee can be taken for granted. That is why, in 2014, we have set some pretty cool goals for our team in regard to our health and wellness practices. Take a look at a few of our behind-the-scene health and wellness goals for 2014!

Our “Quiet Place”

A little anxious? Feeling the pressures of the world coming in on you? Why not meditate? Taking a few minutes out of your day to meditate can calm your thoughts and restore your inner peace.  According to the Mayo Clinic, “during meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.” A few short minutes of clearing your mind can lead to reduced negative emotions, increased self-awareness and help you to focus on the present. Some research even suggests that meditation can help alleviate high blood pressure, pain and anxiety disorders. Plus it is super relaxing too!

These amazing benefits are why we have decided to create our very own “Quiet Place” so our team can take a break from their workday to relax and meditate. This new special place will include a meditation cushion, relaxing essential oil blends, and our favorite, Tibetan singing bowl meditation music. Our goal is to have a team that is relaxed, centered and loves coming to work! Peace, calm, tranquility and bliss. Shanti.

Crisp, Clean & Green

Healthy living is an integral part of our personal and work lives at Makes Scents. Nathan and I not only want to bring a little green to our team in their paychecks, but we want to add a little green in their glasses too. Juicing and eating healthy is a huge part of our lives and the lives of our team members too. Because it is so important to everyone at Makes Scents, we thought, why not add a juice bar in our breakroom?

Since our business is located in the amazing and beautiful city of Lancaster, PA, we are surrounded by an urban oasis filled with local goodies such as numerous farmers markets filled with fruits and veggies from local non-profit organic co-ops, unique eats, and tasty treats. In the upcoming few months, we will be making some exciting new changes, and one of those changes will leave us within walking distance of these wonderful urban treasures. Because of this exciting new adventure, we decided that now would be a great time to add a juice bar! After all, who wouldn’t want to walk to the market on their break, pick out fresh organic produce and juice that fresh produce right on the spot!  Our team LOVES juicing and to be able to supply them with the resources to do so at work is a win-win situation for everyone!

A Breath of Fresh Air   

Speaking of walking to the market, this leads us to our third wellness practice: lunch break walks. At Makes Scents, we don’t need a special day (National Walk@Lunch Day) set aside to remind us to walk on our lunch break. We do it every chance we get! When the weather is nice, you will see our team strolling around the area because a little sunlight and fresh air is the perfect cure for the midday blues! In fact, we may even take a mid-morning and mid-afternoon stroll too!

At Makes Scents Natural Spa Line, health and wellness is a top priority for our team. It is part of our everyday lives. We live it, breath it and need it. We care about the health and well-being of our team and want everyone to leave work feeling fulfilled, happy and healthy too!

How do you bring health and wellness into your workplace? Thank you to our amazing new team member, Sara, for suggesting this blog post about our wellness practices!