Routines help us stay focused and can improve our physical health. Including rituals in our routine, whether at home or work, helps ground us and reduce stress. Routines are a series of actions that you perform regularly to bring order to your day. Studies show that having a routine can create the following benefits:
- Help alleviate anxiety.
- Help combat burnout.
- Promote healthy habits.
- Help with focus and productivity.
Rituals are repeated actions that have a meaningful purpose. At a company, rituals in the workplace can:
- Help shape the culture of the company.
- Create a shared identity.
- Give an employee a sense of belonging to their team and organization.
- Help align an employee with the company.
- Bring the organizational culture into the life of the employee.
Along with personal rituals — such as meditation, using a specific mug during your coffee break or spending time outside every day — there are leadership and organizational rituals for the workplace that can positively impact your employees. Leadership rituals can be conducted at the team level. Some ideas for leadership rituals include:
- Starting each team huddle with a moment of gratitude.
- Host TED Talk Lunch and Learns, where the team eats lunch together and watches a new TED Talk selected by different teammates.
- Taking a walk during the morning huddle.
- Celebrating personal and professional milestones.
Organizational rituals are for everyone in the organization, no matter their level. Most rituals are done in groups as collective practices have been shown in social psychology to improve everything, from making food taste better to helping people feel more motivated. Some ideas for incorporating organizational rituals include:
- Inviting the employee with the longest tenure to give a welcome talk at new hire orientation.
- Some large companies have all new employees work in customer service when they are first hired so they can experience working with customers.
- Recognizing work anniversary dates with a certificate or small gift.
Learn more about the power of routine and rituals in this Blue Cross® Virtual Well-Being webinar. You can also sign up for future employer-focused and general interest webinars here, where you’ll find past sessions and resources. Related:
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