Sleep deprivation negatively impacts your body, mind, and overall health in ways that might surprise you. Read five reasons why hitting the snooze button may not be such a bad idea, after all!

A new spin on "working out" your issues.

Take the quiz and find out!

The next time you find yourself in a sticky situation at work - laugh it out! Laughter has been shown to reduce stress, diminish anger, and boost morale.

Tired of the same old fitness routine? Give your motivation and focus a boost with Eastern exercise. These three techniques are shown to align body and mind to produce better health and fitness benefits.

Is buying fresh really worth the extra money? How to put nutritious food on the table without breaking the bank.

An 8-step guide to rebuild your body image and improve your overall health.

Why researchers are concerned about the link between hostility and heart health - as well as simple tips for coping with anger.

How job stress can affect your heart's health, and what you can do about it.

7 Easy Tips to Increase Producitivity

Lose weight? Check. Start exercising? Check. Stop smoking? Check.

Empowering ideas to improve your work life in 2012 and beyond.

Happy New Year! With a new year, comes new opportunity for healthy change. Read our tips on how to make your resolutions stick in 2012.

New members to the BHS team highlighted in BBJ's People on the Move!

Did you know that nearly 1 in 4 people have more headaches during the holidays than any other time of the year? Read our tips on how to manage holiday headaches – and even better, how to prevent them from happening in the first place.

The Baltimore Sun recognizes the 75 best places to work in the area, judged by those who know best: the employees. BHS is honored to work with some of these amazing companies!

The American Cancer Society is marking the 36th Great American Smokeout on November 17 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day.  By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.

The information and professional assistance available in this quick reference guide allows you to choose the help that best fits your needs. 

Which method will you choose?  Click Here! 

When it comes to type 2 diabetes (the most common type of diabetes) prevention is a big deal.  It is especially important to make diabetes prevention a priority if you're at increased risk of diabetes - For example, if you're overweight or have a family history of the disease.

Join our Free Webinar: Wednesday, November 2nd @ 10am, Organizational development strategist, Gina Barton, reveals how to increase your organization's effectiveness, health and viability.

Register Today: Click Here!

Congratulations to the 2011 Baltimore Business Journal Healthiest Companies Finalists and Winners!

Many people avoid using happy faces in emails to professional acquaintances because they fear they will be labeled as unprofessional. Yet, as we are all learning, a lot can be lost in email communications because email lacks tone and facial expressions that cue us into what a person really means by the words they utter.

One month after the tsunami and earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011, officials have begun to compare the nuclear disaster that it created will reach levels comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl explosion (see the New York Times article here). The potential widespread environmental and health effects that come attached to that announcement makes recognizing Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, even more important. 

Have you observed any of your employees manifesting one or more of the behaviors listed below?

• A negative attitude
• Not getting assigned work in on time
• Angry outbursts or yelling at co-workers
• Engaging in passive-aggressive behaviors
• Going from cubicle to cubicle gossiping
• Tuning out / not participating during team meetings
• Consistently coming to work late or leaving early
• Taking excessively long lunch breaks
• Making lengthy personal phone calls during the work day
• Ignoring or violating company policies

These counter-productive behaviors can wreak havoc with your organization’s morale, culture, productivity and bottom line. However, simply getting rid of the counter-productive employee is not usually the best strategy. Employees represent a huge investment for companies. The time, energy and money spent in recruiting, screening, training and retaining employees in today’s ‘knowledge-based economy” is substantial.

We finally got our hands on Dawn's Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award Finalist video. Check it out!

Join Business Health Services' (BHS) Director of Client Relations, Sandi Cunningham as she discusses the benefits of merging Wellness and EAP services to offer your employees the TOTAL wellness.

Stop! Take a 3-minute break from whatever you are doing and read this blog!
 
Our brains, eyes and bodies all seem to be over-worked and exhausted these days.  In order to operate at peak efficiency, each of these systems needs to have the chance to rest and recuperate on a frequent basis. Researchers and efficiency experts have shown that allowing ourselves to work to the point of exhaustion over a long period can have serious effects on our energy levels and our overall health. In fact, in many countries in the developed world, the law actually requires that employers provide regular breaks for their employees for their own protection and safety.

We found an article on the Business Knowledge Resource site and thought it made some excellent points about the relationship between employee morale and increased sales results. Executives and senior managers must be aware of the psychological well-being of their employees and how their thoughts, feelings and concerns may impact their commitment, enthusiasm and productivity. Even relatively small gestures can go a long way by showing employees that you appreciate, and value, their efforts on behalf of the company. Enjoy it here.

As 2010 comes to a close, we find ourselves once again in the midst of the season of giving. Every year managers and executives try to find a rational balance between budgetary constraint and demonstrating the proper gift-giving spirit for employees. I am sure that, like me, you have tried everything from company parties, to gift cards, to cash bonuses, gourmet gift baskets and dozens of other solutions for the company gift-giving dilemma. 

However, as a leader you are in a unique position to give your employees some less tangible, but very meaningful gifts.

With the new Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (also known as the Mental Health Parity Act) going into effect, companies have been trying to answer some difficult questions to ensure compliance. Below, we share some of the most common questions asked by our clients so that you can benefit too. 

A New York Times article earlier this week titled, “What to Do Now to Feel Better at 100,”  caught my eye because I, like most other mid-lifers, would love to know the secret to staying young. While the article had many great tips, what I found most interesting was the mention of a website, Environmental Geriatrics, which focuses on how to create safe environments for aging people.

Engaging employees in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or Corporate Wellness Programs is often much easier than their household members. This is because you have easy access to them. The office kitchen, bathrooms, and mailboxes become free billboard space for flyers and posters. Access to work email addresses enable certified delivery of news right to their fingertips  - outreach, newsletters, and tip sheets can all be easily sent and their delivery ensured. Employees also often visit the company portal for work related matters where their attention can be captured  with prominently displayed announcements on the employee portal.

Household members, however, are another story.

One of our clients recently came back to us after leaving to try a “free EAP” in an effort to cut company costs. Free EAPs are typically offered through a company’s health insurance, disability carrier or payroll management company as an added-on program. But many times free EAP’s will cause more headache than they are worth.

This first Workplace Wellness blog is dedicated to the people of Louisiana, whose continued perseverance in the face of disaster never fails to inspire me. 
 

Shortly after the BP oil spill on April 20, 2010, I travelled to Lafayette to visit our Southern Region Headquarters and to personally experience the effects of the disaster on the Lafayette area business community. What I saw was both inspiring and sad. On one level, it seemed to bring employees closer because of the shared impact and their reliance on each other for support. On another level, the emotional impact was mounting.