Group support and encouragement can be very advantageous in helping staff members make healthful changes. Create situations, coworker groups, or information avenues where the specialistise and experiences of coworkers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing onsite support for healthful changes include –
o Staff Members may be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related to particular healthy practices they have successfully implemented in their lives.
For instance, ex-smokers can be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas can be shared in newsletters, flyers, classes, etc.
o Topics like weight control, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.
o Behavior change support groups, developed based on worker interest in making healthful change, can meet on a regular basis to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Health promotion programs can offer some help and facilitation in getting a group started.
The group then its self takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a speaker or presenter on a topic relevant to the group.
Be sure to help the group establish ground rules that everyone agrees to before the group is left on its own.
