Did you know that bees can help improve your mood and productivity?
According to ‘Biophilia: Does Visual Contact with Nature Impact on Health and Well-Being?’ by Bjørn Grinde, “Adding elements of Nature to living spaces can presumably induce positively valued changes in cognition and emotion, which again may impact on stress level, health and well-being”
Honeybees inside the beehive.
Grinde’s research also states, “humans have an inherent inclination to affiliate with Nature has been referred to as biophilia.” Essentially, having a relationship with nature and the outdoors is essential to the human experience.
Work-Life Balance
We spend so much of our lives at work. With most of us working from home, integrating a balance of work and living is important. Striking this balance is extremely important to our well-being. And while we’re clocked in, it’s important to find ways to maintain this well-being and stay productive.
Progressive employers can invest in their team’s quality of life. Employee wellness programs are an engaging way to raise morale and prioritize health that leads to an increase in productivity.
Employee programs are initiatives that promote a healthy lifestyle in the workplace and now at home. There are various types of initiatives that qualify as employee wellness programs such as:
- On-site yoga classes
- Stress support programs
- Wellness challenges
- Public transportation rewards
- Nap-time
Some wellness programs are paying attention to climate change by recognizing the impact that every employee makes. Organizations play a crucial part in ensuring employees can continue their efforts at work and at work-from-home sites.
How Beehives Can Make a Wellness Program Sweeter
Bees are a great way to spread the buzz about effective wellness programs. Employers bringing bees into their corporate offices recognize the role bees play in keeping work-life balance programs fresh.
Jeff Hyman, Associate Director, Environment Health & Safety US, EMD Serono, says, “On our sustainable campus, our biophilic design includes beehives and pollinator friendly landscaping to support the more than human world. We are focused on building back the wildlife habitat and increasing biodiversity.”
According to Hyman, the campus enhances employees’ wellbeing by putting them in touch with nature. “With our movable time-lapse camera focused on plants and the bees, our employees get a dose of Vitamin N for Nature and a virtual connection to the campus.”
The benefits of their employees’ direct experience of nature include:
- showing employees the company cares about the environment
- give honey jars as office perks
- local raw honey for coffee/tea stations
- reduce work stress with observation areas to watch bees
- create a community of beekeepers
“I love to watch the bees go in and out of their hive from my window. Their hard work inspires me to stay focused and productive!” – Employee, CIC, Cambridge, MA
Honeybees hanging out at the entrance of their beehive.
Bees Can Work from Home, too!
The workplace as we know it has changed. With more and more of the workforce doing their jobs remotely– especially in a post-pandemic reality — some employees are subsidizing backyard beehives to support their employees’ efforts.
Employees feel connected with their own hive of busy helpers each time they look outside and see a bee buzzing by. Putting honey from their own backyard in a cup of tea not only tastes delicious, but also serves as its own form of aromatherapy.
Bees help us get back in touch with nature, connect people with their local ecology, give them something fascinating to observe from the safety of their own home. The sound of bees working during the day can be mentally restorative and decrease stress.
Bees can play a role in improving workplace wellness and inspiring productivity. In order for our entire ecosystem to function properly, bees are our essential workers. Backyard beehives help preserve the bee population, but also can preserve the wellbeing of our friends, family, and colleagues.
