Most people can get behind the idea that health, happiness, and productivity at work are related concepts. As an office manager, you have an opportunity to foster all three with a workplace wellness program.

As the world of work progresses, wellness programs are more important than ever. In fact, 4 out of 5 employees rate office well-being programs as valuable.

That’s why more and more companies are realizing there’s more to wellness than just their employees’ physical health. Sure, it’s important your team is healthy and at work, but ensuring they’re productive and engaged is really the goal.

There are different types of corporate wellness programs with the best being the ones that educate and encourage employees to adopt a healthier lifestyle. So what exactly is a workplace wellness program and how much would your office benefit from this?

Here, we present 9 reasons to consider employee wellness programs in 2020. Let’s dive in!

What Is a Workplace Wellness Program?

Workplace or Employee wellness programs are a form of health benefits that are provided by employers to encourage employees to lead healthier lifestyles.

These programs help employees stay healthy or, in some cases, help them improve their physical, mental, or even financial health.

Wellness programs can range from ideas that have a specific purpose, such as helping the employee to stop smoking or to lose weight; to onsite gyms or gym memberships; to incentive programs that provide rewards for participation or in achieving the desired results.

Since there are no rules specifying exactly what constitutes an employee wellness program, your wellness program could be anything from providing information on healthy eating to having scheduled workshops and seminars monthly on different health topics.

For inspiration, ask your employees what kind of activities they’d participate in if they had the opportunity. You could conduct an informal survey, hold a brainstorming meeting, ask everyone to email ideas or set out a tried-and-true suggestion box.

If you want examples and an article that’s dedicated to the subject of wellness, check out 10 Office Health And Wellness Trends For 2020

Does Your Office Need A Wellness Program?

It’s no secret that healthy people are happier and that happy people are less likely to develop long-term diseases. Your employees are people too. Their health directly affects their happiness, and their happiness directly influences their productivity.

So the answer is an obvious YES. That’s because employee wellness and employee performance are linked, a culture of wellness actually drives results by helping to create an engaged workforce. You’re going to want your employees to be healthy so they can be happy, in turn, be more productive.

As an office manager, you play a crucial role in making this happen by working to change workplace habits and boost participation in all health-related activities a company offers. Today, more than 9 in 10 organizations across the globe offer employees at least one kind of wellness benefit, and more than 3 in 5 have dedicated “wellness budgets,” which are expected to expand by 7.8% in the coming years.

Your office should take advantage of this too. Just remember that in order to reap the full benefits, wellness programs can’t be a campaign; it has to be ingrained in your culture.

Benefits Of Workplace Wellness Programs

1. Improve Employee Health Behaviors

A wellness program usually offers an umbrella of health care initiatives and this is perhaps the biggest benefit of having a wellness program.

Making lasting changes to behaviors is challenging for many Americans, but a research report suggests workplace wellness programs can provide a much needed assist. It shows that the benefits of employee wellness programs include improvements in physical activity; higher fruit and vegetable consumption; lower fat intake; and a reduction in body weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure.

Overall, wellness programs offer more than exercise. Employees are given tips for healthy eating, offered counseling for substance abuse problems and domestic issues. Workers spend a major part of their day on the job.

By expanding wellness programs to consider total lifestyle, you can show to your employees that you care about them.

Bonus read:
13 Office Fitness Challenges To Foster An Active Culture
How to Optimize your Office for Healthy Habits

2. Reduce Elevated Health Risks

Employee wellness programs that encourage physical activity can improve the overall health and well-being of the workforce. A study found that physical inactivity has become more deadly – and more costly – than smoking. The good news is that studies suggest that an hour a day of exercise can help mediate the risks of a sedentary lifestyle.

When employees actively participate in wellness programs, the incidence of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes can be reduced as well. Program participants may also have lower rates of chronic conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

All in all, this results in a healthier staff, which often translates to happier and more productive team members.

3. Help Sustain High Employee Morale

The best thing about participating in a wellness program is that it makes living a healthy lifestyle a habit. Employee involvement can boost self-worth; create a more fit body and mind. Wellness thinking extends to the employees overall lifestyle.

When you offer wellness programs to your employees, it shows that the company cares about more than the bottom line. Employees feel that they are valued when the company shows that they want workers to stay at their best.

Participating in non-work activities together also strengthens employee relationships and your company culture. So you should frequently encourage employees to participate in the company wellness programs and ask workers to provide feedback about ways to improve on and add to current offerings.

Bonus read:
9 Cost-Effective Ways To Promote Well-Being In Your Office

4. Curb Absenteeism

Wellness programs have the ability to improve employee health and can also have an impact on whether or not individuals are absent from work. But there is another reason why wellness programs can have such a large impact on absenteeism. Employees who have high morale are significantly less likely to be absent from work.

Employees who are provided with wellness programs often enjoy coming to work and exercising with coworkers and friends. Because of their desire to come to work, the company saves money both in a reduction of sick leave days and in the reduced cost of employee turnover.

Lower absenteeism means higher work output. When an employee is healthy, he tends to be in a happier state. A happy employee is a productive employee. Being healthy also leads to better concentration and higher energy at work, which means more consistent output and performance.

In view of this, your organization can benefit greatly from such productivity.

5. Improve Productivity

Time away from work related tasks invigorates the employee and helps them to maintain focus. Even the most dedicated employees struggle to maintain attention after looking at a monitor, standing at a counter or performing repetitive tasks for hours. Providing workers opportunities to step away periodically makes for a more productive workplace.

In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, when employees leveraged wellness programs to make lifestyle changes, they ended up saving their companies about $353 in recouped productivity—productivity they gained as a result of their newfound wellness.

Evidence also indicates that instituting workplace health programs can reduce the average sick leave, health plan, and workers’ compensation and disability insurance costs by approximately 25 percent.

Bonus read:
10 Life Hacks To Improve Office Productivity
Boost Your Productivity Like An Expert
24 Productivity Tools For Office Managers

6. Increase Employee Retention

In today’s ever-changing workplace, it’s clear that workers have specific needs and must-haves when it comes to their ideal job. Companies that offer an array of benefits, including employee wellness programs, have a better chance of attracting top talent and enjoying good employee retention.

When you offer your employees a wellness program, you are showing them that you care about them. You are letting them know that you want to do everything you can to keep them in good health and optimal performance. Employees know when they are appreciated. They know when they feel looked out for and valued as an important part of the organization.

Lastly, when you encourage your workers to take care of their health, they feel like they matter, which garners a sense of company loyalty. Workers may be more inclined to consistently perform at the top of their ability. That knowledge can go a long way toward convincing employees to stick around.

7. Reduce Work-related Stress

A major reason for employee burnout, turnover and personal time off is stress. In an attempt to drive production and meet quotas workers can be driven beyond their capacity, leading to low morale, lack of inspiration and perhaps a physical breakdown.

Wellness programs provide a number of options that can alleviate some of the symptoms of stress. Employees can take time to recharge and return to their tasks with a clear mind and better focus.

As employees work on improving their health together, bonding and camaraderie will follow. The social interaction and positive reinforcement involved in the wellness program may help your employees combat work-related stress.

All in all, by offering wellness programs that entail physical, mental, and financial health, your company can create an environment that provides not only a happier and healthier workforce but also save you and your employees from the burden of stress.

Bonus read:
15 Strategies For Office Managers To Reduce Stress
5 Best Ways To Make Your Workspace Less Stressful

8. Provide Help Beyond Physical Wellness

Most people think of employee wellness programs as programs that focus on the physical body – such as providing means to exercise during the day – eating healthier or losing weight. But it is just as important for your employees to have good mental and emotional health.

That’s why mental health in the workplace is now being addressed more than ever. In fact, mental health disorders are among the most burdensome health concerns in the United States. 44.7 million people reported any mental illness in 2016. In addition, 71% of adults reported at least one symptom of stress, such as a headache or feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

Indeed, by supporting employees’ mental well-being through workplace wellness programs, benefits are felt across the organization. They will appreciate you and this makes them happier and more comfortable, in turn developing a more positive working environment.

9. May Improve Your Bottom Line

Having an employee wellness program can help you attract and keep hard working employees because they view a wellness program as a benefit they’d like to have at work. But wellness programs also provide benefits to the company that can clearly affect and improve your bottom line.

In a case study of large companies, total medical spending at a company with an employee wellness program experienced slower growth in health costs than companies without a program. Another study estimated health care expenses were less expensive per person per year across several areas.

Overall, workplace wellness programs may reduce medical costs, absenteeism and health-related productivity losses. When an organization’s workforce is healthy, medical costs are naturally lower, which keeps insurance premiums to a roar.

Final Words

With more employees making wellness a priority, you will have no choice but to follow suit. And while this may require some additional investment, the 9 benefits mentioned above prove the payback is vast.

From more sustainable, and cost-effective working environments, to healthier, happier, more productive employees, and ultimately, healthier workplace culture.

If you don’t offer an employee wellness program or some kind of wellness activity, you’re competing for good employees with companies that do provide such programs. So there’s no better time to plan and start your wellness program than now!

It’s time to help your employees achieve their health goals— to eat healthier, get more exercise, increase self-care, and improve workplace culture!

Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.

There are so many ways to make merry around the holidays — sharing a batch of holiday cocktails with new and old acquaintances is one that’s pretty high on our list. For a lot of us, it’s hard to fathom the thought of an office party without a little liquid courage.

However, it can be an overwhelming experience for those who don’t drink booze. While alcohol can be a very popular party component, it can also leave some guests feeling disappointed or even left out. Reasons may be pregnancy, health, religion, addiction recovery, or maybe they just don’t drink — just to name a few.

So, whether you’re hosting a holiday get-together or an office party, it’s always nice to have a few non-alcoholic holiday drink options on hand during the season. Just because you don’t drink, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a night out!

We think the non-drinkers among us also deserve holiday drinks as festive and delicious as any alcoholic cocktails that most of us enjoy. With these special booze-free drinks, teetotalers can sip on a delicious adult beverage without feeling like they’re missing out!

Let’s start!

1. Cranberry Cider Punch

This is a great recipe for a crowd of people for an office party. Non-drinkers will surely enjoy this festive punch.

To make this: Combine the Cranberry juice, Ginger Ale in a large punch bowl. Add the frozen cranberries, orange slices, and ice. Garnish with a small orange slice on the rim of the glass and fresh rosemary. If you feel you want more fruit flavor, just add a few pieces of fruit to the punch, just don’t take away from the hero of this recipe, the cranberry!

2. Honey Berry Kombucha Smash

This fizzy drink might be just the thing to serve to your favorite team members this holiday. It has rich colors—thanks to blueberries and raspberries—and comes together with ginger beer, honey, and fresh mint or basil.

To make this: Just simmer some honey and blueberries together until the berries were bursting. Then smash them with some fresh raspberries as well as kombucha to mix everything up. Pour it over crushed ice and topped it with vanilla seltzer and throw in some fresh basil and mint

The flavor is incredible because there is a richness from the simmered berries and the soda makes it seem super bubbly to the point where people will actually think it is a cocktail.

3. Lemon Blackberry Mocktail

This lemon blackberry mocktail is a refreshing and tangy drink for when you want a non-alcoholic option that tastes just as good! This mocktail is made by making a blackberry and lemon puree with seltzer and mint.

Just combine blackberries, lemon juice, and honey with a splash of ginger ale in shaker and muddle, then fill with ice. You can also garnish with additional blackberries or lemon wedges if you like.

4. Seedlip Spice Sour

This non-alcoholic spirit alternative from Seedlip is made like a gin with botanicals but is definitely not a gin. The predominant flavor is clove rather than juniper, and most importantly, it has NO alcohol! Perfect for our non-alcoholic employees, especially those designated drivers.

Combine six botanicals to make Seedlip: allspice, grapefruit, lemon peel, cardamom, American oak, and cascarilla bark. Together, they make a fresh, warming drink that is full of flavor but is alcohol-free.

5. Caramel Apple Pie Mocktail

While apples are great in pies and cobblers, they are also great in drinks! This mocktail is a showstopping nonalcoholic drink recipe for kids and adults to enjoy.

It’s a sweet treat made with homemade caramel sauce, cold apple cider, and sparkling ginger beer. The decorated rim of caramel and sugar with the cinnamon stick garnish makes this autumn party drink perfect for your office holidays.

6. Cocoa Mock-Tini

With just a few ingredients, a little bit of heat, and a snazzy glass, the Cocoa Mock-Tini Mocktail is one of the most attractive drinks your teetotaler employees will enjoy! Especially the chocolate lovers!

To make this: Combine almond milk or cream, cocoa, vanilla, ground cinnamon and salt and heat on medium until well combined. In a shaker or tall glass, add cocoa or flavored syrups for mocktail version over ice and shake until cold.

7. Christmas White Russian Mocktail

This Christmas white Russian mocktail is a family favorite that is easy to make and so delicious! This can also be a great option for an alcohol-free party drink in your office. The white drink itself is reminiscent of freshly fallen snow.

The instruction is quite simple: Just skewer two cranberries on the end of a rosemary sprig and place in glasses. Then combine cream, whole milk, cranberry Dry Sparkling soda, and coffee-flavored syrup together in a cocktail shaker with ice. The addition of the cranberry Dry Sparkling soda just ups the festive flavors that make this a true holiday mocktail.

8. Non-Alcoholic Hot Buttered Rum

Rich, creamy, buttery, and loaded with spices, Hot Buttered Rum is an unforgettable drink that’s perfect for any cold-weather occasions. This non-alcoholic hot buttered spice drink is Hot Buttered Rum‘s tamer sister.

To make this: Cream together butter, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and rum flavoring. Blend in softened ice cream, seal, and freeze. Then garnish with a cinnamon stick. Perfect to pair it with cookies or some holiday treats!

9. Moscow Mule Mocktail

If you’re a fan of ginger beer, you’re sure to love this drink! Crisp, cool, and refreshing – this mocktail is a non-alcoholic version of a classic Moscow Mule! This mocktail version has club soda instead of vodka, and it’s totally spicy, tasty and delicious.

Mix ginger beer, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and club soda. Then garnish with a slice of lime and a small slice of ginger and sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar. Because this Moscow mule is alcohol-free it’s perfect for pregnant mommies, kids, designated drivers, or anyone who just doesn’t want to drink alcohol.

10. Non-Alcoholic Eggnog

This non-alcoholic eggnog is the perfect holiday drink to enjoy with your employees and their families. Eggnog is like a winter-specific milkshake. Just without the ice cream.

It’s typically concocted of eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to give it a sweet sip similar to a custard that’s the base of ice cream. It can be served cold or warm and your guests probably guzzle it down a minute after it’s set on the table.

To make this: Mix egg whites, egg yolks, sugar, salt, cups of milk, vanilla extract, and whipped heavy cream for this holiday standard! Serve eggnog in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

11. Pomegranate Mojito Mocktail

This lovely little drink is the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors. It can be made with three ingredients: tonic water, pomegranate juice and sugar. All of these should be mixed according to taste and volume.

Because of its bright shade of red, it would be a great addition to your buffet line. You can also add lime, mint, and club soda, and then served in highball glasses.

12. Paradise City

This holiday drink looks and tastes perfect which will be an absolute delight for your employees. And to top it off, you do not need any fancy ingredients to prepare this beverage. Vanilla syrup, passion fruit, grapefruit, club soda, and ice will do the magic.

To make this: Combine vanilla syrup, passion-fruit puree, grapefruit juice, and cream in a cocktail shaker over ice. Pour club soda into a highball glass, then slowly strain the contents of the cocktail shaker over the club soda, allowing the head of foam to rise above the rim of the glass.

13. Shirley Temple

Image source: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

If you’re organizing an office party that includes family members, you cannot ignore the kids at your party. Before they get curious about the adults’ drinks and become adamant about trying them serve Shirley Temple. This luscious beverage with bright colors will definitely captivate the young crowd. it’s a surefire way to get a big, pink grin out of the little kid you adore.

To make this: Fill a Hurricane or Collins glass with ice and add grenadine. Fill with ginger ale, 7UP or Sprite. Then stir, and garnish with a maraschino cherry and lemon wedge. You can also top the glass off with the lemon-lime soda or ginger ale.

14. Roy Rogers

Like Shirley Temple, a Roy Rogers is another non-alcoholic soda drink that kids and adults love. A Roy Rogers uses cola—which usually has caffeine—in place of the ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, but it keeps the grenadine and the cherries.

Though it’s sometimes called a cherry cola, the Roy Rogers is not cherry flavored. With a few exceptions, grenadine is made from pomegranate—not cherries. This fruity syrup does add a nice sweetness to the average cola and there are a few things you can do to make the drink just a little bit better.

To make this: Combine Coca Cola, ice cubes, grenadine, and maraschino cherries with a stem. Then pour in grenadine syrup and add a maraschino cherry with a stem as your garnish.

15. Chocolate Coconut Coffee Seltzer

This drink is a crowd favorite not just for its spot-on flavors, but also because it’s a coffee drink that anyone can sip in the afternoon! Given that you can adjust the amount of coffee way down and the amount of seltzer and coconut milk way up, this is the perfect way to liven up your party.

To make this: Combine the chocolate syrup and coconut milk in the bottom of a tall glass and stir until evenly combined. Add ice to the top of the glass, top with the coffee, and stir. Garnish with a slice of orange and top with club soda or seltzer water to your liking.

16. Carrot Ginger Lemonade

This drink will surely make a bold statement when it’s served because no one will be expecting that bright orange shade on your platter. It comes together with peeled and chopped carrots, ginger, lemon, and maple syrup, and it’s best served with large cubes of ice.

Combine the chopped lemon, carrots, ginger, and water. Blend on high for a full minute or until the mixture is completely liquified. Then run the mixture through a fine strainer, pressing the pulp into the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the strained liquid back to the blender. Then add your liquid sweetener of choice to the liquid and blend on high for 20 seconds. Check the lemonade for sweetness, and adjust if necessary.

17. Maple Apple Cider

This one is also a perfect non-alcoholic holiday drink! It makes a fresh batch with honeycrisp and granny smith apples, pomegranate, orange, and cinnamon sticks. Serve it all in copper glasses to really make it feel special.

This is a very simple recipe. Just stir the apple cider, bourbon, and maple syrup together in a cocktail pitcher. Pour over ice in a highball glass and add a splash of ginger beer to each glass. Then garnish with cinnamon sticks and apple slices if desired.

There You Have It

Sometimes we lose sight of a holiday celebration and see it as a chance or opportunity to drink socially. While it is such an opportunity, the main purpose of an office holiday party is to have fun with your employees and colleagues.

Drinking is always an option and optional, and it is as much as a choice as it is a responsibility. So if you’re planning on hosting a party this season, remember to give your teetotaler guests some festive booze-free alternatives to cure their “Am I the only one who doesn’t drink?” feeling. It’s a good way to make sure that everybody can enjoy it and no one will be left out.

For those who aren’t imbibing, having something to sip besides water can make any and all holiday parties a whole lot more fun. Plus, these non-alcoholic holiday drink recipes will add a delicious touch to your most awaited holiday party!

So, which one would you make for your office party? Or if you haven’t planned out your party yet, here are 15 ideas that will take your party from meh to amazing: 15 Fun Ideas to Shake Up Your Office Holiday Party This Year

Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.

Since there is a strong link between what we eat and how we feel, there’s no denying that snacks and food in the workplace have a big impact on employee productivity and satisfaction.

We know food affects our physical health, but did you know that food impacts our mental health as well? Yes!

There have been major advances addressing the influence certain foods have on psychological well-being.

On that note, it’s no surprise that office snacks are a proven strategy in improving employee mental health. In fact, A study of 20,000 workers found that those who at healthy through the day were 25% more likely to have better job performance, compared to unhealthy eating which leads to a 66% increased risk of lost productivity.

So if you or your team members are feeling peckish or stressed at work, here’s a list of tasty foods that do more good than bad for both your mind and body. Let’s begin!

1. Coffee

Not only can your daily cup of joe help you feel more energized, the caffeine in coffee acts as a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. Studies have shown that, depending on the level of intake, caffeine can help to improve mental performance, especially on alertness, attention, and concentration.

Also beyond boosting alertness, a 2018 study suggests that caffeine may also increase the brain’s capacity for processing information. The researchers found that caffeine causes an increase in brain entropy, which refers to complex and variable brain activity. When entropy is high, the brain can process more information.

So whether you are busy at the keyboard typing and thinking, or feeling stressed out at work, the consumption of a daily cup of joe can help you keep a healthy headspace.

I’m sure your office already has a coffee maker, but if you’re in the mood for a refreshing coffee twist at the office, check out our recent article: Best Coffee Styles For Ultimate Productivity At Work

2. Berries

If you’re looking for the perfect office snack to get your antioxidant fix, this is it. Antioxidants assist in repairing cells, as well as assisting in combating inflammation caused by free radical damage. These antioxidants have also been found to assist in improving symptoms associated with anxiety and depression.

Further, strong scientific evidence exists that eating blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and other berry fruits have beneficial effects on the brain and may help prevent age-related memory loss and other changes. They contain a compound called polyphenolics, which have been found to improve memory, concentration and attention span.

3. Dark Chocolate

This is a perfect office snack for all the chocoholics out there!

According to a study by UCL, eating dark chocolate can help reduce anxiety and improve symptoms of clinical depression. People who ate dark chocolate in two 24-hour periods had 70% reduced odds of reporting depressive symptoms than those who did not eat chocolate.

This is because dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a neuromodulator implicated in mood regulation which may positively affect mood and relieve depressive symptoms.

As an added bonus, dark chocolate is also full of antioxidants and natural stimulants. It improves blood flow to your brain, helping you focus better. And it increases your body’s production of mood-boosting endorphins, making you happier.

4. Whole Grains

When looking for snacks that fight depression, focus on the healthy, high-fiber carbohydrates found in whole grains and you can feel good and do your body good at the same time.

Many whole grains are naturally rich in an amino acid called tryptophan, which your body needs to produce serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin, the “feel-good hormone,” improves mood and relaxes the brain and body, while melatonin helps establish and maintain steady sleep cycles.

It’s easy to see why this healthy snack may help keep depression at bay and promote healthy sleeping patterns that are very important to mental well being and health. The best part? People who eat healthy whole grains are not only more likely to have an elevated mood but are also more likely to choose healthy foods and exercise, which will make their good mood last.

So whether you’re looking to improve your sleep pattern or just stabilize your mood, grab some whole grains while at work and get happy!

5. Nuts

Snacking more nuts may be good for the brain, as these foods contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Although other nuts such as cashews, brazil nuts, and hazelnuts are helpful in supplementing omega-3 fats, walnuts seem to be the winner in this category.

Walnuts are known to support overall brain health, being one of the highest plant-based sources of omega-3 and a great source of protein to help keep blood sugar levels at a healthy balance. These higher levels of omega-3s in blood have been linked to better mood and lower rates of depression.

One study found that depression scores were 26 percent lower among those who consumed about one-quarter cup of walnuts per day. They found that adults who ate nuts were more likely to have higher levels of optimism, energy, hope, concentration, and a greater interest in activities.

Almonds also contain a variety of goodies long known to be critical to mental health. Among them are the B vitamin folate and the amino acid tyrosine, a precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine. Then there’s magnesium, which contributes to many enzymes that power the brain’s intense metabolic activity.

6. Green Tea

If you just want a drink, try green tea! It’s good for inducing calm and peace and it is just what we need more of in our fast-paced highly stressed world. Green tea includes the amino acid, L-Theanine, which is responsible for inducing a calming state. It increases dopamine and the production of alpha waves in the brain.

Also, according to research, the Theanine in green tea is responsible for improved cognitive performance. So when stressful office tasks are piling up, perhaps drink some green tea not to just get relaxed but also to prolong enhanced cognitive performance.

Lost in the world of tea? Check out our article where we shed some light on selecting and brewing the perfect cup of tea for your tastes: The Ultimate Guide To Tea

7. Popcorn

Popcorn isn’t just for movie theatres, it can also be a healthy go-to office snack!

Popcorn may be the perfect snack food if prepared correctly. Its reputation as a snack food that’s actually good for health popped up a few notches today as scientists reported that it contains more of the healthful antioxidant substances called “polyphenols” than fruits and vegetables.

Popcorn contains more polyphenols, healthy antioxidant compounds than fruits and vegetables. It is low in calories and fat, high in fiber, and contains no sugar or sodium.

When prepared correctly, it is high in good carbs (complex carbohydrates) that are high in nutrients and slow absorbing. Carbs increase our serotonin levels, making us feel happier and more relaxed.

8. Greek Yogurt

This is great if you need a more substantial and filling snack especially during your super busy workdays. It’s higher in protein than regular yogurt (it contains twice as much per serving!), which will help fill you up and curb your hunger.

Research suggests that consuming probiotic yogurt is beneficial for a person’s mental health. A 2016 study found that workers who ate 100 grams of probiotic yogurt a day or took a daily probiotic capsule experienced less stress, depression, and anxiety than those who did not.

This effect is likely due to the relationship between the gut and brain, and the ability of the gut to make neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. Plus, it’s also full of bone-building calcium and gut-friendly probiotics.

9. Oily Fish

Oily fish are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3s help build membranes around each cell in the body, including the brain cells. They can, therefore, improve the structure of brain cells called neurons.

A 2017 study found that people with high levels of omega-3s had increased blood flow in the brain. The researchers also identified a connection between omega-3 levels and better cognition, or thinking abilities. These results suggest that eating foods rich in omega-3s, such as oily fish, may boost brain function.

Apart from that, oily fish are clinically proven to optimize brain function, preserve cognition, boost memory, prevent heart disease, and reverse age-related loss of brain function. Examples of oily fish that contain high levels of omega-3s include:

Salmon
Mackerel
Tuna
Herring
Sardines

10. Seeds

Like nuts, seeds can be very beneficial to your mental health. They are rich in healthy unsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, which makes for a healthy addition to any meal.

Sunflower seeds contain a rich mix of brain powering protein, omega fatty acids, and B vitamins, and they also contain tryptophan, which the brain converts into serotonin to boost mood and combat depression.

To fight off anxiety-induced depression, a bowl of quinoa seeds can do you a lot of good. This protein-packed grain has an antidepressant effect when eaten regularly, so you can build a healthy dinner with this ingredient and benefit your mental health at the same time.

Moreover, zinc is vital for enhancing mental agility and memory. Just a handful of pumpkin seeds a day is all you need to get your recommended daily allotment of this super vitamin.

11. Bananas

Bananas contain the amino acid tryptophan as well as vitamins A, B6 and C, fiber, potassium, phosphorous, iron, and carbohydrates. Mood-boosting carbohydrates aid in the absorption of tryptophan in the brain, while vitamin B6 helps convert the tryptophan into the mood-lifting hormone serotonin.

Eating bananas also calms anxiety because they are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which is converted to relaxation-inducing serotonin in the body. Bananas are also one of the best breakfast snacks because they are full of potassium– which facilitates the body’s ability to absorb water, and it also helps regulate blood sugar. This, in turn, helps boost hydration on long, dehydrating days.

12. Edamame

Edamame is tasty and easy to snack on. They’re high in tryptophan, which regulates your appetite and boosts your mood. They’re also packed with essential nutrients.

Edamame also contains folate, which the body needs to produce DNA and for proper cell division. Studies suggest that having adequate folate intake may help prevent depression. It may do this by stopping too much of a substance called homocysteine from forming in the body.

Also, high levels of homocysteine can prevent blood and other nutrients from reaching the brain, and they can interfere with the production of the “feel-good” hormone serotonin. This hormone helps mood, sleep, and appetite.

13. Quinoa

To fight off anxiety-induced depression, a bowl of quinoa can do you a lot of good. This protein-packed grain has an antidepressant effect when eaten regularly, so you can build a healthy office snack with this ingredient and benefit your mental health at the same time.

Quinoa is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and fiber that helps to balance blood sugar while providing the essential glucose to the brain. It’s also filled with iron– a vitamin known to keep the blood oxygenated, and B vitamins, known to balance mood and protect blood vessels.

14. Broccoli

As well as being a low-calorie source of dietary fiber, broccoli may be good for the brain. Broccoli is rich in compounds called glucosinolates. When the body breaks these down, they produce isothiocyanates.

Isothiocyanates may reduce oxidative stress and lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Broccoli also contains vitamin C and flavonoids, and these antioxidants can further boost your brain health especially during very stressful workdays.

Other cruciferous vegetables that contain glucosinolates include:

Brussels sprouts
Kale
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Turnips

15. Avocados

Avocado is a serious superfood when it comes to depression as it contains tryptophan, folate, and omega-3. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that helps combat inflammation in the brain and also helps regulate our brain’s neurotransmitters

A source of healthful unsaturated fat, avocados may also support the brain. Eating monounsaturated fats may reduce blood pressure, and high blood pressure is linked with cognitive decline. Thus, by reducing high blood pressure, the unsaturated fats in avocados may lower the risk of cognitive decline.

Final Words…

With our super busy schedule, it can be tough for us to navigate our world with so many food choices. However, our brain needs a lot of nutrients to function and keep us well that’s why it is important to choose healthy snacks for work. Remember that a sustained mood boost comes from a consistent supply of nutritious foods!

You may have noticed that your mood often affects the types of food you choose, as well as how much you eat. Some foods can lift your mood, energy levels, and concentration, while others can have the opposite effect.

We also know that a poor diet can make us feel sluggish, low and increase symptoms of depression and anxiety. So, we encourage you to use this guide and see how these healthy snacks can actually improve your mental health. You can see how much more enjoyable snacking can really be.

Also, make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

Drinking Tea plays a central part in our lives. It is a universal phenomenon with millions of people are enjoying it on a daily basis. But did you know that before our beloved tea became a beverage, it was a leaf? So there you go! With some basic knowledge of how tea is made under your belt– you will know more than most people.

However, from choosing between different flavors to executing conflicting brewing techniques, it’s easy to feel lost in the world of tea! Don’t worry, we’re here to shed some light on selecting and brewing the perfect cup of tea for your tastes.

In this guide, we will discuss everything you need to know about the different tea types, their origins, and their flavor profiles. This will simply guide you the next time you walk into a specialty tea shop and just stare blankly at all the tea along the wall. In the end, you will find your tea of choice, despite all the variety.

Let’s start!

First Things First… What Is Tea?

Although known in different forms, shades, flavors, tea is a very simple evergreen plant. Most people don’t realize this, but all real tea comes from one single plant species called Camellia Sinensis. The differentiation between various types of teas is strictly based on the process of manufacturing.

This is what makes tea so fascinating! Although all the various types of tea come from the same plant, they have different characteristics due to differences in climate, soil, season, and care. The region in which the tea is grown and subsequently processed gives its own distinctive flavor.

The full flavor of the final product is developed from the freshly harvested tea leaves by oxidation (fermentation), heating, drying, and even combining the final product with various other substances to make blends and styles that vary by culture, geography, and personal preference.

Brief History Of Tea

According to legend, tea was first discovered in China over 4,000 years ago by Emperor Nun Shen. One day, while visiting the far regions of his realm, he and his servants stopped to boil some water over a fire. A breeze blew the topmost leaves of a nearby tea tree into the pot releasing an inviting aroma. The Emperor tasted the refreshing beverage and was beguiled.

The popularity of tea spread throughout Chinese and Japanese culture. The first book on tea, ‘Cha’a Ching’, was written in the 8th century by the Chinese author Lu Yu. This definitive manual described the cultivation and preparation of tea. While in Japan, tea was elevated to an art form with the creation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Tea was first introduced to Europe in the 16th Century by Dutch traders. Tea became a globally traded commodity when the East India Company was established in England. This popular beverage soon became an English institution.

Today, thousands of tea estates around the world produce tea and each one masterfully crafts a unique tea. It remains one of the most popular beverages in the world.

How Is Tea Made?

If you wonder how is it possible for this simple plant to produce such a wide variety of flavors, colors, and even look of the leaves, here is the answer…

The main process that tea leaves need to undergo is called oxidation. This is the time when leaves are left in a room that has a controlled climate to oxidize and turn darker. This is also the moment when tea producers make decisions on the darkness of the leaves, the tea liquor and even the strength and nuances of the taste of the drink when it is steeped. A good rule of thumb is that the more the leaves are processed, the stronger the flavor is.

Then, the oxidation process is being stopped by steaming and drying and tea leaves are being shaped following different methods to form a variety of looks and allowing some of the essential oils to come through and enhance the flavors.

So now that we have a shared understanding of how tea is generally made, let’s now gain a thorough understanding of the main types of tea. Keep on reading…

6 Types Of Tea

Tea is generally broken up into six main categories. Read on to find out more about each of the different tea types, their characteristics, and what makes each one unique. Here they are:

1. Green Tea

The flavor of green tea can range from earthy and grassy to umami and floral. Steamed green teas tend to have more of a vegetable or herbaceous flavor while roasted or pan-fired green teas tend to be nuttier and more earthy. Green teas are also described as oceanic, buttery, and floral.

Green tea is not oxidized. It is roasted, rolled and dried with steam, oven heat or pan-fried preventing oxidation, or also known as fixing. This produces a refreshing tea with a sweet-smelling aroma. Green tea has a lighter flavor than black tea. It is most popular in eastern countries, but becoming more so in the west.

The best green teas include Japanese and Chinese varietals. On the Japanese side, sencha, gyokuro, genmaicha, and matcha are among the most popular. While longjing and gunpowder green tea are in China.

2. White Tea

White tea is barely oxidized– it has a subtle blend of sweetness and vegetal flowers and has the least caffeine. Depending on where and how it is produced, it usually has floral, nutty, or mildly fruity notes. This tea is typically pale yellow or lightly golden when brewed and emits a soft aroma.

In addition, this type of tea is made using only the youngest buds and leaves of the tea plant. The plant parts are harvested by hand and then dried in direct sunlight. As it probably makes sense to you, white teas are the least processed teas and among the rarest teas in the world.

3. Black Tea

Black tea is a great choice for coffee drinkers and tea lovers who enjoy bold flavors. It is fully oxidized producing a hearty deep rich flavor of the amber-colored tea. It is the most popular style of tea in most western countries and used in many blends such as Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Chai.

The tea leaves are harvested and then withered using direct sunlight or air to speed up the process. Once the leaves are withered, they are processed using one of two methods: the CTC method or the orthodox method.

The CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) method is used mainly in the production of tea bags and uses lower quality leaves. The method uses machines to crush and grind the tea leaves into smaller pieces known as tea dust and tea fannings. These are then packaged into tea bags and shipped for sale.
The orthodox method is used to produce higher quality teas and can be done using machines or by hand. This method typically produces loose leaf teas and tea balls. During the production process, tea leaves are fully oxidized. This develops the rich flavor and dark color of the dried loose tea.

4. Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is a lightly fermented tea unique to China. A rare and expensive variety of tea, yellow tea has gained increasing popularity in recent years because of its delicious, silky taste.

Yellow tea is not oxidized and produced in a similar way to green tea in that it is both withered and fixed. After fixing, yellow tea leaves are heaped or piled and then wrapped in a damp cloth to rest for a period. The heat and humidity give the leaves a yellow hue. As it’s a very rare tea produced only in China, very little is exported.

5. Oolong Tea

Oolong tea was developed later than green and black teas. A repeated rolling process brings the tea leaves to the desired level of oxidation allowing darker color and fuller but still light body. This tea is very fragrant and it has more caffeine than green tea.

Oolong teas are produced mainly in China and Taiwan and are partially oxidized, within a range of 12 to 80 percent. This means that enzymes in the tea leaves are allowed to interact with oxygen, creating a chemical process that darkens the tea leaves and alters the flavor of the tea.

On that note, oolongs are some of the most prized teas due to their intricate processing, which provides a complex flavor that evolves with each sip. The flavor all depends on the skills of the tea maker.

The best oolong teas include Iron Goddess of Mercy, Wuyi oolongs, and Milk Oolong tea.

6. Pu-erh Tea (Fermented)

Pu-erh tea is an aromatic black tea originating in China. It features a woody and earthy flavor. The leaves undergo double fermentation and are compressed into bricks or cakes. Pu-erh tea undergoes an oxidation process that is more similar to aging. Generally, there are two types of pu-erh tea:

Raw pu-erh tea – The leaves are harvested and withered to reduce moisture content. The leaves are then roasted to complete the drying process. The tea leaves then undergo an oxidation process that can take anywhere from 1 to 50 years. The longer the tea is aged, the more nuanced the flavors become.
Ripe pu-erh tea – This is also an aged tea, but the process is sped up using micro bacteria. This enables the pu-erh leaves to develop rich flavor in less time. The leaves are harvested and dried then lumped into large piles. The piles are covered with wet linens that promote the growth of healthy microorganisms. These organisms work to ferment the tea leaves. A tea master decides when the leaves have reached the desired oxidation level and then the loose tea is packaged for sale.

What Is Herbal Tea?

The main difference between herbal and common types of tea (true teas) we mentioned above is the actual ingredients. Herbal tea is pretty much any tea that is not made from the Camellia sinensis. Herbal tea does use leaves, but also stems, twigs, peels, sometimes even fruits. There is no specific part of a plant that is used for herbal tea.

As long as it offers either a pleasant taste or has the desired health benefits, it doesn’t matter. It’s a very wide and varied palette of flavors and effects, and depending on where you’re from, herbal tea ends up as being common practice, or something you’ve maybe heard of.

For example, when making ginger tea you’d use the tuber itself, after peeling it. This is because the flavor and nutrients are found in the root of the plant. The leaves are pretty much useless for tea. As for mint tea, the whole plant (except the root) is used. With an emphasis on the leaves since those provide the most flavor and mint oil, but my family used the dried stems as well.

These teas offer a wide range of floral, fruity, and spicy notes to suit your preferences. To give you an idea, here are the most common herbal teas you’ll want to try:

1. Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is made by infusing the vibrantly colored flower petals of the hibiscus flower in hot water. This tea is popularly called roselle or sorrel in certain parts of the world including the Caribbean and Australia. Hibiscus tea is also commonly consumed as an iced tea because of its tart flavor.

Hibiscus tea offers a sharp flavor with a refreshing finish. This tea tastes similar to cranberries and is often consumed with a dash of honey or a spoonful of sugar. The tea is gorgeous pink or red in color when brewed.

2. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is a classic favorite among herbal tea drinkers. This tea is revered for its calming properties and it is often classified as a bedtime tea. It is mildly floral and emits an herbal aroma. The taste of chamomile is often compared to crisp green apples. The tea is lightly yellow when brewed and can be sweetened with a dash of honey.

3. Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is made from the root of the ginger plant. It offers warming, spicy flavor that piques the interest of taste buds. The ginger root is harvested, sliced, and dried during the production process.

This tea is available in tea bags and loose tea forms. You can also make fresh ginger tea at home using ginger root and hot water. Simply slice a few pieces of ginger root and add them to boiling water. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes and enjoy. This tea is all-natural and vegan-friendly!

4. Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea has a delightful cooling effect from the moment the tea touches your lips. This tea is often described as similar to a refreshing mist. Mint tea is also known as a natural remedy for digestive tract ailments.

Like ginger tea, it helps to relieve indigestion, stomach aches, and nausea. The anti-inflammatory properties of mint leaves help to soothe muscles in the stomach and intestines to prevent acid reflux and cramping.

5. Rooibos Tea

Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, making it an ideal base tea instead of true teas when brewing flavored teas. It is beloved for its smooth flavor profile

There are two types of rooibos tea: The first one is red rooibos–it is an oxidized tea and considered the traditional variety. Red rooibos tea has floral notes and a slightly tart finish. Second is the green rooibos tea which is not oxidized and tends to have a malty flavor. It offers a light, crisp finish with grassy notes.

6. Rosehip Tea

Rosehip tea is one of the lesser-known herbal infusions, but its popularity is increasing. Rosehip tea is often overshadowed by the essential oil made from the same plant. This tea is made from the dried fruit of the rose plant.

Rosehip tea is flowery and piquant. This tea tastes similar to cranberries and offers a tangy edge that is slightly sour. Honey and lemon can be added to balance out the tart flavor if desired.

Here’s a fun fact: Herbal Teas are not actual teas although we call them this way. The proper term for them is tisanes.

What Is Flavored Tea?

Any tea drinker has seen a wide variety of tea types and flavors. Flavored teas are the ones that have additional flavors added externally to it. Tea leaves are quite receptive to flavors. Whether they are blended in forms of liquid or dry ingredients, black and green tea leaves are usually the ones that team up well with all types of flavors.

Further, there are some important distinctions to make when choosing your tea. Tea is grown in thousands of tea gardens or estates around the world, resulting in thousands of flavorful variations. The most common growing regions are in China and India and some of the most popular flavors are named after the places where they are grown.

Now that you’re aware of what flavored tea is, let’s talk about the common types of tea flavors:

1. Earl Grey

This is probably the most popular black tea in the world. It features a hint of citrus, having come from the bergamot – an orange-type of fruit. The taste is bold, refreshing, and bright.

The tea is made by infusing black tea leaves with bergamot orange rinds. Earl Grey features a slightly citrusy flavor that is contrasted by the bold, earthy notes of black tea leaves. You can also try Lavender Earl Grey, which takes the taste to the next level with the addition of floral and aromatic lavender petals.

2. Breakfast Tea

Breakfast tea is more strongly flavored than afternoon teas and is often enjoyed with milk and sugar similar to how coffee is consumed. The most commonly drank breakfast blends include English and Scottish with a heavily malty flavor, and Irish, slightly stronger with Kenyan and Assam (another region in India) leaves.

3. Lemon Tea

Lemon tea is nothing but a form of black tea or green tea liquor to which lemon juice has been added to impart a unique flavor. Lemon tea simply contains hot tea with lemon juice and sugar. The addition of lemon juice not only makes its color more pronounced but also improves its taste.

4. Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is the most popular Chinese flavored tea and is one of the most fragrant and flavorful tea blends. Jasmine tea is a special blend of high-quality loose tea leaves with jasmine petals. The jasmine petals impart a delicate aroma and slightly sweet flavor to the tea. Jasmine tea is most often made using green tea but it can also be made using oolong, black or white tea leaves.

5. Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling tea is produced only in the Darjeeling region of India, a high altitude region where there is a mist in the air almost constantly providing a cool and moist environment for the tea trees. This unique terrain produces tea leaves that have a very distinct flavor. The flavor is often described as muscatel, leading Darjeeling to be known as the champagne of teas. Darjeeling is lighter than many black teas and has a fruity, nutty and floral palette. For this reason, the English have considered it to be one of the best afternoon teas.

6. Masala Chai

Masala chai tea is an Indian beverage that is enjoyed by people across the globe. The tea is a staple of life in India and can be found alongside street food stalls, at ceremonial celebrations, and in living rooms throughout the country. The tea is made by blending black tea leaves with spices.

The blend varies depending on region and preferences, but most blends include black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Tea drinkers can add a splash of milk for a creamier texture.

What Is Kombucha Tea?

Kombucha tea is unquestionably uber-trendy, but what is it, really?

Kombucha tea is a lightly effervescent beverage that is made through the fermentation process. It is produced by fermenting tea, typically black or green, using a colony of bacteria and yeast called a “scoby.”

If you haven’t got a clue what SCOBY is, it’s an acronym that stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts — which looks like a flat beige mushroom and leaving it in the back of a cupboard for a week or two.

It sounds a little weird, right? Don’t let it turn you off! It tastes better than you think, particularly when brewed with flavor combinations like lemongrass and ginger or pomegranate and passion fruit. Plus sugar makes it more palatable.

The hype surrounding the beverage can be attributed to its oddly addicting taste that may just cure soda cravings. It is a drink that people can chug down one after another, free of guilt. It also contains a slight amount of alcohol which is clearly stated on most commercial products’ labels.

These beneficial compounds join forces to create a super drink! If you’re interested to discover its benefits and how this fizzy drink can change your health, check this out: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Kombucha

There You Have It!

By understanding the different types of tea, you can better select a tea that will cater to your preferences — whether you like sweet and light drinks or bold, strong ones.

With this handy guide, you can select the variety of tea that best suits your taste buds. You can choose from one of the most popular teas listed here or be bold and try something you’ve never heard of before.

But in the end, the best teas are always the ones you enjoy most. Use whatever tea you prefer! If you find a brand or a type that you like and works well with your culture, that’s really all that matters!

Also, make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.

As an office manager, being able to juggle multiple things at the same time without letting anything fall through the cracks is an essential skill. The office environment is fast-paced and requires particularly thorough attention to detail, excellent critical thinking skills, and time-management skills.

Further, we were led to believe that there’s nothing wrong with doing two or more things at the same time. With the amount of work and pressing deadlines, there’s no time to waste. Thus, multitasking is a MUST. After all, when we switch between two or more tasks, more work gets done faster.

However, what if everything is not what it seems? What if we only thought that doing several things at once is a perfect solution for maximum productivity, but in reality, it’s time to say goodbye to this misconception?

To that end, we’ll discuss what multitasking does to our brains and its real impact on workplace productivity. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to see why the myth of multitasking should be altogether abandoned.

But don’t feel bad yet – multitasking is probably not what you thought it was in the first place.

What Multitasking Really Is

When you hear the term multitasking, you’re probably thinking of this scenario: You’re sitting at your computer and typing out a document with one hand while scheduling appointments on a piece of paper with the other and simultaneously speaking with a client over the shoulder-held phone. Is this the picture you have in mind when you think of multitasking?

If so, you might want to reconsider this traditional understanding of the concept. If multitasking isn’t doing several things at the same time effectively, then what is it?

The American Psychological Association (APA) describes three types of multitasking:

Performing two tasks simultaneously. This includes talking on the phone while driving or answering email during a webinar.
Switching from one task to another without completing the first task. We’ve all been right in the middle of focused work when an urgent task demands our attention; this is one of the most frustrating kinds of multitasking, and often the hardest to avoid.
Performing two or more tasks in rapid succession. It almost doesn’t seem like multitasking at all, but our minds need time to change gears in order to work efficiently.

So… What actually happens when we try to multitask is task switching. Since we can’t actually do two things at once, we have to frequently move from one task to another. Each of these shifts entails twofold time loss:

Goal shifting – when we decide we’re done with one task and ready to move on to the next.
Rule activation – when we turn off the rule set for task one and turn on rules for task two.

Imagine what happens when you go through this process ten times in half an hour. To make matters worse, this shifting time extends as the complexity of tasks increases.

Having this picture in mind, it doesn’t surprise that research has found that multitasking inhibits efficiency and shortens attention span. So, let’s debunk some common myths about multitasking…

Debunking The Myths Of Multitasking

Did you know that only 2% of people can multitask successfully? For the rest of the population (98% of people,) switching between two or more tasks does more harm than good.

This can mean that sometimes, it can destroy your productivity. Countless studies have been conducted to determine multitasking’s impact on the brain and productivity. A 2009 Stanford University study from Clifford Nass found that heavy multitaskers were less mentally organized, struggled at switching from one task to another, and had a hard time differentiating relevant from irrelevant details.

Since then, more research has emerged supporting the idea that multitasking may not be the best way to get as many tasks as possible done throughout the day. It comes down to our ability to focus – we are most effective when we focus our attention on one thing at a time.

In fact, a study by Bryan College found that balancing more than one task at a time actually hinders employee performance, with an ultimate global cost of $450 million per year.

Furthermore, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), rapid shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time. That’s crazy! The very same skill that many of us relish and point to as the key to our success may be costing us 16 hours every week. It seems pretty clear that multitasking and productivity don’t mix.

In a nutshell, multitasking may not even be the right word to describe the behavior. It’s a misnomer. Our brains really aren’t wired to more than one task at a time, instead, we switch tasks. Unfortunately, task switching is expensive. Not only does multitasking decrease productivity but multitaskers make more errors and take more time to complete tasks.

The Risks Of Multitasking

1. Multitasking Can Lead To Increased Distractibility

In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine, researchers determined that heavy media multitaskers are more susceptible to distractions from irrelevant stimuli, resulting in greater problems focusing on important tasks.

Therefore, when you’re distracted, you tend to quickly lose focus on important tasks, often resulting in errors and mistakes.

2. Multitasking Can Affect Your Brain’s Efficiency

Multitasking can also impair memory. A 2009 study conducted by Stafford University showed that constant distractions also impact multitaskers’ ability to recall crucial steps involved in a complicated project.

Information overload can result in an impairment of trivial and important information differentiation. Employees experiencing this in the office can miss crucial steps in a project or product line, resulting in a lower quality product or service.

3. Multitasking Can Decrease Your Creativity

As an office manager, you desire to be creative. After all, being creative means being able to solve problems better, coming up with innovative ideas, and being more success-driven, no matter how many failures you face.

Therefore, creativity is important in your role. Unfortunately, even if you try your best to be creative, you won’t be able to reach your full potential when you force yourself into multitasking.

Creativity requires a stress-free environment and no time pressure. When you’re juggling between two or more tasks, you focus on finishing them as quickly as possible. Here, the emphasis is put on speed, not creativity.

4. Multitasking Can Lead To More Mistakes

This is a logical consequence of the lack of focus characteristic of multitasking. When doing several things at once, your mind is divided between them so it’s only natural that your mistakes will multiply.

And according to the Stanford research, multitaskers are terrible at filtering out irrelevant information. That means that there is sure to be some mental cross-firing and overlap between tasks.

Can you really afford to make those mistakes as an office manager? Probably not. That’s why each task should receive your full attention, separately.

5. Multitasking Can Make You Feel Stressed Out

Further studies show a negative physical effect in the body, in addition to a negative cognitive effect. Multitaskers will experience a release of stress hormones and adrenaline in their bodies.

The result can often become a vicious cycle of constant multitasking, requiring more time to complete a long list of tasks, experiencing high stress, and multitasking even more to compensate. The constant high-stress level can cause you to become sick, miss days of work, and decrease your overall productivity as an office manager.

6. Multitasking Can Cause Anxiety

A major downside of multitasking is the feeling of anxiety which plagues people who consistently divide their attention. This study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine shows that the symptoms of interrupted work range from psychological to physical.

They performed a test that measured the heart rates of employees with and without access to office email. Those who could access their emails remained wired up – they exhibited higher heart rates than those who didn’t have access. On the other hand, the second group was observed to perform their jobs relatively stress-free.

7. Multitasking Can Make You Less Productive and Less Efficient

As you already know, our brains are not designed for multitasking. We cannot do more than one task at a time. From a brain perspective, the more you are trying to do, the less brain bandwidth you have to focus on the latest in a series of tasks. Thus, you cannot possibly work or perform at your best.

Furthermore, People believe that by doing many things at one time, they save their time and work very fast but it is inverted. Because of multitasking, there is no focus in any of our work, and it takes too much time in the finished work. You lose the ability to listen. You become forgetful. Like a frantic juggler, you drop balls. Because of that, you become less productive and less efficient!

How To Avoid Multitasking As An Office Manager?

Now that you know the risks of multitasking at work, what now?

Here are a few strategies on how to stop multitasking so you can get better quality and more work done in the time you have each working day:

1. Plan Your Day Ahead

When you don’t have a plan for the day, the day will create a plan for you. When you allow outside influences to take control of your day, it is very hard not to be dragged off in all directions.

So, make a list of the four or five things you want to get done the next day before you finish your work for the day and when you start the day, begin at the top of the list with the first item.

When you have a plan for the day, your brain knows exactly what it is you want to accomplish and will subconsciously have prepared itself for a sustained period of focused work. Your resistance to distractions and other work will be high and you will focus much better on the work that needs doing

2. Prioritize Your Tasks

You’re smart! You know what needs to be done and how long it takes, but, for some reason, so many of us have a really hard time prioritizing tasks.

To solve this, stick to the plan you have made that you need to complete and list them in the priority that they need to be done. This way, each of your tasks will get your full focus, and you’ll make sure that the most crucial ones are completed. If you don’t get through everything on your list, don’t feel bad! Just move those items to the next day.

In addition, you should schedule work that is challenging and requires a lot of focus for the time of day when your attention and drive are at their peak. For example, if you are a morning person, tackle these projects first thing after you get to work. If you attempt to complete these tasks when you are physically or mentally fatigued, your mind will be more likely to wander.

3. Do One Thing At A Time

Contrary to the multitasker’s creed, you’ll actually get more tasks done by doing them individually. It can be hard but the benefits to the amount of work you get done are worth it. You will make fewer mistakes, you will get more done and will feel a lot less tired at the end of the day.

Moreover, whenever you hear the phrase “learn to say no,” it does not mean going about being rude to everyone. What it does mean is delay saying yes.

Most problems occur when we say “yes” immediately. You then have to spend an inordinate amount of energy thinking of ways to get yourself out of the commitment you made. For example, by saying “can I let you know later?” gives you time to evaluate the offer and allows you to get back to what you were doing quicker.

4. Finish Before You Start

The first step in breaking a habit is being aware of it. If you find yourself constantly multitasking, choose a day to log everything you do so that you can identify patterns that lead to your distractions and be mindful of them in the future.

After realizing this habit, learn to break it! Don’t start anything else until you have finished the first one and then move on to the second one. This one trick will help you to become more productive.

There is great productivity momentum in finishing things to done before taking on the next task. While it may be tempting to encourage marathon work sessions, remember to always take a break after each task.

5. Delegate Tasks Accordingly

Doing everything on your own is multitasking in disguise. As you know, it’s almost impossible to get things done alone. So to avoid multitasking, delegate your work accordingly.

Keep an eye on your employees’ workloads and delegate according to both workload and specialization. Being an office manager, you should lay out specific processes for your team members to follow. This is to spread the work properly among workers and bring structure, efficiency, and measurable results to their workflow.

6. Eliminate Interruptions

This does not just mean turning off your computer or setting your browser to block social media while working. However, notifications and instant messaging programs, even those that are tied to your work, can harm your productivity.

Little interruptions can draw your attention away, derailing your workflow, which likely will take some time to restart. Even if it only takes a few seconds out of your day, those seconds add up quickly and diminish the quality of your work.

So it’s better to stick to a commonly agreed work schedule. Turn off notifications and instant messaging programs. Instead, set a specific time when you will be checking and responding to emails and other messages.

We get it –You cannot miss a beat, but sometimes, all of these notifications creep up on you and before you know it, you’ve spent hours going down a rabbit hole of unnecessary tasks and you haven’t completed one thing on your to-do list.

7. Utilize Productivity Tools

Keeping on top of all your roles is clearly a massive task that takes a lot of work and time. Thankfully, every task comes with a tool that will help carry the load and make it easier to manage.

For example, a time tracking tool allows you to measure the number of minutes or hours that employees spend on particular tasks. This way, you can deter them from procrastinating as well as ensure that no productive time is wasted on unofficial tasks. Or, to avoid overseeing your meetings, deadlines, resources, progress, and more, a calendar app or tool is your best friend.

While it may be tough to juggle a little bit of everything, using effective productivity tools can save you a lot of time and trouble– making it easier to fulfill your responsibilities and get the office organized.

To help you pinpoint the essential tools for your workflow, we have listed 24 of our favorite software tools that will skyrocket your productivity! Check it out: 24 Productivity Tools For Office Managers

The Bottomline

Whether we like it or we don’t, multitasking has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Although we desperately try to focus on one thing only, shifting from one task to another is simply bound to happen, especially if you are leading a team or department.

As much we would like to believe that multitasking helps us become proficient at our job, it actually does quite the opposite. It hinders our concentration, makes our productivity drop and prevents us from delivering the best work possible. In reality, we only shift from one thing to another, interrupting our thoughts and wasting our energy in the process.

So remember that productivity will skyrocket if you focus your attention on one task at a time. You will be able to devote yourself to the work. By creating blocks of time for different tasks, you have a better chance of staying productive and on schedule towards completion.

Lastly, fast hands and leadership skills come in really handy when you’re managing an office. The quicker you are able to get things done, the more you’ll be able to help direct others and the company overall stay on top of tasks. Remember that an effective office manager is responsible for leading office team members and make sure that the work is getting done in a timely manner.

Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.

We love holiday parties! Not only because they are filled with joy, but also because they welcome our touch of magic. From food to décor, there’s something magical about hosting a hit holiday office party, especially when it brings your employees closer together.

Still, there’s a lot that goes into throwing a festive fête, especially if you plan on hosting a large crowd. We know how much of a challenge you might face in coming up with an exciting company party idea. It’s gotta be the one that everyone at your office will enjoy! It is important to throw a successful company holiday party to boost morale at the end of a long year and to show appreciation for your employees.

So, if you’re looking for a few fun office holiday party ideas, we’ll make it easy for you! In this article, we’ll give you 15 of our favorites that will take your party from meh to amazing!

But before you move forward with your party planning activities, remember to utilize the tips from our previous article to streamline the process from beginning to end: How To Throw An Office Party Your Employees Will Love

Let the celebration begin!

1. Plan Some Outrageous Entertainment

Holiday party ideas that include entertainment give your team a chance to share a delightful experience that’s likely to last longer than the event itself. Some can be pricey, like bringing professional entertainers such as a local band or an acrobat troupe to your event.

Entertainers often lift the spirit of an audience, so if you have the budget this year, this might be a fun option! A short performance by a comedian or musician is enough to play to the crowd without annoying those who aren’t interested.

It may sound cheesy, but it’s a surprisingly fun change of pace. Too silly for your team? A storyteller or an inspiring speaker is also great option. Nonetheless, team members will take photos, sharing the opportunity to see a performance they might not have planned on their own.

Pro tip: If you’re planning to book any entertainment, do it well ahead of time, so you don’t have to scramble to find someone a week before the event.

2. Do a Holiday Craft With Your Employees

If budget is a factor, this is a holiday party theme near and dear to the crafter’s heart. Get into the holiday spirit with a no-fuss crafting party. Set up a few tables with crafts store goodies and supplies, and let your team make whatever they desire. Create a playlist with your favorite holiday tunes to play in the background to get everyone in the seasonal mood.

Even if your office isn’t typically “creative,” working on simple crafts is a great way for your staff to unwind and have some relaxed, low-stakes fun. There are so many holiday-themed crafts you can create such as:

Non-traditional Christmas tree
Ugly sweater competition
Ornament Crafting
Salt Dough Crafting
Cookie and cupcake decoration
Gingerbread house building
Decorating Wreaths
Gift-wrapping extravaganza

Obviously it’s not hard to get into a jolly mood when there are fun activities happening and Holiday songs blasting through the speakers. All the same, it doesn’t hurt to have a few holiday experimentation.

3. Family Day at the Office

More and more businesses are realizing how important it is to include employees’ families when celebrating a year’s good work. You should too! Doing this speaks volumes about you as an office manager. It shows that you see your staff as more than just employees. It sends a clear message to them – that you’re willing to invest time and effort to ensure that they remain contented and happy in your organization.

So make your holiday office party be suitable for all the family, young and old. Give your team members the chance to bring their family along for the day, and while there, they can enjoy food, special activities, socializing and some relaxation from work. Use corporate entertainment that lifts their spirits. The best events will touch their hearts and captive their minds!

As coworkers get together to decorate and plan, this small company holiday party turns into several days of fun.

As an event planner, however, you need to account for everything. Make sure you don’t have any nasty surprises in your budget by having a thorough budget from day one. Remember to ask for packages or bundles of services from your suppliers/ catering services to deliver more bang for your buck!

Ultimately, deciding what sort of fun holiday you want to host depends on the needs of your staff, and your business. It might be a good idea to do a bit of homework. Find out how old your employees’ children are. Think about what events would appeal to that age range. What could you include for the wives and husbands? What about your staff – what do they like doing?

4. Create a Holiday Cocktail Competition

Cocktails are inherently social drinks. So, put a twist on an old staple happy hour! Why not throw a holiday cocktail competition? This is one of the more adults-only holiday party ideas is for employees to come up with a unique holiday-themed hot or cold drink beverage recipe.

Take your employees’ competitive side to the next, boozy level. The allure of this friendly competition is obvious: A win can mean prize money or gift! As the host, your task is to provide multiple drinking glasses in all styles, blenders, ice stirrers, and cocktail napkins. Then, when the beverages are assembled, take photos, and drink.

To make this party idea more awesome and hassle-free, get your office holiday party catered by a beverage caterer! Hiring them will help you plan out your holiday party. They could also be the ones who can choose the winner of your mini-competition and take care of the rest of the cocktail party so you don’t have to lift a finger!

5. Play Team Building Games

Most employees have been to parties that include an onsite gift exchange or Secret Santa. Another alternative to these holiday party ideas is to play games!

Party games aren’t just for kids! Plan some activities to help your employees to loosen up and get to know each other. Activities that require working together are especially great for building a sense of team spirit. Here are some ideas you can try:

Holiday charades
Guess the holiday song
Christmas Carol Pictionary
Holiday memory game
Family feud
Solving the Mystery
Classic board games
Office photo hunt game
Secret Santa
Gift Relay
People bingo
Escape room
Gift wrapping contest

Team building games are perfect for the spirit of the holidays; It will liven up the office atmosphere. As the host, your job is to organize these games and provide prizes to the winners and small gifts to all who participated so that no one leaves the party disappointed.

Remember that holiday office party games should be appropriate and simple, as well as brief since most office parties only last a few hours. You should play a game that isn’t too competitive and doesn’t require extensive holiday party props. You should also consider the personality of your office and be mindful of different religious and cultural practices.

6. Host a Multicultural Trivia Night

In order to honor the diverse range of ways people celebrate the holidays, host a multicultural holiday trivia night. In this way, the entire room will be enjoying a fun shared experience, however, the teams themselves – usually groups of 5-10 people – will have a particularly unique opportunity to bond.

Whether they win or lose, they will be collaborating, laughing, and competing together for the duration of the event, getting to know one another in a way that they never could in the workplace.

As such, you as the organizer have a wonderful opportunity to give some thought in advance to who is on which team, and why. This is a great idea to strengthen the bonds among your staff and to get them talking with folks whom they wouldn’t normally cross paths with on any given workday.

You can write your own random trivia questions. However, this is very time-consuming, and a lot harder than it looks. So we suggest finding downloadable trivia questions for an office party, which have been fact-checked and are ready to go.

You shouldn’t have to spend a lot of time, effort, or expense securing prizes for an office event. People are naturally competitive, and just want to win rather than take home something expensive. Your best bet is to get something tangible that your team can proudly display in their workspace to serve as a fun reminder of an epic party!

7. Volunteer Together & Spread the Gift of Goodwill

To truly get into the holiday spirit, use your office holiday party as an opportunity to give back to your community. Rather than a traditional party, invite your team members to spend an afternoon or evening volunteering at a local charity.

Or instead of swapping gifts with each other, ask everyone to make a small donation to the charity of their choice, bring in toys for a local toy drive, or ask everyone to make doubles of their potluck dishes and deliver the extra portions to your local soup kitchen.

This activity is a wonderful way to work together as a team while giving back to your community. This is a holiday get-together that won’t soon be forgotten!

8. Throw a Costume or Themed Party

You already know the drill during the holiday party circuit: ugly Christmas sweater shindigs and Secret Santa gift exchanges. But have you ever thought to channel your holiday cheer into more creative outlets?

To really go in on the holiday vibes, theme your entire party around a specific era or set a dress code, soundtrack, and snacks to match. Because other than comfort, the holidays are all about doing something different and unusual.

As a fun addition to your standard holiday party, you can consider these themed party ideas:

Classic ugly sweater
Masquerade party
Pajama party
Go glam party
Winter wonderland party
Holiday costume party
Merry movie-themed party
Old era costume party

This office holiday party idea is sure to get everyone’s creativity flowing. You can pick about anything as your theme. Just make sure it won’t raise any eyebrows in your staff or in HR. The best way to plan this is to ask your employees ahead of time and give them a chance to prepare and dress up the way they want!

9. Have a Holiday-Themed Potluck

Keeping your party casual this year? Consider having a potluck so your crew can show off their cooking or baking skills. Potlucks are budget-friendly, and there is always a wide variety of delicious foods for everyone to sample.

Further, it is a chance for people to show off their culinary or baking chops. As a host, it is your task to organize a simple holiday party by allowing employees to taste your coworkers’ wares and chat about anything other than work. Easy, relaxing, and delicious! Keep things organized by creating a sign-up sheet for the whole office, so you know who’s bringing what.

Another fun spin on the potluck idea is to hold a dessert potluck. Have your main snacks and drinks catered, and ask your employees to bring in their favorite sweet treats. Or if your team like a little healthy competition, you can even turn it into a friendly competition–Have employees volunteer to bake their favorite treat, and host an epic bake-off. And of course, all of this is for their chance to win exciting holiday gifts!

10. Holiday Healthfest

In the United States, the holiday season is often the time when healthy habits suffer. As we make our way through the holidays, why not encourage your employees to participate in fitness activities such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and others?

You can also organize a holiday health fest where you can all take a break from the cakes, cookies, and goodies you encounter at every other seasonal gathering. Instead, turn your holiday office party into a celebration of fitness and fun!

Have everyone prepare their favorite healthy-based treat or dish and pick a fitness class, or get a yoga instructor to entertain employees and/or family members for a mindful and meaningful hour of fun!

11. Organize Gag Gift Exchange

For a fun, different, and low-cost office holiday party idea, organize a gag gift exchange! These Christmas gifts for men and women are given for comedic effect to make the recipient laugh. Although, take note that gag gifts come in wide varieties, as nobody has the same taste in humor.

The good part about these gifts is that they make for the best inexpensive presents—and they’ll have everyone on the list cracking up. Unwrap these hilarious gifts one by one with the presence of liquors and you’ve got your team a winning combination!

However, it is safe to advise your employees to keep it clean, classy, and fun, so you won’t have to worry about overstepping any boundaries. Remember that the goal here is to have a fun party experience and a smile on your employees’ faces.

12. Organize a Simple Talent Competition

Another fun idea is to give your employees a chance to shine by holding an office talent show at your holiday party. You’ll be surprised at the secret talent your employees keep hidden. You can hold this one at your office, or up the ante by renting out a local bar with a stage.

As a host, the biggest challenge is to boost your employees’ participation as your employees might be too shy or think volunteering would make them seem arrogant. You can overcome this by making the prize more enticing or making this a group effort instead of a solo effort! Or if you have the budget, bring in some filler acts to heighten the sense of ceremony at your talent show.

This kind of holiday party will give your employees an opportunity to share their talents, enjoy laughs and build their team spirit. Every office has gifted individuals whose talents will create a buzz of anticipation until next year’s talent show.

13. Host a Holiday Karaoke

In every group, you’ll find someone who loves to sing karaoke. From your shyest staff to your diva-est employee, no one will resist the sweet siren song of the karaoke mic! Trust us, there won’t be any time for feuds over office politics while everyone is happily singing their hearts out!

So rent a karaoke machine for your office or head to a local karaoke bar for a low-key evening of non-stop laughs.

14. Run a Holiday 5k

If you want to switch things up from your standard holiday party, consider using the time on a holiday 5K race. Instead of buying decorations and treats, you can fund everyone’s registration fees and maybe even supply some holiday accessories to make any 5K you can find into one that’s suitable for your holiday celebration…

The whole workforce can take part and make it a real joint effort, getting some quality team-time in as well as some exercise too. They can dress up in festive costumes for the holiday, or choose a run that has a charitable cause.

Aside from the clear physical benefits, it is a great opportunity for your team to get to know one another. It’s quality time spent with your team, so there are benefits to be had all-round!

15. Hire Snacks and Beverage Caterer

What’s an office holiday party without food and drink? Whatever your activities will be, foods and drinks will bring some memorable spiciness to your holiday office party.

Holiday food is synonymous with “feast.” So skip the hassle and stress of planning the perfect holiday party by calling over some of your favorite local food trucks or snack/beverage caterers to bring the feast to you.

We get it — events are fun but planning exciting parties that keep your team happy is hard. So we suggest working with food and beverage caterers who understand the modern office and what it takes to deliver for your team.

The best part about this is that your caterer can help you plan, bring all the ingredients, and set up for you!

Are You Inspired to Throw a Great Holiday Party This Year?

The holidays are largely a time of giving: giving back to the community as well as giving to your employees.

Whatever your budget, company culture, and employees are like, there’s a holiday party idea out there that’s perfect for your team. Use this article as a starting point to spark your creativity. Although your previous company holiday parties might not have been something to boast about, you can change that this year!

Still not sure what kind of party you should throw? Poll your employees! They’ll appreciate that you care about their opinions, and they’ll enjoy the party more if they get to have some say in what happens.

Don’t forget, the best gift of the season is spending quality time with others. Foster a sense of goodwill and friendship at your office party, and it will be sure to be a memorable one.

This is just a quick list we came up with. Hopefully, that helps you in your search for the perfect activity for your office. If you have any other ideas, comment below!

Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.

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Glass of Red Wine and a Glass of White wine from a wine keg delivered by Office Libations

Hey Office Manager, this is your beginners guide to wine! 🍷

Picture this. You’re in the office, the day’s done, and you’re celebrating your boss’s 50th birthday with the rest of the crew from the office.

It’s a momentous occasion so naturally, they bring out only the best: a 15-year-old bottle of Nebbiolo.

Note: Nebbiolo is basically a fancy Italian red wine.

You go to pick up your glass of wine only to realize…YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WINE!

Ok, that’s probably not your first thought. Who cares about wine as long as it tastes good… right? 🤷‍♀️

Except, wouldn’t it be great to be able to impress people with your wine knowledge? To be the wine connoisseur of the office or the resident wine snob, and wow everyone with your knowledge from winemaking to weird fun facts. Here’s one for you:

Fun fact: rotting grapes can be a good thing for wine

If you want to learn the basics needed to survive your next office party, wine tasting, or a date with a wine snob, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’ve stumbled on this page wanting to know the difference between a Pinot and a Cabernet, don’t worry. When we’re done here, you’ll know more than just their color and that they taste like grapes.

Spoiler alert: grapes are the key ingredient in wine

In all seriousness, wine is very complex and few people realize how much time and effort go into making the best wines in the world. That’s why we’re here to give you the 411 on wine.

The more you understand wine and its processes, the better you can appreciate your next glass of wine and the better you can choose the wine for your office or next event.

Wine Guide Outline

This is your chance to skip around and find the information you need right now. Just click on an item in the list below and jump straight to it!

Let’s start with the basics…

The first step in our basic wine guide is understanding why people drink wine.

So why do people drink wine? Not for the health benefits, although in moderation it can be beneficial (depending on your definition of moderate).

People drink wine not only to taste it but to savor it.

Before we get into savoring wine we must understand how one’s senses function.

Taste Versus Flavor

Let’s get two things straight here.

First, there is a science to wine ‘tasting’ that you can perfect with enough practice and skill.

And second, DO NOT confuse taste with flavor. Yes, there is a difference.

What’s the difference you ask?

In terms of wine tasting, taste is a perception of that which we put in our mouths whereas flavor is a combination of taste and smell.

There are two ways in which the human body can smell: from the front through our nostrils and from the back through our sinuses. This process is also called retro-olfaction and is the primary way in which we can sense different tastes.

Have you ever tried to eat something when you had a stuffy nose but the flavor wasn’t all there? Here is a good exercise to do if you want to understand the relationship between taste and smell.

Next time you’re eating, hold your nose and pay attention to the flavor. Notice how it’s muted or nonexistent. Then let go of your nose and notice how the flavor presents itself tenfold. That’s because you’re using your sense of taste along with your sense of smell through your sinuses.

The 5 Basic Tastes to Know

You can’t become a wine connoisseur without knowing the 5 basic tastes. They are as follows:

salt 🧂
sour 🍋
sweet 🍬
bitter ☕
umami (think savory). 🧀

Now, obviously, not all wines are equal.

Different grape varietals produce different wines. Said varietals make characteristics such as tannin structure, acid levels, flavor profiles and body/mouthfeel more prominent in some wines as opposed to others.

Tannin is the one thing people will either love or hate about wine.

Tasting tannins are like licking a dry Popsicle stick. Another way to think about it is if you drink over-steeped black tea, that will get you the same taste that a tannic wine will.

Ultimately, what you end up with is a dry, yet strong and bitter mouthfeel.

On the one hand, you have tannin which will dry your mouth out and on the other, you have acid levels. The more acidic wine is the more it will taste sour and the more it will make you salivate.

Wine-making techniques influence flavor profiles such as what container the wine ages in, how long it ages and how it’s fermented. These flavor profiles are what make a wine seem sweet or what makes them taste savory like soy sauce.

The body of a wine relates to the alcohol content. This will affect how heavy a wine seems in the mouth, also referred to as mouthfeel.

Viticulture

So now that we know how to taste, let’s get more into knowing what we are tasting.

Viticulture is the term used to encompass everything that goes on in the vineyard. From year-round maintenance to grape cultivation.

Consider this your 10-minute history lesson on how the activities in the vineyard affect the wine on your table.

Our Good Old Friend Phylloxera

Pests have been the bane of many grape grower’s existences since the test of time (since the 19th century). Bear with me here, we must backtrack to a time where pests were a real thing and pesticide was about as useful as cheap perfume.

All you need to know, biological and scientific terms aside, is that there is a pest known to grapevines called phylloxera. This pest is native to North American and the vines in these locations are resistant to it.

Unfortunately, European vines cannot say the same.

The solution was to graft European roots onto North American roots, sort of like ‘meshing’ them together. Then you get what’s called a new ‘rootstock’ which is then used to create hybrids, crosses, and clones of various vine species.

Thanks to this neat grafting trick, wine is not totally dead in the old world so we can still import our fancy French wines.

Terroir

You might hear mention of a wines ‘terroir’ and how reflective it is of its terroir. This is a fancy way of saying that a wine is reflective of the place in which it was grown.

There are plenty of factors that go into a wine’s terroir. Mainly the climate, how much sunshine the grapes get, what soil it’s grown in, and the specific temperature at which it is grown.

Often times grape growers must control the temperature and humidity levels lest they run into issues.

The Good Kind of Mold

Say what now?

That’s right, molding food is not always something to dread.

Fun fact: there is good mold and it’s known as ‘Noble rot’.

This is where the forgotten strawberries in the back of your fridge scream in protest for even saying such a thing.

Some grape varietals are more susceptible to mold due to their thin skins. Noble rot draws the water out of the grapes and when this occurs, these grapes are then used to make sweet dessert wines.

Vinification

In a way, winemaking is straightforward. You harvest grapes, you ferment them, and there you go!

That’s as straightforward as it’s going to get because it’s actually much more complex than that.

The 5 Steps in the Winemaking Process

Step 1: Harvesting

This is a critical step.

Harvest the grapes too soon and you get a wine that tastes like 🌶️ jalapeños 🌶️ and is noticeably unripe. Harvest them too late and you run the risk of mold and over-ripening.

Some seasons will be warmer and thus need earlier harvesting and vise versa.

Then you have the option of harvesting by machine or harvesting the old fashion way by hand.

There are all types of factors that will affect how the resulting wine will taste, making this step one of the most important.

Step 2: Crushing and Pressing

I Love Lucy walking on grapes to make wine gif

Think back to the episode of I Love Lucy when Lucy’s in Italy stomping on grapes with the other ladies of the vineyard. This is one way to crush grapes aside from using modern machinery.

Granted modern machinery is much more sanitary.

Depending on whether the vineyard is making red wine or white wine, the skins and seeds are left in contact with the pressed juice.

Fun fact, this is where Rosé wine starts its journey.

Rose is simply grape juice that has had long enough contact with the skins to add a bit of color, but not long enough to ferment in them.

Step 3: Fermentation

image of a wine barrel used for fermentation

And this is where things start to get hazy.

Fermentation is a whole other process and each winery will have its own method of fermentation to create their trademark brands.

Red and white wines ferment at different temperatures for different lengths of time with the help of several treatments (or none).

These treatments alter the resulting acid levels, alcohol, and overall flavor.

Some wines will undergo malolactic fermentation to soften the acidity levels, as is the case with Chardonnay. Others will undergo chaptalization where sugar is added to the grapes before fermentation to increase the alcohol content.

Some even have sulfur dioxide added into the mix while others will go through acidification and deacidification processes.

Step 4: Clarification

Otherwise known as racking.

Once fermentation is complete, wine is then filtered to get rid of skins, stems, seeds, yeast, and anything left behind during fermentation.

The wine then goes through additional fining using clay or in some non-vegan instances, animal products. Though using animal products seems like one wine trend that is phasing out.

To top it all off, winemakers transfer the wine into either oak or steel barrels.

Step 5: Aging and Bottling

The next and final step is somewhat optional.

Wine can be bottled and left to age. Or it can be left to age in oak or steel barrels.

6 Types of Wine You Must Know

1. Chardonnay

Chardonnay is usually aged in either oak, concrete, or steel vessels. What ends up happening is that dead yeast, known as ‘lees’, settles out of the fermented wine.

There’s a technique called ‘batonnage’ to stir the wine and dead yeast together. This yeast is what gives Chardonnay it’s buttery bread taste.

Chardonnay also goes through malolactic fermentation to take away its acidity.

So where is it grown?

Chardonnay is most commonly grown in the Burgundy and Côte d’Or regions of France. In the US, California is known to grow Chardonnay.

Other international areas that grow Chardonnay include Chile, South Africa, and Bulgaria.

Some common flavors you will taste on the palate include:

Butter
Bread
Tree fruit

2. Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is one grape that translates the terroir very well.

If the grapes are grown in sand then the resulting wine is more herbaceous. Clay gives the wine more fruit and body and kimmeridgian give the wine more mineral qualities.

Fermentation temperature tends to have an effect on wine flavor.

A colder fermentation will give the wine more elements of trees and tropical fruit. Raise the fermentation temperature and you get more terroir and mineral aspects.

Areas in France known to grow Sauvignon Blanc are the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Other famous areas are California and New Zealand.

Sauvignon has a sharper taste than a Chardonnay, some flavors you’ll notice are:

Lime
Green apple
Passion fruit
Guava
Peach
Grass
Celery
Wet concrete

3. Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is the one grape that is difficult to grow and make into good wine.

It is susceptible to fungal disease, clusters grow very compact, and the vines lose its vibrant fruit at high temperatures.

The vines like to grow in either limestone or clay. Limestone will give the resulting wine a lighter more aromatic feel because the clay will make the wine tannic and weighty.

Can you guess the international region known for its Pinot?

France it is!

You’ll see a lot of great Pinots come from Oregon as well as California and New Zealand.

Pinot is a great red wine to start off with. On the palate, you’ll get flavors of:

Cherry
Milk chocolate
Tea
Raspberry
Mushrooms

4. Merlot

These grapes are prone to rot and can overripen very quickly, making harvest time a possible nightmare.

To avoid over-ripening, these grapes tend to do better in cool soils like clay.

The grapes have thinner skins than Cabernet grapes and tend to have softer tannins.

Bordeaux in France is popular for growing Merlot as is California, Italy and Washington state.

On the palate, you’ll see flavors such as:

Black fruit
Cocoa
Chocolate or baking spices
Plum
Toffee
Herbs

5. Zinfandel

Here’s another fun fact for your repertoire.

Zinfandel was originally known as a table grape. It’s considered the ‘American’ grape, but its origin is uncertain.

The grape clusters like to ripen early and unevenly. Clusters are large and do well in warmer growing seasons.

What’s interesting about Zinfandel is that the grapes can be made into two different styles of wine.

One is a Rosé and is normally labeled as ‘White Zinfandel’ on the bottle. The second type is a typical red wine that is dry and concentrated.

California and Italy are most popular for growing Zinfandel and characteristics include:

Blueberry
Cherry pie filling
Jam
Spice
Raisins
Black tea

6. Cabernet Sauvignon

Make no mistake about it, Cabernet grapes are a very hardy type.

They are not picky on the soil type they are grown in. They have thick skins and large seeds which hardens them against diseases.

These same skins are what give Cabernet wines their strong tannins.

So if you’re not a fan of tannins, Merlot and Pinot might be a better option for you.

A warmer fermentation period and long soaks in the grape skins extract a lot of color and tannins. Wines then need some aging time to mellow out the tannins and color.

Go ahead and add France as a notable region that grows Cabernet. The left bank of the Bordeaux region, to be exact. Other regions include Napa in California and Australia.

Signature characteristics you’ll get on the nose and palate are:

Black fruit
Green vegetable element
Cedar or wood chips
Sweet hay if it’s from Napa
Jam and minerals if it’s from Bordeaux

You’ll know a Cabernet is unripe if you get hints of green bell pepper so keep that in mind.

Food and Wine Pairing

One thing to note with food and wine is that not everyone will have the same opinion on what pairs well and what doesn’t.

This is a completely subjective gray zone to enter.

One person may think that a Sauvignon Blanc would go great with seafood, drizzled in a cream sauce. Whereas someone else might find that pairing blasphemous.

It’s left up to one’s personal taste palate and how they interpret their own food and wine pairings.

If you’re sitting there going, “Ok great…personal opinion matters big whoop…I still don’t know what to pair with what.”

Well, we’re getting there, sit tight.

6 Go-To Rules for Food and Wine Pairings

That said, food and wine pairings have been whittled down to a science (an overly complicated one at that) but we’re going to simplify it for you.

Wine refreshes the palate between bites and elements in food or wine can complement or take away from each other. So before you place in your wine order, think about the food you are going to eat along with your glass.

1. Match the weight of the dish to the weight of the wine

For example, it would be best to pair a bold meaty dish that is heavy in flavor with a rich red wine that is as bold or heavy in mouthfeel.

2. Wine can compare and/or contrast with a dish

Think about food combos that go good together: tomato and basil, peanut butter and jelly, you get the point. The same goes for wine and food.

They can pair well in the sense that they taste similar or they taste different but still taste good together.

One can also pair complex wines with simple dishes and vice versa or, if all else fails, pair the wine with food from the region the grapes were grown.

3. Alcohol increases the perception of heat or spice in a dish

Spicy dishes with chili peppers could pair with fruity dry wines low in alcohol.

4. Fat and protein reduce the perception of tannin in a wine

Some meat-heavy dishes could pair well with rich wines high in acidity that will cut through the protein and fat content.

5. Salt and acid also reduce the perception of tannin and acid in a wine

With this guideline in mind, you can pair an acidic dish with an acidic wine.

This will, despite what some might believe, decrease the perception of acidity levels all around. So a nice Sauvignon Blanc with a lemon drizzled salmon is one route to choose.

6. Sweetness can also reduce the perception of sweetness in a wine

So choose wisely, equate the sweetness of the dish to the wine lest you run the risk of one overpowering the other.

The takeaway here is that there will be some food combos that will pair better with others from a logical approach.

Ultimately, it will be up to the person to decide what works and what doesn’t work for them.

Frequently Asked Wine Questions

Here’s a quick list of some of the most common wine questions we’ve gotten from customers.

What is a good wine for beginners?

Many beginners prefer white wines to red wines in their initial wine tasting experiences. With that said, whether you start with whites or reds comes down to your taste.

What is a good white wine for beginners?

Here are 4 excellent options:
1. Riesling
” Tasting Riesling starts with intense aromas that rise from the glass (even when the wine is ice cold). This aromatic wine offers primary fruit aromas of orchard fruits like nectarine, apricot, honey-crisp apple, and pear. Besides fruit, you’ll often smell things like honeycomb, jasmine, or lime peel, along with a striking aroma that smells similar to petrol or petroleum wax (a natural compound called TDN). On the palate, Riesling has high acidity, similar to the levels in lemonade.”
– Wine Folly

2. Sauvignon Blanc
“The primary fruit flavors of Sauvignon Blanc are lime, green apple, passion fruit, and white peach. Depending on how ripe the grapes are when the wine is made, the flavor will range from zesty lime to flowery peach. What makes Sauvignon Blanc unique from other white wines are its other herbaceous flavors like bell pepper, jalapeño, gooseberry, and grass. These flavors come from aromatic compounds called pyrazines and are the secret to Sauvignon Blanc’s taste.”
– Wine Folly

3. Pinot Grigio
“Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) is a pinkish grape mutation of Pinot Noir. It’s famously known for zesty white wines, but can also be used for rosé. Look to Northern Italy, Oregon, and Alsace for benchmark examples.”
– Wine Folly

4. Chardonnay
“One of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, sparkling Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak.”
– Wine Folly

What is a good white wine for beginners?

Here are 3 excellent options:

1. Syrah
“A rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red wine that originated in the Rhône Valley of France. Syrah is the most planted grape of Australia where they call it Shiraz.”
– Wine Folly

2. Petite Sirah
“Petit Sirah is loved for its deeply colored wines with rich black fruit flavors and bold tannins. The grape related to Syrah and the rare French grape, Peloursin. The French call it “Durif” but this wine is rare outside of California.”
– Wine Folly

3. Pinot Noir
“Pinot Noir is the world’s most popular light-bodied red wine. It’s loved for its red fruit, flower, and spice aromas that are accentuated by a long, smooth finish.”
– Wine Folly

Finale

Think you know a bit more about wine now that you’ve read our basic wine guide?

You are now well equipped for battle with small talk strangers, ice breakers at the company bar, and everything in between.

From knowing how it’s made to how to buy wine, the best way to appreciate a good glass is by knowing exactly what it is that you’re taking a sip of.

Where is it from?

How was it made?

What are you going to eat and drink it with?

Most importantly, remember to savor and enjoy it in good company.

Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.

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No one can dispute the countless benefits technology has brought us. Tech has allowed us to connect, perform, improve, and leverage our resources beyond what was once imaginable.

If you’re an office manager and you’re not taking advantage of one of the hundreds of management apps and productivity tools out there, you’re definitely missing out!

Keeping on top of all your roles is clearly a massive task that takes a lot of work and time. Thankfully, every task comes with a tool that will help carry the load and make it easier to manage.

To help you pinpoint the essential tools for your workflow, we have listed 24 of our favorite software tools that will skyrocket your productivity!

Let’s dive straight into the list…

Project Management Tools

A daily to-do list might suffice for simple tasks but if you’re an office manager, you’re probably managing multiple projects with many tasks assigned to each one. You need a platform to keep track of everything that is happening.

When you want to keep your team on top of projects and deadlines, the most important thing you need is an efficient project management tool. Project management tools are aids to assist you and your team to effectively organize work and manage projects and tasks.

In the best of times, it allows you to manage your team’s workload across all your projects. You know at-a-glance if the right resources have the right amount of work. It can keep your workflow organized, ensure tasks are completed on time, and the workload is appropriately distributed for optimal time management.

So whether you’re managing large projects full of interdependent tasks or simply trying to build a repeatable process for your day-to-day work, life will be much simpler if you use project management tools. Here are a few of the best project management tools to choose from:

Trello

Among workflow tools, Trello is perhaps the most comprehensive. Users can design boards as frameworks for any kind of process, and the software offers a great deal of functionality at the card level — i.e., file attachments, comments, assign collaborators, and so on…

If you or your team need to start a new project, just create a new board. If you often work with the same cast of characters, you can organize them into a team and invite them to a board with one click.

Monday.com

Monday.com is an award-winning project management platform created for agile teams. This software solution syncs all project data ranging from task details to team discussions in one convenient interface. This way, it is easier for you to keep everyone on the same page.

It also includes personal and public boards for project organization. They can even create smart notifications for each task, tag team members when necessary, as well as set deadlines for time-sensitive assignments. Furthermore, the platform offers built-in communication tools as well as knowledge bases for better collaboration.

Clearly, this tool can definitely help boost your overall productivity!

Asana

Just like the two project management tools mentioned above, Asana has also one of the best interfaces around when it comes to organizing your to-do-list. Not only does Asana make creating and managing tasks exceptionally easy, but it also makes sharing to-do lists with your colleagues a breeze!

Each to-do list functions as its own project, with tasks listed underneath the project hierarchy. At the task level, you can create sub-tasks, define each task with a category tag for easy searching, and attach files.

Basecamp

With a strong selection of features, including file sharing and communication, Basecamp can be used as an all-in-one replacement for tools such as the abovementioned.

This tool is good for sharing files such as audio and videos between team members and allows you to conduct group chats on a per-project basis. Aside from that, its to-do list allows you to create tasks, assign them to your team members, add due dates and notes and specify people to be notified when a task is completed.

Overall, using this tool can help you skyrocket your productivity– you’ll love that it gets work done without creating more work for yourself in the process.

Time Tracking Tools

Productivity tools are ultimately about lost time and their equivalent in gold. So, it makes sense to consider using time tracking tools for your operations.

In a nutshell, these applications will allow you to measure the number of minutes or hours that employees spend on particular tasks. This way, you can deter them from procrastinating as well as ensure that no productive time is wasted on unofficial tasks. In addition, it is great for when you need to find the best metric on how to measure productivity or measure the hours worked.

Below are some of our favorite time tracking apps:

Timely

Timely is a fully automatic time tracking tool for all types of teams. Using this, you can see how each member of your team spends time working on a project. This ensures that you never spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to track time manually.

The tool tracks activity across all your devices while you work and creates fully-representative timesheets for you. The tool also captures hidden billable hours like travel, client calls, daily digital communication and overrunning meetings.

TimeCamp

TimeCamp is a cloud-based time tracking tool designed for freelancers and teams. Key features include a stopwatch timer, graphical timesheets, the ability to set flexible rates (e.g., per project, category, or user), differentiation between billable and non-billable hours, invoicing, reporting and analytics, and employee monitoring.

So if you need to manage a team’s hours worked but you also need to run your business and focus on tasks where you excel, TimeCamp is an ideal time tracking tool. It doesn’t require any special knowledge to get started; it makes tracking your team’s time simple.

Wrike

Wrike is a real-time work management software that is great for product development and engineering teams as well as marketing and creative teams. This can also be used as a time tracking tool that lets you organize everything you need to complete your project in one spot.

You can break big goals into manageable tasks, attach files, and set due dates. Use this tool to add any task into multiple folders or projects and create any combination of folder structures.

Further, the Live editing feature lets you work collaboratively and see everyone’s changes in real-time. Wrike allows you to upload and edit documents without taking the trouble of saving attachments to your computer.

Team Communication Tools

Communication is the key to success. In fact, studies show that businesses can improve employee efficiency through effective communication.

This is why having communication tools at your disposal is crucial. Using this, you can facilitate conversations among employees in a secure environment. It allows them to relay information faster as well as discuss work matters quicker. Whether they want to use the app, get on a call, live chat, email, or video conferencing, these tools can surely support it!

So instead of sending a new email to your team every time there’s a new idea for your project, wouldn’t it be better to have all conversations about each project in a single dedicated (and searchable) place?

Here a few tools to help you and your team:

Slack

Slack allows you to create custom conversation channels based on whatever parameters are most important to you. Project brainstorming sessions, vital spreadsheet and image files, event announcements: all can live under Slack’s appreciably vast umbrella.

This tool can be used in your browser, as a desktop app, or as a mobile app—so you know you’ll always have access to updates and your project communication. You can also have a channel for the entire team and another for a specific project that combines the efforts of members from multiple teams.

All in all, Slack helps save time, specifically that which you’d otherwise spend trawling through endless emails.

Flowdock

Similar to Slack, Flowdock is a chat-based communication and project management tool that brings all of your conversations, work items, and tools into a single place.

It could be a great replacement for email, with a simple interface that practically takes seconds to get used to. With more than 35 integrations, Flowdock allows your organization to sneak peek in literally every communication pattern and to make the most of your team’s efforts to enhance overall productivity.

RingCentral

RingCentral is a cloud phone system that supports different communication options ranging from video conferencing and audio calls to business SMS and internet faxing. It also includes supplementary tools like auto-receptionists, call monitoring, call screening, and built-in directories so you don’t need separate systems for them.

Aside from its comprehensive set of functionalities, RingCentral is great for productivity is its accessibility. That is to say, as the platform is cloud-based, you can easily use it while working offsite.

GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is an online video conferencing software that allows users to schedule meetings and share screens. It’s one of the most popular video tools with millions of users.

GoToMeeting definitely fits that bill. The interface, both on the web version and desktop app, make hosting video conferences with your team an easy proposition. If your organization doesn’t have an on-staff IT team that can help you set up and run video conferences each time you want to host a meeting, this tool can truly make your life easier!

File-Sharing Tools

Documents, be it physical or digital, are part of any office manager’s day-to-day job. Chances are, you have a bunch of them piled up on your desk or sitting on your desktop right now. That’s why file-sharing tools are a must-have for you!

These tools make it easy to store, send, and share files with multiple people in your office. You no longer have to send large attachments in emails, which take a long time to download.

Most of the tools below let you store documents securely in one place and anybody in your office who has been granted access can view the files. They can upload files to one location and it will be synced with everybody else’s computer.

The benefit of this is that they can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. It’s especially useful if you hire remote workers and freelancers. Below are some of the most useful file-sharing tools:

Dropbox

Dropbox has been the gold standard for file sharing and storage for a while now. Another giant in the file-sharing space, Dropbox offers cloud storage to keep all your files in one place. It also offers desktop clients and mobile apps to keep all your files in sync and within reach.

This too has become a crowd favorite due to its intuitive and simple design, hassle-free synchronization between desktop, cloud, and mobile, and reliable servers. You can also share necessary files with non-Dropbox users by creating a link to a file or folder. Users can then use the link to preview the contents through their browsers.

Google Drive

Google Drive is Google’s cloud storage service where you can store your documents, files, audio, videos- basically anything. You can access your files stored in Google Drive from anywhere and from any device.

Additionally, Google Drive offers 15GB of free cloud storage to store all your documents, spreadsheets, and media files but you can always upgrade in case you need more. It also offers quite robust and handy smartphone apps for its entire office suite so that you can work from anywhere, anytime!

One Drive

Microsoft’s answer to GoogleDrive is OneDrive— a safe and secure cloud storage service. Just like the previous two, this tool also allows you to save files and photos and get them from any device, anywhere.

Microsoft provides secure ways to share and collaborate on content with your staff and coworkers, both inside and outside your organization, thereby improving productivity and efficiency.

OneDrive is included with Office 365 and thus, enables you to seamlessly co-author Office documents across the browser, mobile, and desktop apps. You can even make edits to your files offline and Microsoft automatically uploads the changes next time you connect.

Hightail

This tool is another file sharing service but catered more towards team collaboration than individual sharing. Hightail works on the premise of something they called “Spaces” which allows your team members to share files like videos and images with one another and collaborate.

Hightail makes it very easy for you and your employees to add files to your platform; Whether you prefer to select files, drag, and drop or import content from other services like Dropbox or Google Drive, it makes it easy to upload and share your work.

CRM Software

If your organization deals with customers and clients day-in and day-out, CRM software is your best friend!

Customer relationship management or CRM software could very well be the ultimate productivity tool in your organization. CRMs allow you to maximize your interactions with leads and existing clientele to yield better sales and increase retention.

Using these tools, you and your team members can treat each customer like a VIP as it organizes their details and even previous transactions in one hub. The biggest draw of CRM software is that it allows you to categorize customers according to their expectations. Plus, these are often able to work with multiple third-party integrations to ensure seamless interactions across channels.

Below are some of our most recommended CRM software:

Zoho CRM

Zoho includes the full range of CRM functionality, with multichannel tools for process, pipeline, and team management as well as sales and marketing automation. Specifically, with the $12 per month Standard plan, you’ll receive email insights, workflow conversion, custom reports and dashboards, and more.

Overall, if you’re looking for a low-cost or even free CRM software to help you and your team members, there’s no doubt that Zoho is a top choice! The free edition also has CRM essentials like lead generation, documents, and mobile apps to accommodate you.

HubSpot

HubSpot is one of the oldest marketing CRMs. It is a beautifully designed, intuitive marketing automation software that comes with a completely free CRM solution. The software helps salespeople and other client-centric workers to effectively manage their customer relationships.

The platform comes with everything your organization needs, without any added complexities of tricky features that you probably don’t need right now. Through pipeline management, you and your team can keep track of all your deals and never let anything slip through the cracks.

Insightly

Similar to Zoho CRM, Insightly is a great, affordable option to help you boost workflow productivity. With their base plan, your team will be able to manage your customer contacts, sales, and projects in one place.

Insightly is known for its project management focus as well as the usability of its interface. Although the free, two-user plan includes functionality for project, contact, task management, sales pipeline tracking, and bulk email campaigns, their paid plans further extend your capabilities.

Agile CRM

Agile CRM is also a great tool to boost office productivity especially in handling customer relationships. Agile has covered every tiny feature that your team can use starting from document signing to marketing automation.

The elaborate suite of features is designed to fit perfectly with any kind of industry your business belongs to. These features range from basic contact management to more enhanced marketing automation features, and much more!

Calendar Tools

In a fast-paced society, plans are constantly changing. Meetings are rearranged and parties are rescheduled and some appointments are canceled. To avoid overseeing your meetings, deadlines, resources, progress, and more, a calendar app or tool is your best friend.

As opposed to scratching out or erasing plans in the heavy paper planner that weighs down your bag consider a digital calendar tool. Using this, you can sync a calendar across any operating system and even set up communal calendars with your team members.

Here are some tools that can be particularly helpful for keeping your calendar in order, and they’re all free:

Google Calendar

Out of the free calendar management tools available, Google Calendar is one of the most popular. That’s because so many project teams already use Gmail, making the native calendar app one that’s integrated and easy to access.

Google Calendar allows for easy calendar availability sharing, which makes it a great choice for things like scheduling kickoff meetings or dropping important milestones on everyone’s calendars. This tool’s customizable event notifications also mean that your team members can be reminded of those upcoming meetings or commitments.

Any.do

This productivity app creates one unified place for your tasks, goals, reminders, and schedule. A rich variety of reminders help you stay on top of your agenda, to-do’s, and goals as an office manager. The calendar shines on mobile devices, where it makes use of the small screen with grace and poise.

All in all, Any.do’s calendar will help you to stay organized, such as location-based reminders, a notification that reminds you to preview what’s on your agenda at the beginning of each day, and the ability to add in travel time to any notification before an event. It’s the app to choose if you need a lot of help staying organized with your day!

Doodle

Doodle is a web-based scheduling tool that promises to eliminate the hassle of organizing meetings via email or phone. You set up the meeting details, include however many time options you wish, and invite others via email to respond to the poll.

Moreover, Doodle is probably the most aesthetically bare and stripped-down option available on this list. Its features and functions are limited, but it is good for creating a schedule with which your clients and/or employees can interact.

Calendly

Just like Doodle, Calendly is also a meeting scheduler app. Calendly lets other people schedule meetings with you by showing them your availability and offering them different types of appointments they can create. It’s an ideal app for you if you get a lot of meeting requests and you need a simple but clear reply.

Calendly syncs all the confirmed appointments to your calendar and offers to create an event on your invitees’ calendars as well. There are tools for setting up an automatic reminder email to attendees, too.

While Calendly works well for scheduling meetings with individuals or your team members, its custom events and outgoing links make it ideal for connecting with external clients, customers, and colleagues.

Bonus Tip For Productivity

Among all the tools we’ve mentioned above, this one is probably the most important: If you want to improve office productivity, consider providing healthy snacks for your team members!

Because in the hustle and bustle of the office, it’s difficult to manage our time to take a pause and grab healthy food that we need for energy. For instance, employees without access to a variety of snacks at the office, leave work to go grab a snack outside. By simply offering and promoting healthy office snacks, you can change the vibe that courses through the workplace.

Your team members can simply zip into the break room and pick their favorite treat. It is clear that this means people spend more time in the office than they otherwise would. Therefore, you help your team boost their productivity! Plus, it definitely wouldn’t look bad on your part to be the one who started getting snacks delivered to the office!

So get your team some healthy snacks! The expense will more than pay for itself with happier, more productive employees who are fully equipped to get the job done.

Still up in the air about it? Here are 7 reasons why you should provide healthy snacks to improve your employees’ overall health, well-being, and productivity!

Final Words

As an office manager, you have a very important responsibility to keep everything ticking so your team can perform at their best. While it may be tough to juggle a little bit of everything, using effective tools we’ve mentioned above can save you a lot of time and trouble– making it easier to fulfill your responsibilities and get the office organized.

So there you have it– some of the best productivity tools that can make your life a breeze! What about you? What is your favorite productivity tool?

Also, Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.

Time is finite.

We all have the same amount of hours each day. You can’t store time, borrow it, or save for later use. You can only decide how to allocate it, spending it on activities of higher rather than low value. Time management is a game of choices: projects to pursue, tasks to complete, routines to follow.

As an office manager, adopting good time management techniques is a major part of your role! And it isn’t just about squeezing as many tasks as you can into your day. It’s about simplifying how you and your employees work, running a more efficient workplace, and reducing time wasters.

By doing so, you’ll have more time to rest, relax, and accomplish the things you love. Don’t try to work harder, invest in working smarter…

Working Smarter, Not Harder

The last decade has brought in many major changes to how we view work, efficiency, and success. Recent scientific discoveries, new technologies, and a change of priorities have us looking at our daily work routines and interactions in different ways.

We tend to think of time management, productivity, and “being busy” as synonymous concepts. We believe that to excel in our business and personal lives, we must constantly be on the go, maybe even sleep-deprived, as we cram in working, studying, solving issues, or managing our team.

While time management can help you increase productivity in all areas of your life, it isn’t just about cramming more in. Rather, it’s about understanding what you need to do, what you want to do, and how long each thing takes.

If you have run your business or managing your office in the same way for a long time, it’s time to learn about the latest practices and turning your already efficient office into a powerhouse of employee happiness and work efficiency.

1. Make Weekly And Daily Schedules In Advance

If you don’t know what you’re going to do today, then how can you get upset at yourself when you don’t manage your time well? Part of the issue is false expectations. If you don’t set any goals for yourself or even a to-do list, then don’t get frustrated when you accomplished nothing.

With your team’s work scattered among multiple different projects, plans, and tools, it’s hard to understand just how much total work you all need to manage. Having that knowledge is key to figuring out how much each team member is doing or what they can take on. You can get past that and figure out what your team’s workload is by getting your schedules in order.

So before going to bed, spend 5 minutes writing your to-do list for the next day or even for the next week. These tasks should help you move towards your professional and personal goals.

By planning in advance, you’ll be better prepared mentally for the challenges ahead and there won’t be any room for procrastination in your workweek. As a result, you’ll work faster and smoother than ever before.

Make planning a part of your home routine and save yourself time and worries in the office.

2. Start The Day With Critical Work

This is the golden rule of time management. Each day, identify the two or three tasks that are the most crucial to complete or most important task (MIT), and do those first. Your MIT should be the one thing that creates the most impact on your work. Getting it done will give you the momentum and sense of accomplishment early in the day. That’s how big life goals are achieved– small continuous efforts, day after day.

Others suggest “eating the frog” which is doing the thing you don’t want to do first. Working on the most important thing first frees you up from that point forward. Once you’re done, the day has already been a success. You can move on to other things, or you can let them wait until tomorrow. You’ve finished the essentials.

3. Onboard A Task Management Software

Being organized saves tons of time, and as an office manager, it’s incredibly important that you’re able to lead your team efficiently. Without the right tools, however, things can quickly go from order to chaos as everyone struggles to keep track of everything needed to finish a project.

Thankfully, there are tools out there that can help you keep track of everything in a nice, clean way that won’t spell disaster for you or your company. Task management software can be a lifesaver for office managers who aim for productivity and efficiency.

Imagine being able to see everything that’s going on with every project and every team member in one single location. Talk about saving time– using a work or project management tool does just that.

When you adopt a work management tool, every team member is able to see how their work feeds into larger teams and company initiatives. Communication happens within tasks, so finding the information you need takes five seconds instead of five minutes. Timelines keep everyone on track because projects can be viewed individually or together.

We recommend task management systems like Trello, Monday, Asana, and Smartsheets to help you manage your day-to-day tasks more efficiently.

4. Prioritize Your Work & To-Do-List

Commit and don’t flake on your own plan to do something! Be resolute and professional about your work. A firm dedication to doing what you decide to do will take you anywhere. So close out all other browser windows, put your phone away, and lock yourself into your tasks at hand. This means that nothing else should exist at a particular time. Immerse yourself in it.

Knowing how to prioritize your work is an essential time management technique. Your tasks, however small or large, need clear priorities because one of the fastest ways to overwhelm yourself is to think about your overall to-do list. Realize that no amount of thought will make it any shorter.

All you can do is focus on one important task before you. To help you find them, use a productivity hack below called the Eisenhower Matrix.

5. Delegate or Outsource Tasks

We often allow projects to take much, much longer than they could by getting too hung up on small details. Most of us are guilty of this. But as an office manager, you don’t have to do everything yourself.

You can find a virtual assistant or hire freelancers. In a team, re-assign specific tasks to colleagues who are better suited to complete specific tasks. While it may seem easier to do everything yourself than to explain the details of a project to someone else, there are two key reasons why delegating tasks is usually a better strategy.

First, delegating or outsourcing some tasks is a great way to multiply your efforts and allows you to make the best use of your time and skills to focus on the future of company growth. Second, it helps other people on the team grow and develop to reach their full potential in the organization.

When delegating work, you want to choose employees that have the best skills and traits for the job that is being assigned. It is essential to learn employees’ strengths and weaknesses so that tasks can be delegated to the best employees. When an employee is struggling, do not let them hand the work back over, instead, instruct them on how they can achieve the end result!

6. Automate Repetitive Tasks

Technology has finally reached a point where we can automate a lot of our daily operations. By automating a few of your tasks as a manager, you save hours per week. Automation can free up your time and mental energy to focus on things that matter and you can then use that time for other work or taking breaks.

Putting some of your daily tasks on autopilot is key to working smarter. Instead of thinking about how to respond to an email, you can brainstorm impactful ways you can improve your product, service, or customer experience.

Here are a couple of tasks you can automate to save your precious time:

Sort and respond to emails

Proofread your work in real-time

Save time scouring the news

Leverage AI to schedule meetings for you

Create custom automation rules

Build custom workflows for repetitive computer tasks

There’s no question that automation will continue to change how you work and it will likely redefine your job. If you do get to the point where you never have to schedule a meeting or respond to an email again, well, so much of your time will be saved.

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7. Plan To Do Your Best Work At The Best Time

As mentioned above, scheduling is important because some tasks have to be done at specific times. Scheduling affects your day, your week, your month, as well as other people’s workflow. Schedules can also be a good way to avoid procrastination because productivity is directly related to your energy level.

Most have specific times of the day when they are more or less productive as a result of energy levels and demands of the day.

So find your most productive hours — the time of your peak energy — and schedule your deep work for those periods. Do low-value and low-energy tasks, such as responding to emails or unimportant meetings, in between those hours.

For example, if you are a morning person, do your most critical work when you get into the office. After lunch, your energy might crash a bit so it’s a great time to clean your desk, clean emails or update spreadsheets.

8. Track Your Time

Delineate a time limit in which to complete a task. Instead of just sitting down to work on a project and thinking, “I’m going to be here until this is done,” try thinking, “I’m going to work on this for three hours”.

The time constraint will push you to focus and be more efficient, even if you end up having to go back and add a bit later. You become more productive when you allocate a specific amount of time to complete a specific task. That’s why we create deadlines.

Good time management is knowing how long a particular task will take. To maximize your time, you have to limit distractions while also monitoring how long it’s taking you to do something. Here are two well-known time management strategies to balance and accomplish this:

Pomodoro: Named after a tomato timer, you work in smaller 25-minute chunks, take a short break, and then do another 25-minute chunk. After a few of those, you take a longer break. Using the Pomodoro technique is a great way to stay focused.

Time Tracking: If you’re using the Pomodoro technique, you can also log time to note how long a particular task is taking. Then, the next time you need to do a similar task, you’ll have a better idea of how long it’s going to take.

9. Limit Distractions

This has already been mentioned but it’s one of the most useful tips you can take away from this post.

It is common knowledge that time wasters or distractions during work may interrupt a smooth workflow. Time spent browsing social media or gaming or watching TV can be one of the biggest drains on productivity. We suggest becoming more aware of how much time you spend on these activities. Simply by noticing how they’re sucking up your time you’ll begin to do them less.

It’s easy to say: no distractions, no excuses! However, don’t set yourself up to fail by setting unrealistic expectations for yourself. It’s unrealistic to think that you’ll never pick up your phone to check social media, or your favorite news site, or that incoming text from your special someone.

So instead of totally eliminating these distractions, try to schedule time to indulge in less than productive activities once or twice throughout the day, for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. If it helps you, you can actually put “play games” on your calendar. Allowing yourself your favorite distraction now and again will make it less tempting and help keep you on task for the majority of your day.

10. Learn To Say No More Often

Making a lot of time commitments can teach us how to juggle various engagements and manage our time. This can be a great thing!

However, you can easily take it too far. At some point, you need to learn to decline opportunities. You should only take on commitments that you know you have time for and that you truly care about.

Our lives are full of excess. When we can identify that excess and remove it, we become more and more in touch with what is significant and what deserves our time. Basically, do less is another way of saying do the things that really matter.

Slow down, notice what needs to be done, and concentrate on those things. Do fewer things that create more value, rather than the more things that are mostly empty.

Final Words…

Are you feeling empowered to improve your time management skills? Remember, saving time is all about planning, managing, and working smarter!

Regardless of your intentions and wishes, however, there will be days when the external world won’t let you develop your time management skills. That’s why you need to be flexible to get everything done. You shouldn’t be frustrated and stressed out when you can’t do a task on time according to your plan because of some external factor. Just put everything on hold and get back to your tasks as soon as you get the right moment.

Lastly, never forget to enjoy your work. Always ask yourself: What can I do to spend more time enjoying what I’m doing? The goal should be to arrange your commitments in a way that you’re happy living out the details of your daily life as an office manager, even while you’re working.

This may sound like a dream, but when you have that attitude in mind, you can improve your productivity and do more with your time than you have in the past. You’ll know more about what you can accomplish and will not be frustrated by unrealistic goals.

Time management strategies optimize not only your time for today but your time going forward, too…

Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

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There are several great reasons to implement workplace fitness programs at your organization. It’s a great benefit for your employees, providing them with the tools and opportunities to pursue healthier lifestyles in an environment that is motivating, supportive, and fun.

As an office manager, you have the power to make it possible! In fact, the central part of your role is to stimulate constructive change and maintain a supportive environment.

With that, there are plenty of different ways you can motivate employees to improve their fitness. Depending on budget, these could include an onsite gym, personal training sessions, exercise classes, fitness coaching, and subsidized gym membership.

However, while all of these initiatives can motivate employees to improve their fitness, they might not always have as broad a reach as desired. Thankfully there are ways to reach out to employees who do not see themselves as gym people.

You can offer something simple that everyone can do that will become habit-forming. It could be as simple as a healthy dose of competition that can encourage more activity while being at work–or workplace fitness challenges!

What Are Workplace Fitness Challenges and What Are Their Benefits?

Workplace fitness challenges are short-term behavior change contests, interventions, and team activities designed to improve health and employee morale. These are simple ways to encourage employees to have healthy behaviors. Challenges can be completed in teams or as individuals, and they can target an unlimited number of health behaviors.

Fitness challenges are a great way to encourage healthy living among employees. The idea is to gamify health challenges and incentivize team members to stick to their health and wellness goals. Challenges can take many forms depending on which area of health your team members are most committed to improving.

It’s important because our modern lives have been engineered so that we can spend most of it sitting down. Unfortunately, sitting is literally killing us. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 3.2 million deaths can be attributed to a lack of physical activity.

Our sedentary lifestyles are responsible for increasing our risk of diabetes and heart disease as well as a loss of muscle and bone strength. Perhaps even more alarming is that people who exercise regularly are probably still not getting enough movement in their lives to counteract the deleterious effects of sitting too much.

With that, fitness challenges can be a great way to get your employees excited about wellness. If it’s done right, an office fitness challenge can be the cornerstone of a comprehensive wellness program. Improving employees’ fitness can have significant benefits for organizations, including increasing productivity, driving down employee benefits costs and boosting wellbeing. Having a good understanding of the workforce is the key to maximizing these benefits.

Unsurprisingly, this also translates into significant benefits for the organization– A fitness campaign can create a really good buzz in the workplace, driving up employee engagement. This can lead to reductions in sickness absence, as well as improvements in productivity and retention rates.

How To Make Your Workplace Fitness Challenge Ideas Successful?

With these tips in mind, there are several ways to jump right into a fitness challenge with your employees. Consider these ideas as inspiration to create a challenge that motivates your team and to actually get them moving.

Accessibility

Workplace fitness challenges should be welcoming to all employees, regardless of fitness levels or physical abilities. The goal is to encourage maximum engagement, especially among the least healthy members of your workforce. So make sure that your programs are designed in a way that no one feels left out.

Setting Personal Goals

Challenges can be made more accessible by measuring program achievements based on your employees’ personal goals. It all starts with knowing what they would like to achieve and then finding activities that the majority of your team already enjoy, or are interested in trying out.

Friendly Competition / Teamwork

While the competitive nature of workplace fitness challenges can be a motivator for employees to participate, the competition should be of a friendly nature, in an environment free of criticism, blame or feelings of failure. Creating team-based challenges can help employees to support and gently push each other to reach their personal goals, while simultaneously creating collaborative bonds that will extend into the workplace.

Convenience

Many full-time employees are hesitant to get involved in their company’s fitness challenges because they are busy. You can help combat this by giving employees the opportunity to get healthy at work. Offer employees the ability and time to participate throughout the workday. For example, if you want them to participate in a yoga class, allow employees to exercise for 1 hour of paid time. Otherwise, your busy employees wouldn’t be interested at all.

Encouragement

Instead of just sporadically mentioning the availability of a fitness program, why not actively promote a culture of well-being and health through encouragement?

To encourage as much participation as possible, you must also participate. Employees won’t listen to managers who don’t participate in fitness initiatives themselves. You should participate in any group fitness activities but not necessarily to join the challenges– you just have to show that you are with them in this journey. Otherwise, why should your employees participate in fitness activities if their manager isn’t?

Incentives / Prizes

The use of incentives is a great way to maximize participation in any workplace fitness challenge. Incentives can come in many forms– from simple recognition of winners and participants such as certificates, name listed in a company newsletter, or social media posts; to financial incentives such as cash or gift cards. Remember: the better the incentives, the more likely participation rates will increase.

Now that you have the fundamental idea of what this is about, here are 13 different fitness challenge ideas that could get your team moving. Choose the one or more that best fits your team’s culture:

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1. Start A New Healthy Hobby Challenge

This is a great opportunity for your employees to find a new hobby. According to Psychology Today, having a hobby reduces stress, fosters social connection, and makes you more efficient at managing your time. So even if your fitness challenge isn’t about diet and exercise, encouraging employees to cultivate new hobbies could have just as much of a positive effect on their wellness.

Ask employees to challenge themselves to start that hobby they’ve always thought about, like picking up an instrument, outdoor photography, hiking or taking an art class.

You can incentivize them by helping to subsidize the cost, or connecting them with other people who work in your organization who might have a similar hobby and getting them to challenge each other.

2. Walking Challenge

As mentioned above, sitting all day can be bad, so it’s vital that your employees take every opportunity to get on their feet. The lunch hour is a perfect opportunity for them to take a breather. Recent research from Curtin University, Australia showed that workplace stress can be greatly alleviated by a simple lunchtime saunter.

You can even promote the 10,000 steps a day challenge – set up a chart for staff to log their daily amount. Incentivize this with an end-of-month prize! To boost the uptake of the challenge, you could provide your staff with fitness tracker/ watches to monitor their steps. While staff perks and incentives may seem costly in the short-term, they can drastically bolster staff happiness and morale in the long-run.

3. Take The Stairs Challenge

There are a lot of options to help your employees exercise a little more. Challenge employees to take the stairs as much as they can throughout the workweek. Decorate the company stairs with motivational and colorful posters to encourage taking the stairs. With some small lifestyle changes such as this, your employees can make huge health improvements in the long run. All it takes is a little encouragement.

Imagine if, every day, your employees took the stairs to the office instead of the elevator. This should keep your business’ sick day payments down to a minimum – because, according to research from the University of Oxford, those with sedentary lifestyles showed a lower mortality risk of 46% after increasing their daily steps from 1,000 to 10,000.

4. Work Out Challenge

Exercise is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. But with busy schedules and balancing family needs with hobbies and work, it can be hard to find time to hit the gym. Make sure you give employees the time they need to exercise, even if that means offering a more flexible schedule. You can also offer subsidized fitness passes or invite personal trainers and coaches to the office to create workouts for employees.

Ask your employees to create their own personal goals related to cardiovascular health, flexibility, strength training, or overall wellness. Inviting them to choose their own goals can create a sense of ownership. Moreover, make it a “buddy system”– link up those team members with similar personal goals, and invite them to challenge and support each other every step of the way.

5. “Biggest Loser” Contest

Weight loss is a common goal for Americans. In fact, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 49 percent of American adults are trying to lose weight.

To help your employees achieve that, research shows that organized weight loss groups have a higher rate of success than individuals when attempting to lose weight. Challenges provide a fun, motivating atmosphere.

Weight loss challenges can span eight weeks to a few months, and typically include regular weigh-ins as well as support throughout, such as nutrition education. Winners can be determined by variables like total pounds lost, or percent of body weight or body fat loss. If you’re interested in running your own “Biggest Loser” contest at work, here’s an in-depth guide.

6. Daily Meditation Challenge

Mental wellness is an important part of an employee’s overall health, and meditation is a great way to foster brain and body health. To achieve this, you can offer in-office meditation classes, quiet rooms, or yoga.

According to research from the Harvard Medical School, there are a whole host of benefits to practicing yoga. These include healthier and uninterrupted sleep, improved blood circulation, a boost in energy levels and enhanced mental wellbeing. As well as physical flexibility, yoga can vastly improve your state of mind.

So try challenging employees to incorporate meditation into their healthy lifestyle by offering lunchtime yoga classes. There are also a variety of meditation apps that can help team members get started in their own free time.

7. Exercise For A Cause

You can get your employees to represent the company for several charity events – be it sponsored walks, marathons, or even a fun run.

The whole workforce can take part and make it a real joint effort, getting some quality team-time in as well as some exercise too. Aside from the clear physical benefits, staff charity events are great opportunities for your team to get to know one another.

They can motivate each other during a particularly grueling hill climb or provide some healthy competition in the marathon. It’s quality time spent with your team, so there are benefits to be had all-round. Your staff could even take part in a charity that is really close and significant to them.

8. Intramural Sports Activities

Soccer, table tennis, badminton, swimming— indoor and outdoor activity options are endless! Why not make it a friendly competition where winners can get incentives and prizes?

By putting some time and effort into intramural sports, your team will be healthier, happier, and more energetic. They’ll also be more alert, more energetic and, ultimately, more efficient.

In addition, your fitness challenge could also be to encourage employees to create sports teams or join existing ones. Your business could even sponsor the teams by getting them jerseys with your logo on them. Sports are not only a fantastic way to get exercise, but they are also a great opportunity for cross-departmental communication and relationship-building.

9. Bike to Work Challenge

You’ll be killing two birds with one stone here. By providing bike storage on your premises, employees will benefit from cycling to work rather than taking the car. It’s cheaper, healthier and it’s better for the environment! With vehicle emissions lowered, cycling to work offers some quality, unavoidable exercise.

You can’t go wrong with this challenge. The early blasts of fresh air will be great for your staff, and nobody likes being stuck in traffic jams, so cycling to work is ideal. Also, recent studies by the University of Cambridge show that the benefits of cycling and walking largely outweigh the risks posed by greater exposure to air pollution – perfect for offices in bustling, metropolitan areas with high levels of city smog.

So challenge employees to bike to work as often as they can. The employee who bikes to work the most throughout every month wins!

10. Get Outside Challenge

In the fresh air, staff can walk their lunch off and chat with colleagues, or take some much-needed alone time away from the bustling workspace. Depending on where your office is based, you can take in the surrounding sites. Encourage your employees to take an afternoon stroll in a park nearby or run some errands during their break time.

Spending time outdoors relieves stress and boosts mental wellbeing. By stepping outside of the office space, they’re actively taking steps to engender a fresh state of mind. They’ll return to work invigorated and ready to smash through your workload. Challenge employees to spend at least 15 minutes outside every day to get some fresh air, sunlight, or to rediscover nature!

11. Dance Til You Drop Challenge

Let’s accept the fact that if exercising were fun and easy, most of us would be doing it. However, most employees in today’s workplaces are stuck in marathon meeting after meeting, have poor dietary habits, and rarely exercise.

That’s why you must provide an exercise schedule that fits comfortably into a person’s daily routine. If your employees are having a hard time to incorporate exercise in their workweek, you can conduct an onsite weekly dance session such as Zumba, Barre, or dance boot camp. You can hire an instructor that can make the session fun, lively, and adaptable for movers of all levels.

Challenge your employees to participate in this onsite weekly session and reward the ones who participate. You can also do it by forming a group and making it a weekly competition where winners can get company prizes. Whatever it is, this challenge promotes a healthy workforce where they can dance their stress away.

12. Healthy Holiday Challenge

In the United States, holidays in November and December are often the time when healthy habits suffer. As we make our way through the holidays, encourage your employees to participate in fitness activities such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and others.

As an office manager, you can also run a challenge around physical activity to help keep people motivated through this season! Alternatively, send them weekly emails with healthy recipes, tips for staying active, and weekly mini-challenges to keep them motivated all season long. And of course, all of this is for their chance to win exciting holiday gifts!

13. Drink More Water Challenge

We all know drinking enough water or proper hydration is extremely important. In fact, research from the University of Connecticut showed that even mild dehydration can adversely affect mood and how our mind and body perform.

The problem is that we are dehydrated well before thirst begins to set in, meaning that we should stay well-watered throughout the day if we’re to maintain a consistently high level of productivity. However, sometimes it’s hard to make a habit of hydration even if there’s free water. In fact, many still neglect it and end up flagging later in the day.

As an office manager, you can help your team members by making sure access to water is available throughout your office and hosting a water-drinking challenge. Invite employees to track how much water they drink in a day, and reward those who meet or exceed the recommended intake 8 glasses of water a day.

Summary

As an office manager, you have the opportunities and resources to serve as a healthy role model for your team members. By giving employees exciting chances to keep their health and well-being a top priority through fitness challenges, employees will be much more likely to adopt healthy behaviors at the workplace.

With some simple steps and a little encouragement, you can easily promote an hour of daily exercise for staff. After all, it’s in the business’ best interests to ensure that all employees are fit and healthy. When employees are healthy, not only do they feel better, but they’re also more productive and more likely to take fewer sick days. A healthy workforce leads to a healthy business!

On top of everything else, showing employees that you care about their fitness levels is a great way to boost morale. It demonstrates to your employees and colleagues that their health and wellbeing is important to the company they work for – the positive benefits of which can hardly be understated.

So there you have it… We hope these ideas help you brainstorm new ways to engage your employees in being more active at work. With these fitness challenges, you’ll be one step closer to creating a healthy and productive office culture that is the envy of workers everywhere!

Make sure to share this article with anyone you think could use it!

When you find yourself in need of wine, coffee, kombucha, tea, beer, or snacks for your office or event, shoot us a message!

This article was brought to you by Office Libations, your San Francisco Bay Area office coffee, keg delivery, and snack service. Delivering top local brands and kegs of cold brew coffee, kombucha, beer, and wine.