Well-being Toolkit: Connection and Belonging
Cultivating a workplace filled with connection and belonging is essential for creating a successful environment where everyone feels valued and important.
Are you looking to infuse mental health and well-being into the day-to-day culture of your department? Use the suggested activities and instructions below to encourage conversations and practice skills for connection and belonging. These activities can be led by your department’s Wellness Ambassador or anyone who is interested in facilitating an activity for your department. If you have questions, liveWELL is here to help.
Mindful Moments (5 minutes)
Mindful moments are quick activities that are 5 minutes or less and are perfect for when you only have a few minutes as a team to connect on a well-being topic. You can incorporate these into the start of a team meeting
• Check In Buddy
o Pair up with a coworker who you don’t often talk to and complete a 5-minute check-in. Share how your day is going or something you are looking forward to.
o View the 47 best check-in questions for meetings.
• Appreciation Circle
o Form a circle with your team. Go around the circle and say something that you value or appreciate about the person to the right of you or by using the popcorn method. Encourage everybody to participate to ensure all individuals give and receive feedback.
o Learn the importance of appreciation and view examples on how to go above just saying “well done.”
• Team Affirmations
o Locate a common space in your department or create an email chain to share affirmations.
o Examples could include, “I will set up a positive work environment,” or “I will be kind to myself.”
o View examples of affirmations that could be used as inspiration.
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions) disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact Office of Institutional Equity, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, oie-ui@uiowa.edu
Contact liveWELL at 319-353-2973 or livewell@uiowa.edu or visit our website at hr.uiowa.edu/employee-well-being/livewell
Skill Boosters (15 minutes)
Skill Boosters are a step above mindful moments and usually last about 10-15 minutes. These activities provide opportunities for participants to practice enhancing skills for the well-being topic.
• Group Walk
o As a group, change your environment and take a 15-minute walk that gives space for social interaction and encourages movement during the workday
• Ice-Breaker Games
o Ice breakers are great for forming connections. Explore ice breaker games and instructions
Conversation Starters (20-30 minutes)
Conversation starters are for when you have more time carved out to engage with the topic such as 20-30 minutes. Include this topic as a main agenda item in one of your upcoming team meetings, huddles, or staff retreats. These activities are designed to help foster discussion and connection on the well-being topic.
• Rose, Bud, Thorn
o In a group, go around and name a team memorable moment (Rose), what are you looking forward to doing with your team (Bud), a challenge that you can work within your team to tackle (Thorn)
o View more information about this activity.
• Team-Building Bingo
o Make Bingo cards filled with fun facts such as “watched a movie last night” or “been to more than 3 countries.” Pass them out to team members and ask around, checking off boxes as you learn something new about a co-worker.
Department Challenges (2-4 weeks)
Do you want to do more with the well-being topic? Consider implementing a department wide challenge that lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks on the well-being topic. liveWELL has several challenge programs that you can implement with your department anytime throughout the year that are complete with communications and materials.
• Implement a connection challenge (Surgeon General’s 5-for-5 Connection Challenge)
RESOURCES
Learn more about belonging in the workplace:
• https://nnphi.org/belonging-in-the-workplace/ Discover Your University
• Discover Your University helps Iowa faculty and staff discover great things happening around campus.The program offers sponsored visits to various campus sites during normal working hours, providing opportunities to learn about innovative programs
• Faculty and staff can join Discover Your University experiences on their own or with colleagues. We encourage units and supervisors to embrace Discover Your University as professional development and team-building.
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions) disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact Office of Institutional Equity, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, oie-ui@uiowa.edu
Contact liveWELL at 319-353-2973 or livewell@uiowa.edu or visit our website at hr.uiowa.edu/employee-well-being/livewell