Heavy Duty Trucking, December 2020

DRIVER WELLNESS How to create a New Years challenge that works eve all heard it said thousands of times and in a multitude of ways 2020 is the worst year in our history When will 2020 be over Im so done with this year Bring on 2021 W Here we are on the brink of a new year But just because the calendar changes from 2020 to 2021 doesnt mean that all the horrors and challenges of 2020 will suddenly disappear What can we do to turn the page and get back on track to healthier happier and overall better times After all we all know that research supports that healthier and happier employees are more productive and in the case of truck drivers they are also safer Ive never been a big fan of New Years health or fitness goals or challenges because when we look at the data the results are dismal According to a large study of 800 million activities only 8 of people actually hit their goals and stick to them for longer than six months Most people have given up just three weeks in This creates frustration and lack of confidence which often leads to even unhealthier behaviors over time In a work environment the negative effects can be even more challenging Employees often influence others to adopt unhealthy behaviors or the failure can lead to feelings of embarrassment and alienation With all that said I do believe for 2021 New Years health challenges can actually have a very positive impact on people and might even be essential They can give people in your organization something positive to focus on while distracting them from the day to day challenges of the pandemic and improving their health at the same time And done correctly challenges can reconnect employees and create a sense of community something needed as many employees have felt disconnected over the past year The key is to not fall into the same traps we do year after year and create typical weight loss challenges where people feel alienated or fall off within a few weeks There are two keys to making it positive and helping people get lasting results Create challenges and programs that build on small habits Develop challenges that create a sense of community For example instead of a 10 week weight loss challenge you can create five different two week challenges such as a water challenge a sleep challenge a steps challenge a fruits and veggies challenge a self care challenge Each of these challenges foster changes in smaller habits that lead to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle The focus however is not on the weight Instead its on the actual habits and on community In order to emphasize community and cohesive culture create teams that work together to support each other throughout the challenges To optimize this even further have teams made up of both office staff and truck drivers This is one great way to turn the page on 2020 and start 2021 in a positive and productive manner for your drivers and the entire organization Sergio Rojas Driver Wellness Advisor srojas@ truckinginfo com Ive never been a big fan of New Years health or fitness goals or challenges because when we look at the data the results are dismal Sergio a 2018 HDT Truck Fleet Innovator has over 21 years of experience as a personal trainer nutritionist and health coach Certified in a variety of nutrition and fitness disciplines he holds a bachelors degree in psychology was a health expert for NBC for 11 years and was previously the director of wellness at Hirschbach Motor Lines He now runs a wellness consultancy called Vitality by Sergio He can be reached at srojas@ truckinginfo com HDT DECEMBER 2020 18 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM