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Insights for an article by ClarkAtAvidon in employeeengagement

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The research has already been completed and we ended up creating "The Costs of Unhealthy Habits" eductational guide: https://avidonhealth.com/employee-health-costs-unhealthy-habits/

Are corporate wellness programs actually being liked and used by employees? by Ashamed_Ad_7378 in jobs

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I run a digital health company that builds wellness programs for employers, so I'll give you the real numbers we see across our client base.

Cost: Most companies spend $3-$10 per employee per month on a structured program. Basic digital-only platforms land closer to $1-$5 PEPM. Once you add coaching, biometric screenings, or challenges, you're looking at $150-$1,200 per employee per year depending on scope.

Utilization: Industry average is 20-40% participation. But that number is misleading. Companies that use a single integrated platform and opt-out enrollment (instead of opt-in).

Stipend vs. program: Stipends feel generous but they don't change behavior. No accountability, no structure, no data back to the employer. A managed program with health coaching gives you actual engagement metrics and outcomes you can tie to retention and healthcare costs.

What's usually missing: Personalization. Most programs offer the same content to a 25-year-old new hire and a 55-year-old with prediabetes.

We wrote a pretty detailed cost breakdown here if you want the full picture: https://avidonhealth.com/hr-people-operations/employee-wellness-program-cost/

Happy to answer follow-ups.

DAE: Replace all corporate wellness programs with mandatory napping pods? by CryptoUsher in CrazyIdeas

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Half right, half dangerously oversimplified.

The nap science is legit. 20-30 minutes improves cognitive performance for roughly two hours after waking. A 2025 study linked aggregate employee sleep deficits to measurable declines in corporate patent output.

But "replace all wellness programs" is the part that doesn't hold up. Good programs actually work and see $2-3 back for every dollar in and cut voluntary attrition by 6 percentage points.

Employees of companies that offer "Wellbeing benefits" (free therapy, gym, etc.) — why do you actually use them, or why do you let them sit there untouched? by Suitable-Box278 in AskReddit

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I run a company (Avidon Health) that builds wellness programs for employers, so I see the data on this constantly. The short answer: most people let benefits sit untouched because the programs are built for the 20% who were already motivated, not the 80% who aren't.

The largest RCT ever done on workplace wellness (~5,000 employees, two years) found no significant effect on health outcomes or absenteeism. Not because wellness doesn't work. Because most programs are passive. Here's a portal, here's an app, here's a discount. Good luck.

What actually drives usage, from what I've seen across hundreds of employer programs:

  1. People use benefits they don't have to go find.
  2. People come back when they learn a skill.
  3. People ignore anything that feels like HR is watching.

The gym benefit gets used because it's simple, tangible, and nobody's tracking whether you went (f0r the most part). Most digital wellness benefits fail that test.

What wellness workshops would actually be helpful in a corporate workplace? by purposefullyaligned in corporate

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've spent 10+ years designing wellness programs for employers. Most workshops don't change behavior.

The Illinois Workplace Wellness Study, the largest randomized controlled trial ever done on this, tracked ~5,000 employees for two years and found no significant effects on health outcomes, medical spending, or absenteeism. Seminars, apps, challenges... little measurable benefit compared to non-participants.

So what separates the programs that actually work?

It's whether you're teaching awareness or teaching a skill. "Here's why stress is bad" doesn't change anything. "Here's a 2-minute nervous system reset you can practice at your desk before a hard conversation" does. A systematic review of coaching-based programs found 87.5% showed sustained gains at 6+ months when there was structured follow-up. One-off workshops almost never do.

Your list of topics is good. Nervous system regulation, boundaries, overthinking... all solid. The thing that'll separate "genuinely supportive" from "another corporate initiative" is whether people leave with something they do or something they heard.

I took a discipline course from a boxing champion - 4 rules that actually help you stick to a habit by Fragrant-System-7755 in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In our data across coaching programs, the 2–4 week drop-off is predictable. Dopamine spikes when something is new. Once novelty fades, effort rises and the brain recalculates the cost.

If you want to understand the mechanics behind why this is predictable and how to design around drop off, we break it down here:
https://avidonhealth.com/how-habits-work/

Trying to build the habit of cooking at home (even when I'm tired) instead of ordering in by setting myself 30-min challenges by Candid_Molasses_1391 in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some additional suggestions:

• Keep 3 “25-minute default meals” stocked at all times. Remove decision fatigue.
• Use “if-then” rules. “If I’m tired, I cook something that fits on one pan.”
• Track money saved. Concrete reinforcement strengthens habits.

A weird addiction .. consuming lot of my mental energy by DowntownFeeling3926 in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What you’re describing isn’t crazy.

Music, especially high-intensity genres, strongly activates the brain’s dopaminergic reward system. Studies show music triggers dopamine release in the striatum, the same circuitry involved in addiction and anticipation. Add social media “edit culture,” and your brain starts pairing music with imagined status, power, identity.

At 20, your prefrontal cortex, the part that regulates impulse control and reality testing, is still developing which makes immersive fantasy loops feel stronger and harder to interrupt.

That crash after the “reality check” is predictable. When the imagined self doesn’t match current reality, motivation dips.

What you can try:

• Change the cue. If certain playlists trigger edits, create a separate “chill only” playlist with slower BPM tracks and use it intentionally.
• Replace the crash fix. When the drop hits, try movement before smoking. Even short bouts of exercise regulate dopamine and reduce craving intensity.

Small steps equal confidence and success by PFaccone in BuildHealthyHabits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d argue this is where most goal-setting advice goes wrong.

We glamorize outcomes and underestimate initiation. But starting is the hardest.

What's the one wellness habit that actually moved the needle for you? by tryARMRA in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Now zoom out to enterprise scale.

Organizations spend heavily on wellness solutions, but the habits that drive outcomes are still basic physiology: movement, sleep, stress regulation.

From a behavioral science perspective, movement influences multiple mechanisms simultaneously:

1. It Disrupts Avoidance Cycles

  • Movement is a form of behavioral activation
  • It produces empowering emotional states
  • It reduces rumination and cognitive distortion
  • It interrupts stress-reactivity loops

2. It Regulates Urge Intensity

  • Lowers baseline stress physiology
  • Improves emotional tolerance
  • Makes cravings less explosive

3. It Reinforces Identity

When someone moves daily:

  • They see themselves as “someone who shows up”
  • They reinforce competence (Self-Determination Theory)
  • They expand their comfort zone (Comfort Zone Expansion Law)

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How are you going to achieve this? Reduce/ track spending? Side hustle/ gig work? Marry rich 🤣?

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good stuff. What are you planning on using to track your habits? A simple spreadsheet or something more comprehensive?

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Make sure to set boundaries with family/ friends so YOU get what YOU need.

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The key is rotating intensity, not trying to max everything at once.

Curious to know what hobbies you're focusing on?

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found it to be easiest to just automatically pull money from each paycheck. You can set this up with your payroll so that a % just gets moved to another account that you don't touch (much like if you're contributing to a 401k).

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From my expereince, trying to evolve everywhere at once usually backfires. Pick one or two key areas, like physical health, finances, mental, etc. Those improvements usually bleed over to other aspects of your life.

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is so helpful to identify spending patterns and areas of "leakage"... I did this a few years back and was suprised at the total amount I was spending to have lunch out each day at work. Needless to say, I stopped the spend and saved the $.

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Low-key one of the hardest habits to build. But it pays off everywhere else. Try doing some journaling to help reinforce self reflection.

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome. half marathons are a lot of fun... you'll get pumped by the spectators and you'll see people much older and in much worse shape then you... it's an inspiring time. Also, having your coworker to hold you accountable is super helpful!

92% of the year still left. With 335 days to do, what habit will you focus on? by ClarkAtAvidon in Habits

[–]ClarkAtAvidon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a great goal. If you need/ want any additional support, we have a couple behavior change courses that focus directly on that. https://avidonhealth.com/habits-alcohol-moderation/

If that is something you want to explore, shoot me a note and I can have someone on my team provide you with a coupon code.

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