The Workplace Wellbeing Check-Up

The best medicine isn’t taken once. It’s practiced daily, with awareness and intention. This simple reflection practice is your periodic “check-up” for maintaining a healthy, human-centered workplace, one grounded in gratitude, joy, and purpose.

You can do this monthly, quarterly, or whenever things feel off balance.  Grab a notebook, close your email for ten minutes, and give yourself a moment of mindful honesty.

Step 1: Take Your Vital Signs

Ask yourself (and maybe your team):

• How am I really feeling about my work right now?

• Am I energized, content, drained, or disconnected?

• Where am I noticing stress or frustration building?

• What parts of my work bring me genuine joy or meaning?

Circle or write three words that capture your current state.

Step 2: Diagnose the Culture

Reflect on your team’s overall “temperature.”

• Are we connecting with kindness and curiosity?

• Do we laugh at least sometimes, even under pressure?

• Is appreciation a regular part of our rhythm, or something we remember only on special occasions?

• Are we creating space for recovery, learning, and authentic conversation?

What’s one small shift that could make our culture feel healthier?

Step 3: Prescribe a Change

Using what you’ve noticed, write yourself a short prescription. It might look like:

• “Take one gratitude break daily.”

• “Replace one complaint with one compliment.”

• “Hold one courageous kindness conversation this week.”

• “Rest before burnout forces me to.”
  

Small, consistent steps compound into transformation.

Step 4: Refill as Needed

This check-up isn’t a one-time exercise.  Each time you revisit it, you’ll notice new patterns and possibilities.  Share it with your team. Talk about what’s working. Adjust as needed.

After all, healthy workplaces don’t just happen. They’re maintained through ongoing care and conscious leadership.

And remember… workplace happiness is serious business.

About the Author

Dr. Sarah Ratekin is a workplace happiness and gratitude expert, keynote speaker, and Chief Happiness Officer at Happiness Is Courage and The Happiness Haven. A Navy veteran and seasoned organizational strategist, she helps companies transform culture through actionable, people-centered practices. With experience spanning Fortune 100s to nonprofits, Dr. Ratekin’s work focuses on the intersection of well-being and performance. She’s on a mission to prove that a thriving culture isn’t a luxury, it’s a leadership imperative.

Connect with Dr. Sarah

Happinessiscourage.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/skratekin1/