VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Ministry of Health has launched a workplace wellbeing calendar for 2024, structured around internationally recognised World Theme Days, with the aim of encouraging employers and staff to prioritise mental and physical health at work. The calendar, the first of its kind from the ministry, aligns with the broader national goal of promoting health, happiness, and overall wellness. It is, in essence, a practical toolkit for managers who want to embed wellbeing into the working week.
January is dedicated to prioritising wellbeing in general, while February is the month for sexual and reproductive health and stress management. March is nutrition awareness and alcohol awareness month, and April is the month for physical activity. The remaining months of the year are tagged with themes including women’s health, occupational health and safety, and mental health. Each month, the calendar suggests a set of small, low-cost activities that ministries, private companies, and other employers can adopt without major disruption to their operations.
Recurring activities include Mindful Mondays, a gentle start to the week focused on short self-reflection and relaxation exercises, and Fitness Fridays, which encourage group workouts, yoga sessions, or simply a workplace stretch break. Gratitude Wednesdays ask team members to express appreciation for one another, while Feel-Good Fridays are reserved for sharing inspirational stories, quotes, or for organising small activities that bring joy to the workplace. The calendar also suggests healthy eating days, with ideas ranging from shared nutritious recipes to virtual cooking classes and healthy potlucks.
Head of Health Promotion at the ministry, George Madeleine, said the calendar is one of several tools the ministry is using to encourage healthier practices in the workplace. He argued that embedding the World Theme Days into the working year would help to build a culture in which wellbeing is treated as a routine part of operations, not as an add-on. The calendar, he said, is also a reminder to maintain a healthy work-life balance, to reduce stress, and to promote a positive atmosphere within teams.
For employers, the calendar’s low-cost design is part of the appeal. None of the suggested activities require new equipment, dedicated budgets, or significant time off. The ministry will, in the coming months, publish short guides and posters for each theme, which can be downloaded and used in offices. The calendar will be reviewed at the end of 2024 and updated for 2025 in light of feedback from participating workplaces.
