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Workplace wellbeing games can be a fun way to help hybrid teams build connection, promote respectful communication, and support safer peer-to-peer conversations. When planned carefully, these virtual team-building activities can accommodate both remote workers and office-based employees without requiring anyone to share their own mental ill-health or any issues they may be having in the workplace.
By nature of their work arrangements, employees who are working remotely have different communication patterns because they have fewer opportunities to connect with colleagues face-to-face. Without sharing the same workspace, remote workers may miss casual workplace interactions and may therefore experience different mental health challenges from feeling isolated and disconnected. These differences can affect how remote and office employees connect and engage with workplace wellness programs.
Introducing team-building activities can support the mental health of your staff and help teams cope with any issues they may be experiencing, and contribute to:
Better social connection
Decreasing feelings of isolation
Increasing respectful workplace communication
Defining their needs for support
Enhancing employee engagement
Making team interaction inclusive
Reducing workplace stress
Collective problem-solving
Helping employees find support at work.
When introducing the corporate wellness initiative, the idea is not to expand the workload. Instead, games and activities held in small groups should take a few minutes, be practical, align with the company culture, and support team building and healthy habits.
Following these processes and practices will help establish ground rules and promote healthy inclusion for the entire team in these virtual activities:
Engaging, supportive workplace wellness activities support psychological safety and empower employees to participate at their comfort level, while building connection, shared experiences and awareness within the team. However, to ensure these programs are effective and people feel comfortable getting involved, it is important to discourage or prevent people from sharing their private problems.
The manager or team leader should do the following:
Emphasise that participation is voluntary
Using neutral invitations instead of personal enquiries
Allow people to participate without cameras, when possible
Avoid requesting employees to discuss trauma, diagnoses, or personal mental health issues
Explain all activity instructions clearly
Use an easy format for all employees (remote and office-based)
Include both in-office and remote team members
Encourage participation without pressure
Avoid activities that require physical presence
Share relevant support information when needed.
Below are a few examples of corporate wellbeing games that encourage communication, include friendly competition, and can be used as an ice breaker during video calls, in chat tools, and in personal meetings. They can also help increase emotional intelligence.
A mood check gives employees an easy way to share with the group how they are feeling. Managers can get neutral answers and focus on energy levels, work pressures, mental clarity, or if extra help is needed.
Polls, reactions, and private forms can all be used to enable employees to respond anonymously. Encourage employees to use these methods instead of asking individuals for explanations.
An energy poll aims to reveal how exhausted employees feel by team meetings and workload pressures.
In this game, managers can use a brief, anonymous poll with low/moderate/high energy questions. This helps them to understand factors that may affect their team’s overall health.
Poll results can help managers adjust meetings, workloads, and schedules to reduce stress and improve focus. In other words, it can support work-life balance, reduce stress and bring the team closer together.
The virtual scavenger hunt helps employees find relevant mental health information, HR contacts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) details, policies, mental health support services, and other existing resources.
This activity should focus on finding details, rather than whether employees have used these services before.
Scenario cards help teams practise active listening and respectful responses in the workplace. Participants will be given short scenarios involving unclear roles, missing information, or workload disagreements.
Teams can discuss responses and use creative thinking to identify practical coping strategies without discussing personal variances while identifying conflict resolution strategies.
A strengths and support map helps employees understand how team members can support one another with check-ins, workload pressures, and teamwork tasks.
The activity can also give managers insights into how to improve overall wellbeing and communication within their teams, and create a healthier work environment.
They can praise helpful contributions, support job satisfaction, and improve team morale.
Hybrid appreciation rounds give employees the chance to thank one another, boosting team morale and supporting employee satisfaction. This activity can create memorable moments and increase job satisfaction; team members can give credit to each other and share in the success of their colleagues.
They can praise helpful contributions; workplace performance support job satisfaction and improves team morale.
Keep the activity simple and avoid putting anyone in the hot seat. Give participants the option to offer recognition via chat.
Hybrid teams work best when everyone can participate, regardless of location. Share materials after meetings, rotate facilitators, model positive leadership behaviours, use shared tools, and ensure information is accessible for all.
Also, avoid side-conversations that exclude remote employees. Give everyone the same prompts and document key steps to support employee wellbeing, psychological safety, and a healthier work environment. Ensure activities encourage everyone to get involved without creating performative participation.
Another important aspect is the accessibility of digital tools, especially when activities involve virtual meetings or support physical health.
Wellness games, including meditation sessions, can provide stress relief, support employee health, and help them connect with others. They also promote good mental health and effective communication, but they cannot replace formal training in mental health knowledge.
If the hybrid group needs to build or acquire mental health knowledge and skills, flexible learning options should be considered. They can also opt for mental health training online.
Effective workplace wellness activities don’t have to be hard to implement. The best activities are optional, accessible, and connected to the workplace as part of effective mental health programs.
Use creative challenges, fun competition, and make them a whole team team activity.
Hybrid teams can safely use simple activities, such as wellness bingo, walking meetings, healthy eating challenges, and other wellness activities, to support team bonding, improve productivity and help teams develop coping strategies for when times are tough. These activities help create a thriving workplace without violating people’s personal space.
In the workplace, these games are structured, low-pressure activities designed to foster communication and awareness of mental wellbeing in a more delightful way for increased productivity.
Teams can ensure safety by making participation voluntary, using neutral questions that don’t require sharing, and providing the same opportunities for remote and office workers.
Wellbeing games are important to consider for your workplace because they help raise awareness and improve communication, but they are not a replacement for structured approaches, managerial skills, or qualified professional help.
