Tired of cheesy icebreakers that make you want to fake a bad WiFi connection just to get out of them? Same. We’ve all been there, don’t worry.
The thing is, emotional wellness at work actually matters. Teams who feel seen and supported communicate better, burn out less, and bonus they tend to like their jobs more. And who wants to hate their job when it can be fixable to make it more enjoyable.
But let’s be honest: no one’s signing up for group therapy meetings going over how to work better with each other.
The sweet spot is quick, genuine exercises that don’t feel like punishment. Here are four easy ones you can sneak into your meetings without triggering mass eye rolls!
Our Burnout Bingo: The “We’re All Just Hanging On” Edition
Designed to be playable between employees and managers for some shared self-awareness (and maybe a little chaos).
Bridge the burnout gap without trauma-dumping in the break room. A playful, passive-aggressive way for teams to acknowledge what everyone’s pretending not to notice and maybe actually do something about it.
A hilariously painful bingo card filled with red flags like:
☐ You cried before a Zoom call
☐ Your manager called it a “mental health initiative” but gave no PTO
☐ You’re out of office… emotionally
☐ Pizza party instead of a raise
☐ “This could’ve been an email” (but it wasn’t)
☐ You drafted your resignation in Notes app (again)
✅ Designed to be printable, shareable, and easy to pass around the office anonymously.
💬 Manager/Employee Debrief Cards: Each bingo card comes with:
- Two open-ended questions like: “Which square hurt the most?” “What could we take off your plate next week?”
- 👀 Bingo Variations: “Blackout Burnout”: First one to check every box wins… a sabbatical (jk. But they should).
- “Manager vs. Team” Bingo: Have both sides fill one out and compare. If your manager gets more squares? Buy them a coffee. Or send help.
🌹 Rose, Thorn, Bud
This exercise is equal parts grounding and energizing. Each person shares a “rose” (something that’s going well), a “thorn” (a challenge or frustration), and a “bud” (something they’re looking forward to or excited about).
For example:
- Rose: “My client loved the campaign draft and it finally felt like a win after weeks of back and forth.”
- Thorn: “My inbox is basically a crime scene if I owe you an email, please accept this as my formal apology.”
- Bud: “I’m pumped for my weekend hiking trip; just the thought of fresh air is getting me through the week.”
✨The beauty of this exercise is in the balance.
People get space to vent lightly without making the whole meeting spiral into negativity. At the same time, they spotlight what’s working and what they’re excited about. This “sandwich” format helps normalize that everyone’s work (and life) has highs, lows, and things in progress.
Pro tip: Keep it moving by encouraging quick responses, no 10 minute TED Talks. And as a leader, model it with something real but not too heavy, so the tone stays approachable.
🏆 Win of the Week
Too often, meetings kick off with what’s wrong deadlines slipping, projects piling up, inboxes exploding. “Win of the Week” flips that narrative on its head. Instead of diving straight into problems, invite everyone to share one win they’ve had recently. It doesn’t have to be a groundbreaking achievement; small wins count too.
Maybe someone finally wrapped up a report that’s been dragging on for weeks. Maybe another person hit “inbox zero” (a miracle worthy of celebration). Or maybe a teammate simply made it to the gym three times in a row. The size of the win doesn’t matter the act of naming it does.
When people share their wins, two things happen:
- They give themselves credit. Most of us rush past accomplishments without pausing to acknowledge them. This practice forces a moment of recognition.
- They inspire others. Hearing a teammate’s win often sparks motivation and reminds everyone that progress takes many forms.
Pro Tip: Keep this quick and upbeat think 20 seconds per person. If your team is larger, you can rotate who shares each week. That way, the exercise doesn’t eat the whole meeting but still sets a positive, celebratory tone.
📢 Shout-Out Circle
Recognition is rocket fuel for morale, and yet it’s one of the most overlooked workplace practices. Enter: the “Shout-Out Circle.” At some point during your meeting, pause and open the floor for quick shout-outs. Teammates can thank each other for specific contributions, big or small:
The magic 🪄 here is that the recognition is peer-to-peer. It’s not a top down “employee of the month” award; it’s colleagues publicly noticing and appreciating each other. That not only feels good in the moment but also strengthens collaboration and trust over time.
Why it works:
- It reinforces positive behaviors (people repeat what gets recognized).
- It builds a culture of appreciation instead of competition.
- It leaves everyone walking away feeling valued because nothing beats hearing that your efforts made someone else’s life easier.
Pro Tip: If your team is quiet at first, model it by giving the first shout-out. Once the ball is rolling, the circle usually fills up fast. You can also keep a running “shout-out board” in Slack or on a shared doc for people to drop notes between meetings.
