October 10th was World Mental Health day, making October, Mental Health Month. In time for Halloween 🤔. To be fair, the topic of mental health can be worrying and data from around the world can be scary, with rising cases of burn out and stress levels through the roofs.
Thankfully, more and more companies are taking mental health seriously and putting routines and processes in place to improve wellbeing and the general mental health of their team:
training managers to lead by example through open communication and destigmatisation
offering more time and working set up flexibility
nurturing a safe environment encouraging employees to open up about difficulties and asking for help
offering mental support tools and services
...
One mental health booster that might be less obvious is taking your team on regular workations.
Indeed, workations or team retreats do not just boost productivity, unleash creativity and strengthen bonds within the company.
They can also positively impact the well being and mental health of your team members.
ROUTINES VS CHANGE OF SCENERY
Yes, routines are good for you but like everything else, too much of something can bring boredom and frustration. A change of scenery every now and then is also beneficial to your mental health, New taste, smells and experiences can bring joy and excitement. Especially in the context of work which is usually quite scheduled and formal, being in a more relaxed and casual environment can really change the general vibe.
BRING IN SOME MOVEMENT
Workation almost always include som kind of physical activities.
With a wide range of options from morning yoga to running, rock climbing, paint balling, hiking or even paragliding, everyone usually finds what fits their current mood and energy level. It is also a great opportunity for people to try things they have never done before and would probably not have the chance, budget or time to do on their own.
CONNECT TO NATURE
There is a reason why workation locations are always in gorgeous landscapes.
Studies have shown time and time again that spending time in nature has a real positive impact on our brain and body, reducing stress and anxiety.
Whether you pick the mountains, the sea or the countryside, nature is the way to go.
We are talking about high quality nature, not the park around the corner where dogs do their business. Take your team to a place with high bio diversity, with a "never ending' view, with very limited visual or sound pollution, and see the magic happen.
FEEL LIKE YOU ARE PART OF SOMETHING
It's not just nature you are more connected with during a workation retreat.
You find yourself spending time with you team in new (and usually more fun) ways. You are reminded of the values and goals of the company and find yourself connecting to it all over again. Workation deepens the sense of belonging to a team, a cause, something bigger than yourself and that is something we all need in life to feel good about ourselves.
DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW
Whether it is your colleague's ability to juggle or how chestnut spread is made, workation give time to explore beyond the spreadsheet and KPIs.
It is a time during which you can also share your own skills with someone and realise you have similar passions or hobbies.
A New Economics Foundation Study shows that well being increase when people tend to do these 5 actions daily:
- connect to people
- be physically active
- take notice of the present moment and your surrounding
- keep learning
- give to others
Our own research and experience at Campfire Company shows that workations are an amazing opportunity to check that list!
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