Take care of your team: Team Building Wellness

“Take care of your employees and they’ll take care of your business.” (Richard Branson) I received a very special feedback from one of the companies I collaborate with, and it motivated me to write this article and share the benefits of taking care of your team through a Team Building Wellness.

• What is a “Team Building Wellness”?
  The term refers to activities or programs designed to promote both teamwork and employee well-being within a workplace. It usually involves workshops or motivational speeches around self-care, nutrition, mindfulness, stress management, emotional intelligence, etc. and often includes practices that help the team members to connect both to their own body and mind as well as fostering positive relationships with their colleagues.

• Why is it important to look after your team member’s well-being?
  “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” according to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO). As we spend a big part of our time at the workplace, it is crucial to offer supportive initiatives as a company. Over the last years, there have been many improvements, especially when it comes to physical health such as ergonomics (office facilities, screens, lighting, posture, ..), sports programs, healthy nutrition, etc. Mental health has gained an important weight but there are still way too little proactive and preventive initiatives that support team members to face stressful situations, difficult conversations, emotions, in fact any (personal) challenges that affect our lives and work. “We are human beings, not human doings.” (Dalai Lama) It’s about time, that we recognise and integrate this in our professional environment.

• What are the benefits of a “Team Building Wellness”?
  Organised well and with enough time for the team members to learn new techniques as well as connecting with their colleagues, they can contribute to
  • a healthier, more positive environment at the workplace, leading to higher employee satisfaction.
  • the team’s mental health and a such: creativity, resilience, productivity, emotional intelligence, empathy, work-life harmony, … 
  • better relationships, communication and collaboration by bringing colleagues together in a new and different context to their day-to-day responsibilities and roles. 

• How to make your “Team Building Wellness” a success?
  Define the objectives of the activity, think about the audience (eg. do you want to organise it for one specific team or mix colleagues from different teams; as well as their demographics and interests), the logistics and how to make it inclusive for all team members (if you have a hybrid team or team members with special needs: how can everyone join?), timing (choose a day well in advance and block the team’s calendar so that everyone can prepare their calendar accordingly). It is recommendable to collaborate with experts who have experience with this kind of activities as they help you to create a safe environment and evaluate the status quo as well as feedback from an objective point of view.

• Team Building with “Little healthy habits”
  I would be more than happy to show you my little, healthy habits in form of practical tips, combining my experience of many years in the corporate world with training in yoga, meditation and mindfulness. You will learn about stress and balance, how to connect with your body and calm down, different breathing techniques, how to be in the present moment, exercises in moments of anxiety, and much more. For my team buildings, I offer a standard in-person workshop of about 1,5-2 hours for a group of maximum 25 people. The reason for this number is that it allows an intimate space for the group to share personal experiences and reflections. 
  Some of the comments from participants from my last team building:
  • “All the preoccupations vanished during the 2 hours of the workshop.”
  • “We acquired both new, theoretical knowledge and realised practices such as: body scan, stretching and body movement, mindfulness, conscious breathing, …”
  • “We learned that smiling releases endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, and finished with a big smile from ear to ear.”
  • “We received a session by Julia after an intense day presenting our annual strategy and goals. She did some kind of magic as I arrived at home with a complete sense of relaxation and peace. Furthermore, it was a great team building activity as doing the exercises in a group made it really fun. A session I totally recommend where I learnt tips for life.”
  • “The whole team felt delighted with the workshop and motivated to integrate our learnings in our day to day as well as to keep practicing the tips at home.”

If you speak Spanish, please read their own words: https://www.venuesplace.com/es/idea/549-un-team-building-wellness-muy-especial-little-healthy-habits

Has this article motivated you to take care of your team through a Team Building Wellness?
If you would like my support, send me an E-Mail to julia@littlehealthyhabits.com.