Stress Awareness Month has been held every April in the UK since 1992 to increase public awareness on both the causes and cures for the modern stress epidemic. The last few years have been the most challenging, and since 2020 many people have been struggling with their mental health. In fact, employee stress around the world remains at a historic high. Beyond the immediate mental health concerns, stress can also lead individuals towards unhealthy coping mechanisms such as increased alcohol consumption, poor dietary habits, or smoking.
Recognising the toll that information overload takes on our wellbeing, the #LittleByLittle Campaign emphasises the importance of simple, manageable changes that seamlessly integrate into daily routines. By fostering open conversations and raising awareness, the aim is to create a supportive environment where everyone can prioritise their mental wellbeing, one small step at a time. The #LittleByLittle campaign encourages individuals to integrate manageable adjustments into their daily routines. This could be as simple as ensuring you take a walk during your lunch break, doing 10 minutes of stretching each day, or spending time listening to music you love. These small actions each day can be mental, emotional, or physical, as long as they serve as small building blocks in order to foster good mental health, according to the Stress Management Society.
For further information on Stress Awareness Month and the #LittleByLittle campaign, click here.
Spring Clearing With You Need A Vicky
Spring feels the perfect time to get your home in shape. The weather is improving (that’s the plan!) and the blossom and magnolia is blooming. It feels right to refresh as we come into a new season not only switching up our seasonal wardrobes but decluttering our homes and minds too.
Why Declutter & Organise?
Studies show less visual distraction can increase energy levels, productivity, day to day efficiency as well as stress levels. It’s all well and good going out and exercising but if you return to a home of chaos and clutter then there is potential to undo some of that good work.
Clutter can make you feel like there is a constant to do list surrounding you and can stop your mind from truly relaxing, whereas organisation can have a hugely positive impact on your mental health and when you try it, I believe you’ll feel it almost instantly.
The biggest tips/things to think about that I give people when embarking on their decluttering journey are…
- Start small and the difference feels big – you don’t have to declutter and organise a whole room to feel benefits. If you are time poor (most of us are) then work on a drawer or small cupboard, even a shelf a day. There’s psychology behind this. By starting, working on and then completing an area you are much more likely to continue the good work. If you start an area too large and don’t have the time or energy/focus to complete it then chances are it’s more of a struggle to go back to. You want to finish on a high.
- Start with the space that most annoys you/hinders your everyday life. That could be your bedroom (getting ready in the morning can affect our mode and day dramatically) or potentially your kitchen.
- Have your tools ready. Get your bags for charity, your rubbish and recycling bags prepared and have your cleaning spray to hand!
- There are many questions people suggest asking but try this one as you are going through your belongings and making decisions on what stays and what goes. Can I live without this? If you feel guilty at wasted money, bad purchases or hasty buying then feel that feeling. It will pass and I believe it’s a healthy way to start to change buying habits for the future.
Planning The Perfect Away Day
For work or play, sometimes you need to get out of the office…
Away days and team building exercises dont have to be a cringe-worthy day of catching Robert from Accounts as he falls into your arms, or ’showing your mettle’ on a terrifying assault course. There are so many options across the UK and with more people doing it, we thought we’d send some helpful tips your way.
How to Plan an Effective Team Away Day
Tip 1: Think – what do you want to achieve?
Is there a project that needs to be brainstormed and brought to the next stage? Is it more about building better relations within the team? Or purely about getting out and having some fun? The most effective away days keep their focus front and centre.
Tip 2: Pick your location carefully.
The perfect country manor might have all the bedrooms you need and a lake with a boat that your CEO would love, but if it’s 4 hours drive and far from a train station, your team will be tired and frustrated before the event event starts (not to mention the cost of getting everyone there.)
Tip 3: Find the right balance between corporate and fun
Yes, you need to get the job done, but the whole point of leaving the office is to not be in the office! Your staff want to feel considered and valued, and everyone knows that happy staff are more productive.
Tip 4: Set a sustainable pace.
There might be 8 working hours in a day, but remember, you’re not in the office for a reason. So plan that seminar in the morning and a brainstorming session that afternoon, but don’t fill every last minute with mentally draining or physically demanding activities. Again, happy staff are more productive, so remember to include down time, bathroom breaks and refreshments to keep up the energy. And if you’ve gone to the countryside, get out into nature! Perhaps try an activity you haven’t before, like foraging or archery, and better still, make these extra-curricular activities multi-choice, so nobody has to do anything they will dread.
Tip 5: Follow up on the day.
Whether it’s an email to everyone who attended with information on the outcomes and objectives achieved, a voucher for them to enjoy that new skill they learnt again, or perhaps a photo book gift to remember the black tie dinner or the time Emily won the best cake contest, it’s something for your team to remember the day by and hopefully build lasting connections.
Away Day Inspiration
If the day truly is ‘away’ from the office with no work involved, perhaps one of the following might be just the ticket…
Set Sail With Sunseeker
Sunseeker offer wonderful day trip options around the Solent and beyond, so with Summer months approaching, what could be better than a day charter with a stop off for lunch on the Isle of Wight. A range of boats and routes can be organised for small and larger groups. When the options are as bespoke as the client, it’s time to set sail!
The Ambassador Theatre Group
Ambassador VIP is the new hospitality service from the Ambassador Theatre Group, bringing the finest experiences that theatre has to offer. Their repertoire currently includes Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, hotly anticipated Mean Girls, Tom Holland in Romeo & Juliet, Wicked and Olivier award winning Stranger Things, which quite frankly has to be seen to be believed! With Ambassador VIP you can expect a private suite with drinks and luxury food, private bathrooms, your own cloakroom, a brochure for the show, the best seats in the house and dedicated VIP hosts to look after you all night.
Hospitality at Tottenham Stadium
If sport is more your game, how about a hospitality package at Tottenham Stadium? The private boxes are perfect for enjoying the match or show with your team or clients. Offering unrivalled views of the pitch from premium matchday seats, or indeed the stage, if it’s one of their world-class concerts, a Tottenham Hotspur hospitality box promises a truly exceptional experience. With delicious dining options, your own private bar, access from 3 hours before show time, car parking, heated seats and a screen inside, the box has everything you need to make it a great time.
If you’d like to discuss ideas for an away day or would like contacts for any private house or estate rentals across the UK and beyond, contact Alex.