Focusing on employee well-being and encouraging self-care during the month of April
April is a special month at WeddingDates as it is dedicated to Wellness Month. Our devoted Customer Success Specialist, Jasmin Waller, has meticulously curated a range of activities and initiatives for the team to participate in throughout the month, all geared towards promoting wellness and self-care. The aim is to ensure our team members take time to prioritise their physical and emotional health, which we believe is crucial in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
As we celebrate National Workplace Wellbeing Day on the 28th of April which is Ireland’s biggest celebration of workplace health and wellbeing, we look back at all the activities that took place during our Wellness Month Initiative.
Above: Photos employees shared from their 30-min wellness walk.
Wellness Month Activities At WeddingDates
Jasmin really enjoyed rolling out her passion for wellness and self-care and incorporating it into everyone’s days and sharing some of her ideas. Some of the activities she planned included 10-minute meditation sessions to online yoga classes, 30-minute walks, photo-of-the-day prompts and even a virtual pub!
“The goal is to encourage our team members to take time out of their busy schedules and focus on their mental and physical well-being,” says Jasmin.
Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and improve focus. 10-minute meditation sessions were made available to the team on a Monday morning in order to start the week with a clear head. Online yoga classes were also available for those looking to stretch and strengthen their bodies while also practising mindfulness. For those who prefer to get outside, 30-minute walks were encouraged to help increase daily activity levels and get some fresh air. Our team members also participated in photo-of-the-day prompts like a view from my window, my favourite mug and hobbies, which not only inspired creativity but also helped us form better relationships between colleagues.
“The 30-minute walk was something that I really wanted to add to our wellness month to encourage breaks away from the screen and to share the importance of self-care and taking some time for yourself,” explains Jasmin.
To end the week on a social note, Jasmin also organised a virtual pub for team members to unwind and connect with each other in a relaxed setting. As a remote company, socialising can be quite difficult so she wanted to organise the virtual pub, themed picture share and hobby corner as a way to maintain social connections and foster a sense of community within our team.
“It’s been great to have everyone getting involved with the various activities and I really enjoyed hearing about everyone’s different hobbies on our hobby corner lunch and learn,” says Jasmin and adds that after the wellness month initiative has concluded she would like to continue organising activities for the team and incorporate some of the activities into their regular working weeks.
Above: Photos employees shared showcasing their hobbies. Mizan loves her houseplants, Jasmin enjoys the art of calligraphy and Ciara has a passion for reading.
The Importance Of Prioritising Employee Wellbeing
At WeddingDates, we recognise the importance of prioritising wellness in the workplace. Prioritising wellness and self-care is essential for maintaining overall physical and mental health. It helps to reduce stress and anxiety, improve concentration, and increase productivity. Neglecting self-care can lead to burnout, exhaustion, and a decline in overall well-being. In addition, taking care of oneself can improve relationships with others and enhance one’s ability to cope with challenges.
“Our employees’ well-being is very important to us as a company. When individuals prioritise their own wellness, they are better equipped to face the demands of daily life, both in the workplace and in personal life. Therefore, prioritising wellness and self-care is vital for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and ensuring optimal performance,” says Ciara Crossan, Founder and CEO at WeddingDates.
Sarah O’Farrell, Head of Operations says she hopes some of the wellness month activities can be kept in the staff work calendars in the coming months: “We all work hard, and it’s important to punctuate that with moments of reflection and self-care, otherwise, we will all burn out.”
Let’s Hear From The WeddingDates Team
Q: Why do you think is it important to prioritise wellness and self-care?
Mizan: It is very important to prioritise your own well-being on a daily basis in order to be the best version of yourself. Taking care of ourselves is vital to living a happy and fulfilling life. It also improves our ability to cope with the challenges that life throws at us.
Ciara: I always say “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” I believe it is so important to take care of your mind, body and spirit and it is such an act of leadership to demonstrate to others how important it is.
Alix: As they say on flights “Take care of your own oxygen mask before helping others”. If we are burnt out and not looking after ourselves we are not able to give the effort or energy needed for other things. I know that I am personally very guilty of sacrificing my own self-care so this month has been a great reset for me and made me think more about what small things I can do to help myself.
Carys: This year, one of my personal goals was to invest in myself more; that’s time, energy, and resources spent on me and being guilt-free about being my own priority from time to time. Wellness is looking after both physical and mental health but mental health is often harder to recognise, manage or accept and I love that this is more of a focus in our society today.
Above: One of the photo-of-the-day prompts was “my favourite mug” – here are some photos employees shared.
Q: Anything that stood out to you during the month?
Mizan: The virtual pub was really fun as it allowed the staff to have a chat in a more “informal” setting.
Ciara: Seeing the team embrace the activities and participate in wellness month made me so happy. Clearly, it is something that the team needed and wanted. I am so proud of Jasmin for taking the lead on this initiative!
Alix: It feels as though there is a more positive attitude amongst the team and we are talking to each other about other topics more which can only lead to having stronger connections with each other.
Carys: I really enjoyed the quick photos. It’s just a bit of fun and doesn’t take up much time but I found out new things about people that I’ve known for years which was lovely.
Sarah: I agree with Carys, it was an easy way to engage on a lighter level through the photos. More water cooler moments are needed!
Above: WeddingDates employees sharing a drink together during the first virtual pub.
Q: What activity did you enjoy the most during the Wellness Month Initiative?
Mizan: I really enjoyed the 30-minute walks – when working remotely it is very important to remember to take a break and get out of the house.
Ciara; The virtual pub was great to chat as a group in a relaxed setting on a Friday evening. As a small team, it is important to make the effort to do group activities even virtually.
Alix: The Thursday pictures are great as it is a nice way to get a little insight into our colleagues and learn a bit more about what they enjoy.
Carys: The virtual pub is more my taste in well-being. Working remotely can be an adjustment and you miss more of the socialising element so it was nice to relax, chat, have a drink and unwind with colleagues before starting the weekend.
Sarah: It is hard to choose as I got something out of everything I participated in. On the Wednesday Walk – when time was tight I combined a virtual coffee with the walk and it was really energising. The hobby corner was also very interesting as it allowed us to hear things about people and what they do in their spare time. And it turns out we might have enough people on the team for a dance troupe!
We hope that our Wellness Month Initiative inspires other companies to consider implementing similar programs in their workplaces. Remember, small actions can have a big impact on promoting wellness and self-care. Let’s make wellness a priority every month, not just in April.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH OUR COMPANY NEWS FOLLOW US ON TWITTER OR CONNECT WITH US ON LINKEDIN.
