Wellbeing and why it's important

It’s been a lovely long weekend of well needed downtime so I won’t keep you too long for this week’s blog, as I hope you’re doing the same. 


A few months ago, my company gave us all a ‘wellbeing day’, a day that could be taken whenever we chose to do so, on the understanding that we had to do something enjoyable. It was their way of acknowledging the pressure everyone had been under over the course of the previous year. I chose to take mine last Thursday and tag it onto the bank holiday weekend, and as I don’t work Fridays, that meant a super long weekend for me!!!

I started my day with a run in beautiful sunshine around one of my favourite routes. I then went for my second Covid vaccine, ok so not exactly enjoyable but wellbeing all the same. On the way home I called into the shop for fresh croissants, how decadent on a Thursday. 


I then decided to go shopping for some new clothes. It’s been a while as I’ve spent most of my time in Lycra or something ever so slightly more elevated for work!  It was so lovely to see people out and about, doing something normal, shopping, eating, drinking. I paused for a coffee and watched the world go by. 



When I got home, I had a late lunch then sat reading all afternoon. It wasn’t a day to set the world alight but for me it was perfect. I spend so much time racing from one thing to the next and trying to multitask (don’t, it never works!) that it was a blessing to be able to focus on one thing at a time and savour it fully. 


I'm not going to apologise for returning to the subject of wellbeing as unfortunately, in this day and age, it seems we have to be reminded to take time out.  I'm incredibly lucky to work for a company that has 'wellbeing' high on their agenda but here's some shocking statistics I found on the Westfield Health website (https://www.westfieldhealth.com/resources/wellbeingindex):


A staggering 84% of Brits are failing to achieve the amount of physical activity recommended by the NHS, and workers are calling out for support from their employers.

More than two-thirds of employees (67%) believe its an employers responsibility to support their physical wellbeing.

HR professionals recognise the benefits: 74% agree that physical activity reduces absenteeism, yet almost half (44%) are not considering investing in physical activity provisions for their workplace.

Of course, it's not only physical wellbeing either, mental wellbeing is very much at the forefront of our minds - quite literally!  Taking time out for a specific 'wellbeing day' is brilliant, but we also need to make sure that we're taking time out on a daily basis.  If we only take time out when we're reminded to do so, it's a bit like going for a run once every 3 months and expecting to be able to run a marathon.  



Making wellbeing part of our daily routine is the way forward, find a time that works for you and treat it like any other appointment, ie, with respect and don't cancel it.  A great way to start is by using an app, our phones and watches are capable of incredible things these days so download lots of different apps, find one that works for you and off you go!


The pics in this week's blog are from yesterday's bootcamp and a reminder to me of what fun we had, both physically and for our minds.


#2021 




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