Workplace wellbeing, like many other businesses is a key focus for Paris Smith in 2019. Our first ever Wellbeing Week took place on 23-27 September this year, where there were a range of activities for staff at all levels to take part in, all around making sure we are looking after ourselves, and our colleagues. Information and sessions delivered by specialists on topics including physical health, nutrition, work-life balance, health checks, and financial wellbeing. The week was extremely successful, and we hope to repeat it next year.
This initiative comes alongside practical changes; we reviewed our mental health and wellbeing policy this year in order to give these topics priority in the workplace.
So what went on?
Wellness Workshop: Time to Thrive: This session, led by Katie Newman, Life Coach and NLP Practitioner was an interactive, practical and empowering workshop, aimed to help staff learn how to challenge long-held beliefs that hold them back. Staff learned how to practically plan for their futures and techniques to identify when they are holding themselves back in a negative way.
Health Checks: We welcomed Occupational Health Consultancy for staff to have health checks at the office; the basic MOT included blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose tests and assessments.
Smoothie Bikes: Urban Smoothie Bikes brought a bit of colour to the offices with their smoothie making bikes! Staff raced on static bikes to make themselves healthy smoothies!
Lunch and Learn: Nutrition session: The food and fun continued with Nutritionist Helen Money‘s workshop all about how to create a healthy balanced diet with particular focus on the importance of lunch; plus Helen explored how lunch impacts our performance at work and how to avoid that 2 o’clock dip.
Financial Wellbeing: Robust financial planning can have such a significant impact on someones life, and stress around finances can be really damaging. Ovation Finance ran a session for staff to help really understand how to build an individual financial plan.
Life Balance: ‘Balance’ describes a state where what we do with our time, money and resources matches our inner priorities. But, because we are ever changing and evolving our current priorities and patterns may no longer fit what we know to be important. The gap is what leads to a sense of being out of balance. Lynn from Southampton City Council helped our team recognise and take steps to help work life balance.
Art Class: Staff got creative with Becks Porter in a relaxing art class. With stress levels high at work, its important to take time to relax and focus on yourself, whatever that looks like.
Healthy backs: Most of the team at Paris Smith are sitting at desks for large portions of the day, so recognising how to keep your back healthy with the help of Alex Hurter was a really important park of wellbeing week.
Other activities included lunchtime walks and Pilates sessions.
HR Director Paula Al-Yousif, who has been leading on the wellbeing initiatives said, “Mental health and wellbeing is very close to the hearts of many people within our business; we want to openly recognise this and create a culture where people feel they can talk openly and feel supported. We already had existing mental health support in place together with wellbeing benefits and initiatives. However, we wanted to implement more creative ways to bring people together, provide information and in doing so, have some fun along the way!”
Take a look at all of our activities, plus more photos on social media by following the #BeWellWithPS.