About 15 years ago, I started jogging around my local park with our family dog, to get some relief from the stressful six and seven-day working routine I had got into.
The catalyst for the more serious running I do now was my mum passing in 2007.
Like many who lose a loved one or are suffering from ill-health – physical or mental – I reacted by looking inwards, reevaluating what was important to me, and I sought to find a better balance in my world.
Nowadays, running provides me with the vital head-space I need to keep things in perspective. My long Sunday runs in particular allow me to zone out. I don’t run with music or listen to podcasts – I just tap along to the beat of my footsteps and the natural sounds around me. It is a strangely cathartic experience.
The current buzz around mindfulness is a clear demonstration of people recognising and seeking the same kind of release that running brings to me. Whether achieved via hard physical exercise, a relaxing activity such as yoga or a good old colouring book, it is important to find an escape.
At Holidaysplease, I believe we have a responsibility to look after the mental wellbeing of our staff. The recent TTG Toolkit article on how employers can keep an eye out for warning signs and support their staff in times of crisis was a welcome and insightful read.
Last year, Thomas Cook launched its Employee Assistance Programme and Travel Counsellors have held mental health workshops in collaboration with the charity Mind.
Both are great initiatives and are to be applauded. As a business owner, team leader or manager, you can maintain the wellbeing of your staff by simply being more aware.
At Holidaysplease HQ, I am constantly encouraging the team to take proper breaks, get some fresh air in the middle of the day and avoid taking late lunches at 4pm. We have created a chill-out space that allows the team to relax and provided facilities to cook so that staff can eat well rather than snack on junk.
It is harder to monitor the wellbeing of our homeworkers, but we endeavour to do so via our systems and the reporting we have built. Our leaders also speak regularly to team members on the phone and have become experts at picking up on any warning signs of depression or stress.
Of course, your business will perform better with a happy, healthy team. But don’t let that be your prime reason to support their wellbeing. Do it because it is the right thing to do. It may seem like a marathon at the start, but once you take the first few steps, you’ll be surprised how easy things get.
Richard Dixon is director of Holidaysplease
