Corporate

The workplace is where most of us spend the majority of our time and so plays a big part in our health. Lots of things can distract us from work, for example, hunger, tiredness, joint aches, and dehydration so we share our top ten tips on how to minimise these and feel happier and healthier at work.

Coping with the stress and pressure that the modern working environment puts us under can be disruptive to both our mental and physical health. As a successful professional, we want to be energetic, positive and productive, but with ever increasing workloads and long hours, our well-being is being pushed aside as our work takes centre stage.

Whilst travel as we know it has changed drastically over the last year, we’ve seen a growing demand from business travellers who are looking to work from holiday and book long stay wellness workcations ranging from 30 to 60 nights at a time.

When juggling busy modern day lifestyles with demanding work and family commitments, many of us are left with little or no time to realise what is happening to our health. Technology advances mean work demands are now being carried home making it increasingly more difficult for professionals to switch off from their work life. The inability to relax and unwind is not only detrimental for one’s health, but also detrimental to one’s productivity and ability to focus at work.

by Paul Joseph

Co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel

Welcome to the world of work; deadlines, meetings, emails and calls. I'm a very physically active person but with my busy schedule it is difficult at times to stick to healthy choices. I find it hard to keep to regular eating times when working long days and usually opt for something quick to eat at my desk. Sometimes I have skipped lunch altogether just so that I can finish a task that needs my full attention which is not good. This only slows down my concentration and productivity levels. Furthermore, my random eating habits do not help when I'm trying to maintain my healthy lifestyle.

Feeling a little bit stuck or drained at work? It’s more common than you think - a 2021 report by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that almost one million British people reported work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. Burnout can be an inevitable part of working that affects everyone from time to time, but it’s the response to these feelings that can make or break your work-life balance for months to come. Without the opportunity to reset and take care of your body, there can be severe implications on your stress levels, sleep cycle, relationships, and mood. Here are a few ways awellness holiday, no matter how brief, can improve your performance on the job! 

Catch Up on your Sleep Cycle 

Caption: Woman sleeping next to an alarm clock.  

It’s so easy to prioritise different elements of our lives, whether it be our social lives, our work lives, or our love lives. Regardless, it’s important to reset your body after each day and get at least seven hours of sleep each night. If this isn’t achieved, we can feel trapped in a sluggish cycle of grogginess. If this is something that you may struggle with, you’re not alone! Going on asleep enhancement retreat can allow you to learn techniques that can transfer over to your day-to-day life. As simple as it may sound, the entire course of your day can depend on whether you’re well-rested or not.  

Soak Up the Sun! 

 Caption: Woman laying on a sun deck with a refreshing drink atSHA Wellness Clinic 

Working inside an office or indoors often means heading into the office early in the morning and heading home well after the sun has set. Spending a full work week without getting much fresh air has more consequences than it may seem! The Sun provides us with many health benefits, such as stress reduction, improving our immune system, and most importantly, giving us a daily dose of Vitamin D. This powerful vitamin is responsible for keeping our bones, teeth, and muscles strong and healthy. Believe it or not, a lack of sun exposure due to long indoor hours has proven to cause a Vitamin D deficiency in many working adults! Taking a wellness holiday to a sunny destination such asSpain orPortugal can be just what you need to catch some rays and relax while doing so! 

Because You Deserve to Reward Yourself 

Caption: Woman receiving a floral massage treatment at Atmantan Wellness Resort 

As hard workers in a corporate setting, sometimes a break or holiday seems like an impossibility. However, that’s not the case. You don’t always need a reason or an event to happen to treat yourself - embark on a wellness holiday because you work hard, and you deserve it! Taking care of ourselves and making sure we’re happy is just as important as the work we carry out each day! Going on aspa holiday periodically can improve your mood significantly and help you return to the workplace a renewed person! Breaking up the cycle of months of work is important and also gives us something to look forward to! Escaping an urban setting for even just a day or two can boost your productivity and creativity at work!  

Discover Your New Favourite Thing 

Caption: Group surfing lesson atParadis Plage in Morocco 

In addition to stunning mental and physical health benefits, wellness holidays can be the perfect opportunity to try something you’ve always been thinking about! Many of oursport holidays offer lessons in different activities such as surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, golf, and more! These retreats are attended by complete beginners to skilled professionals, so no matter your skill level, you’re welcome! Trying a new activity can be an exciting experience that you may not have time to embrace during the average full-time workweek. Who knows, you may fall in love with your new favourite hobby or sport!  

Meet Your New Best Friends 

Caption: Group of people exercising together on the beach. 

While it’s a great experience to make friends from work, going into a completely new setting and making new connections is a profound experience that not many people get to experience. Many people who embark on wellness retreats often do so alone, and many resorts andsingles-only holidays often have tables for individuals to eat together and get to know each other at! While this may not seem related to work, it actually can have significant effects on your productivity and people skills! Making new connections with retreat guests, who often come from different locations around the world, will improve your cultural efficacy and cross-cultural communication skills. This can help you network with clients or professionals worldwide, and also improve your confidence and people skills!  

The benefits of taking a wellness holiday are immense both inside and outside of the office. Our bodies and minds were not designed to continuously work without any rest and relaxation. A work-life balance is incredibly important, and if you’re feeling burnout in the office or working from home, it’s important that you act on it instead of pushing it to the side! Your mind and body will thank you!  

Talk to one of our Wellness Travel Specialists on 0203 397 8891 or contact us here to enquire about your Corporate Wellness solution today! 

by Lucy Miller

A Fitness and Nutrition Expert

Slumped over you desk far too much? I know the feeling. Many of my clients come to me with rounded shoulders, tight hip flexors and repetitive strain in their wrists and forearms – who would have thought sitting at a desk all day could be so bad for you?

The good news is there are some pretty easy ways to fix these underlying problems and get them under control. 

by Maureen Cromey

An Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Expert

"Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”.  
- Confucius

Whether we have a job that we love or work out of necessity to keep the devil from the door, work can be a challenge to our health.  But unemployment can be worse. The lack of motivation, self-esteem, social chaos and poverty related to unemployment can be far more damaging then many workplace risks.

We all want to be great; to stand out within our company, to be the best partner, friend and loved one. The question is how do we have all of this and look after our own health, mind and being?

Many of us tend to overlook the fact that the average person will spend around a third of their life at work or in the office. So, being able to recognise how we can take care of ourselves before we leave for work and during our day is very important when keeping us healthy and on top of our game in the workplace. Here we will look at some practical ways that you can incorporate wellness into your daily routine from some key health aspects, which will help keep your mind and body healthy for years to come! 

The increasing prevalence of remote work and tighter social distancing measures has created a new travel trend; instead of working from home, wellness enthusiasts are taking wellness holidays abroad where they can work remotely while pursuing healthy activities. At Health and Fitness Travel, we have seen an increase in clients wanting to leave the living room and carry on working remotely from holiday.