By Craig Bulow, Corporate Away Days
Everyone has been dealing with a lot during lockdown. It’s proving to be a long haul and has required many emotional and practical adjustments along the way.
You and your colleagues are probably finding that everything is running relatively smoothly now but, as we know “all work and no play…” can be dull so we need some fun in the mix.
If you’d like to boost wellbeing and morale of your team, here are some ideas for fun things you usually do in person that can be done remotely:
Remote Workouts
Perhaps you could find an activity most of the group will enjoy remotely, such as yoga, body balance or a HiiT workout and hire an appropriate instructor to take the team from the basics, perhaps weekly, until they can all see an improvement.
If you have fitness bunnies on your team maybe they can share their expertise, perhaps taking it in turns to share their tips on stretches, sit-ups, planks etc. If a plan can be designed for those needing an extra push to do exercise, this will be much easier when collectively engaged.
Zoom Arts
Many celebrities have made dance classes available over lockdown. Why not set up a team dance? You could all learn a routine to do together when you are finally reunited! The exercise will boost endorphins and could cause lots of laughter. If you’re stuck for dance teachers, get in touch, we have some great teachers available who can bring their own music, routines and fun.
Comedy can be a great team activity. Perhaps you could all vote on a classic comedy sketch, a live stand up performance or an episode of a series. Share it with the group and watch together or separately. Then chat online to discuss the best bits.
Music is also a great way to destress and connect with others. If you have musicians in the team then Zoom sessions to share their talents with others is great way to build connections and talk about something other than work. Also, team members could each share their all-time favourite track or one song that cheers them up.
A field trip for grown-ups
Most schools have a field trip in the summer, so why not your business? Firstly, make sure that work-supplied phones have plenty of data and encourage others to top up their data and ensure you pay for it for them, if needed. Then set a date and time for their trip.
Your team can walk in their local woods, nature trail, country park, river, park or beach. Keep the team connected on their phones, coverage allowing, while they walk and share their experiences live. They can discuss and show what they see, the types of birds and plant life. They could even show a flower, shrub or tree and see if another team member knows what it is.
As well as sharing how many fish have been caught by the anglers, the wildlife and the weather, they can talk about what the space means to them: did they grow up nearby, have a picnic with their other half when they were first dating, do they walk their dog here? A couple of hours where your team members can share their experiences can encourage better connections with nature – which is obviously beneficial for mental health – and work friends, but not talking about work.
Cooking together
If people are into food, online cooking can be great fun. There are plenty of celebrities offering excellent classes, information and recipes for you to try at home. Getting the team together on Facetime or Zoom to cook a chosen dish, bake a cake or create their own whilst judging the end result on presentation – knowing that they all taste delicious – creates a Master Chef show that has never been easier to win. If you need some help or inspiration, we offer cooking classes with all the ingredients delivered to your door and a master cook from an award-winning cookery school taking you through each step on Zoom.
Interactive Gaming
In today’s world most homes will have a games console of some description. Whether it’s the latest XBOX, Playstation or even more interactive Nintendo Wii, now is the perfect time to dust it off and select some competitive games or sports to offer up some healthy competition within your team. The latest models allow us to play interactively with each other. Is it F1, Tennis, Football, Minecraft, Chess, Scrabble? The list goes on and a league leader board can even be set up to motivate those joining in the fun.
Cycling and Golf
Of course, not all activities have to be remote. As the lockdown restrictions continue to be eased, there are options for us to get together in twos and later in smaller groups. Now is a great time to build teams that logistically can meet with bikes or a set of clubs and enjoy timeless banter and exercise either on the golf course or checking out cycle routes close to homes. As long as social distancing is maintained, this is a great way to improve skills and fitness levels until bigger teams can enjoy an organised company away day.
Why not pick an idea to start with that everyone feels comfortable participating in? If you try a variety of things, and get feedback, you’ll find the ideal mix of remote activities for your team. That will prove good for you all individually and collectively.
About the author
Craig Bulow is the founder of Corporate Away Days, a corporate wellbeing events company delivering engaging, inspiring and exciting events focussed on Wellbeing and Reward activities. Corporate Away Days also creates, designs and builds corporate wellbeing policies and provides leading experts for interactive workshops, seminars and talks on improving mental health and overall wellbeing.
Web: http://www.corporate-away-days.co.uk/
Instagram: corporateawaydays
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-bulow-3b227721/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-away-days/
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