Christmas decorations have been taken down and now itโs time for work to resume, and your diary is most likely already filling up fast. It can be difficult to get back into the swing of things but, itโs always important to remember to take care of your health and wellbeing. Jamie Anton, Group Director of Golf and Leisure at De Vere, a collection of historic mansion house estates and distinctive contemporary hotels and event destinations, has shared his tips to help you start your 2022 work life healthy and happy…
Boost mental wellbeing
Looking after our mental health has never been more important. Recent research by CIPHR found that one in 14 UK adults (7%) feel stressed every single day. To combat this, it is essential you fit activities into your day to boost your mental health and wellbeing.
Exercising outdoors with exposure to nature has been proven to have many positive influences on health. As little as a 20-minute walk or a short run at lunchtime can have beneficial effects. Our properties are set within 20 acres or more of natural parkland allowing your team or delegates to take advantage of our designated jogging trails or walking routes plus, you can borrow a pair of Hunter wellies from reception before heading into the great outdoors.
Hotels in the portfolio include De Vere Latimer Estate, nestled in an Area of Outstanding Beauty, De Vere Cotswold Water Park, โ surrounded by a nature reserve and 152 beautiful lakes, De Vere Tortworth Court set within a 30 acre estate which includes a Victorian arboretum housing more than 300 plant and tree specimens to explore, and De Vere Wokefield Estate, home to Wokefield Estate Golf Club, a 6,996-yard, par 72 championship course and a 15 bay,ย fully-floodlit driving range.
For meeting and event organisers, offering plenty of outdoor space for delegates to explore and help clear the mind is ideal. It provides endless opportunities for outdoor breakout sessions; team building activities; dining al fresco; working in the sunshine in the summer months โ which is possible at our properties thanks to the super-fast Wi-Fi that stretches up to a 100m perimeter around each property.
You are what you eat
The benefits of a healthy diet include a sense of well-being, improved mood, memory and cognitive skills, as well as stronger bones and teeth. De Vere offers delicious conference and banqueting menus packed with great sources of protein, essential fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which helps support the immune system, promote a healthy gut, and allows the brain to function properly. These menus can also be adapted to cater to all dietary requirements and allergies. To influence nutrition in the workplace or at your meeting, conference and event, avoid scheduling meetings or activities around meal times to ensure employees can take the time to refuel or if they are working from home, it allows them time to cook and prepare healthier meal options.
It is also essential to stay hydrated when attending meetings and events. Dehydration increases stress hormone response and adversely affects immune function. It is key for delegates to keep a bottle of water with them throughout the day, and for venues to provide refill stations where possible.
Have some fun
Being sedentary for the most part of the day will leave delegates feeling restless and with lower energy levels. Including short, varied workouts throughout the event can help to avoid this, refresh the mind and keep productivity levels at an optimum. Sets of jumping jacks or stretching exercises at regular intervals are an easy way of incorporating quick active activities to the agenda.
Our properties feature outdoor games, including chess, connect4, draughts and football, and picnic options to allow your team or delegates to enjoy the hotelsโ beautiful surroundings and to bond outside of a work environment comfortably. Adding a competitive element through games also helps delegates to build relationships and encourages a more open collaborative culture.
De Vere Wokefield Estate, set in 250 acres of Berkshire parkland, is home to on-site teambuilding partner, Graham Robb Associates. Event organisers can arrange an adrenalin-packed array of activities including woodland laser combat, archery, zorbing, and high ropes to name a few.
Get out of the house
While working from home can be convenient, not everyone has the facilities to work from home and some often find that working alone has a negative impact on their wellbeing. It can be important for our mental health to go somewhere different for a change of scenery and, where possible, enjoy some face-to-face interaction.
Our new Smart Base service offers remote working spaces at our venues, providing a smarter way to meet the needs of todayโs flexible work patterns. It is ideal for those looking for a quiet corner to work from, those looking for the buzz of a co-working space, and also for those who want to take advantage of the great outdoors with our outdoor Wi-Fi, Smart Base offers flexibility and inspiring settings in equal measure. Plus, you can enjoy sustainably sourced fresh coffee on the house, and a pastry or nutritious snack from The Pantry coffee shop as well as superfast Wi-Fi.
Your Wellbeing at Heart
At De Vere we always put the safety of our guests and staff first. Our specially designed Your Wellbeing at Heart programme ensures a healthy and safe visit for guests and meeting delegates, and a safe working environment for our team members. With the support of ChemEco, De Vere has carefully crafted a range of new measures, including enhancing the already meticulous deep cleaning of meeting and event spaces, bars, restaurants, and bedrooms. This includes regularly sanitising public areas using jet action โmistingโ technology which uses hard acting yet environmentally friendly solutions from ChemEco.
