The last 12-months have been incredibly tough for everyone around the globe – on both a personal and company level, with 1 in 6 employees saying that their mental health has suffered as a direct effect of the pandemic and the new steer towards working from home*.
With many companies choosing to remain flexible on future directives for shared and home working spaces, now, more than ever, employers will be required to dedicate an even larger proportion of their time and money to ensuring that being away from the positive elements that a shared office environment can bring does not have a direct effect on an individual employees’ well-being and thus, affect their performance and creativity.
A new age of incentive and reward
With this in mind, companies must start to consider different ways in which they can continue to motivate, reward and inspire their staff while maintaining the ‘new normal’. While it may seem that a simple one-to-one Zoom check-in call once a week will be enough to keep employees happy and nip any potential feelings of exclusion or loss of motivation in the bud, companies worldwide are becoming much more aware of how important face to face interaction can be for an individual’s mental health and well-being.
“Whilst teams can connect more easily through technology, there is still a sense of personal disconnect, which can be difficult, especially as time goes on.” – Gerlind Smith, Human Capital Director at PwC
Team building events and incentive and reward days are a particularly useful avenue to consider when planning how you, as a leader, can continue to engage your employees, whether they are office based or working from home, creating a sense of inclusion, and ultimately supporting each individual’s mental health and well-being.
Related article: Motivating your team – how corporate sailing days can help
Considering events like sailing, that bring people together, with elements of serenity and fun and, at times fast paced activity, both mentally and physically, can help those looking to encourage their teams achieve all their goals at once. Sailing provides a safe, neutral space for members of a team to come together and feel valued while supporting well-being through fresh air, nature, sport and teamwork.
The positive benefits of sailing on mental health
Sailing has a whole host of positive benefits that can perfectly complement an employer’s need to reward and motivate staff and here at Britannia Events, we are dedicated to ensuring that every one of our customers receives an onboard experience that they will remember fondly for years to come.
Whether that be in a competitive stance, where employees take on employers in a regatta event and become victorious, to using the platform as a way to reconnect and discuss issues that individuals themselves are experiencing with other members of the team, something which prior to the pandemic was potentially taken for granted.
Related article: Why sailing makes a great team building day
Throughout the pandemic, various charity organisations have supported specialist sailing days specifically for those on the front line, noting the positive impact a day on the water can have on one’s mental health. That premise can also be applied to individuals who do not work in a ‘key worker’ role, for example, those who work for large legal corporations who are either still required to travel into city offices on a daily basis or work from home. Australian based charity ‘Sailing lifts your spirits’, have said that;
“There is a lot of evidence that says that participating in adventure sports, and sailing in particular, is very good for improving our mental resilience, making us better able to withstand the challenges that life throws at us all.”
In addition, their company moto, ‘Together we support those who support us every day’ strongly supports a company’s need to remember those who work tirelessly for them throughout the year.
If that’s not enough reason to consider sailing for your next employee engagement or team building event, here’s our list of the top reasons to join us for an on board experience:
- Sailing is good for the mind – it’s a proven fact that the salty air associated with sailing enhances the human body’s natural ability to produce serotonin, one of the necessary chemicals to promote happiness
- Sailing helps physical fitness which in turn supports your mental health – whether you are running around the deck, helping raise the foresail or sitting on the port side to help with weight distribution, there is a large amount of cardiovascular and muscular fitness required while on board and when we work our bodies it has a positive effect on the mind
- Sailing lowers stress levels – the calming effect of slapping on some Ultrasun and stepping on board, listening to the waves and feeling the sun on your face – being on the water does wonders for an individual’s stress levels
- Sailing is liberating – there’s something exhilarating about being on a yacht, giving us a sense of freedom. Whether it’s glorious, warm sunshine or you’re wrapped up in your Helly Hansen waterproofs because the wind is whipping through the waves and the spray is hitting your face, spending time on the water will no doubt make you feel alive
- Sailing improves communication skills – the level of interaction required between a skipper and their crew to successfully sail a yacht will necessitate your staff to communicate in ways they probably won’t have done before – both verbally and non-verbally
- Sailing supports an individual’s organisational skills – the old saying ‘shipshape’ is a key phrase here – you cannot simply step on board and expect things to ‘just work’. All individuals will be required to function in an organised, methodical manner which can in turn promote an increase in their organisational skills both in the work and personal life.
Redefining the term ‘employee wellbeing’
While there are a large number of companies who have worked tirelessly over the last decade to ensure mental health and well-being are forefront of a HR departments objectives, recent events are sure to have created an even bigger need for diversity in how employers ensure staff satisfaction. Gone are the days when a pat on the back and a pint after work would be deemed as a suitable reward.
Supporting initiatives such as mindful drinking are much more rewarding to some employees today than they would have been five years ago. But thanks to a much wider range of alternatives, individuals who choose to support their own mental health and well-being by seeking the benefits of taking a break from booze are now less likely to be excluded from traditional after work drinks or drunken team days. Not to mention the positive effects a clear head can have on performance and creativity.
Team GB 2020/21 Olympic sailing hopefuls, Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre, keen supporters of mindful drinking, have spoken recently about how ‘New London Light’, a non-alcoholic spirit from Devon based distillery, Salcombe Distilling Co. has aided them in continuing to perform to the best of their ability while enjoying the socialistic elements that come with creating and enjoying a nice cold and sophisticated drink. They said;
“We are loving the non-alcoholic spirit ‘New London Light’ from Salcombe Distilling Co. It gives us the opportunity to enjoy the great taste of a sophisticated drink, whilst still pushing as hard as possible with our training on the water and in the gym. The likeness to taste of an alcoholic G&T is incredible and we get the same experience of making it – adding in the orange, sage and tonic to our own liking, which we really enjoy experimenting with.”
While we aren’t all Olympic hopefuls, the fundamental principles remain the same – inclusion is something that also needs to be addressed in terms of what avenues an employer goes down to celebrate good work and commitment, offering suitable options for everyone.
The last hurdle
With the possibility of lockdown being totally over by the end of June, now’s the perfect time to motivate your employees to look after themselves as we approach the (hopefully) finish line. Here’s our top five tips to help us through the final weeks of lockdown:
- Get outside – whether you want to run, walk, cycle, each of these activities are free, accessible and liberating. And even though the warmer, sunnier weather keeps teasing us, there are likely to be more rainy, windy days ahead. With that in mind, take a look at our partner, Helly Hansen’s, range of outdoor wear so you can stay snug while getting some much needed fresh air
- Enjoy the sunshine when it comes to visit – OK so it’s not quite shorts weather just yet (although we’re pretty sure you can name at least one person who always wears them come rain or shine) but the first few sunny days of 2021 have been an absolute blessing! It’s amazing how susceptible we are as humans to the powerful Vitamin D effect, with moods lifting instantly as soon as the sun comes out. But remember, even though it may not be hot, the sun’s rays are still powerful, so take care of your skin with and make sure you slap on some Ultrasun from our wonderful lifestyle partner
- Take care of your mental health – Whether you enjoy meditating, doing yoga, setting up for some online combat classes or simply enjoy the ten minutes alone that a shower can bring you, make sure you take time out of each day for you. Your mental health and well-being will thank you in the long run
- Everything in moderation – OK so hands up who’s put on a few lockdown pounds or side-lined their ‘weekend only’ drinking? We know we have. But there’s still time to get yourself ready for summer so you can look, and more importantly, feel, great. Keep an eye on your diet and maybe swap the Monday – Thursday G&T that’s become a staple in your lockdown diet with a ‘New London Light’ by Salcombe Distilling Co. with 0% alcohol instead. It still tastes as good as the original but will be kinder to your body so you’ll be feeling more focused and energetic throughout the working week. Check out our favourite cocktail recipe below for some added inspiration
- Laugh as often as you can – Don’t be afraid to do things that make you laugh. So many of us have felt lonely, depressed, overwhelmed and angry through lockdown, understandably. But just taking five minutes a day to watch a comedian that makes you laugh on YouTube, have a Zoom chat with your best mate or listen to your kids playing together without a care in the world can be priceless. After all, laughter really is the best medicine.
Related: Take a look at our lifestyle partners
Our favourite non-alcoholic Cocktail
A drink to awaken the sense and clear the mind, a Spring Tide cocktail is full of fresh flavours, where ginger and lemongrass highlight Salcombe Distilling Co’s ‘New London Light’s spice and zesty citrus. Apple and elderflower lengthen and serve and green pepper adds a welcome earthiness, bringing out habanero and coriander notes. A delicious choice for a spring or summer sundowner from the back of one of our yachts.
Ingredients:
- 50ml ‘New London Light’ gin
- 15ml Bottle Green Ginger and Lemongrass cordial
- 5ml apple vinegar
- Premium Light Elderflower tonic water
- Green pepper
Method:
- Fill a Boston shaker with ice
- Add the NLL, Green Ginger & Lemongrass Cordial and apple vinegar and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Strain the mixture over the ice into a highball glass filled with ice
- Top your glass with the Premium Light Elderflower tonic water
- Garnish with three thin slices of green pepper
For more fabulous non-alcoholic cocktail recipes, visit salcombegin.com/mixology
Find out more
Here at Britannia Events, we offer a wide range of team building and incentive days to help employers support their staff, from one off reward days to weekend industry regattas. Whatever your objectives are, we can help you arrange the perfect day for those who you want to motivate, reward and inspire, from providing a yacht and skipper for your team to enjoy an action packed day learning to sail, to a slower, relaxed paced afternoon on the water sipping a G&T (alcoholic or not!).
For more information on the events we run, We’re doing the best to look after ourselves at Britannia and hope you are too. When the time is right, feel free to contact our dedicated event manager Sonya on 02380 458900 or email Sonya@britanniaevents.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you.
*ONS, 2021
The last 12-months have been incredibly tough for everyone around the globe – on both a personal and company level, with 1 in 6 employees saying that their mental health has suffered as a direct effect of the pandemic and the new steer towards working from home*.
With many companies choosing to remain flexible on future directives for shared and home working spaces, now, more than ever, employers will be required to dedicate an even larger proportion of their time and money to ensuring that being away from the positive elements that a shared office environment can bring does not have a direct effect on an individual employees’ well-being and thus, affect their performance and creativity.
A new age of incentive and reward
With this in mind, companies must start to consider different ways in which they can continue to motivate, reward and inspire their staff while maintaining the ‘new normal’. While it may seem that a simple one-to-one Zoom check-in call once a week will be enough to keep employees happy and nip any potential feelings of exclusion or loss of motivation in the bud, companies worldwide are becoming much more aware of how important face to face interaction can be for an individual’s mental health and well-being.
“Whilst teams can connect more easily through technology, there is still a sense of personal disconnect, which can be difficult, especially as time goes on.” – Gerlind Smith, Human Capital Director at PwC
Team building events and incentive and reward days are a particularly useful avenue to consider when planning how you, as a leader, can continue to engage your employees, whether they are office based or working from home, creating a sense of inclusion, and ultimately supporting each individual’s mental health and well-being.
Related article: Motivating your team – how corporate sailing days can help
Considering events like sailing, that bring people together, with elements of serenity and fun and, at times fast paced activity, both mentally and physically, can help those looking to encourage their teams achieve all their goals at once. Sailing provides a safe, neutral space for members of a team to come together and feel valued while supporting well-being through fresh air, nature, sport and teamwork.
The positive benefits of sailing on mental health
Sailing has a whole host of positive benefits that can perfectly complement an employer’s need to reward and motivate staff and here at Britannia Events, we are dedicated to ensuring that every one of our customers receives an onboard experience that they will remember fondly for years to come.
Whether that be in a competitive stance, where employees take on employers in a regatta event and become victorious, to using the platform as a way to reconnect and discuss issues that individuals themselves are experiencing with other members of the team, something which prior to the pandemic was potentially taken for granted.
Related article: Why sailing makes a great team building day
Throughout the pandemic, various charity organisations have supported specialist sailing days specifically for those on the front line, noting the positive impact a day on the water can have on one’s mental health. That premise can also be applied to individuals who do not work in a ‘key worker’ role, for example, those who work for large legal corporations who are either still required to travel into city offices on a daily basis or work from home. Australian based charity ‘Sailing lifts your spirits’, have said that;
“There is a lot of evidence that says that participating in adventure sports, and sailing in particular, is very good for improving our mental resilience, making us better able to withstand the challenges that life throws at us all.”
In addition, their company moto, ‘Together we support those who support us every day’ strongly supports a company’s need to remember those who work tirelessly for them throughout the year.
If that’s not enough reason to consider sailing for your next employee engagement or team building event, here’s our list of the top reasons to join us for an on board experience:
- Sailing is good for the mind – it’s a proven fact that the salty air associated with sailing enhances the human body’s natural ability to produce serotonin, one of the necessary chemicals to promote happiness
- Sailing helps physical fitness which in turn supports your mental health – whether you are running around the deck, helping raise the foresail or sitting on the port side to help with weight distribution, there is a large amount of cardiovascular and muscular fitness required while on board and when we work our bodies it has a positive effect on the mind
- Sailing lowers stress levels – the calming effect of slapping on some Ultrasun and stepping on board, listening to the waves and feeling the sun on your face – being on the water does wonders for an individual’s stress levels
- Sailing is liberating – there’s something exhilarating about being on a yacht, giving us a sense of freedom. Whether it’s glorious, warm sunshine or you’re wrapped up in your Helly Hansen waterproofs because the wind is whipping through the waves and the spray is hitting your face, spending time on the water will no doubt make you feel alive
- Sailing improves communication skills – the level of interaction required between a skipper and their crew to successfully sail a yacht will necessitate your staff to communicate in ways they probably won’t have done before – both verbally and non-verbally
- Sailing supports an individual’s organisational skills – the old saying ‘shipshape’ is a key phrase here – you cannot simply step on board and expect things to ‘just work’. All individuals will be required to function in an organised, methodical manner which can in turn promote an increase in their organisational skills both in the work and personal life.
Redefining the term ‘employee wellbeing’
While there are a large number of companies who have worked tirelessly over the last decade to ensure mental health and well-being are forefront of a HR departments objectives, recent events are sure to have created an even bigger need for diversity in how employers ensure staff satisfaction. Gone are the days when a pat on the back and a pint after work would be deemed as a suitable reward.
Supporting initiatives such as mindful drinking are much more rewarding to some employees today than they would have been five years ago. But thanks to a much wider range of alternatives, individuals who choose to support their own mental health and well-being by seeking the benefits of taking a break from booze are now less likely to be excluded from traditional after work drinks or drunken team days. Not to mention the positive effects a clear head can have on performance and creativity.
Team GB 2020/21 Olympic sailing hopefuls, Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre, keen supporters of mindful drinking, have spoken recently about how ‘New London Light’, a non-alcoholic spirit from Devon based distillery, Salcombe Distilling Co. has aided them in continuing to perform to the best of their ability while enjoying the socialistic elements that come with creating and enjoying a nice cold and sophisticated drink. They said;
“We are loving the non-alcoholic spirit ‘New London Light’ from Salcombe Distilling Co. It gives us the opportunity to enjoy the great taste of a sophisticated drink, whilst still pushing as hard as possible with our training on the water and in the gym. The likeness to taste of an alcoholic G&T is incredible and we get the same experience of making it – adding in the orange, sage and tonic to our own liking, which we really enjoy experimenting with.”
While we aren’t all Olympic hopefuls, the fundamental principles remain the same – inclusion is something that also needs to be addressed in terms of what avenues an employer goes down to celebrate good work and commitment, offering suitable options for everyone.
The last hurdle
With the possibility of lockdown being totally over by the end of June, now’s the perfect time to motivate your employees to look after themselves as we approach the (hopefully) finish line. Here’s our top five tips to help us through the final weeks of lockdown:
- Get outside – whether you want to run, walk, cycle, each of these activities are free, accessible and liberating. And even though the warmer, sunnier weather keeps teasing us, there are likely to be more rainy, windy days ahead. With that in mind, take a look at our partner, Helly Hansen’s, range of outdoor wear so you can stay snug while getting some much needed fresh air
- Enjoy the sunshine when it comes to visit – OK so it’s not quite shorts weather just yet (although we’re pretty sure you can name at least one person who always wears them come rain or shine) but the first few sunny days of 2021 have been an absolute blessing! It’s amazing how susceptible we are as humans to the powerful Vitamin D effect, with moods lifting instantly as soon as the sun comes out. But remember, even though it may not be hot, the sun’s rays are still powerful, so take care of your skin with and make sure you slap on some Ultrasun from our wonderful lifestyle partner
- Take care of your mental health – Whether you enjoy meditating, doing yoga, setting up for some online combat classes or simply enjoy the ten minutes alone that a shower can bring you, make sure you take time out of each day for you. Your mental health and well-being will thank you in the long run
- Everything in moderation – OK so hands up who’s put on a few lockdown pounds or side-lined their ‘weekend only’ drinking? We know we have. But there’s still time to get yourself ready for summer so you can look, and more importantly, feel, great. Keep an eye on your diet and maybe swap the Monday – Thursday G&T that’s become a staple in your lockdown diet with a ‘New London Light’ by Salcombe Distilling Co. with 0% alcohol instead. It still tastes as good as the original but will be kinder to your body so you’ll be feeling more focused and energetic throughout the working week. Check out our favourite cocktail recipe below for some added inspiration
- Laugh as often as you can – Don’t be afraid to do things that make you laugh. So many of us have felt lonely, depressed, overwhelmed and angry through lockdown, understandably. But just taking five minutes a day to watch a comedian that makes you laugh on YouTube, have a Zoom chat with your best mate or listen to your kids playing together without a care in the world can be priceless. Afterall, laughter really is the best medicine.
Related: Take a look at our lifestyle partners
Our favourite non-alcoholic Cocktail
A drink to awaken the sense and clear the mind, a Spring Tide cocktail is full of fresh flavours, where ginger and lemongrass highlight Salcombe Distilling Co’s ‘New London Light’s spice and zesty citrus. Apple and elderflower lengthen and serve and green pepper adds a welcome earthiness, bringing out habanero and coriander notes. A delicious choice for a spring or summer sundowner from the back of one of our yachts.
Ingredients:
- 50ml ‘New London Light’ gin
- 15ml Bottle Green Ginger and Lemongrass cordial
- 5ml apple vinegar
- Premium Light Elderflower tonic water
- Green pepper
Method:
- Fill a Boston shaker with ice
- Add the NLL, Green Ginger & Lemongrass Cordial and apple vinegar and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Strain the mixture over the ice into a highball glass filled with ice
- Top your glass with the Premium Light Elderflower tonic water
- Garnish with three thin slices of green pepper
For more fabulous non-alcoholic cocktail recipes, visit salcombegin.com/mixology
Find out more
Here at Britannia Events, we offer a wide range of team building and incentive days to help employers support their staff, from one off reward days to weekend industry regattas. Whatever your objectives are, we can help you arrange the perfect day for those who you want to motivate, reward and inspire, from providing a yacht and skipper for your team to enjoy an action packed day learning to sail, to a slower, relaxed paced afternoon on the water sipping a G&T (alcoholic or not!).
For more information on the events we run, We’re doing the best to look after ourselves at Britannia and hope you are too. When the time is right, feel free to contact our dedicated event manager Theresa on 02380 458900 or email theresa@35.178.249.41. We look forward to hearing from you.
*ONS, 2021
