Curious Minds

Wellness Day

On Wednesday 3 November, national stress awareness day, the University of Lancaster Business School ran workshops for small businesses on how to improve the physical and mental fitness of staff. Whilst workplaces have minimised occupational health threats such as accidents and disease, new threats are the stress of information overload and musculo-skeletal damage caused by sedentary desk-bound jobs. Research has shown that ultimately, these threats increase mortality.

This is what Curious Minds learned from experts about how to combat stress:

• Chris Shaw demonstrated how tai chi and Qigong can get you moving at work: shaking, circling and swinging joints, slapping (honestly!) and massage improve circulation, posture and concentration.

• Steve Cody ran a mini 'boot camp', first emphasising the importance of motivation, goals and nutrition in the pursuit of physical fitness. Then press ups, sit ups and squats, which we anticipated as a 'beasting', turned out to be a laugh! Other exercises involving stretch and resistance showed us how to develop muscular as well as cardio-vascular strength.

• Donna Burden, Mental Health Nurse and wellbeing adviser to global pharmaceutical company Astra-Zeneca, challenged assumptions about stress, depression and mental illness. We discussed the significance of good breathing and time to listen to and support struggling colleagues, improving the quality of performance.

• Jan Goss helped us meditate and 'be in the present' using an approach known as 'Mindfulness'. This focused us on accepting and not judging our thoughts and experiences and recognising the power of nature in relaxation.

A creative day that provided immediate innovative strategies to change unhealthy working practice.