Building a terrarium, navigating escape rooms, dangling from zip wires or digging the land. Can an office Away Day improve staff wellbeing?
My heart sank when the Teams meeting announcement popped into my inbox. ‘Staff Away Day, volunteering at Hampshire Market Garden!’ In what possible way could time away from my desk, engaging in my least favourite outdoor activity benefit me or my colleagues at Action Hampshire?
With a work deadline looming and the prospect of losing seven vital office hours, I didn’t rush to commit. Labouring in a field, away from civilisation, digital connection and coffee making facilities made me anxious.
Who needs an Away Day anyway?
Apparently, most of us. According to MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) an organisation which promotes mental wellbeing at work, 61% of workers feel exhausted at the end of a working day. Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report 2024 claims 91% of UK adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure in the last year.
According to HR solutions company CIPHR, engaging in the mental or physical challenges experienced on an Away Day, employees can help reduce their stress levels and potentially discover something new they enjoy doing.
With post pandemic, hybrid or remote working, Away Days could be more important than ever
Action Hampshire team members are all home-workers having moved to remote working in January 2024. The organisation proudly puts staff well-being at the top of its agenda. An internal staff survey indicated that for many of the team face to face, human interaction is a key factor in achieving good mental health at work.
In response to this, the organisation has a schedule of ‘coffee catch-ups’, – in-person social chats or activities during office hours designed to encourage human interaction, monthly co-working days and regular after-work socials. It has also implemented a programme of Away Days so the team can come together and bond without the distraction of our ‘day jobs’.
But do we really have to get our hands dirty?
The Hampshire Market Garden at Hambledon where our Away Day took place is a field set in peaceful, rolling countryside. There are roughly 100 ‘no-dig’ veg plots, a couple of poly tunnels, a compost heap and a 1.5m high mound of dirt.
After an informative talk about organic farming and its environmental benefits, we were set to work. Did you know the most effective way to manage slug population is to employ ducks?
We assembled for our duties and dangled the carrot of a home-cooked lunch featuring items from the garden prepared by a gardener and ex top chef!
Working up an appetite
Over several hours (it felt like less) we planted 320 lettuces, uprooted over 1500 lettuces from the veg borders and shifted the 1.5m mound of dirt to create new beds. What a team effort!
Working side by side, phones tucked away in rucksacks out of ear and eye shot allowed us to chat without distraction or interruption. We could learn more about each other, share stories, joke and discover how we work together. For the competitive among us, we could challenge each other to uproot the most lettuces in 30 minutes!
Kevin, Community Projects Specialist said, ‘it was a great opportunity to talk and spend time with colleagues in a different way from how we normally do’.
It was hard physical work – unlike the sedentary roles we’re used to as ‘office workers’ but for many of us being active at work was a rewarding and motivating experience.
For some, it was an inspiration to take up something new. Mags, our Rural Housing Officer commented, ‘I found the talk on organic growing inspiring and interesting. It has made me want to do something similar on my small patch in my garden, where I could have a no dig policy.’
Sharing a table
Lunch was served on a large communal table in one of the farms open ended buildings. We enjoyed a feast of hearty salads flavoured with herbs and lemon and served with a selection of local cheeses. Eating produce we’d seen grow made it all the more delicious and inspired me to sign up to their veg box scheme and to cook seasonal dishes.
Working out in the open air
Numerous studies have shown that being out in the open air, performing physical activities such as gardening significantly benefits our mental health. According to the Royal Horticultural Society those who garden every day have 6.6% higher wellbeing scores than those who don’t garden at all.
Anna, our Community Projects Officer said ‘it was lovely to spend a day, not just outside, but really connected to nature and seeing the difference a team of 12 can have in just a few short hours’.
Leaving with positive vibes
In the corporate world, Away Days may involve paying a third party to deliver crazy team building activities such as playing mini golf in a bar, GPS treasure hunts or bubble football.
Our Away Day wasn’t wacky, or adrenaline fuelled but many of us felt we’d had a positive and rewarding experience.
In a small way we helped Hampshire Market Garden deliver its ambition to give more people access to healthy food. Not only that, we also engaged in physical exercise, boosting our serotonin levels. The day was spent breathing fresh air into our lungs and we learned more about each other, helping us to bond as a team.
Gardening still isn’t my favourite pursuit, but the day filled me with a sense of achievement and camaraderie. Any feelings of anxiety were long gone.
Follow this link to read Caroline’s blog about remote working
For more information about Hampshire Market Garden follow this link
