Building the Bethan Wellbeing Toolbox: our journey so far
What does wellbeing actually look like when life and work get busy? At Bethan, we believe that wellbeing is a key part of creating a happy, healthy and high-performing team; but we know it’s not about making massive changes, spending hours in the gym or striving for perfect habits! So rather than chasing empty gestures, our approach is much more down-to-earth and we focus on building realistic, sustainable habits with small changes that help us feel our best.
Back in March, we shared more on this and why our Office Manager, Aby Wilson, spearheads our monthly wellbeing initiative. Each month, we explore a different wellbeing topic through our SharePoint Wellbeing hub - curated by Aby where everyone on the team can access practical resources, share recipes, swap podcasts or simply take a moment to focus on themselves. This internal hub is a way for Team Bethan to connect and collaborate on our health, there is no pressure or expectation to take part; it’s simply a "wellbeing toolbox" to dip into whenever and however it feels helpful.
As we look back over the year so far, it’s amazing to see how much we’ve explored; here’s a look at the themes we’ve been building on and adding to our collective toolbox
1. Tuning into our bodies.
We started by diving into female hormone health and have also explored gut health and the gut-brain connection. It has been a brilliant way to raise awareness of how deeply our internal health shapes how we feel every day! We explored how digestion, nutrition and hormones directly influence our everyday energy, sleep, mood and concentration.
2. Managing the busy times.
We all know that life and work can get demanding, which is why stress and nervous system regulation, alongside sleep and recovery, are part of our wellbeing toolbox. Instead of waiting until we’re overwhelmed, we team shared simple tools to help us shift from reactive to ready - practicing stress management of the realistic and non-frantic kind. We focused on soothing our nervous systems and giving our bodies and minds the quality rest they need to recharge - after all, when we rest and sleep well, we have better days both at work and home!
3. Movement for Real Life
In June, we turned our focus to movement for real life. We wanted to take away the pressure of spending hours in the gym or committing to intense exercise regimes and instead, we focused on simple, sustainable ways to put more movement into our daily routines - whether that’s a quick stretch between customs filings or a "walk-and-talk" village stroll like we did at one our community breakfasts. We want movement to feel supportive, not stressful.
4. Fuel and Focus
Over the summer, we explored hydration and nutrition and looked at how those choices feed into our brain health, concentration and productivity. By looking at how hydration, sleep, stress, and nutrition work in harmony, we learned how to support our brain function and focus. We swapped healthy summer recipes, practical tips and ideas to keep our energy steady through the warmer months (and those few Scottish heatwaves we had!).
The bigger picture: growth through intention.
While each of these months has focused on a different topic, they aren't isolated conversations - together, they form a bigger picture.
As Aby says: “Wellbeing isn't a one-size-fits-all formula, nor is it something we should only think about when things aren't going well. Our hope is that the Bethan Wellbeing Hub continues to be a place where we can all learn something new, find a useful resource, share an idea or simply take a moment to think about our own wellbeing.”
Whether you need movement, community, stillness or simply deep rest, the key is having a range of realistic options in your toolbox so you can choose what works for you.
