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Our fun team building activities in Australia are one of the best things you can do to create a healthy and productive workplace for your crew. As an employer, it’s never been more important to spot the early signs of burnout and take immediate action. Remember: a simple 'thank you' or reward can go a long way in boosting your team's spirit.
Forget the usual team lunch or dinner and instead, plan a unique team building activity that encourages people to get off their screens and helps them connect with each other on a deeper level.
If you’re interested in learning more, read on to discover what the experts have to say about workplace productivity and how our team building ideas can help with just that!
What are the experts saying?
Tony Schwartz, the president and CEO of the Energy Project, has become a prominent voice in the movement to redefine work productivity strategy. His in-depth research (1) on the effectiveness of work habits has allowed him to make some striking points. Among them is to take care of your health, tap into that powerful brain of yours, manage your mentality and find your drive.
Simple enough, right? Let’s break it down.
Start with the body
We all know that we should be eating a good breakfast. We should be turning in at a reasonable hour to get a full night’s rest. We should be fueling our bodies with nutritious food. But many of us simply don’t make an effort to take care of our bodies. There are various reasons for this: we don’t have time or we don’t have the energy, which makes it difficult for us to notice just how much of an effect a healthy lifestyle can have on our professional lives.
Making small changes for physical health, like snacking on healthy foods, sleeping well and maintaining an exercise routine, though, can have dramatic effects on our energy levels and make us infinitely better workers. As energy coach Annie Perrin (2) says to employees who are feeling a little burned out, effective physical renewal is “generally comprised of very simple actions and behavioural practices that individually may seem ‘trivial,’ but when done consistently can cumulatively add up and make a profound difference in our quality of life.”
So let’s start with the body and get physical with one of our physical team building activities in Australia! Whether you are looking for an invigorating workout or just a relaxing workshop to unwind during the weekend, we’ve got you covered. Our yoga classes provide a tranquil environment where you can learn various poses and breathing techniques to enhance your physical strength, flexibility and mental peace. Or if you're more interested in adrenaline-fueled activities, head to an skateboarding workshop with your team and learn how to do flips and tricks like a pro!
Take care of the powerhouse
As it turns out, in addition to making sure that our physical health is at its best, there are ways that we can take care of our brains too. Caring for that massive powerhouse in our heads is incredibly important if we want to be energised in the workplace.
A useful tip: take frequent breaks. Schwartz found the participants of his study to have increased work performance when you break the workday with short breaks in between. This allows the mind to calm down, recharge and get back into workplace mode.
Also, don’t multi-task. As tempting as it is to catch up on emails during a meeting or listen to your voicemails while writing up a report, the experts say that our brain is at its most productive when it doesn’t have to juggle more than one request.
The result: higher quality work produced in less time.
Next, fuel your emotions
Now that you’ve taken the steps to maximize the energy reserves in the brain, the next step is to make sure that your emotional state doesn’t get in the way.
According to Schwartz (3) in an article posted in the New York Times Dealbook, emotions have a profound influence on how well we can perform tasks. The reason, he says, is because humans are driven by two brains: the survival brain and the rational brain. When we allow ourselves to get bogged down with the everyday stress at work, the rational brain takes a backseat to the fight or flight responses of the nervous system.
While in this mood, we lose our ability to think clearly and our emotions begin to slide into negativity. This is an energy-intensive state and can leave us feeling ragged at the end of the day.
Luckily, there is a simple solution. Change the narrative. The trick is to identify the moment when our brain begins to tip towards those unsafe feelings of self-doubt. Schwartz encouraged the participants of his study to think of the situation from a different, more positive angle.
Because we’re often harder on ourselves than an onlooker would be, changing the perspective—asking questions like how would someone else describe this situation?—can strengthen the rational brain by focusing on a less emotional view of our role in the workplace. Participants found this practice empowering and energising, making them more productive and aware of their emotions.
We would also recommend checking out one of our creative team building ideas to help you release your emotions in a healthy way, to get out of your head and instead, get creative with your hands. As one of the most popular team building activities in Melbourne, bring your work colleagues to a Turkish mosaic lamp making class at Art Masterclass and make a beautiful work of art to decorate your home. From picking your favourite coloured beads and tiles to designing your own unique pattern, you and your team can have fun unleashing your creativity and connecting outside the workplace.
Eager to learn more? Find out how to regain your and your team's focus here.
Last, and probably most important: don’t forget your spirit
Each of the steps outlined above will do nothing to improve the productivity of your work if you are lacking one very important element: fulfilment. According to Schwartz, the most productive work comes from what he calls a “sweet spot,” in which an individual’s best skills match up with their personal goals and desires.
In this overlap, workers can benefit from a well of energy that also gives off feelings of happiness, fulfilment and a sense of purpose. As mentioned earlier, these are the perfect emotions for your rational brain, which will hopefully lead to some of your best work.
How can you make sure that you’re dedicating your time to finding the “sweet spot?” Here are a few questions to get you started thinking about what motivates you:
- What are your core values?
- Are you forced to compromise on those values for your job?
- Do you feel that you are contributing to a cause that you believe in?
Answering these questions honestly can be very helpful in making sure that your career goals align with the work that you’re doing and help provide a fulfilling purpose for your life.
All in all, there are many ways to ensure we are at our best in the workplace and the research shows that the answer is pretty clear: Take care of yourself and find your passion.
Ready to dive right in? Find a variety of team bonding activities at ClassBento to embrace your creative side today.
References:
(1) hbr.org
(2) theenergyproject.com
(3) theenergyproject.com
