Starting the day on a positive note is a good sign for your team.
In this article, I will take you on a tour through simple, yet meaningful wellbeing activities Saltash Health Centre used to engage their staff during morning huddle sessions throughout 2023. Let me know in the comment section which one is your favourite.
First Quarter
January: Dance Lessons to Kick Off the Year
They started the year by learning some dance moves. It was a fun activity following YouTube videos and having a good laugh as they tried out waltz and cha-cha-cha steps. It was an invigorating way to start the year.
February: Sharing Interesting Facts No-One knows
In February, they opened up a bit more. Each person shared something interesting about themselves or their family. It was a fantastic way to get to know each other better.
March: Plank
The staff took on a Plank Challenge and planked every day throughout the month, aiming to increase the time each day working up to a 3-minute plank by the end of the month. They also raised money for McMillan, a cancer charity, from this challenge.
April: The Alphabet Game
They played the Alphabet Game in April. In this game you pick a topic of interest for example, countries. It was a fun way to kickstart the mornings, when it got to your turn, each person would mention a name of a country beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. Can you pick an alphabet and have a go?
Second Quarter
May: Growing Sunflowers
Sunflowers brightened up the month May. They planted seeds, watched them grow, and then transplanted them to their staff garden. They had a friendly competition to see whose sunflower would bloom first which added more excitement and anticipation.
June: Learning Sign Language
In June, they learned some basic British Sign Language. During their morning huddle, short videos were shown on the TV screen in the staff room for staff to learn the basic signs through the course of the month.
July: Juggling
They encouraged staff to practice juggling for a month. This is an incredibly fun activity that tests your hand-eye coordination, and it can set a positive tone for the rest of the day. It is also a reminder to balance our work and personal lives. Would you try it?
August: Sewing for the Jubilee
They got creative in August, sewing designs to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. The framed results decorated the walls of the corridor in the surgery.
Third Quarter
September: Biscuit Identity
As part of the office activity, all employees had an opportunity to bring in their favourite biscuits to share, with the aim of adding a touch of whimsy, by bringing the type of biscuit you would perceive yourself to be, and promoting camaraderie during the workday.
October: Films Club
In the morning huddle, they asked staff to share their favourite films and why they loved them. Throughout the month everyone had a go, and some classics were everyone’s pick.
November: ‘Burpees’ Challenge for a Good Cause
They worked up a sweat in November with burpees. The team did 3000 burpees to raise money for Children in Need Appeal. A bit of exercise and doing good at the same time.
December: Christmas Stories and Advent Calendar Fun
They wrapped up the year with Christmas stories and memories. This is a regular feature each year. Each day, someone shared a story. Some were positives, sometimes with sad twists while some where funny. In return they got to open a window on the chocolate advent calendar to conclude on a sweet note.
A Spotlight on previous years
In addition, other challenges they have undertaken in recent years have been exercise-based collaborations like joining a group on the Strava app and logging their mileage either walking, cycling, or swimming to clock up enough miles to cover the distance between Saltash and Kyiv in Ukraine. A show of solidarity for the displaced from Ukraine.
They also participated in the Trek 13 walk for Alzheimer’s. The staff raised more than £3,000, completing 13 miles in support of Alzheimer’s Society. You can either sign up for 13 or 26-mile trek hosted in various areas in the UK. It is a remarkable achievement in community integration and dementia advocacy in primary care. Learn more here.
Furthermore, with some hula-hooping in the past, and an international lunch to represent the different nationalities working in the practice, this practice is bubbling with fun and engaging wellbeing activities.
Future Ideas
Interestingly, these are not complicated ideas. It is all about setting a positive tone every morning for the team. It is about coming together, having a laugh, and supporting each other. They are looking forward to more of these moments in 2024, for example, reflecting on the past year, sharing an international lunch, and growing more sunflowers for their practice garden. They have already harvested seeds from the project earlier in the year.
Many thanks to the business practice manager at Saltash Health Center, Avril Tozer, for sharing these projects with us.
If you would like to do the same contact us here.
