Wellbeing is a word talked about in all businesses and every industry these days but it’s important that it doesn’t just become a buzz word without any actual action. The wellbeing of our team goes hand in hand with their creativity which is what helps them to create stunning designs for our clients. To ensure wellbeing and creativity remain at the heart of the business, we have tasked our operations co-ordinator, Amie with taking the lead on all our wellbeing activities for 2024.

Only a few weeks into this role, Amie has already introduced several new initiatives with more being planned for later in the year. We chatted to Amie to learn about her ideas and find out why this work is so important to her.

Why did you want to take on the task of organising wellbeing initiatives at ABDA?

This was due to a combination of things. My educational background played a big part in this decision by the directors and I as I have a degree in psychology and a master’s in forensic psychology and mental health. My previous work experience will also help me and recently I completed a Mental Health Workplace First Aider course. I have a passion for wellbeing and exploring mental health and I thought it would be great to implement some further wellbeing initiatives at ABDA Design.

We already have some wellbeing days for staff, and we rounded off 2023 with the start of our employee creativity days. It’s a great start but I wanted to build on this and ensure wellbeing is at the heart of what we do this year.

Tell us about some of the ideas you would like to introduce as part of this work.

We are starting the initiative with a monthly ‘cuppa and a catch up’ event. This started on Monday 29th January, and this is a chance for people to get away from their desks for a little while and chat about their weekends, the week ahead or anything else they’d like to get off their chest. The bonus of cake will go down well, I’m sure!

We are looking at focusing on something different each month and plans for the year ahead are already in progress. We will have events focusing on things such as ‘International Day of Happiness’, ‘Stress Awareness Month’ and ‘National Walking Month’. The full event calendar is currently a work in progress but will be revealed to the team soon.

Why do you think these initiatives are so important?

Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and act. It can also determine how we handle stress, how we relate to others and can also impact the choices we make. Positive mental health is crucial in today’s society as it profoundly influences every aspect of our lives. Mental and physical health are equally important so we shouldn’t let either one slip through the net.

I believe that wellbeing and creativity go hand in hand so we need to nurture one to boost the other and being a creative team means this is so important. We need to ensure our staff are feeling as good as they can in themselves and if they aren’t, then we’ll help them to focus on what we can do to support them.

What are your long-term goals when it comes to wellbeing at ABDA?

My long-term goal is to ensure all staff feel supported and if they’re struggling in any way then to know we are there for them, whether that is professionally or personally. I also want to ensure that the mental health and wellbeing focus is something that continues into the future.

I am hopeful that my role will positively influence the way we work day-to-day, boost team morale, and impact the teams’ creativity so that they continue to push boundaries on design projects.

How do you think these initiatives will help both the wellbeing and creativity of the team?

People who engage in everyday forms of creativity tend to be more open minded, positive and intrinsically motivated by their activity. Those who experience everyday creativity tend to feel a greater sense of well-being and personal growth compared to individuals who engage less in creative behaviours. There is a strong link between wellbeing and creativity so we want to ensure our staff feel inspired and as positive as they can to make sure their creativity is at the best level it can be.

What else does ABDA have in place to support staff wellbeing and creativity?

Currently we promote wellbeing days which are extra days off during the year for the whole team. We also encourage all staff to utilise their annual creativity days, which we launched at the end of 2023. It will be great to see what each team member gets up to this year!

We aim to have an approachable and laid-back feel to the office and ensure that all the team feel comfortable enough to voice anything should they need to. I’m hoping the new wellbeing initiatives we are planning spark some inspiration as well as promoting healthy living and good wellbeing.