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Who would have thought this is just what the doctor ordered?

This week has been so exciting as it has been the first time we have had the whole business in our head office for a theme day since the beginning of March. I have said a number of times over the last few weeks. “I think we will never return to the office on a full-time basis but a couple of days a week is right.”

So why was it so exciting?   Human energy, collaborative behaviour and the ability to hear and learn from each other through the day. The list could actually go on and fill a number of sides of paper as to why it is great to spend time together.

The theme was actually around your worst outfit over lockdown (mine was really bad  -  imagine a shirt, pyjamas type combo). The comedy outfits meant we all started the day with a smile, a good result of simply seeing everyone, in its own right. This in turn started a buzz that remained for the day that you just can’t get whilst all working from home. I will stick my head above the parapet and say no amount of teams, zoom, etc, etc meetings can create the same buzz as a number of humans together in a room.

Now just to be clear I think it is really important that we all stay safe and make sure we are all sensible and following government guidelines. We are still in the grips of a pandemic, and Chase & Holland want to do their bit to stop the spread of the virus and to keep our colleagues healthy. However, the buzz I got from seeing everyone in the office and the atmosphere is still making me smile as I write this.

This actually brings me on to another subject which I think is as important as good physical health, and that is mental health. Everyone that took part in our day in the office at Chase & Holland this week got a boost to their mental health that was worth the risk of being in the office environment. It is fair to say that everyone was smiling and leaving the office happy and that boost to mental health will have an impact for a number of days.

In fact, the Mental Health Foundation goes as far as to say that within social distancing guidelines returning to work is good for us. I have to agree after this week, it is good for all our mental health as well as good for our economy. It is time, staying within guidelines, for us to restore some normality in our workplaces, and I for one am smiling about that.