From Wendy Wu Managing Director, Andrew Mulholland
Amid the completely unprecedented times we find ourselves in at the moment, the Wu team and myself wanted to share some wellness tips. We support you, our valued agents and we hope that you are all coping in what has become the most challenging period in history for our industry. You would be hard pressed to find anyone in the world that this pandemic hasn’t affected in some way or another. It certainly feels like we are at Ground Zero, however we take great comfort that this vibrant industry, will work together as it has always done and prevail through this period.
We have found one of the best things for us during this time is to create a support system within the workplace so you always know that there is someone to reach out and talk to, whether it be within your own team or the wider office. We are all going through highs and lows, that change each day, regular contact can assist to pick people up when they need it.
We already had a wellness committee in place prior to these events and we have utilised them more so now than ever before, encouraging people to chat over the phone, on Zoom or MS teams, messenger whatever it takes!
Keeping social, albeit online, has been a great asset for all of us here at Wendy Wu. Using our internal social media channel to share workouts, recipes, music, quotes, funny anecdotes, thoughts, ideas to stay sane, has been of great benefit and very uplifting to staff members. Having a little online community has helped us all to feel more connected.
Putting aside some part of the day to get out in the sun /fresh air, some of our best meetings have involved a few kilometres of walking, earbuds in and a designated note taker. Normally you might walk to public transport or indeed to work, or simply around on your lunch break but at the moment with many of us in our homes, this is more of a challenge, make it a priority to get out for a walk.
Setting yourself small goals can help to get the endorphins going but not only that, it also gives you control over something and we all know that completing a task does feel great.
I know there is also a lot of pressure to be motivated, to start a new hobby, to find your new ‘thing’ in isolation… well it is also okay to read, or watch a movie, or Netflix or whatever you would do normally in your home. The key thing is that whatever you are doing during these times of isolation, is something that makes you happy, comfortable and reduces stress where possible.
At Wu, we are focused on using this time to be a better, leaner, more effective organisation. We have an array of projects, that have owners, teams and timelines, it’s served to create a positive buzz in the business. This has definitely given our people a purpose, but most importantly it’s given us hope. Hope that in the future we will be a better organisation contributing to a travel community that has definitely taken a hit, however one that is bouncing back stronger.
In uncertain times, one thing is certain that togetherness, community, family, health and nature are all things that we can and must cherish. Tough times don’t last but tough people do, it’s our belief that we will all come out the other side of this challenging time, stronger, more resilient, flexible and hopefully even more connected.
