Working Wellness Into Meetings

By Shelby Deering

The idea of “wellness” – people looking after their brains and bodies with both mental health management and self-care – has made its way into the workplace, and with that, it’s becoming an essential part of meeting agendas as well.

Whether your meeting is large or small, there are so many ways to promote wellness and incorporate these elements throughout the event. Think: yoga, meditation, outdoor activities, healthy meals and so much more.

In fact, there are several benefits that meeting attendees can experience through wellness-related activities, such as boosted morale, calmer minds, renewed focus, increased energy, reduced stress and improved mood.

To discover how to weave wellness into your next meeting, read on for tips and tricks gathered from top wellness destinations throughout Wisconsin.

Why Wellness Benefits Both Employees & Employers

Tracie Toth, CMP, Director of Sales at Elkhart Lake’s The Osthoff Resort, believes that employers have shifted their priorities in the past few years, partly due to the

demand of the workforce, to find balance and keep wellness at the forefront of their employees’ lives. And beyond the workplace, it’s something that’s also trickling into meetings.

“Employers want and need to focus on retaining and rewarding their key players, while attracting top talent,” Toth says. “In my opinion, wellness offerings help accomplish all of that.”

Starr Hayden, Wellness & Leisure Sales Executive at Kohler Co., sees wellness trends as a response to burnout and work- life balance challenges.

“It’s more important now than ever to take care of employees so that you can retain great workers versus dealing with the cost of turnover,” Hayden says. “When companies take their employees away from their homes and families, it’s critical that they are filling days with activations that will enhance the employee to come back stronger and more motivated to do their jobs.”

Meredith Baciak, Wellness Coordinator for Miron Construction in Neenah, takes a front row seat as she orchestrates wellness-focused activities for company staff. She says that many times, meetings and events typically include of a lot of sitting, which participants feeling in turn leaves tired, foggy- headed, checked out and even sore.

“Finding time for well-being helps combat this sedentary thought process that has been adopted for many years,” she says, which is now being replaced by trending wellness activities.

Alyssa Mullin, General Manager of Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin Dells, views wellness as an overarching societal trend that goes beyond meetings and the workplace. She reflects, “I don’t necessarily see wellness offerings as a trend in conjunction with events but as a greater awareness and need to foster the overall well-being of and offer new experiences and tools to event attendees to enrich their lives in a complete way.”

How to Shape A Wellness-Focused Agenda

Baciak shares that movement and mindfulness are key elements of a wellness-centered meeting agenda. At Miron Construction, every morning they start the workday with company-wide stretches. And walking meetings are a regular occurrence.

She says that to bring this movement to your meeting, it can be “as simple as starting a meeting off with a few stretches or taking your meeting to the sidewalk or trail.” And as for mindfulness, she says that oftentimes at her company, participants start meetings by sharing a “positive moment” before jumping into the agenda.

The Osthoff Resort offers plenty of wellness-focused activities that can be integrated into meetings. As Heidi Brucker, Aspira Spa Coordinator, shares, a group can head to the spa for guided meditation or yoga classes, or these activities can be woven right into the agenda during breaks with guided imagery, breathwork or yoga. There’s the option of chair massage as well.

Toth says that agenda items should include “nutrition, activity and breaks” when planning a meeting with wellness in mind.

“Incorporate foods valuable for the brain and body,” she says. “Work with your venue to assist with your objectives. Don’t load your agenda full of content, with no breaks. Many studies sho w that approximately 50 to 90 minutes of learning for adults is the maximum time without some fatigue setting in.”

Wellness is the driving force of everything that’s done at Sundara Inn & Spa, and that includes meetings. Mullin shares that they have a team of wellness instructors who can curate specific activities to meet the needs of a group, including meditation, yoga, chanting, sound bathing, guided imagery and deep breathing. Groups can head to the woodland walking trail for strolling meetings, too.

“The key element of a wellness-focused meeting agenda is balance,” Mullin notes. “While some may find joy in a shared group activity such as a yoga class, others may find their wellness within the private quiet time spent in spa services or silently watching wildlife with a cup of tea. Balancing and offering different activities and scheduled free time or free choice offers an opportunity for all attendees to choose their path.”

At Destination Kohler, attendees can participate in team-building activities that build social wellness, like cooking classes and pickleball. Chair yoga, guided hikes and a variety of fitness classes at Yoga on the Lake, BOLD Cycle and Sports Core also can be made available to your participants. Additionally, there are meditation and grounding classes, sound baths, kundalini yoga and classes for custom essential oils. And of course, there’s also the five-star Kohler Waters Spa.

Hayden believes that an equilibrium should be struck between productivity and team bonding, which can foster wellness-boosting social connection.

Try these Exercises for Mental Well-Being

The team members at wellness-focused meeting venues can help achieve your agenda, but consider these easy exercises shared by experts that promote mental acuity in any meeting.

• Start a meeting with stretching and include stretching breaks.
• Get up and move at least every 30 minutes. Get walking or even have a fun dance break.
• Do some box breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat several times.
• Practice meditation or incorporate yoga moves.

Fuel Your Agenda with Brain-Powering Foods

With all that movement, you’ll need to fuel your meeting participants through group-friendly foods that can boost brain po wer and overall well-being.

For instance, Brucker shares that including a yogurt or smoothie station is great fuel to have at a meeting. Also, at Sundara, Mullin says that their Executive Chef and Culinary Manager work hand-in-hand with group facilitators to customize a meeting’s cuisine, spotlighting such offerings as the Sundara Antioxidant Salad or Sundara’s Signature Granola.

But in general, Hayden says that group cuisine that fuels brain power is going to be any menu offering that incorporates whole foods.

“Whole foods are offerings that do not come out of a box,” she says. “We have an amazing bistro – Awakening – that makes cold-pressed juices, smoothies and smoothie bowls. What is amazing about our team is that they will offer our groups demonstrations that speak to gut health, superfoods and living a cleaner, more sustainable life.”

Wellness Practices for Planners

As a planner, at times, dealing with constantly moving parts during meetings and events planning can be stressful. So, we asked our wellness experts to share their best tips for planners, so you can reduce any stress ahead of those big events.

“Event planners usually have the movement piece down as they are running all over the place getting items set for a hosted event. However, many times planners do not take time to turn down the noise for a few minutes. Finding a quiet area within an event prep or meeting to just take some time to slow your breathing down makes all the difference.”

– Meredith Baciak, Wellness Coordinator for Miron Construction

“Arrive before the rest of your group. Come in the night before and maybe stay a night longer. Get settled and set up. Schedule a spa appointment either before and/or after your event.”

– Tracie Toth, CMP, Director of Sales at The Osthoff Resort

“Take pause when needed to unplug and disconnect in a way that works for you. Whether this be a 10 to 15 minute walk away from your workspace with a breath of fresh air, an afternoon spent reconnecting with family and friends or time alone with a good read, take steps to stave off stressful moments.”

– Alyssa Mullin, General Manager of Sundara Inn & Spa

“It’s imperative to get a solid night’s sleep. Sleep has proven to be one of the most beneficial and rejuvenating activities that our body can use to restore and perform at optimal levels.”

– Starr Hayden, Wellness & Leisure Sales Executive at Kohler Co.