In June, Getaway’s marketing team took some time to recharge and learn about stress and wellness in our second workshop with WYLD Leadership. WYLD crafts incredible learning and development experiences – in person or virtually – customized to a team’s needs and goals, meaning no workshop is the same. WYLD’s mission is to draw out the unique greatness in people. They pull from a palette of psychology, nature, creativity, mindfulness, neuroscience, and ancient wisdom to curate a safe and fun experiential learning environment that feels transformative and sustainable. Getaway will be partnering with WYLD for the rest of the year to bring you tips, insights, and practices to help you find your own true nature.
Ahead of our WYLD session, our team had an intense meeting — you know the ones with the many moving parts and missing pieces that make it impossible to end on time. So the topic of stress was incredibly timely, and fortunately, we started with breathing and visualization exercises so we could try to shake off the previous call.
We all know stress, but wellbeing scientist, Dr. Alexandra Crosswell, who helped lead the session, explored the science and spirituality of stress. We looked at not only how we regulate our own stress and wellbeing as individuals, but as a team, and how to tailor messages and environments for customers for a stress-free experience. Essentially, we learned that stress isn’t something we always need to tackle solo, but it’s something we can identify and work through as a team using our strengths, which will better serve our guests.
To put it plainly: Stress happens. While we all might think the solution is to just power through the task causing our stress, it’s more realistic to acknowledge that our lives are full of stressors — big and small, especially in our always-on world. The solution? Not to eliminate stressors, but to reframe how we approach and perceive those stressors.
And not all stress is bad. Dr. Crosswell introduced us to the idea of stress being on a spectrum. For example, we’ve all worked hard on an important project and been in a creative zone where much gets accomplished. Dr. Crosswell refers to this as “above the line” where certain stressors put us in place of positive contribution and flow. On the flip side, certain stressors can take us “below the line.” This puts us in survival response mode — fight, flight, freeze — or “disassociate appease reaction,” when we recognize danger signals and stay safe by complying and minimizing confrontation.
Dr. Crosswell explained that when you’re really stressed and everything feels urgent, mindful moments can bring us back “above the line.” Part of this process involves identifying what brings you comfort, peace, and joy – these could include stepping away from the computer to chat with friends or family, sipping a cup of coffee, listening to a favorite playlist, or doing a short guided meditation. Making time for these moments, even scheduling them on your calendar throughout the day, allows you to recharge and reset between tasks or meetings.
After our second WYLD experience we felt recharged — the stress of the prior meeting had dissolved. We also brainstormed ideas to add moments of calm into our workday, including taking four deep breaths prior to starting a meeting. And our personal favorite: when a meeting ends early, instead of rushing back to work, we use that time to take a moment to enjoy a little extra free time.
As Jordan, our Email Marketing Manager said, “It was really helpful to do these workshops as a team, because learning these terms and techniques together, provided us a common language to start discussing stress and checking-in with each other during our workdays.”
Interested in learning more about WYLD? Head to their Instagram or their website.
In need of an escape? Book your Getaway today.