Work can be stressful sometimes. Especially after the year that we all had with Covid! While we’re all super grateful to be employed (and even a little excited to return to the office after remote working), it may take some time to warm up to our coworkers.
Interacting in person after jumping on Zoom calls for so long can seem a little daunting, but with some team-building ice-breakers, you’ll find yourself back in a friendly groove. Here are a few ways to bond with your team members.
1. Start an Office Fitness Challenge
With more and more companies decided to move back into the office after the Covid-19 Pandemic, wellness has become a huge priority. Some work environments may have already established various wellness programs pre-pandemic, but it’s probably due time for a major upgrade. Healthy lifestyles are essential for many employees, and their wellbeing will continue to be what they care about most. A great way to ensure that employee health is valued within your company is to host wellness challenges and fitness challenges.
Ready to be the organizer for an office fitness challenge? Sites such as wellable.co is a great place to turn to when it comes to planning. Their guide on planning a workplace fitness challenge is phenomenal. It comes everything you need to know, such as getting an office fitness challenge app (something that can be utilized through a fitness tracker, such as a fitbit, Google fit, or Apple watch), setting up a leaderboard, how to determine the physical activity (including fitness goals and fitness levels), and several other factors. Your company’s new challenge will give healthy competition to everyone, in addition to contributing to overall good wellness.
2. Take a Trip Outside of the Office
The best way to get to know your team members is to hang out with them outside of the office. While you’re at work, everyone’s typically fulfilling a very specific role; this role may not always allow them to express themselves entirely. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend some time with them away from the constant deliverables, meetings, and presentations.
A creative trip for you and your team members is to take is to visit a premier RV park on a work retreat. Places like the Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park have a friendly staff that offers several activities outside of its campground, such as golfing, hiking, and visiting the local museum. This little getaway down the freeway is a great way to connect with your coworkers.
3. Happy Hours
It’s a tale as old as time—happy hour is probably the number one thing all teams can agree on! Happy hours are always a good time, and they actually provide some great perks:
- Amazing deals on delicious food and drinks (This is especially helpful if you’re not a huge fan of cooking. Your happy hour can essentially become your dinner!)
- The chance to kick back and relax after work before taking on any responsibilities at home
- You’re missing out on that dreadful after-work traffic by hanging out in a bar instead
- If you’re still feeling work-orientated, this is your chance to continue expanding on work ideas (Or, if you’re looking to switch roles or companies, you can network with other patrons at the happy hour)
Now that bars and restaurants are opening back up with no restrictions, it’s time to bring back this fun after-work affair. If you want to be the organizer for your company’s next happy hour outing, we suggest taking recommendations from your team members on where they’d like to go. Plan a place and time, send out that memo, and get ready for some major bonding
