10 Ways to celebrate Slow Down Day in your workplace

Slow Down Day takes place on 18th December and is a day to encourage people to slow down and reset. The hustle and bustle of December can often lead to rising stress levels for many, so it's a good time to remind everyone to take a deep breath, ground yourself in the present, and shake off the 'hurry' for a while.

At first glance, slowing down at work might seem counterproductive—but giving busy minds time to rest and reset can actually enhance productivity and focus. A well rested mind works far better than one that is wound very tight and at breaking point.

Slow Down Day is all about making sure we're taking the time to let our minds rest. To slow down physically and mentally, and then get back to life with calm purpose.

All organisations are different, so we've put together these 10 ways to celebrate Slow Down Day in your workplace:

• Hold a Slow Down Day picnic and get your team to each bring in some food to share with colleagues - take some time to sit together and enjoy the food and a chat

• Organise a team meeting to discuss ways everyone can slow down

• Hire a mindfulness coach to run a mindfulness session

• Encourage everyone to turn off their emails for a couple of hours

• Organise a team stroll round the block or through the park - challenge everyone to notice something new - whether it's a sound, a scent, or a seasonal change

• Arrange one to ones with your team to look at their workload and identify ongoing opportunities for slowing down

• Extend everyone's lunch break so they can have a leisurely lunch - if it's not practical on the day, give everyone leisurely lunch vouchers that they can cash in to double their lunch break when they feel they need to slow down

• Hire a yoga instructor to run a yoga class at the beginning of the day

• Provide puzzles and activity books in break rooms/ rest areas to encourage your team to switch off from work during breaks

Do you have any other ideas? We'd love to know what you do to Slow Down in your workplace - let us know by tagging us @all-health-matters-limited on LinkedIn and using the hashtag #slowdownday.

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