It’s very easy to get swept up in the latest wellbeing trends and whilst, personally, I’m not a massive fan of the slides and ball pits that make other offices happy, it’s important to try new things and find the stuff that works for you and your team.

With that in mind, here are my top suggestions for staying healthy and happy in 2018.

1. Get out of the office – traditional boardrooms and other meeting settings can be quite dull. There’s often a lot you need to run through which requires both attention and creative thinking. In this age of gentrification, there are heaps of cool coffee shops, meeting spaces, art galleries, theatres and skate parks to choose from. 

This goes for internal meetings too. At Fourth Day, we head out once a quarter to chat through new ideas in an inspiring setting. So far, we’ve visited a monastery, hit the cinema to see the Ab Fab movie (ironically, obviously) and cruised the canals of Manchester on a water taxi.

Whether it’s colleagues or staff, picking a spot with something going on is a great way to bond and mixes up their day, as well as yours.

2. Be nice – it’s often the smallest things that make for a happy working environment. Whatever the size of your office, taking the time to say hello to everyone in the morning, and asking them about their weekend really goes a long way.

3. Look after yourself – Whilst we’re getting better at achieving a positive work-life balance, the topic of presenteeism, unfortunately, still lives on. I am lucky to work in an office that fully supports my social life and encourages flexible hours, but I realise not everyone has this luxury. While there will undeniably be days when you may have to stay a little later – and this can be incredibly rewarding – it should not be running you into the ground. If I know I’ve had a productive day and I’m pleased with what I’ve achieved, I have no qualms about leaving the office at 5.30 on the dot. And neither should you.

4. Listen to a good playlist – lastly, for those days when you need to get stuff done, I cannot stress enough the value of getting a good playlist going. I’m currently circulating a healthy mix of 90s hip hop, 80s cheese and post-punk classics.

Article written by  Lizzie Wood, account director, at agency Fourth Day PR