When there’s a lot going on – as is the case in our workplace currently – a natural response is to feel anxious, overwhelmed or angry. We can think feel powerless when confronted with unsatisfactory situations that we can’t see how we might improve. The good news is that even in these tough moments, there are things we can do.
Below is a list of individual wellbeing exercises and group-facilitated sessions to help you boost your mental and physical resilience in the workplace.
Understanding stress and anxiety in ourselves and others
As part of group discussions, highlighting diverse cultural perspectives we will develop an understanding of the physical and mental effects of stress on ourselves and others. This workshop covers the A,B,C,D’s of stress literacy, including:
- how stress relates to emotions, mental distress and our wider health
- the differences between good, bad and chronic stress
- daily practices that help address and balance effects of chronic stress
Target audience: This workshop is intended for all staff – email connect@unitec.ac.nz to book a session for your team.
Three Circles – taking control of changes around you 
Do you feel like you spend too much time worrying about things you have no control over? This can be a common stress habit.
- Three Circles is a 30-minute mapping exercise to help you and your team identify your circles of concern, influence and control, and better enable you to focus on the things you have control over.
- This team exercise is facilitated by the Health and Safety and the Wellbeing Teams.
Email connect@unitec.ac.nz to book a session at your preferred date and time (possibly as part of your weekly/fortnightly team get together).
See here for more detail on how this mind-mapping exercise works: What Can I do? The Circles of Concern and Influence
See here for a refresher on strategies that have helped previously: Finding the Silver Lining
Get to know yourself
During changes, it is important to ground ourselves in who we are and what we value.
There are two personality tests that you could get started with:
- Myers-Briggs Personality Test: this test is based on the 16 personality types theory created by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs, consists of 130 questions and takes about 10-15 minutes to complete.
- Sue Blair – The Personality Puzzle: This is the first integrated teaching resource, created and tested in NZ, which offers access to the Myers Briggs model of personality.
Our Career and Employability Team can assist in facilitating this session for you, please contact dbluck@unitec.ac.nz for details.
When it comes to clarifying your values, Te Pukenga’s wellbeing platform has just the right online module for it: Start with Values: https://tepukenga.synergyhealthltd.com/media/view/14334
This three-part module will help you identify your personal values and give you insight into why they matter and how to use them to strategically design your life. You can complete this module in one go or complete step by step when you have time. The whole process takes less than 20 minutes to complete.
If you can’t locate it on the Te Pukenga’s wellbeing platform, get in touch with mzidov@unitec.ac.nz
Healthy Thinking Bites 
Try this set of seven 10-minute mind exercises to help you better understand your individual stress response and different management techniques you can practice.
- You can start these exercises any time, you just need to pick the time and place that best suits
- You will be sent a weekly email outlining the exercise for that week and guidance for completing it
Email connect@unitec.ac.nz to register and tell us what day of the week you are intending to doing these exercises.
Connect Roulette
Do you have 20min weekly to make new connections and rekindle existing ones? Sign up here and you along with three other staff will receive a weekly calendar invite. This can be your time to grab morning or afternoon tea and have a get together for an informal chat.
On the day, each person receives a card with couple of conversations starters. They’re typical ice-breaker type of questions which you can use to start the chat on a different note. The following week you will be in a chat with different people and will receive a different card.
It is absolutely up to each person whether they choose to join that week or give it a pass. This is not meant to add any pressure to our already busy schedules but just to offer an opportunity to take a little time out and re-connect.