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The importance of well-being on site for our event teams as well as our participants cannot be overestimated. The post pandemic return to in-person events has been intense and implementing simple strategies to support ourselves and our teams can really help us thrive through these busy times.

Inspired by Mental Health Day and including key insights from the events industry well-being community social enterprise EventWell, TTA’s Mental Health First Aiders Eleanor and Alex share some tips to help with our onsite wellness.

Work Hard, Rest Hard
It may feel like you can’t stop but taking short breaks will help you to keep focused and happier.

Don’t Skip Meals
Your brain needs fuel and glucose. Eat small and light if you can’t stop for a full meal but don’t leave more than 4 hours between food. 75% of the food you eat each day is needed by your brain alone. If you skip meals, your brain is looking for the fastest energy/glucose source and we crave sugary foods.

Pack a Refillable Bottle and Use It
Make sure you have a water bottle on hand and keep hydrated. Dehydration can cause unclear thinking and mood changes.

Take a Breath
Your sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze) will be working overtime. Balance this out with some regular 5-10 minute breath-work session. Practice these pre-event so that you know which ones will help. For some examples click here. Deep breathing is the only way that we can self-trigger the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) which helps to bring calm to your body and mind and slow everything down a little.

Help yourself to better sleep
It’s not necessarily easy to get 7-9 hours sleep onsite but aim for good quality sleep instead if you can. Before you go to bed, try and switch off from the event. Write down any to dos for the next day and then try to zone out by listening to music/ reading/ calling a loved one or watching tv. When you’re feeling relaxed and ready for sleep, make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.

Be kind to yourself post event
A 48 hour come down post event (or longer if possible) is really essential for allowing your body to rest and digest and reset itself before the next event, so prioritise rest and self-care!

Reach Out
It can be lonely onsite but other colleagues know how that feels. Reach out to staff back home and ask for a chat if you need a bit of support.

More information about EventWell can be found at https://eventwell.org/