Everyone is trying to find the best way to stay healthy and live a more balanced life these days. There seems to be a million different options out there – from quick fix online diet suggestions, to nutritious instagram food channels and celebrity workouts. With a Fresh Start February initiative,  we decided to tackle the problem head on and come together as a team to help each other. Our Director of Talent Acquisition, Thaneshia Pillay, is here to tell you exactly how we achieved success and what you can do to make a different in your own life.



Your health – do you care? If you’re an employee at a large global tech company, you probably tell yourself: “sure I do”. But those four empty cups of coffee piling up on your desk tell a different story.

In the age of intermittent fasting and Matcha Latte, we all have internalized how important health is, and can dissect the term into the many meanings it can possibly entail – be it personal growth, wellness or all-round happiness.

But as things get busy with work, and your devotion to push your career forward kicks in, you tend to stay in the office that extra hour or two, or end up dragging your leftover vacation days into the next year.

The real problem with this is that for most of us, it isn’t a phase. Work has become a lifestyle and core of our selves. For many of those working in tech, workism has settled as a centerpiece of our identity. It rings true: since you love your work, you feel alive when hitting your targets, delivering a convincing proposal, signing that deal. The downside of it doesn’t require much explanation – it is a serious threat to our wellbeing.

With the term millennial burnout finding more and more acclaim these days, we couldn’t help but think, what we if we had a RESET button? How could we give people a chance to reflect again on what they want to do to better themselves?

 

Health is about making lifestyle choices

The most effective way to improve your health and life might not necessarily imply going to the edge immediately. For many people, it’s been about taking little steps. Developing new habits. But not just the fun ones. We’re talking about the ones you must do and cannot leave undone. Or, as Tony Robbins would say:

“If you want to change your life, you have to raise your standards.” 

Being consistent isn’t easy. And doing this alone is tough. Here’s a few ways we’ve found companies can help their employees maintain a healthier lifestyle.

 

Getting it done in a group effort is easier

So how could we work together to have some fun and set new standards for our lives? Our #FreshStartFeb initiative was about pulling together as a company and providing each other with the encouragement needed to stay focused on our goals for a more balanced and healthy life.   

 

Set your goals straight

To kick off February, everyone received a Personal Goal Card where they could write down their personal initiative to work on during the month. This could be anything and the outcomes ranged from wanting to drink more water, to detoxing from technology and going an extra mile on the treadmill. My personal goal, for example, was to actually use the gym membership I’ve been paying for since 2017!

 

Meet The Health Book

In a month long initiative, all of our offices around the world took part in events and shared their very own tips on keeping their life and balance in check. And here, it’s with great pride I introduce to you: The Health Book. Have a browse through our content below to see what’s inside – and hopefully you will find some inspiration!

 

Start over like it’s spring time

Like Marie Kondo says…decluttering your workspace is important for de-stressing, improving productivity and helping you get creative!

 

Start small

 

 

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As part of our #FreshStartFeb initiative, we wanted to share what our employees are doing across our global offices to keep their life balanced and in check, so meet the health book! Keep up with us all month long to get their tips for healthy living 💪(and yes, its a homage to Mean Girls 💁) #LifeAtGlispa . “For me, any kind of exercise is a powerful stress reliever and I can’t express enough how much I love this sense of accomplishment after every workout! I also practice intermittent fasting, an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting, and I’ve found that it improves my mental clarity and focus. I know that this might seem a lot for someone who is about to jump in the healthy lifestyle wagon – but healthy habits don’t happen overnight, and making drastic changes to your current routine is unsustainable, so I recommend starting small and going from there!” Rania Lamprou, Director of Business Development based in our Athens office

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Start fresh 

Start the day off right with fresh smoothies like we’ve done it in our Tel Aviv office.

 

Say no

 

 

Make the best of what you’re already doing

 

 

Simply and complexly, Ohmmm

 

 

Passion helps

 

And don’t forget the passion to WIN. Our Tel Aviv office hosted a ping pong tournament.

 

 

The not-so final chapter

So here I am, writing on the last day of February and reflecting on the last 4 weeks of awesome activities from our global team. How did we do after our health month?

Well, scrolling through our company-wide Slack channel, I’m seeing it’s packed with gifs and extensive discussions around sugar- and vitamin-loaded apples replacing the awakening effects of coffee – something that definitely wasn’t happening so often before. Everyone certainly seems to be more informed about the small life changes that can make a difference – and others have felt the benefits by being more active (and spending time with our resident dogs).

While some of us met or even exceeded our goals, and others did not, it’s safe to say we’ve all discovered new ways to live well – and this is something we’re planning to continue beyond February.

Do you have any happy living tips for us? Start the conversation via our social media channels!

Thaneshia Pillay

Director Talent Acquisition | Glispa

Thaneshia started her career in an executive search firm in London where her focus was building startups across the DACH region. This brought her to Berlin where she has worked in building talent teams in house as well as training management on how to attract, recruit and retain talent. Thaneshia moved into Glispa as a Talent Acquisition Director where her role includes global talent strategy, senior level recruiting and employer branding. She is only happy when our team are happy coming into work and get the recognition they deserve - she’s a big kudos giver. Her puppy, Audi - a mini dachshund, is a crowd pleaser that is always happy to give the love and affection needed during stressful days.

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