More than 500 delegates from around New Zealand attended insurer
Southern Cross’s wellbeing conference at SkyCity in Auckland yesterday.
The conference centred on how employers could build better relationships with their employees, increase production and ensure self-actualisation and workplace happiness by focusing on wellness and mental health – not to be confused with mental illness.
Fonterra health and wellbeing manager Terry Buckingham discussed the GoodYarn programme with Dairy NZ wellbeing programme leader Dana Caver, and the success they have had in raising mental health awareness in rural communities and with farmers. The programme equips rural professionals with tools on how to deal with stresses unique to their industry and how to reach out for help when they need it – even if it’s just a chat over a cup of tea.
Air New Zealand strategic wellbeing manager Hannah Gerdin talked about her campaign “goodbye green smoothie” and how she helped move the company’s interpretation of wellness away from nutrition and yoga, and towards mindfulness and awareness of mental health, and the impacts it can have on productivity and performance.
Gerdin said employers had a responsibility to their employees to foster an environment that not only focuses on wellness, but that has strategies in place to implement best practise.
Double gold medallist and Southern Cross’s brand and wellbeing ambassador Lisa Carrington was at the conference and supervised a kayak competition, where delegates tried to beat the Olympians racing record.
Other speakers included social entrepreneur Derek Handley, Humankind’s Matt Johns and Nanotechnologist Michelle Dickinson.
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