Your Away Day – why we are working all wrong

By Sam Thomas, of Different Hats.

We have all heard the saying “You need to work on your business, not in it”. As a man who wears many ‘Different Hats’, pardon the pun, this can sometimes become very difficult to do. We are running around at 100 miles an hour, wearing our busyness as a badge of honour. I know I have been extremely guilty of this in the past.

Therefore, when a good friend of mine, Joel Lawton, invited me to ‘Your Away Day’, the day you promise yourself but never take, I was in, and I didn’t take much persuading.

Joel’s message is all about encouraging founders to work differently and believes that how we are working is all wrong, highlighted by his brilliant blog on the opposite page.

After experiencing an incredible day at the fantastic The Field Food Barn near Lewes, I couldn’t agree with him more.

I spent the day in nature, connecting with other founders, eating great food but also allowing myself some focused time to work on a project I have been putting off for a long time. I started writing and just couldn’t stop. The creative juices were flowing – and it was exactly what I needed.

I left that day and my cup was full; full of joy, fulfilment and true human connection. All this along with the fact I had a super productive day working ‘ON’ my business.

Needless to say, I have booked to go again next month already and plan to attend every month, treating myself to a day I know I deserve and, hopefully, I can start to work differently.

To find out more contact Joel Lawton:

joel@lawtonknill.com
www.inyourcorner.co

We are doing work all wrong

By Joel Lawton, founder of the Work Different movement.

We are doing work all wrong and here’s the solution.

The signs are clear, yet we continue to ignore them. Consider just a few examples:

• Sickness rates in the UK have risen by 55% since 2019.

• 63% of organisations report that mental ill health is the leading cause of long-term absence.

• 88% of UK workers report experiencing some level of burnout.

In response, people are trying to self-medicate, seeking ways to restore balance and reclaim their human experience. The surge in wellness retreats speaks to this – between 2016 and 2021, there was a 1,500% increase in such offerings in the UK.

Businesses have tried to apply quick fixes, offering lunchtime yoga, mindfulness courses and training mental health first-aiders. While valuable, these approaches are reactive and don’t address the root causes of the problem.

My solution is simple: we must centre the human experience.

This means creating work environments, practices and experiences that put the well-being of the person doing the work first, trusting that this will lead to better and more impactful outcomes.

By focusing on the mind, body, nervous system, and soul, we can drive meaningful change through:

• Human connection

• Time in nature

• Nutrition

• Movement

• Breathwork

• Rest

I am launching a movement: Work Different.

My first step is the creation of ‘Your Away Day’, a unique experience integrating these elements alongside five hours of time for focused work. I am 100% confident this approach is more impactful than spending eight hours in a traditional office or working from home.

The most significant change? People leave feeling energised and fulfilled, no longer needing to self-medicate. They go home excited to spend time with loved ones and friends, and they look forward to another day of meaningful work.

www.inyourcorner.co