10 Online Mindfulness Activities You Can Host
W Shanghai - The Bund
While we may not be able to meet face-to-face now, it doesn’t mean we can’t stay connected with each other. Consider planning online events and virtual group hangouts with your teams and clients remotely to maintain physical and mental well being. Keep your mind, body, and soul active, healthy, and productive with virtual activities that will help to engage all parties and promote positivity. Here are some ideas for your next online event.
1) Sing Your Hearts Out & Dance the Stress Away
Music has the magical ability to connect with us at an emotional level and improve our mental wellbeing. Organize a karaoke session online and sing your heart out or have an online party like W Shanghai – The Bund where DJs live-streamed dance music to their online event guests and danced the stress away together. To complete the party vibe, guests were given a mocktail recipe to try at home. For those who are more musically inclined, consider having a virtual jamming session as well. Record an acoustic version of a classic song or compose a new piece together. Those spending a relaxing afternoon together can take a trip back to their favorite island vacation listening to Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino’s “Aruba Marriott Island Tunes“, a specially curated playlist with some of its favorite island tunes.
2) Share a Meal Together
Having a conversation over a shared meal has psychological and social benefits. It helps us relax and improve our mental health. Break up the long workday by having scheduled lunch meals together. Consider inviting special guests as an incentive for the team to join. You can also utilize online resources and organize cooking lessons like some of Marriott’s hotels in China. Join talented executive chefs from renowned Marriott hotels weekly and learn how to cook healthy dishes from your own kitchen. Follow our Marriott Bonvoy Events WeChat to find out more.
3) Get Artsy, Get Crafty
Focusing and engaging in arts and craft activities can help stimulate the brain while creating a state of calm and ease. Get your team to design and sketch a fun product within 30 minutes or put together a collage of their favorite moments from the last year. You can also turn it into a challenge where participants are only allowed to use items found in the kitchen or things that are recycled for an extra environmental touch. Use this time to learn new skills together like knitting, origami, or a new dance routine through online workshops.
4) Embark on Virtual Cultural Adventures
Go on an enriching cultural trip with your team by taking advantage of on-demand cultural content around the world. Many institutions such as museums, gardens, galleries, and concert halls are opening their doors virtually so that people can enjoy live-streamed performances and virtual tours without leaving their homes. Preserve the local culture and enjoy the Russian ballet, Broadway musicals, or Italian operas that you have always wanted to go see with your group.
- Museums: Google Arts and Culture teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to provide virtual tours and online exhibitions of some of the most famous museums in the world.
- Cultural sites: Take a visual journey through Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam, United States Botanic Garden, or Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. You can also enjoy cultural sites such as the White House, the Prambanan Temple in Indonesia, or the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
- Shows: Watch full-length productions of shows from The National Theater, enjoy dance shows by Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, appreciate live performances of concerts from The Vancouver Symphony and the Berlin Philharmonic, or world-class operas and ballet performances at the London’s Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera, the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, or the Met in New York.
5) Host Tasting Session and Virtual Happy Hour
Host a coffee, tea or wine tasting where individuals have to share what they taste in terms of flavor, aroma, or body. You can also have each person share their favorite cocktail and learn how to make them together as a social bonding session. For a more casual downtime, host a virtual happy hour! These kinds of activities give employees a chance to interact with each other without thinking about work. You can even find free pub quizzes online or just create your own!
6) Play Games in a Virtual Hangout
Enhance online social bonding time with engaging games such as jeopardy, charades, or quiz nights. These types of games are not only fun but can help train the brain and make the participants feel closer together. There are many online games and apps to make online group hang out more fun. For offline game ideas, get your team to participate in online challenges and compete with each other.
7) Set a Time to Engage and Discuss
Organize a sort-of book club and have discussions about the theme, symbolism, characters, and ideas on a pre-selected book, movie, TED talk, or podcasts through video. Engage the brain and gain new perspectives with the team. For a more laid back session, have a movie party to watch a comedy or something light-hearted. Laughter is the best medicine and can soothe tension, lift moods, and improve the overall immune system.
8) Bring Your Pet to Work
Pets are very good at helping us relax and maintain mental wellness. Simply petting a dog or watching a fish swim in a tank can help to melt your worries away. Share this joy by having an online pet meet up where your participants can have a mini show and tell of their pets before an online meeting.
9) Sweat It Out
Doing exercise, especially after a long day of being stationary, is so good for your body and mind. Relieve stress, improve memory, and promote physical health through online exercise sessions. Schedule an online fitness class to do together with your teammates. You can also coordinate a time for group meditation through ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos or by having a group leader lead a relaxing gathering as a way for teams to regroup and recharge even when physically distant.
10) Give Back to the Community
Host a virtual fundraising event for a particular charity that aligns with your company values. Organize an online bid or auction for gift rewards, products from your company, or special shows. Get employees to finish a particular challenge as a way to fundraise. You can also have volunteering sessions that can be done online such as translation services or lending a listening ear. volunteering together can provide a sense of purpose among employees and cultivate a healthy working culture.
RELATED ARTICLE
We’re living in an unprecedented time, with a global health and economic crisis that has disrupted industries across the world.
Overview of Local Customs Trends
As the world continues to face unprecedented challenges, we must all do our part to support one another and the communities that…
Setting Up Events in New Normal
We’re living in an unprecedented time, with a global health and economic crisis that has disrupted industries across the world.…
Event planners should do to prep
As the world continues to face unprecedented challenges, Marriott and the whole hospitality industry has prioritized the health…
Setting Up Events in New Normal
Embrace diversity and inclusivity in your next event so that everyone, no matter their background, is given a chance to thrive,…
Embracing Diversity At Events
As businesses are starting to open up again, let’s go beyond the screen and connect with your teams and clients in a clean and…
5 Ideas for Events in Australia
Previously, we interviewed some of our event planners about working with a limited budget. Today we’ll show you a few ways to…
10 Affordable Event Decor Ideas
Expanding knowledge, finding solutions to problems and presenting new products or services are just a few reasons why people…
Make Large Conference Intimate
Meetings can be completely virtual or in-person, or a mix of both. Most major corporations are adopting all three formats, so when…
The Value of Offline Meetings
2019 has been a memorable year for our spectacular #MIEVENTS moments. As Marriott’s event planners collaborate with clients all…
2019 #MIEVENTS Moment
Gone are the days when corporate events are stilted and take a mundane form with basic formalities and lackluster décor. As with…
Your Insta Moment Events
Throughout 2019, we have interviewed some event planning experts at Marriott’s Asia Pacific properties, who have been kind enough…
2019 Event Planning Tips
We've got you covered. Just sit back, relax and take the quiz now to find the perfect theme for your year-end party!
2019 Wrap-Up Party themes
All across the Asia Pacific, Marriott’s event planners have had a very busy year at their hotels working alongside clients,…
Meetings & Event Trends Wrap-Up
Looking for the ultimate event to make a difference? Want to still throw a great party whilst raising funds for a meaningful…
Unique Company CSR Programmes
The event industry is reshaping, and consumer behaviors are shifting rapidly. To keep up with customer satisfaction and…
The Future of Meetings & Events
In most cases, event planners are given a limited budget to pull off an event, whether it’s a birthday party or a corporate gala.…
Limited Budget? No Problem!
Trying to take your corporate end-of-year celebration OOTO? Or throwing a New Year’s Eve party for your loved ones? See four of…
Ending 2019 with a Bang!
Get ready to plan a party of a lifetime, filled with unexpected twists and turns, fantastical settings and ethereal adventures.…
Whimsical Events Inspirations
Birthday parties, company incentive trip, CSR activity, fashion brand launch, real estate press conference, gala dinner and the…
Unique Moments of Event Planners
Keeping your guests entertained throughout a party or an evening gathering can at times exhaust an event planner’s book of party…
"Fire" Ways to Entertain Guests
As event planners, you can help to make a positive impact on climate change for your guests, clients, and the community.
Eco-Friendly Meetings Tips
No two days are identical in the life of an event planner. Some days, you get to create the most romantic and unforgettable…
NO DAYS THE SAME FOR PLANNERS
Plan unique events at these unconventional venues that Marriott has to offer. Think beyond four walls and explore creative ways to…
Unique Event Spaces
Find your flow this summer at W Hotels! It is nice to take a deep breath once in a while during the busy summer, and what better…
Must Try Yoga Break Ideas
Emily Yoo and Helen Yang share their personal experience in event planning and how they achieve career success at Marriott
Our Successful Event Planners
According to findings from The Future of Meetings & Events report we generated, as a partnership between Marriott and PCMA, we are…
Business Event Trends 2019
More than ever, companies are seen as the leaders for social and environmental change - and event attendees are looking to…
Earth day Everyday
Starting to notice some puffy eyes, frequent grunts and a drop in productivity around the office? Maybe it’s time to call for a…
Unique Company Retreat Ideas
Lunar New Year has started for a while now and are you still wondering how your work life and fortune are going to be affected by…
5 Event Planner Success Traits
With over 30 years of experience, meet our event planners Sherwin Lucas and Czats Lopez who are here to give you insiders tips to…
Meet Our Event Planners
Wishing you the best in the Year of the Rat! Incorporate some team #DIY into your celebrations with these festive paper peonies...
Diy Paper Peonies
With May 19 looming closer, the world is buzzing with excitement for the latest addition to England’s royal family. After dating…
Royal wedding inspired event tip
As the FIFA World Cup 2018 steps up to the global stage in June, millions across the globe will once again tune into the…
Planning multi-venue events
Whether it's a simple centerpiece or a dazzling display, flowers can enhance a celebration with the right burst of beauty. Even if…
Flower arrangement for events
A successful event doesn't have to be a dramatic, large-scale affair. Small events can offer your guests myriad benefits, too,…
Tips for successful small events
Coordinating a one-day event presents plenty of challenges, as any planner knows. So when an event spans two or more days, the…
Multiday event planning tips
When designing an event, planners sometimes fail to consider etiquette, which can be important in creating an environment…
Event etiquette in Asia
You don’t need to wait until Earth Day to create an eco-friendly event. Regardless of your audience, incorporating sustainable…
3 tips for sustainable events
Warmer weather and tasty treats will inevitably draw thousands to annual food festivals this spring, including events like The…
Planning multicultural events
You don’t need to be a superhero to launch the perfect event—but it doesn’t hurt to think like one. With Avengers: Infinity War…
Plan events like an Avenger
Everyone dreams of planning an event that will pack the house and be known as "the event of the season." Large events can…
