From August 2020, with travelling overseas no longer an option, the mother of two also decided to clear her annual leave by taking leave for a half-or full-day every Friday, during which she minimizes checking on emails.
Her MCI bosses gave her the green light immediately, reflecting the organisation’s nurturing culture. “In fact, the bosses found that it was indeed a good and refreshing idea for self-care in the midst of COVID,” she said.
Ratna facilitates this by making sure that weekly work tasks are properly planned.
Mental And Physical Wellness As Team
In her newly created time space, she has done yoga and Zumba, spent time with her family over walking and eating sessions, and even tried out new activities like kayaking, Pilates and Rhythm Cycling.
She often encourages her team members to keep fit and get outdoors.
On these activities, she said: “It energises me, helps to manage my stress, I perform better, I sleep better and I am overall happier.”
She also notices positive effects when her staff are given time away from work. “They are appreciative, more motivated, engaged and willing to go the extra mile.”