Putting our colleagues’ wellbeing first is important to us, and one of the many ways we do it is through our Wellbeing Champions scheme. Whether you’re working in store, in the office, a distribution centre or elsewhere, you’ll never be far away from a champion who’s working both behind the scenes and with you to make every day a little better.

 

We dropped in on a chat between two of our wonderful Wellbeing Champions, Elizabeth and Ellie, while they got to know each other. Let’s meet them.

 

Say hello to Elizabeth. She’s been at Tesco for three and a half years, working out of our Welwyn Garden City office. Alongside her role as a Category Planning Assistant, she took on the role of Wellbeing Champion two years ago.

 

And meet Ellie. She also works out of our Welwyn Garden City office, in the Product Insight Team as an Insight Partner. She’s been at Tesco since 2019 and has been a Wellbeing Champion for three years.

 

Elizabeth: Hi Ellie, it’s so nice to meet you.

 

Ellie: You too! I’m really looking forward to chatting. Do you want to kick things off? I’d love to know a bit about you and why you decided to become a Wellbeing Champion.

 

Elizabeth: Sure, I’d love to. Tesco was my first job out of university and after I joined, I found myself struggling with my mental health. It was partly being in the office and comparing myself to others, and I was also struggling with being in a completely new situation. At the time, I didn’t have a lot of support around me, and that’s what led me to eventually becoming a Wellbeing Champion. I wanted to help other people and also break the stigma of talking about mental health in the office. How about you, Ellie?

 

Ellie: My story is quite similar, actually. In my final year at uni, I had a few things going on in my life that were causing me difficulties, including issues with housemates and a bereavement. At a certain point, it all got on top of me, and I started to really struggle with anxiety. I was having panic attacks, and at the time I didn’t know who to turn to. That’s really what inspired me to become a Wellbeing Champion. It’s so important to have a network around you so, when you need help, you’ve got people you can lean on. I wanted to be that person for others.

 

Elizabeth: It’s great that you want to use your experience to help people. I think finding the right advice and resources can be tricky, especially when you’re right in the thick of it. I’ve experienced panic attacks too, but at first, I didn’t even know what they were. Over time I’ve learnt coping mechanisms that really help me if I’m feeling anxious. I do breathing exercises and meditation, and I also do things like brush my teeth which just helps bring me back into my body if I’m starting to disassociate or anything like that.

 

Ellie: I totally agree. I also didn’t know what my anxiety was at first. And it’s really scary, isn’t it? For me, exercise really helps. I do jazzercize, which is like dance cardio, at least twice a week if I can. It’s really fun and doesn’t feel like working out – even though you definitely are. It helps me switch off and I think the release of endorphins helps me get rid of any negative energy and clear my mind. I could be having the worst day but if I go to one of those classes, by the time I come out I feel like a totally different person. I feel like myself again.

 

Elizabeth: That’s amazing, Ellie. I think we also can’t underestimate the importance of getting a decent night’s sleep. It’s helpful to be on your best form, but also if I’m having a bad day I often think: ‘well, I’m going to bed soon, and tomorrow’s a new day’. It feels like a fresh start, and you can sometimes look back on the reason for your anxiety from the day before, and it doesn’t feel so bad.

 

Ellie: Absolutely. I have to get at least seven hours to feel good.

 

Elizabeth: For me it’s more like nine!

 

Ellie: Exactly – everyone’s different. But I completely agree that getting a good night’s sleep helps me manage my mind and wellbeing and make sure I’m the best version of myself. It’s not always easy to get to sleep when you’re not feeling good, but I always try to prioritise getting rest if I can.

 

Elizabeth: Yeah, you’ve definitely got to prioritise looking after yourself. I’ve been thinking about that lately because I’ve moved into a new team where the workload is a little busier. Everyone works flexibly so they can manage childcare or if they want to go to the gym, which is great. But it’s easy to let work get in the way. I found at first that I was working through my lunch break or working into the evening. And my wellbeing really suffered. I wasn’t taking time to do meditation or go for a run or even spend time with my partner because I was prioritising work too much. Have you ever done that?

 

Ellie: Yes absolutely. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap where I felt like I needed to stay late at work to impress more senior colleagues. It impacted my work-life balance massively. And again, everyone’s different. For some people, working into the evening is ok, but I had to think about what I need as an individual. I definitely need that time to step away, exercise and spend time on myself. I hope you’ve been able to get out of that pattern?

 

Elizabeth: Yes, I definitely have. I’ve been a lot more conscious about taking my full lunch break and finishing at the time I need to, so I have time to look after myself. I’ve also been trying out a new work pattern where, every couple of hours or so, I get up and go for a 15-minute walk, or put the washing out, or something similar. Just to get away from my desk and reset. I’ve found I’ve come back often feeling like I can get more done because I’ve had that break. I work more efficiently afterwards, and I feel better too.

 

Ellie: That’s great. I’m so pleased to hear that. What broke the pattern for me was actually coming to Tesco. It made me realise that you don’t need to stay late to impress more senior colleagues. What matters is you being reliable, the quality of your work and how you’re getting results. It helped me change my mindset because I realised I wasn’t being my best self at work, and needed to be that person to achieve the best results.

 

Elizabeth: The best results for your work I’m sure, but also it’s how you get the best results for yourself, isn’t it.

 

Ellie: Absolutely.

If you want to find out more about Wellbeing Champions, and all the other ways we put our colleagues’ wellbeing first, take a look here