Belgravia Leisure’s Group Manager of People & Culture, Mark Maybury discusses his relationship with wellness, the invasion of mental health in the workplace and the importance of a supportive workplace for those struggling. 

My attitude to wellness is best described as…

Curious onlooker…

I have always struggled to find my enjoyment of physical activity and I admire those who seem to effortlessly commit to the discipline.

Last year I found a formula that works for me when I joined Coaching Zone (our small group training program). Located near our support office, in part to hit the road early as a means of avoiding the busy Melbourne traffic. I also enjoy swimming after my training sessions to focus a little more on cardio, but also to fill in the time before the office opens.

I found the supportive coaches and the small group environment to be socially engaging and very motivating for me – I’ve lost 12kg to date. 

I work out with others from the office and my team, which makes it even more fun and engaging. This results in us supporting each other back in the workplace with healthy eating choices and picking each other up when we might be at risk of blaming our busy workloads as an excuse to skip a session. Needless to say, my team really dig in when it looks like I might be wavering!

How could you increase the wellness of other men in your life?

Mental health is a pervasive health risk in our modern world. It affects without discrimination, but I think many men are still closed-up about their experiences and the impacts of mental health in their lives.

As a HR professional, I first started noticing the invasion of mental health in the workplace a few years before it became an important conversation in the social consciousness.

I look back now and am so pleased to see employees supported more than ever by their workplaces. I admire the bravery of those who feel safe to signal they may not be ok or open up and ask for help.

For leaders, I think upskilling on support team members who experience mental health issues is a relevant and important area of development.

To me, wellness means…

My focus on wellness is much more centred in my mindfulness and the balance I work hard to achieve in my busy career and the time I take to enjoy my life outside of work.

I like to keep my mind busy with interesting projects at work and feeding my thirst for knowledge through personal development related to my area of work or subjects that just interest me broadly.

I’ve made a personal decision to limit my social media footprint and focus much more on creating experiences with my friends and family face-to-face.

The most wellness(y) thing I’ve ever done was…

Working closely with our wellness team I have become more adventurous experimenting with wellness experiences. Last year I went to Bali and visited the Pyramids of Chi, a sound healing and relaxation experience in Ubud.

I often look a little out of place in these settings and it takes me a few minutes to embrace the new surrounds.

There are two Pyramids purpose-built for a state of the art sound healing and relaxation experience. The experience involves the combination Ancient Sounds, Sacred Geometry design, Polar positioning, Pyramid Power and the ever-present energy of the Island of Bali.

It was a very interesting and enriching experience. I have recommended it to all my friends who are planning trips to Bali >> https://pyramidsofchi.com/ (I receive no commission for my endorsement, but I am open to it).

My idea of a perfect weekend of wellness is…

Is not a weekend for me, it’s the weekdays. A perfect week for me is doing a Coaching Zone session each morning, enjoying my eating plan without too many hiccups (do office birthday cakes count?).

Then I enjoy my weekend with my friends and family.