Since time immemorial Egypt has been known for doing things differently – and in modern-day FieldCore, this approach still seems to be as fresh as in ancient days.
Either working from home or in the office, FieldCore’s office staff in Cairo (the lively capital city of Egypt and home to more than 21-million people) were feeling the pressures, like most people around the world, of hectic work schedules and the social self-isolation brought on by COVID-19.
Says Mai Emam, HR Generalist: “To prevent burnout as well as help manage the stress and mental effect of having been chained to our laptops since COVID-19 hit our country, we decided to take time out as a group to revitalize our bodies and minds, and to include our family members.”
It was therefore that office employees in Egypt chose to do something different about it, in a meaningful way, within a simple budget.
The biggest costs would have been towards a venue and fitness or yoga trainer. However, Sherief Omara, MEA Operations Director residing in Cairo, negotiated free use of the open-air park in the gated residence where he lives.
FIELDCORE’S OFFICE STAFF LED BY SHAMA IN YOGA. Photo credit: Dalia Kamal
And, as a seasoned networker, Mai identified an experienced corporate wellness coach and yoga instructor well-known in Egypt, and with little convincing from Mai, Shama Kaur offered to perform a complimentary hour-and-a-half session of tips and yoga exercises for the group.
A group of 15 employees and family members met up in the park in New Cairo on the last Wednesday of July where Shama put them through the paces to help rejuvenate body and soul.
Sherief says: It was a great opportunity for the team to rest and recharge. The session guided us to focus on our inner self and relieve pent-up stress by applying Kundalini Yoga techniques.”
He adds that according to Shama stress is not the problem, but rather how we self-manage its impact. “She explains that if we see it before it comes and we recharge ourself, we increase our threshold to handle outside pressures and respond to them effectively,” Sherief says.
Photo credit: Dalia Kamal
Mai says: “We can’t thank Shama enough. We got great tips how to use easy breathing techniques and simple yoga exercises to manage work stress and relieve back and neck pain while sitting behind a computer screen. We all agreed that these would go a long way to help us get through a less hassled working day and maintain our calmness for better productive days.”
.
“We connected with our colleagues and their families in a fun and healthy way. We felt so relaxed. We shared something to eat in the park and everyone went home with a yoga mat to encourage them to continue exercising. We enjoyed the day much more than we initially expected we would,” she adds.
According to Mai, after the session the consensus among colleagues was that this was an “amazing experience” and that the team should make time for regular such sessions “to break the chains with our laptops”.
