Contributor:
Chatsuda Hanbang (Jam)
It is generally accepted that excessive working can generate depression and other mental health issues. This can affect not only an individual’s life but also the quality of their work as a whole. Therefore, APCOM Foundation has initiated a way to tackle this issue and restore the mental health of every staff member by having a team mental health activity at the end of the month.
The last Friday afternoon of the month is dedicated to the team’s mental health activity inside or outside the office, and the team casts their votes on an activity they would like to do which makes the decision more democratic. This monthly activity requires active participation, relationship building, and inspiration.
As an example, I would like to present one of our trips to Samut Prakan City observatory tower in September 2022. After having our team lunch on Friday as usual, we took cars towards Samut Prakan City observatory tower. We started our tour from the 23rd floor, the highest floor of the. On this floor, with a panoramic view of the Chao Phraya River, we could also see the exhibition regarding the tower’s history itself and Samut Prakan Province. After that, we moved down to one lower floor, which has 360-degree city observation. The panoramic views above the river and city were spectacular and picturesque, so we took lots of pictures for our memories.
After that, we took a boat together across the Chao Phraya river. Chilling out along the river, it really helped release stress and free our mind very well, especially when the wind blew into our faces. We stopped at the local market where we can buy street food. We bought some food to share while walking to visit the temple nearby.
In the temple, there is an antique but famous bridge named Viboonsri Bridge crossing from the temple and another island of Phi Suea Samut Fort. We walked across the bridge a bit and took lots of group photos. Suddenly, it started to rain, so we had to move into the building next to the bridge as a shelter. The three-floor building seemed to be left abandoned for years like a ghost house without electricity, it was so spooky when it got darker in the evening with heavy rain for hours. Some windows were shattered by the wind and got broken; this made us scream like a crime scene.
We noticed that there were only a group of us stuck due to the rain in the building, then some children living nearby came in with a dog. They came chatting with us and we felt more relieved. To kill the time, we decided to sit back talking and share food that we bought from the market earlier. Despite the spooky situation, it turned out to be amusing. The rain slowed down after two hours, so we decided to walk through the light rain to the pier. We got wet but we called it a day for Mental Health, so we let everything be. Let it rain over us.
By the way, let’s hear some feedback from my colleagues regarding this trip:
“It was a very good moment there, I loved to spend time with colleagues and relax. All of us need some break,” said Jimmy Krutthai
“Although it was raining like cats and dogs, it felt warm inside as I was spending time with my beloved APCOM colleagues,” said Arm Srichau
“I was very happy; it was really meaningful because it was simple and out of the office. The view up on the tower was stunning and of course the fun part when we cross using a boat,” said Nicky Suwandi
As we have mental health activity on a monthly basis, I hope to write more about our next exciting trip or activity for you. Stay tuned!
