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Virtual First | Well-being Kit

Add movement to meetings

As we learned in the Dropbox-sponsored Economist Impact study, more frequent breaks can help improve focus, quality of work, and well-being. However, back-to-back meetings can make it difficult to find time for physical activity. In an office, you’d get some movement pacing between rooms or floors. When working remotely, like in Virtual First, being intentional to carve out movement into your day means making some meetings mobile.

10 mins | Personal Activity

A person walking while on the phone to a person standing at a desk

Step 1: Select the right meeting

Joining a meeting from your phone removes the temptation to multi-task and ultimately allows you to be more present. If you’re able to go outside, Dropbox research shows that it supports brainstorming and creative thinking. If you’re not able to go outside, indoor movement provides many benefits too. Meetings that require you to screenshare, present, or join breakout rooms aren’t ideal for on-the-go participation, but plenty of other meeting types are: 1:1 sessions, casual coffee chats, re-streams, non-business critical webinars, and company/team calls that do not require your active participation.

Step 2: Plan your movement

Scheduling a Meet & Move empowers you to plan ahead, creating the potential to batch and buffer meetings where video is not essential. Will you be pacing indoors? Heading to a park? Incorporating props like a seat or mat for stretching? Be mindful of video-on calls scheduled after, as you’ll need to give yourself time to reset for a stationary meeting. If you’re in an urban or noisy environment, pack a set of noise-cancelling headphones to minimize distractions. 

Step 3: Communicate and recommend

Not long ago, the notion of a phone call was not outlandish. In today’s world, video calls have quickly become the new norm. This means you’ll likely need to tell others when you’re planning to change this approach. Take the initiative to politely suggest an alternative form of communicating, such as a Meet & Move: "Can we shift to a different approach like a ‘Meet & Move’ so I can get my step count up?” When needed, ask someone else to cover meeting notes so you are free to move!

Step 4: Be active (and creative!)

Get creative about how you use the designated meeting time. Consider activities like walking, indoor cycling, using light exercise equipment, completing chores, or simply moving your meeting outside. But remember to be active within your meeting and be ready to contribute as needed!

From Dropbox

Additional well-being resources

Check out these other practices from the Virtual First Toolkit:

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From others

Great resources from experts we trust

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3 easy wins

Build the habit

  • Tomorrow: Find a casual coffee chat or 1:1 session in your calendar and ask the attendee if they’re open to shifting it to a Meet & Move. 
  • Next week: Look ahead at the next month on your calendar and find at least 1 meeting per week where you can add movement.
  • Quarterly: Start a healthy competition within your team for the most steps taken during workdays.