'The-Tonic Blog'

Tuesday 24 September 2013

National Work Life Week: Improving personal effectiveness forever

This week is National Work Life Week so I wanted to share a few insights that have cropped up recently during our Managing Pressure & Building Personal Resilience Workshops.

The workshops have resulted in some dramatic changes in working practices, freeing up valuable hours previously eaten up by inefficient planning, travel time, ineffectual meetings, low energy and lack of engagement.

'This is the best training course I’ve ever attended. The changes I’ve made since the workshop have helped me restructure my working month and create a more efficient routine for how I manage my time. This has in turn made the work schedule of my entire team more efficient. I also learnt to make lifestyle changes that boosted my energy and efficiency which means that not only do I have more time, I can also stay focused and make better use of this time.'

These comments were made more than two years after the workshop which goes to show that a little time spent planning how we work can pay huge dividends in the long term.

The changes made by this participant were very simple:

1) Set a finish time for the day
If you know you have to be out of the office by 5.30pm to get home to eat dinner with the family, you'll run your day very differently than if you'd like to finish work on time but don't treat this objective as a high priority. On busy days you may find that work creeps just a little beyond 5.30pm but without a firm finish time to aim for, working until 7.00pm and beyond can become the norm. Do this too often it can be a tricky habit to break.

2) Eat a healthy breakfast
Fuelling yourself properly at the beginning of the day, and topping up your energy levels throughout the day, will improve your clarity of thought, your decision making abilities and your effectiveness. You'll get more done, more efficiently and you'll maintain a more positive outlook no matter how busy you are. You'll then have more energy for enjoying life beyond the office in the evenings and at weekends.

3) Protect your regular planning time
A proactive work schedule prioritises quality over quantity. Getting strategic about who you meet, when you meet, how you communicate, and how you delegate tasks can save you and your team an enormous amount of time and effort. Regularly review your working practices and make quick changes where appropriate. This will ensure bad habits don't creep in and will help you focus on why it's important to protect success strategies. Short cuts are all very well but they often lead to compromised efficiency if left unchallenged.

Ultimately, the key to a healthy balance in your life is simple:

Take responsibility for what you want your routine to look like
Plan the necessary actions to lead you towards what good looks like
Be clear on the benefits to you and those around you of why it's worth making the effort to maintain your desired balance. If the upside is exciting enough, you'll always protect your boundaries
Take regular action to protect your desired balance

Regular action includes immediate action so why not highlight one or two things you can do differently today that will help you towards achieving the balance in life that's right for you?

Wednesday 11 September 2013

More Energy, Less Stress: Get fit and eat well

This afternoon, I was delivering a presentation on stress management, improving sleep routines and finding the ideal life balance.

It reminded me of some research that we conducted a while ago, the results of which we summarised in a press release which you can read in full below.

What's interesting to note that for the majority of new audiences that we work with the priority areas for change remain consistent.

As a side note, if you're looking to tackle stress in your organisation, there are a couple of forthcoming events that might help with communicating positive messages. National Work Life Week takes place September 23-27^th2013, and National Stress Awareness Day is 6^th November 2013.

Anyway, here's the press release with details of the research:

DESPERATELY SEEKING ENERGY

Exercising more and eating better are the two most urgent wellbeing objectives employees need help with

A recent survey* shows that nearly two thirds of staff say their top wellbeing objectives are to make simple changes to their exercise routine and their diet.

Wellbeing consultancy the Tonic has been touring the UK with their More Energy, Less Stress wellness programmes, outlining the key strategies to optimum health and wellbeing, and motivating participants to commit to some positive healthy living behaviour changes.

When asked what their priorities for change were, an overwhelming 39% expressed the desire to take more exercise while 22% said they'd most like to eat more healthily as their top priority.

These preferences illustrate quite clearly that when it comes to energising and engaging staff and helping them tackle stress, simple wellbeing initiatives that get people active and eating better will pay dividends.

The evidence is clear, comments Tonic Director Jeff Archer, 'Properly researched and targeted wellness programmes help staff take appropriate action, quickly and effectively, to enable them to experience the benefits of a healthier lifestyle immediately. As soon as they begin to feel better, particularly in relation to their energy levels, their confidence and their personal effectiveness, the pay off for each individual and for the business as a whole is immense'.

To test the effectiveness of their initiatives, Tonic staff followed up on participants' commitments one month later and found that respondents had made remarkable progress in this short space of time, underlining the notion that the right wellbeing messages delivered in creative ways that engage a corporate audience can lead to dramatic results.

Sample feedback from those who took part in initiatives:

‘Overall I have to say my energy levels are higher and more consistent, I’m feeling more positive and I’m sleeping better! So, thank you very much for your insights.’

‘I feel fitter and more energised.’

‘I have joined the gym so my exercise has increased 1000%, I have lost half a stone since we had the meeting.’

‘I've lost 3 kg. I am playing tennis and going to gym 4 times a week. I eat more fruit and drink more water.’

‘My wellbeing and energy levels have improved so remarkably I feel alive again. Before this I was always tired and by end of day it was terrible, I could not spend quality time with my family and I was so irritable by then. Walking is enjoyable and I'm doing 5 km twice a week. I am losing some weight and feel great.’

Other popular objectives chosen by participants in the programmes illustrate where further wellbeing interventions can be targeted: