Stress Awareness Day 2015

National Stress Awareness Day is November 5, 2015 and to mark the event we've compiled some top tips for you to share with colleagues.

The tips are all simple lifestyle choices that help everyone take daily action to reduce stress and improve energy levels and resilience.

Our Resilience Workshop has been hailed as, 'The best training course I've ever attended'. If you think your team would benefit from support with boosting their personal effectiveness please contact us at info@the-tonic.com

9 Top Tips to Help Manage Pressure and Build Resilience

1. Stress is not the enemy

Managing stress does not necessarily mean eliminating stress from your life.  The key to successful stress management is to know how far you are able to move out of your comfort zone, and how often you are willing to do this.  Provided you anticipate and manage periods of high demand, and balance these with appropriate periods of review and recovery, you'll be in control of your commitments and your attitude, and well positioned to communicate any concerns you may have if you feel you're moving away from your zone of best performance. 

2. Managing stress levels with healthy eating

Each day, aim to consume more foods that calm you than those which can aggravate stress. Oily fish, chicken, turkey, whole-grains, berries and nuts, will all help keep you calm.  Caffeine, sugar, chocolate, pastries, refined carbohydrates, high fat foods and alcohol can all contribute to increased stress levels. 

3. How to get a great night of rest and recovery

To be at your most resilient, you need to rest and recover well at night, but in very busy periods people can find it difficult to relax unwind and sleep well.  Spend a little time researching your guaranteed pre-sleep routine for the period leading up to bedtime to ensure that you are able to fall asleep promptly when you’d like to, and achieve optimum quality and quantity of sleep.  A warm drink and a few pages of a novel may be all you need to ensure good sleep.  Don’t be tempted to work right up to the moment when you drop off.

4. Move more, stress less

Movement helps rid the body of stress hormones quickly so, even during your busiest periods, make sure you move regularly.  Don't view moving away from the desk as lost working time but instead associate it with an opportunity to stay calm, change your perspective, think creatively, and come up with some solutions that might be hard to access while sitting in front of your computer. 

5. Balance your life and set some boundaries

Stress can be caused by too much work (or too much of anything in life) leaving you feeling that the balance isn't where you'd like it to be. You'll find it harder to maintain balance in your routine if you're not clear what good balance looks like so be diligent in planning and making time for the things you enjoy and that nourish your overall success or there are plenty of other less enjoyable jobs waiting to steal that time. 

6. Give yourself a break - regularly

Your mind and body need regular moments of distraction.  Compile a list of small actions that you can do every day that you enjoy, that help you feel totally in the moment and that make you happy. Then find an effective way to remember to put these actions into place. A few moments of reflection / distraction every 90 minutes can boost motivation and focus, and lead to your entire day being more productive. 

7. Drink water, stay calm

Dehydration makes us irritable which leads to stress all round.  Drink your 2-litres every day without fail.

8. Breathe, relax, refocus

It sounds obvious but we think better and feel calmer when there's plenty of oxygen flowing to our brain. Regular breaks to breathe deeply and reassess your priorities for the day will help you minimise stress from morning to night. 

9. Be a stress-reducing role model

Where you can, aim to reduce stress for others.  Simple actions can make a huge difference so look to see where you can support your colleagues and they will look out for opportunities to return the favour.  Consider how you might avoid adding any stress to colleagues today – this is easily achieved by thinking about how you communicate.  Aim to be focused with your emails, conversations and meetings so that you always help others to move projects steadily forward.  Communicate messages that save colleagues time, rather than costing them time.

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The Power of a Compelling Wellbeing Challenge

Photos by Sportcam

Earlier this month I took part in the 25th Windsor triathlon organised by Human Race.

I've done many events over the years but none with quite so many entrants as this - 3000 in total!  Would there be room for us all was my initial concern.

I need not have worried. The previous 24 editions had paved the way for a seamlessly organised race. Well-executed swim starts in waves were followed by a bike route that turned out to have plenty of space for everyone to hurtle along. Then the run was 3 laps around Windsor which wasn't exactly built with major sporting events in mind yet the course didn't feel crowded as it perhaps should have done with this many people making their way past the ever impressive castle.

Photos by Sportcam

Human Race had put me in touch with some writers and bloggers who were entering the event as a means to test themselves with a new challenge. The idea being that I coach them through the process of preparing themselves while balancing their life in the months before race day.

The individuals in the group had entered the event for a variety of reasons. Either they were taking on a triathlon for the first time, or they were attracted by the challenge of a longer distance course than they were used to. One thing they all had in common was the fact that training for the event was not going to be simple within their already packed schedules.

Photos by Sportcam

In the weeks and months leading up to the event I spoke with each of them about how to organise their weekly timetable in an attempt to perfect their approach in all three disciplines of triathlon while at the same time avoiding fatigue, injury, mental exhaustion and metaphorically dropping the ball at work or at home.

The specific challenges for each of the team were different whether it was the fear of diving into the river Thames, the dread of getting out of a wetsuit at speed, the uncertainty of where they should be going on the bike course, the unknown quantity of running 10k after a cold morning plunge and a hot pursuit through the countryside surrounding Windsor, or even just the 4am alarm call to get to the start line on time.  One thing was consistent for all of them however: the event was taking place on June 14th and the date seemed to be approaching at lightning speed.

For some of them, the lows along the way were pretty low. It's not easy training for any sporting event, never mind one that has so many moving parts as a triathlon. Some expected this and others were taken a little by surprise. 

But during all the trials and tribulations of training, the highs and the lows, knowledge of what they needed to do on race day, and when they needed to pull a performance out of the bag, kept them focused and kept them motivated.

And by the end of the process, one thing they all ultimately agreed on was that all the low moments and all the effort paled into insignificance compared to the joy of completing the event and the enormous satisfaction of a job well done.  Yes it was painful but they were unanimous - it was definitely worth it.

Photos by Sportcam

So let's focus on 2 simple lessons from the journey the group went on:
1) If you want to keep your wellbeing on track, no matter how busy life gets, get an event or two in the diary. Always have something to aim for that shapes your training schedule and gives you reason to push on when you're tempted to put your health and fitness on the back burner as other priorities shout louder.

2) If you're going to sign up or an event, make it something worthwhile. A true challenge will give you a greater sense of achievement when you cross the finish line, and teach you so much about yourself and what you're capable of along the way. It really is a case of the more you put into it, the more you'll get out so aim high.

So congratulations again to @keepitsimpElle, @sj_perera, @joannaruck, @GlennMMitchell and the rest of the group.

You can read Joanna's experience of the event here.

Read about Glenn here.

Elle's report is here.

If you feel that picking a specific challenge will focus your wellbeing and performance, you'll find some fantastic events to enter at www.humanrace.co.uk.  I'll look forward to seeing you at the start line!

You might also be interested to read:
Motivation tips from Triathlon: 3 clear steps to fast-track wellness results

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Summer Wellbeing Workshop Offer

Transform the energy and engagement of your team with our most popular workshop...and a special summer offer.

• Our Introduction to Health, Wellbeing and Personal Performance workshop helps individuals and organisations take their wellbeing results to the next level

• We're currently offering 10 workshops at the preferential rate of £395.00*

• Workshops last 90-minutes and can accommodate up to 20 participants

• Workshops at this preferential rate must be booked and delivered by August 6th 2015

To book a workshop for your team, call us on 020 8995 1302 or email info@the-tonic.com

What to expect from the workshop

'Thank you again for your very informative Health, Wellness and Personal Performance presentation last week for our 60+ members of staff. 

It's extremely important in our high-paced, energetic working environment to maintain a healthy work/life balance and understand how the type of work we do (with the traveling, late nights and international expectations) can effect our overall wellbeing. 

Everyone on the team has made 3 commitments that they are working towards over the next few weeks, with the goal of integrating these new practices into their long-term routines.

Clearly, the points raised in your presentation really have stuck with everyone and we look forward to your follow up in a few weeks time. We'd like to have you back to share this presentation with the other areas of the business as well.'
Huib van Bockel
Founder, The Social Brand

*Regular workshop cost is £695.00. Price excludes VAT and travel.

Photo by Flickr: Thangaraj Kumaravel

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Men's Health Week 2015

It's Men's Health Week.

To help the guys in your office reach their full health and wellbeing potential, feel free to share some of our resources.

Choose from:

Men's Health Week: know your numbers

Men's Health Week: get fit fast

Men's Health Week: portion sizes to ensure great energy

Men's Health Week: sleep better

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Next Stop London Marathon

Here's a great update we received this week from one our previous programme participants:

'Just thought I would let you know - I completed my second marathon last weekend in a time of 3 hours 11 minutes and 50 seconds. This means I can now get automatic entry to the London marathon as a good for age time. 

All of this was kicked on after your session, so thank you again for the supportive inspiration.'

 

Regards,

 

Ian

Image @ Flickr: EEPaul

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Sleep More, Get Active, Lose Weight

Here’s a great story from one of our participants who made some resolutions on April 29.  Look how far they’ve come in such a short time. 

Inspiration for us all!

'Great to hear from you. Your email sparked renewed energy to pursue my objectives, now I know someone is watching!

You will be pleased to know that I have done well to keep to my goals and had the support of several of my fellow delegates whom I have shared my transformation and progress with.

I have been able to increase my sleep from 4 hours daily to at least 6 hours of proper sleep. This does leave me lethargic towards the latter part of my day but I’m happy with the overall progress.

I have stuck to my pre-sleep routine of slowing down my mind from 2130, by:

• Stopping any engagement with electronics, work, house chores and reading
• Shutting down the lights in the house and laying down to unwind
• Listening to soft music in a passive state
• At 2200 I allow myself to fall asleep

I do miss a day or two per week but I manage to get back on track.

I have not managed to stop drinking coffee all together but I have reduced my intake to only one cup, first thing in the morning, before work. Furthermore I consume only one additional cup of rooibos tea during the day. So, I’m well on track to be free from caffeine before I see you again.

Finally I have increased my fitness discipline and have lost 3.5kg in four weeks. I have signed up with a personal trainer to strengthen my core and trim my muscles in addition to cycling.  

Thank you for checking in, it’s great encouragement. See you in a few weeks.'

We want to ensure you achieve quick results with your wellbeing objectives.  Follow us on Twitter for regular motivation, inspiration and success stories.

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3 Great Wellbeing Tips from People Just Like You

One of the groups we’re working with at the moment is doing brilliantly with their wellbeing progress.  I wanted to share some of their observations on the secrets of their success so far, so that you can follow their great example.

1. Look for as many opportunities as you can to do the right thing for your wellbeing.  Small actions really add up so the more you do, the better you feel and the more you want to do.

2. Share your wellbeing journey with others.  The more people you have around you who are making positive choices, supporting you, and holding you accountable, the easier it is to stay on track.

3. Record your progress.  Whatever you want to change whether it be fitting in more activity, eating better, improving sleep routines or changing the balance of your life, keeping notes of your actions and the results you experience helps focus your mind and target the behaviour changes that really work.  It also helps you recognise and celebrate your successes.

We want to ensure you achieve quick results with your wellbeing objectives.  Follow us on Twitter for regular motivation, inspiration and success stories.

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Improve Wellbeing and Feel Great Immediately

Most of us know that great wellbeing simply means remembering to prioritise all the things you know are good for you.  

Here are 4 top tips to help you do exactly that right now.

1. Stand up (this moment or as soon as you can within the next 20-minutes) stretch your body, take a few deep breaths and have a drink of water.

2.  Remind yourself why making the right choices with wellbeing really matters to you.  What are your current wellbeing priorities? What would you like to do more of?  What would you like to do less of?  How do your daily choices move you towards achieving your wellbeing priorities?

3. Set yourself a new wellbeing objective and a deadline.  It could be a mini-motivational goal for the next week, or a life changing challenge for the coming months.  Make it something exciting that adds quality, value and fun to your life.

4. Schedule an appointment with yourself to check in and see how progress is going.  Never go more than 7-days without reviewing your wellbeing actions in relation to everything you want to achieve in life.

We want to ensure you achieve quick results with your wellbeing objectives.  Follow us on Twitter for regular motivation, inspiration and success stories.

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Personal Wellbeing Success: A step by step guide

As you'd imagine, we spend a lot of our time helping individuals make sense of the mass of healthy living information in the world.  It's our job to ensure they feel motivated and inspired to make the changes and get the results that work for them and their specific desires and circumstances.

Getting great results with wellbeing is simple when you know how

It boils down to a straightforward 10-step process.  Anyone who follows each of these steps is GUARANTEED positive results with their health, wellbeing and personal performance.

Try it for yourself or pass the strategy to others in the business who you think might find it useful.

1. Be very clear on the wellbeing results you are going to achieve

2. Be specific about when you will achieve these results

3. Identify what you currently know that will help you reach your goals quickly

4. Identify what you currently do that will help you reach your goals quickly

5. Identify any gaps in your wellbeing knowledge that could slow your progress towards your goals.  Find out how you can plug these gaps

6. Sketch out a personal wellbeing plan that includes a selection of key ideas, attitudes, strategies, routines and habits which you think will help you achieve your desired results.  Your plan should be a blue-sky vision of the daily lifestyle choices, activities and decisions that you know deep down are right for you, your objectives and your circumstances

7. Put your plan into action immediately

8. Use your plan to take consistent, daily action towards your goals

9. Review your plan regularly, judging it against your desired time line and results, and make adjustments accordingly. Experiment with new behaviors to speed up progress or amend your deadline to ensure it is realistic.

10. Celebrate success and update your goals regularly. Always have specific targets in mind, even if the target is to maintain your current wellbeing results.  If you have a goal you can measure progress at every stage and every lifestyle choice you make can be judged in relation to your targets.  Without a goal, daily choices become blurry, reactive and ill-defined. 

If you'd like to read more about how to develop effective wellbeing strategies for the individuals in your organisation, download our free guide at the right hand side of this page.

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The Best You've Felt for 20 Years

It's Friday and the sun is out in London.

Better than that we've just had an email that's got everyone smiling here.  A simple message from a guy who works at one of our clients.  

For this client we arranged a wellbeing day in January and we've kept in touch with everyone with a few well-timed motivational emails ever since.  This guy has clearly made the most of the opportunity to make a few changes with his wellbeing.

'Just to say I am still on target.

The emails were a great help as it kept me focused on my goal.

I actually feel the best I have for more than 20 years.

Thank you very much.'

Anyone else fancy feeling 20-years younger?

Here's to a healthy weekend!

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Avoid Sleep Robbers

Check out these health boosting tips - including a few from us - in the latest edition of Women's Running Magazine.

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