Make March Matter: 1-month to change your life

Take Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing with daily motivational tips to boost energy, build resilience and feel great forever

The year is off to a flying start and our mission is to help as many people as possible maintain their energy and focus so they can feel great throughout 2015 and beyond by making lifestyle changes that last forever.

To achieve this goal, we're launching a month long programme of daily inspirational lifestyle tips called ‘Make March Matter’. 

We know from experience that positive daily action leads to powerful new habits and dramatic improvements in how people look and feel.  Our tips will ensure that a month of progress springboards into long-lasting results.  The daily tips will cover how to:

·                Maintain health and wellbeing as a priority

·                Plan and execute healthy lifestyle choices that get results

·                Boost daily energy and resilience

·                Increase personal effectiveness

·                Eat well, sleep well and get active

·                Balance life and enjoy everything you do

The March initiative follows on from last year’s ‘Be the Boss of February’ campaign of regular motivational messages, which proved hugely successful according to those who took part:

'I’ve found your emails truly inspiring and helpful. It’s been one of the best things about my mornings in February – starting off with the daily tips.

'The Tonic absolutely made a difference to my February!  This is normally the most difficult time of year for me….for some reason, it’s always the last week of February but this year was different.  With the daily ‘Be The Boss of February’ updates, I felt motivated, hopeful and as we have moved into March, I have started to regain control of life, paying particularly attention to healthy eating and a biggie for me, re-introducing exercise!! Thank you!!'

Make March the beginning of a fantastic wellness routine that will have you feeling great for years to come.  

You can sign up to the daily motivation tips for free by sending an email to info@the-tonic.com and write ‘Make March Matter’ in the subject line.  Encourage as many people from your office as you want to join in - it's a great way to keep everyone motivated and get some great results.

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Wellness for the Weekend

This morning I posted a link to the article below on LinkedIn with the recommendation that everyone plan a little bit of time this weekend to do something they enjoy, something that energises them and something that will really help to recharge the batteries.

Lack of ‘me time’ is leading to stress, tiredness and depression

I promptly received the following message from a participant in one of our programmes earlier this year.

'Absolutely agree Jeff. You won't believe it: I’m doing sport each and every day (Taekwondo: Monday, Thursday and Saturday, Gym: Tuesday and Friday, Basketball: Sunday. I also think one of the key to success is to do it with a group of people you actually like, then you'll feel more pleasure than pain and wouldn't be able to stay 2 days without any activity. Your workshop definitely impacted me forever. Keep it up!!!!!!!'

A great illustration that doing more of what you enjoy is an invaluable investment of time.

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4 things every business can do to help staff relieve stress and build resilience

November 5th is National Stress Awareness Day.  Here are 4 wellbeing initiatives that really work when it comes to helping employees deal with pressure.

1. Resilience workshops

These workshops explain personal and professional strategies along with daily lifestyle choices that lead participants to their most effective, resourceful and stress free way of managing their routine and commitments.

2. Massage treatments

Always a popular initiative, short seated massage treatments relax and invigorate and provide a welcome moment in the day to recover and recharge.

3. Relaxation / mindfulness sessions

In a world where 'busyness' is the norm, learning a range of techniques to help you manage your focus, concentration, energy levels and state of mind can be invaluable in the quest for balance and ongoing effectiveness.

4. Wellbeing events

There's no better way to reduce stress than taking steps to minimise the likelihood of it becoming an issue.  Organising a wellbeing event during which staff can consult experts on their approach to healthy eating, sleep patterns, injury prevention and where they can also leave with some health and fitness KPIs as well as gathering ideas and resources and building motivation to take great care of themselves is an invaluable benefit organisations can offer their employees.

An additional step you can take in the quest to build a stress free environment is to contact us to request your free copy of our latest fact sheet to share with colleagues.  Email info@the-tonic.com and we'll send you 12 ways to challenge ‘stressful’ thoughts and perform at your best all day.

Contact us today to learn more about implementing wellness strategies that boost employee energy and performance.

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Back Pain? 3 Moves to Release Tension Immediately

I come across too many people suffering with painful backs from spending hours at their desk or traveling in cars, trains or planes.  All that sitting can cause your back to tighten up and can become really uncomfortable.

Here are three moves guaranteed to keep your back flexible and prevent any long-term pain or injury and they only take a few minutes each day.

1) Curving the Spine 
Start with a flat back, inhale, as you exhale pull up pelvic floor muscle, navel to spine, lower head and tailbone and curve spine. 

Added Benefits – this move strengthens and tones abdominal muscles and massages internal organs.




2) Arching the Spine 
Return to a flat back, inhale, as you exhale raise head and tailbone. 

Added Benefits – this move strengthens spine and relaxes the neck and shoulders helping to combat stress



3) Hip Rolls 
Arms out at shoulder level, knees bent with feet flat on floor. Inhale, then exhale while lowering your knees to the right and turning your head to the left. Return to the centre and repeat on other side. 

Added Benefits – this move aids digestion and relieves tension in your neck

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Stress? What Stress?

It's National Stress Awareness Day today and members of our team have been out in various businesses delivering a variety of yoga, relaxation and stress relieving wellbeing sessions.

It's been a really encouraging and rewarding day.

Many of the sessions were oversubscribed and we met loads of people who, rather than reporting that they feel weighed down with stress and are struggling to cope, arrived at the sessions fully appreciating that a certain level of stress is inevitable in an ambitious and fulfilling life, and looking to find new strategies to help them manage their stress levels to achieve a better overall balance in everything they do.

This positive mindset of those who took part seems to have a lot to do with how the sessions were communicated in advance, with the focus not being placed on coming along simply to understand more about a very common issue, but to take part in practical sessions and leave with solutions they can use every day from now on.

So the message is clear. When it comes to engaging your staff in any new initiatives, wellbeing or otherwise, focus as much attention on how you promote your ideas as you do on what initiatives you decide to implement in the first place. Most people are looking to improve their personal and professional situation to some degree, so communicating with messages that explain the individual and immediate benefits of taking part will ensure you get maximum sign up and the best return on your investment in your programmes and your people.

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How to Deal With Your Annoying Co-Worker

Hell is other people. Or the person in the next cubicle who talks so LOUDLY on the phone!

One of the most common issues for employees around the world is dealing with office politics. At some point in their career, most people find themselves spending more time and energy working the system in their office than working at their job. Every office has one, the annoying co-worker who can get under your skin and adversely effect the atmosphere of an office. These problems in an office are not only stressful but they are costly. For those who get to work from home occasionally or from a different site report getting twice as much work done with half the stress when they are away from their usual environment. But what if you can't escape the office?

There are a few jobs that are totally self-sufficient and allow complete autonomy and responsibility. Most people need to be able to work as a team player. The majority of workers want to do their best and feel they are making a valuable contribution when they are at work so if other people are getting in your way and preventing you from achieving this, each day can be very frustrating.

Even the most efficient businesses and people can have periods where office politics take their toll. Here are 4 examples of how we work with our clients to minimise the possible impact of tension between people.

1. Get Active
If people are regularly frustrated at work their stress levels will rise. Feeling stressed releases adrenalin into the system and if this happens repeatedly, they run the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Employees who have the opportunity to regularly take walk breaks, attend lunchtime exercise sessions, or head to gym after work are able to use the adrenalin in their system to fuel their activity which prevents their stress levels building over time and helps them maintain their calm in awkward situations.

2. Eat Right
What you eat really does impact on how you cope with stress inducing people. Too much caffeine and sugary snacks create energy peaks and troughs and low energy troughs can make it difficult to deal with other people. If you’re feeling tired and sluggish in the office, it’s because your blood sugar is low. If someone does something to upset you at this point, chances are it may tip you over the edge. To stabilise energy levels, limit caffeine to two drinks per day and snack on nuts, seeds, dried fruit or chopped vegetables. You will be able to cope with so much more if you're in control rather than wired.

3. Breathe
Learning to master your mind and manage your mental state is a valuable workplace skill. You need to be able to stay focused and effective no matter what’s going on around you. Workers who have access to techniques such as yoga and meditation have consistently lower levels of stress and better coping strategies than those around them. Have you ever noticed how some of your colleagues just let annoying things in the office wash over them? They very likely have their own coping mechanism - it's time you got yours.

4. Get Busy
If work is all you do with your life, then when things aren’t going your way in the office, you’ll feel that your whole life is out of control. Make sure you have plenty of things on your schedule that aren’t work related. If work is just one part of a varied lifestyle, you’ll be better positioned to deal with office based challenges. Make time for family and friends, hobbies, gym going, quiet time and have plenty of things in your weekly schedule that you really enjoy.

Take a look around your workplace and look at the fittest, healthiest person you know. Chances are they’ll be taking these measures and as a result they’ll have fewer bad days at the office than anyone else.

Stress is caused by feeling out of control but with tried and tested plans for exercising, eating well, managing your mind and living a varied lifestyle you will always feel in control of your situation and will be able to deal with anyone no matter how awkward and frustrating their character or personality.



Photograph by passiveaggressivenotes (Flickr)

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How Do You Cope With Work Related Stress?

Stress is a very broad term and heavily used especially when it comes to talking about work. But what is stress and how can you recognise it and most importantly, how can you get rid of it quickly?

The most common symptoms of stress include:
*depression
*exhaustion
*frequent headaches and aches in the neck and shoulders
*aggression
*paranoia
*apathy
*increased absenteeism
*restless sleep or insomnia
*increased alcohol intake after work.

Sound familiar?

Naturally, these could also be symptoms for other things but if you feel these things whilst you're in the office or when you think about the office, here are some tips that will help you manage your stress and get rid of it.

1. Change The Situation
Identify what it is that causes you the most stress and do something quickly to avoid it.
If it's another employee, avoid spending anytime with them or near them if you can. Limit how much you have to deal with them. Change your daily habits in work and perhaps go out at lunch time to have a break from the office.

2. Change Your Attitude and Approach
If you are stressed, whatever you are doing now is NOT WORKING so something has to change. If your issue is with your lack of assertiveness, practice standing up for yourself every day and try saying 'No' sometimes. You can always be polite but firm. Find a colleague who is good at doing this and mimic the way they do it. Don't worry that people will be offended - if you think you are being reasonable, then go ahead. If you tend to get upset at situations in the office, stop. Find a way to react differently and don't allow yourself to keep feeling bad. This sounds impossible but it can be done if you develop a zero tolerance rule on yourself about feeling upset.

3. Write a Journal
It only has to be short but everytime something happens that make you feel stressed, note it down. After a week, you should be able to see a pattern and spot what your stress triggers are. Now you know what you need to work on and what you can cut out of your life by avoiding. If you find the office gossips bring you down, make an excuse to leave the room when they start.

4. Start Regular Exercise
Many clients I work with always reach the same conclusion after they start running regularly. They all reckon it's natures anti-depressant. Going for a regular jog or run will not only make you fitter and healthier but it's an excellent way to forget office stress and focus on positive thoughts. You're not only looking after yourself but you are adopting a great new habit that will help you bansih stress. Try a short jog and build up from there rather than just say 'Oh I can't run' and then shutting the door to it.

5. Eat Better and Sleep Better
When you are stressed, you tend to let your healthy diet slip and eat foods that ironically enough make you feel even more stressed. Whether you forget to eat or you binge on coffees and fast food, you're making it impossible for your body to function well and wind down sufficiently in the evening to help you get a decent nights sleep. Stop. Here are some tips on how to to eat better to help you sleep better.

6. Book a Trip Away
Having something in the diary in a couple of months time to look forward to can really help you get through dark days. Don't wish your life away but filling your diary with great things to look forward to is such a boost and when you get back from the holiday, book another weekend away or a trip. It's a very healthy cycle to get into.

7. Corporate Health and Wellbeing Programmes
Find out what your company offers in this area. Some companies offer great staff benefits that could include discounted massage treatments, yoga classes, Gym membership discounts, Fit Days. Its worth checking with your HR department.
I think that the role of the company is to help employess to rid themselves of work related stress. Its fine to expect employees to deliver 100% all the time but if you're going to pile on the pressure, you are obliged to help staff get rid of it where you can.

8. Is This The Job For You?
Sometimes, no smount of stress busting can help because perhaps you are not in the right type of position for your personality type. Its a hard admission to make but one that will make you so much happier once you have made it. Again, writing a journal should throw up some home truths for you to think about.

Good Luck.


Photograph by rick (Flickr)

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