Relax, Unwind, Sleep Well

Today's tip in our Be the Boss of February series has proved very popular so I thought I'd share it on the blog...

Day 10: Be the Boss of February

When days are long and busy it can be difficult to unwind and sleep well.

For the best quality and quantity of sleep it's important to prepare your mind and body towards the end of the evening and put together your optimum pre-sleep routine which will guarantee a great night of rest.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Establish the time by which you'd like to be asleep
• Track back from this time deciding what you do just before you fall asleep.   This could be reading or listening to music or the radio.  Decide how long you'd like to spend doing this and make sure you're in bed in time to achieve this
• Make a rule for when you switch off your technology and leave it well away from where you are sleeping
• Monitor what you eat and drink close to bed time to ensure there's nothing in your food routine that could disrupt your sleep.  Give yourself time to digest your last meal or snack before bed.  Hot milky drinks and herbal teas can aid sleep.  Caffeinated drinks and alcohol can disrupt your sleep.
• You may wish to include a short ritual in the earlier part of the evening of tidying your sleeping area and clearing your mind by noting down any outstanding issues that could keep you awake

Be the Boss of February is a series of simple daily wellness tips to help everyone through what can be a tough month and set individuals and businesses up for a great 2014.

To read more and sign up click here

Image by tamakisono Flickr

Read more on this article...

More Wellness Changes Paying Dividends in 2014

Earlier this week we shared some simple lifestyle changes that a few of our workshop participants had implemented over recent weeks and already benefited from hugely in 2014.  

A number of you said that you found the information useful as a top-up to your New Year motivation so here are some more success stories from individuals who decided in early December to give a higher priority to their health and wellbeing.

'I have made several small steps that have helped me massively.  I wake up 15 minutes earlier to give me time for a good breakfast and I began taking 5 smaller meals and snacks through the day.  I've increased my fruit intake, added nuts to my routine and am much better at staying hydrated.  I still ride my bike to work and have added some swimming to my weekly routine.  I no longer allow my phone into the bedroom which helps me unwind more easily at the end of the day and I sleep better.'

'Unbelievably I've lost 3.5kg since Christmas.  I feel much better.  I joined a gym and have been 2-3 times each week.  I'm drinking more water and less coffee and have slept at least 7 hours every night.'

'Eating more regular, smaller meals has given me steady energy levels leading to better concentration and more sustainable effectiveness at work and home.  I stay hydrated, have reduced my sugar intake, I'm using an App to count my daily steps and I'm getting back into running as part of my exercise routine.'

Read more on this article...

How to Run an Amazing Wellbeing Event

'We had an amazing day thank you, please pass on our thanks to the whole team.'

It's great to get positive feedback from the events we run.  Last Thursday's wellbeing day was based in a particularly challenging environment for the staff who work there.  Faced with a remote location and long working hours, eating well, fitting in exercise and sleeping well were all challenges they faced.

I thought it would be useful to share how we tackled some of these challenges on the day so you can use the information yourself or pass it on to colleagues.

If your office would benefit for a wellbeing day please get in touch with us and we can help you design an event that would suit your needs.

The secret to a successful event is to be able to give staff practical and realistic advice that makes a difference quickly. Here are some examples.

Wellbeing challenge 1
Our office is so far away from anywhere that we struggle to eat well.  The closest thing is a petrol station which is where most of us tend to go for lunch or snacks
Our nutritionist was able to provide a selection of simple snacks that can be prepared at home, as well as suggesting simple meals and encouraging people to cook extra at mealtimes and bring leftovers.  We also had a fitness expert on site conducting health assessments and providing staff with key performance indicators they can use to judge the benefits of eating more healthily as they monitor these numbers in the future.

Wellbeing challenge 2
I used to like running / gardening / walking but I've got a bad knee / back / shoulder so I've had to stop
At the event we had a physiotherapist and an osteopath who were able to provide advice on the stretches, strengthening exercises and postural adjustments required to fix injuries and get people back to the exercise they enjoy.

Wellbeing challenge 3
We're all pretty busy at the moment so it can be quite hard to unwind and relax at the end of the day
Thankfully our team of massage therapists were on hand to iron out any physical tension and also demonstrate that even short breaks pay dividends over the course of a long day when it comes to maintaining energy and focus.

Get the design right at your wellbeing day and the results will be amazing for you too.

Image by ontheflyrecipes Flickr

Read more on this article...