3-Step Wellness: Issue, Solution, Results

We love it when people who attend our workshops are inspired to take quick and decisive action.  

Here's one recent example of how easy it can be to highlight areas that would benefit from improvement, establish specifically what action to take for quick results and then just get on with it.  

Everyone could benefit from following the strategy employed by this participant.  Here's their feedback.

'I would like to thank you for the tips you gave during the wellness session.  The actions that I took away and have found solutions for are as follows:

Issue 1: Due to the nature my of role I have to manage a considerable amount of travel which can impact on my level of exercise and the type of food available

Solutions:

1) Take trainers away with me so I can fit in a walk around meetings

2) Inform meeting organisers of dietary needs even if there has been no request for dietary needs. Take, where possible, own fruit and healthy options in luggage.

Issue 2: Level of workload due to travel and maintaining a day job can impact on the level of sleep i.e. using sleep time, particularly when travelling to catch up with emails etc

Solutions:

1) Plan, when less busy, work schedule to accommodate these requirements

2) Ensure there is a clear cut off time so sleeping hours are not reduced

3) Clearly communicate what is and what is not achievable to stakeholders 

Many thanks'

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Wellness & Personal Performance Made Easy: Part 3

Here is part 3 in the series of articles I wrote for HR Zone...

In the final instalment of our series, we highlight further strategies and behaviours that lead to exceptional results with personal health, wellness, energy and performance. As with our previous tips, these are all simple ideas that, when implemented with consistency, will lead to dramatic and positive results.

Take charge of technology

Technology is one of the greatest sleep robbers around at the moment. While it can be tempting to finish off a document or send a final email, and even if it’s for something we enjoy like checking that last social media update or having a look at a few more holiday websites, the danger is that screen time eats time and before you know it, you’re late getting to sleep and your mind is buzzing. You have to create some boundaries around your screen time and some guidelines for how you use your email. Be proactive in this regard because how we rule our technology (or how technology rules us as it sometimes feels) is usually simply a result of habits forming loosely over time and being left unchallenged. Things like staying up late to clear emails – this may have been a good idea one night but if it ends up being every night then the balance probably isn’t how you’d like it to be.

Clear out the clutter

Your sleep environment should be a haven of calm. Make sure your room is tidy and dark enough to sleep well in. Clear away all clothes, books, magazines, work-related items and remove all exercise kit from your bedroom as well as ridding it of television, technology and associated cables, chargers and wires. 

Eat your way to a great night’s sleep

Most people are aware of items that disrupt the smooth functioning of our mind and body – these include caffeine and sugary and fatty foods – but it’s not just close to bedtime when we should be wary of consuming these products. The more you disrupt your body’s calm environment throughout the day, the harder it can be to relax for good sleep at bedtime, so aim to keep a stable physical environment as regularly as you can.

Foods that help the body stay calm and focused through the day, and in turn aid good sleep, include protein such as nuts, fish, and turkey, and calcium in the form of kale or spinach. Tryptophan is a great sleep aid and can be found in hummus. Magnesium and potassium are useful inclusions in your routine as they help to relax muscles and you can find both of these in bananas. Porridge is a good choice to start the day and can also be a great sleep aid when consumed for supper. Always focus on unrefined carbohydrates such as brown bread, pasta and rice. Finally, although alcohol may help you fall asleep, it can disrupt the quality of your sleep so use in moderation and don’t come to rely on it.

Make lists and use them

Your ideas for weekly healthy eating should form the basis of your shopping list. It doesn’t matter who actually does the shopping in your house or your office, but make stocking up on what you need a priority. If healthy options are close by, you can follow your plan without too much thinking and get on with your busy day. If you get stuck without these options you’ll end up wasting valuable time thinking about alternatives and interrupting what you’re doing to grab whatever’s available near by. And whatever’s near by might not always be that great.

Carry healthy options at all times

Great portable choices include oatcakes, rice crackers, fruit, dried fruit and nuts. Within each of these categories there’s plenty of variety so you won’t get bored.

Establish your ideal exercise time

There’s no perfect time of the day to exercise other than the time that suits you and will ensure your exercise actually gets done! Consider the options and choose what works best for you. Many people prefer to exercise early as a way to set them up for a productive day. Some would rather get active during the day as a way to create two productive half days, rather than one long day during which energy levels can dwindle. Others like to get active towards the end of the day as a way to draw a line beneath work and move onto their evening. 

Exercise as a sleep aid

Exercise is a great way to keep your mind and body calm during the day and this will aid good sleep at night. Trying to fit in exercise should not become stressful as that can ultimately lead to interrupted sleep, so think about how some level of moderate activity best fits into every day, to ensure you feel calm and balanced, and aim to complete a more challenging workout every two to three days. 

Ideal wellbeing is an ongoing priority

Ultimately, perfecting your ideal wellness routine is an ongoing process and one best shaped by regular reviews of your actions and behavior in relation to your specific, personal wellbeing objectives. This way, you’ll always know which of these the tips in our series, or other wellness advice you’ll come across, will be most useful for you at every stage of your life.

Read part 2 of the series here

And part 1 here

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Wellness & Personal Performance Made Easy: Part 2

I wrote this article for HR Zone...

We continue our journey towards great personal energy, efficiency, productivity and enjoyment of both our personal and professional lives, by examining more simple lifestyle changes that are tried and tested and proven to result in people feeling great and performing to the best of their abilities.

Prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep every evening

Let your mind and body know that a restful night is approaching with rituals and routines that calm you and prepare you for good recovery. For most people, this means a period of winding down, leading carefully towards falling asleep. Listening to relaxing music and reading are popular strategies. Deep breathing or meditation is becoming very popular. Whatever you choose, make sure you set aside sufficient time for sleep preparation.

Close off the day

Unfinished business is something that keeps many people awake – things can pop into your head to prevent you from dropping off or, if you’re unlucky enough to wake up in the night, these thoughts can come flooding into your head and prevent you from falling asleep again. Each evening, put your concerns to bed before you put yourself to bed. Take a few moments to note down anything that’s on your mind and either write a practical action to resolve it, or schedule a time to tackle it the next day. Ideally, do this in the early part of the evening so you can spend the latter part of the evening on things that you enjoy and that you find relaxing.

Give personal meaning to healthy eating by setting clear objectives

Much time is wasted by people deliberating over every choice they’re faced with throughout the day. Things like, ‘should I have another coffee?’ or 'will I have chips with my lunch today?’  Whether you eat for health, energy, mood or weight management, this decision-making is made far easier if you stay focused on your overall healthy eating objectives at all times. Then, simply ask yourself if what you are about to choose will get you closer to your objectives quickly, or will it get in the way of you achieving your goals sooner rather than later.

Create habits that work for you

Be very clear when it comes to the quantity and timing of your meals, snacks and drinks. If you decide to have two coffees per day, choose the time at which you’ll have them. If you’re planning to moderate your alcohol intake, select specific days off and decide how much you’ll be drinking on your ‘on’ days. Pick optimum times for your AM and PM snacks and use them to ensure good fuel and great energy for the morning and the afternoon.

Watch the clock

Remember that you should never let four hours pass without eating or drinking something to boost your energy. Past this point you feel physically sluggish and mentally you might have trouble focusing. This is why being prepared with snacks is so important.

The secret to exercise success

If you’re not clear on why you really want exercise to be in your life, you’ll come up with some great ways to fill your days to the point where there’s no time left for getting active. On the other hand, those who make exercise work for them identify specific, personal and compelling exercise goals. These goals may relate to completing particular events, fundraising initiatives for charity, team commitments, weight management targets, social interaction, increasing energy levels and maximising enjoyment of life.

By giving some careful thought to the purpose of exercise within your routine, you’ll be able to plan and execute your ideal solution, boost energy, increase effectiveness and save time. Welcome to the world of wanting to exercise rather than feeling as though you ought to.

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Wellness & Personal Performance Made Easy: Part 1

I wrote this series of articles for HR Zone.

During the last 15 years of delivering wellness solutions to businesses, two things have become very clear. 

1. The improvements that people would like to make to their wellbeing are usually very simple; the most popular including the desire to get fitter, increase energy levels, lose weight, sleep better and experience an improved sense of balance in life. 
2. There’s an endless array of challenges, issues and reasons why people struggle to achieve these seemingly simple wellness objectives.

So to help individuals navigate their way around daily challenges to peak wellbeing and reach a healthy, happy lifestyle quickly and effectively, this three-part series will highlight fast and easy success strategies relating to personal fitness, excellent energy levels, healthy eating and great sleep.

By the end of the sequence of articles, you’ll be able to fast-track any wellbeing changes you’re considering personally and you’ll also be in a position to share the information with colleagues, family and friends. 

So, here's the first installment of targeted tips for quality sleep, fantastic fitness and creating a food routine that works for you, all directed towards optimum personal performance and a calming sense of balance and control in life.

Good sleep enhances the quality and enjoyment of everything you do

It’s tempting to steal time from sleep in order to pack more into the day, but one should always be mindful of the quality of what you do as well as the quantity of things on your list.  At some point, skipping sleep can create a situation where although we do more, we might end up achieving less. The ideal situation is to establish a sleep routine that leaves you rested, recharged and refreshed ready for a day of being effective and productive. You’re far more likely to enjoy a busy routine of work, family, friends and hobbies if you’re well rested. Plus, if you enjoy life more, you’ll sleep better and so the virtuous circle continues.

Routine is key: choose a bedtime and a wake time

You probably have a rough idea of how much sleep leaves you feeling refreshed so set yourself a time by which you’d like to be asleep in the evening, and a time to wake up in the morning based on leaving yourself the right number of sleep hours between the two times. Experiment over a few nights until you establish the optimum times for you.

Establish what’s going on with your food routine

In the midst of a busy life, making progressive improvements to your current approach to healthy eating is likely to be easier than attempting to change everything about your food routine all in one go. For best results, target your efforts carefully. Begin by keeping a food diary for at least three days. Simple notes will be fine – the content, timing and quantity of what you eat and drink – and this will help you identify and make the most effective changes right away.

Decide what to stop, start or continue

Clearly identify what meals, snacks or food products you will be removing from your current routine, what you’ll be adding to your routine that’s not currently there, and what you’ll continue with. For the latter group, be specific about which of these things you’ll be having more of, what you’ll have less of, and what will continue at their current level of consumption. For example, you may identify that you’d like to drink more water, drink less coffee, eat more fruit or vegetables and decrease your portion sizes. Some elements of your food routine will be fine for content and quantity so you can continue with these, although you may wish to experiment with the timing of various meals or snacks and see what routine provides you with the most consistent energy and focus.

Be very clear on how much time you need for exercise

Time is precious so decide how much of it you'd like to spend on exercise each week. You might be pleasantly surprised by how little time staying fit will require. Most people need just two to four hours a week but many are put off exercise completely by the idea that they need much more. Don’t stress about carving out loads of time for exercise that you might not actually need.

Think quality, not quantity, and refine your approach based on results

Remember the most important thing is to maintain regularity with activity and make the best use of the exercise time you do have available. The easiest way to establish how much time you’ll need is by being clear on your objectives and identifying how long you’d like to take to realise them. Based on this information, devise a plan of what exercise you’ll do each week and schedule specific days and times for your activities. Roll out your plan and then review the time you require based on your weekly progress. If you’re looking for faster results, modify your plan slightly, changing either the number of workouts per week, the duration of your workouts or the intensity of your activity. 

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One Easy Way to Inspire Staff towards Great Wellbeing Results

We ran a series of workshops for one of our clients yesterday and we received great feedback, including this email from one participant, which arrived this morning.  

The feedback...

'Thank you for the group workshop yesterday - I found it inspiring and a good reminder of the importance of healthy habits. I have already begun making some changes this morning, so lets see if I notice a difference!  Looking forward to receiving a copy of your slides - the general feeling was that we were keen to hear more! :)'

So, if you'd like a cost-effective and time-efficient way to inspire staff towards great wellbeing results, these 30-minute small group workshops are a great solution.

The workshop description...

Wellbeing & Motivation 

Simple strategies for great results with healthy living, every day

* These interactive workshops will help you design your ideal wellbeing routine.  We'll be discussing the secret to daily wellbeing motivation and outlining the most effective strategies for quality sleep, eating for energy, managing stress, effective exercise and achieving your desired balance in life.

 * Each session will begin by examining the specific wellbeing objectives of participants so that we can tailor the content of each workshop to suit those who attend.  You will leave armed with a bespoke plan to ensure quick and lasting wellbeing results and a feeling of excitement ready to put your plan into action.

* There will also be sessions offering 1-2-1 appointments during the afternoon, these appointments will provide the ideal forum for you to fine-tune plans to suit your specific schedule, commitments, challenges and circumstances

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