Is it always good to be ‘easy to work with’?

At some point in their working career many people will have been told that they’re easy to work with. But while it’s nice to know that people like you and enjoy working with you, is it always a good thing? Does it mean that your ideas and opinions aren’t being listened to or even that you’re setting yourself up for increased levels of stress and ultimately burnout?

When someone is easy to work with, it generally means they collaborate well with others, communicate effectively, and contribute to a positive and productive work environment. They might be seen as someone who is always positive. Someone who always says yes when asked for help, someone who has a can-do attitude and is always there when needed. But whilst being helpful and attentive can go a long way in an organisation, they’re not always traits employees need to be good at their job. And some of these traits can be linked to increased levels of stress and burnout.

Employees who are overly easy-going may find it challenging to set and enforce boundaries leading to an imbalance in workload and a diminished work/life balance. Managers or teammates may delegate more tasks them, give them more than their share of responsibilities and expect them to go above and beyond - often without proper recognition or compensation! In environments that value assertiveness, being too easy-going might impact career advancement if others are taking advantage of them and their contribution.

Constantly prioritising the needs of others can negatively impact personal well-being and lead to stress and burnout so it's important to strike a balance between collaboration and taking care of oneself. Being easy to work with doesn’t mean being a pushover or compromising principles. It involves being collaborative, communicative, and adaptable while maintaining a sense of professionalism and integrity.

Reducing performance anxiety.

We’ve all been there. The increased heart rate, racing thoughts, feelings of dread or even panic attacks we get before our workplace skills, knowledge and performance are put to the test. The apprehension, nervousness, and fear that can arise in response to the demands and expectations of our working lives is referred to as performance anxiety and it’s a phenomenon that many people experience in their professional lives. It occurs when people feel pressure to meet high expectations, perform perfectly, or fear negative consequences for mistakes or workplace performance. In this situation anxiety can develop which manifests in various ways and can have a significant impact on an individual's overall well-being and job performance.

Workplace performance anxiety can hinder an employee's ability to perform at their best. The fear of making mistakes or being judged can lead to cautious, risk-averse behaviour and make it difficult for them to communicate their concerns or ask for feedback. Their creativity can become stifled, and collaboration reduced as they become reluctant to share new ideas or take risks. It can also negatively impact their mental and physical health, leading to burnout and decreased job satisfaction.

A psychologically safe work environment where employees feel they can share their thoughts or concerns without negative consequences and feel comfortable being themselves, leads to employees being more engaged and motivated. They are more able to openly discuss their challenges, seek help and learn from their mistakes, and are confident seeking feedback and discussing areas for improvement. Because they are happy to share ideas and work collaboratively, a more innovative and productive work environment develops. With employees feeling better supported, there is a reduction in stress and a sense of belonging and wellbeing is promoted.

Whilst a certain level of stress in the workplace is normal and can even be motivating, when anxiety becomes overwhelming and chronic, it can have detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. Building a psychologically safe workplace and addressing performance anxiety can make a significant difference in improving overall job satisfaction and productivity and provide a work environment where employees can thrive and contribute their best.

Mindfulness for organisations

Keywords

Resilience – Mindfulness – Performance – Leadership – Workplace Culture - Stress

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Andrew MacNeill, a leadership consultant who helps individuals and teams thrive under pressure, discusses how mindfulness can be used as a tool to improve both well-being and performance in high-pressure environments.  Andrew spent 20 years in senior leadership and throughout his career led large teams in high pressure environments. He is also an accredited mindfulness teacher and brought these two worlds together in his book Organisational Mindfulness - a How-to Guide in 2019.

By integrating his leadership experience and insights from being a mindfulness teacher Andrew has developed a method to help leaders and their teams embed and implement techniques which improve performance, build psychological safety and support their own and their collective wellbeing. 

In this podcast Andrew shares his personal experience of discovering mindfulness while in a high-pressure leadership role and how it helped him cope with stress. He also explains that mindfulness is about non-judgmental present moment awareness and choosing where we place our attention intentionally.  

Main topics

• The implementation of mindfulness in organisations, particularly in meetings.

• The importance of noticing one's own biases and reactions, choosing to respond rather than react, and being present for effective decision-making.

• The need for cultural change towards mindful practices but acknowledging that it should be done thoughtfully as some people may not want to participate.

Timestamps

1: Introduction - Russell welcomes the guest, Andrew, and introduces the podcast. 00:00-00:23
2: Andrew's Work - Andrew explains that he is a leadership consultant who helps individuals and teams thrive under pressure. 00:56-02:03
3: Mindfulness - Andrew discusses how he discovered mindfulness and how it can be applied in a work context. He provides a practical example of how to practice mindfulness, and explains that it is a life-long practice. 02:05-08:28
4: Organsational Mindfulness - Andrew speaks about his book, "Organisational Mindfulness," which explains how mindfulness can be applied in a work setting. He discusses how mindfulness can help organisations support their people and deliver objectives. Andrew also explains how to implement cultural change and build skills to navigate high-stress environments.  08:51-15:24
5: Mindful Meetings - Andrew provides an example of how a program board meeting can be a practice in shared mindfulness. He explains how mindfulness can help people choose to respond rather than react in difficult meetings. 15:35-19:41
6: Conclusion - Russell and Andrew wrap up the podcast and provide information on where to find Andrew's book and services.  19:41-25:05

Action items

• Find out more about Andrew's book Organisational Mindfulness. http://www.organisationalmindfulness.co.uk/

• Find out more about Andrew at https://lxleaders.com/

 You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Resilience and Burnout solutions.  

Building Emotional Resilience: Tools for Managing Stress and Setbacks by Edrian Blasquino

Stress is inevitable. That's why it is crucial to understand it, its causes, and how to manage it better. While stress has its benefits, too much of it can be dangerous. 

Stress happens when it detects a threat (or stressor), and the body quickly goes on high alert but quickly recovers once it passes. These stressors include health, job, finances, family, race and gender discrimination, and daily hassles. If these stressors persist, your body might be in a permanent state of high alert, resulting in problems in focusing, bad moods, professional burnout, and mental and physical health. Stress could also result in weight gain, especially during ovulation for women. However, chronic stress can cause the body to operate abnormally, leading to health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and anxiety. 

But you need to know that understanding and being prepared for stress can make it easier to get through it. And controlling our well-being can help in our ability to bounce back from a stressful situation. Some of us refer to managing and overcoming stress as resilience. 

In this article, we'll talk about developing resilience so you can manage stress and setbacks in your everyday lives.

The Importance of Resilience

Resilience (or resiliency) is the ability to adjust and bounce back when things don't go as planned. Resilient people don't wallow in failure or spend too much time reflecting on it; instead, they accept the situation, admit their faults, and move on.

There are three essential factors for resilience:

Challenge: Resilient people see difficulties as challenges rather than terrifying occurrences. They perceive errors and mistakes as chances for progress and lessons to be learned. They don't see them as an insult to their intelligence or sense of worth.

Commitment: Resilient people have a strong purpose to get out of bed in the morning because they are committed to their life and ambitions. They dedicate themselves to their friendships, relationships, issues they care about, and religious or spiritual convictions in addition to their work.

Personal Control: People with high levels of resilience concentrate their time and effort on the circumstances and events they can affect. They feel empowered and confident because they focus their efforts where they will make the most significant impact. People who spend a lot of time worrying about things they cannot control frequently feel lost, useless, and unable to take any action.

How to Manage Stress and Develop Emotional Resilience

Managing stress and developing stress is crucial for one's health. Stress can lead to numerous physical, emotional, and mental health problems, such as weight gain, contagious burnout, and depression, among others. These are some advice that you can use:

Recognise Stressors and Combat Them

When you're stressed, your body will let you know with symptoms like difficulties concentrating, headaches, cold hands, tight muscles, an anxious stomach, clenched teeth, feeling on edge, fidgety, irritable, or withdrawing. You can cope with stressful situations by being aware of your body's signals. Learn to identify these feelings, either to oneself or a friend, and label them. Take action to counter their effects after that. For instance, you can relax and release tension by deep breathing, stretching, taking a stroll, writing down your thoughts, and setting aside some quiet time to concentrate.

Take Time for Yourself

Make looking for yourself a daily habit. It may mean saying "no" to requests or setting your needs above your obligations, but it is not being selfish or indulgent. Make minor adjustments to your routine to help you become more resilient to stressful situations. Work to finish in time to go to bed, exercise, eat well, and relax. Consider a personal laundry service, so you could have more time to do the things you enjoy. Adding exercise to your routine, which for some may include yoga or meditation, can be crucial when you're feeling stressed. Spending some time every day looking for the "good minutes" or doing something you enjoy, like reading a book or listening to music, can help you shift your focus from the terrible to the good.

Adopt New Habits

The additional structure can give your day a framework that enables you to pay attention to your body's signals, from arranging showers and bedtimes to blocking off time to plan and prioritize chores. Then, you might start taking action to manage stress sooner than before.

Connect and Meet New People

Thanks to technology, maintaining contact with loved ones, friends, and groups is now simpler than ever. Being or having a conversation partner can be comforting and reassuring. Also, using videos for discussions over the phone or online might improve their connection.

Reframing Problems

Consider sitting in traffic or doing chores around the house as an opportunity to enjoy music, podcasts, or beautiful vistas, as experts refer to altering how we think about and react to stress as "reframing." Consider what might happen in a rude behaviour to help you control your anger in return. Keeping things in perspective is crucial for enhancing stress resilience. In addition, you should think positively and make plans before tackling problems. Reframing is something you can practice and get better at over time.

Seek Help

Many people experience the same daily stresses brought on by caring for others, relationships, health, employment, and money. If possible, look for advice and information from friends, relatives, or other reliable sources.

Final Thoughts

One must develop resilience and stress management abilities to succeed in today's demanding world. Individuals can develop the inner strength required to overcome obstacles and maintain well-being by understanding the nature of resilience, fostering emotional well-being, developing problem-solving and adaptability skills, cultivating a supportive network, and engaging in mindfulness and stress management practices. Unlock your potential for success by adopting resilience and stress management as lifelong practices.

A leader must have the tools and resources to build resilience to lead your team better. To help you, QED Organisational Development is an innovative company that assists organisations in improving performance and results. In this demanding industry, they are experts in helping you stay resilient and connected. Click here to learn more about their services.

About the author

Edrian Blasquino is a dedicated college instructor and licensed professional teacher, committed to inspiring and empowering students through innovative techniques and real-world applications to make education relevant and impactful. With a focus on fostering critical thinking and creativity, he strives to create an engaging and inclusive learning environment, continuously adapting his teaching strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Manic Mondays?

We've all been there. Waking up on a Monday morning and realising the weekend wasn't quite long enough to recover from the stress of the previous working week. If you've ever had similar feelings, the latest emerging workplace trend may well be something that might appeal to you.

Bare Minimum Monday is intended to lower all the feelings of anxiety and stress about the upcoming working week.  These start to build on a Sunday afternoon so the idea is to focus on your own mental health and wellness by giving yourself space and a sense of calm to better navigate your first day back to work.  Doing “the bare minimum” of what needs to be done on a Monday (along with whatever else you want to do) means you are better able to focus on larger or more complex tasks on your other working days.

The idea comes from TikTok creator Marisa Jo Mayes who sees it as a form of self-care and a way to fight back against the feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion work-related stress. By prioritising the self and avoiding stressors, better outcomes are achieved, there is a positive impact on employee wellbeing by protecting mental health and employees are happier and healthier in the long term.

Recent work trends such as the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting have shown that employees are considering how their work impacts their mental health far more but Bare Minimum Monday would seem to be at odds with the classic models of self-care. These tend to be built on meaningful engagement, not avoiding or ignoring challenges and building ways to thrive. If employees are just doing the bare minimum, or getting the ‘Sunday Scaries’ it could be a sign of disengagement, which leads to the question, if you need to disengage from a job to cope with it, is it really the right job?

Expecting employees to be at the top of their game 100% of the time is unrealistic. We all have good days and bad days and its certain that there will be times when we are more productive and produce better quality work. Whilst it may be tempting to do as little as possible on Mondays to avoid stress, this approach may not be the most effective in the long run. It's important to find a balance between minimising stress and meeting work responsibilities. Instead of doing as little as possible, prioritising your tasks and finding ways to work more efficiently may be a better way to manage Manic Mondays.

Managing Financial Stress with 8 Budgeting and Self-Care Tips by Katie Pierce

When it comes to money, everyone can have varying goals, needs, and priorities. But one thing everyone can all agree on is that managing your finances can be one of the most stressful things you can do, especially if you’re not sure what to do or how to get out of debt, save money or make more.

There are a lot of things that can contribute to financial stress, but there are also just as many things you can do in order to manage it and make sure it doesn’t get out of hand.

How do you deal with financial stress?

Financial stress is a natural part of life, but it can be managed with the right mindset and practices. With enough patience and discipline, you can develop strategies for managing your finances that will help you achieve the financial stability you want. Here are some tips to help you manage your finances and reduce stress:

Set financial goals.

Setting financial goals is a great way to manage your finances and reduce stress. Having goals can help you focus on what’s important, which can make it easier to make decisions about spending, saving, and investing. It also gives you something specific to work toward, which in turn can improve your self-esteem and sense of security.

As you set your goals, be sure to make them specific and measurable. This will help you track your progress toward achieving them and make it easier to determine if you’re on the right track or if you need to make adjustments along the way.

Improve your financial literacy.

Financial literacy is the ability to use financial knowledge and skills to make sound decisions about the money. It’s a vital skill that can help you manage your money and make the most of your financial resources. The more you know about money, the better equipped you’ll be to manage and take control of your finances.

A little education can go a long way towards an overall better financial literacy since it will help you learn to recognize opportunities for saving and investing, avoid costly mistakes with credit cards or loans, and plan for major purchases like buying a home.

Automate your savings and investments.

David Bach, author of “The Automatic Millionaire,” recommends automating your savings and investments so that you don’t have to think about them. He says that this approach can help you build wealth faster and more effectively than if you rely on willpower alone for investing and budgeting.

By setting up automatic contributions from your paycheck into retirement accounts, for example, you won’t be tempted to spend the money before it goes into your account. This approach is especially helpful if you have a hard time sticking to your budget or saving money. It will also help you avoid making rash investment decisions that could cost you in the long run.

Get a financial advisor.

A financial advisor can help you create a plan for your money that’s tailored to your personal goals and unique situation. They can also provide unbiased advice on the best way to achieve those goals, whether it’s investing, saving, or paying down debt. Financial advisors can also act as a resource for you as you work to manage your money.

They can help you make the most of your finances and give you the tools and knowledge to take control of your financial future. This way, you can feel confident that you’re taking the right steps to make sure your money is working for you instead of against you.

Invest in your well-being.

Financial stress can take a toll on your health, so it’s important to take the time to find ways to manage your stress levels through proper self-care and mental awareness. This can mean taking time out of your day to exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep.

By taking care of your physical and mental well-being, you’ll be better able to manage your finances and reduce any stress caused by it. Remodeling your brain for happiness and self-care will also help you better navigate financial challenges and meet financial goals.

Create an emergency fund.

It’s important to have an emergency fund that you can use in case of an unplanned expense or a loss of income. This can help you avoid taking on debt or using credit cards, which can put you at risk of falling into a cycle of debt and repaying larger sums than you borrowed.

The amount of money you need in your emergency fund will depend on your expenses and financial situation. Experts recommend that you have at least three months’ worth of personal living expenses saved up in case of an emergency, with six months or more being ideal.

Create a budget prioritizing your needs.

A budget will help you make choices about how to spend your money. It can also help you identify areas where you’re spending more than necessary, which may be contributing to your financial problems.

A good budget is flexible enough that it allows you to put aside money for savings and unexpected expenses while still allowing you to meet your basic needs. This can help you feel more in control of your finances, which can be especially helpful if you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed by debt or financial insecurity.

Find activities to de-stress.

In addition to focusing on your well-being, finding hobbies and activities to de-stress can help you feel calmer, more relaxed, and more able to cope with stressful situations. A fun way to do so is through gaming.

Whether it's through casual mobile games like word games or more immersive online games you can play with friends, playing games can help you take a break from the stress of your financial situation, and find some much-needed fun. In addition, there are lots of games available that can help you learn new things and improve your cognitive skills, which can be a great way to keep your mind active and healthy.

Final Thoughts

Although money can be a source of stress, it doesn’t have to be. By being intentional and finding a balanced lifestyle that focuses on financial literacy and self-care, you can take control of your finances and feel empowered to make the most of what you have. And although there may be plenty more ways you can manage financial stress, these tips are some of the key fundamentals that will get you started on the right path towards financial wellness and stability.

Guest Blog Author

Katie Pierce is a teacher-slash-writer who loves telling stories to an audience, whether it’s bored adults in front of a computer screen or a bunch of hyperactive 4-year-olds. Writing keeps her sane (most of the time) and allows her to enjoy some quiet time in the evening before she walks into a room of screaming kids (all of whom she loves dearly) the next morning.

Time management for a stress-free Christmas

Christmas is meant to be a time to relax and enjoy ourselves but it can be very stressful. A recent study by Harvard Medical School found that 62% of respondents described their stress level as “very or somewhat” raised during the Christmas holiday. A further study from the National Alliance of Mental Illness reported that 64% of people were already struggling with their mental health said the holiday exacerbated their condition.

Part of the problem is that people have unrealistically high expectations for the Christmas season. We all want it to be as perfect and magical as the songs and films tell us it should be. But with trips to the supermarket, gifts to buy, family to contact, cards to be written, presents to wrap, decorations to put up, meals to prepare and homes to be prepared, there’s just too much to do! And that's before we add in the financial pressures facing everyone at the moment.

So is it possible to manage stress levels at Christmas?  Well, some preparation in the run-up can help and introducing a few time management strategies will help you take control and stop you feeling you’re being driven like one of Santa's reindeer!

1. Choose for yourself

Make a list of things you have to do to prepare for the holiday and the things you want to do. If you end up with December being a mad whirl of non-stop Christmas preparations and activities then stand back and consider if you’re doing things because you want to or because you think you have to.  Give yourself more time to enjoy the things you like by cutting out some of the ones you really don’t have to do.

2. Start early

Christmas activities don’t have to be crammed into the week before. You can decorate your home for the holiday season in November if you want and buy Christmas gifts at any time of year. Stretching out your Christmas activities over a longer period of time can really help reduce stress. Christmas decorations, cards and gift wrap, are often available at discounted prices in the week after Christmas so why not buy them then, put them away and take it even easier next year!

3. Get help.

Who says that you have to everything yourself?  Use the gift-wrapping services that many shops provide. Assign some tasks to other family members. By using the time management strategies of outsourcing and delegation you’ll lighten your workload and your mood.

4. Do it online.

You don't have to take the time to drive anywhere to shop if you don't want to. Reduce stress by shopping and buying Christmas gifts online or if you do actually enjoy hitting the shops, make a list then check availability and compare costs online before you leave home. It also helps to pre-plan and coordinate your journeys so you can combine running errands with Christmas shopping.

5. Make it fun

Everyone finds some holiday season activities that have to be done boring. Why not try to make whatever it is you find boring more enjoyable by making it special and different. Have some friends around for a Christmas baking event or get the family together to decorate the tree and put up decorations.

6. Look after yourself.

We all know how we should take care of ourselves – get enough sleep, eat the right things, exercise and drink plenty of water. It’s just harder in the Christmas season when these always a lot more food and alcohol around. Try to find time to exercise each day - put on a fitness DVD, invite everyone for a brisk walk or organise a team game you all can take part in.  Don’t keep saying “yes” to everything that’s asked of you. This only builds up stress levels. It’s okay to say no.

7. Relax and enjoy.

Whether its taking the time to drive around to enjoy the displays of Christmas lights, attending a carol concert or simply catching up with friends, doing something you enjoy will see your holiday stress drop considerably.

8. Be realistic

Over-exceeding your capacity will only end in frustration. One of the most important and practical steps to take is to lower your expectations. Don’t expect too much from others or yourself and realise that everyone has their own nature, talents and capacities. By understanding that they, like you, cannot be anything other than who they are, you will avoid disappointment.

9. Stop work

Working from home or on a hybrid-working pattern can make it difficult to walk away but its essential to set some boundaries. Put the laptop in a cupboard, turn off your email notifications and forget about work for the holiday.

10. Let it go

Remember, everything passes and Christmas is only one day Take a deep breath and let it go. Things will return to normal very soon.

Generational stress in the workplace

Stress is part of everyday life and we are all affected by it at some point. Understanding the factors that drive stress is the key to managing it and this has become increasingly important in organisations with multiple generations in their workforce.

Each generation has its own stress triggers and handles its stress in different ways. On top of the drivers that can affect everyone - changes to the work environment, a difficult situation, a new role or manager, deadline, risks, fear of failure or even something outside of work that generates negative thoughts - there are causes of stress that affect people in specific groups. For example, employees in their 50’s may be dealing with issues such as chronic physical ill health (which can of course have a significant effect on mental health), care of elderly parents or ‘empty nest’ syndrome. Millennials meanwhile could be dealing with anxiety about career progression, social media-related issues such as “FOMO” or low self-esteem that can also lead to anxiety and depression.

Stress can cause a huge number of problems in the workplace so it’s important for leaders to know how their employees handle stress and give them the right resources, whatever their generation. Annual stress audits, regular check-ins with managers and relevant training, development and wellness programme’s, will help organisations to limit stress in the workplace and create healthier, happier employees.

Whilst generational diversity can generate new perspectives, differing values and working styles can lead to conflict and stress. By creating a workplace that doesn’t contribute to unhealthy levels of stress and helps employees to reduce stress drivers, employers will benefit from increased productivity, reduced health care costs, and a more engaged culture.

Military physician to telehealth entrepreneur

Laura Purdy MD is based in Nashville, originates from southern Kentucky and grew up in Indiana. She did her medical training and first seven years of medical practice in the US Army and when her contract ended she moved into the telemedicine or digital medicine sector. Laura is licensed in 50 states so has patients all across the country as well as four children under the age of nine so she really ‘gets’ things from a working mother’s perspective. She is also an entrepreneur and currently has two businesses in the Nashville area that she owns and runs as well as having been heavily involved in telehealth start-ups as a co-founder, senior advisor and executive.

Laura started her military career in Washington DC where she did her training at Walter Reed Military Hospital before moving to Fort Benning in southern Georgia. She also served at Fort Bragg in north Carolina and Fort Campbell in Kentucky which led her back to her roots. She also spent time in Hawaii, Seattle, Texas and Virginia.

As a physician in the army you can practice at clinics where you deal with children and veterans so it’s similar to working in general practice. Laura did this but also spent time as a unit physician and in a hospital in-patient role dealing almost exclusivity with soldiers or veterans. Here the most common problems were musculoskeletal but there were also heat, blast and war injuries as well as a tremendous amount of mental health and behavioural health disorders.

As well as PTSD and trauma, adjustment disorder, depression and anxiety were very common. Military personnel are constantly being moved around – they are relocated, separated from their friends and family as well as having to live up to high expectations of performance and physical challenges. Work requirements mean early starts, late nights, weekend working and uncertainty about taking time off. Even if you don't experience deployment, war or combat, the military is a very stressful and demanding lifestyle so its not surprising that adjustment disorder, depression and anxiety are prevalent. The family network can also be an asset or a liability as can the quality of the professional support system which can greatly impact the outcomes and trajectory of the people going through a stressful or challenging situation.

In business, mindset and change are often linked together. Some people feel that the military is far more capable of dealing with adjustment because the level of constant change is more natural and frequent.  This can create its own set of problems with constant frequent movement either creating higher adjustment disorder or helping your ability to deal with change.

Laura’s last job in the Army was as Chief Medical Officer of the Warrior Transition Battalion where she was dealing with soldiers who were no longer physically or mentally fit to serve. Over 50% of that population had some behavioural health condition. This may have been the reason for their discharge or it may be comorbid with something else. Whilst there are a lot of people out there who are exceeding, excelling and doing well with that operational tempo, Laura also spent a lot of time working with people who had trouble adjusting – they weren’t a good fit for the lifestyle.

After her seven-year residency Laura knew would not be staying in the military until the end of her contract. She was stationed apart from her husband for the first three years of their marriage and during that period she had a baby and was effectively a single parent for nine months. There had been an option for them to be together so at that point she decided the best thing for her was to leave as soon as her contract would allow. It took eight years for her contract to end and it took a few years to arrive at the point where she wasn't bitter, angry or passive aggressive. She had to get to the point where could make some mature decisions, that she was going to make the best of it and going to choose to get as much out of it as she could.

A lot of people who leave an occupation like the military or after achieving something like an Olympic medal often find it difficult to decide where to go next or what to do with their life. Laura started by deciding what she didn’t want to and then doing a backwards plan. This was how she arrived at telehealth, entrepreneurship and digital health – all were things she felt would be components of a lifestyle and career she could create that would keep her out of the things she didn’t want to do.

Laura feels she is really a businesswoman disguised as a doctor and as a soldier. Her father was a businessman and did his MBA when Laura was in high school. She was really interested in what he was doing as well as in his business so she spent a lot of time discussing it with him. When she graduated in 2008 she was uncertain of what she was going to do but her father told her she should go into healthcare. She had seen the sacrifices he had made to keep his business going so she followed his advice. She then spent considerable amounts of her time getting out of providing healthcare and into the administration and business of healthcare because that was what she really enjoyed.

In the army you have complex problems to solve with fixed or few resources and a short timeframe in which to do it and that's what Laura feels entrepreneurship is.  Innovation, creativity, rolling up your sleeves, self sacrifice and dedication are all values of entrepreneurship so Laura feels her army and entrepreneur careers are directly related.

Laura feels telehealth and digital health are the progression and future of healthcare. She sees healthcare as following the way the banking industry has evolved – we do almost everything remotely, rarely go to the bank and when we do its’ an inconvenience. If healthcare follows that trend, as technology is developed and adoption increases it will get to the point where the first thing we think about in getting care is how do we do it digitally and the last thing we think about, unless its an emergency and needs in-person care is actually going to see someone. Laura feels this will disempower institutions and health insurers and give access to care in new ways and bring cost reductions, increased efficiency and, in some ways, better care. With the progress, changes and innovation there will be a complete transformation in the entire way we do health care.

Every day Laura comes across circumstances where she finds herself reflecting back to people she knew, positions she had, decisions she needed to make, life lessons and values of the military and she feels her military experience has had a tremendous positive impact on everything she does.

You can find out more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-purdy-md/

 You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Resilience and Burnout solutions.

Energy Medicine Yoga for stress and trauma.

Lauren Walker has been studying and practicing yoga since 1996. She loved the practice and found it helpful on many levels but when she experienced traumatic events yoga was not able to help her overcome them.  She realised she needed to find something else and that was energy or more particularly energy medicine.

When she started studying energy medicine she realised what energy actually was. It changed her understanding of herself as an energetic being and her practice of yoga gradually transformed into energy medicine yoga utilising powerful energy techniques and practices and transformed them in the lens of yoga practice. 

Most people don't have an understanding of ourselves as pure energy beings or that the world is purely energy. Science helps clarify this but can also muddy things. How can we actually apply this science? Where does the science reflect the value and truth of these alternative practices. And where does it come down to people using words like quantum so they feel they are more validated in the actually scientific ways they are meant to be?

Lauren feels there is more room to explore this. Western science is validating these ancient practices in studies to show where these scientific and spiritual practices come together and validate each other. At the end of the day though it’s really a question of ‘does this work for you do these techniques help to you be more in your life better with more ease, peace calm and freedom’.

There has been a lot more understanding of stress and trauma from the medical establishment. Stress causes disease. There is good stress and bad stress. Unresolved trauma also leads to disease and this speaks to that truth that everything is energy. Traumatic experiences are energies that knock your fluid incoherent energies out of coherence and it is the same with stress. Energy medicine and Energy Medicine Yoga speaks to those very specific energies. How they work in the body. How they move in the body. How to resolve them.

Most important we actually move the physical body energy systems animated in the physical body idea of expansion and contraction moving giving space in the body for energy to move and flow. Movement is important for stress and trauma. The more you move in a specific and guided way using the understanding of where the energy flows are in the body, the more freedom we have.

Any issue that you are having, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual comes down to where the energy is out of balance. It affects everyone in different ways. Whether its stress, trauma, depression or relationships not working, energy medicine yoga addresses the issue and provides the tools to pinpoint where to take the practices depending on what is going on for you.

Energy touches every areas of your life - how you’re feeling or sleeping, how your relationships are working, how quickly you heal, whether you have an optimistic or pessimistic outlook or whether you take action of pull back. All are affected by how coherent all of your energy systems are.

There are nine energy systems and all of those animate the physical systems that all work together synergistically. There is a need to find which area is out of balance energetically and bring it back into balance so that the body does what its meant to do – to heal. It is not at all like a western medicine problem – its much more holistic and integrated and less challenging.

You can find out more about Lauren at EMYoga.net Her new book is The Energy to Heal: Find Lasting Freedom from Stress and Trauma through Energy Medicine Yoga (Llewellyn Publications, May 20, 2022).

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Resilience and Burnout solutions.

Cycle of Lives – Emotional connections with cancer

David Richman is an author, public speaker, philanthropist, and endurance athlete whose mission is to form more meaningful human connections through storytelling. He competes in Ironman triathlons and a wide range of endurance athletic events and has recently completed a solo 4,700-mile bike ride in 41 days. This was to connect with the people who contributed to his book Cycle of Lives, which shares the interconnected stories of people overcoming trauma and delves deeply into their emotional journeys with cancer.

David’s career working for a Wall Street firm was incredibly stressful. During the financial crisis he was managing up and down and things got very tough. He suffered from both external and self-inflicted stress – was overweight and a smoker, did no exercise and had four-year old twins, as well being in a relationship with an abusive alcoholic. He needed to make a change but it wasn’t until his only sister was diagnosed with terminal cancer that he started to change his life around.

He says it was like a light switch going on. His whole life he had been trying to be an overachiever for other people – a good kid, a good student, keeping his boss happy, impressing his employees. Whatever it was doing he was looking for external gratification. Eventually he understood the concept of having to do things for yourself and when he realised this, he took control of his life.

David combined the thought that his best days were ahead with forgiving himself for his past mistakes. He stopped smoking, lost weight and become physically active. He stopped worrying about what other people thought about him and his work and instead concentrated on what he thought about himself and his work. He feels it's very freeing to accept the idea that nobody is watching you and nobody cares about what you do. Everybody has their own problems and own life to deal with. We believe other people are judging us but really they’re not.   When David started doing endurance athletic events he soon realised that no one was taking any notice of what he was doing, what training he was undertaking and where and when he completed an event - he was just doing it solely for himself.

David grew up not wanting to upset his mother and he realises now that is where not doing things for himself or learning self-sufficiency or forgiveness started. Everyone has difficulties so it’s important not to compare yourself to other people. Your life is your life and some people are going though unbelievably traumatic experiences. He talked with his sister through her end of life journey and then went on to do an endurance event to raise money for the cancer centre that had cared for her. Through the contacts he made he realised that many people have great difficulty communicating the emotional side of trauma and cancer.

He decided to write a book that could help people deal with the emotional side of cancer such as how trauma affects the cancer or how we can better relate to someone going through cancer. He found a number of people with a wide range of emotional responses to cancer - doctors, nurses, patients and relatives - and talked to them about their stories. When the book was finished, he wanted to connect with the people he had worked with so organised his bike trip to meet them all. All the profits from book go to charity. Each of the participants came up with a charity they had an affinity to and the proceeds of sales will go to those charities.

As well as raise money, David’s aim is to start the conversation. He feels we all need to try to live our best life but do it because its what we want to do. What matters is the state of happiness that we choose to surround ourselves with and the emotional connections we make with people in life!

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about David here. Our previous podcasts, upcoming guest list and previous blogs also available.

You can find out more about David here.

New solutions for Pain Management

Georgie Oldfield is a physiotherapist who also runs a training organisation where she trains health professionals and coaches to integrate a mind body approach to pain management.

Georgie was working as a physiotheapist for the NHS in a community-based role. She was working with patients who were suffering from such high levels of pain that they actually unable to get to a clinic. There were not a lot of options available to help these patients and Georgie gradually became interested in alternative ways of managing pain. The results she was getting led her to leave the NHS in 2005 and set up her own clinic.

Shortly afterwards she woke up one morning with sciatica. She had absolutely no idea what had caused it but having just left the security of her NHS role, setting up a new business meant she was dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety. At the time she didn't think this was relevant until she went to see someone who actually asked her what was going on in her life. It was then she realised that she was holding the stress in her body and this was how it was manifesting itself.

So is pain a manifestation of a physiological or emotional problem, a physical one or both? Pain is a protect response, and body pain is perceived by the brain and felt in body. There is no evidence to link the severity of pain we feel with the amount of tissue damage we have so it’s possible to have severe pain but no tissue damage. If the body heals and the pain persists after body has healed you have to ask why. If it’s not anything to do with the extent of the injury, it can be about whether we are anxious, depressed, have negative beliefs about pain or a past trauma.

There are a number of factors that surround how we perceive pain. There are also a lot of different triggers or causes of pain. Anxiety, depression, anticipation or fear of pain can all affect whether we feel severe or less severe pain. Our attitude to pain can also affect the degree of how we feel pain as does our personality and behaviour. It’s not just current stress that can produce pain. Things from earlier on in our lives can affect us too, such as adverse childhood experiences which are also more likely to impact on ill health later in life.

Living with chronic pain often means you become focused on the pain, which then fuels the pain itself. Understanding persistent pain is an empowering experience as sufferers realise pain is within their control.

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about Georgie here. Our previous podcasts, upcoming guest list and previous blogs are also available.

You can find out more about Georgie and her work at https://www.georgieoldfield.com/ Her book is Chronic Pain : Your key to Recovery

Solutions for anxiety and chronic-pain

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released, Resilience Unravelled – Solutions for anxiety and chronic-pain.

In this episode, Dr Russell Thackeray talks to Dr David Hanscom who is based in Oakland, California. Dr Hanscom was an orthopedic complex spinal deformity surgeon in Seattle WA for over 32 years. He quit practicing surgery in 2018 to focus on teaching people how to deal with chronic pain.

For the first eight years of his career David was part of a team surgically solving low back pain with lumbar fusions. Then research came out that showed the success rate of the intervention was only 22%. David had thought that the success rate was over 90%. This surgery is a major intervention so David immediately stopped performing them.  

As a top-level surgeon, David had always suppressed stress and didn’t know what anxiety was but around this point he started suffering from chronic anxiety, panic attacks and a obsessive-compulsive disorder. He thought anxiety was a psychological issue and sought help but found it just kept getting worse. David tried a number of different approaches but found the one that helped him the most was expressive writing. Studies have shown that this can help people with physical health conditions but David found it made it easier to separate and regulate his emotions

David feels that anxiety is the result of the body’s reaction to a threat or stress and that chronic pain is generated from sustained exposure to a threat. When we’re threatened for any reason, our body releases stress chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol. We then experience a flight, fight or freeze response, with an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, muscle tension and anxiety. If this continues for a protracted time, we become ill.

As well as being something physical, a threat can also be can be intrusive thoughts, repressed thoughts or emotions which are processed in the brain in the same way as a physical threat.  Mental threats are the bigger problem because we can’t escape their consciousness. The body’s response with stress chemicals and inflammation is the same whether the source of the threat is mental or physical. If the threat is sustained, ongoing exposure to this inflammatory reaction destroys tissues and causes chronic disease.

To deal with pain we need to be aware of the neurochemical nature of chronic pain and the principles behind calming the threat response. We also need to address all the factors that are affecting our pain and, as chronic pain is complex and each individual is unique, the only person who can solve the pain is the patient who must take control of their care. Every symptom is created by our body’s response to our surroundings so cues of safety create a sense of contentment and well-being. Threats have the opposite effect, including elevated stress hormones, increased metabolism, and inflammation. Sustained and prolonged threats (including thoughts and emotions) cause illness and disease. David feels the solution lies in increasing the capacity to cope with stress and also learning to process it so it has less of an impact.

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about Dr Hanscom here. Our previous podcast episodes, upcoming guest list and full blog archive is also available.

You can find out more about Dr Hanscom at his website BackInControl.com or his program The Doc Journey His latest book is available from Amazon.

It's easy to meditate. Just sit down and get started.

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released, Resilience Unravelled – It’s easy to meditate. Just sit down and get started.

In this episode, Dr. Russell Thackeray talks to Adam Weber, an author, speaker and highly successful commercial real estate business owner who is based to the north of New York City. Adam also has a progressive form of Multiple Sclerosis and uses meditation as a way of helping him to calm his mind, reduce his stress and see improvements in his pain and other symptoms. Now, he also helps other people learn to deal with their stress though meditation.

14 years ago, whilst working in the highly stressful world of commercial real estate, Adam was diagnosed with MS. The diagnosis came as a complete shock and left him struggling to walk and at times unable to eat. MS is aggravated by stress and Adam suffered with anxiety and depression as he tried to meet the demands of his day-to-day life.

Although both his parents worked in the medical profession, Adam wasn’t happy in taking a solely medication approach to his MS. He had used meditation infrequently in the past so he became interested in using it as a way of managing his MS. Once he realised how meditation could help with the mental, physical and emotional problems created by stress, he started helping other people use meditation to deal with their stress.

Adam wanted to take the ‘woo woo’ away from meditation and make it simple and easy to practice so he created his own ‘Easy to Meditate’ programme. He feels meditation is really about resting your mind and taking yourself out of the world we live in so you can concentrate on your breathing and focus. By closing your eyes and breathing in though your nose and out your mouth, you can start to focus on a place where nothing is going on so you can let your thoughts go and slow down your body and mind.

There are so many benefits in reducing stress and Adam wants people to be able to practice mediation anywhere – to be able to leave their business environment and be able to go to their car, the park or a spare office and take time for themselves.  There’s no need for incense, flowers or special clothes, you just need to sit down and get started.  

There is a difference between simple relaxation where you sit down, read a book or watch TV and meditation. Mediation physically changes the brain and works with heart to help you compartmentalise where you are

Adam feels that mediation is a skill that people can learn at their own pace. It needs practice and to develop good results it can take a few weeks. A good habit generally takes 21 – 30 days in place before you see results but the more you do, the better the results you’ll see.  

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about Adam here. Our previous podcast episodes and upcoming guest list are also available.

Our full blog archive is also available.

You can find out more about Adam and his book at here.

What we want, not what we need. Technology and self-awareness.

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released, Resilience Unravelled – What we want, not what we need. Technology and self-awareness.

In this episode, Dr. Russell Thackeray talks to Daniel Jenkins whom he met when he guested on his podcast The Freelance Entrepreneur. Daniel is also a consultant solicitor, working for two London law firms and specialising in civil and construction litigation, something that can be both contentious and stressful!

Daniel set up his podcast to help younger people with the practical and mental health elements found in starting up a business. He feels many younger people suffer from stress and anxiety when they start their own business and his podcast aims to provide them with tools he would have found useful when he was starting up his own business.

Every generation faces it’s own set of challenges. What Daniel feels is facing the younger generation now, is the advancement of technology and the pressures that come with it. Using the legal profession as an example, clients used to contact solicitors by telephone and letter so work could be done reasonably slowly because there were days to respond. Now, most people can access their work emails on their phone so expect a response in minutes and hours rather than days. This brings the expectation that responses have to be provided quickly and at any time because potential clients will go somewhere else if their requests are not answered straight away.

It is possible that generational attitudes to technology may not be as straightforward as people tend to think. Because they grew up without it, many older people now see the introduction of technology as an enabling toolkit whilst to some younger people it is enslaving with increased expectations. Daniel grew up in a world where work contact has always been by email and mobile so its difficult for him to image a world where you can’t be contacted immediately.  Because he didn't know the world beforehand, technology doesn’t seem liberational or transformational as it might to someone older.

Some professions have embraced technology whilst others have been slower. Daniel feels the legal profession usually lags a little behind and is not moving as quickly as it could. Technology is available but isn’t utilised fully.  If systems that improve time efficiency and keep costs down for clients aren’t updated, firms will quickly get left behind.

Introducing new technology can also mean that roles become soulless and lacking in meaning and purpose. Pigeon holing people so they deal with the same thing over and over again can be the most efficient way to run a business but its not good for the people doing the work. They become a cog in a machine and miss the challenge of doing something different, something that's not just a tick box exercise. When a job becomes a simple transaction process, it loses any sense of purpose, which in turn affects mental wellbeing.

Millenials in particular have had a pretty tough time. Their parents brought them up to expect that they will have a job with meaning and purpose but the gig economy, highly computerised, low value, low brainpower jobs means their expectations for a better life have not been met. They also have to deal with the ideal portrayed by social media and the idea that ‘if they can have it I can and if I don't get it I’m doing something wrong’. As a society we’re not keeping up with technological advances. We don't understand the impact on people of being exposed to social media 24/7 – the pressure to fit in, to be instantly contactable and constantly ‘on’ - so its no wonder people exhibit anxiety.

Younger people need to be given the tools to deal with social media at an early age so that they have a choice and know that access should be limited to ‘as much as you want but not what you need’.

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about Daniel here. Our previous podcast episodes and upcoming guest list are also available. Our full blog archive is also available.

You can get in touch with Daniel at The Freelance Entrepreneur.co.uk or through LinkedIn