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.

Become a Braveologist. The key to conscious bravery

Pamela Brinker has been a psychotherapist for more than thirty years but, when her second husband died of brain cancer eleven years ago, in her grief she didn't know what to do or where to turn. She looked at the obvious resources and tried to modify things as she had taught her clients but, within months, both of her then teenage sons turned to drugs and alcohol in their pain and suffering.

 Even though they were close it was such a challenging time for them. They were turning to each other and to substances. Within three years they were both addicted to amphetamines and Pamela had to come up with some different strategies. She became a ‘Braveologist’, using tools and resources differently and adapting and modifying different techniques not just for grief but also for the mental health and addiction challenges her sons were facing.

There is an assumption that drug users ‘come from the wrong side of the tracks’ and a lack of understanding that addiction can start in many ways - having an operation and getting addicted to painkillers or from grief. There are negative connotations when they talk about addiction and this is a stigma we need to break. None of us want to become addicted but most of us are to something – albeit chocolate or shopping!

Pamela thinks we need to start having a view of addiction that's on a continuum. Although she uses word addiction in her book, she sees it as substance or behavioural issues. She feels that we all need compassion and understanding to realise that no one wants to be dependent on a substance to get the level of happiness or containment that they seek or to deal with pain. That's really part of how addiction develops over time - it's a combination of a lot of different things. There is no one size fits all and it becomes a brain issue of pleasure and desire.

Some of the most recent research shows that the part of our brain that we need to use to help us override our dependency, is the same part of the brain that is flawed and not working properly. Pamela suggests that we walk alongside those we care about with deep compassion with tenderness and with strength.

One approach that is used when working with addicts is the 12 Steps which has been adapted for many different addictions such as eating, shopping, gambling etc. In the US there also mindfulness or whole-being based programmes with strategies that support people getting into their bodies not just their hearts and minds. Pamela has done a lot of work with somatic enquiry, awareness and body work which helps get us into the places in our bodies where our pain is stored. This is an answer to the ‘how do we resolve addiction’ and the ‘how do we quit depending on a substance’ questions. If we bring deep compassion to ourselves, to our whole being, we are seeking something to help us with what our brains, bodies and hearts can’t handle.

Linking the body to the mind is important as we wear pain in the body as well as the mind. The answer to many mental health even trauma issues is in the body. Pamela feels that we need to move past mindfulness and use the data available to us from going both inside and outside our beings so that we become more consciously aware. She uses the six zones of experience to do a whole being scan – the body, the heart, the mind, our intuition, the energy fields/environment around us and then the deepest part of our core self or essence. We can do this scan in thirty to sixty seconds and can gain a wealth of information so we can realign and balance and be there for our loved ones.

Self-care is very important when working with addicts because it’s very draining giving of yourself. It’s also important to guard and protect our happiness so we can remain a vibrant being who isn’t defined by our circumstances, situation or other people. When we are feeling agitated or tap into a situation which might be a crisis we start asking ‘what should I do?’ The key foundation of self-care is to tap into our own being where we have a wealth of data that can help us to decide what to do, to see what options are available and to think more clearly and be calmer - which is what we think we want when we say we want mindfulness! What we really want is to be truly aware and make choices that are truly brave.

Integrating the body with the mind helps the mind make better choices and allows for pattern disruption so that other things aren’t distracting you from harnessing your whole self. Most of us activate emotionally, in our bodies or both. Our minds start racing so we want to be able to ground ourselves and rebalance, to tune in to our bodies and calm the sympathetic nervous system.

There is a criticism of some awareness approaches. The critical thing is what comes next, of having awareness not for the sake of awareness but of making choices and taking meaningful action. We can’t just pretend to live joyful lives, we can’t just hope and affirm.

Being consciously brave is about being able to know what is needed in any given moment and then doing it. When we have the capacity to be free of all feelings and not judge ourselves we can come into our whole being and say ‘I can do this’. We need to be able to know who we truly are – to know I’m not my situation or defined by my loved ones - I’m defined by my essence which is never changing

Conscious bravery is innate. We are born with the capacity for it but we do have to cultivate and learn what tools work for us as its not a one size fits all.  Your form of conscious bravery may look different to everyone, but its something everyone has to practice.

Pamela is the author of the new book CONSCIOUS BRAVERY Caring for Someone with Addiction or you can find out more about her at https://bebrave.us/about-the-author/

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.

Embracing the 4-day working week?

In 1926 Henry Ford became one of the most high profile employers to reduce the working week from six days to five. As well as the benefits this brought to his employees, his business actually benefited as productivity rose as his employee’s leisure time increased. Since then, the five-day working week has generally become the norm but now the question being asked is whether a further decrease in hours would not only lead to improvements in productivity, but also to employees mental and physical health.

The 4-day Week Global initiative is a coordinated, 6-month trial of a 4-day working week.  It’s currently running in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK where there are 3,000 workers in 70 companies each having an extra full day off each week whilst still being paid 100% of their salary.

Supporters of the idea highlight the benefits that a reduced working week might bring. Staff who work less may be healthier and less stressed so there could be a noticeable reduction in burnout, depression and anxiety as well as countering the negative impacts of remote working. Reduced hours would improve employees work life balance with more options for flexible working and increased time for family responsibilities and commitments, socialising, exercise, continuing education and volunteering, all leading to an improvement in both mental and physical health. 

Advocates also argue that employers have a lot to gain from a shorter working week. Employees who are better rested and generally happier tend to be more focused, and motivated. This in turn could boost productivity and engagement and reduce the number of absences caused by illnesses, stress, and mental health conditions. Moving to a four-day working week could also make companies more appealing places to work and help in recruiting and retaining the best talent.

Despite these benefits, many businesses are hesitant. Even if predictions that reduced hours would increase productivity are true, its quite possible that changing work patterns would prove difficult and expensive to particularly in industries such as hospitality, retail and health implement where choices would need to be made in terms of staffing and opening hours. Although a reduction in hours might seem a good option for people unable to work from home, perhaps the question should be whether more time off or an increase in salary would be most beneficial?

The feedback from the initiative at the halfway point of the project has been mixed, with some companies taking part finding it difficult to implement and benefit from a different operational model. Other response has been positive though so with three months to go its becoming increasingly obvious that whilst shortening the working week isn’t a silver bullet for increasing engagement, productivity and improved employees physical and mental health, in some businesses it may well help.

Empowering your health journey

Estelle Giraud is a PhD scientist in population genetics who has become a commercial operator, founder and leader in biotech and frontier medicine @Illumina. Estelle has had to navigate the change and challenges that come with this journey and is both excited and scared by the rise of big data in healthcare and wellness. She is also passionate about creating a better healthcare system from the ground up, especially for individuals. She believes people don’t neatly fit in single boxes and that some of the most interesting insights about people and the world come from the unplanned intersections and she brings her authenticity and openness to the tough conversations about the hard problems we face.

Estelle believes we have the fundamental right to have agency over own bodies and our own health and that this can’t be layered in political, religious or any other way of thinking – it’s your own body, your own health journey and, as humans, we have the right over that along with the privacy that goes with it.

Trellis Health has the belief that health is rapidly changing. What we think about health data is rapidly changing – genetics, wearable’s, where people live and what people eat all impact on our health. At the same time we don’t have a good infrastructure for health data particularly in the US as there is no national infrastructure and people have their health data in dozens of different systems. This means that from a patient perspective there is little value in that health information. It doesn't serve you and allow you to manage and own your health. There are a lot of things you can talk about - AI and data driven medicine for example - but at the end of the day we need good health data on people and that data needs to impact on, and serve them.

Estelle’s company has been creating a platform, a health data hub, which starts with pregnancy. There are a couple of very specific reasons for starting at this point. At a high level pregnancy is a really unique time point in a person’s life where a lot of deep and broad measurements happen. It is the first interaction with the healthcare system and there is a lot of space for improving that user experience as well as the health outcomes – how do we decrease maternal and infant mortality at this intense time in a really data driven way.

The idea is that you own your own health data, cleanse that data and show it to the people who need to know so they can provide the healthcare you need for yourself on a global scale. People are more mobile these days and there are different systems in different countries. You can’t just assume people are going to be born, live and die in one system if we are going to have a mobile lifestyle it makes sense for all of our health information to come with us as we move through life. For example when you are on holiday and something happens to you. You can’t speak and your wishes or allergies are missed.  The mission of Trellis is to empower people to see and connect with their health and those two things are difficult to do. Health is an abstract thing. We don't think about it until we are sick and that's when it will help to have that data at your fingertips. It allows people to connect with it so we can own our health journey.

Estelle comes at this from a patient and a data science perspective. Health is not just about going to the doctor, having some blood tests and going home.  Its about mental health, diet, stress, sleep and community. All of these things impact our health and we’ve gone through the period where people would have one doctor who had seen their family for generations and had information about the whole family in their head. Today’s medical systems have been fractured into specialties and fragmented out – an app for mental health, seeing a specialist for something else - all different people and systems. People are slowly starting to realise that health needs to bring that all together and that to talk about truly managing your health it needs to be holistic.

There are a lot of inaccuracies in health data generally and this is difficult to fix without a level of transparency. With transparency people can see the data and start to have the conversation that something isn’t right so lets try to correct it. To realise precision medicine, we need vast amounts of clean, accurate data – if its full of errors we can’t develop the algorithms to do that. This is of course some of the most powerful data you can have on a person and is even more valuable than financial data which is why the privacy and ethics of this space is so important.

Trellis work automatically though API’s. The US has massive problems with health data and has built exchange networks that operate within the hospitals. This means that when users sign up to the platform they don't need to call every single doctor they've had. They authorise Trellis and then they can collect and build a longitudinal health record for them automatically. The revenue model is that of a consumer paid subscription. They don't take money from insurance companies which simplifies and strips away lots of ulterior incentives. They work with a lot of younger Millennial and Gen Z women who have the idea that if it’s free you are the product. This comes from platforms such as Facebook that monetise people. Trellis makes it really clear that you pay a subscription fee and that's how they make money. It’s your data and they don’t sell it to anybody. They don't make money any other way - it’s all about you and the value you get from your health data.

Organisational resilience comes from this consumer model because it gives independence in the market place. It sounds simple but simple is always best, particularly in healthcare. If you get from where you start profitability, the more organisational resilience you’ll have.

Genetics is the use of simple rules that are written in how we inherit things from our parents and how we pass things down to our kids. When you look at population levels there are mathematical relationships between different people based on their genetics. Its also relevant for how we think about disease, and human health and predispositions. If you put the data across populations you can answer really interesting questions about human health. Things like longevity, bullying and mental health are the sort of things you see in a correlation between life chances and wealth, Some aspects of life are hard coded in a very specific way in our genetics but other things are far more complex and depend on environmental signals throughout our life – where you grow up, levels of pollution, how you eat. All of these things throughout your life will impact your genetics. You can derive algorithms for understanding all of that by looking at the data. Everything about us to some extent or another has a genetic component.

You can find out more about Estelle and Trellis Healthcare at LinkedIn or https://www.jointrellishealth.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. 

A practical approach to leadership. The Zen Executive

Jim Blake is the CEO of Unity World Headquarters, a spiritual, non-denomination, non-profit founded in 1889 in Kansas City, Missouri. It helps people of all faiths and cultures apply positive spiritual principles in their daily lives. He had previously held numerous executive positions in the corporate world, including as Director of Customer Operations for Landis+Gyr, a global leader in the utility industry, and Vice President of Products and Technology for Rhythm Engineering.

Jim is based in Missouri which is known for its weather threats including tornado’s and recently the state has been experiencing 95 - 100 degree heat. There is an on-going threat from nature whether its fire, snow or storms and you need resilience to deal with these sudden changes in weather. Part of being resilient is acceptance of where you are and what may or may not happen. Establishing the proper mind set for being prepared is important, as preparation is the key to eliminating fear. If we accept the risks and prepare properly then you can reduce the fear and anxiety that might come with threats from the weather and from anything else.

Acceptance is a vital skill of understanding. Taking the stoic approach when things happen - what you do about them is the thing that makes the difference. Some people come out of adverse events well whilst others are completely defined by it, sometimes for the rest of their life. Acceptance is also an important part of healing. Our emotional posture and thoughts about these things dictate our experience of it. Something happens in your life and its how you handle that through your thoughts and emotions that determines your experience of that event. Accept and move though it and you’ll still have the rest of the day to be fine or hold on to it and let it impact your decision-making and how you interact with people for the rest of the day. It’s an important self-awareness skill.

Jim’s undergraduate degree was in IT coding but although he enjoyed it he found it to be isolating. In the early 1990s IT companies were moving away from main frames and mid ranges to PCs. With new devices and the Internet coming on line Jim took the opportunity to move into network communications. It was more social and more big picture and so he took his career in that direction. Since then he has led teams in general IT, application support, coding and network development until in 2016 he joined Unity World Headquarters as CEO.

Leading a non-profit is a very complex role perhaps more so than a commercial organisation. Jim’s background in programming and project management work formed a great base and he had learned huge amount from the leading global organisations he had worked in. The main things he had taken away were their commitment to innovation, their dedication to new product development and their focus on bringing on talent. That innovation served him well at Unity and gave him a really powerful way to use his experience and apply a whole new set of thinking in how it does it does its work.

Unity sits under an umbrella of teachings called new thoughts from the late 1800’s. These ancient principals that were mainly taken from the east and are traditions based on spiritual principals related to emotions, thoughts and how these create the experience you have as your life unfolds.  All of these new thoughts, areas or traditions work on a practical level not as a lot of dogma. Unity didn’t want to be classified as a religious organisation because it wanted it’s teaching to continue to evolve over time. Through its website it provides a lot of resources that are practical with sections on healing, grief, addiction and other everyday problems but looking at them from a spiritual perspective that takes its truths from all of the major traditions from the east.

Jim’s book, The Zen Executive, is based on the experiences he had during his corporate career. The first section is about self care - getting in touch with how your feelings and emotions impact your experiences and why and how you can better care for yourself. The better we do this in mind body and spirit, the better we perform and the better we show up.  When we show up stressed and angry, it affects our decision- making and the relationships around us.

The second part of the book is about the intersection between business and life and the practices that make people feel that they cannot combine their spiritual and work lives. Jim feels they can be combined so you can bring your whole self to work. The last part is about leadership and understanding leadership from a new perspective so you bring compassion, empathy and wellbeing for yourself and those you serve with to bear. There is the idea that you cant be good to people and that you have to treat them with fear intimidation, command and control. Jim thinks that if you do it the other way the results are even better. When a person feels safe, heard and appreciated, they are far more productive than if they are in fear and stress around their work.

Some people confuse the message about being safe, heard and appreciated as being soft, woolly and non-accountable but those things are not true. People still need to be measured, to show they are doing a good job. They need to be encouraged and have their potential understood and maximised. Leadership is not just about letting people run riot. One of the major points in the book is that you can still hold people accountable but that you can do it in a way with compassion, respect and transparency so you bring out the best in their performance. People know when they are doing a good job and what they are capable of so it's the job of the leader to hold a lens up and say ‘you’re doing this and that's great but you could be doing more’. Some people find this threatening, challenging, bullying or patronising. That's their choice. The job of the leader is to see the potential and then help their employees to see it to.

Jim feels we need to bring our whole self to work and advocates that some of the things we do at work are in alignment with things that exist in our spiritual life such as compassion, empathy and deep listening. The idea that work just has to be work and that `I can t bring some of what I believe in terms of my own spirituality’. You don't have to put it on blast but Jim suggests we can bring a spiritual approach to our work and posture of service to what are doing and how we are doing it. We don't need to share the reasons and motivations that inspire us with everyone but we don't need to exclude them from the workplace either. Jim feels the way to do this is to bring the same spiritual posture we feel in our most comfortable setting to the office in how we treat people how we approach our work and how we endeavour to inspire others. By finding the why and then giving context you understand the meaning of the work you’re doing. You are linking work to meaning.

You can learn more about Jim at www.1amjimblake.com where there are details about his book “The Zen Executive”. You can find out more about Unity at http://www.uinty.org

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.

Leadership in the remote workplace: Opportunities and challenges

The combination of technological advances and shifting cultural norms has resulted in the remote work trend continuing to grow in popularity as numerous companies embrace this new way of working. 

However, with the rise of remote work, there is an increasing need for leaders who can motivate and inspire team members from a distance. Effective leadership in the remote workplace requires a different set of skills than traditional office management.

The rise of this new setup in the virtual world has presented new challenges for leaders. How can leaders effectively lead a team when everyone is working in different locations? And how can they leverage the opportunities that come with a more dispersed workforce?

In this blog, I'll be discussing the challenges and opportunities of remote leadership. Leadership in the remote workplace can be difficult because leaders can't always rely on face-to-face communication. However, there are many opportunities to take advantage of when leading a team remotely. Keep reading to learn more!

The opportunities in leading a remote team

Leading a team remotely can present a number of opportunities. For example, it can allow leaders to build a more diverse team, as they are not limited to candidates who live in their area. It allows them to tap into a global labor market.

It can also allow leaders to create a more flexible work schedule, as the traditional 9-5 workday does not bind them. It can improve work-life balance. This can be a huge convenience when managing time and meeting deadlines.

Additionally, leading in a virtual world can help leaders develop their communication and organizational skills, as they will need to effectively communicate with their team members in different time zones.

Opportunities to be innovative and experiment with new ways of working are also beneficial for leading a remote team. This can include experimenting with different communication methods, such as utilizing video conferencing instead of email or developing new corporate policies based on input from everyone in the organization.

In addition to these practical benefits, working remotely also encourages a broader mindset, encouraging all members of a team to think creatively about how to succeed in their roles and what is best for the company as a whole.

The challenges of leading a team remotely

One of the biggest challenges is maintaining team cohesion. Without the daily interactions that take place in an office setting, it can be difficult to build relationships and stimulate a sense of teamwork.

Additionally, remote work can make it harder to monitor employee productivity and identify issues early on. As a result, leaders need to find new ways to stay connected with their team members and ensure everyone is on track.

Another challenge is managing expectations. When members are not present in the same physical space, it can be difficult to manage deadlines and ensure everyone is on the same page. This is why leaders need to overcommunicate and provide clear guidelines.

Communication is also a challenge. With team members working in different locations, there can be a lot of miscommunication. It's important to find ways to effectively communicate with the team, whether that's through video conferencing, instant messaging, or another method.

There can also be technical challenges, such as internet connection issues or problems with video conferencing. These challenges can be frustrating, but it's important to remember that they are not insurmountable.

Lastly, remote work can be lonely and isolating. This is why it is significant for leaders to make an effort to connect with their team members on a personal level. 

Effective strategies for leading a remote team

One key strategy for leading a remote team is establishing clear communication guidelines and protocols. It is important to set expectations around how and when leaders will communicate with the team members and ensure that everyone follows these guidelines consistently.

In addition to establishing communication protocols, it is also important to adopt different communication methods that work well in a remote setting. For example, video conferencing can be used for team meetings, while instant messaging can be utilized for quick questions or updates.

During a video conference, encourage an open webcam policy so that team members can see each other and build relationships. Participants may use an online webcam testing tool to check their setup before the meeting.

When communicating with the team, it is also important to be clear and concise. This will help to avoid miscommunication and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Make certain to provide a written record of team communication, such as in a shared document or chat log.

In addition to these strategies, it is important to foster a culture of trust and respect within the remote team. Leaders should make extra effort to connect with their team members on a personal level and set aside time for relationship building over video chat or email.

Summing It Up

Leadership in the remote workplace is a new and evolving field. There are multiple opportunities for those willing to take on the challenge, but there are also several matters that should be considered. 

Leaders in the remote workplace need to focus on communication, culture, and trust. Communication is crucial to be certain everyone is on the same page. Culture helps employees feel connected to their work even when they're not physically present. Trust allows employees to feel comfortable taking risks.

Ultimately, for anyone who is eager to shake up their routine and find new ways of working, being at the helm of a remote team can be an exciting opportunity indeed. It might not be without its challenges, but these can all be overcome with the right approach.

Guest Blog Author

Jennesa Ongkit is a content writer for VEED.IO and an all-around wordsmith. In her spare time, Jennesa enjoys reading books, watching movies, and playing with her pets.

Does employee wellbeing translate into improved productivity?

As we move further into the post-pandemic world, organisations are increasingly looking at long-term working models. Whilst some organisations found that home working led to increased productivity, others saw engagement and focus decline and productivity drop as employees experienced isolation, anxiety and stress.

Many studies have shown that higher levels of physical and mental health translate directly into greater happiness, increased self-motivation, improved staff retention and absence, better morale and ultimately improved performance and productivity. Whilst leaders are currently juggling many issues, productivity is one of the things they can’t afford to put on the backburner so developing a culture of wellbeing for employees has moved from being a nice to have to a must-have.

Building a culture of wellbeing in the workplace that helps, encourages and supports employees to practice healthy behaviours in the office will optimise employee wellbeing and positively impact on the employee experience to create a working environment where people will thrive.

Whilst in the past productivity has been boosted primarily through investment in skills and technology, now the more an organisation supports its staff in taking charge of their time and life, the happier and more productive workforce it has.

The cost of a toxic workplace culture

New research shows two-thirds (61%) of people have taken long-term leave after experiencing a toxic workplace. The research, which was undertaken by Culture Shift, looked at responses from 1,000 people in a variety of sectors including the financial, healthcare, legal, insurance and public sectors. It looked at the workplace culture in their respective organisations and whether they’d experienced negative behaviour.

The results showed what a detrimental effect a toxic workplace can have on employees. 44% of those surveyed said they’d experienced problematic workplace behaviour such as bullying or harassment with two-thirds (61%) taking long-term leave as a result of negative behaviour, 42% of respondents said they’d left a workplace permanently because of a toxic culture. Other recent research from Glassdoor found that two-thirds of candidates would not take a job with a company with a bad reputation, even if they were unemployed.

As well as being damaging for employees, a toxic culture is costly for the business. As well as the cost of recruiting and training new staff - with the possibility of losing them too if the culture remains unchanged - any employment tribunal resulting from the behaviour could also end up being very costly.

With employees increasingly prioritising their work-life balance above all else, businesses need to offer not just a good salary but also a people focused environment.

Addressing burnout is essential to staff retention

Many employees are looking for a new role because they feel their job is detrimental to their health and wellbeing.

With the pandemic continuing to dominate, new issues are popping up in the workplace where leaders are still trying to solve ongoing problems. Meanwhile with workers continuing to deal with increased workloads and the blurring of work and home life, it’s no wonder that burnout levels are rising.

This is highlighted in Ceridian’s annual Pulse of Talent report that surveyed 1,156 workers in companies with at least 100 employees. The research showed that 79% of respondents in the UK experienced some form of burnout, with 35% reporting this at a high or extreme level. It also found that the top three catalysts for burnout among respondents were increased workloads at 49%, mental health challenges at 34%, and pressure to meet deadlines at 32%. Whilst some of this can be put down to the usual pressure of the modern workplace, the pandemic has undoubtedly affected the work-life balance with many workers increasing their hours, taking shorter breaks and working when ill to meet a higher workload and the feeling of always ‘being on’.

This unhappiness means that 19% of the surveyed workers are currently seeking a new job, with another 39% saying they’d consider leaving for the right opportunity. This of course sits with the recent Office for National Statistics report that showed that the estimated number of vacancies recorded was at its highest level since records began.

Respondents were also asked what could be done better to address burnout and  55% thought it would help if their employer kept communication and work expectations within working hours. Setting strict guidelines and adhering to them is therefore essential with regards to working hours and downtime.

These surveys make it clear that many companies can expect to see a far higher turnover rate in the New Year if changes are not made. The need for effective employee support and wellness programmes, greater communication and increased flexibility has never been greater.

*Ceridian’s 2022 Pulse of Talent Report was conducted by Hanover Research and surveyed 1,156 workers in companies with at least 100 employees.

You can listen to any of our podcasts here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.

Taking charge of MS

Wendy Björk has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for over 35 years and now used her experience and knowledge to help people diagnosed with MS to know they have choices and that there is hope 

Wendy explains MS in terms of an electrical cord that you pull from the wall socket roughly too any times. The wires start to separate and the covering becomes damaged. The nerves in the body also have a covering and in MS, the cover is damaged or missing so when the brain tries to signal the body the signals are missed or not received correctly - the body still works but not at 100%.

In the US there is some discussion as to whether MS is genetic, There is no diagnosed MS in Wendy’s family but her grandmother had what was thought to be very bad arthritis and could barely walk and Wendy feels there may also have been an element of MS in this.

Often MS starts with quite small things that could be attributed to many other illnesses. It took six years for Wendy to be fully diagnosed. She started suffering from symptoms when she was fifteen or sixteen. When she got out of a hot bath her legs felt like ‘spaghetti’ and were useless. She mentioned this to her doctor during her annual physical but he didn’t seem to think it unusual so she kept ignoring it. It kept happening and then she started to get numbness and tingling in her feet.

Every case is different but it often starts with the extremities of the body. Wendy feels you should look for non- connected experiences. She first saw a neurologist when she was working at he first job in an insurance office. It was a very busy and stressful environment and one day she just couldn't speak. She thought she was having a stroke but in reality something in her brain wasn't connecting properly and in this instance it was her speech that was affected.

MS is a life limiting illness but people can choose how to look at it, deal with it and live with it. Treatment following a medical diagnosis will now often involve different infusions and medications that suppress or mask the symptoms. When Wendy was first diagnosed there were few medications available so she had to learn how to manage the things around her. She still feels this is a good step – alleviating stress, keeping calm and doing breathwork can all help in resetting your nervous system.

It can be very easy to go into a negative spiral. You can feel out of control because you can’t do anything about the diagnosis and slip into a depressive zone. It took Wendy a long time to navigate around it but she realised she was only 40 years old so needed to do something different. She considers herself very fortunate that her manager in her first job was very supportive. It was the early 90’s and he was very interested in self-development so sent her on a number of seminars and courses where she learnt how to take something and find a positive in it. Everyone is dealing with something and manipulating the way you use your brain can help deal not only with MS but also other illnesses or situations. 

In the US Wendy feels there are definite gaps in the care of MS.  A positive attitude is a good start but there are other aspects apart from mindset. There are many chemicals that can interfere with how your system functions so what you are eating, drinking and putting on your body is important in reducing the amount of inflammation in the body. A support circle and someone you can talk about your MS to is also important as is the home environment where things such as cleaning products can have an effect on your bodies system and how it functions.

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

You can find out more about Wendy and her work at Heartsofwellness.com and also download her free ebook ‘What is your body trying to tell you’.

Don't waste the good moments. Covid and beyond.

Radha Ruparell is a global cross-sector leader with expertise in leadership development and personal transformation. She has worked with CEOs, Fortune 500 senior executives, social entrepreneurs, and grassroots leaders around the world and heads the Collective Leadership Accelerator at Teach For All, a global network of independent organisations in 60 countries committed to developing leadership in classrooms and communities to ensure all children fulfill their potential.

The last year has been a difficult, traumatic one for Radha. She fell ill with Covid at the height of the pandemic and had to use all her leadership experience to navigate through the uncertainty and change it brought. It was April 2020 in New York and the first Covid wave was raging through the city.  Radha was on a conference call and started feeling breathless. Two days later she realised she had Covid. She was bedridden and because many of the hospitals were overrun and lacked PPE, she was told to stay at home. She did however end up in hospital and a year on she is still dealing with the symptoms that haven’t disappeared. These include mental and physical fatigue. Before Covid she surfed, ran and played tennis none of which she can now do. She tries to live a regular life but has to make constant adjustments.

Radha had to fall back on her reserves of mental toughness and needed to utilise all her leadership experience - how we manage ourselves, how we manage uncertainty and how we relate to one another. She needed to have  a strong support network and reach out for help. In the early days she couldn't speak without getting short of breath and was too tired to ask for help. Only a couple of people were aware she was ill and then a work colleague reached out. Radha had grown up thinking she shouldn’t share her personal troubles. She always toughed it out, but when she was ill she realised that being strong is the opposite – its about being able to share things, about what you’re feeling and your fears and vulnerabilities. It was a lifeline having a couple of consistent people in her life. She doesn’t think she would have been able to get through it otherwise.  

Radha also realised the importance of slowing down and asking what is going on within us, of taking a moment to check in with yourself so you’re not defining yourself by a situation and can rationilise it. Part of this is to understand the power of language and what we tell ourselves. The way we frame language can be destructive and we need to change it. Instead of having a bad day we have an off moment then every moment after that we have a choice.

Radha started writing her book when she was ill. Initially she wrote a two page article for her family and friends which reveled some of the things she had learned during Covid  - applying life and leadership lessons, how to be resilient , and how to slow down, discover inner strength and be vulnerable. Within two weeks 20,000 people had read it!

One of the takeaways from the book is how we deal with uncertainty. One of our biggest mistakes is that we resist uncertainty.  When she was ill Radha  had brain fog and couldn't read words on a page. She kept trying until she realised resisting was not helping – she couldn't do the things she usually did so needed to accept this was the current situation. She needed to be more creative and operate in a different way and realise that you can hold two conflicting ideas. You can accept what is happening and still be curious for what might be possible.

Sometimes it takes a catastrophic event to wake us up. These turning points can be terrifying but we all encounter them in our lives. The real question is: how will we face them? Despite our knee-jerk reaction to hang on to what’s “normal,” disruptive moments are exactly what’s needed to transform ourselves and the world around us.

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

You can find out more about Radha and her book at Brave Now: Rise Through Struggle and Unlock Your Greatest Self   

Changing lane. Making impactful change.

Jennifer or Jen Crowley is based in Chicago and is an author, certified life coach and leadership consultant.

In her 30’s Jen thought she had life she was meant to have. Married with a son, she also had a high profile job as Vice President and General Manager of a wine distribution company. Suffering from all the stress and anxiety that goes with juggling a high pressure role and family life she then went through what she refers to as a six year character building period. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, then a while later her father was badly injured in a motorcycle accident. Both are now happily retired in Florida but as the only child, Jen had to provide considerable support. Then, the president of the company was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and died very suddenly. Jen was emotionally and physically exhausted and wasn’t taking great care of herself.  Her job defined her so when the company was then sold to a large international group she decided to stick with it. There was an interesting and demanding integration period and as she went into her 40’s her life was very demanding – she was fighting for resources at work, fighting for time with her son and struggling in a marriage that was no longer working.

Finally, Jen and her husband divorced and at this point she started taking much better care of herself. She was eating well, meditating and communicating much better with the people around her. She became a coaching mentor at work and came to realise that people were comfortable around her. They would talk to her about their work, their anxieties and what was happening with their family and Jen found that trying to help people was the part of her job that she enjoyed most.

Six years after the company had been sold Jen realised that life wasn’t supposed to be so hard and took the decision to leave her twenty year wine career.  At 45 she decided that she needed to figure out what was going to happen next. She didn’t have any plans apart from taking three months off to get her head as clear as possible. Over the next three months she realised that although many people thought she should be happy because she seemed to have everything she needed, she wasn’t. She needed a different path where she could help other people. Initially she worked as a consultant to entrepreneurs but after a few months he made the decision to move into coaching.

Jen now works primarily with women looking to make impactful changes in themselves and in their lives. With a background in science, Jen’s approach to change is process driven and built around the importance of getting ready for change and then implementing it. In her coaching she deals with widespread issues, but many of her clients are in similar situations to the one she found herself in. Woman in their 40 ‘s who are realising that they are not happy, not doing things that they think are important or meaningful to them.

Jen feels the key to change is having open conversations and asking questions that dig down into what people really want. Sometimes people are so busy taking care of everyone else they simply need the time and opportunity to think and talk about themselves.

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

You can find out more about Jennifer at  changeablecoaching.com

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.

Pulling the gems from adversity. Mindsets and tools to rebuild, inspire and dream bigger.

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released, Resilience Unravelled - Pulling the gems from adversity. Mindsets and tools to rebuild, inspire and dream bigger.

Susan De Lorenzo is an author, speaker and certified transformational life coach who focuses on helping women who are emerging from life-altering adversities. As a survivor of invasive breast cancer whose marriage dissolved as treatment ended, Susan draws on her personal journey as well as her training as a life coach to give clients, readers and listeners the mindsets and tools to rebuild their lives in alignment with their deepest desires.

Susan works with her clients to build a mindset where, no matter what has happened, you believe you can create something even greater through a higher platform of awareness to give inspiration to dream bigger and go for more.

Although her mother was a breast cancer survivor, when Susan had her breast cancer diagnosis she was shocked.  She never imagined it would happen to her and the diagnosis unravelled her. The first diagnosis was not the most serious. During a check up her oncologist asked if anyone had spoken to her about the lump in her other breast. At the time Susan was working full-time, had an 18-month old son and a new house that needed a lot of work and she found that she was very angry. The diagnosis was very hard to digest and she was very resistant to it and didn’t even want to do chemo.

People sometimes describe cancer as a battle but Susan thinks we need to develop the relationship we have with ourselves which is what gets us through. When adversity hits us we need to ask what can I do with myself to make it OK - I know it’s not going to be great but how can I keep my awareness that I’m not alone and am connected to life. Knowing that can be the strength by making it real for ourselves and our centre or eye of the storm. We are the centre of our own experience. Families often don’t know what to do to help and we end up comforting them. They don't have the skills to help or they have their own thoughts and feelings about what you’re going through. We need to remember that's their experience, I have mine.  

In the US divorces relating to couples where one is going through cancer are higher than the national average. Susan knew her marriage was going to be problematic but was determined to get married and have a family. She grew up with a parent who suffered with depression and this was something Susan’s partner suffered from as well.

Susan had 4 surgeries and 6 months of chemo and radiation but was then told she was cancer free. She found she had a new love of life. She wasn't going to play small anymore and was at a higher level but her partner was in depression. Susan felt they should work at their relationship but her partner wanted to be alone – he couldn’t deal with how happy Susan was.

When we go through adversity and start to come out the other side we sometimes find that we are going at a different speed to our partner. The other person is still where they were and unless you move together it becomes a challenge

The model of marriage is very romantic but the idea of staying together is impossible unless both people are growing. We need to remember it’s OK to let go if the other person doesn't grow at the same level. People move ahead and change. It takes something fundamental to change. We need to re-engineer relationships and remain interested in growth and what’s going to be next. We need to have something to look forward and to stay real by talking about the elements of life, what’s happening in the world and what’s happening to friends.

Susan works with clients coming out of life altering adversities.  The first thing they learn is to understand is that it’s not just other people who overcome adversity and that they can too. They need to be open to the idea that this is for me too so how can I design my life so it gets me to a place where I love my life.  This needs building and learning to overcome beliefs and conditioning – the not good enough syndrome.

Susan now spends her time between Rhode Island and Florida. Later this year Balboa Press will be publishing her new book Pulling the Gems from Adversity where she shares the five stages of working through adversity to come back even stronger.

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about Susan 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 Susan at https://SusanDeLorenzo.com or at her Facebook page

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.

Like yoga with crayons. Creative intelligence and healing.

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released Resilience Unravelled – Like yoga with crayons. Creative intelligence and healing.

In this episode, Dr. Russell Thackeray talks to Corry MacDonald, a creative healer who integrates her training as a transpersonal art therapist, HeartSpeaker and energy healer into her advanced cognitive coach training. Born in Alberta, Canada Canadian Corry is currently based in Belgium with her husband, three teenagers and their dog, but has nearly a decade of cross cultural experience having lived in five different countries.

Corry became interested in therapeutic processes of art and the way that creative expression can develop healing and mental wellbeing when she was at university. Now, she teaches people to uncover and activate their innate creative intelligence to give them the freedom and grit to transform their challenges into wisdom and information and potentials.

Art Therapy can be used to help people explore emotions such as stress, anxiety and anger, develop self-awareness, cope with stress, boost self-esteem, and work on social skills. Corry integrates the full suite of art therapy tools and techniques including drawing, doodling, mind-mapping painting, and journaling with neuroscience techniques to build creative intelligence so people don’t get derailed from life challenges such as stress, pain, triggers and heavy emotions.

Corry feels that we can all get stuck by heavy, trapped emotions and has developed a 7-step process to help change these heavy emotions for lighter ones. The steps are:

1. Own it
2. Ask on it
3. Receive information
4. Act on it
5. Expect it
6. Love it
7. Share it

Corry also uses an emotional healing and stress reduction tool called HeartSpeak which uses the two parts to the mind – our Emotional Mind which  is often the seeker of ‘truth’ and our Logical Mind. Being separated from our truth is one of the classic triggers of anxiety, depression & low self-love. HeartSpeak listens to and works with the heart and emotions, to deliver answers about repeated patterns.

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

Our full blog archive is also available and you can sign-up to receive these on a weekly basis.

You can get in touch with Corry at: www.CreatingHealingWithCorry.com

Corry has written her first book Life in Full Colors: Unlock your Childlike Curiosity to Uncover the Creative Intelligence You Are. In it she shares the findings from both her personal life experiences and from those she has worked with.

Planning for the next phase of life

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released, Resilience Unravelled – Planning for the next phase of life.

 In this episode, Dr. Russell Thackeray talks to Dr Sara Geber who is based near San Francisco, California. Sara has a background in organisational development and leadership development and a Ph.D. in Human Behaviour. She is also a nationally recognised authority and expert in the area of life planning and retirement transition. Around ten years ago, Sara realised a lot of her executive coaching clients were starting to think about their retirement plans rather than their strategic plans. She became increasingly interested in how the Baby Boomer generation were entering a period where retirement was increasingly on their minds. The one thing they didn’t seem to want to do though was do it the same way their parents did.

Over the last few years the idea of retirement has changed. Baby Boomers want to do things their way. They aren’t necessarily interested in the stereotypical retirement leisure activities, they want to stay active and productive. A lot of them don't want to retire in their 60s. There is a different trajectory of ageing now with more people expecting to live into their 80s and being healthy and happy. Sara thinks that we should start thinking about our health when we’re much younger – food choices, exercise and outdoor time all help us stay strong and healthy longer. The percentage of people staying healthy into their 70s and 80s is growing every year and exercise and is important to this, both physical and mental! It’s important though that we don’t beat ourselves because we can’t do everything and are more susceptible to physical problems.  We need to be realistic in our expectations, accept its not always going to be perfect and do what’s right for us rather than take on someone else’s expectations – it’s our individual choice!

There is no one glide path into retirement but Sara thinks we should all be thinking about what we’re going to do when we reach our 50s. The number one priority is retirement savings and it’s important to know how much money we’ll need for our retirement. Financial planners now often run a life span to 97 or 103 so the sooner we start to plan and get ready the better. We need to think about how long we want to work, whether we’re still enjoying what we’re doing or want to make a change. Many people on their 50s get restless so it's a good time to start looking ahead and asking ourselves ‘what is my life going to look like, and what am I going to feel like in 20 years time’. Many people make huge changes to their working and personal life in their 60’s. The two major restrictions are physical and monetary but nowadays many people are healthier and have more resources.

One of the things Sara is particularly interested in is retirement planning for solo agers. Almost 20% of the Baby Boomer generation don't have don't have children so really need a practical plan for when they are older. As well as the obvious legal and financial considerations they need to focus on their social network. Isolation and loneliness is a huge problem in society generally but particularly for older people.  

It’s important to take stock of who you see, when you see them, who you spend time with at holiday time and whether its family or friends. We need to start nurturing our social network early and also consider important issues such as where we want to live and what kind of environment we want to live in. We also need to communicate our wishes to the people closest to us – who knows when a crisis might hit and we’ll need someone to make decisions for us. If no one knows what we’re thinking about our own future, then no one will be able to speak on our behalf in the way we would speak for ourselves. Of course it’s something that's difficult to plan but we need to start thinking about it and have some contingency plans – ideally written down.

Sara believes we are all social creatures who thrive in a stable community so whether its friends or family, we need to build our social network throughout our life. Having a sense of purpose, involving ourselves in things we are passionate about and creating new and different experiences are also really important as we move towards the next phase of our lives.

You can get in touch with Sara at https://sarazeffgeber.com/ Her book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, was released in April 2018, and has been an Amazon bestseller. It was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the “2018 best books on aging well.”

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

Building resilience for emergency responders.

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released, Resilience Unravelled – Building resilience for emergency responders.

In this episode, Dr. Russell Thackeray talks to John Marx, the Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Survival Institute and editor of the law enforcement wellness website www.CopsAlive.com

John is based near Denver Colorado and is now a consultant and trainer who works with law enforcement officers and emergency responders to help them build their wellness and resilience - as their motto says, ‘Saving the lives of those who save lives’. John was a law enforcement officer himself for 23 years but by the end of his career he felt very burned out.

When he was a serving officer John contemplated suicide and he now realises that many other law enforcement officers, emergency responders, fire fighters and paramedics have the same thoughts. They see the worst of society and this takes a toll on the human spirit over time. John knew he was suffering so he chose to leave law enforcement and sought out help. He wanted to venture out on his own and do something different so he moved into a completely news environment. The suicide of an ex friend and colleague however, brought back many memories and made him recognise that there were many people who suffered in silence and had families and friends who didn't realise what they were going through.  John wanted do something to change this so decided to set up an organisation to provide consultancy and training services to develop the health and wellbeing of emergency responders.

Many of us get our knowledge of the emergency services from film and television. John feels that these capture a little about what these careers are like but although they do a good job in showing the fear and outrage that providers go through, they don't capture the ongoing stress generated from nurturing society’s ills. There is an underlying malaise that comes from having to deal with dreadful situations and people day in, day out.  John worked for some time as a community police officer so got to know people in his area. He felt it was important to know the people he served and believes believes this is how police officers should work.

John feels that everyone is born with some resilience but that it is also something we can build. In the emergency services resilience needs to be built because there are forces working against so there is a need to be prepared. Since the shift to remote working many people have found difficult switching between work and home. The relentless series of interactions makes it difficult to wind down. John uses a mechanism he calls a ‘buffer time or zone’ to change between work and home. Emergency responders see so much death, destruction, poverty and sadness that it is challenging not to bring it home. Many responders try to protect their loved ones from their experiences and this in itself can be very harmful.

John feels that being a serving police officer is a profession not just a job and there is a need to strive for excellence to be the best you can be and provide the best service to community. This need to be intentional is a mindset that we can programme though visualisation, positive affirmation and programming to build habits to intentionally improve ourselves. We need to be conscious of our habits because they can get locked so we need to break the pattern and stay in the present moment

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

You can get in touch with John at:
www.LawEnforcementSurvivalInstitute.org
www.CopsAlive.com
www.ArmorYourSelf.com