How do you manage stress and boost your resilience?

 

The idea of this article is to get you thinking of ways to manage stress and enhance your mental wellbeing

 

Having grown up in South Africa there was a time when sitting around the dinner table sharing stories of how violence had influenced our lives was an accepted common day occurrence. Hijacking, township violence and murder – stories that didn’t raise an eyebrow because they had become the norm. This was not written to highlight past negative woes of what for me is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Rather, I see a correlation with mental health. Sitting around a dinner table today, the likelihood is there wouldn’t be many of us unaffected by some kind of mental health issue. If not yourself, stress, anxiety or depression will have affected a friend, colleague or family member. These tales have become common day occurrence and affects us all.

The work related statistics surrounding stress include:

• Total number of cases of work related stress, depression and anxiety in 2014/15 was 440 000 cases
• The total number of working days lost due to this condition in 2014/15 was 9.9 million days
• 2014/15 saw stress and anxiety accounting for 35% of all work related ill health cases

Source http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress/

So what do we do about this epidemic? We see Wellbeing as something to be implemented all year round however, in anticipation of Mental Health Awareness week on the 16th of May, we would like to share some insights in promoting healthy choices.

Work Wise promote that organisations prioritising wellbeing end up with a happy, healthy, engaged workforce. Wellbeing means proactively engaging in activity to promote emotional, mental and physical wellness. Companies that do this will attract like-minded people to their team and create a strong productive culture.

The wellbeing responsibility can be shared between organisation and the individual.

Organisations: Until the 16th of May 2016 we are offering a complimentary consultation and employee wellbeing assessment. This will give you insight into your employee wellbeing on an emotional, mental and physical level. Feel free to get in touch

Individuals: Think about your last holiday and how you felt on returning? For most of us it is an excellent way to lower stress levels and we return feeling revitalised with bolstered resilience. Many of us engage in weekly activities after work that have a similar effect to a holiday. Think of what you do to relax – exercise, sleep, hobbies … the list goes on.

Now we’d like you to think of ways you can replenish resilience levels during your workday. Some ideas include: walking in your lunch hour, a healthy snack, water intake, a mindful moment; prioritizing. By punctuating your workday with simple interventions is a small simple step in counteracting stress and improving your mental wellbeing.

In leading up to the Mental Health Awareness week we’d like to challenge you to think about the What; How and Why on your daily Wellbeing list? So for me

What: a 30 minute walk

How: Fitted in either on my way to work or in my lunch hour

Why: Have a change of scenery; breathe; refocus

Now to keep myself accountable!

We hope this has got you thinking. Feel free to share your ideas on twitter @workwisely

Keep a look out for our June Employee Handbook offering: “All the positives in your Wellbeing strategy”

Be well,
Leigh McKay

Some simple steps to Health and Happiness in your lunch hour

Whether you are considering a walking meeting or simply striding out at lunchtime, the benefits of a change of scenery and stretching your legs are profound on your overall wellbeing:

Health Benefits: To touch on a few of the physiological aspects, a walk, some gentle exercise mixed with a few gulps of fresh air, will not only strengthen your heart but will reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact it reduces your overall chance of disease. For the weight conscious it clearly burns a few calories and tones muscles whilst surreptitiously stimulating a vitamin D fix which works on your immune system and bone health.

"Exercise is the best preventive drug we have, and everybody needs to take that medicine." Jordan Metzl, a sports-medicine physician at New York City's Hospital

Happiness Factor: Increased oxygen flow adds to your energy levels. Happy chemicals otherwise known as dopamine are released on exercising– a neurotransmitter in the brain that is responsible for feelings of pleasure and happiness. Exercise and walking is one of the best ways to increase your brains dopamine production. In fact research shows that a brisk walk is as effective as antidepressants, it enhances our overall positive mental health.

“With regular exercise, the body seeks to continue staying active,” Dr. Tsai, professor of neurosciences at the Medical University of South Carolina

A Tip:  Have a go at being present. Taking a walk gives you the perfect opportunity to escape the distractions and interruptions of the office hum-drum and refocus. Whilst walking take notice of your surroundings and be curious. Notice your breathing and how you feel in your body. By taking notice and simply being aware of what is around you enables you to escape from past niggles and future “what-if’s” – it brings you into the present.

A few of the endless benefits of being present:

• The stillness and focus achieved when you are present helps you feel calm and less stressed
• For the over-thinkers and ruminators, this will give you a break
• This may sound strange but with less over analyzing comes a sense of appreciation

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." Buddha

So what’s stopping you? Here’s your chance to recharge - the choice is yours.  For our Northern Hemisphere readers approaching Winter, there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. For our fair weather readers, go get ‘em!

Written by: Leigh McKay

W: www.workwiseltd.co.uk

TW: @workwisely 

  

Thought about a Digital Detox?

 

A New York Times article recently revealed how many people today feel like they are becoming more forgetful and distracted – even losing touch with family members. Could this unfocussed, unengaged behaviour be a result of technology multi-tasking? Linda Stone, a technology behaviour expert, is a contributor to how technology affects our minds, emotions and bodies. She classified the term “continuous partial attention” which is when people pay superficial attention to lots of snippets of information.

Technology today can offer us many levels of satisfaction. It has transformed life, shrinking distances, allowing us to work anywhere and conquer a vast amount of tasks whilst potentially freeing up time for others things. Physiologically our primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities is easily quashed. A “technology hit” can provoke a dopamine surge – our brain neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure. For those of you part of modern diaspora – you may relate to the happy hit felt when seeing pictures of relatives 25 000 miles away on social media.

Some technology multi-taskers say that juggling many things at once is how they feel productive. Research shows us otherwise. If anything it leads to information overload and the lack of ability to filter what information is relevant – resulting in feeling stressed.

Researchers of the University of California have shown constant connectivity takes it’s toll on our brains. Excess amount of time talking to people online as opposed to in person leads to weakening of the circuits that control human contact skills.

Dopamine is wonderful but it is worth considering that it can be addictive – and when we become fixated with technology use, the opposite effect can happen resulting in depression and obsession compulsive disorder.

So what are the reasons for constant technology use?

-             Need to connect with others

-             Feeling of importance

-             Fulfil a need when you are feeling anxious

-             Stimulation

-             Escapism

-             Regain control

If you recognise your technology behaviour as addictive it may be worth asking yourself the questions above. Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Facebook founder, suggests we take a day off from gadgets - A Digital Detox…

What are the implications of a Digital Detox?

-        We could look to find our dopamine hit elsewhere, only in a healthier way. Play sport, create some music, write a letter or draw a picture, try something new

-        Boxing out digital time is a first step to self-awareness and reconnecting with yourself

-        Consider how your presence and offering the people around you, your complete attention is powerful and fulfilling

-        Think about the implications of role modelling this technology break to your children

-        Give yourself the recuperation time you need – like muscles, our brain need recuperation time to develop and grow

All the while you are disconnected – you will not know what is going on in the cyber sphere and yes you may feel a little out of control but guess what…..

It will all still be there when you log back on.

 

By: Leigh McKay

W: www.workwiseltd.co.uk

TW: @workwisely 

References

Attached to Technology and Paying a Price

http://greatist.com/happiness/unplugging-social-media-email

http://lindastone.net/

 

 

Merry Christmas and happily prospering through the year?

A business associate and I recently agreed that at this time of year there is a sense of ending and new beginnings.

For the Northern hemisphere this could be because the year is punctuated with the August Summer holidays - almost creating a dichotomy in the annual calendar. Southern Hemisphere countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa often undertake a Christmas celebration at this time, in order to experience the joys of the season with a Winter feel.

Christmas time and end of year means, for many of us, setting purposeful goals or resolutions. Now could be an ideal time to press the refresh button - what better way to enter the latter part of the year? Revisit your desired focus, direction and motivation.

If you are a team manager or leader no doubt the business goals are perused regularly but what about the big picture? As your teams reunite after the August holidays how about creating some time to see if everyone is on the same page?

Some headlines in encouraging employee engagement:

·        Is your team vision and purpose clear?

·        Who is accountable for what?

·        What is the desired end result?

·        How does your teams’ respective work make a difference to the overall organization?

·        How are you going to celebrate on achieving the results?

"When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose anything is possible." H Schultz

Now that you have defined your motivations, write them down, create your action plan and stick with it. Consider diarizing some regular reviews to keep necessity high rather than wait for the next natural lull in the calendar to regain perspective.

Leigh McKay

W: www.workwiseltd.co.uk

TW: @workwisely 

Leadership and Emotional Resilience – do the two go hand in hand?

 

Leadership – a subject that has been researched and written about for hundreds of years. We all draw on the skills needed for leadership whether it be in the home environment, in a social set up or at work.

Emotional Resilience (ER) – a subject that is seemingly new yet the study of emotions by psychologists has been around for hundreds of years but Emotional Resilience only recognised as a term in the 1970’s.

Leadership and ER are like two souls in love, they are linked, unable to live without each other. ER is your ability to adapt to stressful situations and crises – “bounce back”. Both biological and social factors determine your resilience levels. Whilst it seems to come more naturally to some, others of us have to work at it. Yes, it is something that can be improved or even learnt regardless of what we are born with.

A perfect example of a leader who displayed the qualities of being emotionally resilient is that of the late Nelson Mandela. Nelson displayed the 5 resilient attributes: Perspective, Awareness, Inner Control, Perseverance and Optimism

Whilst the South African political status continues to furrow into uncertainty, the legacy left by this amazing leader leaves the Rainbow Nation with some fundamental values. He created possibilities for the humanity of his country and intimately attached a vision of unity for each South African.

“I went for a long holiday for 27 years”, Nelson Mandela once said of his years in prison. Facing a harsh regime on Robben Island he found “ …the confinement forbidding, there was no end and no beginning, only one’s mind, which can begin to play tricks”.

Fortunately he had access to books and literature albeit limited and had many years to master this practice. Through time and reading he developed himself, and flourished with the 5 resilient qualities.

Perspective: Given the harsh conditions he suffered, he still managed to keep perspective and maintain an unbiased attitude reserving judgment. A psychological balance was maintained irrespective of the battles, struggles and triumphs he faced.

Awareness: A man who was self-aware yet also encouraged social awareness in his diverse nation. To mention a couple, he created an awareness of the fight against racism and an awareness of AIDS in Africa.

Inner Control: His leadership oozed qualities of consistency and fairness, rarely an outlandish emotional decision made. Rather than lashing out and making impulsive standpoints, he developed wisdom and willpower, evaluating all the time.

Perseverance: Determination personified whilst remaining aligned with his values. Quitting can sometime seem the easy way out yet he never gave up and was one hundred percent committed to his outcome.

Optimism: Against all odds, remained focused on the goal. This is an admirable quality to be able to see the positives and reframe all the negatives, resulting in a positive mental state.

Given the circumstances Madiba had to endure, emotional resilience contributed largely in supporting his great leadership. Should be clear to you now, how Leadership and ER go hand in hand?

Article written by Leigh McKay
@workwisely

Workplace bullying - where does the problem actually lie?

Is it an individual problem with bullies or lack of assertiveness and being a victim on your part?

 

So, I am enjoying a coffee with a friend and I tell him about this blog. His interest turns into anger which bubbles over. His view is that being nice is so under rated and people see it as a weakness – a balance of power shift. Bullying in his mind is a term that is far too loosely used and manipulated, always to fit an agenda.

 

The stereotypical image we hold of a bully often takes us back to school days. I remember Adrian M wielding his power over me and many of my peers in the playground. More recently the term “adult bullying” has been coined, especially in the workplace. In fact the study of school bullying has gone on for over three decades yet there have been few academic studies exploring bullying at work. Due to lack of legislation it is hard to knuckle down actual incidences.

The workplace is an ideal backdrop for emotional battles to be fought be it verbal, exclusion, intimidation or blackmail. Often done intentionally and sometimes perhaps not – emotions get projected onto other workers.

Rayner and Hoel (1977) have gone so far as to group workplace bullying into categories:*

 

Threat to professional status – belittling

Isolation – preventing access to opportunities and withholding information

Overwork – unrealistic deadlines

Destabilization – failing to give credit

Bullying incidents within organisations often see individuals leaving with the added cost of further recruitment and training. Bullying makes up part of the area of workplace stress. Certain models of stress, such as the transactional model, view stress as a dynamic process between persona and the environment.

 

In looking at the person and environment there is a shift as to where the problem actually lies? We often explain our own negative behaviour with reference to our environment, others and our circumstances, as being the result of our own internal characteristics. (otherwise known as Attribution Theory.) Is it bullying that you are experiencing or does the problem lie with you? 

Do you allow others to constantly take advantage of you in the workplace? Are you consistently doing extra work for a colleague or taking on the perpetual errands? Being the “yes man" can poison relationships – even cause internal conflict resulting in passive behaviour like stress, anger, want of revenge and victimization.

Learn to say “No” and be assertive. All these behaviours have been Iearned and you can re-train your brain to unlearn some of these habits. You can say “no” to some requests out of your remit or simply prioritise them.

Your time matters - don’t undervalue it. People that take advantage of you will constantly tell you that what they have to do and their time is more important.

Set some Boundaries - be polite yet direct when declining requests. Establishing limits to protect yourself will help you but also others to become more self-reliant.

Making these changes is a conscious decision and may seem like uphill all the way at first, but you will begin to see small improvements over time. Being assertive, not aggressive, is viewed as healthy communication. When you are able to communicate your feelings to others, you may find you gain confidence and self-esteem. This will lead to earned respect, improved communication and overall job satisfaction.

By: Leigh McKay

www.workwiseltd.co.uk

@workwisely

 

*Applying Psychology (2003) Nicola Brace and Helen Wescott

 

Engines Roaring and Grid Positions filled...

Greatness all in a days work?

The roar of Formula 1 turbo engines and the excitement of watching a Grand Prix has got me thinking about teamwork. Having been to a couple of Grand Prix’s in the last few years there can’t be a more explicit example of a team having to work cohesively and well?

Look at Lewis Hamilton’s most recent win in the Russian Grand Prix. Whilst Lewis stands on the podium receiving all the glory and accolades we are all subconsciously aware that it is him, but also a myriad of people behind him that creates his greatness.

Like business, Formula 1 is very competitive. The goal of the Formula 1 team is to win whilst spending millions of dollars in doing so. Sound familiar? Hundreds of hours are spent testing, building, designing and perfecting the car. When the driver goes into the pit stop there are at least 16 team members at the able. Refuel the car, change all the tyres and make slight wing adjustments under 4 seconds is all in a days’ team work.

This is just the tip of the iceberg and the only visible team to us at home. Behind the scenes are the factory team members, testing and designing the car. Personnel and logistics involved in getting the vehicles, team and drivers to various venues. What’s more, the team work starts months, sometimes years before the event. Collaboration, communication and focus is essential to success.

So in looking at your business, how does it compare to the slick example of the Lewis Hamilton Team of Formula 1? Whilst you may be an outstanding company and revel in your greatness, are you recognising and appreciating your team? Are they working as successfully and harmoniously as they could be?
By Leigh
Promoting Team Work through DISC Profiling workshops