Work Smart Live Smart with Beverly Beuermann-King

TIP 2314 – Sugary Sweet

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Could you go without eating refined sugar for even one day?

Eating well and maintaining energy throughout the day can be a difficult feat in today’s busy workplaces.  When we are time-pressured, we tend to make poor nutritional choices.  Often, we skip lunch and grab for a soft drink, cup of caffeine or an energy drink to keep us going. 

These poor food choices can promote obesity, illness and negatively impact productivity. 

Companies are looking for simple ways to promote health and support healthier nutrition. 

Some are adding vending machines that have more healthy choices and others have taken a harsher stance and eliminated the “pop and chip” machines altogether. 

Some company cafeterias have added a premium fee to “fast food” items or subsidized healthy meals and snacks. 

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
So here are Today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Sugar Awareness Week:

Examining the nutritional needs and habits of your employees makes good business sense.  When designing your workplace wellness program, look for ways to educate, support behaviour changes and promote a healthier environment. 

The results may not just be reduced waist sizes and decreased benefits usage, but more engaged and productive employees.

Looking for resources to build your healthy workplace? Check out my top 10 tips under Resources and Courses at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2313 – Are You Feeling Blue

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It is Blue Monday….the most depressing day of the year.

The date was calculated by using many factors, including: weather conditions, debt level, time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action.

This isn’t a scientifically true formula, but it does point out several things that we already know.  Our stress levels are impacted by many things such as negative weather conditions, lack of finances, unrealistic expectations and unmet goals.  If all of these things come to a head at the same time, it certainly can make for a stressful or depressing time in our life.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
So here are Today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Blue Monday:

Get outside. Go for a walk.  Even if it is a snowy, winter’s day, the benefits of getting a light break, beat staying indoors and moping around.

Turn today into a celebration.  Plan special activities at work or going out with friends. 

Start planning a vacation.  Even just looking at beautiful vacation pictures has a positive impact on our mood.

Know though, that sometimes, it is okay to indulge in the blues.  Wrap up in a cozy blanket, turn on that sappy movie, and let all of your emotions flow out.

If you think that you have moved beyond the blues, talk to your doctor.  Seasonal Affective Disorders and Depression are serious and can spiral out of control quickly.  The sooner you do, the better.

Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, less-stressed you by visiting my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2312 – How's Your Memory

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1-519-527…….

I use to be able to remember my friends birthdays, their phone numbers and the good times that we had together. Now, I find myself forgetting even my family’s birth dates, their phone numbers and who I met yesterday.

I blame it on aging, but in reality, it is not really so much about aging, as it is about being so busy that I don’t take the time to file the information away.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

So here are Today’s Tips For Building Resiliency Celebrating Good Memory Day:

A good memory is nurtured by a healthy, common sense lifestyle. This requires a healthy body, mind and spirit.

Participate in activities that stimulate your brain, such as reading, crossword puzzles, playing cards, and other mental exercises.

Be social. Maintaining a network of friends will increase your overall level of brain stimulation.

Exercise daily. Physical activity significantly lessens the chance of cardiovascular complications that could cause dementia.

Manage stress through techniques such as relaxation, meditation and yoga.

Finally, Find a healthy work-life balance. Learn to slow down and be in the moment.

One of our biggest fears as we age is losing our memory. By taking care of ourselves and by learning to slow the chaos down, we allow our brains to access our memories more effectively and efficiently.

By The Way…Good Memory Day was two days ago!

If you like today’s wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app.

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2311 - Fighting The Winter Blues

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The alarm clock goes off, but you would rather roll over and continue sleeping. You get up, look in the mirror and you feel dumpy and grumpy. You go to the cupboard and instead of something healthy, you pull out one of those sugar cereals. You are not sure what is happening, but there are days when life is definitely more of a challenge.

Reportedly 65% of us notice a difference in our mood and energy in the fall and winter. These people may be fighting the winter blues. This decrease in mood and energy colours the way in which we handle the other areas of our life that compete for our energy and attention.

Research into the direct causes of the winter blues is ongoing. However, the more severe form, called Seasonal Affective Disorder, is thought to be related to seasonal variations in light which negatively impact the production of neurotransmitters and hormones that affect our sleep, mood and appetite.

The winter blues are usually characterized by varying degrees of sadness, anxiety and energy. Winter blues differ from SAD in that the symptoms do not last as long and do not interfere significantly with everyday living.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

Tips For Building Resiliency Against Seasonal Affective Disorders:

Increase your exposure to light. Spend at least 20 minutes twice a day.

Arrange your indoor environment so that it receives more natural light.

Install full spectrum lights.

By increasing your exposure to light and monitoring your diet, sleep patterns and exercise levels you will be able to maintain your health, increase your energy and combat the winter blues.

For more information on coping with mental health issues, sign up for one of my on-line courses at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2310 – Life Balance

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It is a gorgeous July morning. I have finished watering my newly planted grass seed and now it is time to focus on my business. I am finally feeling like my life is in balance.

This was a reflection on life that I had several years ago.  It didn’t mean that my life wasn’t chaotic, but I was feeling satisfied with the time and energy that I was spending on the various aspects of my life.

Sometimes my ‘balance’ lasts for a long time, other times, that balance is fleeting. Balance to me, does not mean equal. Balance means satisfaction.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency! 

Here are today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Life Balance Month:

My First Strategy is the belief that I have a purpose in this world and that this world has a purpose.

Second, is being comfortable with who I am. I am not superhuman. I try my best to take care of myself. My family and my business need me to function.

Third, I enjoy the little things and look for the awesome.  In my reflection above, my day started outside, watering and weeding. For me, this is nature at its most glorious and it helps to ground and center me.

Each day I experience different challenges, but these beliefs keep me satisfied with where I am going. How do you create more satisfaction and balance in your life?

If you like today’s wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app.

Looking for more ways to build your resiliency? Take my free on-line resiliency test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2309 - Find a mentor. Be a mentor.

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A successful mentor is someone who sees how remarkable you can be and constantly holds that image for you.

We all need someone to hold that mirror for us – And we need to be able to hold that mirror for someone else.

Who can you reach out to for that boost and who around you could use that lift?

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Mentoring Month:

Mentoring is a learning relationship where someone more experienced puts time and energy into a less experienced person’s development. Successful mentors know that they need to focus on nurturing the person, not just performance. Since mentees may be reluctant to expose their shortcomings to a superior, the mentor needs to demonstrate it’s safe to do so.

The strongest relationships are based on mutual respect and as a mentor, you don’t just want to be a solution provider.  Discern when it is appropriate to offer a direct answer versus when it’s better to coach a mentee through their question or problem.

As a mentee, clarify your goals: explain to your mentor what you want from your career, and from mentoring.

Strong mentoring programs not only provide support for new hires but also help create an open, inviting culture that emboldens all workers to contribute their ideas for improving the company.

Don’t forget that you can find more tips for coping with mental health issues, by checking out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2308 – Weedless Wednesday

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Smoking is no longer glamourous.  Most people understand the link to major health issues.

Though smoking has lost its ‘public’ appeal, it is still a major issue and addiction within our families and workplaces. Smoking cessation is the focus of many workplace wellness programs because nicotine addiction has a negative impact on absenteeism, productivity and benefits usage. 

Wouldn’t it be great, if we could prevent the up and coming generations from having to face the ‘futility’ of quitting, of being a ‘slave’ to their addiction, or experiencing the devastating impact of their ‘habit’.

Some people wrongly believe that if we continue to raise the price, add more tax or put more disgusting pictures on the packages, that people will stop smoking and choose to live a healthier life.

However, being addicted to something, means that logic is skewed, and the addiction can always be justified or at least continued to exist

So, I go back to my original statement…we have come a long way…but the key to our success is to continue to convince the younger generation that it isn’t worth it. 

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

Today is Weedless Wednesday. Hopefully future generations will not understand the need for this kind of promotion.

Looking for more ways to build your resiliency? Take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2307 – The Hunt For Happiness

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Happiness, for some can seem like an elusive dream and for others it is a constant reality. The difference is a mindset that looks for the best in a given situation.

If we spend our time waiting for life to be perfect…the children are polite and well behaved…there is enough money in our savings account and retirement fund…the renovations are finished…we have the right job…we have the best partner… we may be waiting for a very long time and we may be disappointed that happiness doesn’t seem to come our way.

True happiness is not putting a smile on our face and saying that everything is great, but it is problem solving the difficult situations and looking for the things in our life that are going well. In the workshops that I deliver, we talk about looking for the awesome. What are the cools things that are around us everyday that often we miss because we spend too much of our time looking for the things that are not quite right’

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

So here are Today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Hunt For Happiness Week:

Look for the awesome

Be thankful for the things that are true blessings in your life

And understand that you have the final say in your own happiness

Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, less-stressed you by visiting my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2306 – How To Make Your Dreams Come True

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We would all love a magic lamp or a fairy godmother to make our dreams come true.  But in their absence, it is up to us to make our dreams come true.  This requires effort on our part.  Not just wishful thinking, but hard work and intention.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Make Your Dreams Come True Day:

Create your dream list.  Write it down.  Put it into pictures.  Make a Dream Board.  This makes it real and more likely to come true than if your dreams stay locked up inside your head.

Decide what steps or actions you need to take to make these dreams come true. 

Watch out for negative self-talk, and fears that can sabotage you before you even start. 

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, recording her patient’s epiphanies.  Here were the top five wishes of those patients:

The wish that they had the courage to live a life true to them self, not the life others expected of them.

The wish that they had not worked so hard.

The wish that they had the courage to express their feelings.

The wish that they had stayed in touch with their friends.

The wish that they had let them self be happier.

 So what are YOU going to do TODAY to move closer to making your dreams a reality?

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2305 - What You Need To Stay Safe

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I have been taking karate for quite a few years now.  I’m a second-degree black belt, so not quite a beginner.  It takes lots of hard practice to get this far…yet I am pretty sure that I would still have a great deal of trouble using it against an attacker, especially one with any size behind them.

Early in my university years and again when I was working within a college, I took a couple of basic self-defence courses.  They did two things. They enhanced my awareness of the dangers and gave me ideas for options that I could use.  They were definitely worthwhile.

Fear is powerful.  And so it should be.  Fear keeps us on our toes.  It warns us to not be in dangerous situations.  Even the best karate move is not to be there when the attack comes in.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Personal Self-Defense Month

Consider your answers to these questions.

Do you know what to do if someone grabs you? If not, you may need to take a course on basic self-defence strategies

Are you aware of your surroundings? Don’t become complacent, even in familiar situations.

Are you confident in yourself and do you carry yourself in a confident way? Learn how to walk with confidence. This can be the difference of a potential attacker thinking that you are an easy target and them moving on to the next person.

Take your personal safety seriously.  Be prepared.  Be Aware.  Look like you know what you are doing.

Want to find more strategies to coping with stress? Check out my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2304 – Wear Your Milk Moustache Today!

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Have you worn a milk moustache today? January 11th is milk day, the anniversary of milk being first delivered in glass bottles.

I grew up on a dairy farm. Milk was a part of every meal.  I can still remember my dad skimming the cream off the milk for his cereal and the first time I stayed with my aunt who ‘bought’ her milk from the store, and thinking that it was so watery.  Nothing at all, like what I was used to.

Even after 7000 years of drinking it, milk is still very controversial. Many say we need it for bone growth, but there are those who say we shouldn’t drink it, as it can increase our risk for certain diseases.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Milk Day:

Watch what you drink.  Add more water and milk to your diet as opposed to pop and other sugary drinks. Studies show that kids and adults who drink milk are less likely to consume sugary drinks which add no nutritional value to their diet.

If you are having trouble sleeping, try a cup of warm milk.  The chemicals in milk, along with the warmth of the drink, can help to produce that sleepy feeling.

So to honour my dad and brother, here is a little milk day humour…..

Q: What did the farmer call the cow that had no milk?

A: An udder failure.

Don’t forget that you can find more tips for promoting health, by checking out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2303 – Becoming a Fit Family

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Are you and your family spending too much time as couch potatoes?

Although this is Family Fit Lifestyle Month, healthy habits should be a lifelong journey. I recently asked my sons what life lessons they have they learned from me (risky question but I wanted to know). I was proud to hear some of things that they said. Both of them said that one of the important lessons was around eating right and exercising often. They said that it has helped them to be good athletes and to feel good. (So all that harping around eating their lunch and working hard at practise has paid off after all). They saw me involved in fitness activities even when I was not naturally good at them. And they saw me having fun anyways.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Family Fit Lifestyle Month:

Reward participation in fitness activities. Be each other’s cheerleader.

Have fun. Fitness shouldn’t be boring or feel like drudgery. If it does that you haven’t found the right activities. Some of us prefer activities that we can do alone. Some of us need the watchful eye of a coach. Others prefer team settings. Fitness activities should be something that we look forward to.

This year, set a few goals for creating a healthier family.

Looking for more ways to build your resiliency? Take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2302 – Are You Thankful

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“What do you say?”  “Thank you”

As parents, we probably said this a lot, as we taught our children to be thankful for the gifts that they received or when others did nice things for them.

Are You Thankful?

I think as adults we sometimes forget to be thankful.  We often focus on the difficulties and on the things that are not going right and sometimes we lose sight of the things that are going well and the blessings that we have received.

A line of wisdom goes…You cannot welcome more abundance into your life until you have said thanks to the universe for all that you have. January is the month of new beginnings.  Let’s kick it off by being truly thankful. 

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     
Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Thank You Month:

Make a list of all that you are thankful for in your work and personal life.  Be specific.  True blessings are the things in your life that resonate importance and touch your core.

Know that when we are full of thanks, we radiate this to the people around us and we impact them in a positive way.

Hang out with people who are truly thankful.  It is contagious, and you will feel energized, and inspired.

Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, less-stressed you by visiting my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2301 – How To Deal With Your Difficult Customers

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Negative attitudes and behaviours are usually expressed when our customers are stressed out or they just don’t have the energy to use better communication skills, judgment and manners.

Being stressed out is chronic in today’s society. We often have too much to do, too many decisions to make and are usually running behind schedule. The difficulty behind the negative attitudes and behaviours is that they are highly “toxic” to our staff.

Dealing with difficult customers can make us feel grouchy, out-of-control and can rattle staff to the point where they may quit.

It takes a lot of energy to be positive, to keep things in perspective and to actively fend off this toxic effect. As the leader, there are several steps that you can take to ensure that your staff can effectively handle the best and the worst in these customers.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

So here are Today’s Tips For Reducing The Impact Of Negative Attitudes and Celebrating Thank You To Your Customer Day:

1. Discuss the types of customers that you may encounter ahead of time. What are some of the common complaints that your staff may face’ Share past experiences and horror stories with each other and prepare answers and solutions ahead of time.
2. Teach your staff how to keep their composure, be assertive and know exactly what it is they want to communicate.

Looking for resources to build your resiliency? Check out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2300 – You Need To Get Over It

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Do you hold a grudge?

January is the month of new resolutions.  It is also the month to Get Over It.  Whatever ‘It’ is. 

‘It’ can be very destructive emotionally and physically.  It is not to say that feeling hurt or angry is bad, but holding on to hurt and anger for a long time is.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Get Over It Month:

Weigh the risks.  Holding a grudge takes energy and has a negative impact on your health.  It can keep you awake at night. It can cause excessive dread and worry and negatively impact your digestion.  It can bring about Depression.  Weigh out the risks of hanging on to that grudge or negative emotion and see if it really is worth the energy.

Learn to accept what is.  You may not hear an apology.  The person may never admit their mistake but that shouldn’t be the goal in trying to get over something.

Often hearing someone say sorry doesn’t make us feel better.  Only you can change your perspective and focus, so start today and Get Over It.

Looking for resources to build your resiliency? Check out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2299 - Thank God It’s Monday

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Having trouble returning to work on Mondays? Feel like you never really left? Struggling with the blahs’?

Studies show that happiness at work may be the most important success factor for a modern workplace and that happy companies make more money!

Your happiness at work is your responsibility. Not your boss’s, not your co-workers’ and not society’s. It’s Yours. However, if you are a boss or leader it is your responsibility to set a culture where it’s easy to be happy at work.

Happiness at work doesn’t only come from the policies, strategies, plans or values. It comes from being able to do great work with great people.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

So Here are today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Thank God It’s Monday:

Decide to say, “Thank God it’s Monday”. Make sure that you set the intention to be grateful for the fact that you have a job and grateful for the fact that you get to demonstrate your talents to the world through your work.

Smile – it is contagious. Just as negativity is contagious, so is being optimistic, fun and happy.

How you show up in life and at work, matters! If you are just going through the motions, you will be shortchanging yourself and depleting your happiness.

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2298 – Life Requires Change

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Everyone hates change.

So many people I know believe that this statement is true.  However, the truth be known, people don’t really hate change, they may just dislike the process of changing. 

I know that people will only change when the behaviours that they have been using stops getting them the results that they want. 

With the start of the new year, many of us have taken the time to reflect on the past year’s events or our life.  We may have set some goals for the upcoming year based on these reflections.  When we set our goals for the future and aim to be more on purpose with who we want to be, we need to see and feel the past as uncomfortable and realize that life requires change.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Living On Purpose Month:

Know Your Why. To reach your goals, you need to identify the reason for the change in the first place.

Sometimes it helps to write this ‘why’ down and keep it available, because sometimes when we are in the midst of moving forward and the path becomes difficult, we may forget the reason for the change and give up on it, before we get through it.

Remember that change is not bad, and we don’t need to hate it. Whether the change you are making is a New Year’s Resolution or a life change to live more on purpose, always be kind to yourself.

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2297 – Someday We'll Laugh About This

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Humour can help you thrive in change, remain creative under pressure, work more effectively, play more enthusiastically, and stay healthier in the process.

Humour is an attitude focused on generating positive feelings in yourself and for others. It is an active state and a choice that we make.

One other advantage of maintaining a sense of humour and being able to freely laugh is that it provides us with a powerful sense of perspective and ability to build relationships with those around us.

Humour and creativity originate from a lively imagination and the ability to recognize and to appreciate the incongruities of life.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

Tips For Building Your Resiliency and Celebrating Some Day We'll Laugh About This Week:

Our ability to look at the funny side of life can be developed with practice.

• Post a ‘Murphy’s Law of our Workplace’
• Develop a Humour First-Aid Kit and fill it with your favourite jokes, clippings, and stories
• Make up a humourous response to ‘How are you doing’’

Being able to laugh about our situation and ourselves helps us to release the tension, regain our perspective, accept that which we cannot change and experience joy.

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2296 - Everyone Needs More Sleep

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I must have been sleeping. I missed the Festival of Sleep this morning. The celebration is an opportunity to sleep in, snooze, doze, nap, and catch 40 winks. However, I did doze off and I did go to bed early last night, so I guess that I unknowingly celebrated it anyway.

The Festival of Sleep reminds us that we all could use a little more sleep. Before the light bulb was invented, we use to get on average 10 hours of sleep. Now many of us are lucky to get 6.5 hours of sleep per night. Yet, we know that we need 7-9 hours per night just to stay healthy.

In fact, I think that we should celebrate the Festival of Sleep for two solid weeks – The week between Christmas and New Years and then the week after New Years. What a great way to end an old year and start a new year.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating The National Festival Of Sleep:

Obvious tip alert – Go to sleep.

Watch for those things that interfere or prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. If you are like the majority (65%) of the population who do not get the right kind or length of sleep, you need to find the right strategies to get a good night sleep. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Keep your room cool. Block outside noises. Watch the kinds of foods that you eat prior to bedtime. Don’t exercise right before bed.

Looking for more ways to build your resiliency? Take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

#mentalhealth #hr

TIP 2295 - Transform Your Thinking

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The pressure is on! Too much to do. No time to think. Be productive. Do more. Uncertain economy. Climate change. Make the right decision. Make it now.

Your thoughts create your emotional and physical state. How you think and react at any given time determines the decisions or actions you take. Successful people realize that by transforming their thinking that they can master the essential skills for thriving in these turbulent times.

Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!     

Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Transform Your Thinking Month:

Look at the decisions that you have made in the past. Have they been the best ones that you could have or should have made? If not, evaluate how you made those decisions and see if there is something that you need to work on.

Do you have enough tools in your strategy tool belt to deal with the issues and challenges you are facing? Using the S-O-S Principle can help ensure that you deal with issues, stay healthy and are supported during stressful times.

For more information on coping with mental health issues, sign up for one of my on-line courses at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

#mentalhealth #hr