Work Smart Live Smart with Beverly Beuermann-King

Preventing illness slowing down the aging process and living life to the fullest these are a few of the reasons many are reaching out towards a healthier lifestyle.

Another reason is dealing with the constant change that saps our energy.

According to one report 14 percent of workers identified new technology in the workplace as a significant source of stress.

Never before have individuals been asked to adapt as rapidly.

One of the simplest and most effective strategies is deep breathing. Deep breathing can interrupt the stress response and promote relaxation. I it can convert fatigue into energy and restlessness into calmness.

My Hot Tips For Building Your Resiliency On Information Overload Day:

Learn how to incorporate the complete breath. You can read more about this technique on my blog at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com.

You can use it when you need to get refocused during a difficult situation or project.

This incredibly simple technique can have a very powerful impact. It can be done by anyone, anywhere, and in any circumstance.

So try it today. Once started it will soon become one of the best stress busters in your arsenal.

Are bosses who are fair, supportive, and kind gone by the way of the dodo bird?

If we were to listen to the media, or the complaints from friends and family, you would think that this was true.

We hear about cut-throat bosses. Bosses who are bullies. The ones who steal all of the glory for themselves.

There are bosses who are perfectionists.

And then there are those bosses who only care about the bottom line.

In fact. in one survey, seventy five percent of workers said that dealing with their boss was the most stressful part of their day.

Bosses Day is the day for employees to recognize their boss for their positive traits.

Like it or not your boss plays an important role in your productivity, creativity, and overall health.

It is up to you to build the best relationship with your boss that you can.

Here Are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Bosses Day:

Examine how you describe your work, your boss, and your company.

If you find that you are using all negative language, stop. It's undermining you mental and physical health.

Focus on solutions not problems.

Have conversations that move things forward.

And finally, don't be moody and don't let your boss’ mood impact you. You have no idea what they are dealing with. So reserve your judgments. Be the one that is in control of their mood.

Looking for resources to build your healthy workplace? Check out my top ten tips under resources and courses at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com.

 

 

All goody two-shoes, beware. You are not welcome on this day.

Today is a day for all grouches to celebrate their way of life.

According to the Muppet Wiki, a grouch’s mission in life is to be as miserable and as grouchy as possible and pass that feeling on everyone else.

Only then will a grouch be in touch with his or her world and be happy.

Yet even though grouch may show happiness at anyone's misfortune, a grouch would never admit to being happy.

So My Hot Tip For Celebrating National Grouch Day:

Be miserable. Complain over everything. And enjoy nothing.

Tomorrow will not be better.

There is no silver lining.

And the glass almost empty.

Looking for better ways to build your resiliency?

Take my free online vulnerability test at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

 

Well everyone lobs a snarky remark here and there.

A sarcastic person expresses humor in verbal irony by making statements that defy their literal meaning.

For some it's as natural as  breathing.

Some say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence.

Whether sarcasm is a sign of intelligence or not, communication experts typically advise us to stay away from this particular form of expression.

And yet, there is some research that suggests that there may be some unexpected benefits from sarcasm, including greater creativity in the workplace.

Today's Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Sarcasm Awareness Month:

Research shows that sarcasm can be easily misinterpreted, so use it sparingly and take great care that it doesn't damage your relationships.

It comes down to trust. Given the risks and benefits of sarcasm, your best bet is to keep salty remarks limited to conversations with those you know well.

Looking for better ways to build your resiliency? Take my free online vulnerability test at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

 

Squeaky doors. Slow internet connections. No subject heading in an email message. Cracking knuckles. Toilet lid being left up. Being put on hold. Music while on hold. Repeated messages while on hold.

Some of our pet peeves can move from simple annoyances into being rude or aggressive.

Think of road rage. It usually starts because one person was not paying attention or assumed that they had the right to do what they did, and then the offended party gets annoyed, then angry, and they may even retaliate.

Here Are Today's Hot Tips For Building Resiliency During Pet Peeves Week:

Make a list of your pet peeves.

There is something cathartic and humorous about doing this.

Often awareness can help us to see the lighter side. 

Learn how to move on and not waste your mental energy or let your blood pressure skyrocket.

And finally, understand that someone else's behavior that annoys you wasn't targeted specifically to you.

Don't personalize it and read more into it than there is.

Looking for ways to build your resiliency? Take my free online vulnerability test at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

 

It's the end of the day and you're exhausted frustrated and wondering if this is what your life has come to.

You hear yourself describing your day as if it were someone else using those words.

It takes a lot of energy to be positive, to keep things in perspective and to actively look for the good in someone.

Today's Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Positive Attitude Month:

It is essential that you take care of yourself.

Maintain your balance. Be sure to have other pursuits that you can count on for pleasure and distraction Eat properly to control your mood swings and to feel more energetic.

Cut out caffeine which makes us more sensitive to those around us,

Get plenty of sleep. Probably more than what you're getting right now.

Lighten up. Have fun and remember to smile.

And if you think what I'm recommending will never work, well then it may be time for you to commit to some self-reflection.

Looking for better ways to build your resiliency? Take my free online vulnerability test at WorkSmartLiveSmart. com under the resources and courses tab.

Do you think the people have always been this stressed?

I'm often asked if we have more or less stress than we did a hundred or two hundred years ago. Our lives are stressful today, but they were way back then as well.

One of the things that helped people to cope was a sense of support. Back then we lived in smaller communities, had families around us, and we knew our neighbors.

Today we live in large communities, our families may live hours or continents away, and we have no idea who lives around us.

Our support circles have grown smaller and smaller.

Let's talk month embraces sharing your stories and asking for help as ways of gaining and giving support.

It is one of the three main strategies in positive stress management.

So Here Are My Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Let's Talk Month:

Learn to share your thoughts and feelings, your successes, and your challenges.

Learn to listen to other’s thoughts and feelings, successes, and challenges.

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency?

Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In.

Today is National Depression Screening Day.

There are many who are suffering in silence who are feeling that there is nowhere to turn. The guilt and the shame of not being able to effectively cope with day to day stressors leaves many feeling isolated helpless and hopeless.

Thankfully there is an anonymous online screening tool if you think that you or a family member may be experiencing depression.

Go online to mentalhealthscreening.org and follow the links.

Today's Hot Tips For Building Resiliency On National Depression Screening Day:

Don't let fear, shame, or guilt prevent you from getting the help that you deserve.

Talk to your doctor if you're concerned. Use the online screening tool to help explain what you're feeling.

Keep an open mind. Treatment for depression may take a long time and the best treatment options may take time to find and have full impact.

Get educated. Know about the signs and symptoms.

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

EP 382 – Promoting Mental Health

We are working in a corporate world where our teams are faced with a variety of stressors and a world where many of our teams are finding that their coping strategies are inadequate or ineffective at addressing the numerous stressors that they are facing.

According to research, one in five will experience a diagnosable mental illness.

Mental illness can affect everybody. Stigma and guilt play a role in preventing people from seeking help.

Only one in every three with a mental health issue will seek help, leaving millions trying to cope all on their own.

Though some may be seeking medical help, fear of being criticized, or judged by those around them, may prevent them from reaching out to others for support.

Today's Hot Tip For Building Resiliency On World Mental Health Day:

Care. Communicate. Connect.

Educate yourself.

Educate others and examine policies and attitudes that prevent those experiencing a mental illness from getting the help that they need.

For more tips on how to promote mental illness awareness, check out my website at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

 

I have a social phobia.

It produces extreme reactions in me.  I get tongue-tied. My voice shakes and my heart races whenever I have to perform in front of others.

I hate snakes. They give me the willies.

Many people have those things in their life that give them the heebie-jeebies. It may be snakes or it could be heights, needles, or even lightning.

Here Are My Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Face Your Fears Day:

Know that it's okay to avoid your phobia if you can and as long as it doesn't interfere with your everyday living and happiness.

Thankfully I can stay away from snakes in my line of work and in my life. If you can't outright avoid them, learn how to challenge some of the unhelpful thoughts that the fear generates.

Plan and practice your stress and relaxation strategies ahead of time, so that they're like second nature during your exposure.

And finally, ask for help. Others can support you during those stressful times and they may be able to find strategies to lessen the stress that you feel.

For more information on phobias and other mental health issues sign up for one of my online courses at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

True friends are precious, but often we take them for granted.

The saying goes that you can't have too many friends. I disagree. Trying to balance too many friendships, plus a lack of time, equals more stress.

Friendships can protect your health, so it's important to take the time and make the effort to hold on to the friendships that mean the most to us.

We need to let them know how much they matter to us.

So Here Are My Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating You Matter To Me Day:

First take stock of friends that you currently have. Do you have too few? Just enough? Or too many to currently maintain?

Let your friends know how much they mean to you. Plan to get together. Pick up the phone. Invest some time and effort into those friendships that you want to hang on to.

Over the years, I've had many friendships that have endured the test of time. It takes a great deal of effort for us to get together, but when we do, the energy that I gain from those connections is invaluable.

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

Our goal is to stop rewarding irritating behaviours and attitudes.

To do this, we must understand what employees expect to gain from being so difficult. 

Celebrate Mediation Week.

Understanding why some co-workers may become difficult or negative, and when they are more likely to act that way, can prevent the buildup of tension.

So why are people difficult?

Some employees learn very early on, that the more noise they make, the more likely those around them will respond to their squeaky wheel.

For some, negative attitudes and behaviors are expressed when they just don't have the energy to use better communication skills, judgment, or manners.

The difficulty behind these attitudes and behaviors is that they are highly toxic, and they can ripple out to those around us.

So Here Are Today's Hot Tips For Building Resiliency In Celebrating Mediation Week:

Our goal is to stop rewarding those irritating behaviors. To do this we must understand what the person expects to gain from being so difficult.

Some want to feel more in control. Some want to feel important and listened to.

Be in the moment and treat each person as if they are all that matters. It is hard to be difficult with someone who makes us feel special.

And finally, move difficult people away from problem identification into problem solving. By understanding what employees expect to gain from using undesirable behaviors, we are in a much better position to deflect and defeat the difficult behavior.

Looking for resources to build your healthy workplace?

Check out my top ten tips under resources and courses at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com.

Today we fight the perils of FDS: Fun Deficiency Syndrome.  

How very appropriate that today is also National Frugal Fun Day.

It's the day to look for cheap, but fun things to do.

A lack of money shouldn't mean a lack of fun. There are lots of when things to do that don't require any money at all.

Play dressed up or make believe with your kids. Go and ride your bike. Take a walk at the beach or along a nature trail, and see what the season has to offer. Play catch or frisbee with your dog.

Don't forget to build some fun into the workplace as well. When we are having fun, we counterbalance the stress that we may be facing.

So Here Are My Hot Tips For Celebrating National Frugal Fun Day:

We can lose this sense of fun as we age so nourish it regularly.

So my challenge. Do something fun today. Anything. But don't let the day pass, without having some fun.

And don't forget that you can find more tips and strategies by following my Work Smart Live Smart Facebook page.

Smiling is a blissful way to live longer

Harvey ball a commercial artist from Massachusetts created the smiley face in 1963.

That image went on to become the most recognizable symbol of goodwill and good cheer on the planet.

Smiling is contagious. It changes our mood. It fights stress and builds your resiliency.

Smiling boosts your immune system. It lowers your blood pressure and blocks pain.

Smiling makes your face look younger.

So Here Are My Hot Tips For Building Resiliency On World Smile Day:

Use it.

Even if you don't feel like smiling, fake it until you make it. There is a theory entitled the facial feedback hypothesis. Research has shown that the muscles in our face that allow us to smile, actually stimulate our brain. And when this part of the brain is stimulated, it makes us feel happy.

Share it.

There are friendly smiles and romantic smiles. There are many different smiles and different ways the act of smiling can be done. Smiles can communicate feelings, show kindness, or help take someone's mind off their problems.

So for today, smile.

It's free and it's easy to do, and it is good for you!

 

Is financial stress one of your concerns?

According to one report, the number of calls related to financial counseling are rising at twice the rate of other EAP services. The top financial issues people were stressed out about were cost of living, credit card debt, mortgage payments, retirement, children's tuition, health care costs, divorce, and bankruptcy.

During these uncertain economic times it's essential that we find positive ways to take care of ourself.

So here are my hot tips for building your resiliency and Celebrating Financial Planning Month:

Learn as much as you can about what is happening.

Talk to those who know your investments and your financial situation.

Find out what you do and do not have control over.

Keep the situation in perspective.

Try not to get caught up in awful-izing.

And finally, make sure that you're taking care of yourself.

Reach out if you find that you are not coping as well as you could be.

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

 

It saddens me when we still hear stories of how employees feel hopeless and helpless to change negative situations, and the stress of it all ends up having a good employee leave. We know that engaged employees help our companies to be more creative, productive, and successful, yet some employers still look at employees as being a commodity that you push them to their limits, burn them out, and discard them for the next person standing in line.

It is easier to get new employees than to fix the things that are wrong within the system.

Here are my Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Healthy Workplace Month:

Start a conversation.

If you are a leader, what are the sources of stress within your team, professionally personally? If you're not sure, ask. What impact is it having? What are the symptoms that you see in your employees and in the company?

Get support.

Bring together all involved to talk about strategies.

And finally, get involved in all of the programs that your company has to offer.

You never know what you will learn, or how it could positively impact your life or those around you.

Looking for more resources to build your healthy workplace? Check out my top ten tips under resources and courses at worksmartlivesmart.com

I am a perfectionist.

Are you?

Do you know someone who is?

Perfectionists are extremely hard workers and they generally accomplish more than the average person. However perfectionists are extremely hard on themselves and on those around them.

Perfectionism is destructive behavior and it's addictive. Physical exhaustion and burnout are common.

So here are my hot tips for Building Your Resiliency on Less Than Perfect Day:

A quote that I like goes like this: "Less than perfect is a perfect start."

This is something that I need to keep in mind. Give yourself permission not to be perfect all of the time.

Number two: Practice self compassion. Challenge those thoughts of criticism and unrealistic expectations.

Looking for ways to build your resiliency, take my free online vulnerability test at WorkSmartLiveSmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

EP  373 – Stupid Can Be Fun

If corn oil is made from corn and vegetable oil is made from vegetables. What is baby oil made from?

Why is an electrical outlet called an outlet when you plug things into it?

Why does it hurt like hell to hit your funny bone?

Why is it called a “drive through” if you have to stop?

And finally, If the professor on Giligan’s Island can make a radio out of coconut, why can’t he fix a hole in a boat?

Today is Ask A Stupid Question Day and Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and having more fun!

If laughter is the best medicine, reading the numerous lists of questions people have asked at the doctor’s office, the supermarket, or on the internet can certainly take the stress out of the everyday.

Stupid questions can be funny conversation starters or interesting brain teasers when you are hanging out with friends.

As for stupid conversation starters, try these ones out:

Is a hotdog a sandwich?

How many chickens would it take to kill an elephant?

Or what would be the worst “buy one get one free” sale of all time?

And finally you can annoy your friends even further with these tricky stupid questions:
What is always coming, but never arrives?

Or If a plane crashes on the border between the United States and Canada, where do they bury the survivors?

If you had fun with 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.

Coffee has never been more popular, with an estimated 3 billion cups consumed every day.

Caffeine can promote alertness, and it may decrease the occurrence of depression.

However, sleep can be negatively affected by caffeine. It can create a never-ending cycle of reduced sleep, fatigue, and a need for increased caffeine consumption.

Our sensitivity to caffeine and the impact on our sleep seems to be dependent on age, the amount of caffeine ingested at bedtime, and also on the amount of caffeine ingested over the whole day.

So here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating International Coffee Day:

Caffeine consumed close to sleep time has the greatest potential for sleep disruption, so be aware of how much caffeine you are consuming in a day and when.

When stress is at its highest, it is advisable to cut back on caffeine. Caffeine abstinence for a whole day can improve sleep quality quickly, which is vital for being able to cope and ward off the negative impact of the stressful situation.

Finally, while drinking caffeinated coffee in moderation can help to maintain adequate fluids, which can reduce fatigue, water is still considered to be more beneficial in rehydration and maintaining cognitive functioning.

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

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

Good neighbours help each other.

You can't pick your neighbors but if you are lucky, you have good neighbours.

I live in the country and I don’t really have close neighbours, but I do wave to them, as we drive by. And when my boys were little, it was the neighbourhood teenagers that I counted on for babysitting.

Neighbours who look out for one another are the key to a strong community. It was this connectedness that acted as a buffer to those who left everything that they a couple of hundred years ago, and started the settlements here in North America. Times were tough, but the sense of belonging, support, and care helped them to flourish.

Sadly, this sense of connectedness to our neighbours is lacking in many communities. Neighbours don’t often know each other. And many people feel isolated and disengaged.

Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Good Neighbour Day.

Everyone will have their own definition of what it means to be a good neighbour.

For me, a good neighbour is friendly and considerate.

They respect your space and privacy.

Good neighbours take time to talk, smile, or give a wave hello.

They keep an eye out, when they know you are away.

The neighbourhood we live in can affect our happiness and stress levels in multiple ways. When you're thinking of strategies to manage your stress, consider investing in your relationships with your neighbours.

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