Work Smart Live Smart with Beverly Beuermann-King

EP 141 – Connectedness Matters

Did you know that people with few ties to others had 2 to 5 times the death rate as those who had more ties?

Support and connectedness can be a powerful tool in preventing illness by acting as a buffer to the effects of stress. We benefit from the emotional support of a community during difficult times.

Connectedness is so important to our overall well-being that workplaces are also recognizing the value of support to the success of their organization.

It is unfortunate that the busier we become, the easier it is to let our existing friendships go by the way-side, let alone develop new connections.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating International Friendship Week:

Look up. Smile and say hello to those around you

Try to connect with your co-workers about things other than the task at hand

Participate in social programs

Call, text, or email those friends that you have lost touch with

Connectedness and group involvement have exceptional powers in decreasing our stress, if we venture to put ourselves ‘out there’.

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

EP 140 – Read In The Bathtub To Help Relax

CEO Jeff Bezos admits that he reads in his bathtub. He takes a one-gallon Ziploc bag, and puts his e-reader inside it. Book in hand…safe and sound.

An interesting way to combine two popular stress-relieving past-times. I am not sure that I am co-ordinated enough to master this even with a Ziploc bag.

Bathtubs are the picture-perfect scene to the end of a hard day for many people. I have trouble sitting in a tub. I don’t find it very relaxing and my mind usually wonders off to what else needs to be done.

Part of the S-O-S Principle that I developed involves finding strategies that get your mind off of the stressful situation. The key is to find something that works for you.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Read In The Tub Dayu6:

If you have trouble slowing down to relax, ask yourself why. Are you too caught up in what needs to be done next? Keep the superhuman syndrome in check – we need to take time to take care of ourselves.

If the bathtub or a good book don’t do it for you, find something else that does. Find something that changes the speed, changes your focus and helps to renew your energy.

If you are still willing to try the book and bathtub combo to relax, start with a magazine or book that doesn’t matter if it gets wet.

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

EP 139 - Hearty, Hot Breakfast

It is a cold February morning and our warm beds are tough to escape. A hearty, hot breakfast can be the solution. While that used to mean day after day of the same old porridge, we now have a variety of choices to bring about that warming feeling. Not only are these choices comforting in cold weather, they can be a part of a healthy, complete diet.

One of the most popular and easy to prepare hot breakfast choices is hot cereal. Studies indicate that the insoluble fiber in grains might help prevent colon cancer. There is also the potential reduction in overall cholesterol, and therefore a reduction in heart-disease risk.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Hot Breakfast Month:

A hearty, healthy breakfast can improve our energy, concentration and creativity not to mention the healthy impact on our bodies. So during Hot Breakfast Month make breakfast one of your priorities.

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

EP 138 - Do You Have A Hobby?

With many of us today riding on the roller coaster of life, it is incredibly important to have activities that help to slow the pace, regulate our rhythm in life and add a sense of fun. Hobbies can provide many hours of relief from stress and worry.  A hobby can boost creativity, self esteem, passion, pleasure and accomplishments. Hobbies have no deadlines, no rules and no pressure to be successful.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Hobby Month:

Adopt a hobby that you can have fun at and that you look forward to doing. You don’t have to be great or perfect – you don’t even have to be good. The most important part is enjoying it just because.

Here are a couple of my favourites:

Gardening can be a great stress reliever for many reasons, including getting you into the sunshine and fresh air and creating more beautiful surroundings to come home to.

Whether you take pictures of your friends, family, or nature, photography can be a great hobby. Seeing the world through the lens of a camera may help you to see things from an entirely different perspective.

Reading opens a window to the world; giving us a vision of things we never dreamed possible. When you curl up with a good book, you put the rest of the world at bay.

Want to make sure that you don’t miss out on any of my weekly postings, follow Work Smart Live Smart on FaceBook

EP 137 – Caring With Compliments

They are free, easy to give and receive. They make people happy. They make you happy.

If you are having one of those days, you can shift your attention from all the things going wrong in your day and put it on making someone else’s day a little sunnier by paying them a compliment.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Pay A Compliment Day:

Celebrating today is so easy to do.

All you have to do is find something nice to say about someone and say it to them!

If they are not around tell others how great that person is.

Watch how they light up when they hear the compliment.

What a difference you will make in their life and your own.

We all have a desire to be acknowledged. When someone else notices even the slightest thing about us, it can boost our self-esteem, motivation and happiness.

Small acts of kindness go a long way these days.

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

EP 136 – Does Your Employer Care

A study found that 20% of workers felt that their employer didn’t care about them. Imagine what that would look like in your organization. What impact do you think that this would have on productivity and engagement?

Quality leaders are aware of the value of recognition. During Leadership Week, I encourage supervisors, managers, directors and the C-Suite to look closely at the relationship that that they have with their employees. A poor relationship – one in which employees feel powerless, uninformed, disrespected, used and stressed – will lead to high rates of heart and cardiovascular problems, anxiety, depression, and alcohol and drug use. It can also leave the company with higher rates of absenteeism, lowered productivity, higher rates of job turnover and more difficulty in attracting and retaining high quality workers.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating International Leadership Week:

Quality relationships take time to develop. They require that leaders allow for participation in decision-making, provide information and support on stress, develop support strategies between team members and that the leader ensures the proper resources are available to get the job done.

Challenge yourself to evaluate your leadership skills. Would your team consider you a quality leader?

Want to check out more health and wellness related celebrations, visit my wellness calendars under the resources and courses tab at worksmartlivesmart.com

EP 135 – Refuse Shame

Accept Yourself. Accept Your Body. Celebrate Yourself. Celebrate Your Body.

Fact #1 Eating Disorders affect people of all gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic class, ability, race, and ethnic background.

Fact #2 Eating disorders are not choices, but seriously biologically influenced mental illnesses and need to be treated as life threatening conditions

Fact #3 You can’t tell by looking at someone whether they have an eating disorder.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Bringing Awareness To Eating Disorder Week:

Whether you're a parent concerned for a child, a friend or someone who just wants to make a difference, there are many ways to shine a spotlight on eating disorders to help those in need and celebrate people who have made a recovery.

Find ways to show your support. US News & World Report recommends:

Be honest: Tell the person you're concerned about his or her health.

Be sincere: Compliment the person on their intrinsic qualities – like their ability to make people laugh or their ability to work as a team player.

Be caring, but firm: Let them know that you care and want to help in the recovery process.

For more tips on how to Promote Mental Illness Awareness check out my website at worksmartlivesmart.com under the Resources and Courses tab

EP 134 – Make It Go Away

Have you just about had it? If you live in Canada or in the northern hemisphere, winter has worn out its welcome. The cold temperatures and the gusting winds along with the shorter days, have made many of us cranky, tired, and ready to say enough is enough.

One survey reported that winter is bad for our health, appearance and our sex life. Others claimed they had less energy, struggled to wake up and had sore and achy joints and muscles.

Cheer up. We are at the half way point of winter and thankfully from now on, we will start to notice the longer days, and the temperatures hopefully rising.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating the Half Way Point of Winter:

Brighten up. Buy some flowers for your office desk or kitchen table. The perk of colour can help to brighten your mood.

Turn up the beach music. Music can flip the switch from negative to positive, hopefully giving you enough of a jump start to begin to turn things around.

Start Sniffing. Our human olfactory system is intricately tied to our emotional control centre. Essential oils from plants can reduce stress, promote relaxation and enhance cognitive function. Our sense of smell is also connected to our memory. Does suntan lotion remind you of your family vacation? Does the smell of oranges, make you think of the tropics? If so, light a candle, grab your essential oils or look for foods that make you think of sunshine and summer.

Want to find more strategies to coping with stress, check out my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

EP 133 – Self-Care Is Like Oxygen

Have you found that when your plate is overloaded with work and family responsibilities, or when you are in a professional, financial, or relationship crisis, your self-care tends to fly out the window?

For some of us, self-care is a luxury that we feel that can not afford to indulge in. There is a quote that I like that says, “How thin can I spread myself before I no longer exist?”

Self-renewal is about transforming yourself. It can give you a fresh take on life. You feel better and more able, more competent and more effective. Self-care is like oxygen. It is essential in order to live a balanced and fulfilled life. If grit is what keeps you going, and resilience is what picks you up, self- renewal is what helps you stay energized.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Self-Renewal Day:

Tip #1 Do A Body Scan. As soon as you wake, ask yourself, “Physically, emotionally, or spiritually, what do I really need to focus on today?” Self-renewing activities include looking after your well-being.

Tip #2 Find Your Tribe. “Build your support network,” When we gather together to “tend and befriend,” our body releases more of the stress-reducing hormone, oxytocin. This makes us feel more hopeful, grateful and resilient.

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

EP 132 – How Not To Be Exposed

Last week we celebrated Have Fun At Work Day and today is Working Naked Day. Well…I guess this is one way to have more fun at work. I think that working naked is more for those of us who work alone and at home…with no chance of a customer dropping in. In fact, a recent study found that 1 in 8 male teleworkers and 1 in 14 female teleworkers actually work naked.

Some suggest that working naked, means that you work alone, without the support of a corporate group around you. If this is the case, I guess I do work naked. Being in business for yourself means that you have to push your limits, test new waters and find new paths. Without supporters around you, you can feel exposed and vulnerable.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Working Naked Day:

If you are literally going to work naked today, it is best to ensure that no one else is around. It is very difficult to use the celebration as a line of defense with your boss.

If you are an entrepreneur, working alone, celebrate that you have courage. Though many wish to work for themselves, it takes true courage to actually go out on your own and sink or swim on your own merits.

Minimize your exposure. Surround yourself with those who will cheer you on, give you honest feedback, pick you up, dust you off and send you back out.

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

EP 131 – Vanquishing Vacation Stress

You have one hour to get to the airport, but you find yourself still stressing out about what clothes to pack and where you’ve hidden the sunscreen.

Stop letting the vacation stress get to you, start breathing, and focus on the next step. If you don’t, you’ll be running around like the proverbial ‘chicken with your head cut off’ and it’ll only get worse.

Vacations are to great to restore resiliency. They can be rejuvenating, but they require planning

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Plan For Vacation Day:

There is no such thing as the perfect vacation, the first step is to pick and choose your activities wisely. Choose activities that meet with your particular goals. Is your upcoming vacation for relaxation, celebration or relationship renewal?

Remember to plan for when you return home. Ease into and out of vacation mode. There is nothing worse than a person returning from their vacation saying they need a vacation from their vacation.

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

EP 130 – Let’s Talk

Mental illness is a very common form of human pain and suffering. One of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness is overcoming the stigma attached to it. This stigma brings about isolation and prevents people from getting the help that they need.

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Let’s Talk Day:

Language matters. Watch the words that you use that may colour the way we see mental health issues.

Simple kindness can make a world of a difference. Whether it be a smile, being a good listener or an invitation for a chat over coffee, these simple acts of kindness can let someone know you’re there for them.

Break the Silence. Two out of three people suffer in silence, fearing judgement and rejection. Being open to a conversation is the first step towards eliminating the stigma.

When it comes to mental illness, education is key. Having the right tools, knowing the right words to use and understanding how to correctly speak with someone experiencing a mental illness can make all the difference.

You are not alone. There are resources available to help you to feel more competent in providing this support. Check out my on-line courses at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

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EP 129 – Curmudgeon

According to the Dictionary a curmudgeon can refer to a mood or someone’s whole personality.

Curmudgeons Day is a day to celebrate the cranky people in our lives or a day to allow the cranky person in us to have a day out in the sunshine. It is also a celebration of WC Field who prided himself on being a real crumdgeon.

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Curmudgeon’s Day:

Take stock of what usually brings about your crumdgeonly side. Knowing this can help you to develop strategies to not bring that mood to your workplace.

Sometimes it is okay to allow yourself a day to be cranky. Doing so can help you to move past these feelings and start to see the world in a more positive light.

Don’t let the crankiness of someone else bring you down. Find ways to buffer yourself against their negativity. Try to show them kindness. Buy a cup of coffee for that co-worker who never seems to have a good day.  Maybe, an act of kindness can change that person’s whole world.

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

EP 128 – Bubble Wrap Day

Bubble Wrap has always been great for cushioning fragile items during shipping.

I don’t know what it is about bubble wrap, but like a lot of people, when I’m around it, I have to pop it.

We all know it's fun to pop, and it makes a great stress reliever. However, did you know that bubble wrap started off as wallpaper and then green-house wall insulation? Thankfully, these uses didn’t take off and in the end, IBM began using Bubble Wrap to protect delicate electronics from damage during transit.

It wasn’t long after that people began to see the fun in popping their bubble wrap.

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day:

For some carrying a smooth-surfaced stone serves to produce a calming effect. Keeping your hands busy with little projects like needlework can also be relaxing. Popping a sheet of Bubble Wrap might work in the same way.

A survey by Sealed Air Corporation, found that one minute spent popping Bubble Wrap relieves as much stress as a 33-minute massage.

We love the instant gratification. So the next time you are stressed out, anxious, or frustrated, reach for your bubble wrap and start popping.

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

EP 127 – Thomas Crapper Day

The Think Tank - The Log Cabin - The Johnny on the Spot - The Oval Office

Toilets are the most amazing invention that most of us just take for granted. 

For some, getting stressed out, can cause bathroom and digestive issues.

Some people experience toilet anxiety. Toilet phobia, is a term used to describe a number of issues related to using the toilet. It is a type of anxiety condition in which the sufferer may experience concerns and fears about:

Being unable to urinate or defecate

Using a public toilet

Being too far from a toilet

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Thomas Crapper Day:

The experience of toilet anxiety is unique to each individual, and consequently, different treatments will work better for different people.

If your digestive system is acting up it might be an indication to take it easy and try to reduce some stress wherever possible in your life. You can also be mindful of what you're doing, eating, and drinking when you're under pressure to see if that helps.

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

Finally do you know the most popular toilet joke?

What did the toilet say to the other toilet? – You look a little flushed

EP 126 – Sugary Sweet

Could you go with out 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. 

So here are Today’s Hot 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

EP 125 – Fun At Work

“Blessed is the person who can have fun while being productive.”

Really, isn’t that what it is all about. Enjoying what you do.

Some people have fun actually doing their jobs. They get a kick out of creating or solving. Some people create fun while they are doing their job by connecting with the people that they work with.

Our research shows that those who have fun at work are more engaged, more productive and are healthier. It is in a company’s best interest then to build more fun into the workplace.

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Fun At Work Day:

Create a special theme for the day – decorate, dress up

Bring food to share – tie it to your theme

Share the jokes of the day – or list the best excuses for the day

Set up team challenges

Any job can be transformed. It is how you look at it and the fun that you build around it.

According to one philosopher, the supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.

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

EP 124 – Belly Laugh For Health

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

It has been shown that a big old belly laugh, reduces physical and emotional tension for as long as 45 minutes. The heartier, the more relaxing it is and the longer the positive effect.

A good belly laugh can stimulate your internal organs, increase your circulation, raise the level of oxygen in the blood and boost the immune system. A group of researchers found that laughing boisterously 100 times a day will give you the same impact as 10 minutes of rowing or 15 minutes on an exercise bike.

Studies show that those who are able to laugh at work are more productive and less distracted than their humourless counterparts.

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Belly Laugh Day:

Find funny friends and co-workers who can make you laugh.

Develop a Humour First-Aid Kit and fill it with your favourite jokes, clippings, and stories

Watch funny TV programs, movies and videos

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. Not only that, but, it also gives us the physical energy and mental resilience needed to survive.

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

EP 123 – The Hunt For Happiness

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?

So here are Today’s Hot 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

EP 122 – Sticks and Stones

Words Hurt. Name Calling is a form of Emotional Abuse.

Many of us have worked for or with someone who was emotionally abusive. According to research from  Employment Law Alliance, 45% of us reported being abused in the office.

People who are the target of emotional abuse are made to feel insignificant and incapable.

So here are Today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Bringing Awareness To No Name Calling Week:

There is a thin line between joking around and causing harm to each other in the office. Nicknames are bound to pop up in the office. But once the name calling is unwanted and based on gender, sexuality, or ability, it's no longer a friendly exchange.

If we are bullied, we might think it's because we are not a good worker, or perhaps not a good person. In other words, we start to believe what the bully is saying about us. We start to blame ourselves.

Don't give in to the lie.

Document your experience. If you don't keep track of what is happening, then, in the eyes of the law, it didn't happen.

One of the bully's tactics will be to isolate you from fellow workers. Keep your relationships with co-workers as strong as you can.

Let them know what is going on and let them know that you need support during this time.

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