Work Smart Live Smart with Beverly Beuermann-King

EP 974 – The People That You Meet Each Day

Today is a celebration of community, encouraging people to connect with those who live in their neighbourhood.

Even with physical distancing, social connection is critical to our ability to be resilient.

Many of us are stressed out, managing and coping through this uncertainty. Our social network has become smaller and smaller. 

Many of us seem to have drifted away from our previous sense of “community” and are now living very private, even lonely, lives.

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

70% say that having friends at work was the most crucial element to a happy working life.

So find ways to get connected to your neighbours at home and your colleagues from work.

Remember that developing and maintaining good social connections takes effort.  Connection and friendships take time to grow, to build trust and to share common experiences, but friendships can protect your health, so make plans to get together, even if it is on-line.

If planning an event seems overwhelming, just start by saying a quick hello. A quick greeting can lead to a longer conversation, that may reveal commonalities, that can grow into a true connection.

Remember, If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in 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

EP 973 – Schizo Is Not Okay

What are the first words that comes to mind when you think about Schizophrenia?

Some of those may include: crazy, psycho, or dangerous.

Often, someone with schizophrenia is portrayed in the media and through film and television as dangerous or violent, however, this is not the case. A person who is affected by schizophrenia is not more dangerous than anyone else

Most of us are not really aware of what Schizophrenia all entails.

Schizophrenia is an example of a thought disorder, characterized by a history of acute psychosis and chronic deterioration of functioning, and affecting thinking, perception, mood and behaviour.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Schizophrenia Awareness Weekend:

There are still many misconceptions about schizophrenia, and it continues to be a mental health challenge that is rarely spoken about.

These misconceptions lead to further stigma, prejudice and discrimination.

Stigma is perhaps the biggest barrier to mental health care. This stigma can prevent people from getting hired, promoted or keeping a job, getting proper health care, feeling loved, needed and accepted, contributing to communities or feeling productive.

Find ways to

• Educate yourself about all mental health challenges and issues
• Foster a healthy workplace environment
• Emphasize abilities, not limitations

It is everyone's responsibility to reduce the stigma, prejudice and discrimination associated with mental illness. Education and understanding are key.

Remember, If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app. 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.

EP 972 – I Need A Patch For That

Life never seems to just coast along, calm and smooth, for very long.

There are always rough patches that we have to navigate through.

Sometimes it can be hard to see the positive in these situations.  Sometimes it is not until we have looked farther along in our life story that we are able to see the growth that we have made because of these rough patches.

In technology, a patch is a set of changes to a computer program to update, fix, or improve it.

So how does this patch apply to our life?

If you don’t like the way things are going, make a change. Look for vulnerabilities in your life and find processes that you can update, fix and improve upon.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating I Need A Patch For That Day:

There are three recommendations for deploying a new systems patch: Mitigate, Streamline and Automate.

In life, can you mitigate any issues or challenges that you may encounter? What can you implement that will make you happier, healthier and more successful?

Streamline the process to its simplest form. You can’t do it all. So what do you need to focus on right now that will have the biggest impact on your life?

Automate it as much as you can. Find a routine that works for you.

It’s never too late to change the course you’re on. Continually looking for patches, will help you to build a life based on health, happiness and fulfillment.

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

EP 971 – EMS Workers At Risk

They are true heroes in our public healthcare system. They save lives daily in communities across Canada, US and around the world.

At some point, many of us may need to rely on the skill and abilities of these EMS workers.

However, our EMS workers are at risk.

Funding cuts to healthcare have resulted in increased workloads. They deal with shift-work stress and burnout. And they are at great risk for PTSD.

When extremely difficult and life-threatening situations are mixed with common everyday stressors, it can be hard to effectively cope.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Emergency Medical Services Week:

While EMS workers are trained to care for others, when it comes to their own well-being, the training may be lacking.

• If you are an EMS worker, loss of sleep, and not eating on a regular schedule can push you over the edge. Be very focused on ensuring that these basic needs are taken care of.
• Find ways to vent and talk through highly emotional calls. It is tough to manage when you can’t share these situations with your family and friends who are our usual natural supporters, so it is important to make use of colleagues and other workplace resources to manage this stress.

And finally, to combat burnout, focus on an attitude of gratitude, and increasing your awareness of the positive aspects of your life.

Remember, If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app.

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.

EP 970 – Get Fit

National Employee Health & Fitness Day was created to promote the benefits of physical activity for individuals through their work site health promotion activities.

There are two types of fitness:

Performance-related fitness - Linked to athletic performance and is tied to speed, reaction time, and coordination.

And Health-related fitness - Linked to fitness components that may lower risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or low back pain.

Health-related physical fitness includes:

Aerobic fitness – which is the ability of the heart and lungs to deliver blood to muscles

Muscular strength and endurance – enough to do normal activities easily and protect the low back

Flexibility – which is the ability to move your many joints through their proper range of motion

Body composition – not too much body fat, especially around the waist.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Promoting National Employee Health And Fitness Day:

As an employer provide and promote opportunities for fitness:

help employees to measure and track their fitness level

co-ordinate lunch hour walking or running groups

offer off-site fitness center discounts

encourage sport team participation

sponsor step by step challenges

promote community fitness groups

and reward fitness involvement

As an individual find an activity that you can get excited about.

With our busy lifestyles it is important that we make the time to take care of ourselves. Make the commitment to do one thing to increase your health-related fitness.

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

 

EP 969 – Powerful Connections

I found it very hard and often stressful staying connected to family and friends.  Our lives were too busy and setting up time to connect seemed like a major exercise in the calendar shuffle.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to visit with them, it was just that there never seemed to be enough time to do it all. Now we are physically distancing and I would so love to be visiting, even though I am still just as busy.

I loved visiting my grandma, especially when we would just sit and play cards for a while.  I can still remember the family reunions at the local community center with everyone sitting out on the grass, playing baseball and eating all that amazing food that was set out on the picnic tables, or our Christmases where Santa would come to surprise everyone with a gift or two.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Visit Your Relatives Day:

Family and friends can provide the support system needed to get us through these hardest of times.

Visit Your Relatives Day was intended to give us the opportunity to get closer to our relatives, stay connected to family and friends, and to strengthen family ties and relationships. It is still a good day to consider how you are keeping these special connections strong during this time.

Even though you can’t go and visit them, research suggests that even just viewing photos of family members prompts brain activity that can positively affect how you feel about them and even yourself.

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 968 – Get Your BP Checked

May is Hypertension Month and health professionals from across Canada are encouraging Canadians to know their numbers to help prevent and control hypertension and avoid its serious and deadly complications.

Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of death and disability around the world, and can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia. Over 7.5 million Canadians have hypertension, and 7.4 million more have high blood pressure that will lead to hypertension without preventative action.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating World Hypertension Day:

In those who have hypertension, about 30% is related to increased salt consumption, and about 20% related to low dietary potassium, so chose foods wisely.

Physical inactivity is related to about 20% of hypertension, so get moving and active.

Obesity is related to about 30% of hypertension, so keep your weight in check.

Excess alcohol consumption also causes hypertension, so don’t over-indulge.

Being tobacco free is especially important for people with hypertension.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms. Most individuals with hypertension are unaware that their blood pressure is high, so get checked and keep your blood pressure in check.

 

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 967 – Vacation Stress

You remember those times…You had one hour to get to the airport, and you find yourself still stressing out about what clothes to pack and where you’ve hidden the sunscreen.

Though we may not be able to go on vacation right now, it may be the perfect time to plan what you would like to do for your next vacation.

Time away from work is needed to restore our resiliency. Vacations were meant to be rejuvenating, but sometimes our expectations around having the perfect vacation lead to further stress.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Vanquishing Vacation Stress Month:

Even researching and daydreaming about your next vacation can be good for your mental health, so look at pictures, and explore the possibilities for when the time is right.

Remember that there is no such thing as the perfect vacation, so stay flexible in your thinking.

When you get a chance to actually go on vacation, choose your activities wisely. Choose activities that meet with your particular goals. Is your vacation for relaxation, celebration or relationship renewal?

Plan to ease into and out of vacation mode. There is nothing worse than returning from a vacation saying you need a vacation from your vacation.

Finally, take the time to breathe deeply, laugh and nurture your soul now. You don’t have to wait for your vacation to spend time on protecting your mental health. 

Remember, If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app.

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 966 – Promoting Mental Health

1 in 5 people in will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lifetime.

Mental health disorders are among the leading causes of ill-health and disability world-wide.

17% of Canadians report that they have taken time away from work and school,
 to deal with a personal mental health issue.

According to Guarding Minds At Work, when employers adopt policies and programs to address psychological safety and health, they incur 15% to 33% fewer costs related to psychological health issues.

Employers and employees both have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of their employees.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Mental Health Week:

Know What Mental Health Is

Mental Health is a state in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stressors of life, can work productively, and is not overwhelmed by their responsibilities.

Know What The General Mental Illness Indicators Are In The Workplace. Some of the most common include:

• Excessive lateness or absences
• Increased need for extra supervision
• Reduced productivity and loss of pride in work
• Inconsistency in work or habits

 

Exhibiting several of these, may indicate that someone may be experiencing a mental illness and intervention and assistance is needed.  As a leader and a co-worker, being alert to these indicators can ensure a healthy work environment.

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.

EP 965 – Eliminating Mental Health Stigma

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all, said Bill Clinton

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Mental Health Week:

In the spirit of eliminating the stigma around mental health challenges here are some Do's And Don'ts

Do:        

• Educate yourself about mental health challenges and issues
• Foster a healthy workplace environment
• Emphasize abilities, not limitations
• Use respectful language
• Refer to the person not the disability or illness
• Tell people when they express a stigmatizing attitude

 

Do Not:

• Portray successful people with disabilities as the exception
• Use generic labels such as “retarded” or “the mentally ill”
• Use terms like “crazy,” “lunatic,” or “insane” in general conversation
• Don’t let stigma create self-doubt and shame

 

It is everyone's responsibility to reduce the stigma, prejudice and discrimination associated with mental health issues. Education, understanding, and support are key to creating a psychologically safe and healthy workplace.

If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app.

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 964 – Psychologically Healthy and Safe Workplaces

Canada became the first country in the world to have a national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace. This Standard contains a voluntary set of guidelines, tools, and resources aimed at promoting employees’ psychological health and preventing psychological harm due to workplace factors.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Mental Health Week:

Get Clear On What’s Required For Building A Psychologically Healthy Workplace

Foster overall psychological health and a respectful workplace based on trust, honesty, fairness and recognition.

As employees, ask questions, report issues, and propose new ideas for building a positive culture.

Be sure to train leaders and employees at all levels on awareness and prevention strategies.

Look beyond the workplace to what resources are available to help meet personal, as well as workplace challenges.

If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app.

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 963 – How To Be A Healthy Night-Shift Worker

“Night shift can kill the body.”

Today is the day that we celebrate National Night-Shift Worker Day and the introduction of the 24-hour society.

One repercussion of the nightshift work schedule is that a typical night shift worker sleeps one or two hours less per day than a day worker and often has less deep and REM sleep.

Shift Work Maladaption Syndrome is where shift work is leaving the worker so sleepy that they fear for their safety on the job.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Ensuring Resilience In Our Night-Shift Workers:

As a leader, it is important to educate employees on what shift work entails and provide annual screening for shift-related illnesses.

Promote and educate on healthy lifestyle strategies.

Organize mandatory stretch breaks especially during the dangerous hours.

As a Night Shift-Worker:

Understand the hazards and consequences of shift work.

Pay attention to sleep strategies and avoid going into sleep debt.

Shift work is a lifestyle and in order to minimize stress and build resiliency, the worker and their family must ensure that they follow a healthy schedule, focus on their sleep strategies, and ensure that they have support from those around them.

Looking for Tips To Promote Mental Health Week In Your Workplace, visit worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab for my Top 10 Tips.

EP 962– Avoiding Food Allergy Triggers At Work

Allergies occur when the immune system becomes unusually sensitive and overreacts to common substances that are normally harmless, such as pollens, molds, dust or even food.

Food allergies are serious business. They impact over 2.6 million Canadians.

Everyone is entitled to a safe working environment. Unlike many conditions, anaphylaxis is not visible unless someone is having an allergic reaction. That is why it is extremely important to communicate about your food allergies before a reaction occurs.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Food Allergy Awareness Week:

Be open about your food allergies. It’s important that your co-workers and boss know about them.

Always carry at least one auto-injector on the job. It’s better to have two in case you need a second dose during an allergic reaction.

Educate co-workers. Your co-workers may have no experience with food allergy. Teach your co-workers how to prevent reactions from happening, recognize the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction and how to use an epi pen properly.

Say thanks. Make sure your colleagues know that you appreciate their support.

Those who don’t have food allergies can help by understanding the condition and doing their part to create a safe environment to prevent serious reactions from occurring.

Simple things like washing your hands well and often. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent cross-contamination as well as the spread of general viruses and bacteria.

If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app.

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 961– Reading Opens A Window

“Reading opens a window to the world; giving us a vision of things we never dreamed possible.”

Reading for fun has become like a long-lost luxury, especially in this busy age of 24/7.  Relaxation and ‘luxury’ activities are often met with the guilt that we should be doing something worthwhile and productive…not indulging and pampering ourselves.

One survey found that nearly a third of adults across our country didn’t read a single book for pleasure in the past year. The discouraging figure puts Canadians behind the U.S., where an identical poll showed 27 per cent of Americans hadn’t picked up a book. 

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Reading Is Fun Week:

Reading can transport us to another time or place.  It stimulates the right side of our brain and can engage our imagination and strengthen our creativity. It can expand our understanding of other cultures, help us to find new ways to express our ideas, and expand our vocabulary.

Reading forces us to be still and slow down when we are used to running on high-speed.

Reading can stimulate our emotions and give us an appropriate way to vent out our frustrations, sadness and joy.  

I have a very hard time limiting my time when I get a really good book.  I have been known to read an entire day (or night) away, just because I couldn’t put the book down. Generally I only start a good book when I am truly able to ignore the phones and my work, like while I am on vacation. 

If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app.

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 960 – Revise Your Work Schedule For Greater Satisfaction

Are you a 9 to 5er or are you a night shifter?

Or do you work from home?

Whatever your schedule, the key is making it and your life work together in harmony.

It is not about work life balance, but about life satisfaction. Are you satisfied with all of the different aspects of your life?

Are you spending the right mix of time and energy on each area so that you are feeling fulfilled and complete’ If not, it may be time to look over your commitments, including your work schedule and deciding if it needs to be tweaked.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Revise Your Work Schedule Month:

This month reflect on how to best achieve balance between your job, your commitments, and free time.

Now is the time to take a hard look at the time we’re actually spending in each of these areas of our life and truly evaluating how satisfied we are with them.

We have the ability to work from more places, more times of the day, using more devices than we ever have before. The key is to take control of our time and make active choices about how we spend that time.

I am not suggesting that you quit your job, but maybe a small tweak to when you start, when you leave or when you shut your technology off for the night, may have a big impact on your life satisfaction and energy. Something to consider.

Remember, If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app.

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

EP 959 – Celebrating Our Mental Health

A friend of mine, had been promoted over the years, rewarded for her achievements and was a solid employee.  During a major corporate transition she was given a new department that needed a lot of help in restructuring.  She worked hard through long days, with little progress. And the results were devastating for her health to the point where she had to leave.

What could have been different?  Her supervisors should have seen that the new role was unrealistic for one person to handle. They should have noticed the excessive overtime. They should have spotted the impact it was having on her health. And they should have worked with her before she felt that she had no choice but to leave, or feel like a failure.

We know that engaged employees help our companies to be more creative, productive and successful. Disengaged or stressed out employees cost our companies in job turnover, disability and lowered productivity.  Yet, some employers still look at their employees as being a commodity.

Ensuring that your teams work in a healthy environment is a priority.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating the start of Mental Health Week:

Start a conversation. What are the sources of stress within your teams-personally and professionally? If you are not sure – ASK!  What impact is it having?

Benchmark this information. How much is this costing in absenteeism, turnover, lowered productivity, healthcare costs?

Decide what programs would help reduce this impact on the individual and the company

Looking for Tips To Promote Mental Health Week In Your Workplace? Visit worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab for my Top 10 Tips.

EP 958 – Don’t Get Caught With Your Pants Down

Have you seen the videos?

Someone doing a zoom meeting and they get caught wearing no pants, just their jockies.

Today is the unofficial holiday – No Pants Day.

And prior to this business disruption, it wouldn’t cross my mind that wearing no pants would be widely celebrated…but here we are and the joke and often asked question is…who isn’t wearing pants on this call?

We have the zoom mullet. All business up top and no pants on the bottom.

So just in case this may not be for you, Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating No Pants Day:

• Though the idea of today is about wearing no pants in public and to pretend like it is nothing out of the normal, I’m not sure I am a fan

 

• I do love my PJs and I often wear them all day long…and even more so in these days of zoom calls and working from home. The idea is comfort rules. I am spending way less time on getting ready for work and more time on being creative and getting things done.

 

Remember:  Use your best judgment in celebrating today, you don’t want to be remembered as that person who got caught wearing no pants.

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

EP 957 – Super Heros In PJ’s

What superhero reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 per cent, overcomes gridlock faster than a speeding train, and leaps over distraction barriers in a single bound?

Hint: Often seen wearing pajamas while on the job…It’s not a bird. Nor a solar plane…It’s the Telecommuter!

So, here I sit in my pj`s working at my computer.  No stress spent on deciding what to wear to the office.

I appreciate the flexible work arrangements that I have.  It strengthens my resiliency while running a successful business.  Some days I work all day and into the evening.  On other days, I may find myself helping out a family member or pulling the weeds from my gardens.  This flexibility gives me the balance that I want and need.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Flexible Work Arrangements Week:

Companies that aim to provide a flexible working options encourage a healthy work-life balance, build resiliency and retain key workers. Develop a flex work policy that outlines what best practices they are expected to adhere to.

As an employee, if you are interested in flexible work arrangements, consider how this might positively or negatively impact your job, your family, your employer, your team members.

There are many adjustments that need to be made both by the employer and by the employee to make flexible work arrangements work.  Good communication and problem-solving skills are the foundation to working out any kinks.

So here`s to all superheroes working in their pj`s – May it be a productive day!

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

EP 956 - Reduce Your Stress By Correcting Your Posture

Gone are the days that some well-meaning teacher would take their knuckle and drive it into the middle of your back and tell you to sit up straight.

The Chiropractic Association has found that even young children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previous generations. Though a major cause of back and neck pain is kids and their backpacks, it is also our overall poor posture.

Hours of computer slouching, hunching over while texting and laying around as a couch potato have serious repercussions on our posture. 

The good news: there are easy things people can do to Reduce Your Stress By Correcting Your Posture.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Correct Posture Month:

Practice the wall stand.

Back up to a wall so your heels, buttocks, shoulders and head all lightly touch the wall while you keep everything level, relaxed and aligned– and take 3 slow breaths, feeling your body’s best posture.

Shoes matter.

For women, there is no such thing as a good high heel for your posture. Trade in the stilettos for a shoe that gives you the proper support.

It is critical to understand that the body impacts the mind. Standing up straight and walking tall will help you to think and feel better. Reduce Your Stress By Correcting Your Posture and remaining calm, more relaxed, and more physically and mentally healthy.

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

EP 955 – Are Our Children Dealing With Depression

It is hard to understand how a child can experience depression. 

As caregivers and parents, we need to remind ourselves, that while a child’s problems may seem minor to us, they can be overwhelming to them. Your first warning signs will probably be changes in behaviour that may suggest a troubled and unhappy state of mind.

If a student becomes depressed, they are unlikely to talk about it. Very likely, a depressed child will think that no one else feels the same way and that no one will understand their problems. Often a depressed child will feel that they are disliked.

Clinical Depression is more than just the ‘blues’. It is a “biochemical disorder where a person feels very sad for an extended period of time and where this state interferes with their everyday life.” Depression affects about 3% of our children, 8% of adolescents and 10% of adults. Stress can act as a ‘trigger’ for Depression.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Mental Health Week and Childhood Depression Awareness Day:

Be aware of the signs and symptoms of Depression. As an employer, hold awareness sessions for your employees.

Provide support and understanding.

Be aware of the signs of suicidal thoughts – Suicide is one of the top killers of our youth.

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.