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Hope, Health, and Happiness. Would you like to live your life with less stress and more happiness? Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, more resilient you.
Stress is a powerful force in life. It can bring about illness, destroy relationships and cause chaos. There is not a one-size-fits-all coping strategy for dealing with stress in your personal life or at work. Our goal is to help you address the sources of stress, take care of yourself during stressful times, and to find ways to reach out to those around you for support. The Work Smart Live Smart flash briefing focuses on helping you to Harness Your Energy, Build Your Resiliency and Protect Your Mental Health!
Hope, Health, and Happiness. Would you like to live your life with less stress and more happiness? Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, more resilient you.
Stress is a powerful force in life. It can bring about illness, destroy relationships and cause chaos. There is not a one-size-fits-all coping strategy for dealing with stress in your personal life or at work. Our goal is to help you address the sources of stress, take care of yourself during stressful times, and to find ways to reach out to those around you for support. The Work Smart Live Smart flash briefing focuses on helping you to Harness Your Energy, Build Your Resiliency and Protect Your Mental Health!
Episodes

Sunday May 16, 2021
EP 967 – Vacation Stress
Sunday May 16, 2021
Sunday May 16, 2021
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.

Saturday May 15, 2021
EP 966 – Promoting Mental Health
Saturday May 15, 2021
Saturday May 15, 2021
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.

Friday May 14, 2021
EP 965 – Eliminating Mental Health Stigma
Friday May 14, 2021
Friday May 14, 2021
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

Thursday May 13, 2021
EP 964 – Psychologically Healthy and Safe Workplaces
Thursday May 13, 2021
Thursday May 13, 2021
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.

Wednesday May 12, 2021
EP 963 – How To Be A Healthy Night-Shift Worker
Wednesday May 12, 2021
Wednesday May 12, 2021
“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.

Tuesday May 11, 2021
EP 962– Avoiding Food Allergy Triggers At Work
Tuesday May 11, 2021
Tuesday May 11, 2021
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.

Monday May 10, 2021
EP 961– Reading Opens A Window
Monday May 10, 2021
Monday May 10, 2021
“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.

Sunday May 09, 2021
EP 960 – Revise Your Work Schedule For Greater Satisfaction
Sunday May 09, 2021
Sunday May 09, 2021
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

Saturday May 08, 2021
EP 959 – Celebrating Our Mental Health
Saturday May 08, 2021
Saturday May 08, 2021
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.

Friday May 07, 2021
EP 958 – Don’t Get Caught With Your Pants Down
Friday May 07, 2021
Friday May 07, 2021
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

Thursday May 06, 2021
EP 957 – Super Heros In PJ’s
Thursday May 06, 2021
Thursday May 06, 2021
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

Wednesday May 05, 2021
EP 956 - Reduce Your Stress By Correcting Your Posture
Wednesday May 05, 2021
Wednesday May 05, 2021
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

Tuesday May 04, 2021
EP 955 – Are Our Children Dealing With Depression
Tuesday May 04, 2021
Tuesday May 04, 2021
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.

Monday May 03, 2021
EP 954 – Melanoma Monday
Monday May 03, 2021
Monday May 03, 2021
Love this advice…If your shadow is shorter than you are, you should seek the shade.
Do you annually check your skin? Wear your sunscreen faithfully? Do you go and see your doctor for regular check ups?
If so, you are helping to ensure that you prevent skin cancer or at least ensure that you catch it in its early stages.
The spring is an easy time to forget to use your sunscreen. It is essential that we protect ourselves and our kids and know the early signs of Melanoma, that way we can all be safe in the sun.
So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Melanoma Monday…and Being Safe In The Sun
Check it out. Melanoma can be found anywhere on the body, but it is most common on the legs, back, head and neck. Do an annual scan to check for changes.
Visit your doctor regularly and make sure that they do a body scan too.
Be safe in the sun. Enjoy the spring, summer and fall sunshine, but cover up and use your sunscreen.
Cancer changes lives, impacts families and hinders workplace productivity. Employees coming back to work after cancer treatments describe a variety of challenges that employers may not be aware of/or consider in their return-to-work accommodations. As a leader, look for ways to educate on prevention and look for ways to successfully support a team member who has been impacted.
Looking for more ways to build your resiliency, take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

Sunday May 02, 2021
EP 953 – Making Lemonade
Sunday May 02, 2021
Sunday May 02, 2021
Do you know where pink lemons come from?
Two 12 year-olds were left with a sour taste in their mouths after officials shut them down for not having a permit when they started selling lemonade in a dog park to raise cash for new soccer uniforms for their team.
Today we celebrate Lemonade Day. A day which is designed to introduce children to having their own business. I still remember when my boys decided that they were going to sell lemonade at the end of the street when we held a garage sale at their great grandpa’s.
So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Lemonade Day:
It is May and the weather is getting nicer, but we are not able to set up a lemonade stand…not yet.
What we can do though is talk to our children about what type of business they would run if they could or what kind of business do they think they could run now. The idea is to have a conversation around what would be involved, who their customers might be, and how would they let their customers know that they were open for business.
Fun Fact….
The Greeks were the first to make pink lemonade. They made this so that while the adults were having wine at celebrations, the children would also have a special treat. When the Greeks dyed the lemonade pink by adding wine, the common myth in the community was that this drink was made from pink lemons that grew in a forest that no man could enter and come out alive. They made the children believe that these magical pink lemons were brought back by a noble king. Now there is marketing
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

Saturday May 01, 2021
EP 952 – What Is Burnout?
Saturday May 01, 2021
Saturday May 01, 2021
Being burned out and being stressed out are not the same thing. Many of us can tell when we are stressed out, but often, we cannot tell if we are burned out.
Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress is often about too many pressures that need to be dealt with. Burnout is about feeling empty, lacking in motivation, and beyond caring. Employees experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations.
Burnout may occur over a short period of time or take several years to manifest.
So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Combatting Burnout and Celebrating Mental Health Week:
First:
Slow Down. Take a break. Cut back whatever commitments and activities you can. Give yourself time to rest, reflect, and heal.
Change What You Can.
Maintain Balance.
Talk to a Professional.
And Make A Plan. Part of the problem with burnout is the lack of control that’s associated with it.
Burnout can be a serious consequence of an unbalanced life and of an environment where the individual experiences little control and high demands. Leaders can help by ensuring a clearer understanding of what their job is and is not, providing as much control as possible, ensuring that demands are realistic and by recognizing the employee’s contributions and achievements.
Looking for more ways to build your resiliency, take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

Friday Apr 30, 2021
EP 951 – To Tell The Truth
Friday Apr 30, 2021
Friday Apr 30, 2021
Today we encourage honesty and straightforward communication in politics, relationships, consumer relations and education.
Most of us have told a few lies. Lying can bail us out of awkward situations. Spare the feelings of others. Preserve or strengthen alliances. Enhance social standing. Keep us out of trouble. Even save our lives.
In today’s world of so many false truths, it is even more essential to build relationships based on honest and clear communication.
So Here are today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Honesty Day:
Practice telling the truth. Studies have shown that human children begin practicing deception as early as six months of age through such attention-getting gambits as fake crying or laughter. Try answering questions honestly all day today and see where the difficulties lie for you.
Be more transparent. Honesty goes a long way in building solid relationships. Leaders get ahead by making the right choices and showing that they are trustworthy. This builds trust, which is essential for teamwork.
Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, less-stressed you by visiting my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

Thursday Apr 29, 2021
EP 950 – Shh!
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
It’s quiet. Well, almost. There is the ticking of the clock, the rattle of the furnace, the birds chirping outside of my window and my computer humming along.
For some this silence is uncomfortable or we feel guilty, so we turn on the TV, though we aren’t really watching. It is important in the chaos of everyday living that we take a few moments and shut out as many sounds of the world and just be. It is here that we can rest, that we can rejuvenate, that we can be creative, and we can reflect.
So Here are today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Noise Awareness Day:
Pay attention to the noise you make and respect your neighbour’s right to peace and quiet.
Turn down the volume two notches on your radios and personal stereo systems with headphones.
Turn down the volume one notch on your television and turn it off during dinner.
Do NOT honk your horn, except in the case of imminent danger.
Replace noisy activities with quiet ones such as taking a walk.
Wear adequate hearing protection if you must be in a noisy environment and if you are concerned, get a hearing screening test done.
Try to observe one minute of no noise everyday.
Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
EP 949 – Tick tock
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
Tick tock. Tick tock. Can you hear your biological clock ticking away? I am pretty sure that I can, though, I am certainly not looking at having anymore children!
So What Does Your Biological Clock Tell You?
Our biological clock does so much more than tell us the perfect time to get pregnant. In fact, both men and women and the young and old are subject to the influence of the biological clocks that we all have.
Circadian rhythms are controlled by “clock genes” that carry the genetic instructions to produce proteins. These instructions control everything from when we sleep and rest, body temperature, heart activity, hormone secretion, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, and metabolism. They may even influence our mood, particularly in the form of wintertime depression known as seasonal affective disorder.
So Here are today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Biological Clock Day:
Celebrate – whatever age you are, or whatever life stage you are in.
Sleep is essential to our mental and physical health. Clock genes normally keep us awake during the day and asleep at night. But when a clock gene mutates, it can disrupt the normal sleep cycle. Sunlight, air travel and even the seasons can disrupt our Circadian Rhythms and the quality and quantity of sleep that we get.
So avoid night light. When possible, avoid bright and outdoor light close to bedtime and keep your surroundings as dark as possible at night. Cover the lights of your alarm clock, so that you are not tempted to look at it or have its glow disrupt your sleep.
Avoid eating or exercising too close to bedtime. Also watch out for caffeine and nicotine, both of which are stimulants.
Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, less-stressed you by visiting my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
EP 948 – Vaccines Can Be So Divisive
Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
Regardless of your opinion on vaccines, you have likely come across those who feel just as strongly in the opposite direction that you do.
April is National Immunization Awareness Week.
Here are my thoughts…and I know some of you may differ. That is your right.
Whooping Cough, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria and Polio vaccines have been given for decades and there has been a dramatic decrease in their occurrence especially here in Canada. But due to the pandemic, the need to get vaccinated has come into question by many more and debates are raging.
As with any medical procedure, vaccines have some risks. Individuals may react differently to vaccines and when considering immunization, both the risks and the benefits should be discussed with a qualified health care provider…not to the self-proclaimed experts on your social media feed.
So Here are today’s Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Immunization Awareness Week:
This year’s theme is Vaccines Bring Us Closer. Physical distancing over this past year has lead to higher reports of loneliness and mental health issues.
We need to get to a critical point where herd immunity makes it possible to protect those who are vulnerable or who can’t be vaccinated such as newborns or those who have compromised immune systems. It is only then that our hospitals will not be overtaxed and we can go back to our social activities. Those activities that protect and bolster our mental health.
I long to hug my family, my friends, my speaking colleagues, and my karate family. I believe those days will come and we need to be patient. In the meantime, the best way forward is to do all we can to slow down and eliminate the spread of this virus.
Like I said. This is my opinion and it is what I am holding on to.
Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Check out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com