Health and Wellness – Page 31 – The Big Words Blog Site

Promoting Better Mental Health in the Workplace

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health and Wellness. Creating a healthy workplace for our employees is critical. Mental health is particularly important. The greater the better the mental health of your employees, the more productive they’ll be. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, Promoting Better Mental Health in the Workplace.

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The way your employees feel when they are at work con Impact on your business. It can affect productivity, communications and safety issues. Promoting a good atmosphere for them to work in will help with a good mental attitude in the workplace, and as an employer, you should be taking steps to make sure this is the case for your staff.

If you fail to do so, depression and anxiety could mean a lot of extra sick days, which will make your business less successful and harder to run. Your employees can be your most valuable assets and investing in them is vitally important for the future of your business.

Create A Healthy Workplace

This is easy to do by sometimes making just a few simple adjustments to your workplace and the way you treat your employees. Make sure that the environment they are in is a healthy temperature and that the air is fresh, Just these two things are a great start to making them feel better about themselves.

Do not expect them to work all day in your workplace and then go home and do even more work. Most people spend about one-third of their life in work and that is long enough. Expecting them to work a 60-hour week or to deal with emails and queries from home is not only unfair, but it will also make them feel discontented and that their efforts while at work are not appreciated.

Make sure they take their breaks and have somewhere that they can socialize for them. Some social interaction is a great way of relieving stress and they will return to their workstations more alert and ready to work.

Some experts, including Cynthia Telles of Kaiser Permanente, have spent years researching and dealing with these matters, and their opinions are very highly respected. She has been involved in several programs that aimed to improve the mental health of employees in all walks of life.

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Help Employees Identify Mental Health Problems

It is thought that in the US, one in four employees suffers from mental health problems to some degree and that most of them suffer in silence. This is in part because many of them do not recognize the cause of their problem and think it because of aging, the menopause or any one of a number of other things. Some workers think it is normal to feel this way and you need to help them identify when the way they are felling is not part of normal stress.

Helping them to recognize the symptoms and the triggers is one of the most effective things an employer can do for their workforce. You could invite a mental health expert to your business to give them a talk on what to look for and how to deal with it. There are confidential mental health screenings available and sometimes a questionnaire about their habits and symptoms can be very enlightening for someone that has been trained in these matters. There are also free online screening tools that you could encourage them to use.

The whole point is that a happy workforce will be more productive and produce a better quality of work. The time taken to ensure that none of your employees are suffering from mental health problems because of their job, or that none happen in the future, could save you a lot of time, effort and money ion the long run.

Assist Them With Their Treatments

Most mental health issues are very treatable, but they may need some time to seek the help they need. Letting them leave work for weekly therapy sessions that are during business hours for example, could prevent that employ from being off work long-term while they are treated.

Most employers would not have a qualm in calling for help if an employee becomes physically ill while they are at work, but those same bosses will totally ignore mental health issues. There is still something of a stigma attached to mental health problems, but many of them could have been prevented to start with. To the sufferer, they are just as bad and sometimes worse, than a physical illness and they deserve the same care and attention as someone who is having a heart attack while sitting at their desk.

If you any idea that a member of your staff may be becoming depressed or anxious while they are at work, speak with them or get someone else trusted to, and suggest that they seek treatment before it gets even worse.

Encourage Healthy Employees With These Wellness Strategies

The first principal of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. No matter which kind of organization you’re running, a key component will be the wellness of your employees and staff. Helping them stay in top shape will all but assure that you will get maximum productivity out of them. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Encourage Healthy Employees With These Wellness Strategies.

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Did you know that healthy employees are one of the best assets that any business can have? It makes a lot of sense when you think about it – healthier employees won’t get as sick quite as often and so won’t have to take as many days off to recover from illnesses. That means that you won’t waste any money paying for employees to take days off. But that isn’t the only reason why you need to encourage good health amongst your employees. You will find that fit and healthy workers are a lot more productive, as they have plenty of energy and drive.

There are lots of employers who already know just how beneficial healthy staff are, and so have stepped up measures to encourage healthy choices both in the office and at home. Here are a few popular wellness strategies that work well with employees. Perhaps you will want to try some out with your own staff.

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Get Them To Ditch Their Cars

I’m sure that a lot of your employees will drive to the office. This may be the most time-efficient option for people, but it won’t be doing their health any good. It’s worth trying to motivate the employees who live close enough to the office to walk or cycle to work. There are a few ways you can incentivize these choices. For instance, you might want to install some bike racks outside your office so that cyclists have somewhere to keep their bikes safe and secure while they are working. To try to get their workers walking to work, some companies offer their employees wearable devices, like Fitbits to track their daily steps. Running weekly or monthly step competitions within your office will certainly encourage your workers to walk more!

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Help Them Fight Personal Injury Battles

No matter how fit we may be, it can still be possible to end up in accidents and injured. If an employee does end up injured, they may be forced to take a considerable length of time off work. There are ways you can help them speed up their recovery, thankfully. One thing some companies do is build a relationship with a personal injury attorney who they can then get to represent their employee in court. You can contact Sachs Waldman for more information about these kinds of attorneys. Getting a good lawyer on board will greatly improve their chances of winning compensation which they can then use to invest in their rehabilitation and healthcare. Before you know it, the employee will have returned to a full bill of health and will be back in the office.

Encourage Healthy Snack Choices In The Office

Healthy eating goes a long way to helping us maintain good physical and mental health, so you should try to encourage your employees to opt for healthy snacks whenever they feel a pang of hunger. The best way to make sure that everyone reaches for a piece of fruit instead of a chocolate bar is to offer some free healthy snacks and drinks in the office kitchen. A large bowl of fresh fruit will go down really well, especially with those workers who want to satisfy their sweet tooth. It’s also a good idea to offer some cereal bars and other healthy snacks that aren’t too calorific, sugary, or fatty. As well as offering the usual teas and coffee, make sure there is some bottled water and fruit juice for your employees as well.

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Promote Social Connections Between Coworkers

Lots of research has suggested that employees who make friends with their colleagues and coworkers often enjoy being at work than those who don’t. It makes working together a lot easier, and employees who are friends will often support and help their friends a lot as well. So, it will be really beneficial for you if you promote the creation of social connections between your workforce. There are many ways you can do this, but one of the easiest is organizing office drinks on a Friday evening every so often. Most companies host these drinks every two weeks or on a monthly basis.

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Offer Support To Staff With Mental Health Troubles

These days, we all know how difficult it can be to maintain good mental health. Some studies have shown that employees who are emotionally supported in the workplace often find it a lot easier to maintain better mental health than those that aren’t. So, it’s really worth rolling out some top support strategies to all of your employees, especially those who really struggle with serious issues like depression. For instance, some companies like to welcome a councillor into their office once a month, and offer their employees the chance to book a session with them. You should also prevent the development of any workplace bullying and make sure that no one is ever overstretched with their workload.

Offer Gym Memberships As A Perk Of The Job

You will already be offering your employees plenty of perks of the job, but do you already offer them a free monthly gym membership? More and more businesses are now offering this to employees, as most gym memberships are too expensive for individuals to buy on their own. Once you do offer a membership, you will find that your workers are a lot more likely to go to the gym on a regular basis. As a result, they will quickly get fitter and their overall health should also improve.

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Install Office Showers

If you have the space in your office, you should think about installing some showers. This should encourage more employees to run or cycle to work. Lots of people are put off from getting to work in these ways because they will have to spend the day sweaty at their desk. But once showers have been installed, they will be able to take a quick wash so they are fresh for the day ahead.

Once you use these wellness strategies, you should notice a difference in your staff!

Natural Ways To Fight Anxiety

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Many people suffer from anxiety which is greatly impacted by any number stimuli in their environment. In some instances its something from one’s personal life, and in others its something career-related. In either case it’s important to understand how to manage anxiety. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Natural Ways To Fight Anxiety.

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Levels of anxiety and despression are now at an all time high within our society, and the problem is that so many doctors are, not only not taking these illnesses seriously enough, but they’re not looking at the root cause of the issues causing them and are only providing things to mask the symptoms.

Now, whilst there’s nothing wrong with taking medication to fight things like anxiety since they’re definitely proven to be very effective with some people, it’s essential to look at the root cause and be able to identify things like triggers to know what’s really causing the anxiety before it can fully be treated successfully, and the best way to be able to identify the root cause and fully treat anxiety either without conventional medication or in combination with it is to look at making lifestyle changes that are known to greatly reduce, not only the anxiety symptoms, but the recurring episodes that someone suffering from anxiety will have to endure.

That being said, if you feel like you do need some conventional medication for your anxiety or would at least like to find out more about the different types of medication availble, then you should definitely make an appointment with your doctor who will be able to look at your individual case and offer you the best solution for you.

If it’s decided to start you on a certain medication, then you can order repeat prescriptions from your local pharmacy to pick up your prepackaged medication when it suits you until you’re feeling like you could do with lowering your dosage or even coming off of the medication altogether.

In this post, we’re going to look at some of the ways you can benefit from some simple and natural lifestyle changes when looking to beat anxiety.

Speak to someone:

Even above medication, cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be one of the most effective treatments for anxiety and helps people all over the world every day. You should certainly ask your doctor about referring you for this treatment if you think it will help, and even if you don’t want to go down that route, simply joining a support group – either online or offline can help massively since it helps you know you’re not alone in dealing with this.

Daily exercise:

Daily exercise is something that should always be used as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but can be even more effective in helping you beat anxiety. Not only does exercise help keep your body fit, but it’s one of the most natural mood-boosters and relaxants there is.

Journal:

When you feel anxious, a good practice is to journal. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what to write or if what you write makes sense, but it’s simply a way of clearing out the thoughts in your head and getting them onto paper. Journaling is something that’s been used by many dealing with all kinds of things, so even if you’re a complete beginner, you can find ways to get started with journaling that will truly help you.

Breaking Down The Constructs: What Are The Things We Need To Back To Be Happy?

A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. Several things going into being happy. Often in the pursuit of careers and mimicking the images of success we see in the media only make us more unhappy. What are the actual keys to being happy? The following contributed post is entitled, Breaking Down The Constructs: What Are The Things We Need To Back To Be Happy?

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Happiness is a very subjective term, people can go their entire lives feeling happy without needing to exert themselves, whereas others need a purpose to every minute of every day. But for so many people that are looking for that reason to exist, they may find themselves searching too hard, and in fact, the real route to being happy involves then cutting back on certain things. What are the things in the real world that we need to cut back on?

The “Perfect” Job
With the abundance of choice out there, so many people feel static in one place, so they’re always looking for the next challenge. But certain careers, even though they appear rewarding on the surface, can house an abundance of problems that don’t suit certain people. Perhaps it’s not about finding the perfect job but finding the job that gives you a reason to get up in the morning. When it comes to looking for the ideal working setup, we can struggle to see the wood for the trees.

Preconceived Notions Of Security
Money defines everything but it’s what we do with it that counts. We can spend so long worrying about the financial forecast over the next 12 months, that we’re not focusing on the present. The fact is, providing a nest egg isn’t about a cash injection right now, it’s about playing the long game. Even the big names like Warren Buffett know it’s about sticking with something over a long time, whether it’s an investment, real estate, or cryptocurrency. When it comes to real estate, we can be a landlord and rent out a property to others, and while there are residential property management services that can help us to acquire an extra income, we have to give consideration to so many other variables. From a personal perspective, an extra income is excellent, but it means we’ve got to dedicate that much more time into it to see the fruits of our labor. If you are dominated by money, will you be happy?

Falling Into Line
We worry so much about what other people think of us when we shouldn’t care a jot. We can learn so much from our children in this respect; they have an innate ability to question everything. And when they begin to conform, while it makes life easier, if they begin to lose the one aspect of their personality that makes them unique, is this something that we should be proud of? With independent thought comes creativity, inspiration, and a veritable zest for the world. We get bound by social constructs, and we feel that falling into line and playing “the game” is easier. But does this really make us happy? We know, deep down, it doesn’t.

Happiness is subjective, but we can spend years believing that we are after a certain thing that will make us happy. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and the sooner we learn this, the better. Sometimes, it’s not about getting more, but it’s about getting less that will make us happy.

3 Ways to Make Money with a Wellness Business

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“Wellness is now a $4.2 trillion industry worldwide. If you’re an entrepreneur, it makes sense, then that you would at least consider the possibilities of getting into this market.”

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Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. Wellness businesses can be lucrative if run the right way. If you’re thinking about running this type of business, or if you’re running one right now, it’s important to know how to make money with them. The following contributed post is thus entitled, 3 Ways to Make Money with a Wellness Business.

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Wellness is now a $4.2 trillion industry worldwide. If you’re an entrepreneur, it makes sense, then that you would at least consider the possibilities of getting into this market. A lot of people shy away from doing so because wellness seems to be everywhere, and they think that the market must be saturated by now, however, there are always opportunities to be had and as long as you’re willing to work hard and create a unique brand there is no reason why you could not launch your own wellness company and succeed.

If you like the idea of running your own wellness business, but you don’t know where to start, here are just some of the ways you could make money in the wellness business right now:

Sell Your Skills

If you’re looking to start your business on a shoestring, think about any skills you may have and see if you can monetize them. What would you use to form the basis of your startup pitch deck, in other words? The only costs you will incur doing this are your marketing costs and with the use of social media, these could be pretty minimal.

In terms of wellness, there are plenty of skills you can sell from teaching meditation to helping people start running, to life coaching. If you don’t already have these or similar skills, learning them can be very affordable, and building a business very doable.

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Capitalize on Cannibis and CBD

It isn’t for everyone, but cannabis is now legal in many states and it is doing big business in all of the places you can buy. You might think that getting into the industry involves too much red tape, but you don’t actually have to sell cannabis yourself. In fact, you could potentially make a lot of money by simply selling cannabis accessories. If you visit trimleaf rosin press guide, for example, you will see that there is far more to this business than you might think and the accessories are numerous. If you don’t like the idea of cannabis at all, then consider the possibilities of CBD, which is non-hallucinogenic, completely legal in most places and a huge wellness trends which many people use for stress and pain relief regularly.

Now, with the cannabis scene being relatively fresh, it’s like staring at a crystal ball trying to figure out how it will unfold, particularly considering resources related to this field, such as the Daniel Fung arrest article. There are no guarantees in the CBD business. But here is the kicker: your local demand. It’s best to figure out how to stand out and ride this cannabis wave while ensuring you’re operating within your area’s regulations.

Slow Fitness

The slow fitness movement has been ramping up for a few years now, and it’s just about set to explode, which means it’s a really good niche to get into if you’re looking for a new business venture.

The slow fitness movement is all about taking it easy and taking recovery seriously when you have worked out hard. It’s all about foam rollers magnesium baths and percussive therapy tools such as Hypervolt, which you can read about at https://hyperice.com/hypervolt, and which can massively aid recovery and wellness. The good news is there is plenty of room for new and similar products to hit the market, especially if you can develop something which is even better at aiding recovery, and these products can be sold at a premium. This option will likely involve a greater investment but the rewards could be huge.

Whatever you decide to invest in, wellness is not going away and you have the potential to do very well for yourself!

Six Ways To Handle Workplace Stress

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Health and Wellness. Regardless of which career you’re in, the workplace can cause you quite a bit of stress if you’re not careful. It therefore becomes critical to understand how to manage it if and when you get into a position where the workplace is impacting your quality of life. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Six Ways To Handle Workplace Stress.

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We’ve all woken up in the morning and dreaded heading to the office at least once in our lives. Whether it’s because deadlines are looming, the traffic on the commute is getting worse and making you late, or the fact you’ve been passed over the promotion yet again, it’s all tough when it comes to the workplace. Stress is one of the hardest things to cope with, because trying to manage the stress can be difficult when you’re also trying to keep up the momentum with your boss on your back.

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It’s important to try to overcome stress in the workplace, though, because without trying, you’re not going to get anywhere, ending up more stressed than you were already. So, whether you start advance checking for traffic and road closures, or you hold a meeting to ask about that promotion from the higher ups, you need to start thinking of ways to reduce stress. Below, we’ve got six ways to do just that, without you needing to lose it.

Fresh Air. Going for a short walk during the work day can make a real difference. Whether you go on your lunch break or you head out quickly for a coffee, you really need to think about that fresh air. Offices are notoriously stuffy and breathing in recycled air is not the most fun way to spend the day. If you feel your tension rising, get out for fresh air
and get a little exercise with a walk.
Have A Stretch. Whether you get up or not, stretch your body. Sitting down for a long time can cause a lot of pressure on your back, and prolonged sitting can really place a lot of stress on the body as a whole. Every hour at least, get up and stretch. It doesn’t matter if it looks weird, it can allow you to keep concentrating on your work and not feel wound up.
It’s A Mental State. Stress is all in the mind. It may manifest physically for a lot of people, but it starts in your head. You can simply put on a meditation app and relax for a few minutes, concentrating on your breathing and slowing your heart. It’s in the mind, and the mind can be controlled; remember that.
Divert Your Focus. At work, the pressure is on. If you start to feel closed in, start helping someone else for a moment. A problem shared is a problem halved, and then ask them for some guidance on your issue. Even if all you do is open the door for someone else when they’re coming through, it’s helpful and it can take your mind off your stress.
Dance It Out. Head to the roof space, the bathroom, anywhere private. Put your favourite song on your headphones and dance madly. Blast out the energy and the jitters at the same time, and release your stress that way.

No one needs to feel pressured, hurt or put upon by their workplace. With a little help, you can dispel the stress as fast as possible.

How To Relieve Your Chronic Pain – Easy Ways

A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. Chronic pain can really take a toll on your life and affect your overall happiness. Once you have it, managing it becomes key to functioning properly everyday. The following contributed post is thus entitled, How To Relieve Your Chronic Pain – Easy Ways.

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When you’re a sufferer of chronic pain, it’s likely that you’re always trying to find new ways of relieving the pain. Whether you’ve injured yourself and as a result, you’re in pain, or you’ve got a condition that causes the extreme pain you’re feeling, it can also affect you mentally and change your general quality of life. Chronic pain is no song and dance but there are many ways in which you can relieve it without having to try weird and wonderful remedies. So, here are some tips on how to relieve your chronic pain – the easy ways!

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Change what you’re eating

Food might not be the sole reason for your pain, but did you know that what you’re putting into your body can greatly affect the kind of pain you’re in? People who suffer from pain from conditions such as psoriasis can actually greatly improve their general quality of life by simply changing what they are eating. There are many diets that are tailored to psoriasis, and there very well might be one for yours too! Consider looking for a specialised diet for your condition to see if it can improve the pain that you’re in.

Take your medication properly!

One of the biggest mistakes that people with chronic pain make, is not taking their medication properly! It’s likely that when you injured yourself, or you had your condition diagnosed that your doctor prescribed you medication to help relieve your symptoms – take them as directed! LifeBrite Labs have discovered that half of all chronic pain sufferers don’t take their medication as prescribed, yet wonder why they are still in pain. Make sure you’re taking your meds properly and you may notice a difference in how you’re feeling.

Kit out your home

Chronic pain can last a lifetime and unfortunately, it’s something that you’re going to have to adapt your life to. Many sufferers refuse to accept what’s going on in their lives and tend to refuse any help in day to day life. However, this will make life much harder in the long run and can lead to further problems with your health. Give yourself a helping hand by kitting out your home with aids such as handrails and a seat in the bath so that you can make your day to day life that little bit easier.

Do some gentle exercise

Finally, exercise is likely to be the last thing on your mind right now, but did you know that not moving at all or very little can actually make your pain worse? Being stationary for long periods of time can cause your joints and muscles to seize up, so try and do some gentle exercise each day to make mobility as easy as possible. Don’t forget to speak to your doctor before doing so as they may be able to give you a guide on what kind of exercises will help relieve your pain!

Human Error In Healthcare Businesses: What Are The Solutions?

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. No matter what arena it is, there will always be some element of human error. When you’re in a healthcare business, errors can be particularly dangerous. As such its important to figure out how to minimize errors in your healthcare business. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Human Error In Healthcare Businesses: What Are The Solutions?

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While human error is by no means limited to healthcare businesses only – every industry has to battle the issue – it could be argued that human error is particularly costly when it comes to medicine. Medical staff are highly-trained, dedicated, and expert individuals, but everyone is human, and – to borrow a famous quote – to err is one of the most human of traits.

For years, owners of all healthcare-related businesses – ranging from private clinics to pharmacies to research labs – just had to accept that human error was inevitable, and to try to limit the damage when it occurred. However, modern medicine is very different indeed, and if you own a pharmacy or medical practice, you’re sure to be delighted by such a development.

Understanding the reasons for human error

When anyone makes a mistake, most of us are trained just to accept it, telling ourselves that these things happen. This is a fairly reasonable response, and there is no benefit to seeing a single error as a reflection of an individual’s overall capabilities, it is perhaps overlooking a key issue: well-being.

Simply put, errors are more likely if someone is not at their best. If they are tired, stressed, anxious, or feeling physically unwell, then an individual is more likely to make mistakes. Over recent years, a societal trend has emerged acknowledging that while some errors will always happen, many more are preventable. You might need to look at increasing your staff levels to reduce pressure or hire more experienced staff who can better handle the complex challenges facing your business. List vacancies on niche sites such as the allied health jobs board for the best applications.

In the course of running your medical business, embracing the above approach can be hugely beneficial. If you focus on ensuring your staff are at their best by managing their schedule, encouraging good employee health practices, and encouraging staff to approach you if they feel unwell or off their game, you stand an excellent chance of reducing human errors that may otherwise have caused huge problems.

The introduction of tech

An understanding of the reasons people make errors is important, but in terms of reducing human error in medical businesses, nothing is quite so efficient as automation. Machines and technology are unencumbered by issues such as stress and overwork, and are thus able to perform tasks with greater accuracy and consistency than their human counterparts.

There are few areas of medicine that are not benefiting from automated interventions. From the well-known benefits of devices that facilitate pharmacy automation and analysis of test results to futuristic ideas such as robotic surgery, automation is changing medicine for the better.

Due to the incredible abilities offered by modern technological advances such as those described above, human error is no longer a factor that just has to be accepted. By investing in tech, you can ensure that your staff have more time to spend interacting with patients, while automated technologies work hard in the background to produce excellent, almost entirely error-free results.

In conclusion

As the above demonstrates, owners of any kind of medical business are now able to better manage human error than at any other point in history. By combining a focus on employee health and well-being with automated technologies, you can embrace a new, exciting future that significantly improves the working life of your staff, reduces overall errors, and ultimately boosts your business’ chances of success.

The Most Common Causes Of Stress And How to Deal With Them

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health and Wellness. Stress effects a lot Americans, ultimately impacting their quality of life and health. How do you know if you have stress? The following contributed post is entitled, The Most Common Causes Of Stress And How to Deal With Them.

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Did you know that around 80% of American adults suffer from stress? Stress can be a positive thing, and some of us work better under pressure. However, in the vast of majority of cases, it has negative implications for both our physical and mental wellbeing. If you’re struggling to cope with stress, you’re not alone, but statistics don’t always provide comfort or reassurance. With stress such a prevalent factor in modern-day life, it’s useful to explore the most common causes of stress and look into practical measures and coping mechanisms that could prove beneficial.

The most common causes of stress
Stress affects us all of us to a degree at some point in our lives. There are endless reasons why people may experience stress, but some are much more common than others. Here are some examples of the most common causes of stress.

Work-related stress
Most of us are familiar with the feeling of sitting in a meeting and feeling like the information is sailing way over our heads or turning on our laptops to be inundated with emails. Often, work-related issues are associated with feeling like you have too much to do, or worrying that the jobs that are on the table in front of you are beyond your skill set or level of experience. Additional factors may include not getting on with your boss or a colleague, or working too many hours. If you’re leaving the house at 6am and not getting home until 10pm, there’s a clear lack of work-life balance.

If work is making you feel on edge or anxious, you’re struggling with your current workload, and you have issues with a certain person or a group of people, there are steps you can take to try and combat these problems and find solutions. If you’ve got too much on your plate, talk to your boss. It may be possible to get some help, to share projects with other members of staff or to adjust your schedule so that it gives you a better balance. Many people are choosing to work from home more, for example. If you have issues with colleagues or your employer, approach the subject with that person or ask your boss or a senior colleague for advice if you don’t want to dive straight in. Communication is often key in this instance, as the person you’re struggling with may be completely unaware of the way you feel or the way they’re behaving towards you.

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Relationship breakdown
Relationships can bring us down or build us up, and often, the links we have with people have a major bearing on our mental health. If you’re in a loving, secure relationship with a partner, this can make you feel like you’re on cloud nine. In contrast, if you’re arguing all the time, you put each other down, and you’ve lost sight of why you’re even together, this is bound to contribute to stress, as well as other emotions, such as anger, frustration and sadness. The breakdown of a relationship is never easy to cope with, but if you have children, you’re married, or you share properties, businesses or circles of friends, it can be particularly challenging and distressing. Even if you know in your heart of hearts that you’re making the right decision breaking up with your partner, it can cause you to be confronted with overwhelming emotions and a sense of grief.

If you’ve decided to go your separate ways, it’s wise to focus on your emotional recovery and your mental health, as well as trying to get organized and address practical measures. One of the best ways to eliminate stress related to the uncertainty of going through legal processes is finding an attorney with expertise in family law. Research firms and ask around for recommendations. Meet with your attorney, ask as many questions as you like, and gather information about what lies ahead. When it comes to dealing with your emotions, reach out to close friends and relatives, give yourself time to heal, and don’t blame yourself. When you’re ready to open up, you might find it beneficial to talk to a therapist or somebody close to you.

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Money worries
Money worries are among the most common causes of stress, especially among millennials. If you’re struggling to survive from one month to the next, you’ve got bills to pay, or you’re in debt and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, this can cause you to feel anxious and worried. It’s not always easy to deal with financial issues, but there are avenues that are worth exploring. If you’re finding it difficult to bridge the gap between paydays, or you tend to overspend without realizing, budgeting is an incredibly useful tool. You can use money management apps, spreadsheets or even a pen and paper to track what’s going into and out of your accounts and monitor spending. If you’re in debt, and you can’t seem to find a way out, it’s wise to seek help from a debt adviser or to get in touch with a charity that provides free information and guidance. There are options out there that you might not be aware of, and you’ll probably feel much better once you’ve you spoken to somebody about your situation.

If you’ve lost your job, or you only work part-time, think about ways you could boost your income. Register with recruitment agencies, upload your resume to job sites and consider a sideline. If you’ve got practical skills, creative talents or hobbies, for example, could you use those abilities and interests to supplement your income?

Image from https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/17123251389

Stress affects us all, and it can be hugely debilitating. If you’re prone to stress, or you’re worried that stress is taking over your life, don’t suffer in silence. Lean on friends and family for support, talk about how you feel, and seek out practical solutions. Talk to experts who have experience in helping people in the same boat as you, and don’t be afraid to seek medical help if you feel like you’ve tried every self-help technique in the book and you’re still struggling.

Tips For Employers: Employee Bereavement

A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. While employers seek to get the maximum productivity out of their employees, it’s also important to take care of workers as much as possible. A key time when employees need flexibility from their employers is during bereavement. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, Tips For Employers: Employee Bereavement.

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When business owners think about the need to manage their employees and provide assistance wherever possible, they – quite naturally – tend to focus on matters related to the workplace. However, as time passes, most business owners will come to realize that employee management extends far beyond the basics of the work itself.

Perhaps most challengingly of all, most employers will at some point find themselves needing to manage an employee who has recently been bereaved. Given that death is such a sensitive subject, and everyone reacts to the topic differently, managing such a scenario can feel almost impossible.

However, there is one, simple way to manage employee bereavement as effectively as possible: let the employee dictate what happens next.

What does this mean?

As we touched on above, everyone grieves differently. Some people will actively want to immerse themselves in work, seeing it as a welcome distraction. Others will find work burdensome and difficult to cope with when grieving, and would thus prefer their workload to be reduced.

Essentially, there is no blanket “managing an employee who is grieving” policy that you can apply to your company. Instead, you have to manage each case on an ad-hoc basis.

How can this be achieved?

Most business owners will discover the sad news that an employee has been bereaved through direct communication, often in conjunction with a request for time off. It is often tempting to just reply to this communication with agreement, and a few kind words.

However, the first communication is your opportunity to ask for more information. You can gently ask how they are doing, and – most importantly – what they need from your company over the next few weeks. Do they only want to take a day off work for the funeral, and otherwise continue as normal? Or do they need more time off, perhaps due to having to go through probate, speak with the likes of Winer, McKenna, Burritt & Tillis regarding legal proceedings, or arrange a house clearance? The latter point is particularly important: bereavement is often a complicated process in terms of simple bureaucracy as well as the emotional impact, but your employee may feel they cannot request time off to deal with these matters, so you have to extend the offer instead.

Ensure that your employee knows they can take the time they need; it’s the right thing to do, and it’s better for your company; after all, a distracted employee who is juggling a lengthy probate case is unlikely to be at their most efficient. By ensuring your employee has adequate time off, the return-to-work process should be simpler for both of you.

How should return-to-work be managed?

Whether your employee has taken a day off or an entire month, you’ll still need to manage the return-to-work process. The best way to approach this is to take each day as it comes. Spend a little time with the employee each day just asking how they are and if there is anything they need, but trust their response: if they say they’re fine to continue as normal, believe them, even if you suspect otherwise. Grief is different for everyone, so all you can do is let each employee be your guide while ensuring they know that you will provide any assistance should it be required.

In conclusion

Managing a bereaved employee is undoubtedly difficult, but by ensuring you provide opportunities for employees to ask for more time off, and allowing the employee to judge their preferred workflow after returning to work, the process should be as smooth as it possibly can be.