Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep, to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep, to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
“The Power to make Workplaces Engines for Mental Health and Wellbeing.” – U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
Work plays a significant role in shaping our self-identity, our health and wellbeing.
Even before the arrival of the global pandemic, there was much that wasn’t working well at work.
The pandemic simply serving to catalyse and bring about some of the much needed changes to make work not just more worthwhile, but something that keeps you healthy and happy.
A new framework published by the U.S Surgeon General has the potential to provide helpful guidelines to enable better workplace mental health and wellbeing.
And that’s got to be a very good thing.
What is Workplace Health and Wellbeing, and Do You Need It?
Are you feeling bombarded by all the health messages around raising health and wellbeing at work? Yes, every man and his dog are jumping on the latest bandwagon of a rapidly growing industry. How can you differentiate between the snake-oil merchants promising workplace nirvana and those who do have the credibility, expertise, and deep understanding of what makes work, work? Truth is, we’re all so busy, overwhelmed, anxious and exhausted the thought of taking better care of our health and wellbeing can end up making you feel more stressed! So where should you start?
Chirpy, Chirpy, Cheep, Cheep. Why is birdsong so uplifting?
If you get excited by seeing an albatross coming in to land at Dunedin, catching a glimpse of the Magnificent Fairy Wren or watching a penguin waddling across the Antarctic ice, you’re not alone.
Recent research has found that independent of the natural environment, seeing birds and hearing birdsong is uplifting, to the extent it can lift your mood for up to eight hours.
Building the case for workplace mental health and wellbeing
Sure, it’s great to feel less stressed, overwhelmed, or worried that you’re burning out, but the bigger issue here is your overall mental health and wellbeing.
For too long wellbeing has been presented in a fragmented and ad hoc way, which is why I was so excited by the recent release of the US General’s Framework for Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace.
Is Perfectionism Putting You at Risk of Burnout?
Being a bit of a perfectionist is not necessarily a bad thing.
Taking care of what you do, how you present your completed tasks, paying attention to detail are valued traits.
Diligence is one thing. Perfectionism is the darker side of performance, where nothing will ever convince you that your efforts are indeed “perfect.”
The biggest risk of perfectionism apart from fatigue, frustration, and fear of missing the “perfect” mark is your risk of burning out.
Perfection is an illusion. Why put yourself at risk?
Are you at risk of catching burnout?
Burnout. It’s everywhere. Does this mean you’re at risk of catching the contagion?
The key to avoiding burnout isn’t a vaccine, it’s about knowing how the way we work can set us up for exhaustion and over work.
It’s not just about self-care, though that helps to nurture your resilience and coping skills.