There is more pressure on the average employee today than any other time in history. Companies are cutting resources yet expecting greater outcomes, every industry is feeling the pain and no one is immune. Business guru Charles Handy said that working in the 21st century is described by the formula ½ x 2 = 3. Translated, this means half the number of people doing twice the amount of work expected to get three times the result. The pressure to get more done in less time is driving us to the brink of burn out, causing us to take stress leave and putting excessive pressure on our relationships. Part of the fall out from this pressure is that most people have stopped taking breaks during the day, they arrive at the office put their head down and don’t put it back up again until it is time to go home. Morning tea is a thing of the past, the lunch hour is dead and afternoon tea doesn’t even get on the radar. However is working constantly during the day the answer? I think not.

As a performance consultant working with thousands of people each year I believe the single largest contributor to stress, burn out and poor performance is an improperly structured workday. It is physiologically impossible to be productive and focused your entire day; your ability to get work done fluctuates at different times of the day and follows the natural rhythms of the body. Every function in our body (sleep, digestion, alertness, even your energy levels) is controlled by our natural bio-rhythms. Unfortunately most of the habits we have in a day actually work against our natural rhythms rather than with them. The key to lasting energy, happiness and high performance is getting the external world and your internal world in sync with each other. Here is a daily plan to help you get your internal world and external world working together.

6am: Get regular

One of the most critical aspects of a sleep routine is a regular bed and wake up time (of these two the wake up time is the most important). Falling asleep and waking up involves a number of complicated processes, for example your body prepares itself to wake up long before your eyes open by increasing body temperature, releasing various hormones, elevating blood pressure and heart rate. When you are in a regular sleep routine your body gets used to the pattern and it makes going to sleep and waking up much easier. A sign that you have your routine right is when you consistently wake up minutes before your alarm clock is set to go off. The biggest challenge in maintaining a regular sleep routine is sticking to it on the weekends. When we dramatically alter our sleep pattern on the weekend we can give ourselves a mini case of jet lag. If you feel the need to catch up on sleep over the weekend the key is to go to bed early and get up at your normal time rather than sleeping in past lunch.

6:15 am: Get moving

Some exercise early in the morning before breakfast is the ideal way to kickstart your day. First of all exercise gets more blood and nutrients to your brain and helps you to be more alert when you get to work. Also exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which are not distant relatives to Flipper but chemicals that elevate your mood and leave you feeling good. In addition low glucose and insulin levels in the morning maximise the burning of body fat during exercise and the exercise will elevate your metabolic rate for the rest of the day.

7:00 am: Break the Fast

A solid breakfast is needed to ensure that you have enduring energy levels during the day. The two main things to include in your breakfast are protein and carbohydrates that are low in glyceamic index. Examples are: Omelette with wholegrain bread

Fruit smoothie with yoghurt and fruit

Muesli and nuts

Skipping breakfast is just plain stupid, so don’t do it!!

8am to 11am focus on the big stuff

During this time the majority of people are at their most effective. This is the time to tackle your most important tasks that require the most thought and problem solving. Don’t spend this time doing mundane tasks, leave clearing the inbox to times when you are less effective.

11 am: Fuel up and get some sun

At 11am there is a natural drop in our blood glucose levels, the result is a slump in our energy levels and a corresponding drop in performance. This is the time to have your first meal of the day. Yes you heard right! Have lunch early, this will help you to keep your energy levels high. In fact a number of schools tested 11am lunchtime and found that students were far more alert and focused as a result. The easiest choice is a whole grain salad sandwich with protein (chicken, ham, tuna). Direct sunlight each day on our body helps to keep our circadian rhythm (the rhythm that controls when you are awake and asleep, as well as hundreds of other functions) in check. Most people don’t see the sun as they get to work when the sun is rising, stay in doors all day, and leave as the sun is setting. A lack of sun puts you at risk of seasonal affective disorder syndrome (SADS). SADS increases your chances of feeling down and depressed.

1 pm: Remember to breathe

When we get stressed our body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals has a negative effect on our brain and our ability to focus, solve problems and come up with new ideas. When we slow our breathing down and do some relaxation we stop producing these chemicals and produce something new called Nitric Oxide, when this hits our brain we produce endorphins and dopamine which make us feel good and help us think better.

2:30 pm: Lunch # 2

At around 3pm we get a dramatic drop in glucose levels and a drop in our temperature. This leaves us feeling very tired and drowsy. We have all experienced 3:30 itis. The way to avoid this is to stabilise your glucose levels by having a meal just before this. In this meal include some protein to stimulate brain function. An easy idea is fruit and nuts (almonds, walnuts). A meal at this time will also stop your cravings in the afternoon and stop you from pigging out when you get home.

6:00 pm: Switch to home channel

As you are travelling home start to switch your mind set to fit into family mode. A lot of people rush home at the end of the day and take their office mind set home with them and they run their home like their office. The mindset of your home is a lot slower and sedate than the office, so slow down on the way home.

7:30 pm: Have a happy meal

The final meal of the day should be small in volume (this will reduce the stress on your digestive system and help you to feel more energetic in the morning) and based on vegetables. Vegetables are high in fibre as well as vitamins and minerals. Science tells us that any population who live long healthy lives has a high intake of vegetables. With dinner include a small amount of lean protein especially oily fish like salmon, tuna etc. This type of fish contains high levels of Omega 3 oils, which improve our mood and our health.

9:00 pm: Dim the lights and slow down.

Whether our environment is dark or light impacts on our ability to get to sleep. A part of your brain called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) detects light input from the eyes. The SCN controls the secretion of Melatonin, a chemical that helps you sleep. When the SCN senses light on your eyes it shuts down Melatonin production, likewise when it senses darkness it releases Melatonin. Therefore as the evening progresses, start to dim the lights around the house. Bright artificial lights will prevent melatonin release so avoid switching on the Hollywood lights around the mirror just before you go to bed.

You’re writing a proposal to a client, the email alert goes off and you think “I will just check it”.

Someone wants you to move a meeting. Damn!

You spend the next 10 minutes sorting and co-ordinating calenders.

Back to the proposal! “Where was I? What did I want to say next ……..?

A few minutes later the phone rings. It’s a co-worker ringing to vent about a meeting they just had with a difficult client 13 minutes go by.

Back to the proposal. Geez. “Bugger I had a great idea for a value add while I was on the phone what was it, I hate it when I cant remember Arghhhhh!!

Knock at the door! Its HR wanting to discuss the behaviour of a member of your team. 35 minutes later they leave.
“I HAVE TO GET THIS PROPOSAL DONE!!!!!!”

An outlook alert goes off. Meeting in 15 minutes! Damn forgot that one, need to go over the figures they want me to report on.
“Where has the day gone? I will have to finish the proposal at home”

Does this sound familiar?

Click here to download the full white paper.

Several weeks ago, I sat down for a coaching session with a very senior executive at a Fortune 50 company. Let's call him Richard. He'd invited my company in to help his team better manage the overwhelming demand he believed was taking a toll on their productivity and their satisfaction.

I began by asking Richard to describe his own workday. He told me that he arrived at the office about 7:30 a.m. and worked virtually straight through until 9 p.m. He consumed his lunch in less than 5 minutes at his desk. If he went out to dinner, it was for a business meeting.

"That's pretty typical of people at my level, isn't it?" he asked me.

Sadly, it just may be.

What set this executive apart from most I meet is that he recognized this way of working wasn't serving him well. In recent years, he'd stopped exercising and put on considerable weight. He loved his work, and felt energized by it, but he worried that pushing himself so hard was taking a long term toll.

I suggested he begin with a couple of very simple changes. The first was to schedule a time at least three times a week to work out. He did that almost immediately, and successfully — at 6 pm, as a break before returning to work.

The second change I suggested was to get outside for lunch at midday, for at least 30 minutes. He agreed, and we actually scheduled the time in his calendar, with his assistant, but I could tell he wasn't confident he'd make it happen.

I wasn't entirely surprised. The Energy Project, the organization I run, recently conducted a poll on the Huffington Post about people's experience in the workplace. Sixty per cent of 1200 respondents told us they took less than 20 minutes a day for lunch. Twenty per cent took less than 10 minutes. One quarter said they never left their desks at all.

That's consistent with a study by the American Dietetic Association, which found that 75 per cent of office workers eat lunch at their desk at least two to three days a week.

Those poll findings were the inspiration for a movement The Energy Project is about to launch. The concept couldn't be more straightforward. We're calling it Take Back Your Lunch. It begins this Wednesday, between noon and 2 p.m., in locations around the country, and continues every Wednesday this summer. Find out where people will be gathering — or organize a Take Back Your Lunch Meetup in your city or town.

Far too many of us — managers and employees alike — have bought into the belief that the best way to keep up with demand is to be working all the time.

What if you set an example for the people you manage by taking back your own lunch - and by encouraging them to do the same?

At the most practical level, leaving the office for lunch is an opportunity to relax, let go of whatever stresses you've accumulated during the morning, and return to work feeling more energized, more focused and more engaged in the afternoon.

Taking back your lunch is the first step in taking back your life.

It's been three weeks since Richard made his own commitment to take back his lunch. Last week he got out twice. Can you commit to at least once? Invite your whole office starting Wednesday.

Tony Schwartz is president and CEO of The Energy Project. Tony is the author of the June, 2010 HBR article, "The Productivity Paradox: How Sony Pictures Gets More Out of People by Demanding Less," and coauthor, with Catherine McCarthy, of the 2007 HBR article, "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time." His new book is"The Way We're Working Isn't Working: The Four Forgotten Needs that Energize Great Performance" (Free Press, 2010).

Taken from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/opinion/17kristof.html?th&emc=th

Our Basic Human Pleasures: Food, Sex and Giving

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: January 16, 2010

Want to be happier in 2010? Then try this simple experiment, inspired by recent scholarship in psychology and neurology. Which person would you rather be:

Richard is an ambitious 36-year-old white commodities trader in Florida. He’s healthy and drop-dead handsome, lives alone in a house with a pool, and has worked his way through a series of gorgeous women. Richard’s job is stressful, but he spent Christmas in Tahiti. Unencumbered, he also has time to indulge such passions as reading (right now he’s finishing a book called “Half the Sky”), marathon running and writing poetry. In the last few days, he has been composing an elegy about the Haiti earthquake.

Lorna is a 64-year-old black woman in Boston. She’s overweight and unattractive, even after a recent nose job. Lorna is on regular dialysis, but that doesn’t impede her active social life or babysitting her grandchildren. A retired school assistant, she is close to her 67-year-old husband and is much respected in her church for directing the music committee and the semiannual blood drive. Lorna believes in tithing (giving 10 percent of her income to charity or the church) and in the last few days has organized a church drive to raise $10,000 for earthquake relief in Haiti.

I adapted those examples from ones that Jonathan Haidt, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, develops in his fascinating book, “The Happiness Hypothesis.” His point is that while most of us might prefer to trade places with Richard, Lorna is probably happier.

Men are no happier than women, and people in sunny areas no happier than people in chillier climates. The evidence on health is complex, but even chronic health problems (like those requiring dialysis) may have surprisingly little long-term effect on happiness, because we adjust to them. Beautiful people aren’t happier than ugly people, although cosmetic surgery does seem to leave patients feeling brighter. Whites are happier than blacks, but only very slightly. And young people are actually a bit less happy than older folks, at least up to age 65.

Lorna has a few advantages over Richard. She has less stress and is respected by her peers — factors that make us feel good. Happiness is tied to volunteering and to giving blood, and people with religious faith tend to be happier than those without. A solid marriage is linked to happiness, as is participation in social networks. And one study found that people who focus on achieving wealth and career advancement are less happy than those who focus on good works, religion or spirituality, or friends and family.

“Human beings are in some ways like bees,” Professor Haidt said. “We evolved to live in intensely social groups, and we don’t do as well when freed from hives.”

Happiness is, of course, a complex concept and difficult to measure, and John Stuart Mill had a point when he suggested: “It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.”

But in any case, nobility can lead to happiness. Professor Haidt notes that one thing that can make a lasting difference to your contentment is to work with others on a cause larger than yourself.

I see that all the time. I interview people who were busy but reluctantly undertook some good cause because (sigh!) it was the right thing to do. Then they found that this “sacrifice” became a huge source of fulfillment and satisfaction.

Brain scans by neuroscientists confirm that altruism carries its own rewards. A team including Dr. Jorge Moll of the National Institutes of Health found that when a research subject was encouraged to think of giving money to a charity, parts of the brain lit up that are normally associated with selfish pleasures like eating or sex.

The implication is that we are hard-wired to be altruistic. To put it another way, it’s difficult for humans to be truly selfless, for generosity feels so good.

“The most selfish thing you can do is to help other people,” says Brian Mullaney, co-founder of Smile Train, which helps tens of thousands of children each year who are born with cleft lips and cleft palates. Mr. Mullaney was a successful advertising executive, driving a Porsche and taking dates to the Four Seasons, when he felt something was missing and began volunteering for good causes. He ended up leaving the business world to help kids smile again — and all that makes him smile, too.

So at a time of vast needs, from Haiti to our own cities, here’s a nice opportunity for symbiosis: so many afflicted people, and so much benefit to us if we try to help them. Let’s remember that while charity has a mixed record helping others, it has an almost perfect record of helping ourselves. Helping others may be as primal a human pleasure as food or sex.

Dr Ad's thought
Makes you think how does this affect your culture at work?  I am sure the fallout would be greater engagement, culture and work place performance.By focusing and engaging with others at work we increase our level of happiness!!

Taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/annie-toro/a-flexible-workplace-is-a_b_342260.html

As National Work and Family Month and Mental Health Awareness Month draw to a close, it's a good time to reflect on the impact of flexible work arrangements on the health and well-being of employees and their families.

Years of psychological research provide a strong foundation for flexible work arrangements, demonstrating the benefit to employees' physical and mental health, as well as their family life. To promote this knowledge, the American Psychological Association created an Office on Work, Stress and Health that promotes research, training, practice and policy addressing these matters, including:

a) Promoting understanding of work stress and its impact on the well-being and productivity of workers;

b) Exploring organizational and behavioral interventions to reduce stress, illness and injury in the workplace;

c) Studying the impact of changing work force demographics (e.g., aging workers, increasing proportions of ethnic and racial minorities and women) on health and safety in the workplace; and

d) Building collaborative partnerships among psychology, industry, labor and federal agencies to reduce stress and health and safety risks in the workplace.

For APA, issues impacting work, stress and health are of utmost priority. Our dedication to furthering initiatives that lead to a healthy workplace environment stems from our association's mission to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.

These issues are particularly important under the sustained pressures of global competition on the U.S. work force. Psychologists are uniquely trained to address the behavioral aspects of change faced by our work force.

Research provides us with essential information regarding changes in our society that speak to the critical need to prioritize workplace flexibility. However, public policy has not kept up with the realities of working families. Today's families are more likely to include single parents, unmarried couples, same-sex couples -- sometimes with children, and stepchildren.

One of the most striking changes in U.S. families in the past 30 years is the increasing number of working women and the rate of mothers who work, especially mothers of infants and young children. Recently, California first lady Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress released a provocative report entitled "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything" on the status of women in the United States and the drastic changes that have taken place in our country as a result of women's entrance into the work force. The study is aimed at inciting what it calls "a national conversation about what women's economic power means for our way of life."

Research tells us there is a positive connection between workplace flexibility and an individual's work-life balance. For instance, employees who work in environments that provide flexible work hours also tend to experience fewer conflicts within their work, family and personal lives. However, when a workplace does not provide adequate flexibility, women are more likely than men to experience work-family conflicts and health-related distress, some studies show.

Another key factor is employee perception of workplace culture. Many employees do not use such policies, even when they are available, because they are concerned that taking advantage of parental leave or flexible work schedules, for example, may be perceived as a lack of job commitment and could negatively affect their career advancement. Thus, it is imperative that employers not only support the employees by promoting their company's flexible schedule options, but also create and maintain a culture that encourages use of these policies.

Research shows that employers benefit from offering greater workplace flexibility. When employees receive the flexibility they need, there is less absenteeism and greater job satisfaction. Employees are more motivated to adopt healthier behaviors, sleep better and be involved in employer-promoted health education programs. Additionally, employers have lower health care utilization costs.

Given the interest in issues affecting working families demonstrated by the Obama administration through the development of initiatives such as the White House Middle Class Task Force and the first lady's efforts to bring much-needed attention to issues involving work-family balance, we hope to see the development of sound federal policies and initiatives that will lead to positive outcomes for employees, employers, families and our country as a whole.

to find out more about culture and engagement go to http://www.dradamfraser.com/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=216930

Taken From
http://www.consultant-news.com/article_display.aspx?p=adp&id=6258

Due to greater pressures from work 40% of women who earn in excess of £40,000 don’t feel equipped with the skills to achieve a work/life balance, according to new findings.

40% of women won’t achieve a work/life balance due to stress at work

The research by Morgan Redwood, a leading expert in talent development, is based on 237 detailed online interviews with women from a range of backgrounds across the UK.

With National Stress Awareness Day taking place next week (4th November) these recent findings just underline even further how stress at work is affecting women in achieving a work life balance.

The study was designed to determine to what extent women of working age in the UK agree or disagree with a range of attitude statements and determine their levels of contentment towards life, work, relationships and future prospects. Throughout the study women frequently experienced negative and stress related feelings, with 39% highlighting this fact further, by saying they are constantly feeling anxious.

Janice Haddon, Managing Director of Morgan Redwood says: “With the economic climate as it is many companies are looking to save money, one way of doing this is obviously to add to the workload of their staff. However by doing this, it is having a major knock-on effect. Pressure from work is increasing, meaning stress levels are getting higher. And when this is happening, particularly with women, as this survey shows, a work life balance is not being achieved.” This obviously also affects their work place performance and work place productivity.

The research also identified another interesting fact. For those women who have had children, they had experienced a loss of confidence when returning back to the workplace. Two fifths of women with children who were surveyed said they had lost confidence as a result of having a family.

Haddon comments: “Having children is life changing. With the pressures of returning back to work, and the worry of performing well after time off, it’s not surprising that women lose confidence after having a family. This can add to stress levels, making it harder to achieve that work life balance, as more time is needed in the office to prove their worth and build their confidence up.”

Haddon continues: “We’ve just launched a new series of workshops to help women and men achieve a work life balance and help them deal with stress. Our one-day workshops, self-titled ‘Creating My Future,’ will help individuals find the confidence and sense of purpose to get their lives back on track, stress free.”

For more info on getting control back visit: http://www.dradamfraser.com/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=187950

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- In people with type 2 diabetes, higher average blood glucose (sugar) levels may be linked to lower brain function, according to a new study.

Researchers found that patients with higher levels of hemoglobin A1C (a measure of average blood glucose levels over 2 to 3 months) had significantly worse results while doing cognitive tasks that tested memory, speed and the ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time. Higher A1C levels were also associated with lower scores on a test of global cognitive function. There fore high glucose levels reduced brain performance and productivity.


The findings from the Memory in Diabetes (MIND) study were published online Monday in the journal Diabetes Care. MIND is a sub-study of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial.

"Even a mild impairment in cognitive function is of concern for people with type 2 diabetes," lead researcher Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaffe, of Tel-Aviv University in Israel, said in an American Diabetes Association news release.

However, the researchers noted it's not yet clear whether higher blood sugar levels increase the risk for cognitive impairment or whether cognitive impairment decreases the body's ability to control blood sugar levels. They hope the question will be answered in the ongoing ACCORD-MIND study, which will test the theory that lowering A1C levels could improve cognitive function.

Previous research found that people with diabetes are 1.5 times more likely to suffer cognitive decline and dementia than people without diabetes.

Posted January 26, 2009, by Dr Adam Fraser
taken from the following website.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/01/26/higher-blood-sugar-could-impair-thinking.html

Wellness in the workplace and how it improves

work place performance

Source: Harvey Thorneycroft, wellness and relationship management specialists. Posted on www.hrzone.co.uk

New year resolutions are all very well, but as Britain slides into recession, ensuring that staff are happy and healthy will pay dividends when it comes to maximising productivity. In fact, in the past year alone, a huge government push on wellness at work coupled with the growing realisation that health has a direct correlation with happiness and reduced levels of absenteeism is resulting in a record number of organisations offering wellness schemes to their employees.

According to the Business Action on Health Campaign by Business in the Community (BITC), the number of FTSE100 companies who are actively monitoring and reporting the progress on health and wellbeing initiatives has risen 16% in the past year, with further research indicating that the introduction of a multi-component health promotion programme can result in a 10.4% improvement in work performance and an annual return on investment of £6.19 for every £1 spent.

Prevention is better than cure

Statistics aside, as the new year begins, HR is in the perfect position to look at the health of its staff. "It's particularly a good time for people to refocus on their goals," says Michael de Groot, a wellness coach and founder of Staying Alive. "We have all done it, new year’s resolutions, joining the gym in January and giving it up in February, for example."

He believes that before implementing any programmes, HR should have a system in place to monitor absenteeism and sickness. However, he advises organisations to factor in what he refers to as opportunity costs, which can be much higher than the annual average cost of £6.59 per employee for absenteeism as calculated by the government.

"If a sales person is off sick, they could have booked a contract for £1million, which, in the end, could potentially cause the company to lose orders and could lead to redundancies or the company going bankrupt. When you consider it like this, it's a much higher cost," he explains.

Wellness coach for Adidas and director of Wellness International, Dorian Dugmore, agrees. "To prevent problems is often more cost-effective than losing key people for long periods of time due to ill health," he says. "Such problems can create hidden costs, for example bringing in temporary cover while still paying for an employee while they are absent. In the UK workplace we still have this focus on the 'SAD' principle, not 'Seasonal Affective Disorder', as so many people think, but 'Still Addressing Disease'. We need to move upstream and prevent more."

Dugmore suggests that HR begins by profiling its workforce, in terms of health behaviours, and by measuring the key numbers that convey risk in a preventative sense. "Adopting an approach that focuses on prevention rather than treatment is key," he explains.

One simple wellness initiative he recommends is identifying and neutralising potential risks before they occur, such as offering staff flu vaccinations. "If flu is being flagged as a potential problem as it is right now, a company can look at strategies that can avoid the potential problem before it occurs.

"For example, they might introduce a company vaccination programme, especially for those more at risk, such as a sales force constantly interacting with many different people. It also helps to profile employees, encouraging them to book vaccinations with their own doctors, as well as raising their awareness of how the illness comes about, and how it can be avoided," he says.

To this end, he suggests three important strands that HR can follow: Educative - what people should know to avoid illness/problems; profiling - to get a sense of where a workforce has needs and requirements; and action - taking practical steps to do something proactive to avoid a problem such as flu vaccinations.

It's the little things that count

While well-publicised case studies, such as Transport For London's five-year Health Improvement Plan, which aims to reduce lost working days due to back pain, stress, anxiety and depression, makes for impressive reading, not all companies have the luxury of a big budget. In fact, says HR and business consultant Jeff Grout, it's the small gestures that cost very little which can have an immediate and lasting impact.

"Certainly a huge cause of people feeling disaffected and going absent is a simple lack of a please, thank you or well done," says Grout. "Rather than focusing on skills training, employers should look at management development so they in turn can build better relationships with their own staff to make them feel involved and appreciated."

Similarly, giving people more control over their working lives through practices like flexible working can also have a big impact on absenteeism rates. "In the last few years, companies have being forced into flexible working but now they are embracing it as a way of both attracting and retaining staff as well as cutting absenteeism," he says.

Another aspect to keeping the troops happy is avoiding what Grout refers to as 'senseless economising'. "It's about being not too draconian with the red pen. Cutting the little things like the breakfast cereals provided for staff or cutting the budget for conferences and travel will ultimately lead to a more demotivated workforce who will pull more sickies," he reflects. Instead, he suggests HR reminds the board that they need to think about keeping people together so the conference becomes even more important and can be a way of motivating staff and generating new business. "It’s not rocket science – but it's about seeing the bigger picture," he enthuses.

De Groot agrees: "If employers think giving staff facilities in January and February will result in a drastic improvement by March, April, May, then that is totally unrealistic - there is a lead time involved."

Charity starts at home

The battle with absenteeism really isn't rocket science. Giving people the tools to improve their own wellbeing and making them feel valued doesn't have to cost the earth. "It’s a process of education so individuals will start to see that they are the only ones responsible for their own wellbeing," says De Groot. "The company can start implementing programmes to help employees – and this can be anything from nutrition through to exercise, coaching, counselling, but it is not a quick fix," he warns. "Simple things like providing gym facilities, or even just providing changing facilities and a shower on site so employees can go for a run or cycle to work can make a huge difference," adds Grout.

And the benefits are more far reaching than simply cutting the number of sick notes issued to HR; not only will you have a more informed workforce that have empowerment to take more responsibility for their own health, but also a healthier workforce.

"Employees appreciate and value their employers far more for taking care of them and showing an interest in their health and wellbeing, and are also more productive because they are in good health," says Dugmore. "The morale of employees working for a company that cares for its people is likely to be high, and the messages of health and wellness can also be transported to the families of employees, therefore benefitting life during and beyond work," he says.

So as 2009 begins, HR can buck the trend of the ill-fated gym membership, the exercise bike gathering dust and show employees that their health matters - after all, a healthy workforce is a happy one.

Top tips for reducing absenteeism

This months newsletter features our recent interview with Dr Fiona Wood. Fiona is the burn surgeon from Perth and in 2005 was awarded Australian of the Year. This woman is an inspiration to us all. She is Director of her hospital unit, a leading surgeon, a world renowned researcher, a teacher, a mentor, a board member on a number of health boards, speaks all over the country, has six kids all that live at home and exercises for an hour and a half a day. Fiona gets more high performance out of one day than most of us do in a week. She is a high performer who oozes creativity and productivity.

We asked her how she keeps up with this frantic and fast paced lifestyle.

**Health:** When asked “with your busy schedule how can you afford to exercise for 1.5 hours a day” her reply was “with my busy schedule how can I not afford to exercise for 1.5 hours a day”. “The only way I can keep up with my busy life is by staying fit and health. The exercise gives me the energy levels and fitness to lead such a busy life”.

Fiona’s tips are:
1. to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day
2. Eat regular meals during the day to keep your energy levels high
3. Avoid fatty and sugary foods

To fit in exercise you need to be creative take your runners to work and when you feel tired and unproductive that is the time to go for a quick walk. Also get the family involved and take the kids out for some exercise.

**Be Present:** With 6 children and a busy career, Fiona has limited time with each of her family members to overcome this she practices being present with them. “Whenever I am with my family, I make sure I am completely present with them, they are all I am thinking about. When I am with my family I am not thinking about work or what I have to do tomorrow”.

**Negative People:** Fiona is careful who she spends her time with. She tries to avoid spending time with people who are a drain on her energy, rather she surrounds herself with motivated and energetic people who build her up rather than drag her down.

**Stay focused:** As a woman in a male dominated industry she had a lot of knockers when she started out. The way she overcame this is by staying focused on the goal she wanted and controlling what she said to herself. When people told her she couldn’t do it she blocked that thought from coming into her head and just focused on what she wanted to achieve.


Dr Fiona Wood an inspiration to us all!!!

Posted by Dr Adam Fraser

At a recent conference the speaker before we was a neuro-anatomist talking about the effects of hydration on mental performance. Our brain is made up of a series of neural connections. These neurons have a small space in between them called a synapse that is full of water. When a signal runs along a neuron it gets to the synapse and releases a chemical called a neuro-transmitter which carries the signal across the water to the next neuron.

New research has shown that by the time you become thirsty the water in your synapse is so dehydrated that the signal has trouble getting through. The result is that your brain can’t function as well and your ability to learn, react, store information and retrieve information is significantly reduced. For a happy brain that gives you high performance, creativity, and productivity ensure you are properly hydrated. Aim for 2 litres a day.

Posted by Dr Adam Fraser