Anxiety in the work place
In today’s work environment with its constant demand’s to do more with less, frequent reorganisations and regular rounds of redundancies it is easy to feel very unsettled, uninspired, anxious and fearful.
Anxiety in the work place can leave some people with racing thoughts and struggling to switch off. I recommend anything that you can focus on to distract your mind, whether it’s a puzzle, movie or exercise. For some people the racing thoughts, start off mild and get more extreme the more you focus on the worst possible outcome. What is important to remember when if you find yourself in this situation, is ask yourself the following questions:
- Is there reason to believe this will happen?
- What evidence is there to support this assumption?
- Is there any chance I am blowing this out of proportion?
If we take the example of fearing being made redundant. It is important to distinguish between the wild rumours that go around office and the times when organisations are genuinely being restructured. If you decide that it is simply a rumour then fine, remind yourself of that on a regular basis. It is always worth remembering that organisations always value effective people especially when everyone is stretched and there is a huge business costs associated with replacing valuable staff.
At some point in your career you are going to be in the situation where you are part of a re-organisation and may face the genuine threat of redundancy. One way to tackle the anxiety this type of situation creates, is to focus on a plan B, what you can do if the worse happens. It is natural when facing a threat of redundancy to want to play it safe and stick with what you know. While I was never made redundant, I did go through several re-organisations where colleagues where made redundant. I found having a plan B comforting. When writing my plan B, I always remembered that it was natural to feel uncomfortable with something that is new and unfamiliar, so don’t let the fear stop you. To put my fear of failing into perspective, I always imagined myself in an old peoples home at the end of my life and wondered if I would regret not taking the risk of trying to something new. So if you decide to write a plan B don’t just stick to the tried and tested.
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Health New Year’s Resolutions
The new year is a natural time for focusing on new goals. At the end of the festive season we can feel like we have over indulged so want to refocus on health. I know I certainly feel like that. So I wanted to share some ideas for health new year's resolutions.
- Focus on 1 health goal for 2018 as this focus will help you acheive it.
- Use the stairs more.
- Go outside for a daily dose of vitamin D.
- Focus on your breath when you feel the stress coming on. It's a mini meditation session.
- Turn off all electronics 20 minutes before lights out at bedtime.
- Write down everything you're grateful for at the end of the day.
- Drink more water than cafine.
- Add one thing to your life that brings you joy.
- Cook at home more frequently. You’ll end up getting healthier in the process.
- Forgive someone. Anger and resentment is like holding onto internal poison and can even harm your physical health. Life’s too short to not move on.
Does abstinence improve sporting performance?
I know lots of my readers take part in sporting competitions and they always want to perform at their peak and win. So is it best to abstain the night before a competition? Certainly here is a myth that abstinence before sporting activities improves performance? But does it? Researchers at the University of Florence reviewed hundreds of studies to determine if there was any truth in the myth that abstinence helps performance. They found no evidence to support the myth that abstinence before a sporting competition improves performance. In addition they found no evidence that having sex the night before impairs performance the next day. They came across one study that found marathon runners did better the next day after having sex the night before. All sporting competitions are as much about the mind as the physical activity. So the impact of sex the night before on marathon runners may be psychological. Maybe that is why the organisers of the Rio Olympics distributed more than 450,000 condoms in the athletes' village during the 2016 Olympics. Reference Stefani Laura, Galanti Giorgio, Padulo Johnny, Bragazzi Nicola L., Maffulli Nicola, 2016, Sexual Activity before Sports Competition: A Systematic Review, Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 7, pg 246 http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2016.00246
Do you have tight hips? – Part 2
I know many of my clients sit at a desk for very long hours which can lead to tight hips. So in this post I want to show you how to stretch them.
How to stretch your hips
Single knee hugging Lying on your back, grab your right knee and pull it toward your chest until you feel a stretch. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on the left side. Bilateral knee hugging Lying on your back, grab both knees and pull them toward your chest. Hold for 20 seconds. "Cobra pose" Lie face down on the floor, hands parallel to your shoulders. Straighten your arms, lifting your upper torso off the floor. Your lower back should be arched, with your pelvis making contact with the floor. Hold for 20 seconds, then lower yourself back down Hip flexion with abduction/adduction Lying on your back, bring one knee up toward your chest. Holding your knee with both hands, roll your knee from one side to the other for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. External hip rotation Lying on your back, pull your right knee toward your chest. Place your right hand on the knee and your left hand on the ankle. Gently pull your right ankle in the direction of your head. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on your left leg. Internal hip rotation Lying face down, bend your knees 90 degrees and let your feet fall outward. Hold for 30 seconds. If after trying these stretches you are still strugling with tight hips why not book a deep tissue massage.
