December 2009 Newsletter
Increasingly we have found that our clients are looking at the importance of balance in their organisation and among their staff.
Helping employees balance their priorities, balance their state of mind as well as adhering to a smart nutrition plan is particularly important for staff engagement and also the organisation’s bottom line.
Here are some tips for priority, state and nutrition management for making sure your staff have the reserves to meet and make the most out of new opportunities as they surface.
Balancing Priorities
Knowing what to do when is one of the simple, yet most powerful skills a professional can have at their disposal.
An effective method for determining priorities is triage.
Paramedics often use triage to determine in what order to assist people in an emergency situation. The power of triage rests upon asking which priorities will have a negative outcome if left any longer – once identified these are your point of focus.
Do you know where you are currently spending your time?
You may be surprised to find that you’re wasting hours that could be better spent in areas more deserving of attention. Do a time audit and then assess whether your time is being spread appropriately according to areas of importance.
In turn making a list of time-robbers and then stringently setting down ways to reduce their interference with your schedule can add hours to your day. For more information on balancing your priorities click here
Balancing your State
One of the most dangerous things about stress is that we can become accustomed to it.
After a long enough period a state of anxiety can become the norm. This can be particularly damaging as the toll exacted on physical and mental well-being is often not apparent.
If you, or a colleague, are dreading going in to the office, suffering from insomnia and cannot unwind it may be worth making some changes, or chatting to someone who can provide guidance.
Exercise a few times a week is proven to significantly reduce cortisol, a stress hormone, linked to many physical and mental problems so it may be time to dust off the old trainers to tackle unhealthy pressure with a healthy dose of exercise. Similarly diet can play a leading role in detracting from stress. We’ll outline some simple top-tips to help you with healthy eating in the next section.
For more information on balancing your state click hereBalancing your Nutrition
Glycemic Index (GI) is an excellent point of departure for a look at nutrition. GI is the measure of how quickly a carbohydrate is broken down and releases energy into your body. Foods that are broken down rapidly (High GI) such as white bread, corn flakes, sugary foods and potatoes cause a spike and then drop in energy levels which can affect performance as well as mood negatively.
Alternatively foods such as nuts, eggs, meat, legumes, brown rice and most vegetables and fruits (excluding watermelon and potatoes) have a low GI and will give you a slow release of energy for a long period after you have eaten. When you eat foods with a low GI your moods are more constant and you reduces your chance of unhealthy weight-gain and heart disease. Where possible also try to avoid stimulants (coffee, energy drinks etc) which counter-intuitively take more energy than they give.
Try to eat a rainbow of food everyday.
A colourful spread of fruits, vegetables with a healthy intake of protein (eggs, nuts, cheese, soy, meat, fish etc) will improve your concentration and make sure your engine is running at peak performance. For more information on how we can help you and your staff balance your nutrition click here
Wrapping it up
Finding balance is a simple idea that we often converse about but can find hard to implement.A realistic and progressive action plan is often the best way to turn words to results. Being strict about preserving your health means that you are in a better position to further your career and take care of the people that matter in your work as well as personal life.
This programme is designed by you:unlimited for professionals who want to improve quality of life and simultaneously enhance their professional performance.
If you would like to talk in more detail about how we can help your organisation and staff find a healthy balance give us a ring on 020 7407 0044.
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