Get a healthy mind, body and life
Can you believe it? Time is flying. A number of my clients and friends vowed to make changes to their lifestyle at the beginning of the year. It’s now June and where are they with living a healthier and active life?
This week, I spoke at the 20th Compensation & Benefits Forum where you could see a clear trend of companies emphasising wellbeing initiatives and supporting their employees with their wellbeing goals. It was fantastic to hear companies are being more concerned about their employees’ wellbeing. What small and lasting changes can you make to your wellbeing? Here are some of the trends and tips:
The IT company Cisco has partnered up with fitness expert Jessie Pavelka to create a 4-fold programme: Eat, sweat, think and connect are the pillars for employees making changes in their diet, physical activity, mind power and family/relationships. These areas had been identified as leading to a healthy mind, healthy body and healthy life! Cisco didn’t stop here and also installed sleeping cots (love this!) and revamped their cafeteria to support employees while at work.
Stress management is being recognised as the number 1 health issue in the world according to Willis Towers Watson. In the GCC, 33% of employees are experiencing stress due to unclear job expectations. If you are one of them, ask your boss or your HR team for your job description. The job description outlines the tasks, skills, knowledge and behaviours. Go through the document and discuss any unclear areas with your boss. Also, check your goals for the year. Do you understand all of them? If no, speak with your manager and request clarification. If there are any areas where you’ll require training, mention them to your boss and your HR team. If your company may not be able to send you on a formal training course, how else can you gain these skills and knowledge? Think outside the box like webinars, industry-specific journals, shadowing colleagues and so on.
Health and productivity are interlinked and are now a global priority. Healthy food choices can increase your energy levels and give you more focus at work. To lower cholesterol and to prevent diabetes, make some healthy food swaps. Instead of white bread, have some whole wheat or whole grain breads (the darker the bread, the better). You can make the same move for pasta (use whole wheat pasta) and rice (use brown or wild rice). Snack on fruits and vegetables (mini carrots anyone?) instead of crisps or biscuits. Have a meat-free day per week and consume more steamed, baked or grilled fish. Reduce your soda intake, especially as Ramadan is approaching, and limit your saturated fat and sugar.
Back-pain issues can be a true pain! These days, we’re sitting too much and most of us aren’t doing enough to strengthen our core muscles. Specific exercises can be done with your personal trainer in the gym or you can do these exercises at home. While at work, get moving! Your eyes will need a break from the screen and your mind needs a rest, too. Leave your desk for a short walk around the office every hour. Get a cup of tea and return refreshed. After lunch, stretch your leg by walking for 15 minutes. It’s been shown that walks after eating are also helping your digestion and can lower your triglycerides.
Make time to also strengthen your mind. With all that’s going on, most of us being pulled into so many different directions in one day, we need to find peace of mind. Special activities like yoga and meditation can actually increase our mental strength and help us handle the daily stresses. A 10-minute meditation can prepare you for your day ahead. Reviewing our lifestyle against our core beliefs and transforming negative views into positive ones can also strengthen our mind and increase our mental wellbeing.
I’ve learnt that, for me, my body requires exercise, no matter how much I love my couch (and I love my couch very much!). Working out pushing my body and my mind as I’m stronger than I think. Making this date with myself gives me more energy for the day, better sleep at night and combined with more vegetables in my diet, positively impacted my overall wellbeing.
How do you create your wellbeing? What activities do you enjoy and can recommend to others in the Organised Life and Mind community? Share them in the comment box below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Until next time,
Agni