(article contributed by Leanne Hammond, CPS Director)

I find it intriguing that people complain about having too little time, despite us having exactly the same number of hours in each week as each of the amazing people throughout the course of history -  Shakespeare, Einstein, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, and the list goes on...

Up until last year, I too was caught in the trap of thinking there were not enough hours in the day for me to accomplish all I wanted to accomplish. My focus was on my work, ofeten to the detriment of other aspects of my life. I more than often felt busy, stressed and overwhelmed, and without realising it I was starting to become ‘burnt out’.  In these states of mind, I found myself neglecting the needs of family members and loved ones because ‘I was too busy and just needed to get this job finished before I could relax or spend time with them’.

I was fortunate to have a sudden wake-up call last year. During the breakup of a long term relationship I was made to realise just how much I had compromised my relationship by choosing to devote all my passion, time and energy to building this business. I was made to realise that if I didn’t immediately start allocating my time and energy towards each of my deepest values and priorities in life I would be destined for a lack of true balance in life.

I have since totally transformed my daily way of life.  I have made a commitment to finish work at a sane hour each day in order to spend quality time playing tennis, golf and scrabble with my 'other half'.  I also now have my values and goals up on my wall as a daily reminder of my priorities. I begin each day by planning my ‘Big Rock Actions’.  These are the things that will propel me the most dramatically towards achieving my goals and/or living my values. I absolutely commit to completing my ‘Big Rock Actions’ before anything else, because I recognise that even if they are the only things I get done that day I will be significantly closer to my dreams. This habit alone has significantly reduced the amount of time I waste due to getting caught up in ‘the small stuff’ – the ‘stuff’ which inevitably comes up each day and can easily distract us from our intended direction. I would like to share the parable that inspired me to make these changes, and in turn to put an end to the stress in my life:

A Parable for Life
A wise teacher stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up an empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks – rocks about 2 inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the teacher then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The students laughed.  The teacher picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course , the sand filled up everything else. “Now,” said the teacher, “I want you to recognise that this is your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter - like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else – ‘the small stuff’. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.” Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to have a healthy lifestyle. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party. Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

I wish you all the best with setting and sticking by each of the 'big rocks' in your life first, and to enjoying the resulting balance, fulfilment and inner peace that this will bring to your life.  Enjoy the approach to Christmas and the holiday season, and we wish you and your family even greater health and happiness over this period.

Warm regards,

Leanne Hammond

CPS Director

Assess your current stressors and explore ways that you respond to them
•    Generate a list of current events that produce stress in your life
(i.e., moved house, work demands, balancing priorities, job promotion)
•    Brainstorm how you cope with stressful experiences. Assess if you have a healthy or unhealthy coping style.  For example:

Healthy Coping Styles             Unhealthy Coping Styles
exercise                           -        alcohol or drug use
down time for self             -        avoidance of event
balancing work and play    -        procrastination
initiate schedule                -        overeating

Relaxation Techniques
•    Recognize what activities you consider relaxing.
•    Be specific when exploring your options:
–going for walks
–meeting with friends
–reading for pleasure
–listening to music
–taking a bath
•    Be realistic about the amount of time that you can dedicate to "downtime".
•    This time should be incorporated into your daily routine.
•    Begin practicing relaxation techniques
–meditation
–guided imagery
–deep breathing exercises
–progressive relaxation (muscle relaxation)
•    Decide which relaxation technique works for you and practice daily.

Mastering Your Body
•    Along with improving your ability to relax, you must assess diet and other strains on your body
•    Aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety up to 50%
•    Good nutrition (a well balanced diet) will improve your ability to appropriately respond to stress
•    Get an adequate amount of rest each night
•    Reducing caffeine intake will help you manage your anxiety (2 ½ cups of coffee doubles the epinephrine level)
•    Smoking cessation is important, as nicotine is also a stimulant

Mastering Your Mind
•    If you have multiple stressors (deadlines, increased responsibilities), you must prioritise your time
•    Initiating a time management schedule remains a positive way to reduce stress and anxiety
•    Break large demands into small, manageable parts. Work through one task at a time
•    Do what needs to be done first, leaving other things for later
•    Identify your goals and work toward them
•    Take direct action when stress arises - identify your needs and articulate them; Be intentional about what you can do
•    Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings concerning the stressors in your life
•    Develop a support network to rely on in times of need
•    Remember to be kind to yourself and not constantly be thinking “I should be doing…”
 

Our 1-on-1 Optimal Health Program will enable you to finally make health a priority; to find time to enjoy exercising; and to develop new nutrition habits that dramatically boost your energy levels.  The program involves personal training (or couples training), balance/organising sessions and a nutrition plan developed especially for you.  To find out more, call (07) 3040 1883 or email info@completeperformancesolutions.co, with 'optimal health program' in the subject line.

Implementing inadequate, band-aid approaches to health is rife in the Australian corporate world, and is giving many companies a bad name in the eyes of staff and job seekers alike. These short-cuts may initially provide the illusion that the company cares, but staff eventually see through the facade. Too many companies become lured into the trap of implementing one-off initiatives as opposed to initiating the truly tailored, ongoing intervention programs that are needed to achieve sizeable returns on investment for both company and staff.  

To put it another way, you wouldn’t go to the pharmacy and ask for iron supplements just because you’d heard a friend was taking them. You’d first investigate why they were taking them, whether you had the same needs, and whether the investment would reap worthwhile benefits for you.

However, many companies fail to do any of that research. They fail to get their staff involved in the decision making process. It’s crucial to ask for your staff’s input on what they need in terms of work-life balance and wellness, and to then specifically address their greatest needs. The companies with whom I work find that they can achieve much improved staff morale through tailored, staff-centred programs. By obtaining ‘buy-in’ from staff, it significantly increases the likelihood that the program’s full potential is achieved.

The central point to remember here is that staff will choose an employer primarily on the company’s environment, culture and ability to support their lifestyle. Time and time again, studies reveal these things to be more important than salary. With this in mind, the following strategies are recommended for creating a culture that will effectively attract and retain quality staff:

•    Invest in a year-round, tailored corporate wellness program involving regular initiatives and personalised follow-ups for each staff member.  Take care of your team’s health and wellbeing, and in turn they will deliver greater productivity and loyalty than ever before

•    Provide flexibility in the workplace. Flexible working hours are a simple benefit companies can provide that will greatly improve workplace satisfaction for parents, carers, students and pre-retirees on the team.  Flexible hours may be all that’s needed to turn a disgruntled, unfocussed employee into a dedicated, passionate asset for your company

•    When recruiting new staff, under promise and over deliver. Always go the extra mile to make your staff feel truly appreciated and valued.  Recognising your staff doesn’t need to be time consuming or expensive -  often a simple “thank you” in person, a Friday afternoon early mark or a certificate of recognition is enough to create a powerful and lasting impact

Our Corporate Wellness Specialists are guaranteed to increase your 'Employer of Choice' status within 12 weeks.  We will assess your company's current status and help you identify the specific strategies that will create the greatest outcomes for your company.  We will then tailor and deliver a stragegy specifically designed for your company, and assist you to achieve the greatest possible buy-in from your staff. 

To find out more about the 12-Week Challenge, call us today on (07) 3040 1883 or email info@completeperformancesolutions with '12-week challenge' in the subject line.