In challenging economic times businesses can benefit more than ever by investing in employee health and well-being. The health and well-being of people working within a business or organisation, at any level, directly affects its performance and inevitably the all important ‘bottom line’. We know that stressed employees are more likely to be inefficient, disengaged, absent, resign or subject to disciplinary measures. Their negativity can also impact on other members of staff. These factors add cost by way of sick pay, overtime, recruitment, training, poor accuracy, dismissal procedures and potential loss of clients. SME’S can be particularly badly affected as roles tend to be more defined with less scope to cope with unplanned absences.

It has to be said that not all stress is bad. A certain amount of stress is necessary to motivate us and too little stress can actually make us bored and disinterested. It is the difference between the stress that motivates and the stress which causes ineffectiveness or illness that needs to be addressed.

It can be forgotten that factors outside the workplace, such as money worries, employment or illness issues within the family can adversely affect a person’s performance at work and impact on even the best run businesses. As an employer or manager you may not be able to help directly, but it does pay to be aware of such a situation so as to be able to monitor that person and minimize risk to the business.

Stress related problems can have both physical and mental causes and equally can manifest themselves both physically and mentally; illness, aches and pains, RSI, tiredness right through to time off work with a note from the doctor saying ‘work related stress’.

In times when it can be difficult to justify ‘across the board’ salary increases measures directed at staff well-being can be doubly beneficial. You are not only showing that you care, but you are helping to retain key staff for the time when business picks up, as well as ticking a number of Health and Safety boxes.

Well the reason I was suprised is that I am not a regular user of this car park and hadn’t been there for at least 4 months yet the man remembered me.  Why?

Am I the most stunning looking women in Leeds?  – No
Have I some obvious disfigurement?    – No

He said ‘ I remember you because you always SMILE’.

I must admit it made me feel good to know that someone remembered me for being nice and what is more he reduced the parking charge because I was only 5 minutes over the change over time so I saved money too!  Another reason to SMILE

I know that at times there may not seem much to smile about but looking miserable will not make things any better either.  I am sure many of us have worked with a ‘Moaning Minnie’ who sees everything in a negative way. These people can very quickly lower the  morale of the workplace.

Someone with a cheery smile can lighten up a room, change the mood of others and make the whole place a much more pleasant environment to work in.

So get out there and SMILE – Hopefully people will smile back and we can all feel much better!

Companies who wish to show their staff that they are valued are looking to introduce ‘soft benefits’ which are not only appreciated by the employees but can offer substantial benefits to the business at a comparatively low cost.

Not all employees’ wish to take advantage of these ‘soft benefits’ but in many cases the fact that they are available means that they feel valued.

Companies who offer benefits to their employees often attract high calibre employees who are productive, motivated and loyal.

Soft benefits provided by companies include :-

• Workplace massage
• Health and Well-being sessions
• Gym membership
• Zumba classes
• Yoga
• Tai chi
• Giving employee a day off for their birthday

Keeping hydrated is very important for us all.

Two thirds of our body is made up of water and it is essential that we drink enough fluid to maintain a healthy balance.  We become dehydrated when we don’t drink enough fluid or we don’t replace lost fluid.  You can judge whether you’re drinking enough by the colour of your urine. If it’s a pale straw colour then your fluid intake is probably fine. If your urine is dark yellow, you probably need to drink more.

There is an increased risk of dehydration if you

• Have a high temperature
• Have had Diarrhoea/vomiting
• Taken part in strenuous physical activities
• Perspire excessively during hot weather

Some of the signs of dehydration are

• Feeling thirsty
• Dark urine
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Lack of concentration
• Dry/cracked lips
• Dry Skin
• Constipation

Dehydration can cause feelings of hunger so before reaching for a snack  have a glass of water/juice and you may find that its thirst rather than hunger .  Just think how many calories you may cut out!

The recommended daily  fluid intake for an adult is between two and three litres each day – 8 medium glasses. Most fluids, juice, tea, coffee and milk count  towards your daily intake although water is preferable. Spread your fluid intake out over the day – it has been know for people to drink the whole lot in one go!

Alcohol is not included and can in fact cause dehydration.  If you are out drinking try having a soft drink occasionally just to boost the hydration levels.  It can be very refreshing and also may help prevent a headache the following day!

The sessions take place in the classroom, are fully supervised, no clothes are removed and only the head, neck shoulders and arms are touched. The children featured seemed to really enjoy both giving and receiving the massage that is designed to relax and calm them after the lunch-break and allow them to focus on their afternoon lessons.

The mother who did not want her daughters involved says that it is ‘20 minutes of lost learning’ yet the head teacher comments that her other school which brought in the massage sessions 18 months ago had become the most improved school in Sheffield.   

If these sessions succeed in calming the children and enables them to learn more effectively then the time is certainly not wasted

As a Massage therapist for many years I have endured the ‘nudge nudge wink wink’ comments that go with the territory. This view is never going to go away when parents put into the minds of their children that this type of massage is sleazy and that any kind of physical contact is inappropriate.

Comments?

Take a lunch break – the days of the lunch hour are probably long gone for most people but do try whenever possible not to eat at your desk.  When eating at their desk people often continue working which means that they are not concentrating on their food so they tend to eat more than they need and can’t understand why they are gaining weight!
If possible try and take the opportunity to go for a short 5-10 minutes walk just to get a little fresh air to help refresh you for the afternoon.

At this time of year we tend to get so involved with preparing for Christmas and New Year that we  neglect ourselves and become stressed. Christmas shopping, attending school concerts, late nights at Christmas parties eating and drinking more than usual, trying to clear our desks so that we can put work behind us and focus on the holiday ahead. All this is in addition to our normal busy schedules.

When we get stressed or overdo things our immune system becomes compromised and our bodies find it more difficult to fight off the germs and viruses.  Whilst we are rushing around adrenalin keeps us going but as soon as we start relaxing we find that we fall foul of these germs and become ill. What we need to do is to just take a little time out to look after ourselves and hopefully  boost the body’s immune system inorder to keep illness at bay or at least enable us to fight it more effectively.

So in the build up to Christmas a few suggestions:-

Eat sensibly and at regular intervals – include some fruit and vegetables.

Get plenty of rest – If you are expecting to have lots of late nights go to bed earlier than usual on the nights you are not going out.

Keep Hydrated – Even if you are at a party  have a glass of water/soft drink occasionally. It can actually be quite refreshing!

Prioritise  – Whilst it would be great to clear your desk before Christmas  that may just  not be realistic.  Sort out what must be done, what would be good to get out of the way and what can wait.  Work in that order and you may find that by having a plan you achieve  far more than you thought.

Ask for help – whether at work or at home.  If you find that you just haven’t time to do everything ask someone to help out. People often don’t offer to help because they believe that you have everything under control and are concerned that you may be offended if they ask.

10 minute relaxation time!  A little  longer would be better but 10 minutes will help.
Lie down for 10 minutes relax your limbs, close your eyes, breathe calmly and try to clear your mind. You will be surprised at how effective this is.

Remember Christmas is for you to enjoy too so take action to give yourself a better chance of staying healthy this year!

Being dehydrated leads to poor concentration and fatigue. It can also make you feel hungry so before reaching for the chocolate bar or bag of crisps mid-morning/afternoon have a drink of water first – you may find that you were just thirsty and by not having the snack you are reducing your calorie intake.

Try to drink little and often throughout the day rather than all in one go as this reassures the body that there is a constant supply of water. If you don’t particularly like plain water just add a little juice or cordial.