Podcasts about stress out

Listen to today's podcast... When you expect success, you become successful! But it is not just a matter of thinking good thoughts and good things will happen. Positive and successful people expect success and they look for ways to bring success into their life. Research shows that high expectations lead people to work harder and commit to problem solving the challenges ahead of them.  Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Building Resiliency and Celebrating International Expect Success Month: People who want to change their mental mindset: Accept that life will have setbacks and disappointments and they don't let the fear of failure cloud their judgment or allow them to aim too low They build their resiliency by seeing the setback as only temporary. They don't quit trying just because there was a set back. And finally, they wake up every morning and expect positive things to happen. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... On one particular visit home, I learned that my grandma didn't learn English until she went to public school. Up till then, she spoke German. I had no idea that my maternal grandma came from a German background. I had just assumed that she was English, like my grandpa. Understanding our heritage is important. I grew up in a farming family. This meant that the ‘farm' came first and that everyone in that family was responsible to make the farm successful.  Families helped each other, as more often than not, we were related to our neighbours in some way, and that conflict was put aside to get things done.  Happy or not. I see a lot of conflict that happens on family farms when someone new comes into the farm family that doesn't share those same values to the extent that the rest of the family does.  These values are neither right or wrong, but unless the differences and expectations are talked about, openly and respectfully, the conflict festers and grows. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So Here are today's Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Heritage Day: Whether you like it or not, heritage is what makes you who you are. Things like values, culture, food, and traditions are all past down. Your heritage is the foundation on which you stand.  It is the very thing that has gotten you to where you are now. Honor your past by the way you carry yourself in the present. Share your heritage with your children to create a solid foundation for them. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency' Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... One of the most important places for your signature is on your Donor Card. It can impact so many people. That signature can save lives. Today we thank those individuals who already voluntarily donated their blood, organs and tissue to save someone else's life or to improve the quality of their life.   With our lives being so busy it is easy to forget to do this simple little act of kindness. But this little act can mean the difference between life and death. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Donor Day: If you are okay with donating, take the opportunity today, to sign your card. Someone may be counting on you. Discuss this decision with your family. Sometimes starting the conversation can be difficult. Making the decision for yourself in advance makes it easier for your family to cope during a very difficult time. If you are not sure about your family member's wishes, #StarttheConversation. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Last week we celebrated Have Fun At Work Day and today is Working Naked Day. Well…I guess this is one way to have more fun at work. I think that working naked is more for those of us who work alone and at home…with no chance of a customer dropping in. In fact, a recent study found that 1 in 8 male teleworkers and 1 in 14 female teleworkers actually work naked. Some suggest that working naked, means that you work alone, without the support of a corporate group around you. If this is the case, I guess I do work naked. Being in business for yourself means that you have to push your limits, test new waters and find new paths. Without supporters around you, you can feel exposed and vulnerable. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Working Naked Day: If you are literally going to work naked today, it is best to ensure that no one else is around. It is very difficult to use the celebration as a line of defense with your boss. If you are an entrepreneur, working alone, celebrate that you have courage. Though many wish to work for themselves, it takes true courage to actually go out on your own and sink or swim on your own merits. Minimize your exposure. Surround yourself with those who will cheer you on, give you honest feedback, pick you up, dust you off and send you back out. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Have you met any S.O.B's lately?  I mean the good kind.  The feisty, spirited ones kindly referred to as, Spunky Old Broads. These are the ladies who live life to the fullest, regardless of their circumstances.  They have learned to push forward, find humour and share their spirit with those around them. I've been fortunate to meet some very Spunky ladies – Liked my mom's cousin Linda, who makes me laugh every time I see her, Virginia who ran her first marathon at the age of 50 and who shared her message of hope with those who were also dealing with severe depression, and Shelle who travels the world for business and still takes the time to make me laugh and be my mentor. SOB Month celebrates all women over 50, who believe it is never too late to live your dream, be who you want to be, and create and do whatever you want to do. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Spunky Old Broads Month: I want to be a spunky old broad.  I'm not there yet.  For me, I take things way too seriously and I fret about the little things.  But I believe that it is never too late to learn something new, try something different and strive for all that life has to offer.  So I am going to remind myself to let go and laugh a little more and maybe one day I will be known as a SOB. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Hi Friend!In this episode I'm sharing a brief update on the podcast, and also 5 one-minute resets for you to use when stress gets high during your days. We're in season 8 of the Planners on Purpose Podcast, and I can't be more excited to share with you as we move into this season. To make sure you get notified of any new episodes, be sure to follow or subscribe!Are you ready?Next Steps:Consider Scheduling a Purpose CallListen to Related Episodes:164 - Event Planners, Give Yourself Permission to Do Something Different158 - Take the Stress Out of Your Goal SettingRead the BlogStaying Focused on Your Goals While Planning EventsHow to Hold Yourself Accountable to Complete Your GoalsSupport the showShare today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

Listen to today's podcast... “Blessed is the person who can have fun while being productive.” Really, isn't that what it is all about. Enjoying what you do. Some people have fun actually doing their jobs. They get a kick out of creating or solving. Some people create fun while they are doing their job by connecting with the people that they work with. Our research shows that those who have fun at work are more engaged, more productive and are healthier. It is in a company's best interest then to build more fun into the workplace. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So here are Today's Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Fun At Work Day: Create a special theme for the day – decorate, dress up Bring food to share – tie it to your theme Share the jokes of the day – or list the best excuses for the day Set up team challenges Any job can be transformed. It is how you look at it and the fun that you build around it. According to one philosopher, the supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Author CW Metcalfe, writes that Humour can help you thrive in change, remain creative under pressure, work more effectively, play more enthusiastically, and stay healthier in the process. It has been shown that a big old belly laugh, reduces physical and emotional tension for as long as 45 minutes. The heartier, the more relaxing it is and the longer the positive effect. A good belly laugh can stimulate your internal organs, increase your circulation, raise the level of oxygen in the blood and boost the immune system. A group of researchers found that laughing boisterously 100 times a day will give you the same impact as 10 minutes of rowing or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Studies show that those who are able to laugh at work are more productive and less distracted than their humourless counterparts. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So here are Today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Belly Laugh Day: Find funny friends and co-workers who can make you laugh. Develop a Humour First-Aid Kit and fill it with your favourite jokes, clippings, and stories Watch funny TV programs, movies and videos Being able to laugh about our situation and ourselves helps us to release the tension, regain our perspective, accept that which we cannot change and experience joy. Not only that, but, it also gives us the physical energy and mental resilience needed to survive. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... We would all love a magic lamp or a fairy godmother to make our dreams come true.  But in their absence, it is up to us to make our dreams come true.  This requires effort on our part.  Not just wishful thinking, but hard work and intention. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Make Your Dreams Come True Day: Create your dream list.  Write it down.  Put it into pictures.  Make a Dream Board.  This makes it real and more likely to come true than if your dreams stay locked up inside your head. Decide what steps or actions you need to take to make these dreams come true.  Watch out for negative self-talk, and fears that can sabotage you before you even start.  Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, recording her patient's epiphanies.  Here were the top five wishes of those patients: The wish that they had the courage to live a life true to them self, not the life others expected of them. The wish that they had not worked so hard. The wish that they had the courage to express their feelings. The wish that they had stayed in touch with their friends. The wish that they had let them self be happier.  So what are YOU going to do TODAY to move closer to making your dreams a reality? Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Everyone hates change. So many people I know believe that this statement is true.  However, the truth be known, people don't really hate change, they may just dislike the process of changing.  I know that people will only change when the behaviours that they have been using stops getting them the results that they want.  With the start of the new year, many of us have taken the time to reflect on the past year's events or our life.  We may have set some goals for the upcoming year based on these reflections.  When we set our goals for the future and aim to be more on purpose with who we want to be, we need to see and feel the past as uncomfortable and realize that life requires change. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Living On Purpose Month: Know Your Why. To reach your goals, you need to identify the reason for the change in the first place. Sometimes it helps to write this ‘why' down and keep it available, because sometimes when we are in the midst of moving forward and the path becomes difficult, we may forget the reason for the change and give up on it, before we get through it. Remember that change is not bad, and we don't need to hate it. Whether the change you are making is a New Year's Resolution or a life change to live more on purpose, always be kind to yourself. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Having trouble returning to work on Mondays? Feel like you never really left? Struggling with the blahs'? Studies show that happiness at work may be the most important success factor for a modern workplace and that happy companies make more money! Your happiness at work is your responsibility. Not your boss's, not your co-workers' and not society's. It's Yours. However, if you are a boss or leader it is your responsibility to set a culture where it's easy to be happy at work. Happiness at work doesn't only come from the policies, strategies, plans or values. It comes from being able to do great work with great people. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Thank God It's Monday: Decide to say, “Thank God it's Monday”. Make sure that you set the intention to be grateful for the fact that you have a job and grateful for the fact that you get to demonstrate your talents to the world through your work. Smile – it is contagious. Just as negativity is contagious, so is being optimistic, fun and happy. How you show up in life and at work, matters! If you are just going through the motions, you will be shortchanging yourself and depleting your happiness. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Humour can help you thrive in change, remain creative under pressure, work more effectively, play more enthusiastically, and stay healthier in the process. Humour is an attitude focused on generating positive feelings in yourself and for others. It is an active state and a choice that we make. One other advantage of maintaining a sense of humour and being able to freely laugh is that it provides us with a powerful sense of perspective and ability to build relationships with those around us. Humour and creativity originate from a lively imagination and the ability to recognize and to appreciate the incongruities of life. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Tips For Building Your Resiliency and Celebrating Some Day We'll Laugh About This Week: Our ability to look at the funny side of life can be developed with practice. Post a ‘Murphy's Law of our Workplace' Develop a Humour First-Aid Kit and fill it with your favourite jokes, clippings, and stories Make up a humourous response to ‘How are you doing'' Being able to laugh about our situation and ourselves helps us to release the tension, regain our perspective, accept that which we cannot change and experience joy. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... It is almost the last day of the year. This is the day that many news programs offer up a year in review. What happened that was newsworthy? Good, Bad and even the Ugly. This is a good time of year to do the same for our own personal life. What was great? What successes did you achieve? What challenges did you face? What didn't go the way you would have liked. What lessons did you learn? All of these questions can help you to put life in perspective and help you to recognize the skills that you have developed that have aided you along the way. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating the New Year ahead: Reviewing Your Life Allows You to Know Where You Are. If you don't want to live this upcoming year exactly the same as your last year, you need to take stock of all that has happened. It is only when you stop and reflect, that you are able to find out, if what you do, is getting you the results you want. Ask yourself the question, What Am I Working Towards?  If you are serious about living your ideal lifestyle, you must take stock of where you are and where you would like to be. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Are you overworked, over-scheduled and just plain stressed out? There is a quote that says, “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you don't let other people spend it for you.” Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating It's About Time Week: Schedule downtime. At least once during the day, you should allow yourself the luxury of having a period of time to decompress. The simplest and easiest strategy to use is deep breathing. It can be done by anyone, anywhere and in any circumstance. Create off-work zones. Determine what times during the day are off-limits for working, including no e-mail, or text messages. By defining these zones such as at meal-time, bed-time and days off, we are creating the space for rejuvenation and connection. Learn to say no. Say no to things that are outside of your priority. Say no to working late, especially if it is self-imposed. Say no to extra activities if you are feeling stretched to thin. Saying no now, does not mean that it will be a no forever. When you feel like it is a priority and you have the time to dedicate to the activity without compromising yourself, then it is okay to say yes. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Have you ever gone caroling? We used to when I was in public school. We would go to the nursing homes and entertain the elderly residents there. I probably didn't appreciate it as much as I would today. Christmas caroling is believed to have originated by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223. Though caroling has slipped by the wayside, I still love watching the old Christmas movies that depicted the carollers dressed up going from door to door singing the old favourites. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Go Caroling Day: While you might prefer to stay indoors with your eggnog, Christmas cookies, cozy blanket, the point of Go Caroling Day is to get out and share the spirit of the season, however, you celebrate it, with everyone. And a quote from a favourite Christmas movie character, Buddy the Elf says that “The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.” Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Thank you! Good work, as always. Thanks for getting this done. You are a lifesaver. Thanks for your help today. One step to emotional wellness is being able to learn to give to others. Recognize and tell someone that they are doing a good job. Research says that you will be boosting their health and yours. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Tell Someone They Are Doing A Good Job Week: Don't forget that your people want to do well. Before getting frustrated with someone remind yourself of that, and then decide how to provide constructive feedback. When someone does something well, tell them that you notice. As a leader, it is easy to forget to mention it. Most leaders wait until something goes wrong before they even think about giving employee feedback. And then it's only negative. Block out some time during the week to reflect on positive contributions your team has made over the week However, don't overdo it. If you are sending people emails every day then your positive feedback becomes diluted and meaningless. Finally, don't use phrases like "great job" or "nice work" as these are so vague as to be virtually useless. Use the opportunity to teach which of their terrific behaviours you would like to see repeated in the future. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... This day is a day of encouragement and inspiration. National Wear Your Pearls Day was created by best-selling author and motivational speaker DeAnna Bookert to celebrate life after she emerged from a deep depression. She said, “I wear pearls as a reminder that I have purpose and value,”. We are reminded that one irritating grain of sand can cause an iridescent pearl to form.  National Wear Your Pearls Day reminds us that when life throws dirt our way, we can take that dirt build on it and turn it into something meaningful and precious. Pearls symbolize wisdom acquired through experience and represent new beginnings. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Wear Your Pearls Day: Embrace the beauty of your life, a beauty that is often formed through hardships and trials. And when life throws dirt your way, put on your pearls. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Are The Holidays A Stressful Time In Your Household? Are you ready for the holidays? This is the questions that you hear daily at the grocery store, the post office and in line at the bank? Some people ask because they want to feel like they are not the only ones struggling to get things done before the big day. Others ask because they are concerned about us as we may look a little haggard. Others may just want to gloat about they had in all done in July Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are my tips for building your resiliency and avoiding that stressed-out feeling this holiday season while we Celebrate Stress Free Holiday Preparation Week: Like many we tend to let our expectations, poor planning, and over-indulgence get in the way of truly enjoying and de-stressing during our ‘down-time'. The key to success in avoiding the ‘festive fizzle' is to recognize those activities that energize, motivate, and please us, and to delete or change those activities that irritate, disappoint, and anger us. Get back to basics and simplify to meet these priorities. Stop often and be in the moment. Far too often the holidays come and go and we missed experiencing the joy, connection, and spirit of the season. If you like today's resiliency tips, let me know. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... It is something that we all know that we should do. But often, it is not until something goes wrong or we've had a close call that we actually do it. What is it? Backing up our computer files and taking care of our computer. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Today's Tips For Building Resilience and Celebrating Computer Security Day: Change your passwords. Update your anti-virus program. Check for computer viruses. Back-up your data. (after being certain that it is virus-free.) Store back-up data off site. Delete unneeded files. Install and inspect power surge protection as appropriate. Install fire/smoke detection equipment in computer areas. Don't drink in your computer area. Our computers have become one of our most valuable possessions. Not because of their purchase price, but because of all the important and often critical data that they contain. Mark off dates on your calendar to remind you to do the most important security work that you can do. Protect your computer. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... It is easy just to plunk on the couch and watch TV. Especially when you have been overwhelmed by deadlines, projects and family responsibilities. But this does little to build our family bonds.  So what can? Researchers have studied the impact that gaming can have on cognitive abilities, interpersonal relationships and stress levels. The results are overwhelmingly positive: Games strengthen connections in the brain as well as improve connections among friends and family! Kids and adults who play games experience spikes in creative thinking. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here Are Today's Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating National Game And Puzzle Week Dust off your old games and puzzles Challenge your family members to a tournament and create some lasting memories filled with time talking, laughing, and playing together No family around. No worries, invite your friends and host a game night Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... I belong to the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. As one of our chapter presidents, it was obvious that we were not the association of professional listeners. It took forever to get everyone focused to begin our events, as the chatter was so extensive. Listening can be hard for us to do. It is an investment that sometimes we are not willing to make and because of this, we may miss out on hearing the other person's story. Originally this week was initiated to encourage people to interview a loved one, friend, or member of your community and to share this story with others. The feeling was that every story matters, and they need to be shared Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here Are Today's Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating Better Conversations Week: Ask people about their journey and experiences and really listen in Interview a friend or family member. Record the interview and then share it with others. By really listening to these stories, you will be conveying that they matter. This may be the most meaningful time you spend with someone all year. If you like today's resiliency tips, let me know. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... “Hold On, It's Going To Be Okay” This saying is part of my family story, along with how my parent's set up their farm, the struggles that they had, where my grandparents went dancing on the weekends and how they walked up hill both ways to get to school, through 10 foot drifts of snow, even in the spring. Family stories shape who we are. They directly impact how we see ourselves, our desire to succeed, and even our level of resiliency. Family stories give us an idea of where we come from and how we fit into our larger, extended, family. Research shows that teens who were able to recount details of their family stories had higher self-esteem and greater resilience than those who couldn't. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So Here Are Today's Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating Family Stories Matter Month: If you have elderly relatives, ask them about their stories. Record them. Share them. Ask about the traditions. Ask about the hardships and the triumphs. Stories of perseverance and resilience give us the faith and hope that we can too. Stories of different generations provide insight and understanding. They provoke curiosity to learn more. Take the time during family gatherings to ask your children about their stories. You may be surprised at what you may not know about them and their story. Finally, write your own story. Some of it is painful. Some brings a smile. Share these so that others can see your story in building their resiliency. If you like today's resiliency tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr #family

Listen to today's podcast... Is Your Stuff Starting To Take Over? I have a lot of stuff!  I use some stuff regularly, some is more seasonal.  There's also stuff that hardly sees the light of day and other stuff, is just stuff taking up space. Now is a good time to look and see how you can use less stuff or get rid of the stuff that you have.  Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here Are Today's Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating Use Less Stuff Day: As you are preparing to clean and decorate your home for the holidays, take a few extra moments to evaluate whether or not you need the stuff that you are organizing or cleaning around. Get rid of items that are useful, but you have too many of. As we cleaned out grandma's house when she moved into a nursing home, it amazed me how much stuff we really do accumulate over the years. She had piles of bowls, though I could only remember her using one or two favourites. There were things that she had received as gifts that she was waiting for the right occasion to use…in 91 years, I guess that the right occasion never came around. Use Less Stuff Day is an awareness day to take stock and make choices about the stuff that we gather, organize and clean around. It is the day to ask if our stuff is taking over our lives.  Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Everyone Has Bad Days! We all have a day that is off, but sometimes we feel pressure to pretend that all is good and that we are happy. Have A Bad Day is permission to actually have a bad day or to take a mental health day. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So Here Are Today's Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating Have A Bad Day: Know that there are friends out there to support you through it.  Let them know that you could use a pick-me-up. Don't try to suppress those negative emotions.  Recognize them for what they are.  Feel them and then move yourself through the situation. Know that tomorrow will be different.  It may not be better.  It may be worse.  But it will be different. Just because today was horrible, doesn't mean tomorrow will be. Your goal on these days is just to survive the day and minimize the long-term damage.  Remember those times that were good so that you don't get so tainted by the bad day.  Try a do-over.  Sometimes going back to bed and starting the day over can be just the cure that you need! Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... I love de-junking. There is nothing better than getting rid of clutter and unused items. It changes my perspective. It helps me to think more clearly. I feel free. Every couple of years I attack my closets. I get rid of the clothes that I no longer like, are worn out or have ‘magically shrunk'. I often look at the bags of clothes in front of me and think, “What a waste”. However, it is not a waste. In most cases, these clothes have seen their share of special occasions, lounging days or workplace meetings. It is not a waste, because these clothes are donated to others who will continue to appreciate their beauty or their warmth. I live where there is truly a winter. It takes a lot of money to stay warm and healthy in this bitter weather. Some can barely make ends meet and the clothes that we donate help them to survive. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here Are Today's Hot Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating The Great Warm Up De-Junk and Simplify. The Great Warm Up is a call for everyone to look into their closets and pare them down. Donations of coats, hats, scarves, mittens and boots are desperately needed, as are blankets and sleeping bags. Donate to agencies, like the Canadian Mental Health Association in Toronto, that purchase hats, scarves and mittens and deliver them to the homeless and those with mental health issues at Christmas time. Think twice before buying something new. Is it a need or a want'? Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... “We love coming to your class. You are such a great role model for our kids.” That blew me away. I didn't really think of myself as a role model. I am just the karate Sensei at the front of the room. But I guess I am a role model. I let the kids know how tough it is for me to go to a tournament and compete. And how nervous I get before and during my grading. I let them know that they can do all of these things too, even in they are afraid, and that I believe in them. I hope that I can inspire them to believe in themselves. To move beyond fear. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So Here Are Today's Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating National Inspirational Role Models Month: I hope that everyone has someone that inspires them to become the person they want to be. If you haven't found that person yet, look around. They may be a historic figure, an ancestor, a close family member, a friend, or colleague. Strive to be a role model to others. I have some great role models – some are my best girl friends. And I have been fortunate to have great colleagues who I look up to in the way that they innovate, persevere, and reach for success. I am fortunate to have had people who have encouraged me to reach further then I thought capable. I continue to learn from my husband in the way that he problem solves life's challenges. Think of the people who you most wish to emulate. If they are still with you, give them a phone call or thank them in person. If they are not here, tell someone about them and keep their legacy alive. If you like today's resiliency tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Welcome to episode 329 of The Cloud Pod, where the forecast is always cloudy (and if you're in California, rainy too!) Justin and Matt have taken a break from Ark building activities to bring you this week's episode, packed with all the latest in cloud and AI news, including undersea cables (our favorite!) FinOps, Ignite predictions, and so much more! Grab your umbrellas and let's get started!  Titles we almost went with this week Fastnet and Furious: AWS Lays 320 Terabits of Cable Across the Atlantic No More kubectl apply –pray: AWS Backup Takes the Stress Out of EKS Recovery AWS Gets Swift with Lambda: No Taylor Version Required Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Microsoft Splits Teams from Office FinOps and Behold: Google Automates Your Cloud Budget Nightmares AMD Turin Around GCP’s Price-Performance with N4D VMs Azure Gets Territorial: Your Data Stays Put Whether It Likes It or Not AWS Finally Answers “Is It Available in My Region?” Before You Build It  Getting to the Bare Metal of Things: Google’s Axion Goes Commando Azure Ultra Disk Gets Ultra Serious About Latency Container Size Matters: Azure Expands ACI to 240 GB Memory  Google Containerises Chaos: Agent Sandbox Keeps Your AI from Going Rogue AWS Prints Money While Amazon Prints Pink Slips: Q3 Earnings Beat Follow Up  02:08 Microsoft sidesteps hefty EU fine with Teams unbundling deal Microsoft avoids a potentially substantial EU antitrust fine by agreeing to unbundle Teams from the Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites for a period of seven years.  The settlement follows a 2023 complaint from Salesforce-owned Slack alleging anticompetitive bundling practices that harmed rival collaboration tools. The commitments require Microsoft to offer Office and

Listen to today's podcast... Have you ever looked through old pictures and ever wondered whatever happened to some of the people that you were friends with or met along the way? Have you tried to find out where they are or what they are up to on social media? I have. I have looked up long lost roommates, classmates, old boyfriends, teachers, and even old bosses. Sometimes out of nostalgia. Sometimes out of curiosity. Sometimes out of a desire to reconnect. Forget Me Not Day is a day to try and reconnect with some of the people that you may not be in touch with anymore. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are my tips for Building Resiliency and Celebrating Forget Me Not Day: Social connection is important, but before I would spend a lot of time and energy on finding those from your past, ask yourself if you are doing a good job of staying connected and supporting those who are your current friends, colleagues, and family members. Research shows that doubling your group of friends has the same impact on your well-being as a 50% increase in income, we only have so much time and energy to spend on cultivating true, healthy relationships. So use your time and energy wisely. If you do have a desire to reconnect, ask yourself why. Is it because of curiosity, guilt, or an interest to start up a new relationship? The answer will also help you decide if you should reach out or invest the time and energy. Social connections and support are key to building resiliency and we know that we are forming fewer friendships than in the past. As life gets busier, we often find that we barely have enough time for ourselves, let alone staying connected with others. Developing and maintaining positive friendships takes effort. Friendships take time to grow, to build trust and to share common experiences. Today is a great day to reach out and let your friends know that you are thinking of them. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Some days I am so tired that I can't think straight or even focus my eyes. This is an awful feeling, especially if this fatigue hits while I am driving. Has this ever happened to you? Over 60% of adults say they have driven drowsy in the past year. And 4% have had an accident or near accident because they were too tired, or they actually dozed off while driving. Drowsy Driving kills Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here Are Today's Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week: Know that even one night of sleep loss or poor sleep can put you at risk of drowsy driving. But certain people have a higher risk of drowsy driving than others. So be aware if you have a sleep disorder, work shifts or are taking medications as these can increase your risk for drowsy driving. Rolling down the windows or turning up the volume on the radio will do little to increase your alertness while driving. So try to get a full night of seven to eight hours of sleep before driving. Avoid driving late at night or alone. And if you need to pull over at a rest stop and take a nap. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency' Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Our minds can not operate on ‘full throttle' all day long. Focus meditation helps to clear the mind of racing, cluttered thoughts by focusing our energies on a particular image or thought. Gradually distracting thoughts will decrease during meditation. This strategy helps to restore mental balance by providing a break in our hectic day. By allowing our mind to slow down it is better able to focus when we return to the task at hand. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Stress Awareness Day: All that is needed is a quiet environment, a comfortable position, a mental image or positive thought in which to focus on, and an attitude that will permit relaxation to happen. Meditating or focusing on music or a relaxing video can give the mind a needed break from stressful events such as conflict, problem-solving, and high energy output. Guided imagery is a visualization technique, that goes one step further than mediation, by actually engaging the senses within the body to deliver a variety of messages. It can be used to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, reduce muscle tension, and increase energy. Your body responds to these positive images in the same way it would, if the image was ‘real'. There is no way we can not get rid of all of our stress, nor do we want to. What we want to do is to reduce our negative reactions to stress so that we don't become sick, worn down, and worn out. Start by adding one relaxation technique to your daily checklist of things to do. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Why is common sense not so common? Common sense is one of the most revered qualities in the workplace. People with common sense are seen as reasonable, down-to-earth, reliable, and practical but here's the catch. Common sense is neither common nor sense. If common sense was common, then most people wouldn't make the kinds of decisions they do. Every day people wouldn't buy stuff they couldn't afford. They wouldn't smoke cigarettes or eat junk food. They wouldn't gamble. In other words people wouldn't do a multitude of things that are clearly not good for them. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency So Here Are My Tips For Building Resiliency In Celebrating Use Your Common-Sense Day: Trusting in common sense can cause us to make poor rather than sound judgments. Gather the facts. Look at past experience and talk to others before making decisions which could have dire consequences. Keep an open mind to all the possibilities, rather than just confirming the solution that you want to see. And finally, while we often think with our emotions, this can lead to negative outcomes. There are times when it's better to think with our analytic brain instead of our heart. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Do you believe in magic? Did you know that there is a magic spell that can relieve your stress? It goes like this: Magic moon burning bright, Let thy will be done tonight. Answer now my earnest spell. Let things with Beverly all be well. Not sure about the spell? Not sure you believe in magic, but wishing that you could let magic relieve your stress? Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Try These Tips For Building Your Resiliency And Celebrating International Magic Week: Fun is a stress reliever, as is laughing, and sharing with others. So go and see a magic show and let the magic take you away. Learn a magic trick and amaze your co-workers. Fun things added into your workday can increase productivity and creativity. And finally, one of my most loved stress relievers is my magic bag. It has nothing to do with magic other than the way the heat warms me up and relaxes me completely. Remember those who don't believe in magic will never find it. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Do you have those days when you are more prickly than others or feel that you woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Sometimes we have these types of days when everything seems to just go wrong. We couldn't find our keys. We had a battle with our teenager. We got stuck in traffic or we're getting a cold. Today is the day to celebrate being cranky. To celebrate the crankiness in us all. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So Here Are My Tips For Being Cranky On Cranky Co-Worker Day: Don't hold the door open for anyone. Slam your office door. Don't say goodbye when you hang up the phone. Growl at anyone who seems perky. Say it can't be done to any suggestion that is made. Complain about the rain, snow, wind, sunshine, heat, blue sky, and wear really tight underwear, or at least the kind that seemed to want to climb up higher and higher. And finally, if these just don't sound right, smile and ignore the crankiness in someone else and maybe offer them a simple act of kindness. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Do you think the people have always been this stressed? I'm often asked if we have more or less stress than we did a hundred or two hundred years ago. Our lives are stressful today, but they were way back then as well. One of the things that helped people to cope was a sense of support. Back then we lived in smaller communities, had families around us, and we knew our neighbors. Today we live in large communities, our families may live hours or continents away, and we have no idea who lives around us. Our support circles have grown smaller and smaller. Let's talk month embraces sharing your stories and asking for help as ways of gaining and giving support. It is one of the three main strategies in positive stress management. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here Are My Hot Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Let's Talk Month: Learn to share your thoughts and feelings, your successes, and your challenges. Learn to listen to other's thoughts and feelings, successes, and challenges. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Do you have balance in your life? Have you ever had balanced? What does balance mean to you? Without taking the times to evaluate how things really are, it's nearly impossible to make the changes you need to make in order to create the life you wish to lead. Evaluate your life day is an opportunity to sit down and review. It is a time to pause and reflect. In my workshops, I help people look at what they're spending their time and energy on and then we discuss how they would like their life to be. It's not easy and often messy. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      So Today's Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating Evaluate Your Life Day: First, it's easy to wish that things were different, but to be different, we must evaluate first. This takes effort. So sit down and make notes. Understand your priorities, then make active decisions to make these things a priority. This isn't about wishing. It's about doing. Looking from more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... True friends are precious, but often we take them for granted. The saying goes that you can't have too many friends. I disagree. Trying to balance too many friendships, plus a lack of time, equals more stress. Friendships can protect your health, so it's important to take the time and make the effort to hold on to the friendships that mean the most to us. We need to let them know how much they matter to us. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here Are My Tips For Building Resiliency And Celebrating You Matter To Me Day: First take stock of friends that you currently have. Do you have too few? Just enough? Or too many to currently maintain? Let your friends know how much they mean to you. Plan to get together. Pick up the phone. Invest some time and effort into those friendships that you want to hang on to. Over the years, I've had many friendships that have endured the test of time. It takes a great deal of effort for us to get together, but when we do, the energy that I gain from those connections is invaluable. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called, Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In. #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Good neighbours help each other. You can't pick your neighbors but if you are lucky, you have good neighbours. I live in the country and I don't really have close neighbours, but I do wave to them, as we drive by. And when my boys were little, it was the neighbourhood teenagers that I counted on for babysitting. Neighbours who look out for one another are the key to a strong community. It was this connectedness that acted as a buffer to those who left everything that they a couple of hundred years ago, and started the settlements here in North America. Times were tough, but the sense of belonging, support, and care helped them to flourish. Sadly, this sense of connectedness to our neighbours is lacking in many communities. Neighbours don't often know each other. And many people feel isolated and disengaged. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Good Neighbour Day. Everyone will have their own definition of what it means to be a good neighbour. For me, a good neighbour is friendly and considerate. They respect your space and privacy. Good neighbours take time to talk, smile, or give a wave hello. They keep an eye out, when they know you are away. The neighbourhood we live in can affect our happiness and stress levels in multiple ways. When you're thinking of strategies to manage your stress, consider investing in your relationships with your neighbours. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency' Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Have you ever looked through old pictures and ever wondered whatever happened to some of the people that you were friends with or met along the way? Have you tried to find out where they are or what they are up to on social media? I have. I have looked up long lost roommates, classmates, old boyfriends, teachers, and even old bosses. Sometimes out of nostalgia. Sometimes out of curiosity. Sometimes out of a desire to reconnect. Forget Me Not Day is a day to try and reconnect with some of the people that you may not be in touch with anymore. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are my tips for Building Resiliency and Celebrating Forget Me Not Day: Social connection is important, but before I would spend a lot of time and energy on finding those from your past, ask yourself if you are doing a good job of staying connected and supporting those who are your current friends, colleagues, and family members. Research shows that doubling your group of friends has the same impact on your well-being as a 50% increase in income, we only have so much time and energy to spend on cultivating true, healthy relationships. So use your time and energy wisely. If you do have a desire to reconnect, ask yourself why. Is it because of curiosity, guilt, or an interest to start up a new relationship? The answer will also help you decide if you should reach out or invest the time and energy. Social connections and support are key to building resiliency and we know that we are forming fewer friendships than in the past. As life gets busier, we often find that we barely have enough time for ourselves, let alone staying connected with others. Developing and maintaining positive friendships takes effort. Friendships take time to grow, to build trust and to share common experiences. Today is a great day to reach out and let your friends know that you are thinking of them. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Life is too short. Some Day will never come. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Time's Up Day is here. Today is the day to make the most of your life. It is also the time to get over whatever is standing in between you and someone else: Arguments, disagreements, feeling slighted, jealous, or whatever it is. It is time to address the situation head on. Hurt is inevitable in significant relationships. Yet pain and strife do not have to mean a relationship is going to end. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Time's Up Day. Time is fleeting. Waiting until tomorrow, may be too late. Tell yourself that time is up and reach out to the person today. Call them on the phone, or send them an email. It takes two people to mend a broken relationship. There is no sense in trying to fix something if you are the only one willing to do the work. If the other person is unapologetic, dismissive, or continues hurtful behavior, it might be time to move on. If it is a worthwhile relationship to work on, then use your best communication skills. Instead of trying to think of what you need to say next, stop and try to understand what they are telling you. Careful listening shows respect and will help you both figure out what to do next. The time for repairing relationships is today If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Can you find time? Stop looking. You will never find it. It isn't lost. Sometimes we lose time because we are procrastinating. This could be because jobs or tasks are difficult or time consuming, but it is not procrastination if the job doesn't rank in importance or urgency. So why else do we procrastinate? Perfectionism – have you ever wanted something to turn out ‘just right', that you got overwhelmed by the details and couldn't move forward?  There are 3 books waiting to be written, but the thought of them being less than spectacular keeps me from sitting down to write.  Fear of failure, success, or finishing – Like the examples above, sometimes procrastination is also fueled by the fears that we have.  Dislike task or person – I hate tackling my monthly finances.  It wouldn't be so bad if I actually did them monthly.  However, I procrastinate, and I end up doing them every 3 months or so.  I get frustrated and annoyed which makes me want to put the task off even more. Too tired – I need my sleep. If I am worn out, all those little tasks are easy to draw out or avoid all together. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Do It Day: Find the answer to ‘What's In It For Me”.  Why is this task/decision important?  What will I achieve once it is completed? Use positive self talk to keep you moving forward. Watch out for time gobblers. Reward yourself.  Make it fun. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Sitting by the campfire…making smores and roasting marshmallows.  There is nothing like the total relaxation of a peaceful night by the fire. Did you know that the marshmallow originally came from a marsh mallow plant or that it started as a candy in Ancient Egypt? The end of the August tells us that summer is unofficially coming to an end.  It is important that we get ourselves ready for the busyness of the fall, but it is equally important to ensure that the summer holidays are not forgotten. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Toasted Marshmallow Day: Visualization is a powerful stress management strategy.  You may not be anywhere near a campfire, roasting marshmallows, but your mind can certainly take you there when you need a moment to relax.  Funny thing is that if your mind can take you there, your body will follow and will become as relaxed as if you were actually there. There still may be time to plan one last campfire before it is back to school and back to work.  Break out the marshmallows and enjoy! And if there is no time left for a relaxing campfire, break out the marshmallows anyway, and play a game of Chubby Bunny with your friends and family…not sure what it is…add marshmallows to your mouth one at a time to see how many you can stuff in while still being able to say “Chubby Bunny”!  Disgusting, but good for a belly laugh! If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... We all have spats from time to time with our significant other. And when we do, we often make it a point to kiss and make-up.  Kiss and Make-Up: means to become friendly again after a fight or disagreement Did you know that the purple hyacinth means ‘I'm Sorry – Please forgive me'? One site posted a list of apology notes to send with those flowers. I like this one…The words are hard to say, but I hope that these flowers pave the way…I'm sorry. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Kiss and Make-Up Day: Spats and disagreements do occur, but it is important that you never resort to dirty fighting, which includes name-calling, or cursing. Use I statements, and focus on problem-solving. Beside being able to say sorry and send flowers, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index suggest that empathy is the building block of successful interpersonal relationships. It suggests these strategies: First, after your angry feelings resolve, ask yourself whether there isn't some value to your partner's side. Take a moment to feel your partner's pain. Often, when we watch a movie or read a good book, we can put ourselves into the character's role. After a disagreement, try putting yourself in your partner's role. Finally, if you have lost control in the midst of your argument, try to regain your composure. Relationship skills come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and it's possible that you (and your partner) aren't as empathic as you could be. Before having to resort to the kiss-and-make up” strategy, find more ways to be in tune with your partner's thoughts and feelings. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Do you know where pink lemons come from? Two 12 year-olds were left with a sour taste in their mouths after officials shut them down for not having a permit when they started selling lemonade in a dog park to raise cash for new soccer uniforms for their team. Today we celebrate Lemonade Day.  A day which is designed to introduce children to having their own business. I still remember when my boys decided that they were going to sell lemonade at the end of the street when we held a garage sale at their great grandpa's.  Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Lemonade Day: It is May and the weather is getting nicer, but we are not able to set up a lemonade stand…not yet. What we can do though is talk to our children about what type of business they would run if they could or what kind of business do they think they could run now. The idea is to have a conversation around what would be involved, who their customers might be, and how would they let their customers know that they were open for business. Fun Fact…. The Greeks were the first to make pink lemonade. They made this so that while the adults were having wine at celebrations, the children would also have a special treat. When the Greeks dyed the lemonade pink by adding wine, the common myth in the community was that this drink was made from pink lemons that grew in a forest that no man could enter and come out alive. They made the children believe that these magical pink lemons were brought back by a noble king. Now there is marketing If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... Once there was a time when photography didn't exist.  A time when precious moments couldn't be captured, uploaded and shared. I look back at my baby pictures and there were only a handful. My mom and dad had a single picture each and I don't know if I have ever saw one of any of my grandparents when they were really young. Compare all of that to the albums upon albums that I have of my sons who are now young adults. Today, we don't even print all of our pictures, but save them to on-line albums or files to be viewed at any given instant. Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. Photography is a great hobby that can help us build our resiliency. It is something to take our minds off of all of our stressful life situations. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Nature Photography Day: Photography can be a means to get out and physically active. Use your camera to take note of the awesome or the bizarre. Have some fun looking for the humour in everyday life. Photography is a good activity to strengthen relationships. Make it an outing and invite others to join you. Visit the park or a natural habitat and spend time discussing what you see. So what is the funniest photograph that you have ever taken? Remember, If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... We finally have a day off.  One that we have been looking forward to.  Only to be struck down with some kind of bug which makes us feel rotten. These symptoms can be a sign of leisure illness and they are often linked to stress caused by work overload and pushing ourselves too hard before taking time off. Sometimes it is not until we stop the ‘rollercoaster ride' that our body responds, and we experience these flu or cold like symptoms. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!  Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Relaxation Day: Vacations are important to our health and well-being, so don't wait for the ‘right' time.  Make plans to use all of your vacation allotment, whether it be a day off, an extended weekend or a longer vacation period. Do not over-program your days off.  Look for activities that are relaxing and rejuvenating. Promote relaxation.  Try deep breathing, visualization, yoga or a massage.  Get involved in a hobby.  Try gardening, fishing, boating, or reading a book.  Reading something uplifting activates the same positive emotion center as experiencing a happy moment first-hand. Get out and Play. Play is important for all aspects of our lives, including creativity and relationships. When we play, we trigger a mix of endorphins that lift our spirits and the relationships that we form during play remind us that we are not alone in this world. Playing with a pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax us. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... I'll take care of myself when…. Do you neglect your own needs while you take care of others or are busy making a living? Many of us put our own needs at the bottom of our to-do list and over time, we may actually forget what self-care looks feels like. Research shows that self-care helps manage stress and promotes happiness and can help you to be more productive and better able to care for the needs of others. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Today's Tips for Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Wellness Month: It is time to focus on our overall wellness, which includes self-care in all five aspects of health: Physical Emotional Social Spiritual Intellectual Small, daily acts of self-care lead to a lifetime of wellness. Look for small changes that can positively impact your health, like adding more water to your daily intake, taking a moment to breathe deeply, writing in a gratitude journal, connecting with a friend that you haven't seen in a while, or watching a video on national geographic on the migration of turtles. To celebrate your commitment, post a picture on your social media feed of you with a sign that says “I choose wellness. #wellnessmonth”. Inspire others to create their own healthy habits. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... I like these lyrics for Lazy Day by Spanky and the Gang: Blue sky, Sunshine, what a day to take a walk in the park. Ice cream, Day dream, till the sky becomes a blanket of stars. What a day for pickin' daisies, and lots of red balloons. And what a day for holdin' hands and bein' with you.   So is it good to have a lazy day? Though being active is healthy for us and procrastination can cause a lot of problems if it goes unchecked, taking a lazy day can actually be good for our mental health. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!   Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Lazy Day: Taking it easy and indulging in a lazy day, can help to restore your energy and refocus your mind. But first, you have to let go of feeling guilty, like you are being bad by not doing something productive. Part of being successful is knowing how to add more joy to your life. Part of this is by learning to slow down and jump off the rollercoaster for a while. Try sleeping in and repairing some of the ill-effects of sleep-debt Go for a walk and plan nothing. Just be present and in the moment Sit outside enjoying nature and read a good book. There is nothing like going camping and reading something that is not designed to improve my business or better my life. It is just a story to get caught up in. A like the song says, it is a great day for just holding hands. If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Listen to today's podcast... When it comes to holding hands it's not all about romance.  When you hold the hands of another you are sending the message that the other person is valued, important and noticed. James Coan of the University of Virginia found that when people hold hands, their brains don't work as hard to cope with stress.  To hold someone's hand is to offer them affection, protection or comfort. A poll showed that more than half of people couldn't remember the last time they held their grandparents hand and more than a quarter had never done so. However, almost a fifth of respondents, when asked whose hands they would most like to hold, said it would be the hand of a grandparent who has died. Loneliness and depression are rampant in today's society.  Holding someone's hand, especially of someone who is isolated, dealing with an illness or elderly can help them to be more resilient against the impact of stress, promote better health and combat their feelings of isolation. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency! Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Hand Holding Day: Reach out and touch the hand of someone you love or someone in need.  Not only do they reap the benefit but so do you. Don't wait until it's too late and end up regretting that you didn't grab at the opportunity. Robert Fulgham (Everything I Learned, I Learned In Kindergarten) said: . . . Share everything. . .When you go out in the world, Watch out for traffic, hold hands, And stick together. . . . If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr

Hi Friends, It's that time of year again - Back to School! We'll be sharing plenty of back-to-school content over the coming weeks to help you feel ready to start the school year. If you're dreading school lunch packing, then this podcast episode is for you. Anna and I offer realistic advice to simplify packing lunches. Key Points * Why lunch packing feels overwhelming* The pros and cons of bento-style lunch boxes* Easy, practical ways to streamline lunch packing* How to deal with uneaten lunches* Ideas for lunches to packResources* Simple Black Beans and Rice Recipe* Easy Black Beans, Corn & Tomatoes* Sunny Side Up Nutrition: Lunch Packing Ebook* Pottery Barn Bento Lunch Boxes * Pinney Davenport Nutrition, PLLC* Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition TherapyTranscriptEp. 105 – Back-to-School Lunch Packing TipsAnna: Alright. We're back. We're back. Elizabeth, this is so much fun. I'm excited to talk to you about lunch packing. Woohoo! Elizabeth: And guess what? I'll start the episode by saying I am finished packing lunches.Anna: Oh, I'm so jealous.Elizabeth: because my youngest is about to go off to college.Anna: Wow.Elizabeth: So I'm a little sad because it's been a big—it's been a job that I've always done.Anna: Yes.Elizabeth: Not in the summers. They do their own lunches in the summers, but during the school year...Anna: Well, you have a lot of wisdom to pass on. And I'm so jealous. I have another nine years of lunch packing. That's all. No big deal. Well, school is about to start for us, I guess at the end of the month. End of August here.Elizabeth: Yeah, it starts, I guess, mid-August here. It starts August nineteenth, I think. Here.Anna: Wow. Wow.Elizabeth: In Alexandria City. I don't know about the rest of the DC metro area, but yeah, it's coming up. Summer has flown. Anna: And I know when school starts approaching for me, I start to think, oh gosh, we've got to get back to lunch packing. My child's at a camp this week that they don't have to pack lunch, and it was like celebration time.Why do you think it's so dreaded? Why do you think packing lunches is such a dreaded thing for so many parents?Elizabeth: I think, in part, because you have to come up with ideas for what to pack. So it's one more thing you have to think about and manage as part of the mental load. Often we do it in the morning, and mornings for many people tend to be rushed. And I think other reasons that make it dreaded is it's just kind of a boring task and you do it over and over. I mean, if you think about the number of years your kids go to school, that's a lot of lunches.Anna: Yes - so true. Elizabeth: And as I always share, I opted—and I'm not saying people have to do this—but I opted to pack my kids' lunches all the way through high school. I felt like that was a job I could do. And in my mind, they were still learning what goes into lunch, because they would see what I packed.But back to what you think people dread about it... I also think kids have different likes and dislikes. And if you have multiple kids and you're trying to keep things simple and pack the same things, that can be tough.Anna: Can be, can be. You need to have the items on hand, right? There are all these steps: the items on hand, the proper packing stuff, the containers or lunchboxes—whatever that looks like. If there's utensils involved, there's just... there's a lot.Elizabeth: And I'm going to say this—I don't know if I'm jumping ahead—but one of the things I'll say is about the lunch packing supplies, the lunch boxes and bags. I think the bento boxes are great. I use a couple different ones for my younger daughter. However, I almost always have to pack something outside that bento-style box. It's very hard to give kids enough in those, and I'm not criticizing them. I'm just saying this because we see them so often on social media. Every time I see them, I think, oh, that can't be enough for a child. Maybe it's just the way it looks on the screen.Anna: Right. Right.Elizabeth: Again, they're great because young kids can open them up and see everything—they don't have to open a bunch of containers. So there are some real benefits. But you also have to think: what's going to fit in there? Sometimes I have to change what I'm using because it didn't fit.Anna: Oh, totally.Elizabeth: I'm like, what of this is going in there?One piece of advice is to have a number of different things that you use so you're not just restricted to one type of container.Anna: Right. I agree. I think that makes total sense.And, you know, of course we're talking today about school-aged children. So that could be anyone from age three—if they go to preschool or daycare—up to eighteen. And so, of course, there are different needs and different size containers.But I'm with you. Some of those bento-style boxes are not enough for my older children. I do use—and we've written about this—the Pottery Barn ones for my younger child.Elizabeth: Yes.Anna: They're a little deeper, I think, than some of the others. But there are lots of lunches that don't work in that.Elizabeth: Right? Can you still buy those? We'll look and see if we can link to them in the show notes.Anna: I just bought our new Pottery Barn lunch box. We buy them because they have a strap, and she needs one she can throw across her body. And then the bento boxes they sell fit in there.Anna: But again, we don't work with Pottery Barn.Elizabeth: Yeah. Not sponsored by Pottery Barn. Just sharing helpful information.Anna: Yes.Elizabeth: We keep this ad-free for you all.Anna: Alright, so I'm kind of curious. Do you feel like there are some main pitfalls that make packing lunches harder for people than it needs to be? What are the things you commonly see when you work with parents?Elizabeth: I mean, I've seen so many different things. Let me think of a good example. I've seen parents come in who are packing their child the same thing every day, and they're worried about doing that. And I think that's okay.School cafeterias typically are very busy, noisy places. They have a short time to eat lunch. It's not like a calm, pleasing environment. So just send what they'll eat.I think parents also may feel pressure to pack some sort of perfect lunch. You see these on social media. And if that brings you joy, that's great. It's okay if it brings you joy to cut the veggies into little shapes and stars.But in my mind, for some people, that's a form of pressure for the kid to eat the food.Anyway, I'm getting off topic again.I just think parents are under so much pressure—to be perfect, to plan something different every single day—and it's just not realistic.Anna: That's right.Elizabeth: We're all about simplifying things.Anna: Right. But I think you're exactly right—that pressure of “It needs to be this. It needs to be this. It needs to be this…” It doesn't. I think that's the biggest pitfall: succumbing to that pressure.Elizabeth: I think you're right. And if your kid likes the school lunch? That is great. We're not saying in this episode that parents have to pack their kids' lunches.Anna: That's right.Elizabeth: We are big fans of school lunches.Anna: Absolutely. I'm very excited when my child wants to buy the school lunch. Unfortunately, they prefer packed lunch.Elizabeth: In some schools—honestly, like in my kids' schools—the schools were just too big. I mean, the high school had 4,500 students. There's not enough time to get in line, get lunch, eat, and get back to class. So it's really hard to make that happen. Even in elementary school.Anna: Yeah, that makes sense. I'm going to circle back to something you said a few minutes ago because I think it's important: you said you packed your children's lunches all the way through, which is great. Like you said, it was modeling, and they could focus on other things. And some parents do it differently.So I'll share what we've done. When they've gotten to a certain age—upper middle school, maybe—I might have them help me. I'd say, “I'm going to make the sandwich. Why don't you grab a fruit and some chips?” So we'd do it together.But what I've also noticed is that as my oldest child got busier and busier, I went back to packing her lunch.Just to give you a picture—there's no wrong or right. We get asked so often, “At what age should you stop packing your child's lunch?”Elizabeth: Exactly. And there's no right answer.Anna: Involving them in an age-appropriate way is fine. You doing it so they can focus on other things is great, too. There's no wrong or right when it comes to that.Now, I will say, something you and I have both seen is when a child is given these responsibilities too early—like making their own lunch or dinner—and they might not have the skills to do that, they still need their parents' care when they're young.Elizabeth: Yes, there is such a thing as “too young.” The scaffolding is removed, the support is taken away too early—and that's what we see in our office when we see clients, for sure.In high school, I really think it's one of the reasons I kept packing their lunches—because of the work I've done over these years. We see kids in our offices who need their parents to go back to packing their lunches.As you said, high schoolers get busier. They still need a lot of sleep. Packing lunch is their last priority. It's unlikely they're going to pack enough or even remember to pack it. They may just leave with no lunch if they're really busy.If you have kids entering high school—or even middle school, as they start getting busier—that's something to be mindful of.Anna: I wanted to mention—we have an ebook on our website that's about lunch packing. It's called Reboot Your Lunch Packing... or Take the Stress Out of Lunch Packing. I can't remember the exact name right now. But it has great resources, including items to purchase and steps to make lunch packing simpler.Elizabeth: Yeah, if you want to do a deeper dive—ask questions, share things you're making for lunch, or get ideas—that's a great resource.Okay—tips for making lunch packing easier. One of the things that comes to mind—and this goes back to general meal planning—is: when you plan your meals for the week, include lunches in that planning. Also think about what meals might make good leftovers that can work for lunch.That's something I really relied on. Then all you have to do is pour boiling water in the thermos—I'm miming putting the lid on the thermos—let it sit for 10 minutes to heat up. Reheat the food in the microwave. I like to reheat in glass or microwave-safe bowls. Put the food in the thermos and you're good to go.Some people might say, “Ah, a sandwich would be so much easier”—and that's great too!Another tip can be: just pick two things you're going to make for lunch that week. It doesn't have to be different every day. I would even jot down the sides I planned to include—just to make it easier on myself.They might have carrots, apples, and cookies five days in a row—paired with different entrees or sandwiches. I also love things like peanut butter crackers. That's not as easy for really young kids, but for older ones, it works. Or salami, cheese, crackers, a yogurt, and then some sides—veggies, fruit...Another thing that simplifies lunch packing is our meal formula. Think of it this way: an entrée, a fruit and/or veggie, and two or more sides.Your high school athlete is going to need many more sides. Your growing elementary schooler may also need more than two or three sides.:Another great tip: check in with your kids at the end of the day. Ask, “Was that enough lunch for you?” or “Are you staying satisfied through the day?” or “Are you getting hungry too early?” Just periodic check-ins like that.Anna: That's great. During the school year, when I'm planning meals for the week, I try to think of one dinner that can double as a lunch. It even helps me pick what to make for dinner.Elizabeth: Yes! In the book, we have so many ideas for lunches you can make—and dinners that work well as lunch leftovers.Anna: That's great. Those are all really great tips. Do you think it would be helpful for us to talk a little bit about the steps we outline in the membership?Elizabeth: Okay, one more simplifying tip: use prepackaged foods.Now, we do try to be conscious of not using too much packaging, but we also need to be realistic about our bandwidth.And I think I can speak for both of us on this—yes, it's okay to buy the big box of individually bagged chips from Costco or the grocery store. Then all you have to do is toss it in the lunchbox.Anna: Totally. That's a great thing to consider.Elizabeth: Or the pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or things like that.Anna: Alright, so to think about what we share around simplifying your lunch packing… because I really want our listeners to be able to say, “Okay, here are a few things I can do.”I know one major thing we talk about is making a master lunch list.Elizabeth: Yes! Oh, I forgot about that.Anna: So, make a list with three components: 1. entreés, 2. fruits and veggies, 3. sidesSides could be crunchy things like chips or pretzels, or yogurt, cheese sticks, or even dessert. The idea is to build out a list of all the options in each of those three categories.And what you highlighted at the beginning is one reason lunch packing is so hard—there are so many decisions. So by having a list, you decrease the decision-making.Literally, if you can pull out your list and say, “Entrée, fruit or veggie, sides…” you've simplified the process. Or like you said—sometimes you even plan it all out at the beginning of the week.Elizabeth: Right. We want to decrease your decision-making because we all know about decision fatigue. Once we've made a million decisions, our brain just stops—especially at 7 a.m., or 6 a.m., or even 5:30 a.m. depending on when your kid has to leave for school.Anna: Exactly. So that's a big one: make a master list. And when you're dreading packing lunches, pull it out and just start—pick one category and get going.And we've already talked about the second step—our simple structure of entrée, fruit and/or veggie, and two-plus sides. And the third step is including lunches in your meal planning—which we've also covered.Elizabeth: Yep. Cook once, eat twice. That's the way to do it.Anna: And the last one—why don't you talk about it? What do we mean by embracing the gray?Elizabeth: Lunches don't need to be photo-perfect. I think I touched on this earlier. We are bombarded with images of perfect lunches—especially bento-style boxes, which I'm not criticizing—but the ones we see are often filled with fruits and veggies cut into shapes, little food picks, and all that.And then there's this pressure to pack something new and interesting every day. But it doesn't have to be that way.Embracing the gray is reminding yourself: keep it simple. Your kids need food they can eat quickly at school that will fuel them for the day. That's it. It doesn't have to be perfect.Anna: That's great. Take that pressure off.I'm imagining there might be a parent listening who's thinking, “Okay, but what if I make my child's lunch and it comes back uneaten?” Or “What if I don't pack this exact lunch every day and my child doesn't eat anything?” Okay, so two questions: 1. What if they don't eat? 2. What if you feel like you have to pack the same thing every day for them to eat?Elizabeth: So let's start with: what if they don't eat?You can just say, “Oh, I noticed you weren't able to eat your lunch. What was going on today?” I've made the mistake of saying, “Oh my gosh, what happened?! You didn't eat your lunch!” and that is a surefire way to get your kid not to tell you the truth.Anna: Or to throw away their uneaten lunch so you don't say that next time.Elizabeth: Exactly! And it's a natural instinct—you're thinking, “They went all day without food!” But try to stay calm and be curious. Think of it as a chance to support them and learn what's impacting them—especially if it starts happening repeatedly.Anna: You never know what you'll hear—it might not be what you expect.Elizabeth: The second question was about packing the same lunch every day. If your child will only eat four specific things, I think it's okay to rotate those. You're obviously going to mix things up a little over time, but there's no rule saying lunch has to be different every day.I'd ask yourself: where is that worry coming from? Is it something internal—like feeling pressure to “do it right”? Maybe it's an opportunity to ask your child if they'd like to switch from peanut butter and jelly to peanut butter and honey. You don't have to change the whole lunch. A small tweak can go a long way.Anna: Where that can really bump up against a parent's stress is when they have multiple kids with different preferences. Now they're making two or three different lunches.Elizabeth: Yes. I was only thinking about making one lunch! That's why this gets so complicated.Elizabeth: Exactly. If you're making multiple lunches, it's important to remember: not everyone has to love every component every single day—and that's okay. And just to note, we're not talking here about someone with extreme picky eating or feeding challenges.It's okay if they don't eat every part of their lunch—just like it's okay if they don't eat every part of dinner.Anna: I don't think that contradicts what you said earlier. I think it highlights the nuance. It's okay to balance your needs as a parent with your child's needs. And those needs change!Elizabeth: They do. They evolve over time.Anna: And in those cases—if your kids are older, or even if they're younger and it won't stress you out—you can involve them in packing their lunch. You can say, “I'll make the sandwich, you grab the sides.”Elizabeth: And if the sides are prepackaged, they can do that easily—even younger kids. They can grab an applesauce pouch or sliced apples, or a couple other pantry snacks. Simple.Anna: To wrap up, what's one piece of advice you'd want a parent to take away from this episode—especially if they're dreading packing lunches?Elizabeth: Whatever you can do to simplify it. Maybe that means asking your child to buy lunch one or two days a week—if they have enough time to get through the lunch line. Or maybe it's doing some prep the night before while cleaning up from dinner.Anna: Yes, that works really well for a lot of people. You're already in the kitchen. It's already messy.Elizabeth: Exactly. Sandwiches, for sure, can be made at night. And that could be when kids help, too—especially younger kids who aren't off doing homework or sports yet.I don't know if that helps at all, but I hope so!Anna: No, I think that's great. Just think: What do you need to simplify?Okay, last question. What's one unique food item you've packed in a school lunch—either an entrée or something fun?Elizabeth: Well, this feels a little extra, but we live in a neighborhood with a cheese shop, and my kids love these mini finocchiona salamis—“mini finies,” we call them. I'd slice those up with meats and cheeses. They loved it.Anna: Yum! For me, I don't know if this is unique, but we just had it for dinner this week—our Simple Black Beans and Rice recipe with tortilla chips. It's on the blog. It goes great in a thermos, with avocado, shredded cheese... simple and satisfying.Elizabeth: Exactly. And if you want to send avocado, here's a tip: I send half an avocado, still in the skin, face down in a container with a slice of lime. They scoop it out and add some salt. It sounds extra, but it works!Elizabeth: And if all they eat is avocado and chips, they'll still be satisfied!Elizabeth: One more: You've made another black bean recipe that's on our blog—a black bean, corn, tomato mix with rice. I used to make it just for lunch, or as dinner leftovers. My kids now say, “You gave me that a lot,” but hey—they ate it!Anna: Maybe someday they'll feel nostalgic.Elizabeth: Maybe! Another easy one: a batch of pasta with tomato sauce—or even plain pasta. Just reheat and toss it in a thermos. Super easy.Elizabeth: Alright—this was awesome.Anna: Good luck, everyone, as school starts! Bye! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit snutrition.substack.com

Listen to today's podcast... How you organize yourself can either help or hinder in the way that you deal with stress. Clean out your inbox, or clean out your closet and you'll notice the stress relief from being organized and clutter free. Clutter can add more chaos. But being too worried that everything is in its place can stop us from being productive and creative as well. Your personal organization should help you to move forward, give you a sense of control over your space and help to decrease the stress that you feel. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency! Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating National Reduce the Clutter Week: Use baskets to gather unread magazines/journals/computer accessories etc. Colour coded file folders makes for easier identification and location of topics. The idea of keeping sentimental treasures is not entirely practical and I am not really good at letting go. I know that there is simply no reason to save that dried flower that my first boyfriend gave me back in high school. Besides, how much am I actually enjoying anything that's packed up in a box? We need to let these things go. De-junk your clothes closet while you are at it. Look at the bottom third of any drawer. These are usually the clothes that you are not attached to and could be donated. Purge periodically – it takes time but gives you more space and you may find that it can trigger your creative juices If you like today's wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app. Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In #mentalhealth #hr