Work Smart Live Smart Stress and Wellness Tips

Underdog Day

2011-12-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

Underdog Day - December 16
Do you hate it when the interviewer goes after the second place person and asks them how it feels to lose the race? Do you always cheer for the underdog, the team not expected to win? Are your favourite movies the one where the underdog prevails?

Today is the day to salute all of the underdogs and unsung heroes.

An underdog is a person or group who is expected to lose. However, sometimes they pull off the unexpected.

Isn't that what life is like for most of us? Sometimes we win and sometimes, no matter how hard we prepare or try, it just doesn't work out.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Underdog Day:

Who are the underdogs in your workplace, family or community who could use a little extra encouragement or know that someone is in their corner? Go out and be their cheerleader.
Are you letting your fear of not winning, stopping you from even being a part of the game?
Take a look at the underdogs. See how they carry themselves in the face of defeat. Most of the underdogs that we celebrate in our society and in our movies have a few things in common. They don't throw in the towel just because they aren't expected to win. They give it their all until the very end. And in the end, they are looking forward to the next opportunity to try again.

When my son was just starting out in hockey, they use to rotate the goalies. His team was badly beat by one particular team. On the next re-match, my son was to be the goalie. He donned his gear and was determined to stop the pucks that came his way.

In the end, they lost by 10 goals. I was fully prepared to go into the dressing room and provide my motherly comforting and 'you'll get them next time' speech. To my great surprise, my son's first comment, was "Well at least we didn't lose by 15 like the last time".

Improvement is improvement and who knows what the outcome will be the next time....good lesson for all of us.

Some interesting FYI's

Popular Underdogs who went on to win major upsets:
Mohammad Ali against Sonny Liston and George Foreman
1972 Team Canada vs the Soviets
1980 US hockey team vs the Soviets
Susan Boyle...UK's Got Talent most unlikely winner

Who else would you place on this list?

The original meaning of the word "underdog" originated from sawsmen who built ships. Planks of wood called "dogs" were placed over the top of a pit, and two men would have to supervise the placing of these planks. One man would stand on top of the planks, and one man would stand underneath the planks in the dark pit, where he would be covered in sawdust. This poor man was known as the underdog.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Bathtub Party Day

2011-12-05T12:22:00.004-05:00

Bathtub Party Day - December 5

"Scrub a dub dub, baby's in the tub"

Remember the joys of bath time when you were little or when your children were little. There were bubbles and toys and lots of giggles.

Most of us don't have time for a leisurely bath today. A shower is quicker, easier and a whole lot simpler. Today is the day to slow things down a bit and take some personal me time.

It is Bathtub Party Day. So you may set up a party for one. Or it may be an intimate party for two. Or if you have a hot tub on your back deck, it may truly be a party for your friends.

Beverly's Hot Tips To Celebrate Bathtub Party Day:

Turn off the phone and turn on the music
Light a few candles and turn the lights down low
Add your favourite scents to the water
Relax and let the warmth and the relaxation flood over you

And if a bathtub is not your thing, consider this. Part of the S-O-S Principle that I developed involves finding strategies that get your mind off of the stressful situations around you. These techniques may be our hobbies such as gardening or wood working or it may be activities such as karate or running. It may be downtime relaxation strategies such as deep breathing, yoga, hot shower or a hot bath. The key is to find something that works for you.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Special Kids Day

2011-11-28T13:02:00.003-05:00

Special Kids Day - December 1

We take for granted our health and the health of our children. But what if you are a family that has children who are facing special challenges? Your child's health and well-being is always at the forefront of every decision that you make.

Special Kids Day was put together to help families during the holidays. Started in 1990, Special Kids Day began as a holiday event that provided an opportunity for children with special needs and their families to visit Santa Claus without having to face some of the obstacles that they might encounter when trying to experience a visit with Santa in a mall.

Though Special Kids Day may not be hosted in your area of the country, it is still a time to celebrate the strength, resilience and determination of these children and their families.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Special Kids Day and showing your support for these special families:

If you are hosting a party:

Invite the family, but don't be disappointed if they are not able to attend. The invite alone says that you care and are thinking of them.
Ask if there is anything special that you should consider or anything special that you can do to make the party a success for the special needs child and their family.
There may be access or food issues to consider. Ask what the child's favourite food might be and have it on the menu, even if it doesn't fit with your holiday theme.
Have a quiet place for the child and the family to decompress if things become to hectic.

Provide the gift of time:

You may be able to pick up items that would save a run to the mall or the grocery store for the family.
You may be able to step in and babysit while the parent's go out for dinner or go shopping on their own.
There is often very little time to get things done around the house. See if there are any to-do items that you are capable of taking care of such as window washing or safety proofing.
Provide ready to eat meals for the 'crazy' days...the days were it is non-stop appointments or that are especially difficult to cope.

Let them know that you are there for their family. It can be very isolating and lonely and true friends are hard to come by. But don't wait to be asked as it is hard for many parents of special needs children to reach out and ask for help.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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World Television Day

2011-11-21T09:57:00.003-05:00

World Television Day - November 21

The United Nations declared November 21 as World Television Day in 1996 as part of its recognition that the television is used to educate many people about the world, and its issues. Television is one of the most influential forms of media for communication and information dissemination by alerting the world to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues. Viewers can watch a weather report to prepare for the day. Cartoons and sport provide relaxation and fun. Documentaries and the news teach us about the world. And advertisements inform us about products and new ideas.

But what is the future of television?
In 2006, 64% of Americans said that they considered the TV set to be a necessity. That was down to 42% in 2010. Whereas, high-speed Internet jumped three percentage points, from 31% in 2009 to 34% in 2010.

Can you imagine talking to your doctor while he examines your surgery scars over the screen on your television set. This isn't the future, but the present. Doctors in the UK are experimenting with this new technology and are finding surprising benefits. By 2020 it is expected that 500 million homes will have the televisions connected to the Internet in a way that will allow this to happen all over the world.

Television has been passive, where you would lean back and just take it all in. Television content of the future will be on-demand and not just on our television sets.

So how is this all related to stress and wellness?

It is still about having a finite amount of time throughout the day and using that time wisely to accomplish or to take care. Our television time is still discretionary time. The monthly average of 3 hours and 37 minutes of mobile viewing is a fraction of the 153 hours the typical U.S.user spends in front of a TV. We will still need to ask if this is the best use of our time.

Research on TV watching, multi-media and health

The University of Pennsylvania found that many individuals who watch TV in the two hours preceding their bedtime stay awake past the point of feeling tired. For this reason, the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that people not put televisions in their bedrooms.
According to the University of Michigan Health System, excessive TV watching habits in children and adolescents interferes with sleep quality, and may lead to sleep problems. Adolescents who watch too much TV are also at risk for sleep problems into early adulthood.
30% of all males who play video games regularly may be physiologically addicted to game playing. The more violent the game is, the more potentially addictive it is.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s most recent study of children ages 8 to 18:

Young people spend an average of 6.5 hours per day with entertainment media, or over 44 hours per week.
Internet use for fun averages about 1 hour per day.
Playing of video games averages 1 hour per day.
By comparison, reading books, magazines, or newspapers averages only 45 minutes per day. Doing chores averages 30 minutes per day, and doing homework averages 50 minutes per day.
U.S. homes average 3.6 CD players, 3.5 television sets, 3.3 radios, 3.9 DVD players, 2.1 video game consoles, and 1.5 computers. In fact, 25% of children are growing up in homes with five or more TV sets.

Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute study showed that teenagers who spent a lot of time watching TV were more likely to have attention and learning problems “that persist, and interfere with their long-term educational achievement.”
LimiTV recommends little-to-no TV viewing for children four-and-under and less than 10 hours per week (about 1 ½ hours per day) for children in grades K-12. These recommendations parallel similar guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
According to an American Journal of Public Health study, an adult who watches three hours of TV a day is far more likely to be obese than an adult who watches less than one hour.

Television is changing. Content and delivery are changing. But the question of how our time is spent will still persist into the future. Our viewing time is not all bad. Our viewing time can be used for relaxation and/or for learning. But we should still be making active choices on how our time is being used, so that we don't find that our time has been sucked away and that the things we would have liked to have accomplished have been left undone.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Use Less Stuff Day

2011-11-17T11:53:00.017-05:00

Use Less Stuff Day - November 17
I have a lot of stuff! Some stuff I use regularly. Some stuff is more seasonal. Some stuff hardly sees the light of day and other stuff, is just stuff taking up space.

As we prepare for the holidays and the new year, it is a good time to look and see how you can less stuff and/or get rid of the stuff that you have. It is also a good time to evaluate the stuff that you give as presents to others.

Beverly's Hot Tips For 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.
As I converted my boy's play room into the dining room for my holiday guests, we went through old toy bins, bookshelves and computer games and came up with 4 bags of toys to donate to their old daycare plus two bags of toys to give to younger cousins. 2 bags of toys were recycled or thrown away as they were broken and taking up space. The same parring down occurred in our closets with clothes that were too small being passed along or donated. The benefits: less clutter for us and a new life for many of the items that were taking up space and collecting dust. It was also a wake up call for my children to the amount of stuff that they were collecting.

De-junking expert, Don Aslett estimates that 40% of the time spent cleaning is spent just handling, getting around, and moving clutter out of the way. Add on the time spent cleaning the stuff you don't need or use and that's a huge slice of time spent just servicing your clutter.
Get rid of items that are useful, but you have too many of. Do you really need 5 frying pans, 30 mugs or 10 hammers?
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. In the end, we had piles of stuff that we donated to others who could really use the stuff instead of letting it sit in cupboards and closets.
Are you good at recycling, reducing and reusing things? Do you take your lunch to work or do you buy it? Do you grab extra napkins then throw them out without even using them? Do you use a reusable mug when getting your daily cup of java? Do you turn off lights and unplug electrical devices when not in use? Have bins easily accessible in your workplace and homes to make the recycling decision easy.
Take a look at the "Story of Stuff" - http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/

Here are some more holiday tips for the ULS website - http://use-less-stuff.com/:

Turn down the heat before the guests arrive. You’ll save energy while the extra body heat of your guests will warm up the room.
Did you know that over 28 billion pounds of food are wasted each year in the US..that's over 100 lbs per person. So, party plan appropriately so that food doesn't go to waste.
Use less gas. Organize your shopping time so that you don't waste time and gas making many unnecessary trips. Did you know that if each family in the US reduced their holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon we’d reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons.
Hang lights with smaller bulbs. The have lower wattage which consumes less energy and gives off less heat, making your lights safer.
Consolidate your purchases into one bag rather than getting a new bag at each store on your shopping rounds.
Donate unwanted gifts, along with last year’s gifts that the kids have outgrown, to charity.
With New Years fast approaching. Now would be a great time to commit to stop smoking. In the U.S. each year, approximately 24 billion empty cigarette packs end up in the garbage, and cigarettes represent roughly 20% of litter on roads and beaches, by far the single largest source of litter.

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 a time to ask if our stuff is taking over our lives. It is a time to decide that our energies may be better spent on the non-material things in the world.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Ample Time Day

2011-11-07T08:55:00.004-05:00

National Ample Time Day - November 8, 2011

Ample – to have more than enough.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have ample time…More than enough time to get the things done that we would like to be able to get done?

Do you remember the 1996 movie “Multiplicity” with Michael Keaton? I would love to have several clones of myself all existing at the same time to get all of the many things done that I wanted to get done. There would be the Magnificent Mom: the one who would cuddle and make things better. Who had nothing to do but to listen, help out and taxi her adoring children everywhere they needed to be with a nutritious snack in hand. There would be the Super-Sexy-Always-Well-Put-Together-And-Attentive Wife. There would be the Super Efficient Housekeeper and Fixer Upper Extraordinaire who could tidy at the speed of light and who was able to win the battle against the dust bunnies. There would be the World Renown Stress Speaker who had time to research and stay on top of everything that was in the news and who flew from city to city sharing the strategies that would make the world a better place. And then there would be the Business Savvy me, who could pump out websites and create marketing materials faster than a speeding bullet. I am sure that I could think of more me’s that I would need, but even 1 or 2 would be a great start.

Unfortunately and probably fortunately, this kind of cloning will never happen. And it’s also true that we won’t get more than 24 hours in any given day. However, there are ways to use your time more effectively so that you get the most out of the time that you have.

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Celebrating National Ample Time Day:

· Know what your priorities are in each area of your life. Write them down and map them out. Be sure to include your own health on that map. Once we know what is important to us, it is a lot easier to make decisions about how we use our time in the best way possible.

· Make a weekly and daily to-do list. The Weekly list is a big picture list of the priorities that you want to make sure that you work on. The daily list may have these big picture items on it as well as the chores and tasks that need to be done, but are necessarily all that important to your top priorities. Do not underestimate the amount of time each activity will take and add buffers to your schedule so that you don’t find yourself running behind.

· Watch out for ‘black holes’. Those things that we do, that aren’t part of our priority, but that seem to suck a lot of our time away. Watching TV, checking social media sites, playing computer games, chatty co-workers etc. These activities may be enjoyable, they may be part of your relaxation program, but they also tend to eat up more time then we allocated or expected.

· Simplify in as many areas of your life as you can. No time for cleaning? Get rid of the knick knacks that require extra time moving and dusting. Get rid of clutter in cupboards and closets. Spending too much time driving here, there and everywhere? Set up a route for shopping, getting gas and picking up the kids that reduces the time on the road. Volunteering activities taking over? Say no to extra tasks if they are not part of your priority or if they are going to take time away from a higher priority activity. Dreading meal time? Plan out meals in advance so you don’t have to waste time thinking about what to cook for dinner. Need more suggestions in this area? Look on-line. There really is no shortage of suggestions on how to make things simpler, more efficient and less cluttered.

· Ask for help. Set up a plan or a list of responsibilities that you would like others to help out on. Let go of perfectionistic attitudes that prevent you from asking for help because it may not be done up to your expectations and standards. Sometimes good is good enough. Can you arrange car pools, so that you aren’t driving everyday to pick up your children? Can you hire a student to cut the grass?

· Make sure that you are taking care of yourself, otherwise you will be tired out and lack the energy to use your time wisely. Get enough sleep each night. Eat for energy and nutrition. Learn to build in downtime to renew your energy and exercise your body so that it is ready to react as necessary.

Cranky Co-worker Day

2011-10-24T09:25:00.013-04:00

Cranky Co-worker Day – October 28

There are days when you think that everyone around you has taken a cranky pill. Do you have days when you are more ‘prickly’ than others or woke up on the wrong side of the bed?

Sometimes we have these types of days when everything just seems to go wrong…we couldn’t find our keys, we had a battle with our teenager, we got stuck in traffic or we are getting a cold. Other times, our bad mood just seems to engulf us and we have no idea why.

Today is the day to celebrate the crankiness in all of us…or just realize that we all have these days and we can help each other through them.

Beverly’s Hot Tips for Being A Cranky Co-Worker:

· Certainly don’t be nice or helpful.

· Don’t say thank you.

· Don’t hold the door open for anyone.

· Walk past your co-workers while looking the other way.

· Leave the company kitchen in a mess.

· Slam your office door.

· Don’t say goodbye when you hang up the phone.

· Don’t answer your phone.

· Growl at anyone who seems perky.

· Say “It can’t be done” to any suggestion that is made.

· Sigh loudly.

· Kick the photocopier.

· Complain about the rain, snow, wind, sunshine, heat, blue sky….

· Go to your meeting late and leave early.

· Wear really tight underwear or at least the kind that seem to want to climb higher and higher…that always seems to increase my crankiness.

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Helping A Cranky Co-Worker:

· Smile and ignore the crankiness if it is just temporary behaviour

· Address the behaviour if it is inappropriate and impacting others

· Ask how you can help. Maybe the person has a lot on their plate and just doesn’t know what to do or who to turn to.

· Try a simple act of kindness.

· Don’t personalize their crankiness. It is about them and not about you.

· Give attention and recognition for the positive things that they have done and not the cranky behaviours that you see.

· Try whistling while you work…it worked for the 7 dwarves !

Pet Peeve Week - October 10-16

2011-10-10T08:20:00.004-04:00

Pet Peeve Week

Squeaky doors. Slow Internet connections. No subject heading in an email message. Poor customer service. Ants. Flies. Nose picking. Cracking Knuckles. People who use their linen napkin to blow their nose. Creepy Crawly Underwear. Toilet lid being left up. Toothpaste left in the sink. Empty milk bag in the fridge. Crowded clothing racks when shopping. Air conditioned restaurants and stores that are so cold in the summer that I have to wear a coat. Being put on hold...music while on hold...repeated messages while on hold. People who think that motivation and improvement come through yelling or criticism. Pay-at-the-Pump not working. Using a full service gas station and finding out that you have to go in to use the chip on your credit card. Credit Card chip not working...

A pet peeve is a minor irritation that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to him or her. A key aspect of a pet peeve is that it seems to be acceptable to others.

Some of our pet peeves can move from simple annoyances into being rude or aggressive. Think of road rage. It usually starts because one person was not paying attention or assumed that they had the right to do what they did. The offended party gets annoyed, then angry and then may retaliate.

Beverly`s Hot Tips For Celebrating Pet Peeve Week:

Make a list of your pet peeves. There is something cathartic and humorous about doing this. Often awareness can help us to see the lighter side.
Often it’s these little things that can irritate us the most. Learn how to move on and not waste your mental energy or let your blood pressure skyrocket.
Understand that someone else`s behaviour that annoys you, wasn`t targeted specifically to you. Don`t personalize it and read more into it than there is.

I don’t have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation. – Whoopie Goldberg

Enjoy this perspective from one pet peeve site:

10 Pet Peeves That Dogs Have About Humans

1) Blaming your farts on me... not funny... not funny at all!!

2) Yelling at me for barking. I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG!

3) Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?

4) Any good that involves balancing food on my nose, stop it!

5) Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.

6) The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whooooooooo Hoooooooooo - what a proud moment for the top of the food chain.

7) Taking me to the vet for 'the big snip', then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back!

8) Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.

9) Dog sweaters. Hello??? Have you noticed the fur??

10) How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth... You're just jealous.

Now lay off me on some of these things. We both know who's boss here! You don't see me picking up your poop do you?

World Smile Day - October 7, 2011

2011-10-07T09:57:00.002-04:00

World Smile Day

SMILING IS A FUN WAY TO LIVE LONGER!

Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Worcester, Massachusetts created the smiley face in 1963. That image went on to become the most recognizable symbol of good will and good cheer on the planet. The smiley face knows no politics, no geography and no religion. the first Friday in October each year is known as World Smile Day and it is a day to share your smile with the world.

``A laugh is a smile that bursts`` Mary H. Waldrip

Smiling is contagious. It changes our mood. Smiling boosts your immune system. It lowers your blood pressure and blocks pain. Smiling makes your face look younger.

``Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been`` Mark Twain

Beverly`s Hot Tips For Celebrating World Smile Day:

Use It.
``If you're not using your smile, you're like a man with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook.`` Les Giblin

Fake It Until You Make It. We have been conditioned to worry. Having some worries to think about has been imposed by society as a “normal” state. Don`t follow along. There is a theory entitled the "facial feedback" hypothesis. Research has shown that the muscles in our faces that allow us to smile actually stimulate our brain and when this part of the brain is stimulated, it makes us feel happy. Combat worry with a smile.
Share It. There are friendly smiles and romantic smile. There are many different smiles and different ways the act of smiling can be done. Smiles can communicate feelings, show kindness. or help take someone’s mind off their problems. It is free and it is easy to do.

Less Than Perfect Day - October 1

2011-09-26T10:44:00.007-04:00

Less Than Perfect Day

I am a perfectionist. I like things done my way. I often have trouble letting things go. I am continually looking for ways to improve upon things. I even notice how the trees are arranged haphazardly in my bush and I have to resist the urge to `clean it up``.

Perfectionists are extremely hard workers and they generally accomplish more than the average person.

Perfectionists are extremely hard on themselves and on those around them. They see the smallest details of imperfection when the average person would not notice them.

Perfectionism has been linked to anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, eating disorders, alcoholism and many other destructive behaviors and problems.

Perfectionism is a bad habit.

I found a quote that said that Less Than Perfect Is A Perfect Start.

Something I need to keep in mind.

Beverly`s Hot Tips For Celebrating Less Than Perfect Day:

No one is perfect and that is okay. Give yourself permission to not be perfect.
Challenge those thoughts of criticism and unrealistic expectations. Stop them in their tracks and change them to something less critical or better yet, take note of the positive in the situation.
Use positive affirmations like the ones below:

I am not perfect. Nobody is perfect.

I don't have to be perfect. My best is good enough.

If things don't go the way I want, it's okay, I can accept that.

Even if I don't succeed, it's okay, what matters is that I try my best.

Know your priorities. Is what you are spending your time trying to perfect apart of your priorities and values. If not move on.

World Alzheimer's Day - September 21

2011-09-19T12:02:00.004-04:00

World Alzheimer's Day - September 21
Alzheimer's disease is the second most feared disease by Canadians as we age.

"We take care of our prostate better than our brain. It's one thing to lose control of your bowels and it's another thing to lose control of your identity. Those are pretty profound differences and that's what scares people so much," said Richard Taylor, Ph.D., author of Alzheimer's from the INSIDE OUT.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and accounts for 50-60% of all cases. It is caused by abnormal brain tissue changes. It is a progressive, degenerative brain syndrome that affects memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion.

Alzheimer's disease as a global health issue.

1 in 11 Canadians over the age of 65 currently has Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Women represent 72% of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Worldwide there are an estimated 35.6 million people with dementia. By 2050 the number will rise to over 115 million. The total estimated worldwide costs of dementia are $604 billion US in 2010, according to ADI's World Alzheimer Report.

Myths of Alzheimer's

Myth 1: Because someone in my family has Alzheimer's disease, I'm going to get it.

Although genetics play a role in the disease, only about 7% of cases are associated with genes that cause the early onset inherited familial form of the disease.

Myth 2: Memory loss means Alzheimer's disease.

Many people have trouble with their memory, but that does not mean they have Alzheimer's disease. When memory loss affects day-to-day function and is coupled with lack of judgment and reasoning, or changes in communication abilities, it's best to take this seriously and visit a doctor to determine the cause of the symptoms.

What Should You Look For - Ten early symptoms of dementia:

Memory loss
Difficulty in performing everyday tasks
Problems with language
Disorientation to time and place
Poor or decreased judgment
Problems with keeping track of things
Misplacing things
Changes in mood or behaviour
Changes in personality
Loss of initiative

To know more about these symptoms visit: http://alzheimer.ca/english/disease/warningsigns.htm

Beverly's Hot Tips For World Alzheimer's Day:

Many people see the early symptoms of dementia as a normal consequence of aging and do not come forward for the help. Be aware of the symptoms and get help early.

Information and education empowers people to understand what is happening to them and their loved one and how to cope better. Check out the Alzheimer's website at http://alzheimer.ca/english/index.php

Research has shown that most people with dementia live in their own homes and are cared for by a female caregiver usually a spouse or daughter and that caring is associated with substantial psychological and financial strain. (Int J Geriatric Psychiatry 2004 19 170-177). If you are a caregiver, make sure that you take care of yourself first, that you have balance in your life and that you reach out for support.

A break from caring is essential, respite can be achieved informally by arranging for the person with dementia to stay with relatives or friends or formally through services such as daycare and short stays in residential units.

Support groups provide an opportunity to share experiences and feelings. Professional counselling has been shown to be effective in improving morale and decreasing feelings of stress.

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week - Sept 11-17

2011-09-12T16:02:00.002-04:00

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week - Sept 11-17

96% of illnesses are invisible. These people do no use a cane or any assistive device and may look perfectly healthy. Sixty percent are between the ages of 18 and 64.

A “chronic” condition can be defined as any medical state of pain or symptoms that last 3 months or longer. This definition by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics reports that chronic conditions typically have symptoms or pain that persists, regardless of treatment, such as the autoimmune illness chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, lyme disease, Alzheimer’s disease, migraines, or back pain from an event like a car accident.

ICI Statistics

According to the report “Chronic Care in America, nearly 1 in 2 American live with a kind of chronic pain, condition, or illness. This can include anything from chronic migraines to disabling back pain.

According to a US Public Health Report 90% of seniors have at least one chronic disease and 77% have two or more chronic diseases.

According to a report by Rifkin, Depression in Physically Ill Patients, Depression is 15-20% higher for the chronically ill than for the average person

According to a National Health Interview Survey, the divorce rate among the chronically ill is over 75 percent.

For individuals, living with an ICI may result in lack of treatment, lack of income, and lack of social support services. Invisibility may also result in neglect of medical research into these illnesses, which in turn can hold back progress in diagnosis and treatment.

Beverly's Hot Tips For National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week:

It is hard to know what to do when you know a person has an illness. It is even harder when it is virtually invisible. Do you ask them how they are feeling? Do you let them know that they can count on you? Absolutely. Don't be afraid to talk about it. Open the lines of communication and follow the other person's lead. If they want to go into details they will. If they would rather talk about other things, they will let you know. It doesn't need to be the only part of the conversation, but it shouldn't be avoided as taboo either.

It is important to be your own best advocate. Because your illness may not be one of the 'big' ones, may mean that you are not receiving the health care support that you need. One of my longest, dearest friends had to do her own research to come up with her diagnosis as she talked to doctor after doctor.

As much as possible, keep connected to other areas in your life. It is easier to get sucked into the negativity of a debilitating illness when we let go of these other areas. Working, socializing and even day-today activities can be extremely difficult, but it is essential that you have something that can take you outside of yourself, if only for a short while. If you are unable to work, find something like reading or other hobbies.

Reach out for support. It is only by opening up about your illness can you educate people and invite them to be there for you. You may be surprised that they might be dealing with their own ICI and could really use your support as well. Or they may become one of your biggest advocates or confidants. You won't know until you give them a chance.

Marriage Health Month - September

2011-09-05T17:54:00.002-04:00

Marriage Health Month - September

A happy marriage requires more maintenance than your car!

I have been married for 20 years...and yes, to the same person. I love the way that we fit together. We have our own interests and our own very different careers. We share in the chores and in being the 'bad' guy to our children. I like hanging out with him. I miss him when he is gone away. He can make me laugh.

Is it perfect? No. We argue. We are loud. We go to bed angry...but not very often.

But, I think it is a healthy marriage and I couldn't imagine him not being a part of my life.

Statistics show that about 90% of adults will get married at least once in their lives but many of them get disappointed because in the end, it is not the stuff that fairly tales are made of. It isn't all "lovey dovey" or hot and passionate.

Beverly's Hot Tips for creating a happy marriage:
A happy marriage is created. It doesn't just happen. It is more than love and passion. It is commitment, respect, and believing in your future together.

I was doing a web search of how to have a happy, healthy marriage...here are some of my favourites...

Marry someone that you enjoy listening and talking to. It's a sad that we are often more polite to strangers than we are to the people we love the most. Don't try to finish their sentences, don't try to solve their problems, and don't say, "I told you so!".
Compliment more than you criticize.
Remember that people do fight. It's how you do it that matters. Do you want to be right or do you want to be married? Try fighting naked and see if that changes things :)
Never air your dirty laundry as a couple in public.
Marriage is not 50/50, it's two people giving all of themselves.
Never pass up an opportunity to say "I love you".
Hold hands.
Love isn't always a feeling, it's a decision.
Be each other's champion. No matter what, take your husband or wife's side first!
Never compare your marriage to others. What you see on the outside is not always what it is on the inside. The grass always seems greener until you get there.

A healthy marriage is part luck and a lot of work. Luck that you meet the person that you can make happy and that can make you happy. Work to keep it going so that you can continue to make that other person happy and they can continue to make you happy.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Hug Your Boss Day - August 19

2011-08-15T12:43:00.003-04:00

National Hug Your Boss Day - August 19

Would you? Could you hug your boss?

Really?!...Not in a sexual harassment policy sort of way...but in celebration of National Hug Your Boss Day?

How is your relationship with your boss? According to the National Hug Your Boss Day website out of the UK (http://www.nationalhugyourbossday.co.uk/test.html), this quiz may help you determine if you have a good or poor relationship with your boss.

Does your boss trust you?
Do you trust your boss?
Do you share personal stories and weekend activities?
Do you work well with your boss? Are you productive?
Do you know where you stand with your boss?
Do you work towards the same goals?
Do you socialize together?
Can you speak to your boss openly about problems you have at work?
Can you tell your boss a joke or funny story?
Do you feel like you are both on the same side?

The more 'no's' the more likely you are able to give your boss a hug.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating National Hug Your Boss Day:

Understand the differences between you and your boss. Are they more detail-focused or more the ideas type of person. Do they tend to procrastinate or have unrealistic time frames? Do they maintain their composure during stressful times. Do the shout and stomp or play the silent game? Are the aloof or outgoing? Are they able to delegate or do they like to be hands-on? Are they participatory or more a dictator?
Work on various ways to improve the relationship between you. Develop strategies that help you to minimize the differences and maximize the similarities.
Be true to your word. Do what you say you are going to do.
Share not only the 'bad' news but the good news with your boss. Many times all we talk about are the issues, the difficulties and the challenges and your boss learns to expect that negativity. Help them to see that you can recognize and celebrate the successes and talk to them in positive ways as well. Communication is the key to a successful relationship.

I love this recommendation of things not to say to your boss from the NHYBD website:

I hate this company and I want to leave
Only 10 minutes to go!
Be my friend on Facebook
I don’t get paid enough for this
I got so wasted last night
That is not in my job description
Does it matter if I don’t finish this
It was not my fault!
How much money do you earn?
Yeah, whatever!

So reach out, improve you relationship and communication skills. And if you can't hug your boss today, then maybe the next time National Hug Your Boss Day rolls around, you will be able to.

Want to create a picture of what your ideal boss would look like, visit the National Hug Your Boss Day website at http://www.nationalhugyourbossday.co.uk/game.html. Pretty funny!

Want to try to win a bottle of bubbly send them your picture of you hugging your boss by emailing marketing@tiptopjob.com.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources .

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Hand Holding Day - August 9

2011-08-08T09:15:00.003-04:00

National Hand Holding Day

Everybody has their preferred technique: some like interlocking, others prefer cupping. Some like the pinky-link while others prefer being on top...others on the bottom. Some swing both ways.

When it comes to holding hands it is 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. When we hold hands, (or hug and touch), our bodies release oxytocin. Its role is to calm and destress, and it is thought that touch triggers the body into producing this hormone.

Touch stimulates the production of oxytocin which, in turn, promotes a desire to touch and be touched. In another study, researchers from the University of North Carolina told couples they would have to give speeches. Before they did so, 100 of the couples sat holding hands for a short time, then they embraced for 20 seconds. Another group of couples rested quietly and were separated from their partners. During their speeches, heart rates and blood pressure rose twice as high in the second group compared to the hand-holders. Research further suggests that oxytocin is the chemical that can give marriage its beneficial effect on health over those that are single.

To hold someone's hand is to offer them affection, protection or comfort. A poll of 3,000 people by Abbeyfield in the UK 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.

Just one in twenty respondents had held the hand of their grandma in the last month and only one in twenty five made this contact with their granddad. The report revealed a similar gender trend with parents, while only six percent of those surveyed had never held hands with their mother, twice as many had never held hands with their father.

The poll also revealed that the older you get, the more you regretted that lack of contact. Almost half (48 percent) of respondents over 55, when asked whose hand they would most like to hold, said it would be that of a departed parent.

The majority of respondents (80 percent) associated holding hands with romance but this contact was most popular amongst the young. Of those surveyed aged 17 and under, 64 percent most wanted to hold hands with someone they were attracted to. This figure decreased with age until only 21 percent of those over 55 wanted to hold hands for romance. This older group were most likely to associate holding hands with dying. (15 percent compared to less than two percent of those surveyed aged 17 and under)

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.

Beverly's Hot Tips For 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.
Holding hands has the benefits of keeping not only your heart warm, but your hands too...which is really important in the winter months here in Canada.
Get past the embarrassment. Little kids do it naturally to their parents and with their friends...because it feels nice.

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 would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Simplify Your Life Week - August 1-7

2011-08-01T10:34:00.004-04:00

Simplify Your Life Week - August 1-7

Life can get very complicated what with all of the 'hats' we wear.

How many hats are you wearing? List all of them. Keep going, I'm sure there is more.

These roles and responsibilities can make our life feel out of balance. So how do we simplify it so that our life is more manageable and enjoyable?

"A lack of balance, in most cases, is due to a loss of control over our lives."

We sometimes let others control our activities and determine our priorities. And sometimes it is due to a lack of clearly defined goals and the determination to maintain those goals at the forefront of our decision making process. Our work life interferes with our personal life. Family transitions, parenting issues, or caregiving strain interferes with our work life or our enjoyment of our various roles. Social obligations and holidays make us feel frazzled.

We fall prey to the ‘superhuman’ syndrome. We try to be everything to everyone, at all times. Realization and acceptance can be the first steps to gaining control. Accept that it’s impossible to do it all and it’s all right if you don’t, in fact, it’s much better if you don’t.

"Planning allows us to anticipate and get excited about our lives, and gives us a sense of accomplishment from having ‘designed’ our life."

Beverly's Hot Tips for Simplifying Your Life:

Avoid blaming others and situations – WE have the ultimate decision on how OUR time will be spent.
Develop and set your priorities and say ‘No’ to those things which are not your priority.
Planning and time management are essential skills. Planning should include not just career tasks, but home, family, leisure, social, and self.
Treat your household like your own small business. If daily tasks are organized and routine, everything is easier. 30% of our time is spent doing ‘pile-up’ items such as chores and maintenance activities – By being aware of this time we can begin to plan more effectively. Organization will help you to finish your chores in less time.
Organize your weeknight and weekends in the same way you do other work-related tasks.
Prepare for the transition from work to home by planning your work-related activities for the next day before you leave the office. Try, as best as you can, to complete your work-related tasks on Friday, so that you can concentrate on other items over the weekend, and start with a clean slate on Monday.
Do not over-program yourself or your family.
Most behavioural problems occur upon first arriving at home. Take 10 minutes when you first get home to get reconnected and rebuild the family bond.
Make the morning routine as simple as possible, leaving yourself more than enough time for ‘emergencies’.
Piggyback activities – spend time talking to your children while making dinner, read a good book or plan out your grocery list while waiting for a doctor’s appointment, listen to your favourite music while doing chores.

Develop a menu for 1-2 weeks that you can easily follow. Ensure that you always have these items on hand when grocery shopping. Have a list on fridge with running shopping list.

Get rid of clutter -keep only the essential items in kitchen drawers, do not use closets and garage as storage space, weed out clothes that do not fit, purge unused files, give away ‘knick knacks’, and if it’s broke - repair it or get rid of it. Let go of mementos if they have lost their meaning -pictures, old cards, programs. Touch flyers, junk mail, newspapers, and magazines only once. Pull out relevant material and recycle the rest.

Our stress can be negatively impacted by the way in which we organize our daily activities and routines, and by the organization or lack there of in our physical environment. Simplifying routines and de-junking physical space can increase our efficiency, our effectiveness and can add to a sense of control which can help us create a calm and peaceful presence.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

Take Your Houseplants For A Walk Day - July 27

2011-07-25T13:27:00.004-04:00

Take Your Houseplants For A Walk Day - July 27

Well, I'm not sure that I am going to take my plants for a walk, but I will try to be nicer to them.

Many of my plants have 'taken a walk' to the dump when they failed to survive my watering and care routine (or lack of). Some species of plants and I do very well, others, I have given up on completely.

After reading a report from NASA where they found that some houseplants were able to remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours, I decided I may need to give houseplants another try. This list I found may give me a place to start.

Top 9 Air Purifying Plants
The following plants are most effective in removing potentially harmful chemicals-including those in paints, varnishes, dry cleaning fluids, car exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke-from the air in your home.

Dragon tree

Ficus

Philodendrons

Spider plants

Peace lilies

Ferns (Mother Fern)

Chrysanthemums

Palms (Dragon Tree)

I have tried spider plants, ivy, ficus, chrysanthemums and palms with very little luck. Maybe a fern is next on my list.

Did You Know?
Plants can make you feel calmer and heal faster.
Some studies have shown that hospital patients who face a window with a garden view recovered more quickly than those who had to look at a wall. According to a University of Agriculture in Norway study, indoor plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 percent, partially by increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust.

Plants can make you smarter.
The University of Technology Sydney found that classroom plants consistently led to improved performance in spelling, mathematics and science.

Plants can reduce stress.
Washington State University, found that participants in the presence of plants were less stressed and reacted 12% more quickly than those in the absence of plants.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Take Your Houseplants For A Walk Day:

Give a houseplant a try. Some are better suited for some rooms in your home than others. So don't give up. I have had a spider plant in my bathroom for over 10 years, but have failed to keep one alive in my kitchen for more than 6 months.

Look for varieties that are low maintenance. Ask your friends which variety they have had success with and which ones they have taken on the long walk to the garbage can.

Try to remember to water and fertilize them regularly. Even better, make it someone else's responsibility and you just enjoy their benefits without the work.

Plants not only add beauty to a living space, but they have proven health benefits. However, if trying to have a green thumb is creating too much stress in your life, forgo the growing at home and get out and enjoy the gardens of someone else and get the benefits the easier way.

Gorgeous Grandma Day - June 23

2011-07-18T20:33:00.001-04:00

Gorgeous Grandma Day - June 23

Her smile can light up a room
Her presence is of grace
Her opinions are heard without one word
but by the look upon her face
Her touch is so gentle
Her heart as big as the moon
Her spirit is kindhearted
and warm as a summer’s afternoon
Her hair a river of gray
Her eyes radiant as the sun
Her time she’ll take no matter how long
until the work is done
Her kisses are so soft
Her hugs preferred from the rest
My granny is mine forever and ever
and she’ll always be the best
© *demecia Dean

I am blessed to have a grandma who has been a huge influence on my life. She makes me feel accepted, wanted, and truly loved. She has taught me how to sew, play cards, roller skate, and hug. She cheered me on. She always remembers my birthday even in the midst of the Christmas rush. She showed me what love and partnership looked like and how to keep going even when life got a bit rough. She could dress it up for a night out and she could get down and dirty in the garden. And she is gorgeous.

It doesn't matter what she is wearing. It doesn't matter if her hair is done or her lipstick is on. Her soul and her heart are what make her truly beautiful. I don't know if she sees herself the way I see her, but I hope that she knows how much she means to me.

My sons are blessed. They had 3 great grandmas and 3 grandmas that got to share in their early years. I hope that they remember them as being gorgeous women too. They are young men now and I hope that I can teach them that beauty is not about what is on the outside but on the character of the soul.

These are lessons that we all need to remember. Our worth is not about the job that we have, the goals that we achieve or the beauty of our youth. Jobs change. Goals change. Looks change. Our beauty is in the connections that we make with others.

I see young girls move through their primary and secondary school years who put on 'airs' and try to mould themselves into the popular image of beauty. It is so sad that they can't 'hear' the message that they don't have to do this to be beautiful. But it is lost in the media noise of music videos, magazine photos and Hollywood glam.

My grandma is gorgeous. I can only hope that I can make as much of a difference in someones life by the time I become a grandma.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Gorgeous Grandma Day:

How do you see yourself when you look in the mirror? Do you pick out the flaws or celebrate the person who looks back at you? Work harder at celebrating.
Tell the gorgeous women in your life what you see when you look at them. Don't describe their physical beauty, but what you see that radiates from them or the positive impact that they have on those around them.
If you have young girls and women in your life - daughters, nieces etc., help them to see that beauty is not found in a product or in the clothes that they buy.

Grandma...if you get to see this....you are amazing...and truly gorgeous!

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Ice Cream Day - July 17

2011-07-11T06:33:00.003-04:00

National Ice Cream Day - July 17

Can you guess what my favourite snack food is?

Ice cream. Creamy. Cold. Sweet. Hard or Soft...doesn't matter. I love ice cream.

It can be high in fat and it contains a lot of sugar. It's not the kind of snack food that I should have everyday...though wouldn't that be absolutely wonderful?

But it is not all bad.

It may be useful in PMS.
It contains calcium which helps control blood pressure, reduces the risk of colon cancer, may lower the chances of developing kidney stones and it puts a damper on PMS...I knew there was a reason that I crave it more at different times.

It may help in maintaining weight.
How interesting is that? Ice cream for weight control. Research from the American Society of Experimental Biology found that a diet that included dairy prevented about 50 percent of weight regain and 80 percent of fat regain after the animals had lost weight and were allowed to eat at will, compared to those on the low-calcium, dairy-free diet. Now this research was done with animals, but if it works there it may work on humans....I would at least like to be a part of the experimental group...test group...not the control group.

Ice cream may actually help me to keep my girlish figure.
But there is other research to go along with the benefits of dairy...aka ice cream :). The North American Association for the Study of Obesity found in a study of 800 men and women that those who ate the most calcium were also the leanest. Research from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Woman's University in Houston reported an association between the consumption of low-fat milk and dairy products and a lower waist-to-hip ratio.

It may keep me from shrinking.
Calcium is essential in preventing osteoporosis. Adults need 1,000 mg of calcium a day, and those age 50 and older need at least 1,200 mg a day. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that postmenopausal women who are not on hormones get 1,500 mg of calcium a day for bone maintenance. One reasonable (insert small) serving of ice cream can give you 10% of your daily calcium intake. One hospital is even giving out a complimentary ice cream bar to all women who call before Aug. 31 to schedule an appointment for a DXA Scan to screen for osteoporosis. Someone say free ice cream...sign me up!

Did you know...

Ice cream is not a new treat...people have been creating frozen delicacies since 400 BC
Britain's Margaret Thatcher was part of a research team that helped to develop soft ice cream
The average American eats 18.3 litres of ice cream each year while Canadians eat 8.7 litres. Japan has the lowest consumption with .01 litres per year.
Scientists are tinkering with ice cream – not to remove sugar or fat, but to add enough nutritional value that ice cream will be classified a “multifunctional” food. The advantages of ice cream they’re proposing will include: Antioxidants, Dietary Fiber, Probiotics and Prebiotics. This new breed of ice cream can play a role in preventing cancer, aid in digestion, encourage good bacteria in gut flora, bolster the immune system, lower cholesterol and lose weight. Yahoo!

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating National Ice Cream Day:

Ice cream can be a healthy treat. But it is a treat. Until they develop ice cream that is more multifunctional, indulge, but not everyday.
I have nothing else...just go out and celebrate.

Now which kind to choose...DQ, Kawartha Dairy, Cold Stone, soft, hard, dipped, sauced, fruit, chocolate.....

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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I Forgot Day - July 2

2011-07-04T07:47:00.001-04:00

I Forgot Day - July 2

Ever been standing there, looking at someone directly in their eyes, knowing that you have a history together and for the life of you, you can't remember their name?

Ever walked into a room and not remembered why you were heading there?

Been in the middle of a conversation and not remembered what you wanted to say?

Forgetting refers to the apparent loss of information already stored in an individual's memory. It can be a spontaneous or gradual process in which old memories are unable to be recalled or accessed from storage.

I hate forgetting things. I get annoyed when others seem to be able to remember the smallest details and I can't even remember being there. Sometimes I think I have early Alzheimer's.

I tend to believe that much of our 'forgetting' is based on interference theory. Interference occurs when the learning of something new causes the forgetting of older material on the basis of competition between the two. Simply...we often have way too much on our mind. There is competition for our attention and competition in juggling far too many things at once. We are stressed out and this interferes with what and how we store these things.

Forgetting also happens when things are also too similar to really distinguish between them. For example an event is difficult to remember if it is one of a number of similar events like what you ate for dinner last week. With so much on our 'plate' it is no wonder that these little details go by the wayside.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating I Forgot Day:

Forgetting is not such a bad thing. Sometimes it allows us to minimize negative situations.
Forgetting can be reduced by repetition and/or more elaborate cognitive processing of information. If you really need to remember it, write it down, repeat it out loud and review your notes again and again.
Slow down and try to live more in the moment. Go from multi-tasking to single tasking and see if these stress reducers are memory boosters
Try boosting your memory with foods rich in Omega-3 such as meat and dairy, seafood, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.
I Forgot Day is a great day to make amends if you have forgotten some really important celebrations throughout the year...birthdays, anniversaries. Go the Hallmark way and send an "I'm sorry I forgot card".

And if you are really concerned that you are forgetting more than you should, go and see your doctor. It may not be Alzheimer's, but it could be the result of a number of different health issues including depression.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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SOS To STRESS Day - June 30

2011-06-30T00:30:00.016-04:00

SOS To STRESS Day - June 30

"Coping with stress is simple...though not always easy." S-O-S To STRESS Day

We hear so much about stress. Most of it negative. Most of it about the sources or symptoms. Some of it inaccurate. And much of it not helpful.

www.SOStoSTRESS.com

SOS To STRESS Day was conceived because we need to hear more about how to deal with stress. We already know that it is bad to be "under" too much stress. But what options do we have to deal with it?

SOS To STRESS Day was launched in the media and through organizations and associations interested in helping Canadians achieve wellness.

SOS To STRESS Day is about coping. It is about finding the right strategies to take care of the situations and ourself.

What Do Sleep, Sex and Sweaty Palms Have In Common?

They are all impacted by stress. Stress plays on our minds and keeps up awake at night. It can lower our libido. It brings about headaches, high blood pressure and sweaty palms. So, how do we determine the right strategies to deal with so many different sources of stress and such a large variety of symptoms?

S-O-S Principle

The S-O-S Principle helps us to ensure that no matter what we are facing we are able to best take care of the Situation and Ourselves and be Supported while we are doing this. Some may do well with exercise. Others may find that organizing and prioritizing is what is needed at the moment. Some situations require the input of others. Some require you to just do something - other times nothing. Sometimes you may need to evaluate the lifestyle that you are living. Other times, it may require you to cut ties with someone around you.

There is no one way to deal with stress...despite what others may suggest or tell you. It is about designing a plan with sufficient strategies to be successful, healthy and happy.

Beverly's Hot Tips for Celebrating SOS To STRESS Day:

Identify the sources of stress in your life. They may not all be large and in-your-face issues. Some sources of stress are irritating annoyances that have built up over time.
The Stress Test on Beverly's site might help:

http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/Stress_Test

Evaluate what you are already doing that is positive to deal with your stress. How have you handled difficult situations in the past? What are you doing to keep yourself healthy? The answers to these questions may give you an idea of your positive copers. Then see what strategies may fill in the gaps.
Talk to those around you. Find out how others may have handled similar situations. Chances are someone in your social network has already 'been there and done that'. Their strategies may or may not be useful to you, but they can certainly give you a starting point.

Look to your community for more information. Your company, through it's HR department or EAP, may have access to additional information. The local health unit, CMHA and Distress Centres can also point you in the right direction. You may find that talking to your doctor, spiritual advisor or community leader may provide you with some insights.
Don't forget to check with your on-line community and reputable sites like:

Beverly's links to her www.SOStoSTRESS.com site or
Stress Articles from the Reading Room -
http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/articles/index/all

and her Stress and Wellness Blog
http://stressandwellnesstips.blogspot.com/

Baby Boomer's Recognition Day - June 21

2011-06-20T10:05:00.006-04:00

Baby Boomer's Recognition Day - June 21

The first Baby Boomers are turning 65 this year!

What is a Baby Boomer?
When World War II ended in 1945, thousands of young men returned from service, got jobs, got married and started families (not necessarily in that order). This resulted in a significant jump in the birth rate (more than 1 million more babies born in 1946, compared to 1945 in the US) and this increased birth rate continued until 1964.

Baby Boomers in Canada are usually defined as the generation born from 1947 to 1966. Canadian soldiers were repatriated later than American servicemen, and Canada's birthrate did not start to rise until 1947. In Canada, Baby Boomers account for close to one-third of our country's 32 million people.

In general, Baby Boomers are associated with a rejection or redefinition of traditional values. As a group, they were the healthiest and wealthiest generation to that time, and amongst the first to grow up genuinely expecting the world to improve with time. Baby Boomers control over 80% of personal financial assets and more than 50% of discretionary spending power. They are responsible for more than half of all consumer spending, buy 77% of all prescription drugs, 61% of OTC medication and 80% of all leisure travel.

Overall, Baby Boomers who eat well, exercise and take care of themselves can expect to be healthier than previous generations. However, indulgence has led many Baby Boomers to be over-weight and lethargic which can lead to higher rates of chronic illness. Another downside, Baby Boomers, on the whole, do not have enough money saved to cover the costs of retirement for a longer life expectancy.

Who Are They?

Work-Centric: Baby Boomers are extremely hardworking and motivated by position, perks and prestige. Baby Boomers relish long work weeks and define themselves by their professional accomplishments. They sacrificed a great deal to get where they are in their career and are considered and commonly called to workaholics

Independent: Baby Boomers are confident, independent and self-reliant. This generation grew up in an era of reform and believe they can change the world. They questioned established authority systems and challenged the status quo. Baby Boomers are not afraid of confrontation and will not hesitate to challenge established practices.

Goal-Oriented: With increased educational and financial opportunities, Baby Boomers are achievement-oriented, dedicated and career-focused. They welcome exciting, challenging projects and strive to make a difference.

Competitive: Since Baby Boomers equate work and position with self-worth, they are quite competitive in the workplace. They are clever, resourceful and strive to win. Boomers believe in hierarchical structure

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Baby Boomer's Recognition Day:

Baby Boomers beware of missing out on life because of the need to succeed. Being a generation of workaholics has made you great achievers, but you may have paid a huge price in your health and relationships.
Plan for your retirement. Not just financially. Work has been your life. How will you transition out? What will you transition to? How will this impact how you see yourself?
Research shows boomers to be a stressed generation, struggling to balance the needs of your parents and your children while worrying about retirement. Find ways to take care of yourself while still helping others.

International Men's Health Week - June 13-19, 2011

2011-06-13T12:22:00.002-04:00

International Men's Health Week - June

"If it ain't broke, leave it alone!"

In celebration of Dads and Father's Day, we need to recognize that there is a difference between men and women when it comes to health.

Not only do various illness and diseases look and act differently in men and women, how men and women view prevention differs as well.

The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

Most men still follow the old adage above. In fact the Centre For Disease Control reports that women are 100% more likely to see their doctor for their annual check-up than men. According to research by Angus Reid on behalf of Amgen and Pfizer Canada, in 2011, one-quarter of men who have seen a doctor in the last six months reported that they waited until their symptoms were "very" or "extremely severe" before they made an appointment with their doctor.

Women are conditioned to go to see their doctor for a yearly check-up, where as men, often wait until things have gone array before they see their doctor. Because of poor health habits, failure to seek medical attention and dangerous occupations, men die younger than women.

"There is a silent health crisis in America...it’s that fact that, on average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women". Dr. David Gremillion, Men's Health Network.

Why Should Men Be Concerned:?

Men's Health Facts:

Men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death and are the victims of over 92% of workplace deaths. (BLS)

In 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now, men, on average, die almost six years earlier than women. (CDC)

By the age of 100, women outnumber men eight to one. (NYT Magazine, 3-16-03)

Beverly's Hot Tips for Celebrating International Men's Health Week:

Wear a blue ribbon or pin to remind the men around you to get screened for prostrate cancer

10 Tips for men in particular:

Early detection can save lives. Take the time to get your annual physical.
Take prescription medicine as directed
Do a monthly testicular exam
Do a monthly skin exam for spots or changes
After 40, get a rectal exam every 1-2 years
Get your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars tested yearly
Stay at home and take the time to recover when you are sick
Talk to someone if you are feeling pressured or anxious
Find ways to ensure a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI)
Keep physically active

Here's To Your Health!

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Headache Awareness Week - June 2011

2011-06-06T16:35:00.011-04:00

National Headache Awareness Week - June

Headaches Are No Small Matter

Almost half of all adults around the world suffer from headache disorders, such as migraines and tension headaches reported the World Health Organization this past May. "Headache and migraine disorders are greatly underrated and underreported by health systems and receive too little attention," said Dr. Shekhar Saxena, the WHO's Director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders.

Did You Know?...

More people in the U.S. suffer from migraines than from asthma and diabetes combined (Harris Decima)
Migraines affect around one in six women and one in 12 men (WHO)
Worldwide, migraines are the cause of 1.3% of all disability due to illness (WHO)
The European Union (EU) loses 190 million days every year because of migraines (WHO)
During migraine attacks, 90% of people postpone household chores, almost three-quarters have limited ability to work, and half of them miss work entirely (WHO)
Migraines have been estimated to be the most expensive brain disorder in the EU and the United States (WHO)
Research posted in the Journal of Neurology in 2008 found that 1 in 5 migraine suffers missed work or school because of their migraines
Migraines are the cause of an estimated 400,000 lost days from work or school every year per million of the population in developed countries (WHO)
The total annual cost of all headache has recently been estimated at 155 billion euros in the EU ($229 billion) (WHO)
2002 Harris Decima survey found that respondents said they lost the equivalent of more than four days of work a year on average because of migraines. Based on an estimated 18.5 million migraine sufferers in the workforce, migraines results in roughly 80 million lost workdays per year in the US.
Headaches, especially migraines, have a tendency to run in families. Most children and adolescents (90%) who have migraines have other family members with migraines. When both parents have a history of migraines, there is a 70% chance that the child will also develop migraines. If only one parent has a history of migraines, the risk drops to 25%-50%.

All Headache Pain Is Not Created Equal.

There are 150 diagnostic headache categories that have been established.

The most common types of headaches are:

Tension headaches: Also called chronic daily headaches or chronic non-progressive headaches, tension headaches are the most common type of headaches among adults and adolescents. These muscle contraction headaches cause mild to moderate pain and come and go over a prolonged period of time.

Migraines: The exact causes of migraines are unknown, although they are related to blood vessel contractions and other changes in the brain as well as inherited abnormalities in certain areas of the brain. Migraine pain is moderate to severe, often described as pounding, throbbing pain. They can last from four hours to three days and usually occur one to four times per month. Migraines are associated with symptoms such as sensitivity to light, noise, or odors; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and stomach upset or abdominal pain. When a child is having a migraine they often look pale, feel dizzy, have blurred vision, fever, stomach upset, in addition to having the above listed symptoms.

Mixed headache syndrome: Also called transformed migraines, this is a combination of migraine and tension headaches. Both adults and children experience this type of headache.

Cluster headaches: The least common -- although the most severe -- type of primary headache. The pain of a cluster headache is intense and may be described as having a burning or piercing quality that is throbbing or constant. The pain is so severe that most cluster headache sufferers cannot sit still and will often pace during an attack. The pain is located behind one eye or in the eye region, without changing sides. The term "cluster headache" refers to headaches that have a characteristic grouping of attacks. Cluster headaches occur one to three times per day during a cluster period, which may last two weeks to three months. The headaches may disappear completely (go into "remission") for months or years, only to recur.

Sinus headaches: Sinus headaches are associated with a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead, or bridge of the nose. The pain usually intensifies with sudden head movement or straining and usually occurs with other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever, and facial swelling.

Acute headaches: Seen in children, these are headaches that occur suddenly and for the first time and have symptoms that subside after a relatively short period of time. Acute headaches most commonly result in a visit to the pediatrician's office and/or the emergency room. If there are no neurological signs or symptoms, the most common cause for acute headaches in children and adolescents is a respiratory or sinus infection.

Hormone headaches: Headaches in women are often associated with changing hormone levels that occur during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Chemically induced hormone changes, such as with birth control pills, also trigger headaches in some women.

Chronic progressive headaches: Also called traction or inflammatory headaches, chronic progressive headaches get worse and happen more often over time. These are the least common type of headache, accounting for less than 5% of all headaches in adults and less than 2% of all headaches in kids. Chronic progressive headaches may be the result of an illness or disorder of the brain or skull.

Chronic headache sufferers know that headaches can interfere with work, social activities and even completing the simplest task such as getting dressed.

Beverly’s Hot Tips for National Headache Awareness Week:

Learn what triggers your headaches – conflict, noise, food, wine, odours.
Keep a headache journal to give you some clues as to the triggers
Get plenty of sleep
Eat a balanced diet
Get outside
Exercise
Learn relaxation techniques such as pressure point, deep breathing, visualization and muscle relaxation
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your headaches

In the Workplace

Education is the key to assisting those suffering with headache disorders. Through education, appropriate accommodations can be determined and guilt and stigma reduced.

Accommodations can centre around the removal of common triggers such as poor lighting and the wearing of perfumes. Workplace accommodations for rest and non-stimulation during the experiencing of a headache can prevent the loss of a entire day's work. Not all headaches are created equal and by educating the entire workplace, those that suffer more severely may be able to feel supported and find the right strategies that will help them to stay productive and healthy.

World No Tobacco Day - May 31

2011-05-31T09:00:00.007-04:00

World No Tobacco Day

We have come along way baby....

Smoking is no longer glamourous or a pass-time of the rich and famous. It is no longer condoned in restaurants and public places. And most people understand the link to major health issues.

Though it has lost its 'public' appeal, it is still a major issue and addiction within our families and workplaces. Smoking cessation is the focus of many workplace wellness programs because tobacco addiction has an negative impact on absenteeism, productivity and benefits usage. It is costing us at a government, corporate and a personal level.

Wouldn't it be great, if we could prevent the up and coming generations from having to face the 'futility' of quitting, of being a 'slave' to their addiction, or experiencing the devastating impact of their 'habit'.

My hope for my sons is that they are never tempted to 'try' it, feel insecure enough to use it to help them in social situations, or heaven forbid, think that it will make them 'cooler'.

As a parent, I loved when they were younger and we would walk into the arena, past the smokers, and they would blurt out something along the lines of how gross it was, how it smelled bad or did they know that cigarettes were killing them. I love hearing them talk about how they want to be healthy and that good 'atheletes' don't smoke. And I know that the messages from their schools, their coaches and their parents are getting through, when they express their concern for family members and how they hope that they don't develop cancer because they are still smoking.

Hopefully, they will never start smoking, because once started, it can be excruciatingly hard to stop. Some people wrongly believe that if we continue to raise the price, add more tax or put more disgusting pictures on the packages, that people will stop smoking and choose to live a healthier life.

But tobacco is addictive, and being addicted to something, means that logic is skewed and the addiction can always be justified or at least continued to exist. "A tobacco addiction really isn't that harmful anyway, right? It's not like it is a 'street drug'. It really doesn't hurt anyone else other than the person using it. Right?" Those that don't smoke, know that the answer to these questions is a resounding "Wrong".

So, if we know that it is harmful, why don't we, as a society, just say no to tobacco altogether?

Unfortunately, smokers bring in millions of dollars to the government through taxes and the smoking industry provides jobs and more money to those that produce and sell tobacco and cigarettes. We are as dependent on the income generated as the smokers are on the tobacco that they use.

So, I go back to my original statement...we have come a long way...but the key to our success is to continue to convince the younger generation that it isn't worth it. If they don't start, then eventually the industry will die away, like unfortunately, those from the older generations who smoked their lives away.

Today is World No Tobacco Day. That is the hope of our future. Today, we start with the young ones in front of us. We shape their minds and we teach them healthy strategies to cope with the world around them.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Egg Month - May

2011-05-23T10:53:00.033-04:00

Celebrating National Egg Month
What Type of Breakfast Person Are You?
Do you eat breakfast like a king or like a pauper?

Based on research at Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph, about 5% of young school children skip breakfast. Another study found that by grade 4, an average of 24% of students miss the morning meal, and this number sharply rises to 41% for eighth graders. During the teen years, breakfast skipping becomes a bad habit. Data from Ontario show that over 51% of secondary school boys and almost 64% of secondary school girls don't eat breakfast on a daily basis and according to Canadian Health and Lifestyles, 40% of Canadian adults don’t eat a morning meal.

Research shows that skipping breakfast is bad for us.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that people who skipped breakfast had a higher risk of obesity.
Skipping breakfast frequently has also been connected to depression and perceived stress.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that academic performance, problem solving skills, and mood are all affected by breakfast consumption

What is your approach to breakfast?
The Pauper, The King and The Maestro.

The Pauper
These people almost always skip breakfast. They are either too busy, not hungry in the morning, or are on a diet. Or just like the pauper who was given a small piece of bread to eat, these people may eat a doughnut, a sweet roll or a piece of toast and wash it down with coffee or juice. (This kind of breakfast is high in refined sugar and has little or no protein. You will usually be hunger in an hour or two and feel foggy-headed and fatigued). They may also be the ones who pull up to the drive through window or fill their mug on the way out the door. Coffee can give you a morning boost, but has none of the nutrients needed to repair and maintain the body and mind.

The King
The 'feast' consists of a large quantity of food, including eggs, pancakes with syrup, sausage, bacon, and hash browns. Though it contains a variety of food groups, it usually is heavy on the carbs and fat and very high in calories, which can lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Though many of us may 'feast' on the weekend, it doesn't make up for not eating breakfast throughout the week.

The Maestro
Breakfast is a priority for this group, and so is conducting themselves in healthy way. They make good choices so that they manage their energy effectively and add the right kinds of foods that promote health and longevity.

Beverly's Hot Tips for ensuring a healthy breakfast:

Make it portable. If time is an issue, look for things that can be taken on the road such as apples, bananas, grapes, raisins in a box, hard boiled eggs, yogurt tubes, protein bars, juice boxes, milk in a carton and even smoothies to go.
Make it fun. Breakfast can be a time for connection and fun. Eggs and waffles can be cooked using a variety of shapers to add some fun. Toast can be cut into strips. Drink you milk with a curly straw.
Keep it balanced. Try to cover the four basic food groups. Add tomatoes, peppers, cheese and ham to omelets to add in other food groups.
Cut out the sugar. Read the labels on the cereal boxes and look for those that are lower in calories and higher in proteins and fibre. Look for 100% juices.
Don't Call It Breakfast. If you don't like breakfast foods, don't limit yourself to the traditional. Do you have leftovers from last night's dinner? Great - just keep it balanced and don't get stuck in a rut.

Dog Bite Prevention Week - May 15-21, 2011

2011-05-16T16:53:00.002-04:00

Dog Bite Prevention Week - May

I was only two. I vaguely remember being in our livingroom with my mom while she was crying and talking on the phone to the hospital. I remember being in the emergency room. And before all of this, I have a fleeting memory of being out at the barn and our dog. Somehow, our dog thought that I was going to steal his food, though I had been out there numerous times. On this particular occasion, he snapped at me and bit me, just missing my eye.

Even the calmest, most loving dog can get snappy when sat on, stepped on or when they feel fear for themselves or their family. According to the National Association of Letter Carriers, dog attacks rise from February to where they peak in June and in the US, on average 10 letter carriers suffer from dog-related injuries every delivery day. More than 4.7 million Americans, most of them children, and 5,600 mail carriers were attacked by dogs in 2010.

My experience could have left me scarred in many more ways than just the one that I carry on my face. Today, I am a dog lover. I don't fear them at all, but I do have a very healthy respect for them.

Cynophobia is an irrational fear of dogs. However, the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders states that animal phobias are among the most common of the specific phobias and 36% of patients who seek treatment report being afraid of dogs or cats. Although snakes and spiders are more common animal phobias, cynophobia is especially debilitating because of the high prevalence of dogs. What makes this a phobia is that adult patients recognize that their fear is excessive, unreasonable or irrational and for them exposure is most often avoided altogether or is endured with severe dread.

Cynophobia can develop in a number of ways. These may include direct personal experience, observational experience, and informational or instructional experience. Direct personal experience may consists of having a personal negative encounter with a dog such as being bitten. In contrast, seeing a friend attacked by a dog and thus developing a fear of dogs would be observational experience. Informational or instructional experience simply includes being told directly or indirectly that dogs are to be feared...remember Cujo.

Man's best friend, may not always be our best friend, but a healthy awareness can help to ensure that we and our pet don't come to any harm. We must also teach and educate our children how to properly interact with dogs. Education is the key to bite prevention!

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Dog Bite Prevention Week:

The Canadian Safety Council estimates that in 70% of dog bite cases the victim knew the dog, and of that 25% lived in the house with the offending dog. Parents need to teach their children how to interact safely with Fido.
NEVER disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
NEVER pet a dog, even your own, without letting him see and sniff you first.
Don't run past a dog. The dog's natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.
If a dog threatens you, don't scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.
Don't let your child take mail from the postal worker in the presence of your dog. Your dog's instinct is to protect the family.
Dogs that haven't been properly socialized, receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters. Be a responsible pet owner.
Properly train and socialize your dog, and teach it submissive behaviors like giving up food without growling.
If you find that your fear of dogs is excessive and you can't easily avoid them, seek out the help of a professional counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist.

A favourite quote...There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. Bern Williams

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Reading Is Fun Week - May 8-14, 2011

2011-05-09T10:46:00.002-04:00

Reading Is Fun Week - May

"Reading opens a window to the world; giving us a vision of things we never dreamed possible."

Reading for fun has become like a long lost luxury, especially in this busy age of 24/7. Relaxation and 'luxury' activities are often met with the guilt that we should be doing something worthwhile and productive...not indulging and pampering ourselves.

What would the world be like if we lost our interest in reading for fun and pleasure? Research shows that we may be heading that way. An Ipsos Reid survey, which was commissioned by CanWest News Service and Global Television, found that nearly a third of adults (31 per cent) across the country didn’t read a single book for pleasure in all of 2007. The discouraging figure puts Canadians four points behind the U.S., where an identical poll for 2006 showed 27 per cent of Americans hadn’t picked up a book in the previous 12 months. The good news is that the 69 per cent of Canadians who were reading in 2007 did so voraciously, with the average person in that group having dug into 20 books over the course of the year.

The National Endowment for the Arts, has found that this decline is happening across all age groups, all genders and races, regardless of income, education, or region. Perhaps most disturbing, the steepest decline has come among young adults, ages 18 to 24, over the past two decades.

A lot has been written about the benefits of reading in children, but there are benefits for adults as well. Reading can transport us to another time or place. It stimulates the right side of our brain and can engage our imagination and strengthen our creativity. Reading can expand our understanding of other cultures, help us to find new ways to express our ideas, and expand our vocabulary.

It forces us to be still and slow down when we are use to be running on high-speed. This time-out is so effective that the National Health System in the United Kingdom has introduced a 'Reading and You Scheme'. The scheme encourages mental health patients to read more as part of their
therapy for reducing stress and overcoming anxiety, depression and social isolation.

"Bibliotherapy is the use of reading creatively; books, stories and poems to make people feel better, in themselves, about themselves and about others. It is about reading and a passion for reading. It is also about sharing that passion, enthusiasm and delight with another individual or group of people. It can show us our own life mirrored in that of another person. If we are feeling miserable or alone sharing our experience in this way can help us to feel less isolated. Our empathy with others is extended as is our imagination and understanding."

Reading can stimulate our emotions and give us an appropriate way to vent out our frustrations, sadness and joy. I love getting so involved in a book that I find myself reading through my tears. This is when I usually get the response from my boys that "It's just a book!".

Finally, research has found that reading for pleasure has been found to correlate to higher community participation and a greater insight into human nature and decision-making.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Reading Is Fun Week:

Find a good book. Ask your friends which books they found interesting. Friends may have similar tastes and their recommendations may help to ensure that you find a book that will engage you
Use technology. Book readers such as the Kindle can help you to carry a lot of books in a very convenient package especially when you are travelling or on vacation. However, there is still nothing like the feeling of physically turning the page when you are completely engrossed by what is going to happen next.
Turn off the TV and start reading. According to Digital Home Canada and their in-depth analysis of the CRTC Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report (BPMR) for 2008, Canadian adults (18 and over) watch more TV than children, an average of 28.8 hours a week in a full year. This works out at almost 1,500 hours of television viewing each year, including an estimated 25,000 commercials.
Find the time. It doesn't have to be a 'free' hour. Reading for fun can last for 20 or 30 minutes. Some read before bed as a way of winding down. Others I know, take the book to the bathroom while soaking in the tub. I have a very hard time with limiting my time when I get a really good book. I have been know to read an entire day (or night) away, just because I couldn't put the book down. In this case, I only start a good book when I am truly able to ignore the phones and my work, like while I am on vacation. The problem with this strategy is that I can go months without reading, but when I do it is thoroughly rewarding.

Reading For Fun Week is a gentle reminder that reading is not a chore or homework assignment. It is a positive way of dealing with the stressors in our world, slowing ourselves down and adding more fun into our lives. Be a reader.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Melanoma Monday - May 2, 2011

2011-05-02T17:20:00.001-04:00

Melanoma Monday - 1st Monday in May

Love this advice...If your shadow is shorter than you are, you should seek the shade.

Do you annually check your skin? Do you wear your sunscreen faithfully? Do you go and see your doctor for regular check ups?

If so, you are helping to ensure that you prevent skin cancer or at least ensure that you catch it in its early stages.

Usually, I am good with the sunscreen. I am fair skinned, fair haired and burn easily. I wear an SPF facial moisturizer even in the winter. But sometimes I forget, and sometimes I forget my kids. This year, I forgot to make sure the boys wore their sunscreen when they did their school track and field meet. The spring is an easy time to forget because we are use to bundling up for so many winter months that when the nice weather occurs, the only thing we think about is getting outside to enjoy it.

It is essential that we protect ourselves and our kids and know the early signs of Melanoma. With early detection, skin cancer has a fairly high cure rate.

The American Academy of Dermatology has a Suntelligence Survey that you can take to test you sun knowledge. http://www.aad.org/Suntelligence/quiz.aspx.

Here are a few that I found interesting. True or False?

Some types of ultraviolet rays are safe for your skin
You can get skin cancer on parts of your skin that are never exposed to the sun
Tanning beds are safer than the sun
Getting a base tan is a healthy way to protect skin from sun damage
A sunscreen with SPF 30 provides twice the protection as an SPF 15

Answers

False
True
False
False
False

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Melanoma Monday...and Being Sun Smart:

Check it out. Melanoma can be found anywhere on the body, but it is most common on the legs, back, head and neck. Do an annual scan to check for changes.
Visit your doctor regularly and make sure that they do a body scan too.
Be safe in the sun. Enjoy the spring, summer and fall sunshine, but cover up and use your sunscreen.

National Poetry Month - April

2011-04-25T09:24:00.004-04:00

National Poetry Month - April

Poetry can be a mantra for living. It can express your emotions. It can remind us of those we have loved or lost. It can connect you spiritually. It can provide you with a new perspective. It can transport you.

One of my favourites for living my life is by Dylan Thomas. Life is to be lived, not watched.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

There is some confusion as to whether Poem in Your Pocket Day is April 14 or April 28. The idea is to share your favourite poem with your friends and co-workers. You may share the actual piece of paper your wrote it on or you can Tweet it or FB it.

So here is a poem for I found for today. I like the last verse of this poem by Cristelle Elaine Collera:

Don't let them just break your heart
Do the best, play your part.
Stand up, pretend the pain ain't there
'Cause sometimes, life's just not fair.

Sometimes we find lessons in poems that we need to re-learn. This is one that I think I need to share with my child today.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating National Poetry Month:

Go through your old books and re-visit some of the poems that use to connect to your heart
Search through the Internet to find some old classics or to read what the younger generations are writing about
Write your own poem to express your gratitude or your emotions. It can help you to go deeper and sort out all that you are experiencing
Share your poems with others

What is your favourite poem?

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/ .

National Inspirational News Week - April 10-16

2011-04-11T18:03:00.006-04:00

National Inspirational News Week - April 10-16

The war continues in the east. Oil prices are skyrocketing. Crime is on the rise. Global warming may bring about disaster....

If you have listened to the news or read the newspaper, you would think that the world coming to an end in 2012 may not be such a bad thing. We get bombarded every day with negative news stories. Often to the point where we see the world as a very difficult place to live. For some, it may get to the point of wondering why any sane person would bring a child into this world.

All of this negativity has an impact. It impacts our outlook, our relationships and our health. Negativity is contagious and a major health hazard.

We need to balance these negative news stories with positive and inspirational stories. Positive stories and experiences have a positive impact on our health. A recent review of more than 160 studies on the connection between a positive state of mind and overall health and longevity has found that happier people enjoy better health and longer lives. In fact, evidence linking an upbeat outlook and enjoyment of life to better health and longer life was stronger even than that linking obesity to reduced longevity, according to the review published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.

Beverly's Hot Tips To Celebrating National Inspirational News Week:

Make sure that you don't get sucked into the negativity that is around you
Be proactive and look for the positive 'stories'. There are websites that are dedicated to positive news worthy stories...like the story of the elderly couple who donated their $11 M lottery winnings or the 3 million trees that were planted to reforest a conservation area that was burned out.
Share these stories. Use social media such as FaceBook and Twitter to make others aware of the good things that are happening around the world. Who knows who you may inspire.
Watch what you share and with who. We need to be informed and I am not suggesting that we keep our 'head in the sand' when it comes to difficult issues. But, being informed and having a productive discussion with others is very different that just sharing bad news and difficult world situations just for the sake of sharing or complaining.
Watch what you share with your children. We can easily skew their perception of the world if we only share the negative. Inspire them with stories of how others have taken on a difficult situation and found ways to overcome.

Remember: Negative breeds negative and positive can inspire positive.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Medication Safety Week - April 1-7

2011-04-04T16:40:00.005-04:00

Medication Safety Week - April 1-7

Part of spring cleaning is tackling your cupboards and drawers. Well how about that medicine cupboard?

I know that mine had been neglected when I found a jar of Vicks medicated rub from when I was a kid. Yes, that was a long time ago and yes, it was about time that it was thrown out. I have no idea if that stuff ever goes bad, but I probably should have thrown it out years ago. I have carted it from my bedroom, to my residence room, to my first apartment, and then from one home to the next with my family.

Medication safety isn't just about an expiry date. It's about safe storage. It's about knowing what medications may interact with other medications, food and supplements. It's about telling your doctor about any side effects you may have had from previous prescriptions and what supplements or over-the-counter medications you may be taking.

Medication errors are said to affect at least 1.5 million Canadians per year according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. And those mistakes can be disastrous.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Medication Safety Week:

Check your prescriptions periodically for expiration dates
If possible, purchase all of your medicines from one pharmacy
Don’t share medicines with friends or family
Prescriptions should never be stored in a bathroom, on top of the fridge, beside the stove or on a windowsill. These areas can have high levels of humidity, heat and light that may alter the drug’s chemical stability. Keep them in a dry location at room temperature and away from direct sunlight.
Dispose of medications properly. Most pharmacies will take your old drugs for proper disposal. Avoid putting them in trashcans or into the toilet
If you are traveling through several time zones, consult your doctor or pharmacist to work out a plan for adjusting the timing of your medication. This will prevent you from taking too much or too little
Remember that the term “natural” does not necessarily mean “safe”. Treat all supplements and herbal remedies with the same respect as you would any prescribed medications

Sometimes we are not as diligent as we should be with our medications. Now that my boys are older, I don't store them as safely as I probably should. Take a few minutes, sort out your medicine cabinet or box and make sure that they are safe and that your family stays healthy.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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I Am In Control Day - March 30

2011-03-28T15:10:00.001-04:00

I Am In Control Day - March 30

"I am in Control Day" is a call to action. It is your chance to get things in order and under control.

We humans have a powerful need to control the world around us. In the same respect, not being in control, creates an enormous amount of stress. A great example is the movie with Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler. The real title is Anger Management, but really it was about not being in control that lead to the angry outbursts. As we evolved, being in control of our environment increased our chance of survival. Today, it can give us a sense of certainty, completion, understanding, and predictability.

The need for control covers our basics such as food, shelter, our social contact and even our health to the point where we often hear very ill people say that their disease is bad enough, but not being able to control it, is even harder to deal with.

When we can't completely control something ourselves, then trust, routines and rules help us with a sense of control. We trust authority figures to keep us safe and make the right decisions. We can also trust in a 'higher' power. Routines and rules help to keep things more predictable.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating I Am In Control Day:

Take a deep breath and relax. The stress response can be fought by inducing the relaxation response. Being relaxed will help you implement the other suggestions.
Assess the situation. Gather the facts. Sometimes just having all of the information about what you are facing can help you to feel more in control. Be sure that you are not over-exaggerating the situation.
Next, ask yourself what you can do to problem solve the situation? What choices can you make that will help you resolve this?
Are their routines that you can put into place that will help to make things more efficient or effective?
If this is not something that you yourself can resolve, who is in the best position to help you with this issue? How can you approach them and ask for the help?
Is this something that 'time will tell'? Do you have to wait it out? If yes, then understand that this is also a way of problem solving. You are doing something. You are trusting. Trusting those in authority or in a higher power to do what they are suppose to in order for this situation to turn out okay.
Focus on the things that you do have control of, even if they are the little things.

"Remember, we always have choice about the way we live our lives. We may not be able to control everything and often control is more of an illusion. But when we give up choosing, we truly out of control."

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Fragrance Day - March 21

2011-03-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

Fragrance Day - March 21

Roses are red,
Violets are Blue
You have stinky feet
Won't you try some perfume.

Fragrance Day is a celebration for the olfactory nerves in your nose. There is nothing like the scent of a good wine, a beautiful flower, the coming of spring, fresh baked cookies or a touch of perfume.

The sense of smell, called olfaction, involves the detection and perception of chemicals floating in the air. The olfactory tract transmits the signals to the brain, particularly the limbic system. The limbic system is involved with emotional behavior and memory which is why when you smell something, it often brings back memories associated with the object.

The connection between smell and memory happens almost immediately for us. Baby's recognize the smell of their mother. It is the first contact of the baby with the outside world and a baby knows who his own mother is just by the smell of her. No two people have the exact same odor-identity or “smell fingerprint” which is determined by many factors including: our genes, skin type, diet, medicine, mood state and even the weather.

About 2 million people in the United States have no sense of smell and some people have a very sensitive sense of smell. Allergic reactions to fragrances can result in hives, nausea, dizziness, headaches, itchy skin, eyes, and nose, runny nose, wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, sore throat, asthma attacks or asthma–like symptoms, and strange tastes in the mouth. Because of these difficulties, many workplaces have become scent-free.

Beverly's Hot Tips To Celebrating Fragrance Day:

Be aware of those who may have a fragrance sensitivity. If you have employees who have difficulty, ensure that you maintain good indoor air quality, discontinue the use of fragranced products, make any modifications to the workstation location or schedule to accommodate the person, provide an air purification system, and/or create a fragrance-free workplace policy.
Use different smells to purposefully relax you, energize you or excite you. Citrus provides energy and lavender can help you to relax. You can buy room fresheners, candles and even incense to add that dash of fragrance.
Take a fragrance walk. Now is an excellent time to get out and notice the smells of spring such as the melting snow or the first flowers.
Pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers to decorate your office or your kitchen.
Indulge and buy a new perfume.

Happy smelling!

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Forgive Mom and Dad Day - March 18

2011-03-14T19:51:00.011-04:00

Forgive Mom and Dad Day - March 18

"My parents weren't perfect. There I said it. I didn't grow up with the idyllic Christmas card perfect family. How awful. But is it unforgiveable?"

As a new parent, I knew I was going to be a better parent than my own. I was going to be kinder, hug more, talk more, connect more, love more...

And my children would appreciate me, know that I was always fair, never 'hate' me, and never doubt my love for them.

Reality can be painful. The realization that there is no such thing as a perfect parent, that no one had perfect parents, that you are not going to be the perfect parent and that no matter what, your children are going to take you for granted, think that you are unfair, 'hate' you for the decisions that you've made and will probably doubt how much you love them at some point, is all part of the maturing process.

Parenting is not easy. We wing it, just like our parents did. We use the tools and skills that we have, just like our parents did. We can fail, just like our parents did.

This realization can lead us to forgiveness. Sometimes there is a little to get past, sometimes there is a lot to forgive. Sometimes the hurt and damage run very deep. Hanging on to this 'baggage' is damaging. It can damage your current and future relationships. Some adults don’t end up truly forgiving their parents until after they’ve passed away.

Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is awareness and it is moving forward. The past can never be re-written. Sometimes forgiveness allows the future to be much brighter.

Forgiveness of our parents short-comings also helps us to deal with our own. Sometimes we need to forgive ourselves for not being perfect.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Forgive Mom And Dad Day:

Evaluate what hurts you may be feeling. Are they the result of your expectations of how your parents should have acted? Were they the result of things that were thought to be 'right' in their day? Did they learn them from their own parents?
Are there things that should be said today that will help your relationship? If so, say them.
Are there things that you would have difficulty expressing? If so, try writing a letter and say all the things you might not be able to say to them directly. You don’t have to send the letter, sit with it a while. Come back to it days later, even weeks later, and see if you still feel the same way or you may find that you have been able to move past it.
Take a look at the relationship you have with your children. Is this a letter that you think they’ll write to you someday? Start now by changing what needs to be fixed.

In my teens, I wanted to change my parents. As I got older, I have grown to accept them for who they were and are today. They were not perfect, but they have some really good qualities. Now, I see them through the eyes of my children. They love their grandparents, they way I loved mine. They don't carry that same baggage when they see their grandparents as I did when I saw my parents. They greet them with excitement and enthusiasm. They laugh and joke around. Now, so can I.
Remember, forgiveness is essential to living a healthy life.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Panic Day - March 9

2011-03-07T07:04:00.001-05:00

Panic Day - March 9

Help! It's almost Panic Day and I'm not even close to being ready for it...

This holiday is not about panic attacks or panic disorder which is serious and affects 2-3% of the population. Today is the day to examine how we may over-react to the stress in our everyday lives and to find strategies that will keep us focused and healthy.

You know the over-reactions that we are talking about. We even have sayings that go with them...Don't cry over spilled milk...Don't make mountains out of mole hills....Don't lose your cool.

We need to understand that anxiety and stress have their place in our life. They help us to avoid danger. They keep us thinking and being creative. They keep us on our toes so that we don't become complacent.

The point at which worry and anxiety become unhealthy is when they stop pushing us to act and move forward. This panic can be paralyzing and prevent us from thinking clearly enough to find the best strategies to deal with the source of our anxiety.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Panic Day:

Listen to the way that you describe the situations that you find yourself in. Do you use extreme-type words? Do you awfulize everything? Try to choose the words that you say and think carefully. Extreme words have an impact on how we feel, which can cause even more stress.
Evaluate how you are feeling in relation to the situation. Are you feeling helpless or hopeless? On a scale of 1-10 how strong are your feelings?
Notice what happens to your body when you describe and feel this way. Where does it hit you the most? Does your heart rate increase or breathing get faster? Do your muscles tense up? If so, try different relaxation techniques to combat that anxious and panic feeling so that they don't get stronger or more extreme.
Evaluate the situation to see what options you have available to help you deal with the situation immediately and in the long-term. Keep yourself moving forward in the problem solving mode and the anxiety will be kept in check.
Release valves let the pressure off. What is your release? Sometimes we need a quick strategy to release the anxiety quickly so that we can start to problem solve. This may include a good scream, a run, or a round or two on the punching bag. Sometimes that pent up energy just needs to be dealt with before logic can take over.

Colour Therapy Month - March

2011-03-01T10:53:00.007-05:00

Colour Therapy Month - March

But the little boy said...There are so many colors in the rainbow. So many colors in the morning sun. So many colors in the flower and I see every one.

I love this song by Harry Chapin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWV3fJB2Mfw). It reminds us that we all see the world in such a different way and we respond to what we see in different ways. March is Colour Therapy Month and it reminds me that soon, the snow will leave us and the amazing colours of spring will surface. These colours make me smile, they pick me up and they put the world back into perspective.

Colour therapy itself, is an ancient energy healing method that has been used for thousands of years. It is based on our bodies being made of up of energy and hence light energy can be used to heal and relax the body.
One method used is by using a torch with 11 different colours of quartz glass rods, coloured light is applied to the skin on specific points or zones, similar to those on the acupuncture meridians. The frequency of each colour carries a particular healing message, which the cells absorb. This method has been used with some success on fatigue, insomnia, colic and minor infections.

As far back as Avicenna (980-1037) there were views on the importance of colour. He wrote that "Color is an observable symptom of disease" and also developed a chart that related color to the temperature and physical condition of the body. His view was that red moved the blood, blue or white cooled it, and yellow reduced muscular pain and inflammation.

It is not important whether you believe in colour therapy as a treatment for what ails you or you just appreciate the colours that are around you. Colour does impact our mood.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Colour Therapy Month:

Deep breathing and visualization are powerful strategies that can calm and heal us. You may want to vary this by using Colour Breathing. http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour_therapy/colour_breathing.php While breathing in and out, the participant visualizes the various colours of the rainbow filling their body and then being released. Red, orange and yellow come up from the ground through the body, to the top and leave through the ground, green is visualized coming in horizontally from the world to fill your body and then leaves out the back, while blue and violet come in from the head, to the toes and back out to the sky.
Solarized water can be sipped or bathed in to add energy, calm the mind or regulate your digestion. http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour_therapy/solarized_water.php
Coloured Glasses can be worn for therapy. Violet for calming, blue for pain relief and healing, green eases stress and lowers blood pressure, yellow for alertness and concentration, orange for digestion and cramping, red to help warm and increase energy
To decrease your appetite, eat off a blue plate.

Top 10 favourites from the Colour Therapy Month website:

Paint a room in your house.
Eat a salad that contains all 7 colors of the rainbow.
Buy a new, colorful outfit.
Bake a batch of rainbow cupcakes or cookies.
Take a color therapy bath.
Treat yourself to a colorful mani-pedi.
Mix and drink your favorite colorful cocktail or fruit smoothie.
Create a flower display of all the 7 rainbow colors.
Listen to colorful music.
Blow bubbles...and enjoy the rainbows.

Single Tasking Day - February 22

2011-02-22T09:45:00.001-05:00

Single Tasking Day - February 22

Have you ever had your computer lock up when you have opened too many files or programs at once? No, this isn't a PC versus Apple posting. It is about Multi-Tasking versus Single-Tasking though.

Sometimes when we try to multi-task, we may actually freeze up, lock up or quit performing at our peak. Now, I am not talking about brushing your teeth in the shower to save time and I am not talking about listening to a book on tape while you are out running or at the gym. What I am talking about is the pressure to get so much done in a day that we try to split our focus and work on several things at once. In the end, the work completed is often less than spectacular or it can turn down right disastrous.

The term multi-tasking originated in the computer industry and we see sometimes where this works wonderfully and other times where the crash leads to a loss of important material. Researchers have studied human multi-tasking for the past 25 years or so and have found that the brain cannot fully focus when multi-tasking. We take longer to complete tasks, often double or more the time, and are predisposed to error. Mayer and Moreno have studied the phenomenon of cognitive load and have concluded that it is difficult, and possibly impossible to learn new information while engaging in multi-tasking.

In fact, we are not working on things simultaneously, but rather toggling back and forth. This causes us to start and refocus over and over again, which wastes even more time and increases the risk of error.

In this age of technology, this inattention to detail due to multi-tasking is apparent when people talk on cell phones while driving. Talking and driving are mutually exclusive because focusing on both the conversation and the road uses the same part of the brain. A 2006 study published in the Human Factors journal showed that drivers talking on cell phones were involved in more rear-end collisions and sped up slower than drivers intoxicated over the .08% legal limit. When talking, people must withdraw their attention from the road in order to formulate responses. Because the brain cannot focus on two sources of input at one time, this distracts the brain and increases the likelihood of accidents.

Socially, we see this multi-tasking or toggling happen in our youth. They are conversing, texting and listening to music all at once. Though they seem fairly adept at doing this, they are not really picking up on all the data and social cues that they would if they were focused on just the conversation at hand.

The pressure to get more and more done, and toggle between one task and another creates a great deal of stress and pressure on the mind and body. We can become frustrated and feel overly taxed and worn out. Developing the ability to focus completely on a single task can help in our energy management. This doesn't mean that we have to concentrate from the beginning to the end of the task, but it may mean that as we work on parts of the task that we keep that single focus and avoid distractions or the urge to work on another issue at the same time.

Beverly's Hot Tips for Celebrating Single Tasking Day:

Single-Tasking should be our main way of operating when needing to accomplish important tasks
Let go of the idea that the more we tackle at any given time, the more productive we are or will be
Often while working on a task, new ideas or tasks will pop into your focus. Have a to-do list open on your computer that these items can be quickly and easily jotted down for evaluation and implementation at a later time
Set your priorities for the day or time frame that you have and don't let other distractions take you off course. Shut down your email notifiers so that curiosity doesn't take you off course. Shut the door to your office, put the phone on voicemail, especially if the task needs to utilize your creativity or problem solving abilities
Build in breaks. Set an alarm that notifies you of when these breaks need to occur. Too long on any task and our focus and productivity start to wane. Use these breaks to stretch and get the blood flowing back to your brain which will increase your creativity and energy. Grab a glass of water, as water helps to restore waning energy
We have become like junkies in many ways, by needing a 'fix'. We check our emails, notices and webpages out of curiosity. By setting time aside for these activities, we fill our curiosity, yet we are more likely to stay on task and complete that task more efficiently and effectively

One report that I read, stated that multi-tasking is doing two jobs at the same time, poorly. But it is a hard habit to break. Even while writing this posting, my cell phone buzzed, letting me know that someone had sent me some interesting tidbit of information. I automatically reached for it and then caught myself. Even in that split second, I lost my train of thought and had to go back and re-read what I had just written....

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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My Way Day - February 17

2011-02-14T13:46:00.001-05:00

My Way Day - February 17

Today is My Way Day.
Yes, it is MY way or the highway!
I like MY way, it is the RIGHT way. It is the ONLY way!
Why, because I said so.
I know it is so.
You just haven't realized it to be so.
And until you come around to my way of thinking, just do as I say and life will be much better for all of us.
And don't argue with me. When it is Your Way Day, I'll do what you say, so, til then, remember it is MY Way Day!

I jest, but part of it is true. I really do want things my way. It's all about control and I like to have control. But I know that not having control isn't always a bad thing. In fact, sometimes it is a good thing. I also know that it is impossible to control everything and that it is especially wrong to take control from someone. But still, I am most comfortable when I am in control.

I can be seen as a difficult person and in fact I am one of the 'characters' that I talk about in my workshops. When we understand what motivates others and what motivates ourselves, it is much easier to deal with the negative sides of these personalities

People like me, need to have choice. When we have options and are able to choose, we feel like we are more in control of the situation. We are less likely to stomp, scream or shout and our frustrations are kept to a minimum.

Some people are much more extreme and can not accept that others are also in control. They can not sit back and allow others to take over. They bully and intimidate to get their own way and will cut people out of their lives that they can't have control over.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating My Way Day:

Just because it is My Way Day, don't expect that everything will go your way, because funny enough, they think it is their way day too.
Learn what pushes your buttons and learn what pushes other people's buttons. How can you help them meet their needs while still meeting your own/ (Hint: If you don't know how, you may want to attend my Handling Negative Attitudes and Difficult People workshop)
Relaxation skills can help to reduce that overwhelmed, frustrated feeling, helping to prevent you from stomping around

Be Electrific Day - February 11

2011-02-11T14:51:00.001-05:00

Be Electrific Day - February 11

I have no idea what this word means, but isn't it a great word? When I hear it, I think of great, terrific, electrifying, bubbly, energizing.....

Actually the day is a celebration of Edison inventing the light bulb. That's a bit of a letdown isn't it?

Let's go back to the word 'electrific'. How can you be electrific?

Often we find ourselves just going through the motions. Days run into each other. Life can become boring and stagnant. If we don't purposefully attack each day, we can become anything but electrific.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Electrific Day:

Share a smile with those around you. Greet your family the way you wish to be greeted
Do something fun - just because
Say thank you to your co-workers, to your boss, to your spouse
Think of something positive to say to each person that you connect with today
Get plenty of sleep so that the energy you have bubbles out from you
Wear something bright to pick you up from the winter blahs

It is Friday, so do your best to be electrific :)

PS I just came in from outside and I most certainly am filled with electricity (static) ...now to run my feet along the carpet and touch the door handle.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Spunky 'Old Broads' Month - February

2011-02-01T12:33:00.001-05:00

Spunky 'Old Broads' Month

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.

You might think of comedians Lucille Ball or Bette Midler or the infamous Mayor, Hazel McCallion. My Grandma King was one of those people. Her life had been hard, but she dwelled only on the happy memories from those times. She shared her stories and turned them into learning opportunities. She fought hard even at the end of her life.

I've been fortunate to meet other 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.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Spunky Old Broads Month:

I love these three suggestions from Jaipi Sixbear:

Go nude sky diving with ten friends
Try mud wrestling
Break out the Harley and wear your purple giant polka dot dress and red hat with birds nest and feathers to the grocery store

I want to be an S.O.B. I am not there yet. I take things way too serious 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 until I get to be over 50, I am going to remind myself to let go and laugh a little more and maybe one day I will be known as an SOB.

National Personal Self-Defense Month - January

2011-01-24T11:18:00.004-05:00

National Personal Self-Defense Month - January

I have been taking karate for almost two years now. I am a green belt, not quite a beginner. I have practised hard...yet I am pretty sure that I would still have a great deal of trouble using it against an attacker, especially one with any size behind them.

So how do you defend yourself? Is a self-defense course the answer?

If you go on-line, you can find hundreds of self-defense sites and products. Are these any good? Do they work? Are they right for you?

Early in my university years and again when I was working within a college, I took a couple of basic self-defense courses. They were exactly right for that time in my life. They did two things. They enhanced my awareness of the dangers and gave me ideas for options that I could use. They were definitely worthwhile.

Even after two years of practising karate, my basic instincts still take over. Fear is powerful. And so it should be. Fear keeps us on our toes. It warns us to not be in dangerous situations. Even the best karate move is not to be there when the attack comes in.

January is Personal Self-Defense Month. Self-defense refers to actions taken by a person to stop another person from causing harm to one's self.
Consider what this means for you. What actions do you need to take?

Do you know what to do if someone grabs you? Do you need to take a course on basic self-defense strategies?
Are you aware of your surroundings or have you become complacent? Do you take risks when you shouldn't or don't have too?
Are you confident in yourself and do you carry yourself in a confident way?

Take your personal safety seriously. Be prepared. Be Aware. Look like you know what you are doing.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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International Get Over It Month

2011-01-17T10:29:00.005-05:00

International Get Over It Month - January

Do you hold a grudge? Are you holding onto one now?

January is the month of new resolutions. It is also the month to Get Over 'It'. Whatever 'It' is. 'It' can be very destructive emotionally and physically. It is not to say that feeling hurt or angry is bad, but holding on to hurt and anger for a long time is.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Get Over It Month:

Look at the positive aspect of your life. Negative situations will always occur but often they take you on a journey that you didn't expect. Along the way you may have encountered other people, learned new skills, or found strengths that you wouldn't have if the situation hadn't occurred in the first place.
Weigh the risks. Holding a grudge takes energy and has a negative impact on your health. It can keep you awake at night, it can cause excessive dread and worry and negatively impact your digestion. It can bring about Depression. Weigh out the risks of hanging on to that grudge or negative emotion and see if it really is worth the energy.
Find the right strategies. It is easy to say 'get over it', but how do you go about letting go. Find productive ways like exercising, visualization and deep breathing, journaling about the situation and how it made you feel, or finding someone that you can confidentially vent to and express what your feeling...but don't continually bring it up.
Shift your focus forward. What are the new challenges that you are facing? Give these your time and attention.

Finally, learn to accept what is. You may not hear an apology. The person may never admit their mistake but that shouldn't be the goal in trying to get over something. Often hearing someone say sorry doesn't make us feel better anyways. Only you can change your perspective and focus, so start today and Get Over It.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Milk Day - January 11

2011-01-10T09:08:00.001-05:00

Milk Day - January 11

Are you wearing your milk moustache today? January 11th is the anniversary of milk being first delivered in glass bottles.

I grew up on a dairy farm and my parents and brother are still farming today. Milk was a part of every meal. I can still remember my dad skimming the cream off the milk for his cereal and the first time I stayed with my aunt who 'bought' her milk from the store. It was so watery. Nothing like what I was use to.

Milk from animals has been consumed by humans since about 5000 BC and humans are the only animals in the world that consume milk past infancy. We have moved from just drinking it to creatively turning milk into other products such as yogurt and cheese. Yet, even after 7000 years of drinking it, milk is still very controversial: Many say we need it for bone growth but there are those who say we shouldn't drink it as it can increase our risk for prostrate cancer and Parkinson's Disease.

Like it or not, we need Calcium and Vitamin D because many of us will be at risk for osteoporosis as we get older. Milk is not the only way to get these, but it is one of the more convenient sources. We also know that kids who drink milk are less likely to consume sugary drinks which add no nutritional value to their diet.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Milk Day:

Watch what you drink. Add more water and milk to your diet as opposed to pop and other sugary drinks.
Ensure that you are getting enough Calcium and Vitamin D especially if you don't drink milk.
Don't go overboard in your consumption of milk and milk products. Most of the studies that suggest there is a link to milk and various diseases are based on very high consumption of dairy products. Normal consumption according to Health Canada's recommendations do not show the same kind of risks.
If you are having trouble sleeping, try a cup of warm milk. The chemicals in milk along with the warmth can help to produce that sleepy feeling.

So to honour my dad and brother, here is a little milk humour.....

Q: What did the farmer call the cow that had no milk?

A: An udder failure.

and just in case you need a little more humour....

Q: What do you call a cow that won't give milk?

A: A milk dud!

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Thank You Month

2011-01-03T12:30:00.008-05:00

National Thank You Month - January

"When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself." Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

"What do you say?" "Thank you"

As parents, we probably said this a lot, as we taught our children to be thankful for the gifts that they received or when others did nice things for them.

I think as adults, we sometimes forget to be thankful. We often focus on the difficulties and on the things that are not going right, and sometimes we lose sight of the things that are going well and the blessings that we have received.

A line of wisdom goes...You cannot welcome more abundance into your life until you have said thanks to the universe for all that you have.

January is the month of new beginnings. Let's kick it off by being truly thankful.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating National Thank You Month:

Make a list of all that you are thankful for in your worklife and personal life. Be specific. True blessings are the things in your life that resonate importance and touch your core.
Know that being thankful can put you in a better mood. Look at that list when you are feeling down and use it to pick up your spirits and keep you moving forward
Know that when we are thankful, we radiate this to the people around us and we impact them in a positive way.
Hang out with people who are truly thankful. It is contagious. You know who these people are immediately. They are energetic and have a certain spark to them. They laugh a lot and have a can-do attitude. They are willing to try new things. If you ask them what they're thankful for, they would be able to list off many. When you visit with this person, you feel energized, inspired and thankful to know them.

Life is never perfect and there are always more mountains to climb. But remember what you have achieved and never forget the blessings that you have received along the way.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Whiner's Day - Dec 26

2010-12-20T11:19:00.095-05:00

National Whiner's Day - Dec 26

As this is my last posting for 2010, I thought I would pay tribute to whining. We can be a nation of entitled whiners. "It's too cold." "I am the only one around here who does anything." "I didn't get what I wanted for Christmas." "The government is doing it to us again." "Blah, blah, blah" or should I say "whine, whine, whine."

You open the newspaper, you watch the news, you logon to your social networking accounts and you are bombarded by those around you who are whining and complaining.

Definition of Whine: To complain or protest in a childish fashion.
Synonyms: complain, bellyache, fuss, gripe, grumble, moan, snivel....

When we notice our children whining, we are told to call their attention to it. Whining can become an unconscious habit, so we need to call them on it and let them know that they need to respond in a different way ie. "Try again in your normal voice and I'll pay attention."

But what do you do when it is a co-worker or another adult who is whining?
Hunger, tiredness, boredom and feeling unwell are factors that can precipitate whining sessions, but some have learned from a very early age that whining gets them the attention that they are seeking. Whining has become second nature and their predominant way of communicating. Their behaviour is draining on relationships and it can poison a workplace.

Beverly's Hot Tips for National Whiner's Day:

If we catch ourselves whining:

Try moving from an attitude of entitlement to one of gratitude. What is going right in your life? It is hard to be whining when focused on the positive and being thankful.
Focus on problem solving. It is okay to vent, but that venting must be followed by problem solving otherwise it is whining for whining's sake.
Try to see if anything in particular sets off your whining attitude. Are you fighting a cold? Sleep-deprived? Feeling unfulfilled or under appreciated? Knowing what sets your whining in motion can help you to head it off.
Listen to your own voice. Is this really the way you want others to hear you?

If you are going to confront a whiner:

Understand that they are looking for attention, but give them attention for solving the issue, not for whining about the issue.
Ignoring them may not be a productive strategy as they may do more whining or bring others into their whining circle in order to get their need for attention met.
Move them forward. Ask them what they are going to do about the issue and don't let them get stuck just replaying and whining about the situation.
Sometimes in close relationships, we can point out that the person is using their 'whiny' voice, but be careful, or you may quickly be faced with their angry voice.

Finally, minimize the amount of time that you spend with the whiner. They will zap your energy if you aren't careful.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month

2010-12-13T11:24:00.009-05:00

National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month

We are almost half way through December and only a couple of weeks away from Christmas. How is your stress level?

"Are you ready for the holidays?" This is the question 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 aren't the only ones struggling to get things done before the big day. Others ask, because they are concerned about us, as we may look haggard. Others may just want to gloat about how they had it all done in July.

So if you are feeling alone and the holiday stress is getting to you...enjoy this little bit of perspective on Christmas:

When four of Santa’s elves got sick,

and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones,

Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her Mom was coming to visit.

This stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer,

he found that three of them were about to give birth

and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where.

More stress.

Then when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards cracked,

and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys.

So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum.

When he went to the cupboard, he discovered that the elves had hidden the liquor,

and there was nothing to drink.

In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider pot,

and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the kitchen floor.

He went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritable Santa trudged to the door.

He opened the door,

and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.

The angel said, very cheerfully, “Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn’t it a lovely day?

I have a beautiful tree for you.

Where would you like me to stick it?”

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Beverly’s Top Tips To A StressLess Holiday

Get back to basics and simplify. Are you spending all day cleaning up from the holiday feast – use paper plates.
Avoid ‘holiday perfectionism’. Thinking, saying, or planning for the best holiday ever can lead to certain disappointment.
Stop and be in the moment. Have you noticed the wondrous sights, sounds, and smells around you or have you been too caught up in the to-do’s to notice?
Acknowledge your feelings. Take into account the losses that you have experienced, but remember to keep your perspective and to talk positively to yourself about the past challenges that you have overcome.
Ask for help. Remember your ultimate goal for the holiday and get support and assistance from those around you.

Christmas is a time for JOY!

Wising you peace, hope and joy throughout the holidays!

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources.

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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St. Nicholas Day - December 6

2010-12-06T11:31:00.006-05:00

St. Nicholas' Day - December 6

Ever wondered who St. Nicholas was?

There once was a young boy named Nicholas, who was born during the third century. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need.

One story of St. Nicholas tells of a poor man with three daughters. This poor man's daughters, who had no dowry, were destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.

Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating St. Nicholas Day:

We could all stand to be a little more like St. Nicholas. Here is a boy, whose world dramatically changed when his parents died. He could have let this beat him down. He could have drowned in self-pity. Instead, he relied on his faith and did whatever he could to help those who were even less fortunate then himself. Let's get good at turning life around and focusing on what we have, and less on what we have lost or don't have.
Today, we have the image of Santa Clause and we give gifts to the people we know and love. But what about our giving to those less fortunate then ourselves? Canadians donated $400 million less in 2008 than they did in 2007. And with the recession demand within these charities has increased while their donations have decreased. Make a difference in the lives of someone less fortunate than you. It doesn't take a lot to have a huge impact.

In 1998, my youngest son was due to arrive on Christmas Day. We decided that boy or girl, their name would honour St. Nicholas as he was our blessed gift. Nickolas arrived safely on December 22. Gifts are all around us, but it is up to us to recognize them in our lives.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources.

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - Nov 25

2010-11-22T09:09:00.006-05:00

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - November 25

"The word is spreading: violence against women and girls has no place in any society, and impunity for perpetrators must no longer be tolerated.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2010

How sad and awful to think that around the world, women are being abused just because they are women. Violence against women can take many forms – physical, sexual, psychological and economic. Many of us take for granted the freedoms that we have in our life. The freedom to hold a job, the freedom to raise a family, the freedom to vote and the freedom to speak up. This is not the case for all women.

The United Nations states that up to 70 per cent of women will experience violence in their lifetime. This is not something that is just happening on the other side of the world. It is happening in our own backyards. Little girls who are hunted by predators through the internet, while walking home and unfortunately even in our hockey arenas with parents close by. We each know of a neighbour who we suspect is being emotionally abused by their spouse, who feels trapped and can see no way out.

These abusers are well hidden amongst us. They are not wearing the mask of a monster. They look like everyone else in the crowd. But they are feeling out of control and in a desperate effort to grab control, they lash out and abuse those around them.

Beverly's Hot Tips:
This is an unspoken issue for many reasons. We don't want to get involved, we don't want to rock the boat, we don't want to become a victim ourself, we are scared, we are unsure, we don't want to bud in, we feel helpless....but there comes a time when you may be at a cross-roads, so....

Be aware - Look for the signs that someone around you is being abused.
Be a support - Talk about healthy relationships - provide a good example. Listen if someone wants to talk. Know what resources are available in your community.
If you are being abused, know that it doesn't have to be this way - Abuse, no matter the form that it takes, is unacceptable. You can not have possibly done anything to deserve being treated in an abusive way. It is not normal. And you deserve better.
Reach out for help - If you are being abused, talk to someone. A friend or a community advisor may help to give you the information and perspective that you need.

If you are raising children, help them to deal with their feelings in a responsible and respectful way. Make them aware that abuse is not acceptable and let them know where they can turn for help if they ever find themselves in a difficult situation. This is not just a one-time lesson, it is addressed over and over again, in the way that siblings treat each other, in the relationships that they develop at school, in the partners they pick to date, in the way that they end relationships, and how they determine who their life partner may be.

My hope is that one day, there will be no need to celebrate this day. It will be foreign and unthinkable by all in our society.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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The Great Warm Up – November 14-20

2010-11-15T09:11:00.002-05:00

The Great Warm Up – November 14-20

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.

We live in a nasty climate. 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.

Beverly’s Hot Tips for 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.

We are a society that tends to over-indulge as seen through bulging closets. Think twice before buying. Is it a need or a want? And when those clothes have seen the end of their time, donate them so that others can enjoy them.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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TMJ Awareness Month - November

2010-11-08T10:29:00.009-05:00

TMJ Awareness Month - November

Is stress making your jaw ache?
Has the dentist recommended you sleep with a mouth guard to stop you from grinding your teeth down to little nubs?

When we get stressed, the muscles in the face create an abnormal pressure on the TMJ joint causing the pain many people suffer from. Not only is this a source of stress, but then this additional stress from the jaw pain, can make these symptoms even worse as we tighten and clench even further.

For some of us, we may develop a condition called bruxism in which a person grinds or clenches their teeth. This can occur while sleeping or during the day. Over time, this grinding can lead to pain, limited range of motion, a wearing down of the teeth and tooth sensitivity. In the end, we may need to wear a mouth guard to help prevent grinding and clenching. Chiropractic adjustments have also had success with neck and jaw pain.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating TMJ Awareness Month:

Stress impacts each of us. From the workshops that I conduct, I know that jaw pain and teeth grinding are common symptoms of stress. If you hold your stress in the muscular area of your face, it can affect your ability to speak, eat, chew, swallow, make facial expressions, and even breathe. It is important to find ways to combat this problem. Try:

Jaw Exercises: Slow, gentle jaw exercises may help increase jaw mobility and healing.
Relaxation Techniques: Relaxation and guided imagery can be helpful in dealing with the pain that accompanies jaw pain. Deep, slow breathing enhances relaxation and modulates pain sensations. Some have found yoga, massage and meditation helpful in reducing stress and aiding relaxation.
Side Sleeping: Sleep on your side using pillow support between shoulder and neck.
Relax Facial Muscles: Make a concerted effort to relax your lips and keep your teeth apart.
Yawning: Use your fist to support your chin as you yawn to prevent damage to the joint and to prevent your jaw from locking open.

And as always, address the source(s) of stress in your life. Find ways to remove, simplify, modify or problem solve the issues that are causing you to clench those jaw muscles. If the pain continues, see a chiropractor, massage therapist, dentist or your doctor to see if they have any additional strategies.

End Gossip Day - November 3

2010-11-01T09:01:00.001-04:00

End Gossip Day – November 3

Most of us do it and some of us even start it.

It is frowned upon publicly, but privately it is often indulged in, unless you are a professional gossiper. Then you can make money through publishing it in magazine and newspaper columns or even through your own talk show. However, in some places around the world, it is seen as downright criminal. A 1941 Soviet war poster conveyed the message: "Don't chatter! Gossiping borders on treason". In many religious circles it is seen as a sin. Judaism considers gossip spoken without a constructive purpose as sinful, as it demeans the dignity of man — both the speaker and the subject of the gossip.

Gossip is seen as idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. The term is sometimes used to specifically refer to the spreading of dirt and misinformation.

Workplace gossip can destroy

Peter Vajda identifies gossip as a form of workplace violence, noting that it is "essentially a form of attack." Gossip is thought by many to "empower one person while disempowering another". Accordingly, many companies have formal policies in their employee handbooks against gossip.

Negative consequences of workplace gossip may include:

Lost productivity and wasted time
Erosion of trust and morale
Increased anxiety among employees as rumours circulate without any clear information as to what is fact and what isn’t
Growing divisiveness among employees as people “take sides"
Hurt feelings and reputations
Jeopardized chances for the gossipers' advancement as they are perceived as unprofessional
Attrition as good employees leave the company due to the unhealthy work atmosphere

Beverly’s Hot Tips for Celebrating End Gossip Day:

Gossiping is a reflection of who you are at the core.

Consider the conversations that you have. Are they serving a purpose? Is that purpose constructive? Is it focusing on solving issues or just to draw people to ‘your-side’?

“…Without a constructive purpose.” This is what separates gossip from regular conversation.

It can be hard to avoid gossip. Become skilled at walking away or changing the subject. If you can, focus the conversation on problem solving instead of allowing the ‘attack’ to continue.

Gossip can cause a great deal of stress in our workplaces and communities. Workplaces that are entrenched with gossip grapevines can see their productivity and engagement plummet. Communities can split apart. Though sometimes there is entertainment value attached to the gossip, the end result is hardly worth it.

International Magic Week - October 25–31

2010-10-25T11:01:00.005-04:00

International Magic Week - October 25-31

Do you believe in magic?

These words from a popular 1965 song may have us thinking this week as Halloween approaches.

Did you know that there is even a 'magic' spell for stress relief?

"Magic moon burning bright, Let my will be done tonight, answer now my earnest spell, let things with ____ all be well."

Not sure about the spell? Not sure you believe in magic? Wishing that your relief from stress was really that easy?

International Magic Week is a week to celebrate the world of magic and the magicians who create it. It ends October 31, the anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death. Their mission is to bring the enjoyment of magic to people of all ages.

When I think of magic, I think of fun. I don't think about dark and evil spells, but more about the skills of the magicians who make us look on at amazement at the way they can manipulate and deceive us.

Sometimes a little magic is all we need to take our minds off the difficulties that we face. It can make us lose ourselves in their tricks and spark our imaginations. It can be a time to have fun and let go of the challenges around us.

Beverly's Hot Tips For 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 (or your children). Fun things added into your workday can increase productivity and creativity not to mention team work
Set up a team challenge to see who can come up with the best magic trick - add this to your Halloween celebrations...you will probably be amazed at who dabbled in magic as they were growing up
And finally, one of my most loved stress relievers is my Magic Bag - has nothing to do with magic other than the way the heat warms me up and relaxes me completely (A magic bag is a microwaveable bean filled bag that is awesome to hug when your body is cold or tense)

Evaluate Your Life Day - October 19

2010-10-18T09:10:00.000-04:00

Evaluate Your Life Day - October 19

Do you have balance in your life? Have you ever had balance? What does balance mean to you?

Without taking the time to evaluate how things are, it is 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. What are you not happy with? What would you like to change? What are you proud of? What is going well?

In my workshops, I help people look at what they are spending their time and energy on and then we discuss how would they like their life to be and how are they going to move or can move in that direction.

It is not easy and it is messy.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Evaluate Your Life Day:

It is easy to wish that things were different. But to be different, we must evaluate first. This takes effort. So sit down and make notes.
We need to understand our priorities. What do we want?
We need to make active decisions to make these things a priority. This isn't about wishing - it is about doing.
When we make active decisions based on our priorities, guilt has no opportunity to grow.
We need to know that we are not superhuman. There are only 24 hours in a day. Be realistic about what you can and can't do and the time it takes to make these changes.
Be thankful. Not everything needs to be changed in your life. Remind yourself frequently about what is right in your life.

National Grouch Day - October 15

2010-10-11T10:21:00.001-04:00

National Grouch Day - October 15

"Just stand up and complain"

As Oscar the Grouch sings his National Anthem, we all can celebrate October 15 as being National Grouch Day.

If you haven't seen the video - here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8IHMctrKCg

This video is not to make you laugh or even smirk. This is serious business. All goody-two-shoes beware. You are not welcome on this day!

October 15th is a day for all Grouches to celebrate their way of life. According to the Muppet Wiki, a Grouch's mission in life is to be as miserable and grouchy as possible, and pass that feeling on to everyone else. Only then will a Grouch feel in touch with his or her world and be happy. Yet, even though a Grouch may show happiness at anyone's misfortune (including his or her own), a Grouch would never admit to being happy.

So today, be miserable, complain over everything and enjoy nothing. Tomorrow will not be better. There is no silver lining and the glass is almost empty.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Healthy Workplace Month - October

2010-10-04T09:48:00.001-04:00

Healthy Workplace Month - October

It saddens me, when in the year 2010, we still hear stories of how employees feel hopeless and helpless to change negative situations and the stress of it all ends up having a good employee leave. A good friend of mine, who has worked for years in a large company, has just this sort of story. She had been promoted over the years, rewarded for her achievements and was a solid employee. In the midst of many changes she was given a new department that needed a lot of help restructuring. She worked hard. She worked many hours of overtime, with little progress and the results were devastating for her health.

What could have been different? Her supervisors should have seen that the new role was unrealistic for one person to handle. (She was determined to make this work - she had succeeded before and she was going to do everything she could to make this new department successful. Complaining wasn't an option) They should have noticed the excessive overtime. (She figured that if she worked harder, took over some of the other's duties that eventually it would all work out.) They should have noticed the impact it was having on her health. (When a good employee starts to show signs of wearing down, there needs to be a check in.) They should have worked with her before she felt that she had no choice but to leave. (She felt that she had failed.)

We know that engaged employees help our companies to be more creative, productive and successful. Disengaged or stressed out employees cost our companies in job turnover, disability and lowered productivity. Yet, some employers still look at employees as being a commodity - that you push them to their limits, burn them out and discard them for the next person standing in line. It is easier to get new employees than to fix the things that are wrong within the system.

This month's Healthy Workplace theme is Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Work...A Positive Workplace Works! Research shows that wellness programs have a significant return on investment and in times where many companies are struggling to survive, a healthy workplace may mean the difference between succeeding and going under. Taking strides to ensure that your teams work in a healthy environment is not only good for the company, it is the right thing to do for your employees and for the community at large.

Beverly's Hot Tip For Celebrating Healthy Workplace Month:

Start a conversation. What are the sources of stress within your teams- personally and professionally? If you are not sure - ASK! What impact is it having? What are the symptoms that you see in your employees and in the company?
Benchmark this information. How much is this costing in absenteeism, turnover, lowered productivity, healthcare costs...?
Decide what programs would help reduce this impact on the individual and the company? (Not sure - sign up for Beverly's Path To Wellness Ezine which focuses on Workplace Wellness)
Get support. Bring together management and employees to talk about strategies. Start small - go for the biggest bang for your buck.
Don't reinvent the wheel. Use the resources that are available to you. Look for on-line resources (remember the ezine). Talk to others who have tried similar things before. Bring in someone (like Beverly) to help talk it through.
Get involved in all of the programs that you company has to offer. You never know what you will learn or how it could positively impact your life or the life of those around you.

National Women's Health and Fitness Day - Sept 27

2010-09-27T11:53:00.001-04:00

National Women's Health and Fitness Day - Sept 27

If running the kids around was actually exercise I would be in such amazingly good shape!

Unfortunately, as women, caregiving can get in the way of taking care of ourselves. Often, we spend our time looking after the needs of others and sacrifice our own health along the way. "Someday I will get to it", is a motto that many of us live by.

Guilt is not helpful either. Knowing that we would like things to be different is okay, however feeling guilty because they are not the way we would want them to be is very detrimental to our health. Guilt is a terrible waste of time and energy.

Life places many demands on our time and energy and balance can feel like an unrealistic dream. Balance is not a static condition that you can possess and preserve. It is an activity that you continually engage in as you make corrections throughout your life. Balance becomes the harmonious integration of all aspects of your life.

Part of that balance is having areas of your life that bring you motivation, energy and satisfaction. It is imperative that we have these outlets. Without them, we lose perspective, are not as capable of problem solving difficult situations and let stress continue to impact us.

Hobbies such as reading, karate class, a walking group, gardening etc give us a place to recoup our energies and keep life in perspective. Knowing that there is a benefit to those around us, those that we care for, allows us to be involved in these outlets without feeling guilty.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating National Women's Health and Fitness Day:

Stop thinking 'someday' and find something today. Start small if you must. Get outside for a few minutes and play with the dog. Try some stretching exercises while sitting at your desk. Reach for a glass of water rather than another cup of coffee. Look up a fitness class - try salsa dancing to add some spice to your life.
Ask for help in order to free up some time. We don't need to do it all ourselves. Can you ask your family for some help in getting tasks done? Are there other parents who you can share car pooling duties with?
Take advantage of those things that are around you. Often workplaces have workshops and activities that can add to your health and fitness level. Buddy up and go for walks at lunchtime. Enjoy the park with the kids. Go for a walk while the kids are at their sporting event.

Remember that health and fitness encompass a variety of things from relaxation and pampering, to eating right and sleeping right, to activities that get your heart beating and your muscles working. It is our responsibility to make sure that we are doing the things that promote our health because if we wait until someday, it may be too late.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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Love Note Day - September 24

2010-09-20T13:37:00.002-04:00

Love Note Day - September 24

Who doesn't love receiving a special note of affection from someone they cherish?

Well...my boys don't! Or a least that is what they tell me. Apparently my love notes added to their lunchbox when I am out of town are embarrassing.

Whenever I go out of town for the night, I write notes to my sons wishing them a great day or luck on their test and of course, how much I love and miss them. I guess as boys get older, this is seen as not cool. Opening your lunch bag and having one of these fall out in front of your friends is horrific. How could their mother do this to them?

It is so 'horrible' though, that one day I found several of these notes tucked away in my son's room. When questioned, he admitted that he did really like them, but he would prefer to get these on his pillow instead.

Okay - I can live with that.

It is easy to forget to say these loving things in person, but it is very important that our children, our spouses, our parents and our grandparents hear these messages frequently.

So..

Beverly's Hot Tips For Celebrating Love Note Day:

Express yourself. Let the person know how much you love the, miss them, are grateful for them, appreciate them....
Find something nice to write the love note on....be it a card, a cut out or a fancy sticky note as this sends a special message of the care you are taking in writing this note.
Hide your love note some place special...If your beloved is fond of reading magazines or novels, you may hide a love note inside it, to the backside of his/her mobile phone, to the rear view mirror, inside the pocket of his/her trousers or jeans, their wallet or purse, their lunch box, stick it on their water bottles, inside the fridge or attach it to the backside of the remote control.

On-line you can find a variety of sites that will help you write your love notes including this one which will generate love note coding to include on-line.... http://www.satisfaction.com/love-note-maker/ or the Real Love Note iPhone app. Or if you really don't know what to say there is http://365loveletters.com/ that will generate the love notes for you.

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Woman's Road Warrior Day - September 20

2010-09-13T11:30:00.004-04:00

National Woman's Road Warrior Day - September 20

Women Road Warriors. They are the ones that travel the farthest, the fastest, the most often and go to the most unusual places or most extraordinary lengths to give service to their clients or community.

Road warriors can be those who provide in-home care to our elderly. Road warriors are our business leaders who travel around the country to ensure that things are running smoothly. Road warriors may be our politicians who are working on our behalf to make sure our communities are safe, healthy and prosperous. Road warriors are speakers, educators and trainers who bring skills and strategies to teams coast to coast.

If these road warriors are also women and caregivers, the stress of being on the move can become overwhelming.

Beverly's Hot Tips For Being A Successful Road Warrior:

Be healthy. Road warriors can burn themselves out, so know how to relax and take care of yourself regardless of the environment. If you are a road warrior who flies, learn the tricks and tips around avoiding jet lag.
Stay connected to your family and friends. Leave notes. Use social media and/or Skype. Plan for social times when you are not on the road.
Keep things simple and uncluttered. Don't pack a lot of extra stuff. Keep your work area orderly so you can easily find what you are looking for.
Find balance. Have a life outside of being a road warrior - hobbies/activities that bring pleasure and fun
Be patient. Long lines at the airport just give road warriors a chance to catch up on reading or a moment to focus on your breathing.

Do It Day - Fight Procrastination - September 6

2010-09-07T09:57:00.002-04:00

Do It Day - Fight Procrastination - September 6

Can you find time?
Stop looking. You will never find it. It isn’t lost.

I missed it. As you can see it is past September 6th. Was I procrastinating? Not really. I am behind on my blog postings, not because of procrastination, but because it was less of a priority than the other things on my to-do list.

Sometimes we procrastinate 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? I wanted my new keynote to be absolutely amazing to the point where I couldn't get a word down on paper. I have 3 books waiting to be written, but the thought of them being less than spectacular keeps me from sitting down to write. I imagine my 'perfect' Christmas tree as I am surrounded by boxes of ornaments only to be side-tracked by opening my mail.

Fear of failure, success, or finishing - Like the examples above, sometimes procrastination is also fuelled by the fears that we have. I have caught myself thinking about failing or the embarrassment of not succeeding. The stress of these fears has left me paralyzed.

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 6 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. Sleep and being well rested is critical in avoiding procrastination.

Love these quotes (sorry don't know the source) about time:

"If we fail to control the events in our life, then the events in our life will control us."

"Our thoughts determine what we want, but it is our actions that determine what we get."

Failing to plan and failing to keep moving forward will ensure that we are stuck. Stuck in our lives. Stuck in our jobs. Stuck in our relationships.

Beverly's Hot Tips To Avoid Procrastination and Celebrate 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.
Chunk your time. Set a timer. Work with your concentration and energy not against it.
Make appointments with yourself for breaks, planning, visioning and even napping.
Get organized. Build systems and procedures to follow that will keep you on track or simplify the process.
Get rid of junk and clutter. These are just distractions.
Watch out for time gobblers - Internet, email, TV, phone, socializing.
Delegate when not part of priority. Hire out. Share tasks.
Reward yourself. Make it fun.
Get support. Share your goals and keep others updated on your progress. It is harder to procrastinate when others are 'watching'.

Not sure if you are a procrastinator?...take this free quiz at http://discoveryhealth.queendom.com/procrastination_short_access.html

If you would like to find more strategies to help you deal with health, wellness and stress - please visit the resource section at http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/pages/stress_resources

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

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National Toasted Marshmallow Day - August 30

2010-08-30T11:18:00.003-04:00

National Toasted Marshmallow Day - August 30

Did you know that the marshmallow originally came from a marsh mallow plant or that it started as a candy in Ancient Egypt?

Sitting by the camping fire...making smores or roasting marshmallows. There is nothing like the total relaxation of a peaceful night by the fire.

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. We need to hang on to the sense of calm and peacefulness that sitting by the campfire gave us.

Beverly's Hot Tips For 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!