Best Recipes Ever

Category: Stress Management

  • Leadership – Can You Stomach It?

    “As with stomachs, we should pity minds that do not eat.”

    ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

    It is my gut feeling that this is the right time to address the topic of digestion, the stomach and the gut and how they relate to leadership.

    The saying in the English language “I can’t stomach it”, can refer to several things:  It can mean that you cannot eat a particular thing because of the texture, flavour, consistency, taste or smell which you find revolting, and consequently “cannot stomach”.

    It can also refer to a person “I can’t stomach him or her.”  Meaning that you cannot bear to be around a particular person. This might also refer to an activity, TV programme, event or food that the person using the phrase has experience of and which leads to such a violent response such as “I cannot stomach that programme.” Or I can’t stomach eating x.” 

    WATCH MY VIDEO HERE:

     

     

    WHERE DID THIS SAYING COME FROM?

    Leadership and digestionAfter extensive search in Google, I have sadly been unable to find the origin of this descriptive and physically felt phrase.  What I mean by this is that you can feel the reaction that your stomach might have to a particular person, issue, activity or foodWhere does the expression, “I can’t stomach him/her” come from? How linked are our emotions and digestion? when you put yourself in through thought only into that situation.

    The digestive system is highly intelligent and if we put something into our mouths that is going to cause a major physical reaction, the system already starts to reject it through reflux and vomiting before it has gone too far, limiting any physical damage.  This leads on nicely to the following saying that is also stomach or gut related:

    “WHY DO I BRING THIS UP?”

    Another saying related to the digestive system.  Usually when we use this term it is pre-empted with something like “I am sorry for bringing this up.”  Or “I would like to bring x up as it is……….”   We try to compensate or balance the potential emotional reaction we think the topic in question is going to stir up in terms of thoughts and emotions that have been hidden, buried or pushed aside in the hope that they might go away.   Lacking the courage or resilience to deal with a particular issue, leads us to “hide” it in order to avoid any scrutiny, not to mention “out of sight, out of mind”.  Perhaps the subject is taboo for some reason or buried as those involved do not want to deal with the consequences or reactions of raising the topic with all relevant parties.

    As managers and leaders it is important that we are able to address situations and people related issues that we find very difficult, perhaps because of those involved, fear of the consequences when “bringing it up” or maybe even the fear of rejection.  The stomach is the part of our anatomy that “digests new ideas and experiences that we have.”  It processes all issues connected with the mind and the emotions – personal power and sense of self.  When there are stomach problems, if we are in touch with our own intuition and feelings it usually means that we don’t know how to assimilate the new experience – we are afraid.  “What or who can’t you stomach?”

    THE PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP

    One of the key principles of leadership is the courage to do and say what needs to be said through open, direct and clear communication to address issues that have been pushed under the carpet, and consequently those involved are not willing to deal with or alternatively hope the situation is not common knowledge.  It is not relevant whether we like a person or not.  It is about knowing the vision of why we exist as a team, department and company as well as knowing and living the values that guide decisions and actions.  Therefore, when for some reason a team member/s have deviated and is/are now under-performing, that we have the courage to follow our gut and address the situation and person/s openly.

    Constructive, open, fair, balanced and clear communication is necessary to help others firstly to recognise that their performance is suffering, to understand why it is below requirements, and then to find their own solution to rectify it.  This openness might be a “hard pill to swallow”.  Knowing the truth can sometimes hurt, however it is the truth that once swallowed leads to personal growth and development, not only of the employee, but the leader also.

    Interestingly, the throat centre (chakra) processes all issues of communication and expression, as well as trust, truth and true expression of who we are, our authenticity.  The throat connected to the mouth and feeding into the stomach is part of the digestive system.

    Knowing this fact as a leader can be useful to remind us that given the correct “food”, cooked in the correct manner might be difficult for the other person to accept, but when they do it leads to learning for all involved through open expression, one of the most important aspects of dynamic leadership.

    In conclusion, our digestion has a lot to do with effective leadership, not weakening a message, but structuring it in a way that makes it an acceptable “pill to swallow”, thus leading to a positive change in performance.   It is my gut feeling that by bringing up this parallel between the digestive system and leadership, even though for some it might raise issues that are difficult to overcome or to stomach, can only result in a healthy digestive system, working environment, and relationships.

    Bon appetite!

     

    To learn how we can help you and your organisation, email Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com 

     

    References:  You Can Heal Your Life,  Louise L. Hay

    Spiritual Healing, Jack Angelo

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • Mrs M – A very capable lady

    This case study encompasses both my professional roles as an alternative healthcare practitioner and corporate wellbeing training provider. The aim of the case study is to encourage you to assess the impact of executing a decision on the health of those who are involved, perhaps through no fault of their own and therefore what could have been done differently.

    The client in question, came to me for the treatment of chronic depression. She had been recommended by a person who I had been treating for some time who also suffered from  chronic depression, which I am glad to say he is mostly free of today. At the time she was under the “control” of the specialised NHS mental health, psychiatric unit as well as receiving medical assistance. She is taking several medications for depression, anxiety and sleep including Lithium.

    A lady late 50’s who was employed by a high school as the assistant director of the school, a job she has been doing for some years already while also continuing to teach the pupils an academic subject. An active person who was working long hours every day, five days a week in school and some part of her personal time to catch up, mark papers and do other administrative tasks, she seldom did less than a 10-hour day. Her husband also works in education. Her daughter was due to graduate a couple of months after her first consultation with me.

    About 3 years ago, as a part of some kind of change in status and re-organisation of the school, all teachers were asked to re-apply for their jobs to continue employment at that school. Each teacher would be hired based on the new requirements. My client was not re-hired, nor was she given an explanation as to why, she was simply told that her job was no longer needed as of tomorrow. No redundancy payment was offered. That news would be a dramatic shock for most of us, even if thinking of resigning or retiring. Lack of appreciation, feedback and thanks would make anyone angry, likely followed by sadness at having the job and career you love crudely removed with no further contact. From May to September of that year she did not feel well, she lost interest and enthusiasm for life, but tried to regain this by taking up a role as a volunteer in a local charity shop.

    At a similar time, her father died during Covid and this seemed to “tip” her over the edge into mental illness, specifically severe depression combined with anxiety. Her father also suffered from depression and anxiety therefore depression running in the familial line. She stated that she remembers shaking uncontrollably at the loss of her father, and perhaps to this day has not yet come to terms with this loss through the normal grieving process.

    Certainly, we can debate if how she lost her job was according to the law? That is not the purpose of this case and therefore we will avoid going down that route. The client is now on four medications for anxiety and depression, some of which are also negatively affecting hair growth, causing hair loss, which further embeds the feeling of “why would anyone want or love me?”. In addition, she is putting on weight, which also negatively impacts how she feels about herself. Her quality of sleep is poor due to twitching, a side effect one of the prescribed medications. To aid sleep she has been subscribed Zopiclone, a common sleep medication which can cause drowsiness during the day. In her own words, she “Has no reason to get out of bed and most of the time feels blank and tense,” therefore can spend the whole day in bed sleeping with no desire to get out of bed. In order to end this cycle, she saw only one way out and that was to commit suicide. She tried, but luckily was not successful.

    She had her gall bladder removed approximately 10 years ago and despite this has no  difficulty in digesting most foods. However, looking at this energetically, the gall bladder – “How can you have the gall to……?” is a representation of rage and extreme anger that has been suppressed within the body, ultimately causing severe inflammation and damage to the gall bladder until eventually it had to be surgically removed. This is an example of how suppressed negative emotions manifest on the physical level to show us what it is we need to deal with. Does removal of the gall bladder mean we have dealt with these negative emotions, or do they still remain in the body as the person’s behavioural pattern remains the same?

    Mrs M also suffers from a fungal nail infection in both her feet under the nails.

    Despite being under the guidance of the mental health team in her local area, at best she is staying numb to life, devoid of any kind of emotion whether joyful or otherwise, at worst is not living. Weekly she has a counselling session with one of the mental health counsellors. After several years of guidance from this team, she and her husband, whose life has also been tipped upside down, decided to try something different and on recommendation from one of their friends, sought a health consultation with me.

    The main goals for treatment are:

    • To get better from severe depression and anxiety to live her life as before.
    • To improve her quality of life and reduce medications.
    • To empower her to embrace life through physical and mental health and vitality.

    To date she has undergone 2 consultations. Between consultations she is taking herbal remedies and orchid essences as well as Omega 3 for brain health and vitamin D. The orchid essences were to address the anger at herself and to re-balance the victim and saboteur archetypes that are both running negative patterns affecting her behaviour. Naturopathic advice included:

    • Going outside into nature for a minimum of 10 minutes twice daily. When someone does not even want to get out of bed this is a huge challenge.
    • Removal of all wheat from her diet.
    • Find one positive in her life every day and give thanks.
    • De-clutter her “office” for 10 minutes 3-4 times weekly until complete. Throw past documents out with joy at letting them go.

    The first two points were essential to creating wellness. The other points are important, but if not done every day at the early stage of treatment, this is fine.

    This gives you the background of this client. Now look at this situation from a treatment perspective and answer the following questions:

    1. How did this person end up with severe depression and anxiety when previously she was a capable, active woman who up until losing her job we can assume was able to take responsibility and get things done? 
    2. When treating any dis-ease condition how important is it to treat the symptoms and the cause for long term relief and to ensure she is able to live her life with a good degree of normalcy?
    3. What do you think is the root cause of her prescribed condition?
    4. Treating any dis-ease requires consideration and treatment of both the emotional underlying factor as well as the physical condition/symptoms? What is your opinion?
    5. Do you think that treatment through the traditional, allopathic medical system considers the person as a whole in the treatment protocols or rather focuses on the visible symptoms and therefore dis-ease diagnosis?
    6. What naturopathic advice would you give to the client, bearing in mind that she may not have the energy to get out of bed? What actions do you think would bring the most positive impact to her mental health?
    7. If you were the manager/HR manager who informed this client of their redundancy would you do anything differently?

    Are you on a similar journey to Mrs M? Discover how you may be able to help yourself from my Brain Health – Mental Agility course.

  • Overindulgence, Christmas Cheer and Productivity

    ‘Tis the time of Christmas cheer for most of us in the Western World.  This usually translates into social engagements such as Christmas drinks, office parties, local get-togethers and family gatherings with the aftermath of uncomfortable symptoms from overeating and drinking including brain fog, wind and bloating, to name a few.  The weather doesn’t help either with cold, miserable, grey light-deficient days and long nights.

    With the festive season comes an overindulgence in foods that we don’t normally eat, but love including mince pies, Christmas pudding, and rich cheeses.   Apparently, each person in the UK consumes an average of 15 mince pies over the Christmas period.  As a nation, that is over 780 million mince pies!

    On top of overindulgence there is the frantic rush to complete last minute shopping for the turkey, rushing round to first buy and then wrap presents whilst also ensuring the fridge is stocked to feed everyone who is coming and be sure not to run out over the few days that the shops are closed!

    At the end of all this we turn to New Year resolutions to lose weight, drink less and exercise regularly.  Does anyone see the sense or is the yearly ritual simply madness?

    The holiday season is a time of family, laughter and giving. It’s also a time of increased mental and physical stress as we attempt to do, and eat, so much more. Here are my realistic tips for staying healthy and productive during this time.

    Overindulgence, christmas cheer and productivity

    THE RESULT OF OUR MADNESS

    The result of this madness is uncomfortable, stressed and frazzled individuals depleted of energy and sleep trying to get into the Christmas spirit, but silently wishing it would all end so that we can return to “normal”.

    TIPS FOR MANAGING SANITY AND SUSTAINING ENERGY

    It would be ridiculous for me to state the obvious to avoid over-eating and limiting alcohol intake.  In fact I can hear you all laughing now.  Let’s try a different tack:

    • Avoid the stress of last minute shopping.  Buy a card and explain the gift is “coming soon”.  Shop peacefully in the New Year for what you did not have time to get for Christmas, at half the price.
    • Drink long drinks, for example white wine spritzer instead of simply white wine or champagne with orange juice as opposed to straight champagne.  The addition of soda water or juice helps keep the body and mind hydrated and we tend to drink long drinks more slowly.
    • Keep mind and body hydrated by drinking one glass of water for every glass of alcohol.
    • Avoid bar snacks such as salted nuts and crisps that we all know encourages us to drink more, whilst also adding to the overload on the digestive system.
    • Choose the vegetarian option at the office party.  Vegetables are generally digested easier than meat, and do not lie heavily on the stomach, leading to a poor nights sleep. 
    • In your Christmas menu include a wide range of vegetables, cooked and raw of different colours to ensure everyone gets plenty of antioxidants for strengthening the immune, and fibre to aid effective digestion.
    • Eat slowly, chew well and enjoy your food whilst being fully present to all those sharing the table with you.  Observing this, usually means we eat less, feeling satiety before it becomes uncomfortable.
    • Your body and mind will thank you for leaving 12 hours, better 16 between the last meal of the day and the next meal on Boxing day. This gives the gut time to digest everything fully, providing mental and physical energy. 
    • Enjoy the benefits of the “great outdoors” with a good walk each day to increase oxygen in the blood to clear the head, increase energy, whilst also assisting the lymphatic system to do its job of clearing toxins and sustaining the effectiveness of your immune system. 

    THE LAST WORDS FROM CHARLES DICKENS – A CHRISTMAS CAROL

    “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

    Wishing everyone a Christmas full of festive joy and fun, and a healthy, happy and productive New Year. 

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • Post COVID 19: 5 Steps to Creating Strong Immune Health in the Workplace

    With the loosening of lockdown guidelines of the COVID-19 pandemic, HR directors, CEO’s and other organisation managers will be thinking hard and planning the return to work and how to protect themselves and their team members from this particular virus and any other seasonal bug that comes along.

    In many cases, due to the physical limitation of space it is not feasible to separate working places, meeting rooms, the use of toilets, the space for lunch and coffee breaks to observe the social distancing guidelines. Therefore, what steps can be taken to protect the environment and people within it?

    THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILL HEALTH

    Physical and mental health is considered an individual matter.  However, the physical work environment, leadership and general work conditions all affect levels of mental and physical health, which in turn affects focus, drive productivity and overall performance.  Knowing how to look after yourself and being responsible to maximise health and energy is key to productivity and performance, both of yourself as a leader as well as those that you lead.  It could easily be considered and included as a part of any job description and job responsibilities, saving organisations thousands of pounds from lost work-days due to sickness.  Figures taken from the 2017 Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey conducted by Vitality Health in partnership with Cambridge, RAND Europe and Mercer, with almost 32,000 employees within 167 companies, found that employees lose an average of 30.4 working days a year due to sickness, or illness-related underperformance, costing the UK economy a staggering £77.5 billion a year, an increase of 6.2% on the previous year.

    CAN WE LEARN ANYTHING FROM COVID-19 ABOUT IMMUNE HEALTH?

    The immune system is responsible for protecting our health through surveillance scanning for bacteria, toxins and viruses.  It is a network running throughout the body that includes lymph nodes and vessels, the skin as the first line of defence, as well as the thymus gland.   Immune defence is divided into two aspects and can be likened to an army – the first line of defence, known as the non-specific immune that is fast acting, and the specific immune which is slow to respond as it distinguishes between friend and foe.  Extensive research has identified that 70% of immune health is in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT).  Therefore, an unhealthy gut weakens the immune as well as affecting mental health due to the gut-brain connection via the gut-brain axis. 

     

    WATCH MY VIDEO ON THIS HERE:

     

    WHAT COMPROMISES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM?

    In a regular day, our immune copes with the effects of household and industrial chemicals, food additives and preservatives, electromagnetic radiation also known as electro-smog from exposure to Wifi driven and other devices reliant on electricity and non-ionizing radiation, as well as environmental toxins, antibiotics, vaccines and stress we experience in our work and personal lives. As leaders, taking care of the immune system is critical if we want our bodies and minds and those of our employees, to deliver top performance through energy and mental focus. Building a healthy immune does not have to be difficult or time consuming. Just like brushing teeth, showering and eating, maintaining a healthy immune becomes an integral part of our way of life when we know what to do.

    WHAT ARE THE MARKERS OF A POORLY FUNCTIONING IMMUNE SYSTEM?

    The main markers of a poorly functioning immune are:

    • Feeling run down or under par for most of the time
    • Poor resistance – repeated colds, regularly contracting flu
    • Inability to shake off a cold or flu
    • Repeated bouts of urinary tract infection
    • Exhaustion and weariness
    • Low resilience to daily occurrences therefore irrational behaviour
    • Poor ability to focus and mental fog

    TIPS TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM

    Maintaining a healthy immune assumes that it was formed correctly from birth by the baby passing through the birth canal, feeding on breast milk, nature’s protective mechanism to pass on antibodies to the newly born child and then as the baby grows to pick up pathogens through playing in the dirt.  In this case, it can probably be assumed, unless the child has had antibiotics for some reason, that the immune system is functioning effectively. In a post COVID world, there are steps we all need to take to create strong immune health in us all. Read here for more information.

    Tips to maintain a healthy immune system1. MANAGE STRESS IN YOUR STRIDE:

    • Identify what causes your stress and put steps in place to minimise it
    • Think positively replacing any negative thoughts with positive ones
    • Communicate assertively and positively.  Be ready to forgive
    • Walk in nature regularly.  Even if living and working in a city, getting outside into a local park is generally possible, and extremely beneficial to lowering levels of stress
    • Avoid procrastination
    • Deal with conflict openly and constructively.

    2. HYDRATE AND EAT HEALTHY FOODS:

    • As the body is made up of 85% water, it is essential for a healthy mind and body.  The immune is reliant on water for many functions.  Drink a minimum of 1.5 litres of plain water daily by keeping a glass on your desk all the time
    • Eat seasonal foods.  In each season, nature’s intelligence produces foods that we need to support strong immune health.  At this time of year there are lots of orange, yellow, red and blue vegetables and fruit, all of which are high in Vitamins A and C, rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, all essential for effective immune function
    • Eat a combination of raw and cooked foods.  Too much raw can make the body cold and vica-versa
    • Mushrooms – Lions Mane, Maitake, Reishi, Turkey tail and Shitake are natural immune modulators.  When added to cooking or taken as a supplement help strengthen and modulate the immune system
    • Ensure your gut has a well-balanced microbiome to avoid weakening gut integrity leading to a range of inflammatory digestive disorders and/or brain fog due to the link between the gut and the brain via the gut-brain axis
    • Add onion, garlic and leeks (Liliaceae), nature’s anti-virals to soups, stews and salads.   
    • Take vitamin D3.  The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 400iu, well below the needed levels for countries in the Northern Hemisphere. A daily minimum of 2,500iu is necessary to protect immune function, and in some cases, it might be more as it is a recognised fact that dark skin does not manufacture Vitamin D as well as pale-coloured skin.

    3. BODY CONDITIONING:

    • Exercise and movement improve lymph flow whilst conditioning the heart and lungs.  As the immune system does not have its own pump, it relies on movement to function effectively
    • Dry skin brush 4-5 times weekly before showering, to remove any dead skin to keep the first line of defence functioning correctly
    • Hot and cold hydrotherapy – invigorate yourself and your immune every day with a hot and cold shower or take a sauna once weekly. Hydrotherapy is very effective for stimulation of lymph flow and strengthening immunity. 

    4. KNOW YOUR LIMITS AND REST:

    • Recognise when you are tired and feeling fatigued to avoid “flogging a dead horse”
    • A good night’s sleep helps the body get adequate rest and time to repair
    • Avoid pushing yourself when you are suffering from a cold or flu to enable the body to recuperate quickly.  Take bed rest if needed
    • Switch off Wifi at night to limit exposure to electromagnetic radiation, especially when sleeping as this is when the immune is at its most vulnerable. 

    5. HAVE FUN!

    As leaders, when we create an environment that is fun to work in, employees want to come to work to get more of what they love.  The benefit to the employer is a productive, effective team of happy, healthy people who are focused, loving what they do and who they do it with.

    As managers and leaders how much would you save, and gain, if your main focus and goal was to create a work environment that is a happy, fun place to be? 

     

    To book Rachel to speak at your event, please contact Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com 

     

    References:

    ABL

    Hifas da Terra Mycotherapy

    Mayo clinic

    NCBI

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton, Founder of Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health is a leadership trainer, medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in corporate health through face-to-face, on-line and e-learning development solutions.

    For more information contact Rachel on rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

  • How Can You Lead Others If You Are Running On Empty?

    How many business leaders do you know who miss lunch breaks, work at the weekends, work well into the evenings and have vacation days stacking up? Or is this you?

    If it is you, you are probably well aware of what you are doing, and have perhaps made some New Year resolutions for yourself to address the number of hours you work, the extra pounds you have put on or the lack of time you are spending with family and or friends.

    How can you lead others if you are running on empty?As leaders we have an obligation and responsibility to our team members and to ourselves to ensure both you and they are fully charged, leading a balanced life that in turn quickly translates to productivity and ultimately profitability for the company and its many stakeholders.  Why is it that leaders so often miss applying these guidelines to themselves, to their health and wellbeing and to achieving a healthy balance in life between work, career and personal lives?

    It is understandable to feel overloaded when there are meetings to attend, reports to write, customers to call and teams to look after, but when we try to carry an unsustainable workload two things happen.

    Firstly, we are denying the fact that the system is flawed if it requires a ridiculously large workload.

    Secondly, we are giving our team members a message, loud and clear that it’s OK to neglect ourselves, our physical and mental health as well as our family and friends under the umbrella of work expectations.

    Unless we lead by example, we are serving no one.

    As with every other aspect of leadership, wellbeing, organisation values and culture must start from the top of an organisation. If this is not demonstrated by the leaders it becomes harder for personnel to believe it’s the right thing to do.

    FILL YOURSELF UP FIRST

    One of Fresh Air Fridays core wellbeing principles is to “fill yourself up first”.

    Two simple metaphors describe this well:

    1. On a plane, in case of an emergency, the crew always tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first, making sure you take care of yourself before you try to help others.
    2. The common saying, “you can’t pour from an empty pot” describes the same idea that you need to see to your own needs to enable you to care for others.

    Both things are proved true when it comes to wellbeing. If we believe that we must consistently and continuously do for others without resourcing ourselves, the likelihood is that at some point something will give. Whether the result is mental burnout, physical ill health or some other crisis.

    AS LEADERS WHAT CAN WE DO?

    The first step is awareness, and this needs some consideration. Regularly taking time to listen to and understand what your needs are, is important. This can become more difficult when it gets hidden in the morass of work, that we end up feeling overwhelmed and therefore don’t hear the messages.  Taking a moment, to have a short walk to clear the head, is something that Fresh Air Fridays would recommend.   However, short bursts of time can also be found in those forced moments, which invariably find us being irritated and frustrated, such as sitting in a traffic jam, waiting for the traffic lights to change or any other situation that’s presents a few minutes to ask yourself: “What would looking after me look like?  What would filling me up involve?”

    If you have no idea, just notice you have no idea. If something unexpected comes up, don’t react, just take a minute to consider it. Over the course of a few days or weeks keep gently asking yourself this question – your subconscious will be working on it anyway without much conscious effort from you. When you come up with some ideas, make it a priority to try some out. Schedule time in your calendar to make sure it happens.

    With all leadership skills and practices, this is not a one hit wonder.  You have to keep making time to listen and to feel at what level your petrol gauge is at and to avert circumstances when you are running on reserve tank.

    Wherever this exploration takes you, remember that the people around you, your teams, your colleagues, your family, and friends, are much more likely to take notice of what you do, rather than what you say. Therefore, if you want to create wellbeing in your workplace, you need to start with you.  With the start of 2020, a new year and a new decade, now is the time to make a fresh start in a manner that you mean to go on.

    Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year. 

     

    To learn how we can help you and your organisation, email Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

     

    References:

    Fresh Air Fridays www.freshairfridays.co.uk (Saranne Postans) 

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • How Are Your Listening Skills?

    How Good Are Your Listening Skills?

    I like to listen.  I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.  Most people never listen.

    Ernest Hemmingway

    In order to manage the ever-increasing workload, our lives are focused to processing as much as possible in the shortest time,.  This is further compounded by social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like, all of which demand time, and to which it is easy to become a “slave”.  How are these demands affecting your listening?  Look over the table below and remind yourself of the difference between poor and effective listening.

    Poor v. Effective Listening Behaviour

    The Poor Listener:

    Is distracted by work, other people, interrruptions, noises etc

    Body is oriented away from the speaker 

    Gives no feedback (facial responsiveness, or other appropriate response 

    Ignores speaker’s non verbal communication

    Interrupts and waits to speak 

    Jumps to conclusions – focuses on symptoms and quick fixes

    Takes criticism personally

    Blames others.  Becomes defensive about the organisation or self and is judgemental and punishing when someone complains 

    Blames the organisation.  Takes the side of the person complaining

    Is thrown by stressed-out behaviour of others, and may become stressed-out in turn, Often lacks control of the situation

    Judges others by opinions – prejudices, shuts down listening

    The Effective Listener:

    Focuses on the speaker and what is being said

    Body is oriented towards the speaker 

    Gives feedback and participates appropriately 

    Tunes into the speaker’s non verbal communication

    Occasionally reflects and clarifies.  Allows the other person to finish what they are saying 

    Is patient.  Sees complaints and negative criticism as opportunity for problem solving and learning.  Focuses on underlying causes

    Avoids taking criticism personally 

    Suspends judgement as to who is to “blame”.  Has attitude to focus and find solutions which is seen as being more important than judgement

    Doesn’t blame.  Seeks solutions, is proactive for the future, not seeking revenge for actions in the past

    Realises the other person must have had to “psych up” to make a complaint, and has respect.  Makes allowances for the other person’s behaviour while listening

    Suspends judgement on others – listens to what is being said, not who is saying it

    Listens with head and heart

    Skilled Listeners:

    • Pay attention – focus to the speaker
    • Indicate interest
    • Listen without judgement or prejudice
    • Observe and notice others’ body language and vocal usage
    • Ask questions to expand the other person’s thinking
    • Use the feedback loop to check understanding and show listening

  • I Will Honour Christmas in My Heart

    “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

    Beautiful words from Charles Dickens – A Christmas Carol

    Christmas is a special time for most, surrounded by family and festive cheer. To get to this point often triggers stress levels to ensure everything and everyone is remembered whether by sending a Christmas card, giving a call, popping round for a mince pie or sharing the big day. Did you know that apparently each person in the UK consumes an average of 15 mince pies over the Christmas period. As a nation, that is over 780 million mince pies!

    The festive season is around Christmas cheer, hugs and kisses and dare I say a good glass of wine or two while sharing banter about the year that is coming to end and making way for the New Year. The Christmas work parties, local get-togethers and family gatherings can leave us with an aftermath of feeling uncomfortable from overeating, a little slow thinking from one too many glasses of wine and a lack of energy, because quite frankly it's the end of the year and most of us have been on a marathon to complete everything in order to switch off and relax for a few days.

    The days are short and the nights long. Nature has a way of showing us what it is we should be doing. The cold, winter days are a time of nourishing one’s self and slowing down, just as nature does in order to refuel and be full of energy and vitality ready for the coming spring. It's a time to listen to your body and if its shouting “have a pyjama day”, have one. If it is asking for a hearty stew whether with meat or otherwise, enjoy one. 

    The main focus around Christmas is about the heart. It is a time of giving and receiving and both drive positive heart energy. Giving with joy and unconditional love is one of the most positive emotions and energies we can transmit to others. Receiving with gratitude even if you are thinking “What on earth……..?” feeds not only your heart, but the other person’s heart. Both raise our vibration and energy that we transmit attracting more of the same. Like attracts like. This is simply the law of the Attraction. The Law of Attraction is a concept that suggests that we attract experiences and outcomes in our lives that are in alignment with our thoughts. 

    Tips for Honouring Yourself and Others Over the Festive Season

    It would be ridiculous for me to state the obvious to avoid over-eating and limiting alcohol intake. In fact, I can hear you all laughing now.  Let’s try a different tack:

    • Give gratitude for the abundance in your life – friendships, family, good health, good food, Mother Nature….. There is so much to be grateful for.
    • Try to see the positive in everything and everyone. Sometimes this might be difficult, but with practice judgement drops and is replaced with unconditional love.
    • Avoid over-eating. When you feel full, stop to avoid that uncomfortable bloated and tight feeling due to too much food.
    • Balance alcohol intake with water to keep hydrated. Drink long drinks, for example white wine spritzer instead of simply white wine or champagne with orange juice as opposed to straight champagne. The addition of water or juice helps keep the body and mind hydrated, while consuming less alcohol overall. 
    • Choose the vegetarian option at the office party. Vegetables are generally digested easier than meat, and do not lie heavily on the stomach, affecting your quality of sleep.  
    • Include a wide range of vegetables, cooked and raw of different colours to ensure you get plenty of antioxidants that strengthen the immune, as well as providing fibre to aid effective digestion. 
    • Eat slowly, chew well and enjoy your food while being fully present to all those sharing the table. Eating slowly is a good tactic to eating less as it means you feel when you are satiated before becoming uncomfortable from over-eating.
    • Your body and mind will thank you for leaving 12 hours, better 16 between the last meal of the day and the next meal on Boxing day or New Year’s day. In fact, any day. This gives the gut time to digest everything fully, increasing both mental and physical energy.  
    • Enjoy the benefits of the “great outdoors” with a good walk, run, cycle or play of some kind each day. This increases oxygen levels in the blood, clears the head, increases energy, while also assisting the lymphatic system in clearing toxins from the body and sustaining the effectiveness of your immune system.

    As a closing thought, if you don't get that present you really wanted, if the family starting falling out over lunch, auntie has a panic attack and mum gets locked in the toilet:

    “Just remember true Christmas lies in your heart.” Santa, Polar Express

    Wishing everyone a Christmas full of festive joy and fun, and a blessed, heartful, healthy, happy 2025.

     

  • In pursuit of perfectionism

    Perfect or perfection is often thrown about in the business world as a desired state.  This might be voiced as an exclamation – “Oh perfect!”, as a statement, related to a particular desired outcome – “That is almost perfect?”  Clearly from the last sentence we can see that something is missing, not aligned correctly, has a small flaw and therefore in some way it does not achieve the status of “perfect” or “perfection”.

    When looking into the dictionary at the definition of “perfect” and “perfection” we see:

    Perfect –  “Complete and correct in every way, of the best possible type or without fault”. (Cambridge English Dictionary).

    Perfection – “Quality of being, as good at it is possible for something of a particular kind to be”.  (Collins English Dictionary)

    How do we define if something is perfect or not?  Of course when talking about figures in terms of achieving targets and goals, it is clear, you either achieve that figure, therefore its perfect, or you do not – a state of not being perfect.  For other situations and for behaviour we create parameters for measuring the end result, which then matches or it does not match and therefore is perfect or not.  However, what about being a perfectionist?  Someone who strives for the perfect result, which they decide is the final result and whether in their own eyes is perfect.  “A person who wants everything to be perfect and demands the highest standards possible”. (Cambridge English Dictionary)

    When being a perfectionist or working for a boss who is a perfectionist, very often nothing is ever quite right, or good enough in some way, in other words it does not meet expectations.   Their expectations!  As a perfectionist how does this affect your life?  Very often you create your own stress around improving that result so that it becomes perfect.  The time “invested” in this last effort to create perfection, drains your resources through nervous energy, missing deadlines and being overly hard on yourself.  Not only do you suffer, but possibly so do those around you who have to wait while you achieve this perfection, have to deal with your emotional instability whilst you strive for that perfection and perhaps even try to negotiate you around to accepting what you have done is already “perfect” because it meets their expectations and the agreed parameters, or indeed the result is even better than they expected and they prefer the outcome, even though it is not exactly what was agreed according to those same parameters.

    On the other side is that fact that being a perfectionist means that you do not make mistakes, defined as “Atelophobia” (taken from Greek) or the fear (phobia) of being imperfect (atelo).  If you do not make mistakes, how and what can you learn because you are already perfect?

    Working for a boss who is a perfectionist can be demotivating, destabilising and frustrating, as nothing is ever good enough.  This means the feedback is always half-hearted at best, – “Well, I like what you have done so far.  If you just work on this bit in XYZ way, it will be perfect!” “You have produced something that is good, in order to improve on that, why don’t you change this and then it will be perfect?”, and so on.  I am sure these and other similar statements are familiar.  I am also sure that over time hearing such feedback undermines your confidence and motivation, because you realise that whatever you do, you will never get it quite right, and therefore why put in the effort?  Leaving you with a feeling of being undervalued.

    Performance, self assessment and stress are directly related.  Striving for perfection, does it change anything in the result and outcome, the investment of energy, analysis, action and so on?  How we assess ourselves is a reflection of self confidence, being a perfectionist is one of the quickest ways to undermine yourself and your self confidence.  Stress – pushing and pulling, putting in those extra hours to achieve that last tweak, that last re-model, re-work or other to achieve that level of perfection takes away from a balance of work to home life, sports, activities and friends, which can end up with self disappointment, beating yourself up for not being good enough, and potentially affecting your health through decreasing immunity to infections and viruses, stomach ulcers, and headaches, fatigue and perhaps in the worst case scenario even adrenal exhaustion.  Not to mention the fact that your family will suffer as will your friendships.  For what?  Knowing when you have achieved the goal and stopping there giving yourself the reward and satisfaction is key to self management and strong self confidence.

  • Is Technology Ruining your Life?

    Is technology ruining your life?Technology is a fine thing, and something that most of us cannot do without on one level or another. It keeps us connected to colleagues, partners, family. It even helps make our lives more tolerable, less intensive, more effective and overall easier.

    IS THAT REALLY THE CASE?

    Did I say, more tolerable, less intensive, effective and easier?  Information flies around at such speed that it is almost impossible sometimes to feel that it makes life less intensive. In some instances, it is even questionable whether it helps us to be more effective.

    SUPPORTIVE FACTS

    Here are just a few facts and figures to support my comment, from Bernard Marr of Enterprise in a Cloud, May, 2018:

    • 3.7 billion humans use the internet
    • 40,000 searches are conducted through Google every second.  That is equal to 3.5 billion searches per day on Google alone.
    • In the last two years 90% of data was created at the current pace.  That is 2.5 quintillion bytes of data being created every day.  If you don’t know what a quintillion is – check out Google!

    EVERY MINUTE:

    • 156,000 emails are sent
    • 103,447,520 SPAM emails are sent
    • 4,146,600 users watch Youtube
    • 45,788 Uber rides
    • and the list of technology related statistics goes on……

    THE RESULT

    It is no wonder that some days, I feel like I am in a washing machine that just keeps going and never reaches the end of its cycle. I’m constantly bombarded with information coming in via WhatsApp, Linked In, Facebook, including Messenger, Twitter, SMS messaging, email and finally the odd telephone call.

    The feeling of having to be constantly connected and available can be very stressful. Not to mention the other side of the coin, of keeping in touch with the latest information, just to keep your head above the parapet.  This list of possible ways to contact is not complete by any means when considering all other in possibilities.

    IMPACT ON BUSINESS

    Is present day business expecting all leaders to have the same digital availability, whilst also managing team members on a face-to-face basis.  Or have leaders become digital, thus leading without face-to-face exposure?

    Impact on the brainIMPACT ON THE BRAIN

    With so much focus on technology in today’s society, we find ourselves paying a price. Sleeping problems, anxiety, stress management and work stress are just a few. This blog offers a solution. Are you prepared to hear it? #sleep #stress #technology

    What impact is this having on the brain?  Research is already showing that brain function due to neuronal re-programming is changing and becoming wired differently.  Whether this is evolution or not, time will tell.

    Ill health such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder and other brain related diseases are increasing in number and hit the headlines more often.

    POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

    Is it time to think about using digital technology for the purposes that it was designed for – to assist and make life easier by transferring information instantly, to conduct meetings virtually, to send the same information to a group of people at the click of a button and to access news as and when time is appropriate?

    Would this allow “unconnected” down-time to enable enjoyment from leading people, and to be able to appreciate what they do and say in a fully focused manner?  Interacting with others on a face-to-face, person-to-person basis brings what technology is unable to do, fully engaged communication, that human touch which we all need at times, and a normal conversation with facial expressions, shared joy, disappointment, laughter and interest.   Is this approach, old hat, or simply lost under the demand of our digital world?

    Do you really need technology to tell you how you slept?DO YOU REALLY NEED TECHNOLOGY TO TELL YOU HOW YOU SLEPT?

    With so much focus on technology in today’s society, we find ourselves paying a price. Sleeping problems, anxiety, stress management and work stress are just a few. This blog offers a solution. Are you prepared to hear it? #sleep #stress #technologyThis blog came about because of one of those all too rare face-to-face conversations with a friend and business colleague as I noticed that she was not wearing her Fitbit activity tracker.  On asking where was her Fitbit she answered, I used it for 2 things:

    • To tell me how far I have walked
    • To tell me if I am sleeping

    With that last comment she added: “When I wake in the morning, I know whether I have slept well or not. Why do I need a Fit bit to tell me this?”

    Is this yet another aspect of giving up brain capacity to a piece of digital technology, which at the end of the day tells me what I already know?

     

    References:

    Bernard Marr (May 2018)

    Baroness Susan Greenfield, Mind Change (2014)

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • Does your working day eat into your lunch break?

    As with most things in the UK around working hours and conditions there is legislation that dictates the amount of hours worked in relation to the time allocated and legally allowed for a break.  I would suggest that most companies are not only aware of this, but also follow the legislation, explaining to employees the amount of time they are entitled to for a break and in some situations, such as restaurants, and other service institutions, when that break can be taken.   On the other hand there are jobs such as couriers who are paid by the number of deliveries and not by the hour who probably focus more on earning capacity, rather than taking a break to eat something.  Despite all the legislation, lunch breaks are being swallowed up as we resign to eating lunch at our desk, opting to earn more, or to go home early.  Not exactly “al fresco”, but “al desko” dining, or quickly popping out for a take-away of some kind, which is eaten on the hoof before returning to the desk.

    Is the lack of respect for the lunch break self-imposed or a reflection of the ever-increasing pressure and changing work culture?  Does the employee feel comfortable in taking a full lunch break, or is there an unspoken rule that this is not acceptable and therefore, frowned upon?

     

     

    What are the benefits of taking time for lunch?

    Effective digestion – There are the obvious benefits of getting away from the desk to stretch a little, exercise, get out into some fresh air, and if going with someone, talk about something else, socialise and unwind. Furthermore, from a digestion point of view, focusing on what we eat helps to begin the process of digestion, therefore starting natural salivation in the mouth in readiness for the arrival of food, which in turn stimulates the release of stomach acid.  Proper digestion, means avoiding that uncomfortable feeling of bloating and heaviness associated with indigestion or having that “sugar high” and then a major energy slump an hour later.

    Mental and Physical Performance – Proper digestion is connected directly to physical and mental wellbeing. Ensuring the body is able to absorb  nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for work performance, needs time to begin the process of digestion.  Working through a break, or eating at the desk, when a regular practice, is false economy because the digestive system is compromised, thus affecting nutrient absorption that ultimately takes its toll on performance with the inevitable slump in energy.   Whereas taking time to leave the desk to “switch off” and enjoy what you are eating, helps in creating the right environment for digestion as well as alleviating work pressures and stress, thus leading to enhanced performance.

    Mental performance is also lowered due to increased screen time.  Our mental performance is directly linked to the ability to make decisions.  It is the pre-frontal cortex that is involved in making decisions and in executive function.  This connects to other brain networks in order to regulate behaviour, mood, thought and emotion. The pre-frontal cortex is highly susceptible to stress, which when overloaded can result in poor decision-making, inability to focus effectively and over time lead to tension headaches, mood swings and depression.

    Better Weight Management – It is common knowledge that weight management is important. Overweight means we put stress on our body functions and all the organs in the body.  Besides this obvious point, being overweight you often feel uncomfortable and lack energy, as well as self-confidence.  Taking time to eat slowly and mindfully and getting some movement or exercise during a break are both important to managing weight.  The World Health Organisation has identified physical inactivity as the fourth leading risk factor in global mortality.  Being overweight and leading a sedentary lifestyle can lead to such diseases as hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease.  Lack of movement through sedentary behaviour lowers energy required to perform well.  “Moreover, physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21–25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes and approximately 30% of the ischemic heart disease burden.” (World Health Organisation)

    Tips for Improving Digestion

    1. Eat when relaxed.  Avoid eating when stressed as energy is diverted and digestion is compromised.
    2. Be mindful about what you are going to eat, stimulating saliva and gastric juices prior to putting food in your mouth.
    3. Sit comfortably, and upright when eating, avoiding slumping as this means food cannot travel easily to the stomach and intestines.
    4. Be relaxed and breathe, thus relaxing the brain and helping the body to switch on the digestive process.
    5. Eat slowly so as not to dump large chunks of food into the digestive tract.  Well-chewed food is more easily broken down and nutrients absorbed to provide not only the feeling of satiety, but also the energy needed to continue with your day.
    6. The body needs time to register when it is full, therefore avoid eating quickly to allow the system time to register and feel satiated.
    7. Enjoy the process of eating, take time to notice the smells, flavours and textures of your food.
    8. Eat until you feel comfortable.  Avoid overeating as this stresses the digestive system, and leaves you feeling tired with the inevitable afternoon slump in energy.
    9. Try to get at least 15 minutes exercise during your break especially if you have a sedentary job as movement helps to oxygenate the blood, increase blood flow to the brain, and alleviates any feelings of being stressed.
    10. Preferably walk or exercise outside as fresh air boosts the levels of oxygen in the blood, and through exposure to the sun also helps the body to create vitamin D needed for many functions in the body, including mood regulation. 

    With the increase in mental ill health in the workplace, encouraging employees to go out for lunch is a one step towards helping decrease stress and increase work performance through greater focus and attention, increased energy and a positive, constructive mood.

     

    References:

    https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/pa/en/

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28358570

    Optimum Nutrition www.ion.ac.uk