Newsletter 63 – December 2011/January 2012

Welcome to the last In Equilibrium of 2011

We, like so many other people who have made the comment, really don’t know where this year’s gone!  However, may we thank you for reading our newsletter over the past year and wish you a very peaceful and happy festive season when it arrives.

As well as all our regular features, our latest edition includes:

• An introduction to our new Mindfulness training course
• A practical Stress Tip with an eye on the winter months ahead
• Some helpful advice from Dr Mason Brown to someone with a tricky team member whose attitude is affecting the whole department
• A link to an absence management survey which, for the first time, finds stress as the number one cause of long term sickness absence in the UK

In Equilibrium News

Mindfulness Training – is now recognised as a highly effective way to improve performance and well-being.  One of its many benefits is to help develop an enhanced ability to cope with pressure and stress and maintain a sense of inner peace, balance and presence even in the midst of a busy working life.

Useful resources about Mindfulness Training can be found by following the relevant link in the Resource Section below.

Twitter – just a quick reminder that we are on twitter and regularly tweet about newsworthy pieces, articles and listen again programme suggestions related to stress, resilience and well-being.
Follow us at https://twitter.com/in_equilibrium

Course testimonial – we are delighted with the results our Developing Personal Resilience and Managing Stress at Work training have had on a group of team leaders at the Intercontinental Park Lane.  Their Learning & Development Manager was kind enough to allow us to share the feedback we received.

MINDFUL EMPLOYER  – In Equilibrium has recently signed up to this initiative which is led by employers and aimed at increasing awareness of mental health in the workplace and supporting businesses in recruiting and retaining staff.

Stress Management Tip

Be prepared!
In this edition we look at how this well known phrase can be used to help to reduce stress and anxiety on a daily basis.

Ask The Expert

This edition’s question concerns a staff member whose negative attitude is having a detrimental effect on the whole team.

Question

“I have a member of staff who is always moaning about her job, family life and even her health.  Her moans can bring the whole mood of the department down and, at times, I think that she is just attention seeking.  How can I get her to improve her outlook on life and prevent her pessimistic mood from affecting the rest of my team?”

Answer
In Equilibrium Consultant, Dr David Mason Brown, tackles this sensitive area and offers some practical and enlightening tips.
Read his answer here

If you found our answer helpful, you may be interested in the following course which is presented by Dr Mason Brown:

Lifestyle Management
Dr David Mason Browns profile is available here

Amandas Column

Amanda discovers that being out of kilter with the present might have its benefits …

Resources

Mindfulness Training
As you may have seen in our news section, we can now offer training in this important area.  In this blog posting you will find some valuable links to background information about, and the business case for, mindfulness training.

Guidance on Mental Health Issues
The Royal College of Psychiatrists have developed a new area within their website which has been designed to give information on key issues and links to more detailed guidance on matters relating to work and mental health.  The web pages are divided into 4 parts; workers, employers, clinicians and carers.  Each part focuses on advice and guidance pertinent to that group.

Further details are available here about our own one-day course on Mental Health Awareness

Quotations

“Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product””
Eleanor Roosevelt
Author, speaker, politician and First Lady of the United States from 1933 – 1945
(1884 – 1962)

“I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six.  Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph”
Shirley Temple
Film and television actress, singer & dancer
(born 1928)

News from the Outside

Stress is the Number One Cause of Long Term Sickness Absence
According to this year’s Absence Management Survey by the CIPD/Simplyhealth stress has, for the first time, been found to be the number one cause of long term sickness absence amongst both manual and non-manual employees. The survey also reveals a link between job security and mental health problems.

Shiny Happy Profits – Wellbeing versus P&L
In this article a Professor of Statistics, from the Faculty of Health and Social Care at London South Bank University, investigates the link between employee wellbeing and a healthy P&L and balance sheet.  Although certain measurement data may be an obstacle to overcome, the figures show that finance directors believe that improved employee wellbeing can lead to performance improvements throughout their organisation

Work Stress as Contagious as a Cold
Researchers from the University of Hawaii have discovered that second-hand stress and anxiety can be passed from colleague to colleague around the office as quickly as a cold.  We apparently not only mimic a stressed colleague mentally but take on their physical body language as well.

Various In Equilibrium courses cover passive stress and offer strategies to tackle this important subject, please contact us to discuss further.

… and finally …

Take a Break with the Google Art Project
We all know that were meant to take regular breaks from reading off our computer screens; the Art Project allows you to give your eyes a rest and have a look at over a thousand artworks from some of the world’s most acclaimed art museums. So when a break away from your desk is out of the question, a short perusal of this site may set you up for your next task.

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter.  We are always delighted to hear from our readers, so if you would like to share your comments or suggestions with us, please don’t hesitate to contact us at : training@in-equilibrium.co.uk