Welcome to the late Summer edition of In Equilibrium.

Is it meant to be one of the first signs of autumn when the geese start departing for far-away shores?  We don’t want to be the bearers of bad news but we have seen our first skein of geese heading towards the coast … let’s hope they’re a bit premature this year!

Welcome to our latest edition of In Equilibrium where we hope you’ve returned safely from near or far-away shores refreshed from your summer break.  In this issue we announce our autumn open course programme; introduce our new “Courageous Conversations” workshop; publish our new Stress Policy white paper; and have a competition to help you brush up on your treasure hunting skills!  Please read on …

In Equilibrium News

New In-house Course Available
“Courageous Conversations” has been designed for anyone who wants to be able to approach a difficult or challenging conversation with confidence and skill.  Whether it’s discussing a poor performance review, being heard in a meeting or explaining why you cannot take on the extra workload senior management are requesting, this course will prepare you and provide you with the necessary tools and techniques to communicate constructively and confidently. 

Update Your Profile
If, in addition to this newsletter, you would like to receive our weekly emails which provide you with more detailed information about our courses and other services.  Just email us at training@in-equilibrium.co.uk and we will be happy to do it for you.

Follow our Blogs
In case you’ve missed it, we have a regularly updated Blog section on our website which features all sorts of entries from case studies and articles to the most recent testimonial for our Stress Management Training for Managers course.  

Stress Management Tip

Patience – it’s not just a game of cards This tip is for anyone who, when at the end of their tether juggling work, family and social arrangements, has found themselves snapping at a loved one or colleague when they’ve disturbed or detained them at the wrong time. 

Ask the Expert

This edition’s question is one that has been asked more than once and is one we feel many will relate to either currently or in their past.

Question
I am a 35 year old manager who has recently returned to work following my first maternity leave. Work seems much more hectic than before, and thrown into the mix is the fact that I will be moving house next month.  Relationships at work and at home are currently ‘tricky’ and I worry about what my staff think of me. I feel like a ‘Jack of all trades’ but a ‘master of none’, never really finishing one thing before I have to start another.  Can you offer any tips on how I can regain some control?

Answer
This question has been tackled by our consultant Dot Gourlay, an experienced corporate trainer in many areas of Stress Management and Health Promotion.  Dot gives some helpful, practical tips which could be beneficial to anyone facing even part of the questioner’s predicament.  Read her answer here. 

Find out more about Dot Gourlay and the courses she delivers by viewing her profile here.

If you would like to have a question answered in a future edition, please email it to us at training@in-equilibrium.co.uk

Resources

In Equilibrium Stress Policy White Paper
Knowing from experience that the prospect of drawing up your organisation’s stress policy is a large and often daunting project, we have written this white paper which we hope will offer a helping hand.  We try to explain the “what, who, how, where and when” of stress policy development and, in particular, we aim to explain the process.

Common Mental Health Problems at Work
This report from the Centre for Mental Health confirms that people with common mental health problems do not have to be completely well to return to work.  Going back to work, for many, actually aids their recovery.  The report also finds that the response a person receives when they become unwell from their supervisor and line manager can have a large impact on their chances of staying at work.

How to Look After Your Mental Health
The Mental Health Foundation have produced a booklet which covers 10 practical tips that you can follow which neither cost a fortune nor take up a lot of time.  You can download the booklet or order bulk copies from their website.  

Amanda’s Column

Following a recent celebration, Amanda thinks about communication methods and ponders on why, just like jokes, the old ones tend to be the best.

Quotations

“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.” Jean Paul Sartre French Philosopher (1905 – 1980)

“Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.” Robert C. Gallagher American Writer (Dates unknown)

Competition
Our latest competition takes the form of a Website Treasure Hunt.  As we train countrywide, we thought it would have been impractical to ask you to go out and about to collect the clues!

All we ask you to do is find answers to the following by “mousing” about on our website.

1. Which course title teaches “managers what they need to know and do to minimize stress risks at work”?
2. Over the last 3 years approximately how many managers have benefited from this course?
3. Which consultant, who delivers this course, has the same initials as the first two letters of the alphabet?
4. How often is this newsletter published?
5. What is our free phone telephone number?

Please email your name and answers to training@in-equilibrium.co.uk and the first two correct entries drawn at midday on Friday 17th September 2010 will win a £15.00 voucher from one of a choice of 3 retailers.

Good luck and we suggest you start here www.in-equilibrium.co.uk

News from the Outside

One lie-in “not enough to counter sleep loss”
A new study has concluded that lie-ins can be useful to catch up on the sleep missed during the week but one long “recovery” sleep won’t counter the effects of several nights of only four hours sleep.

… and finally …

Conference finds yawning is contagious across species
Yes, there has been an International Conference on Yawning!  Topics such as why your dog yawns in the vet’s waiting room were covered, although our favourite was the prognosis for a patient who yawned every minute.  The real challenge, of course, is can you read this short article without yawning?

You may also be interested in the following courses we have available:

Developing Personal Resilience

Facilitation, Problem Solving & Appreciative Enquiry Skills for Managers

Employee Engagement

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter, your comments and suggestions are always welcome.