SUCCESS OVER STRESS
* Eat healthy and exercise. These help your body deal with stress. Exercise has been proven to relieve stress and improve your health!
* When you feel stress coming on, take slow, deep breaths in and out. Slow breathing can halt your stress response.
* Recognize that stress is a normal reaction. You can’t always avoid it. Stress can make life hard. But there are healthy ways to get through it.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WELL-BEING
If you’re hoping to make a change, these tips may help:
Avoid.If certain places or people make you want to engage in unhealthy habits, try your best to stay away.
Replace.Focus on what you can do instead of the bad habit. For instance, take a walk or drink a glass of water.
Plan.If you know you’ll be tempted with a bad habit, practice what you can do. Picture yourself not giving in. Have a plan for yourself.
Buddy up.Ask a friend or family member to support you. They can cheer you on and encourage you when you need it.
Source: National Institutes of Health
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WELL-BEING
Experts say that to stop an unhealthy habit, you must replace it with a healthy habit. Here’s how to get started.
*Set a date.Make a plan for when you intend to quit your bad habit. Put it in your calendar or planner.
*Stop the triggers.For instance, don’t eat in front of the T.V. if you tend to overeat while watching it. Eat at a table without distractions.
*Keep track.Anytime you avoid your unhealthy habit, write down your victory. You’ll see how far you’ve come. This can help you stay motivated.
*Be kind to yourself.Promise yourself a healthy reward when you meet a certain milestone. And, don’t focus on setbacks or mistakes. Instead, be proud of the things that you did well.
Source: National Institutes of Health
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
SleepWell® Program
Week 4
Downtime is idle time between activities. Examples are the moments you have waiting at a red light, the time spent riding in an elevator, and the extra time during a lunch break.
Idle time allows your brain to rest and process and store information (how you learn and form memories). If you’ve ever had a great idea come to you in the shower, you know how creative your mind is during this time.
Often, multi-tasking steals this time away. The resulting “addiction to activity” does not let your mind rest during the day. The result can be a feeling of being busy all the time. You may feel like you need “time to think.” If you go all day without downtime, it can be harder to quiet your mind at night and go to sleep.
Practice letting your mind rest every day. If you are used to filling your time with multiple tasks at once, the following exercise may be eye-opening!
Try this: Sit in a room for 15 minutes and do nothing. Don’t look at your phone or seek any other distractions. Let thoughts enter your mind.
Reflect:
How did you feel at the end of 15 minutes?
Natural Ways to Include Downtime Daily
* Turn off notifications on your phone. Set aside time for social media during the day-and avoid it at other times.
* Listen to music instead of the news or talk radio while driving. Or, sit in silence and let your mind wander.
* Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take five minutes of “blank space” time in your day.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Healthylife® Weigh
Part 6
Downtime is idle time between activities. Examples are the moments you have waiting at a red light, the time spent riding in an elevator, or the extra time you have during a lunch break.
Idle time allows your brain to rest, process, and store information (how you learn and form memories). If you’ve ever had a great idea come to you in the shower, you know how creative your mind is during this time. Appreciate downtime to reduce feelings of boredom.
Often, multi-tasking or a feeling that you must always be doing something steals this time away. The resulting “addiction to activity” does not let your mind rest during the day. The result can be a feeling of being busy all the time. You may feel like you need “time to think.” If you go all day without downtime, it can be harder to quiet your mind at night and go to sleep.
Practice letting your mind rest every day. If you are used to filling your time with multiple tasks at once, the following exercise may be eye-opening!
Try This: Sit in a room or outside for 15 minutes and do nothing. Don’t look at your phone or seek any other distractions. Let thoughts enter your mind.
Reflect: How did you feel at the end of 15 minutes?
Ways to Include Downtime Daily
* Turn off notifications on your phone. Set aside time for social media during the day-and avoid it at other times.
* Listen to music instead of the news or talk radio while driving. Or, sit in silence and let your mind wander.
* Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take at least five minutes of “blank space” time during your day.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WORK LIFE
1. Allow yourself plenty of time in the morning. Don’t hit snooze on the alarm. Starting your day without rushing can help keep your stress levels down.
2. Take an invigorating shower or listen to upbeat music to wake up your body and mind. This will help jump-start your day.
3. Have a healthy breakfast with some protein and fiber to keep you going all morning. Try oatmeal with low-fat milk or an egg with whole grain toast. Pack a healthy lunch too!
4. When you get to work, write down the most urgent things that should be done. Respond to the most important emails or calls first. But, don’t forget about less urgent items. Write down a list of what you hope to get done by the end of the day.
5. Smile when you talk to people on the phone. Others will “hear” your smile in the tone of your voice. Even if you don’t feel like smiling, try it. You may find that it helps you have a more positive outlook. Smiling can “trick” your brain into feeling happy.
6. Don’t get overwhelmed. If your workload isn’t doable, speak up. Talk to your supervisor about small concerns before they become big problems. You may be able to get a deadline extension or find a creative way to get it done with help from a coworker.
7. Get to bed on time so you can start fresh and rested again tomorrow. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Allow for some relaxing activity before bedtime to get your body and mind ready for sleep.
Sources: American Institute of Stress, National Sleep Foundation
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WORK LIFE
Do you often feel tired and worn out after lunch? It can be hard to stay productive and get through the workday if you’re fighting fatigue and exhaustion. Often times, this afternoon slump can be avoided by making a few simple changes:
*Use caffeine sparingly.A cup of coffee or tea can give you a boost in the morning, but drinking too much can cause an energy crash after it wears off. Finish your last caffeinated drink before noon, and limit intake to four 8 oz. cups of coffee.
*Include lean protein and healthy fats in your lunch.This can help stabilize blood sugar levels and fight fatigue. Examples include turkey, low-fat dairy, avocado, nuts and fish.
*Drink plenty of water.Even mild dehydration can make you tired. Aim for eight 8 oz. glasses per day.
*Get moving.If you can, walk outside at lunch and get fresh air, even for just 10 minutes. This can energize and relax you. But even walking indoors or stretching in your office can be helpful. Sitting at a desk for hours without getting up can make you feel tired. Do alternative activities and walk around when you can.
*Having more energy starts the day before.If you find that you’re tired every day despite these tips, you may need more sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours a night.
Sometimes, ongoing fatigue can be a sign of a health issue. If you find that your energy levels are always low despite making healthy choices, talk to your doctor. Problems such as sleep disorders, anemia, depression, diabetes, and many other conditions can cause energy levels to sag. Certain medications can also cause sleepiness. You and your doctor can discuss your health history and make a plan to address any issues to get you feeling better again.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WELL-BEING
Want to be more productive and happier during the workday? Try taking a short break to text a friend, play Angry Birds, or check Facebook on your smartphone, according to Kansas State University research.
Allowing employees to take smartphone microbreaks may be a benefit-rather than a disruption-for businesses. Microbreaks are nonworking-related behaviors during working hours.
“A smartphone microbreak can be beneficial for both the employee and the organization,” said the lead researcher. “For example, if I would play a game for an hour during my working hours, it would definitely hurt my work performance. But if I take short breaks of one or two minutes throughout the day, it could provide me with refreshment to do my job.”
Taking a break throughout the workday is important because it is difficult, and nearly impossible, for an employee to concentrate for 8 straight hours a day without a break, was the thinking. So the smartphone microbreaks were thought to be similar to other microbreaks throughout the workday: chatting with coworkers, walking around the hallway, or getting a cup of coffee. Such breaks are important because they can help employees cope with the demands of the workplace.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine