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  • About
    • Media
    • Praise
  • Keynote Speaking
  • Workshops
  • Coaching
  • Events & Retreats
  • Shop
    • Cart
  • Find Momentum
    • Books
    • Momentous Moves
    • Livewell Blog
    • Healthy Eating
  • Contact

Self-care strategies to survive the festive season

  • 21/12/2019/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips, Healthy lifestyle, Mental Health, Workplace Wellness

Photo: Adobe

‘Tis the season to be jolly, Christmas is a time for giving and sharing, spending time with loved ones and showing people you care. It can also be a time when we feel triggered, sad, lonely, over committed, over consumed, overwhelmed and not at all jolly.

In the spirit of giving here’s some tips to help you survive and thrive during the festive season:

It’s OK to say No

There’s’ Christmas parties, shopping, expectations, end of year wrap ups, New Year celebrations, the list goes on. Our social calendars fill up, the world around us speeds up and there’s a feeling of frantic busyness as everything ramps up in a festive frenzie.

Learning the art of saying no can be such a liberating thing to do. Look ahead at social events coming up, decide which events you will attend and practice the art of politely declining events you don’t want to attend.

If finances are low, have conversations around reducing dollar spend and give each other the gift of being present.

Limit your time around people that trigger you

Let’s face it, there are some people that make us feel uncomfortable and push our buttons. The great news is you have a choice and don’t have to spend lengthy time in their company. Plan ahead by acknowledging the people that might make you uncomfortable or upset you and plan appropriate ways to excuse yourself from their company. These people can be staff, colleagues, managers friends and family members.

Yes, that may mean leaving the family Christmas event early or deciding to skip it altogether and that’s perfectly OK. If you find yourself ducking and weaving instead of dancing around the Christmas tree, make a dash for the door and plan something fun to do.

Boundaries and exit strategies

You can let yourself get burnt out, stressed out and maxed out or you can set healthy boundaries with savvy exit strategies.

Whether you’re a person who gets socially excited and stays until stumps, a person who’s socially withdrawn, or have a level of anxiety over an upcoming gathering, setting healthy boundaries and having an exit strategy is a social life saver.

Setting boundaries is the courageous act of putting yourself first. We can prioritise our boundaries or we can prioritise the feelings of others, but we can’t do both.

If you’re feeling anxious about a person’s behaviour, be prepared to have a difficult conversation with them about how you’re feeling and what you are and aren’t prepared to accept.

If your schedule is full and you don’t feel up to another social gathering, politely decline.

If you regularly get caught in the moment speak to your family, friends or colleagues to help you in wrapping things up before that point of no return.

Plan when and how you’re going to leave festive and social engagements.

Take time out for you

To quote my own all-time favourite quote “Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s an act of love for yourself and those around you”

Give yourself the gift of time out, doing activities that restore you. If you’re tired, rest and avoid pushing through. Delegate tasks, ask for help and drop perfection; done is better than perfect. Create healthy boundaries around your time, energy and well-being.

And remember to have a WELL and Merry Christmas that’s guilt free, stress free and spent with those that light you up like a Christmas Tree.

Feeling festively frazzledf? I can help you be present amongst the presents


How I beat anxiety by developing a wellness toolbox

  • 24/10/2019/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips, Healthy lifestyle, Mental Health, Workplace Wellness

A study conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2014-15 revealed 4 million Australians reported having a mental or behavioural condition with anxiety related conditions being the most frequently reported.

Women reported to have higher mental and behavioural conditions at 19.2% compared to men at 15.8%. Stats like this tell me, people living with anxiety aren’t alone and there’s much work to be done in reducing the stigma attached to mental health conditions.  

I’ve been delivering talks all month in workplaces for mental health awareness. It’s inspired me to get a little vulnerable and share my experience, here’s the essence of it:

Anxiety can be crippling, many people who live with it don’t talk about it for fear of stigma and see it as a failing. I believe the real failing isn’t in having a mental health condition, it’s in our lack of understanding, how we deal with it as a society and the stigma attached.

I’ve lived with anxiety for most of my life, as a child I didn’t know what it was, it wasn’t something we knew much about back then, let alone talk about. I’d have an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach like I’d done something really bad. As a teenager I’d get terrible headaches, wasn’t able to concentrate and acted out, A LOT.

In 2004 when I was going through an ugly divorce my anxiety levels hit their peak and panic attacks began to take over, I was unable to work at the high levels my business demanded of me and it was affecting my relationships. A brief admission to hospital confirmed it was time to do something about it.

Back then I didn’t have a name for what I was doing I just started doing things to get me out of the hole I was in and back to a functioning level. I’ve since titled it “My Wellness Toolbox.” I’ve been anxiety free for over a decade and carry my toolbox with me wherever I go.

Here’s my top 10 toolbox tools that helped me beat anxiety. It’s important to understand I didn’t do all of them at once. It was a gradual process with a willingness to explore different things. I recommend starting with one or two things you feel are achievable and build from there.

Talk to people & seek help

Talking about how you’re feeling and trusting in others can be a huge help. For me it was a combination of talking to family and friends and seeking professional help with a psychologist. What I found most helpful was the unravelling of my thoughts and emotions, in the beginning everything was like a tangled ball of wool. During my sessions I was able to pull the threads apart and create a sense of order.

EatWELL, SleepWELL, MoveWELL

Deep down we all know what’s best for ourselves but when our mind is spiralling out of control, we make poor choices. When I was at my worst I was drinking heavily, eating poorly, staying up late and going through cycles of punishing myself with rigorous workouts then feeling totally depleted. I knew I needed to make changes. This included cutting out alcohol and replacing it with water, going to yoga in the evenings, preparing healthy meals and getting quality sleep. In the mornings I’d go for long walks in nature.

Find a routine you love, plan your meals in advance to avoid quick fixes and make sure you get 6 – 8 hours of quality sleep at night.

Set firm boundaries

Setting boundaries can be awkward and confronting. There was a time when I’d say yes to things I didn’t want to. This ranged from taking on commitments in my business when I’d scheduled time off, to going to events and doing things I had no interest in. I created the mantra “it’s ok to say no.” Once I became comfortable in saying no it created space for doing things I wanted to do and for much needed time out. Over time I started to feel in control of life rather than life’s events controlling me.

Forgive yourself & become your own best friend

Now this was hard, really hard. I had mothers’ guilt, business guilt, wife guilt, daughter guilt you name it guilt. How I spoke to myself was awful, I’d berate myself from the time I woke up to the time I’d crash and burn at night. I read many books that helped me to forgive myself and began reframing my inner dialogue until it became nurturing and encouraging. A fantastic book to help with this is Taming Your Gremlin by Rick Carson.

Listen to your body

Learning to tune into your body is an ongoing practice, so often we push when our body needs rest. Other times we numb out in front of screens when our bodies need to move. By tuning into what your body needs and doing what is best for you, you’re able to function at a higher level. I used to think a good day’s work wasn’t done until I was completely spent. Today I believe it’s a behaviour to be avoided at all costs. Life is like an ultra-marathon to travel the distance it’s important to go at a steady consistent pace.

Spend time in nature

Nature soothes the soul and has significant health benefits. It reduces the risk of type II diabetes, reduces heart rate, blood pressure and stress. Even if you live in a high-density area you have access to nature. Look up to the sky, find a park, aim for once a week to get into nature with no devices and just be amongst it.

Journal

Journaling was something that surprised me in how beneficial it was. I was never great at sitting down to write growing up. At first my journal entries were just bullet points of events or highlights in my day. Over time they became a great source of downloading and processing things. I’d have many ah ha moments while writing and was able to make sense of things that I was having difficulty in understanding. This progressed into writing things I was grateful for at the end of my entries – this was a game changer.

Gratitude

Humans are biologically predisposed to negative thinking this is aptly named “negativity bias” research has demonstrated that it’s something we’ve developed to help us avoid danger. While this was extremely useful in prehistoric times in our modern world it’s become a hinderance and a great source of unhappiness.

The great news is we can strengthen our neurological pathways to focus on the positive instead of the negative. By spending a few moments at the end of everyday thinking about what I was grateful helped me in so many ways. To begin try thinking of 1 – 3 things you’re grateful for. 

Meditate

I had an “on again, off again” relationship with meditation for more than a decade before I implemented it as a daily practice. One day I attended a yoga class and as I lay back to meditate thoughts came flying into my mind. The instructor gently cued for us to imagine thoughts drifting down the river. As I watched each thought drift away, I surrendered into the most blissful meditation. My chaos became calm and I left feeling a new sense of peace. There are many forms of meditation and it’s important to find one that works for you with the knowledge that mediation is like anything else – some days its great and others not so much.

Spend quality time with those you love

It’s easy to disconnect from family and friends when anxiety is running high but it’s when we need support the most. I found talking about how I felt and letting people know how they could support me was really helpful. It helped them to understand where I was at and as uncomfortable as it was it allowed me to work through what I needed.

Remember:

Self-care isn’t selfish it’s an act of love for yourself and those around you.

Download a copy of My Wellness Toolbox here

I deliver a range of workplace wellness programs to help the people in your organisation live and lead happier, healthier more productive lives. If you’d like to have me speak or present at your workplace, please get in touch.


Workplace stress, what’s it costing you?

  • 06/10/2019/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips, Healthy lifestyle, Mental Health, Workplace Wellness

A recent study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found 45% of people aged 16 – 85 will experience a mental health condition. It’s estimated that untreated mental health conditions cost Australian workplaces approximately $10.9 billion each year.
This is comprised of:
$4.7 billion in absenteeism
$6.1 billion in presenteeism
$146 million in compensation claims.

There are some other findings that are alarming as well:

1 in 5 employees report they have taken time off work due to feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or mentally unwell. This statistic is more than double among those who consider their workplace mentally unhealthy.

81% of organisational leaders indicate their workplace have policies, procedures and practices to support mental health but many employees don’t know that these exist.

Only 56% believe their senior leader values mental health.

With this week being Mental Health Week and Thursday 10th October being World Mental Health Day it’s the perfect time for leaders to show their people that mental health is a priority.

In this article I’ll be sharing information on workplace stress, symptoms of workplace stress and how you can avoid it.

What is workplace stress?

In small doses stress is a normal part of our day and a healthy response to our work as it helps us stay alert, productive and perform at our best. But when it becomes ongoing and in high doses it becomes harmful to our mental health.

Unhealthy workplace stress is physical and emotional responses that can happen when there’s a conflict between job demands and the amount of control a person has in meeting these demands.

Signs and symptoms of workplace stress

How a person experiences stress varies from person to person, they can be physical, psychological and behavioral.

Physical symptoms include:

Headaches

Frequent illness

Muscular tension

Increased heart rate

Changes in appetite

Digestive issues such as: Diarrhoea, constipation and stomach cramps

Decreased energy and or insomnia

Psychological symptoms include:

Irritability

Mood swings

Anxiety

Depression

Feelings of overwhelm and inability to cope

Reduced ability to make decisions and poor judgement

Working longer hours but not able to achieve the same amount of output

Behavioural symptoms include:

Reduced productivity performance

Apathy

Interpersonal relationship problems

Increased absenteeism

Reduced tolerance for others

Aggression

Loss of interest in work and things that usually brings enjoyment

Prolonged and unchecked stress can lead to burnout, depression, anxiety and personality disorders

The impact of workplace stress

Unhealthy workplace stress has major consequences for organisations and their people.  Performance drops, illness and absenteeism increase, there are higher rates of turn over which creates disruption throughout the organisation and working capacity can be significantly reduced. It’s vital that leader’s role-model healthy behaviours and work together in breaking down the stigma of mental health by having open conversations and creating a safe space for their people to feel heard, understood and not judged.

Some factors that contribute to workplace stress

Poor workplace culture

Lack of clarity

Micromanaging

Lack of autonomy

Changing deadlines and role responsibilities

Lack of security

Poor leadership

Interpersonal relationships

Long hours

Work environment

Workplace role and demands

Changes in management

Insecurity in position

Harassment

Discrimination

Crisis incidents

4 Ways you can reduce workplace stress

While some things may be well outside our control category there are many things that we can control, to reduce the impact of workplace stress. Here’s four things you may like to try.

Form positive working relationships

In a recent study conducted by Dr Lindsay McMillan concluded that 1 in 5 workers have experienced major problems in communication with a co-worker or boss at work. We’re naturally social creatures who crave healthy interactions and friendships with the people around us. It makes good business sense to forge healthy relationships in our workplaces to help us be happier, healthier and more productive.

Do, Delete, Delegate

Do the high priority and dollar producing jobs first

Delete the emails and activities that aren’t getting the results you want

Delegate the tasks you can get someone else to do. This frees your time up and helps boost the morale of your organisation by showing your team you trust they are capable, this in turn helps your people become more engaged and builds their confidence.

Unplug & spend time in nature

Allow one day a week unplugged from your devices. Enjoy quality time with your friends and loved ones away from the distractions of devices.

There is strong scientific evidence that indicate spending time in nature offers us a range of health benefits including; reduced risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and increases sleep duration.

Take regular circuit breaks during the day to reset and refocus by getting outside. Even if you’re in a city, get outside look up to the sky, sit quietly under a tree, feel the wind in your face. You’ll feel the difference almost immediately.

Breathe

When we feel stressed our breathing rate and heart rate increases in preparation for fight or flight. The good news is that we can interrupt this response by practicing breathing techniques. You may like to try this breathing meditation.

If you’d like to have a chat on ways I can help reduce stress in your workplace, please get in touch.


How to implement a workplace wellness program that works

  • 23/08/2019/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips, Healthy lifestyle, Mental Health, Workplace Wellness

Organisations are finally taking note that poor staff wellbeing, low morale, absenteeism, presenteeism and workplace stress are all affecting corporate success. When implementing a workplace strategy there are 2 basic ways of doing this. Enlisting the services of an expert or developing it internally. The way you implement your program is vital to its success, in this article I’ll share ways to get the most from your workplace wellness program.

It all starts at the top

For a workplace wellness program to succeed it must be supported by all members of senior and middle management. This support needs to be role modelled and understood by all leaders. Managers who lead by example will influence the culture and attitude for the rest of the organisation and will inspire their people to make healthier lifestyle choices. Communicate the goals, predicted benefits and results to your organisation.

Who’s driving the Workplace Wellness train?

Depending on the size of your organisation the next step is to establish a wellness advocate or a wellness committee to promote, plan, champion, communicate, facilitate and evaluate your workplace wellness program.

Appoint a Wellness Director

The wellness director’s role is to create the wellness strategy, lead the committee and coordinate the delivery of the program. The success of your wellness program is dependent on the Wellness Directors time and availability if they have another role within your organisation. Appointing a Workplace Wellness Expert is recommended if time constraints, experience and knowledge isn’t available.

Introduce the concept and address the needs

Understanding your people’s needs and designing the program so it’s relevant to your organisation helps in determining the priorities of the program. This information provides a wonderful insight to your workplace and its culture while providing a base line to measure the success of the program, 

Create awareness through education

Having an educational component in your wellness strategy increases awareness, generates interest and creates a buzz. This empowers and inspires behaviour change through autonomy and creates a culture of health. Education sessions can include:

  • Staff meeting presentations
  • Informational posters
  • Email campaigns
  • Lunch and learn sessions
  • Toolbox sessions
  • Information in company newsletters
  • Events and fundraising
  • Health screening and assessment

Support leads to success

Creating support networks within your organisation forms the backbone of your wellness program, it fosters camaraderie, creates social groups and boosts morale. There are many ways to build a support system here’s a few you may like to try:

  • Accountability Buddy systems
  • Social groups
  • Individual and team competitions
  • Coaching, appointing a qualified and skilled health and wellness coach to help your people navigate lifestyle and behaviour change
  • Allowing time: The first 6 – 12 weeks of change is crucial and where the most support is needed. Periodic support is required for the following 6 – 12 months.

For more information on developing a workplace wellness program:

You can download a copy of my How to implement an effective workplace wellness program ebook here.

I deliver a range of workplace wellness workshops to help your organisation live and lead happier, healthier more productive lives. To find out more click here

If you’d like to know more on ways to implement a workplace wellness strategy, please get in touch for a complimentary workplace wellness discovery session.


Pride & Sadness – How to manage emotional setbacks in the workplace

  • 01/05/2019/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 2 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips, Healthy lifestyle, Mental Health, Workplace Wellness

Anzac day this year was an incredibly difficult one for me, my emotional reaction to being at a service took me by surprise. Dad passed away a little less than a year ago, Anzac Day was our day together, I’d made a pact over a decade ago that Dad would attend Anzac parades. Dad was an SAS Vietnam Veteran, he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and for many years wouldn’t attend Anzac Services. Instead he’d go to the the RSL club, self medicate and come home when the bar closed.

Over the last decade, as a family we did our best in making sure Dad was remembered for his service and given the respect he so rightly deserved, in which he paid the ultimate price. 

This year for Anzac Day I was involved in the organisation of the Anzac Service in an FMG mining village. It was an honor to be a part of it and on reflection it was something I needed to do to busy myself in what was about to be one of my most difficult days to get through. The  photo featured in this article is of me after the second service. I considered not sharing the photo because of the immense sadness in my face, I’m just hanging on by a thread. My gorgeous son Danny told me when he saw it he could see both pride and sadness. For this reason I think it’s perfect to share along with my learnings. I was proud, proud to be wearing Dad’s medals, proud to have been a part of the Anzac Day service and proud of myself for pulling through an incredibly difficult day.

I didn’t expect Anzac Day to have such a huge impact on me. The deep, hollow, heaviness of grief flooded through me as soon as the flags lowered to half mast and the bugle began to play The Last Post. That bugle call gets me at the best of times but this time my body shook as the tears started streaming down my face. I couldn’t stop them and didn’t want to, despite standing at the front of the crowd as one of the speakers. Too often we mask our emotions and stop ourselves from fully experiencing them.  Whilst I find the feelings of overwhelming grief extremely uncomfortable they are a beautiful reminder that I have wholeheartedly loved.

Mental health is a major focus in mining and with good reason. The  remote nature of the work, isolation and the distance from loved ones heightens your emotions. The positive response I received from sharing my insights in a vlog encouraged me to publish the essence of it here.

Allow yourself to feel the emotions

We are living, loving human beings that have been blessed with a whole range of emotions which  allow us to feel life’s experiences. Everyone responds differently to life’s events, however many suppress their feelings or allow them to take over.

Let the emotions to wash over you and give yourself time to just be in that moment, without judgement. Just like waves that rise and fall, so do emotions. Let them rise, peak, and break gently on the shore. Know that where you are in that moment is not where you’re going to stay.

Speak out if you’re in company or in the workplace

After the service I was in no state to be working. I messaged the people I was working with  and let them know I wasn’t doing well and why. I advised them I needed some time alone to reset and just be. They were very supportive and understanding of my circumstances. Fear stops many people letting their bosses, clients or colleagues know when they’re having a hard time.

Own your space and how you’re feeling, let people know what you need. For me it was alone time, this may not be your choice, it may be a distraction or someone to talk to. Do what feels best for you without fear of judgement.

Own how you’re feeling and avoid letting it own you

After a period of time I intuitively knew it was time to get moving. I knew that staying in my room was making it worse for me as I continuously replayed  scenes whilst thinking of Dad. With each scene that played in my minds eye the tears would flow. I was by no means completely ready to get back to work, my eyes were puffy from crying and my nose was red and watery. That awful,pit of grief in my stomach made me feel empty. Going back to work was the distraction I needed, it provided me with a sense of purpose and helped me to move through how I was feeling.

If you find yourself unable to eat, sleep or enjoy the things you usually do for an extended period of time, seek professional help.


8 Ways to build momentum

  • 15/03/2019/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips, Exercise, Healthy lifestyle, Workplace Wellness

Momentum is a wonderful thing that many people find extremely challenging, personally, I love momentum. It provides me with feelings of fulfilment, a deep sense of purpose and achievement. It’s helped me overcome some pretty big challenges and has enabled me to achieve things I never thought I could.

By building momentum, in your professional and personal life, you’re creating a world of possibilities where you’re more productive and you go about your activities with more purpose and passion.

In my three decades of working with high achievers, combined with my own personal and professional development I’ve put together eight daily actions that’s been tried and tested and will help you build momentum and awaken the wellness warrior within, so you can walk steadily and confidently along the wellness wall.

I’ve ordered these in a way that works for me, I must move first thing in the morning to get my mind and body ready for the day. I understand not everyone works that way so make sure you order the activities in a way that works for you, practically, emotionally and physically.

Movement

Humans are designed to move and to resist moving in ways they hate. Forget about peer pressure or fashion or any other kind of “should do this or that….” approach that apparently works miracles for others. Find a movement routine you love. If you loathe the gym, please don’t go there! If nothing floats your boat right away, walk while you wait. Walking is an underrated but effective way to meet your daily movement quotient. Besides who knows what interesting alternatives might cross your path while you’re out and about.

Stillness

Find some quiet time, spend 5 – 15 completely silent minutes. If mediation appeals there are heaps of apps for programs like Smiling Mind, Headspace and Calm. You can also simply spend time outside in nature looking up, down and all around then focusing gently on the sensation of each breath moving in and out of your body.

Vision

Have a clear vision in your mind of what your ideal life looks like. Write this down as a statement that’s written in the positive as if it’s happening. Quietly visualise yourself living as this person. Revisit your vision daily, read your vision statement aloud. See yourself acting, interacting and feeling as they will.

Extend

Set yourself up for lifelong learning. Spend a minimum of 10 minutes per day reading or listening to a podcast, audio book, inspirational speech or talk.

Plan

Plan your day, begin by setting an intention. Perhaps it might something like ‘working quietly and calmly through my list’ or ‘being kind and patient with my kids and colleagues’ This will energise you and help to build momentum.

Act

Procrastination is the handbrake in building momentum. Work gently and patiently through your daily actions. Remember not to give yourself a hard time over anything that doesn’t get done. Simply reschedule it for the next day.

Fun – Find 5 for fun

We often get so caught up in the daily grind that we forget to have fun! To keep your mindset positive and your motivation alive you’ve got to find at least five minutes of fun. Whatever this means for you; a joke with a colleague, a private giggle at something you read or see, a game on your phone, an extra lap of the pool – just because you can, a single relished chocolate with your midday coffee.  A small treat, a shared smile, an extra effort with no performance strings attached. Anything that energises you and acts a small but significant circuit breaker in the business of your busy day.

Gratitude

Our minds are naturally programmed to focus on the negative. The good news is we can change that! Be grateful and gracious, think of three things you’re grateful for on a daily basis. They don’t need to be big. Perhaps you’re grateful for the gift of sight, your strong running legs and lungs, the wind on your face or the smile from someone you saw in the street.  Think about three things that went well in your day. Again, these might be starry or simple. A potentially difficult conversation that went smoothly and resolved a conflict, not having to queue for the supermarket checkout at the end of your busy working day, finding that important document you thought you’d lost.

If you’re keen to build motivation and momentum and are ready for a habit breaking, energy building challenge that helps you to be more accountable, more productive and inspire you to go the distance  you can purchase my latest book The 30-day Momentum Maker Challenge here.

Or if you’d like me to come to your workplace to speak to your team on ways to build motivation and momentum please get in touch. For a limited time, I’m offering *complimentary momentum maker talks to businesses.

*Terms and conditions apply.


No gym needed – 4 ways to moveWELL and have fun

  • 24/01/2019/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips, Exercise, Healthy lifestyle

Photo: Shutterstock

It’s the beginning of a brand-new year and just about every person I’m speaking to has plans to get fit and eat better so they can look and feel better. This year is no different to any other, where I’m seeing a massive surge in people attending the gym. There’s always spike in attendance through January and into the first few weeks of February, then it all drops off. News.com.au conducted a poll last year that showed around 553,000 Australian fitness club members don’t use their membership once per month and only 56% go at least once a week. These wasted fees add up to a whopping $1.8 billion.

I’ve got to confess, while I live and breathe a healthy lifestyle, working out in the gym isn’t my preferred way to move. My philosophy is; “All you need is a comfortable outfit, a pair of sneakers and or a yoga mat and you’re good to go.” I love exercising outdoors, in the comforts of my home or where I’m staying during travel and if there’s some amazing running trails close by, I’m in movement heaven!

 So, I thought I’d put together some of my favourite movement choices to help you create momentum and moveWELL through 2019.

Start by working out what movement you LOVE

Humans are designed to move and to resist moving in ways they hate. Forget about the latest fitness craze of what works wonders for others. Find a movement routine you enjoy, you can discover your fitness personality by taking this fun quiz the 8 colours of fitness developed by Suzanne Brue, inspired from Myers Briggs.

You can have the best program in the world but if you don’t follow it, it’s not going to give you results. Finding movement, you love and consistently doing it will yield the best results that are sustainable. Still stuck for ideas? Read on.

Walk while you wait

If nothing floats your boat right away, walk while you wait. Walking is an underrated but effective way to meet your daily movement quotient and a fantastic way to explore the area you’re in, discover nature reserves, walking trails, neighbourhoods and city streets, besides who knows what interesting alternatives might cross your path while you’re out and about?

On your bike

Do you remember that feeling of freedom you experienced as a child riding a bike? There’s nothing like the feeling of the wind in your face when riding a bike.

During the summer I love getting on my bike and going for a ride and when traveling, some of my travel highlights have been from days when I’ve hired a bike and explored the local area, trails and cities. I get around quicker, my feet don’t get sore from stomping around and it takes me back to nostalgic memories of childhood holidays, only as an adult I get to stop where and when I want and arrive home when I feel like it.

There’s some incredible mountain bike trails to explore, Single Tracks have put together an extensive list of the best mountain bike trails in Australia.

Yoga

Yoga has been around for centuries, it brings together mind and movement. There’s a misconception that you have to be flexible to do yoga, this isn’t the case and there’s a yoga practice to suit everyone. I first started yoga to help with tight muscles in my chest and shoulders from spending long hours in front of the computer. What I didn’t expect was the many other benefits that came with it. I found my focus improved, I became calmer and responded better to stressful situations, I slept better and as I became fitter it helped me with my other love; trail running, to keep me injury free. Yoga offers a range of benefits that goes well beyond the mat. According to health line there’s 13 science backed benefits to practicing yoga.

Running

This wouldn’t be a movement article written by me if it didn’t have running in it. Running and Yoga are as much a part of my life as breathing. I’ve loved running since I was a child, I used to be the school champion for cross country running so it’s no surprise that today I love trail running. Although there were many years that I didn’t run and when I first started to get back into it, I couldn’t even run 2km without my knee hurting so much I had to stop. Running, just like walking is a low cost, convenient way to move that requires little to no equipment. It’s perfect for increasing your cardiovascular fitness and managing and maintaining your ideal body composition.

For some interesting facts and myth busters on running check out this article by The Running Bug

The key components to any movement routine are:

  • It’s at least 30 minutes in duration
  • It elevates your heart rate
  • It incorporates a combination of resistance, flexibility and weight baring activity
  • It’s enjoyable

Some other activities you may like to try and include:

  • SUP – Stand Up Paddle Board
  • Swimming
  • Dancing
  • Tai Chi
  • Qi Gong

If you’re keen to build motivation and momentum in 2019 and are ready for a habit breaking, energy building challenge that helps you to be more accountable, more productive and inspire you to go the distance you will be keen to know that I am launching my first solo authored book; The 30-day Momentum Maker Challenge very soon.

It started out as a plan I developed from my years of health and wellness coaching to get myself and others out of a funk and into flow. It turned into an online challenge, then morphed into a book. If you’d like to be one of the first to know and grab a copy hot off the press, register your interest here: http://eepurl.com/gbUo_j


5 simple strategies to shift your life from chaos to calm

  • 20/12/2018/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips

Photo: Shutterstock

Let’s face it life gets challenging juggling work, family and life commitments. If you ask anyone how they are or how their day was their reply will almost certainly be “busy.”

We have more things competing for our attention than ever before it’s no wonder people are feeling overwhelmed and like their world is an ongoing cycle of chaos.

I encourage my clients to reframe the word busy to being “productive”. Ask yourself “am I busy being busy or am I being productive or profitable?” Busy has a hustle and bustle feeling to it without a clear sense of order or purpose. Whereas productive and profitable has a feeling of order, purpose and achievement.

Here’s 5 simple strategies you can implement to move your life from chaos to calm.

Plan and prioritise your day

Starting your day without a plan is like heading to an unknown destination without a GPS.

Write out the tasks you have for the day and prioritise your 3 most important tasks for the day. Pick out your most unpalatable task and circle it. This task is called Eat that frog. Eating your frog first thing will energise you for the day, as it limits procrastination and with your most difficult task out the way, the rest of your tasks will be easier to accomplish.

Focus on one task at a time

Multi-tasking might seem like a great way to get things done and it may feel like your accomplishing many tasks at once, but research indicates that multi-tasking doesn’t make us more productive or efficient. A study conducted at Stanford University concluded that multi-tasking impairs your cognitive process impacts your performance in the following ways:

  • Decreases your efficiency in prioritising
  • Makes you less productive and efficient while multi-tasking
  • Less productive when you’re not multi-tasking

Do, Delete, Delegate

I’ve vlogged about this topic before, applying this simple practice helps you to get more done.

Do the important high priority tasks first.

Delete the tasks, activities, committees, emails etc. that are taking up your valuable time and not moving you forward. It’s easy to busy yourself in tasks and activities that are fun to do (and sometimes not so fun!) that are no longer serving you. Delete them, you’ll feel an instant sense of relief.

Delegate, if someone else can do the task delegate it. One of the best things we can do for ourselves and our team is to allow others to help.

Leave space in your day

Start your day right by allowing yourself at least 30 minutes to yourself, this can be to walk, meditate, sit in silence, do whatever energizes you and “just be”. Avoid reaching for your phone to check emails that may have come in overnight or see what’s happening in the social media world.

Cramming your diary full of appointments and tasks sets you up to be in reactive mode all day. Block out space in your diary to give yourself a time buffer, if appointments run over, tasks take longer, or an unexpected job comes up it doesn’t completely throw you off your groove.

Remember to Breathe

If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, hit the pause button, bring your awareness to your body, if you notice your jaw is clenched, your shoulders are tight, or you have tension anywhere in your body, allow your body to relax, focus on your breathing. Stopping for as little as 10 full deep breaths will help reduce your stress levels, increase your energy and give you a moment to recharge. Try this exercise

What will you do to encourage healthy behaviours in your workplace?

How will you motivate, guide and nudge your team to live and lead healthy lives so they are calmer and more productive? The answer to this will be different within each workplace. One of the best ways to achieve this is by working with a workplace wellness expert.

I take on an exclusive number of workplaces every year. If you recognise the value of investing in your greatest asset, your people and you’d like to have a chat on ways I can help, please get in touch.


5 ways to encourage healthy eating in your workplace

  • 28/09/2018/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips

Photo: Adobe

The food we eat determines how well we function, it effects the way we think, how well we perform and our ability to sustain our energy throughout the day.

We all know that making healthy food choices and eating a balanced diet is essential in living and leading a healthy life, so why are so many people making unhealthy choices that has a negative impact on their ability to perform at peak performance?

There are many reasons why people make food choices aren’t great, below are some of the most common:

  • Lack of knowledge on the types of foods that provide healthier options
  • Lack of planning with meals and snacks
  • When people have limited time it’s quicker and easier to grab a fast food snack or meal
  • Workplace culture on foods

5 simple ways to encourage your people to eat well in the workplace:

  • Supply a fresh fruit bowl in the staff room with a selection of fruits that offer variety, colour and interest. Remember to supply bottled or filtered water to encourage hydration.
  • Encourage employees not to eat at their desks and begin conversations around mindful eating
  • When catering at the workplace for meetings and social events replace the usual party pies, pastries and doughnuts with colourful healthy options. Some ideas include: Fruit and vegetable platters with healthy dips, nuts, sushi, healthy salads and lean meats
  • Remove vending machines that are full of high fat, sugar and salt snacks and replace them with healthier options
  • Replace a happy hour with a healthy hour and arrange cooking classes on preparing healthy food options for lunches, snacks and after work meals.

Educate your team on making healthy choices

The workplace is an ideal setting to help your team make healthier choices some simple strategies include:

Listening to hunger

When your busy it’s easy to ignore hunger cues and push them to the back of your mind. Then when you have a moment to catch your breath you realise your ravenous and are ready to eat anything you can get your hands on. This never leads to making good food choices and leads to grabbing whatever’s available and fills you up quickly.

Importance of lunch breaks

Make a conscious decision to disconnect from work in the middle of the day. This provides a great circuit breaker and will provide a much-needed energy boost to ensure the afternoon runs smoothly. Whenever possible eat lunch outside  where you can get a dose of fresh air, natural light and connect with nature.

Healthy Hydration

Minor levels of hydration can cause headaches, tiredness and a lack of clarity in your thinking. Find a way that works for you that helps you consume 2 litres of water per day. Some things that may help include, having a 2-litre water bottle that you fill at the beginning of your day and keep it within reach at all times, herbal teas, adding fruit or food grade essential oils to your water.

Remember

Introducing small incremental changes are best when starting healthy habits rather than major overhauls. Having conversations with your team on ways you can best support them in making healthier options provides them with a sense of ownership and autonomy. 

What will you do to encourage healthy behaviours in your workplace?

How will you motivate, guide and nudge your team to live and lead healthy lives so they are happier, more engaged and productive? The answer to this will be different within each workplace. One of the best ways to achieve this is by working with a workplace wellness expert.

I take on an exclusive number of workplaces every year. If you recognise the value of investing in your greatest asset, your people and you’d like to have a chat on ways I can help, please get in touch.


5 ways to survive and thrive business during challenging times

  • 28/08/2018/
  • Posted By : Rebecca/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Coaching Tips

Photo: Unsplash

Being in business is never without it’s challenges even when business is booming. When the economic climate is challenging it imposes an entirely different set of challenges. It’s vital to build your own resiliency and help the members of your team to do the same so you can “survive and thrive” beyond the tough times. Now’ s the time to be agile in your approach while taking good care of yourself and your team.

Here’s 5 self-care strategies that may help you:

Avoid playing the blame game and stay focused

It’s easy to blame your competitors, market disruptors, high rent rates/mortgage, staff etc. While these can be contributing factors, they aren’t the real problem. It’s highly likely there are other business owners that aren’t in your industry feeling the same pressures.

Playing the blame game takes your focus off the real issues prevents you from surviving challenging times. The way we do business is changing at an alarming rate. To survive it’s important to change with the times, be current and creative with ways to attract new business.

Be clear on vision your purpose

It’s easy to lose sight of your business vision and purpose during stressful times, being clear on this combined with a healthy dose of optimism is vital to business success. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or unsure, now is a time to revisit your business vision and purpose so you can stay focused. Seek outside support from experts and have regular team discussions on how you can do things better to keep you moving towards your vision.

Cut the noise

It can feel like wherever you look and whoever you speak to there is more bad news. This takes its toll on your ability to stay upbeat and focused on the task at hand. While it’s great to be informed it’s also just as healthy to cut the noise, take scheduled breaks from all forms of media and spend the time recharging yourself or quietly thinking and working on ways to creatively attract new business.

Keep things simple

Business basics are relatively simple, it’s the people that complicate it. Business is all about relationships and customer experience. Remember to build and nurture your business relationships and create a customer experience so that your customers are not only your raving fans they keep coming back to do business with you.

Take a break

Taking time out to relax and recharge is essential in staying fresh and focused on your business. Schedule weekly micro breaks, quarterly mini breaks and annual breaks. It’s easy to get caught up on the mouse wheel and feeling like you’re going nowhere. By stepping off and allowing yourself some space allows you to look at things from a fresh new perspective.

If you’d like to create a culture of health by implementing a workplace wellness program, please get in touch.

Photo: Unsplash

Being in business is never without it’s challenges even when business is booming. When the economic climate is challenging it imposes an entirely different set of challenges. It’s vital to build your own resiliency and help the members of your team to do the same so you can “survive and thrive” beyond the tough times. Now’ s the time to be agile in your approach while taking good care of yourself and your team.

Here’s 5 self-care strategies that may help you:

Avoid playing the blame game and stay focused

It’s easy to blame your competitors, market disruptors, high rent rates/mortgage, staff etc. While these can be contributing factors, they aren’t the real problem. It’s highly likely there are other business owners that aren’t in your industry feeling the same pressures.

Playing the blame game takes your focus off the real issues prevents you from surviving challenging times. The way we do business is changing at an alarming rate. To survive it’s important to change with the times, be current and creative with ways to attract new business.

Be clear on vision your purpose

It’s easy to lose sight of your business vision and purpose during stressful times, being clear on this combined with a healthy dose of optimism is vital to business success. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or unsure, now is a time to revisit your business vision and purpose so you can stay focused. Seek outside support from experts and have regular team discussions on how you can do things better to keep you moving towards your vision.

Cut the noise

It can feel like wherever you look and whoever you speak to there is more bad news. This takes its toll on your ability to stay upbeat and focused on the task at hand. While it’s great to be informed it’s also just as healthy to cut the noise, take scheduled breaks from all forms of media and spend the time recharging yourself or quietly thinking and working on ways to creatively attract new business.

Keep things simple

Business basics are relatively simple, it’s the people that complicate it. Business is all about relationships and customer experience. Remember to build and nurture your business relationships and create a customer experience so that your customers are not only your raving fans they keep coming back to do business with you.

Take a break

Taking time out to relax and recharge is essential in staying fresh and focused on your business. Schedule weekly micro breaks, quarterly mini breaks and annual breaks. It’s easy to get caught up on the mouse wheel and feeling like you’re going nowhere. By stepping off and allowing yourself some space allows you to look at things from a fresh new perspective.

If you’d like to create a culture of health by implementing a workplace wellness program, please get in touch.


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The Momentum Maker

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