POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE

POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE: WHAT IT MEANS PLUS PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE ACTIVITIES

What is self-image?

Self-image is more than what you see when you look in the mirror. It is defined as “the idea, the conception, or mental image one has of oneself.”

Your self-image is how you view your entire being, from your thoughts, feelings, actions and capabilities. 

Is self-image the same as self-esteem?

Not entirely. The two concepts of the ‘self’ are somewhat different. 

Self-esteem tends to go a little deeper than self-image. Self-esteem is your overall sense of respect for yourself. 

Your self-image plays a role in your self-esteem – after all, how you see yourself significantly impacts how you feel about yourself. 

Interesting fact

Your self-image is based on your own unique perceptions of reality that is built over a lifetime, these perceptions will continue to change as you learn and go through life. 

The dimensions of self-image

Suzaan Oltmann, an independent distributor at one of South Africa’s FET Colleges, defines the dimensions of self-image as follows: 

The three elements of a person’s self-image are:

  1. The way a person perceives or thinks of him/herself.
  2. The way a person interprets others’ perceptions (or what he thinks others think) of him/herself.
  3. The way a person would like to be (his ideal self).

The six dimensions of a person’s self-image are:

  1. Physical dimension: how a person evaluates his or her appearance
  2. Psychological dimension: how a person evaluates his or her personality
  3. Intellectual dimension: how a person evaluates his or her intelligence
  4. Skills dimension: how a person evaluates his or her social and technical skills
  5. Moral dimension: how a person evaluates his or her values and principles
  6. Sexual dimension: how a person feels he or she fits into society’s masculine/feminine norms 

(Oltmann, 2014)

Why self-image is important

Your self-image can play a significant role in your success and motivation throughout your life. Having a low self-image can lead to failure and missed opportunities as you doubt your capabilities. 

A healthy self-image can help you to achieve great things as you navigate through life with an assertive and positive attitude, believing in yourself to accomplish your goals. 

Self-talk and self-image

Our self-image stems from our thoughts which influence the way in which we view ourselves. Self-talk is the conversation you have with yourself. 

Our thoughts, or the way that we talk to ourselves, are typically a combination of negative and positive thoughts. 

We all have an inner critic. This inner voice can often drive us to reach our goals (for example, when we remind ourselves not to eat something unhealthy). However, this inner voice can sometimes do more harm than good. 

The impact of negative self-talk on your brain and body

The neurophysiology of negative self-talk 

Source

Negative thoughts indicate to our brains and bodies that we are going through a period of stress. 

This results in the increased release of catecholamines (neurotransmitters released during stress) such as norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine. 

Prolonged exposure to these hormones can create negative psychological and physical outcomes and create a negative feedback loop. 

When your inner voice is always negative, this can prolong the stress hormone exposure which can physically rewire your brain and in turn, your mental and physical wellbeing, this is known as neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change throughout your life).

The negative feedback loop 

Prolonged exposure to catecholamines can create negative psychological and physical outcomes. The prolonged-release of these neurotransmitters can affect your mood and create a negative feedback loop between your physiology and emotions. 

These changes may result in chronic inflammation of your organs and the way the body and mind operates – leading to changes in behaviour, sleep issues, metabolic (weight gain) and cardiovascular disturbances.

How negative thoughts impact your health

Negative thoughts can lead to chronic stress, upsetting your body’s natural hormonal balance. 

Chronic stress can deplete the brain of the chemicals it needs to feel happy, as well as damage your immune system.

It can also lead to decreased lifespan, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, infection and digestive disorders. 

Interesting fact – Science has now identified that stress shortens our telomeres, the “end caps” of our DNA strands, which causes us to age more quickly

The impact of positive self-talk on the brain and body

The neurophysiology effects of positive self-talk 

As we know, our minds are malleable. Meaning our self-talk and self-image has the potential to mould and sculpt our consciousness and our physical wellbeing. 

Source: “Because of all the research and clinical testing being done and studied regarding the “mind-body” connection, the power of positive thinking is gaining documented scientific credibility and being used and harnessed to improve health on all levels.”

What flows through your mind (thoughts and neurotransmitters) sculpts your brain in permanent ways.

Source “What we think and what we feel has the potential to directly affect our bodies.”

Studies have shown that thoughts alone can improve vision, fitness, and strength.

Some other positive effects of positive thinking include: 

  • Faster recovery from cardiovascular stress
  • Better sleep 
  • Stronger immune system (fewer colds)
  • Greater sense of purpose and overall happiness
  • Greater sense of connection to others

How to break the negative feedback loop & improve your self-image

As humans, we are hard-wired to focus on the negative in an attempt to survive, helping us to stay vigilant in a somewhat stressful environment. This leads to something known as a ‘negativity bias’. 

“Our “negativity bias” means that we spend too much time ruminating over the minor frustrations we experience—bad traffic or a disagreement with a loved one— and ignore the many chances we have to experience wonder, awe, and gratitude throughout the day.”

Some tips to offset the negative feedback loop and negativity bias

  1. Be present – Pay attention to your sense perceptions as a mindfulness technique (what is your hand doing right now, why is your foot tapping?)
  2. Stop your thoughts from running away – Become aware of your thoughts without turning them into a runaway train – “What am I thinking? What is the conversation in my head?” Repeat this a few times.
  3. Challenge negative thoughts – This will reduce their emotional intensity and feelings of stress and panic. So ask yourself “Is that thought really true, right now in this moment? What is the likelihood of that really happening?”
  4. Control the next thought – You can’t control a negative thought from popping up, but you can replace it with 3 positive ones. 

Practical examples of positive self-image activities

POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE

A positive self-image takes hard work and commitment. It’s an ongoing journey to improve your mental and physical wellbeing. You need to stick to it and keep going through the bad days and the good ones. 

Helpful hint – Many people will stop effective practices such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing when they feel their self-image and thinking have improved. The trick is to always keep going because you never know when something might happen to trigger negative emotions and send you back into the negative feedback loop. 

1. Journalling

Journal your thoughts, your experiences and whether you feel like you dealt with them in a positive way. Take notes and notice trends in the ways that you talk to yourself. 

2. Identifying triggers of negative thinking and stress

Recognise what people, places and things lead to negative emotions and thinking. 

You cannot change certain situations, but you can change how you react to them and prepare yourself to handle them better. 

Come up with strategies as to how you will better deal with your triggers.

3. Meditation

Your self-image can become a habit when you practice loving yourself on a daily basis. 

4. Deep breathing

This can be an incredibly simple yet effective technique to change your thought patterns. When you notice a negative thought, you feel stressed or anxious, simply take 5 to 10 deep breaths. Breathe in for 4 counts and out for 5. Repeat this. 

5. Self-appreciation breaks

Take a deep breath, slow down and ask yourself this important question: what are 3 things I can appreciate about myself?

These can even be little things like personality traits or strengths. You can do this every morning or every evening. 

6. Yoga

Yoga makes use of deep breathing and calming and fluid movements that can help lower your stress.

7. Mindfulness

Practise being mindful of your thoughts, your space, your senses and the present moment. 

Source: “Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment.”

8. Mantras

Mantras are commonly used in meditation and can have some powerful effects on your self-image. By saying a positive self-esteem mantra throughout your day, this will aid in rewiring your negative feedback loop. 

Here are some examples: 

  • I embrace my happy feelings and enjoy being content as I love and appreciate myself.
  • I deserve to be happy and feel good every day about all areas in my life.
  • I feel secure in who I am, and do not need to compare myself to others.

You can permanently rewire your subconscious mind to accept these affirmations.

March 12, 2020 Eat Well Comments Off on POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE: WHAT IT MEANS PLUS PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE ACTIVITIES
Over-night oats

Berry Over-night Oats

Mornings can be such a rush! Beat the clock by preparing your breakfast the night before with this delicious recipe!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup oats
  • 1 tablespoon Chia seeds (optional)
  • ½ cup milk of your choice
  • ½ cup Greek yoghurt
  • Fruit – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (anything you love!)
  • Nut butter of your choice

 

Tip: for an additional little sweetness, you can add some honey!

Method

  1. Start by combining rolled oats with your favourite milk, chia seeds and Greek yoghurt in a mason jar or a resealable container. 
  2. Add a few blueberries and nut butter and mix to combine.
  3. Seal up the container and park it in the fridge overnight.
  4. The next morning, you can heat the glass jar up in the microwave for a hot breakfast or enjoy your overnight oats cold straight from the fridge. 
  5. You can add more milk if you’d like.
  6. Add the rest of berries as toppings and enjoy!

Download this yummy recipe here

 

March 4, 2020 Eat Well Comments Off on Berry Over-night Oats
Oat Balls

Oat and Date Balls

Oat and date balls are a quick, on the go snack. Make them ahead of time and keep them around to pop in your mouth when you’re a little peckish!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dates
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1 tbsp cacao powder
  • 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Method

  1. Place dates in a pot of water and bring to the boil.
  2. Drain the dates and put the liquid into a container and set aside for later.
  3. Place drained dates, coconut, peanut butter, oats and cacao powder in a food processor or a blender.
  4. Place the mixture into a bowl.
  5. Slowly add roughly 1/4 of the date liquid to the mix (you may need a little more liquid than this, add it slowly until the mix holds its shape. If you accidentally add too much liquid add a little more of the other dry ingredients to balance).
  6. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
  7. Roll mixture into 12 balls and store in the fridge or freezer.
  8. Roll in extra coconut if desired.
  9. Make extra and freeze them for a last-minute snack
  10. This recipe makes 12 balls.

Download this yummy recipe here

March 4, 2020 Eat Well Comments Off on Oat and Date Balls
Chicken Bowl

CHICKEN BOWL FOR THE SOUL

You’ve heard of chicken soup for the soul, well you have to try our chicken bowl for the soul! A hearty and nutritious meal, perfect for lunch or dinner!

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 bell peppers, any colour, sliced
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chicken seasoning
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 jar tomato pasta sauce
  • 3 cups brown rice (680 g), cooked
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (100 g)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
  2. Line a baking tray with foil.
  3. Place the chicken, peppers, and onions onto the baking tray and drizzle with oil.
  4. Sprinkle the chicken seasoning evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts.
  5. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the bell peppers and onions, tossing to coat.
  6. Top each chicken breast with a generous pour of tomato pasta sauce.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
  8. Rest chicken for 10 minutes, before slicing into strips.
  9. Add a base of brown rice to 4 bowls or sealed containers. Top each with a scoop of black beans, corn, additional tomato pasta sauce, cheddar cheese, cooked bell peppers, and onions, and sliced chicken. 
  10. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator. Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Download this delicious recipe here

 

March 4, 2020 Lunch, Recipes Comments Off on CHICKEN BOWL FOR THE SOUL
A GUIDE TO SELF-LOVE

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE ART OF SELF-LOVE (PLUS 8 TIPS TO IMPLEMENT)

Self-love… We’ve all heard about it and we know we should be more mindful to actively engage in self-love but, and I know I am not alone in saying this, but self-love can certainly prove to be difficult. 

Instagram is a haven for self-love hashtags and guides by influencers who are sometimes trying to help but for the most part, are just trying to sell their next batch of detox tea. 

So where do you start? What even is self-love? This simple term sounds so easy but it can be one of the most difficult things to master. 

Instead of jumping straight into some ideas on how to practice self-love, let’s start right at the beginning. 

What is self-love?

Self-love is exactly what it sounds like, it’s all about loving yourself. But we don’t mean in the sense of indulging in that fourth brownie because “self-love and I deserve it”. I mean, you may deserve it but we’re getting off-topic.  

Self-love is neither a synonym for self-obsession and vanity or the idea of being overly generous and self-sacrificing. Self-love is putting your happiness and needs above anything else and focusing on living a life that is authentically yours. 

Self-love is truly about: 

  • Embarking on a journey that is a little messy, unpredictable but authentic 
  • Embracing uncertainty 
  • Understanding your voice, the honesty of your stories and the magnificence of your being
  • Removing the things that hinder your speech or the hesitance in your voice when communicating your absolute truth
  • No longer confiding to the self-imposed beliefs and ideas that you have created about who you should be

Once you relieve yourself of the picture-perfect you and begin embracing who you are and start living a life you’re in love and obsessed with, that’s when you step into your innate power and truly find self-love. 

SELF-LOVE

Why is self-love so important?

Self-love can seem blown up or something isn’t of great importance but it truly is. Self-love motivates you to make healthy choices in life and live a life that you both love and are proud of. 

When you hold yourself in high esteem, you’re more likely to choose things that nurture your well-being and feed your soul. These things may be in the form of eating healthy, exercising, doing things you love or having healthy relationships. Whatever it is, self-love is about finding your happiness in everything you do and surrounding yourself with people who support that. 

Most of the time, when we’re being too hard on ourselves, we do it because we’re driven by a desire to excel and do everything right, all the time. This entails a lot of self-criticisms, and that nasty inner voice that constantly tells us how we could’ve done things better is a hallmark of perfectionism. 

It’s time to let go of the idea of perfectionism and embrace who you are all that you’ve achieved because you really are doing amazing!

How to practice self-love

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to loving yourself. You need to find what works for you but it can be daunting in the beginning. 

These are just a few tips to help you get started:

  1. Start each day by telling yourself something really positive. How well you handled a situation, how lovely you look today. Anything that will make you smile.
  2. Fill your body with food and drink that nourishes it and makes it thrive. For some ideas, check out this article. 
  3. Move your body every single day and learn to love the skin you’re in. You can’t hate your way into loving yourself. Take a look at this article for some guidance. Here’s a hint, if you wouldn’t say it to a friend or loved one, don’t say it to yourself. 
  4. Stop comparing yourself. This is such a tricky one but so important! Comparison is the killer of self-love. Unfollow and remove people who make you feel less than but also remember we’re on our own journies and everyone is different. 
  5. Celebrate your wins no matter how big or small. Pat yourself on the back and be proud of what you have achieved.
  6. Take some time to relax and re-energise, we can’t love ourselves if we can barely keep up with what we’re doing. This article may be able to help with relaxation!
  7. Practice self-care. 
  8. Step outside of your comfort zone and actively start living life! 

These are just a few tips on how to get started but it’s truly up to you to let go of societies version of you and to embrace who you authentically are and fall in love with that version of yourself. Take care of yourself, you deserve it!

February 4, 2020 Eat Well Comments Off on A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE ART OF SELF-LOVE (PLUS 8 TIPS TO IMPLEMENT)
Latest and greatest health trends

NUTRIENT TIMING: THE FACTS AND THE FIBS

Have you heard about nutrient timing? Either from a fitness guru on Instagram or one of your friends who is always the first to try any of the latest and greatest health trends. The term sounds so legitimate and the way this term has been thrown around in the “fitness industry”, you probably feel like you need to know more about it.

So, let’s dive in shall we? What is nutrient timing? Is it necessary to eat at a certain time? And will it have an actual effect on your body?

Let’s take a look at the facts and fibs that surround this topic!

What is nutrient timing? 

Simply put, nutrient timing involves eating foods at strategic times in order to achieve certain outcomes. It’s supposedly very important for muscle growth, sports performance and fat loss. If you’ve ever run for a scoop of peanut butter before a workout or panicked if you forgot to have your protein shake right after a workout – that is nutrient timing. 

It surrounds the idea that your body will develop better or secure better results if you eat at certain times of the day and when it is more optimal. This way of eating has been used by bodybuilders and fitness competitors for up to 50 years now and many studies have been conducted on it. 

One of the world’s leading researchers in carbohydrate timing, Dr John Ivy, has published many studies showing its potential benefits. In 2004, he published a book called Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition. This is just one of the many researchers who believe nutrient timing is key!

But like with anything, there are some doubts about the studies, for example: 

  1. Short-term blood markers: Many of the studies only measure short-term blood markers, which often fail to measure up with long-term benefits. Have a look at this article on the matter.
  2. Ultra-endurance athletes: Many of the studies follow extreme endurance athletes, which do not necessarily represent the average everyday person. 

For these reasons, the findings in much of the research that supports nutrient timing may not apply to everyone.

Latest and greatest health trends

When should you be eating your meals?

We don’t mean just eating morning, noon and night.

Nutrient timing extends further than just eating before or after a workout. You probably have that one work colleague who is always going on about a new “health” trend. We guarantee that some point you’ve heard, “you shouldn’t eat carbs after 6 pm” or “you should eat more in the morning and less in the evening”.

Many people think that the reason you gain more weight if you eat late at night is that you have less opportunity to burn off those calories, but this is a very basic view. It’s often assumed that our bodies shut down when we sleep, but that’s not true. Our bodies work throughout the night while our minds rest.

BUT evidence suggests that more energy is used to process a meal when it’s eaten in the morning, compared to later in the day, so you do burn slightly more calories if you eat earlier. However, it’s still unclear how much of a difference this would make to your overall body weight. 

This means that it may be a better idea to consume higher quantities of food earlier in the day and focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods later in the evening. For some healthy recipe ideas, take a look at this article. 

So, what do we make of this?

Here’s the bottom-line, research isn’t always perfect or conclusive. There may be some accurate points of measure in these studies but there may be a few fibs along the way too.

We’ve come to understand that nutrient timing isn’t particularly important for most people trying to look and feel better. It may be more beneficial to those whose careers are centred around working out but so many really smart and hard-working people are getting lost in the finer points of nutrient timing.

Focusing on timing your meals while consistently missing out on sleep, or vegetables or other (slightly more important) health and lifestyle factors is more of detriment to your body. The other factors will yield you far more results in a healthy lifestyle in the long run than merely focusing on the timing of your meals. 

A healthy lifestyle is a holistic approach with many factors to consider, if this is something you’re concerned about or if you need more information, we’d be happy to help!

January 28, 2020 Eat Well Comments Off on NUTRIENT TIMING: THE FACTS AND THE FIBS
Employee wellness program

5 STEPS TO A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER & MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKPLACE

The new decade is well underway and can I just say, I for one am incredibly excited for this year and the opportunities to come! 

Of course, with the start of the new year, we often tend to hit the ground running. We all know the rush of a new year. Trying to find our feet and get back into a routine but most importantly getting adjusted and back into the swing of things at work can be difficult. As each day passes, work can become a little more unpleasant for all employees… but it doesn’t have to be! 

There are programs you can put in place to improve employee health and wellness, and as a whole, this aims to help reduce sick absenteeism, improve employee productivity and enhance the overall work environment. You’re probably wondering how we’re going to do that? 

Have you ever heard of an employee wellness program? Massive brands like Google and Virgin have implemented these sorts of programs into their companies and have seen the benefits in happier, more productive employees who actually want to come to work. 

What is an employee wellness program?

There’s no one definition that defines an employee wellness program and there’s no right or wrong way of doing it. It all depends on the needs of your employees. 

An employee wellness program is just what the name suggests. It is a plan put in place to increase the overall health and happiness of your employees. It’s a little way of showing that you as an employer care about your people. No matter the size of your company, you can start your own employee wellness program in just 5 easy steps. 

Some programs focus on health education, other programs host health days where screenings are conducted and employees are able to learn more about their own health. A  wellness program can be as simple as morning meditations and rewards for healthy and active lifestyles among your employees. There are many ways of implementing a wellness program. 

Don’t worry if you feel a little confused or slightly overwhelmed – we can help you!    

What are the benefits of employee wellness programs?

Healthy and happy employees bring an array of benefits to the workplace! Some of these include:

  • More productive employees

There are numerous studies that suggest a healthy lifestyle correlates with increased productivity. Don’t believe us? Next time you hit a rut, get your heart rate up (deep breathing and a few jumping jacks can do the trick!) or change your snacks to some nutritious ones and you’ll likely get back into the zone.

For more information on office productivity, read this article!

  • Less office stress

Too many people and companies accept workplace stress as the norm. But it leads to burnout, which can result in higher employee turnover. This is why a wellness program is important. It will give your employees a new perspective of the workplace.

  • Fewer colds, flu and other illnesses

Everyone knows healthy practices prevent illness. And your business will have a higher rate of success when fewer sick days are taken.

  • Fewer office-related injuries

Taking a break to exercise or just stretch prevents common office injuries.

  • Happier employees

Offering a wellness program leads to happier employees. They’ll appreciate the benefit and be generally positive because they’re leading a healthy life and they will be happier knowing that the place they work at cares about them. 

 

Effective employee wellness programs

Where to start

It can be difficult navigating your way through an employee wellness program to figure out the best approach and what’s suited to your employees (but that’s what we’re here for). 

These 5 steps are the perfect way to get started! Let’s take a look…

1. Identify current issues 

A little research goes a long way! You will struggle to improve employee health and wellness without figuring out what some of the main issues are first.

Look at time and attendance, days of sick leave taken, employee satisfaction and stress levels, as well as extended health insurance costs. Talk to both management and employees to get an understanding of where the biggest issues are.

We, at WellBe, see this as a pivotal step in starting an employee wellness program because it puts you in the right direction of what’s important and what’s needed. 

2. Get input from everyone

Once you’ve found out some of the areas that need some work, chat with your employees to figure out what they’d like and what they’d what to get out of the wellness program. 

It’s pointless implementing a program that no one is interested in. 

3. Make a plan that fits

Now that you’ve collected your data, you can start putting a plan together. Remember to make sure the plan is aligned with your company culture so that more employees are excited to get on board! If you need a little assistance, get in touch with our team and we can help develop a personalised plan for your company and the needs of your employees. 

4. Encourage employee and management buy-in

Communicate the plan throughout the office and get management involved. This way more employees will be excited to take part. 

5. Track, measure and readjust

As with any workplace policy, measuring success, soliciting feedback, and adjusting accordingly will be key to the long-term success of an employee wellness program. This can be done by taking surveys or asking a variety of employees for their feedback. 

It’s also a good idea to celebrate achievements; anything from recognising individual employee goals for better health to crowning winners of office challenges can go a long way towards building support around the program.

Employee wellness programs are growing in popularity by the day and for good reason. These programs are important to the happiness of your employees and the overall success of your business. These programs are a great way of showing your employees that you value them! 

Some examples of effective employee wellness programs

I mentioned how your employee wellness initiative doesn’t have to be fancy and complicated. Not in the least. In fact, here are some simple solutions to improving employee wellness: 

  • Healthy snacks in the breakroom 
  • Healthy meals in the canteen 
  • Walking meetings 
  • Discounts off gym memberships for employees
  • Sunrise yoga on certain mornings 
  • Challenge boards where employees can write down their health goals (run a 5km race, lose weight, stop smoking etc.) and rewards are given to those who achieve their goals. 
  • On-site massage therapists 
  • On-site psychologist or life coach 

You can find more detail on these examples here. 

The final word

We know you’re probably very busy though and the logistics of a wellness program might sound a little time-consuming but that’s why we’re here! Find out more about the employee wellness programs we do and let us know if we can help you! 

January 21, 2020 Work Well Comments Off on 5 STEPS TO A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER & MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKPLACE
Stay Motivated At Work

6 SIMPLE OFFICE HACKS TO INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

Getting back into the swing of things at the beginning of the year is no easy task. Our minds tend to wander back to days next to the pool and we can’t stop longing for fun family activities instead of long meetings (that could have been an email instead). This can often lead to feelings of anxiety and stress because we are struggling to get our tasks done. We all know the struggle but the truth us, work doesn’t have to be like this. 

Setting new goals, getting back into a routine and becoming more productive will leave you feeling accomplished at the end of every day. With just a few simple hacks, you’ll end each day feeling energised by your accomplishments!

There are only so many hours in the day, so it’s essential to make the most of your time. There are two ways to increase your productivity, you can either put in more hours or work smarter. We definitely prefer the latter!

Remember, being busy doesn’t always mean you are being productive. Just some food for thought. 

Simple office hacks

1. Set small goals

Most of us look at goals as a tedious exercise because let’s be real, do any of us actually stick to them? It’s time to change your opinion on goal setting.

Goals don’t have to only be about where you see yourself in 5 years or the New Years Resolutions you recently set. Your goals can be small deadlines or to-do lists you make to hold yourself accountable each day. Setting goals will help you break down your calendar into smaller, less overwhelming tasks and make you more in control. This enables you to meet your goals and be more productive.

2. Take regular breaks – downtime is important

This sounds like the opposite of being more productive but hear me out. Taking scheduled breaks can actually help improve concentration. Research has shown that taking short breaks during long tasks or during a long day helps you to maintain a constant level of performance. Whereas working at a long task without any breaks leads to a steady decline in performance.

This little step will also ensure your quality of work is always at a maximum!

3. Avoid multitasking 

It may feel more productive to be doing multiple tasks at once and we’re often taught that multitasking increases efficiency. This is far from the truth though.   

Research shows that multitasking can make us up to 40% less productive – shocking! When multitasking, our focus is split into several tasks which means we do not complete each task at optimum capacity. This means you will take longer to complete tasks and more often than not, the quality of work you produce will slip. 

 

Stay Motivated At Work

 

4. Put the distractions away 

Our phones are our biggest distractions. Keep your phone on silent while you’re completing tasks and keep it out of sight. This will limit your distractions and enable you to truly hone in on what you’re doing. 

It might be beneficial for you to work with earphones in as well to limit the many distractions you can hear around you. 

5. Keep active

Keeping active during the week may help improve productivity. This doesn’t mean spending hours on the treadmill at the gym but where possible, build in set times during the week for taking a walk or doing something active. 

Getting your blood pumping could be just what’s needed to clear your head and get your focus back. You can even inspire your coworkers to do the same, take a look at this article for some tips!

6. Eat nutritious food throughout the day

The food we eat is extremely important in boosting our brainpower and impacting how productive we are at work. High sugar snacks can cause a decrease in your productivity and lead to energy crashes.

Keep healthy snacks at your office or create healthy meals to stay fueled for a productive day.

Not every day at the office will be a perfectly productive one. Make sure you don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, refocus your energy and implement these tips. Once you find what works for you, you’ll be amazed at how much more you can get done both in and out of the office. 

I’m off for a walk to refocus, how are you keeping productive today? 

January 14, 2020 Work Well Comments Off on 6 SIMPLE OFFICE HACKS TO INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
Paleo Diet or Keto Diet

KETO VS. PALEO: WHICH ONE WILL WORK FOR YOU?

With the influx of new and trendy diets, it’s not only difficult to find one that suits you but it’s also difficult to understand the differences between them all. If you’ve researched new ways of eating, you’ve definitely stumbled across the words ‘keto’ and ‘paleo’ at one time or another. But what are these two diets and what makes them different from one another? 

We’ve taken the time to discuss both of these lifestyles separately and include the pros and cons of each. This will enable you to decide for yourself which one (if any) of these diets will work for you. 

Let’s dive right in! 

What is Keto?

Keto is short for the ketogenic diet which is high in fat (70 – 80% of calories), moderate protein, and very low in carbs (20 – 50 grams per day). While it may seem like it’s new, it’s been used as a medical diet for over a century, it was originally used for children with epilepsy. 

A keto diet shifts your body from a carb-burning one into a fat-burning one, a process called ketosis that produces ketone bodies. It’s these ketones that are thought to act on the brain to prevent seizures.

Reducing carbs low enough to hit the 20 – 50 g of carbs a day means that you’ll be getting the majority of your calories from fat (avocado, olive oil, cheese, cream, butter, nuts, seeds), some protein (eggs, meat, fish, seafood) which means you’ll need to avoid most sources of carbs, including grains, legumes, fruit, starchy vegetables (yes, some vegetables are high in carbs) and any sugar. Carbs are thus eaten in the form of nonstarchy vegetables, like broccoli, leafy greens, and zucchini. 

The keto diet is not only used to aid children with epilepsy but a blog by Harvard Health points out that some people with type 2 diabetes are also using this diet to control their blood sugar levels.

What is Paleo? 

Also known as the caveman diet, the paleo diet is where you’d opt for foods that are considered to have been eaten by Paleolithic-era people. Once eaten in a hunter-gatherer society, a paleo menu consists of very simple foods like meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and roots. On the other hand, you do not eat legumes, grains, most dairy products, and refined sugar. 

Over time, the diet has become less strict, and some groups have expanded it to include foods like honey, maple syrup, or grass-fed butter. People who follow this diet plan focus on getting energy from animal products that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

 

Paleo Diet or Keto Diet

The difference between the two 

The ketogenic diet focuses on manipulating the three macronutrients: fat, carbs, and protein. The Paleo diet is more about food choices. You eliminate dairy, grains and processed foods, but balance the macronutrients any way you want.

Both the Keto and the paleo diet share their low-carb DNA but have been developed for vastly different purposes. 

The main differences include: 

The amount of fat differs. For the paleo diet, you consume a small amount of fat but fat is the main focus of the Keto diet. 

Paleo doesn’t allow dairy and soy, while keto does, although certain types of dairy are better than others. For example, flavoured yoghurt is off-limits, but full-fat plain Greek yoghurt is okay occasionally. Meanwhile, you can eat as much high-fat cheese like feta and cheddar as you want.

Compared with keto, Paleo allows more veggie variety. That means you may do better on Paleo if you enjoy eating a lot of fruit and starchy vegetables.

There are many pros and cons to both diets but before you choose, think about which foods you are okay with giving up.

The problem with both of these approaches is sustainability. They similarly promote an almost carbohydrate-free-diet but the truth is your body needs carbohydrates to survive. Carbs provide glucose that balances the blood sugar and increases energy levels. Both the ketogenic and Paleo diets will promote weight loss, but keeping it off is a different story. Once you start eating carbs again, you run the risk of quicker weight gain. 

Our final thoughts

Both lifestyles have proved effective in both men and women. Both can make you feel strong and healthy but it can be difficult concentrating on what you can’t eat and what you can. Often, a lifestyle with many restrictions can make you more obsessive and fixated on your food. 

Depending on your requirements and your preferences, both of these diets can work well for you but a well-balanced meal plan that includes a variety of healthy foods and smaller portions can be just as effective and beneficial. If you’re still struggling with what will work best for you, contact us for a personal assessment. 

 

January 8, 2020 Eat Well Comments Off on KETO VS. PALEO: WHICH ONE WILL WORK FOR YOU?
New Year’s Resolutions

6 STEPS TO MAKING HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS (ONES YOU’LL ACTUALLY STICK TO)

A new year is always the promise of a fresh start. We go into every new year with the mindset that things will be different and we need to reset and make this year better than the last. Although we have all of these great intentions, we often create unrealistic and unhealthy resolutions that we’re bound to give up on. 

This doesn’t put you in the right mindset to start the year on a positive note and prevents you from achieving the goals you’ve set out to. 

It’s time to change the narrative of new year’s resolutions and create healthy resolutions that you can stick to! 

What are New Year’s Resolutions? 

A new year’s resolution is a promise to yourself and only yourself. It is something you want to change in the new year, something that will get you closer to achieving more or bigger goals and a way of bettering yourself as each year goes by.

At the end of the year, we usually sit down and compile a list of resolutions we hope to stick to in the new year that will make us feel better or help us achieve more. 

More often than not, we create resolutions that end up making us feel worse about ourselves and in the back of our minds, we know we won’t stick to any of them.

Changing the resolutions narrative

It’s time to stop thinking about resolutions as something you hope to stick to but will probably get over by the time March rolls around but see them as small changes you can make to live a happier, healthier lifestyle.  

How to make healthy resolutions you can stick to

1. Concentrate on quality rather than quantity 

Rather focus on a few realistic resolutions that you are more likely to accomplish. It is better to focus on things you know you can change rather than trying to change every single thing you aren’t happy with. Small slow steps will create progressive changes in other aspects of your life. 

2. Clearly define your goals

Have a direct indication of what you want to achieve and exactly how you want to do it. Step away from resolutions like “go to the gym more this year” and focus more on a resolution like “being physically active at least 2-3 times a week”. This resolution gives you a clearer outline of what you need to do in order to succeed and it gives you more options to be active instead of only focusing on going to the gym. 

3. Write them down

Studies show that we are more likely to follow or achieve goals when they are written down. You need to have them clearly written down and in a place that you will look at and revisit often.  

Hint: stick them on your fridge! 

4. Plan on how you’ll overcome setbacks 

Perfection doesn’t exist. As much as you try to do everything the way you want to and as much as you strive for perfection, life happens. There are setbacks that come in a variety of forms but that doesn’t mean you aren’t doing the best that you can. It merely means that you have had one set back, not that you have failed. 

Identify possible setbacks that may come your way and have a plan B on how you are going to navigate your way around them so that it doesn’t impact your resolution. 

5. Track your progress

Track how far you’ve come and where you’re going. This will be a motivating factor for you to keep going, constantly reminding yourself that you’ve got this and you’re doing so well. 

In the same breath, you need to keep revisiting your resolutions. We tend to write them down and that’s it, as the year goes by we forget about them. Make sure that you look back at your resolutions and keep them in mind as you track your progress. 

New Year’s Resolutions

6. Consider a wellness coach

Most resolutions centre around health and fitness and while it’s easy to write that down as a resolution, achieving it is a different story. 

A wellness coach may sound like an over the top thing to consider but their goal is to help you change your lifestyle and will make sure you achieve your goals.  

Some healthy resolutions to consider

We have a few resolutions we consider to be healthy and will help you move forward in a positive direction as we enter the new decade.

  1. Focus on yourself, remind yourself to love you first. There are many ways to do this, find out more here.
  2. Be more active but more than just hitting the gym. There are many ways to get a workout in and increase your activity levels rather than torturing yourself doing something you detest.   
  3. Changing your diet. Now we don’t mean finding a new, trending diet where you can have a grape for breakfast and smell an apple for dinner. We mean finding a way to change your lifestyle that suits you, your goals and won’t damage your mental health. Consider this article for more intel into how to do this.  

Resolutions shouldn’t be these annoying little things that you’ll never achieve or you’ll just forget about. They should be goals that will enable you to better yourself and your lifestyle as each year passes by. 

December 27, 2019 Eat Well Comments Off on 6 STEPS TO MAKING HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS (ONES YOU’LL ACTUALLY STICK TO)