2022 july articles Archives

Exercising in Winter

With early morning darkness and evening chill sets in, a night in front of the fire or an extra hour’s sleep before work naturally feels more appealing than braving the cold for a brisk walk or session at the local gym.

Exercise in winter?

In some ways, winter offers benefits that summer can’t. In colder temperatures, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard and you sweat less, which means you exercise more efficiently and your endurance is boosted. Our souls need the blasts of serotonin (happy chemicals) that only exercise can give when the vitamin D-inducing sunshine is replaced by clouds.

How to motivate yourself?

Commit: Whether it’s signing up for a regular dance class, a daily office step-competition, or a three-month gym fitness challenge, having a fitness goal can structure your exercise routine and keep you inspired. Even setting your alarm for a daily 10-minute brisk walk is highly effective and will help ward off the winter blues.

Buddy system: You’re less likely to cancel when you’re meeting up with friends to exercise. Can’t tear your friends away from Netflix? You can make new friends by joining group hikes or doing free Park Runs on Saturdays (accessible at more than 500 locations globally).

Keep warm: Wrap up warmly with base layers, gloves, and hats, especially if you’re travelling to/from an exercise venue. Looking sharp in a brand new lightweight, temperature-controlled exercise kit can also inspire you to new heights. When you’ve got the winter chills, nothing warms your bones from the inside quite like a fast-paced jog!

Variety: Exercise is boring? Variety is key to actually enjoying exercise. Doing the same type of training can be demotivating, so change it up for fun, and throw in some Zumba classes, pilates or Nia dancing to keep you on your toes and make you belly laugh at your awkwardness.

Home options: No babysitter? The online options for training at home are vast and save you the time and costs of travelling, as well as having to step into icy weather from yoga, aerobics, kickboxing, to Tai Chi, the options are endless. The kids can join in too as a game.

Rewards: Numerous apps and gadgets can monitor and record your efforts, even marking a dot on a calendar or chart also works. Having a reward to look forward to is a key motivator. Even a hot drink or long, soothing bath to relax your muscles is just reward for your exercise efforts. But the biggest reward of all is that with regular exercise you will look and quickly feel better too.

LifeAssist has biokineticists and dieticians available to you, at no charge, to help you stay healthy this Winter.

zara2022-06-29T09:32:51+00:00

High functioning anxiety

What is it? High functioning anxiety describes people who suffer from anxiety, but still manage to function well. Unlike those who are crippled with anxiety and find it hard to cope, a person with high-functioning anxiety is spurred on by their fears to work harder.

Digging deeper: On the surface, they appear to be successful and together, typical achievers who excel at work and life. No one would ever guess that under the surface, they’re constantly fighting a whirlpool of anxiety and fears. Emotionally and physically exhausted, they may suffer from insomnia, constant worries about the future and being unable to relax. They often fall short in their comparisons and are obsessed with what others think of them. As people-pleasers, they’re unable to say no, and are therefore often overburdened and stressed and on the road to burnout.

Silent sufferers: While described as overachievers, perfectionists, or superstars, the struggle and anxiety required to achieve that level of success is intense. They present a “face” to the world and don’t show their true feelings to anyone, bottling emotions up inside, sometimes resorting to unhealthy coping behaviours such as drinking excessively.

Treatment fears: Sufferers of high functioning anxiety may be unwilling to seek treatment:

They worry their performance will drop and they won’t be superstars if anxiety and fear don’t drive them. While a small amount of anxiety may spur us on, success need not be the result of constant struggle.
They may doubt that others will provide support because they haven’t shown any signs of struggle. They may feel ashamed, to be honest about their feelings. Opening ourselves to our true feelings and sharing them with others can make our experience of life and connection with others more authentic.
Some believe their inner turmoil is not sufficient reason to seek help because they are seemingly successful. Overwhelming anxiety can have devastating long-term consequences and requires treatment, just as a broken arm or illness does.

Denial: Sufferers often convince themselves that there is nothing wrong; they’re just workaholics, perfectionists, or control-freaks. While high functioning anxiety is well-hidden, different from other more obvious forms of anxiety, it can seriously impact a person’s whole life.

Help: If you identify with these characteristics, talk to your doctor, or call LifeAssist, 100% confidentially. As with all forms of anxiety, there are effective treatment options.

zara2022-06-29T09:36:30+00:00

How do you communicate with younger generations?

While it’s important not to stereotype and to communicate with each person as an individual, there are some important pointers to consider when dealing with younger generations.

Language differences: The language that the younger generation uses is not meant to be disrespectful or unprofessional. You may need to exercise patience with their overuse of phrases such as “I can’t even,” (refers to a breaking point or speechlessness), “like,” “yup,” and “dude.” Criticising their speech may serve only to shut down the channels of communication.

Authenticity: Young people are good at spotting fakes, so it’s important to be yourself and to be honest. Speak as you normally would to anyone else, but always keep things respectful and appropriate.

Feedback: Today’s technology wires us for instant feedback: ask for recommendations on social media and within 30 minutes you’ll receive 6 options. Because feedback is so powerful in helping us learn and solve problems, young people expect the same frequency of feedback from their managers or parents. Without feedback youngsters tend to feel unappreciated or invisible, so give feedback in abundance.

Listen: As with anyone, make sure you listen with interest, keep your body language open, stop what you’re doing, and never interrupt. Don’t assume or mind read. Angry or impatient body language, sarcasm, criticism, and yelling will break trust and shut down the communication. Young people will simply stop talking. Genuinely listen, with the intent to understand.

Respect: Just because you’re older, doesn’t mean you’re automatically respected by the younger generation. They believe that the values of loyalty, respect, and obedience need to be earned. Appreciate that younger people have a different worldview. Treat them as you would a friend and show respect for their opinions.

Purpose: If you want to get their attention, appeal to a youngster’s strong sense of purpose. Meaning in life, and supporting worthwhile causes, are important to them.

Be Visual: Youngsters are visual consumers and the majority understand information faster when it’s communicated visually. Avoid text-only content, especially when communicating new material.

Gentle Coaching: The so-called screen-generation trust online influencers, but in many cases, lack human, in-person, and interpersonal skills and need your help with the basics. Be patient because they really don’t know certain social norms. Accustomed to instant information, millennials are prone to make important decisions in milliseconds. Slow them down and talk them through the real-world implications of their actions.

If you are battling to connect with the younger generation, contact LifeAssist and bounce some ideas off one of our professional counsellors. We are here for you and your family.

zara2022-06-29T07:47:02+00:00