It was a real pleasure to chat with Mary Mullins from the In Business show on Radio Kerry during the week. We spoke about the role employees and employers have to play in making workplaces healthy places to spend time in, we discussed the recommended physical activity guidelines for healthy adults and we even had time to consider what the office of the future might look like with Fitbit's Dublin offices providing the inspiration for that.
Read MoreThe big day is almost here. Ireland's Workplace Wellbeing Day takes place this Friday, April 13th 2018. The great news is that you can still register totally free of charge. Check out my article here to find out all the details including how to register.
I've been receiving so much feedback and questions on Wellbeing Day this year. It's wonderful to see such an interest in this from Irish businesses. I don't think there can be any doubt that employers are switching on to the fact that supporting the health and wellness of their employees is beneficial for everyone involved.
Read MoreEmployee wellness is evolving within a rapidly changing work environment. Companies are now understanding that to be effective, wellness needs to be used as a business strategy, which means moving past the traditional concept of health and wellness in the workplace as a mainly physical approach and focusing, instead, on the concept of developing the whole person. Using corporate wellness as a business strategy not only creates a competitive advantage for your business, but also implements evidence-based corporate wellness programming alongside workforce professional and personal development. At its core, this business strategy looks at what people factors are statistically connected to better business results, rather than focusing solely on the traditional management of risk factors (Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, Nutrition, Physical Activity) and claims of health care reductions.
Read MoreI was diagnosed with MS in 2003 and wow what a shock it was at the time. I was enjoying a successful career in Finance and living a full life outside of work.
After receiving my diagnosis, I remember sitting in a park crying my eyes out at the thought of what might happen and then I said to myself “I will not be a victim”. What I meant by this was, I would do everything I could, to stay well.
Read MoreUncontrolled stress can sabotage any weight loss plan. As a nurse practitioner and health coach, I see many clients who list weight loss as their main wellness goal. Often they tell me they are not losing weight even though they have changed their diet and started working out. I always ask about their stress levels, and most of them will indicate it is “moderate” to “very high.” I usually focus on ways to decrease their stress levels first, then diet and exercise.
Read MoreFor office workers, the danger isn’t lifting heavy objects or working hard in the sun all day, it’s conditions like carpal tunnel and computer vision syndrome. While workers are far less likely to throw a back out or herniate a disk at their desks, they’re still vulnerable to a wide array of health issues and injury risks.
We know that sitting at a desk and staring at a computer screen all day can take its toll, but what can Human Resources do about it? Let’s look at how HR and the management team can take better care of their workers in the office.
Read MoreIt’s around this time every January that many New Year resolutions have begun to falter or have been totally ditched already. The second Friday in January is now known as “Quitters Friday” and Monday just passed has been dubbed “Blue Monday” as it’s apparently the most depressing day of the year. What a load of horsesh1t. They are just days of the week like any other day. I choose not to read into the nonsense that the tabloid media feel the need to perpetuate at this time of year.
Read MoreVision-building has been a corporate practice for decades. For business experts, having a clear, effective corporate vision is the starting place for success. Not having a vision leads to lack of focus, clarity and performance. So if visions do great things for corporations, how can they work for people?
Read MoreThe decision has been made, “it’s time for a lifestyle change” and you are ready to be active, fit and healthy. You found the right trainer, gym and/or group to take you to the next level. Yet, one thing remains the same, the office —the thing you call work and all of it’s sugary temptations— the cookies, the morning donuts and those darn pieces of Halloween candy that seem to never go away! Don’t fret, you can creatively change your unhealthy work environment into a healthy work environment in 5 easy steps.
Read MoreIf you want to feel fresh and energised throughout the day, you need to focus on getting a good start. Instead of sleeping in late, you should try waking up earlier and using that precious morning time for some productive work and planning. You could engage in some exercise or other physical activity or do some yoga and contemplation exercises, which will give you great energy to fuel the rest of your day.
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