HEALTHY CHANGES:
4 Steps Towards Overall Health
Step 1:
Understanding Your "Total Health"
Step 2:
Make the Commitment
Step 3:
Assessment & Goals
Step 4:
ACTION TOOL RESOURCE CENTER
Mental/Emotional
Health
Social
Health
Spiritual
Health
Physical
Health
Step 4: RESOURCE TOOL CENTER
Mental/Emotional Health: Your Time Off
It’s no secret – Americans today are working more, and relaxing less than in any previous generation. With the advent of email, cell phones, pagers and other communication technologies, “constant connectedness” are the norm. Rarely do we truly escape the workplace in today’s world. We might walk to a café for a quick lunch, but do we enjoy the fresh air, or people watching along the way? Not with that headset in our ears. We’re oblivious to God’s beauty around us. We’re productive, easily accessible to clients and co-workers, and quick to respond to messages. We’re “responsible.” But we’re oblivious. And stressed. We are the super-productive, connected generation…. at what price?
Given the amount of time Americans spend working – approximately 1800 hours annually – finding ways to reduce work related stress is vital.
Take Regular Breaks Every Day
Don’t just go to the break room for coffee…LEAVE THE OFFICE.
Leave your cell phone at your desk, and step outside. Tell yourself that
very little that can happen in the 15 minutes you’re unconnected will
be critical. If you can’t actually leave, at least get up from your
desk and move. Try a mini-exercise break like those listed below:
Read More:
Desk
Exercises: About.com
Office
Spa: Discovery.com
Take a “Mental Health Day” on Occasion
Pick a day when nothing is really pressing at the office, and relax. Don’t
run errands or pay bills. Go to the zoo. Visit your children or grandchildren.
Sleep late. Find your own way to relax and have fun, and then pursue it.
One “me day” on occasion isn’t selfish. It’s self-preservation.
The key to making the most of your days off is simple – find something you enjoy and do it! Here are a few ideas:
• Spend quality time with your family.
• Go to the zoo or park.
• Ride a bike.
• Go for a swim.
• Take a walk on the beach or at the lake.
• Fly a kite.
• Learn something you’ve always wanted to learn, but never have
time to do.
• Play your favorite sport.
• Go skating.
• Have a picnic.
• Read a good book just for fun (nothing work related)
• Go to the library and browse.
• See a great movie you’ve wanted to see.
• Plant a garden.
• Take your camera, and go for a long walk. Take pictures of the sights
that interest you.
Don’t Work Weekends (unless you have to)
There’s a reason God rested after working for 6 days straight. Because
7 days without a break is too much for anyone! If it was too much for God,
it’s too much for you. Take your weekends off, if at all possible.
Take Your Vacations
There’s no prize for accumulating the most unused vacation days. Take
your vacations and destress!
Making the most of your vacations
The links below provide some ideas for making the most of your vacation
time. But first…start your vacation worry-free by taking care of these
details before you leave the office:
- Determine who will handle questions or problems in your absence. Meet with this person briefly before you go to provide a status report of where projects are, who might be calling and why.
- Ensure client files or projects folders are organized and easily accessible so no one will need to call you.
- Set a reply message on your email notifying people you are out of the office, when you will be returning and whom they can contact in your absence. Record a similar message on your voice mail.
- Remind your boss, coworkers and/or clients that you will be on vacation a week before you leave to find out if they need any assistance now rather than on Friday as you are trying to walk out the door.
- Clean up your workspace before you go. Nothing kills a vacation buzz like returning to an avalanche of papers, mail and files on your desk.
- When it’s time to leave, LEAVE. Leave the cell phone, Palm Pilot and pager at home. Resist the urge to call and check in with the office. If possible, avoid giving the office your contact information. You can give your co-workers an emergency contact number (someone who knows where you are, but won’t bother you if it isn’t truly an emergency).
Read More:
The
Perfect Vacation: Parenting Magazine
How
To Take A Vacation: Business Week
INSPIRATION CORNER