It’s Christmas, the shops are bulging with all things nice and temptation to avail of the bumper packs, two for one and buy one get one free offers are so hard resist. And that’s just the food and alcohol! Add in the pressure to have a showroom perfect house with themed decorations, enough lights to be visible from the moon and a mountain of beautifully wrapped gifts, plus end of year work deadlines, and the stress levels begin to rise and panic sets in.

It’s easier sometimes to just go with it and deal with the fall out in January – also known as the January blues. This year take a few steps to minimise those feelings and face into the New Year with a bounce and a smile instead.

Food

It’s so easy to overeat over Christmas, there are boxes of chocolates and biscuits in the office, lunches and dinners out and at home we tend to stock up on tasty treats because “hey it’s Christmas”! And yes, we do all deserve to overdo it a little but the key message here is MODERATION.  Instead of saying yes to everything, and mindlessly dipping into the bowls of crisps, sweets, picking off the plates of nibbles and having that extra mince pie – STOP! Think about what you are eating, enjoy and savour it and then step away.  There are usually some healthy options too, try a few and surprise yourself on how tasty they can be, replenishing your vitamin and mineral levels at the same time.

Food is fuel – the cleaner and purer the more efficient and stronger the body!

Exercise

Running around the shops, traipsing around town and decorating the house is often all the exercise many of us get at Christmas. And yes, it does count but keeping active and getting some fresh air has a huge impact on balancing stress levels and keeping the extra inches at bay.  A brisk walk after a big meal is a great way to keep energised and if you have a current exercise routine don’t put it on hold altogether for the month of December.

Stick with it as much as possible and come January the thought of going back to the gym, hitting the pavements or signing back up for that Pilates class will not hurt as much.  It’s a great way to get together with friends and family too, organise a hike and a picnic, a turkey sandwich eaten at the top of a mountain cannot be beaten.  And for the really brave and bold a dip in the sea will put a skip in anyone’s step – just be careful!

A fit and active body is one that is truly alive!

Stress

The end of the year can be a hugely stressful time in any work environment. With deadlines, targets, planning and budgets all top of the agenda the pressure can be at boiling point.  Take stock, prioritise and manage your time efficiently. Plan your day and stick with that plan as best you can. Be realistic in what you can achieve and be open with your colleagues and managers on your manageable goals.

The same applies for stress at home, financially Christmas can add huge strain so be realistic and don’t spend what you don’t have. Easy to say, but by planning early, taking advantage of offers, pre-Christmas sales and not leaving everything to the last minute you can avoid getting into debt and spending January worrying about bills and expenses.

Take stock, be realistic and plan for a stress-free time.

Alcohol

Mulled wine, bubbles, cocktails and sherry it’s hard to avoid a tipple or two and get a bit merry. Family gatherings and meeting up with friends there’s usually some alcohol on offer and given the festive spirit, well why not!! But being mindful of what you are drinking is the key to minding yourself. No one enjoys hangovers and that feeling of dread after one too many and if you are already feeling stressed or a little bit low those feelings are magnified and come become overwhelming.

Follow the tips of never drinking on an empty stomach (hard to do over Christmas); pace yourself, drink plenty of water and try not to mix your drinks too much. Be aware of how much you are drinking, don’t top up, finish your glass first otherwise you really have no idea how much you have drunk. And remember it is ok to say NO! Your friends and family will be jealous of your clear head the next day.

Have a tipple and be merry just don’t over-do it on the Sherry!

And lastly be mindful of others. Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, if you know someone is feeling low, lonely or stressed reach out to them. Volunteer to help out at a local centre, fund raising or simply to do a bit of shopping for a neighbour – it will make their day and make you feel good too.

Enjoy, be kind, be safe and be healthy… Happy Christmas!

Ingrid O’Sullivan, Operations Manager

It’s summer, everyone has either gone on holiday, is on holiday or planning a holiday – it’s holiday season. We pack up our lives and escape to unwind, relax, explore, discover, indulge, laugh and enjoy ourselves outside of our routine lives.  Sounds great and stress free? For many people, being away from the workplace on holiday adds an additional layer of stress to the skyscraper tower of stress that many of our lives have become and the whole reason we go on holiday – to knock that tower down!

Here are some tips to avoid tipping your tower over pre-holiday and to maintaining the holiday glow for longer post-holiday:

Make lists

Three to be exact!  One which lists everything you are working on and the corresponding status – waiting on feedback, a decision, client response for example.

Two will be your priority list – the things you must first address when you get back from holiday. Keep this list short!

The third list is your personal checklist with everything you need to bring, do and sign off on before holidays from passport to booking the dog into kennels.

Do a handover

Delegate any tasks or pieces of work that must be actioned while you are away. Clearly document what needs to be done, who is doing it and when. Ensure all stakeholders are on board and committed.

Share lists one and two above with a trusted colleague in case of an emergency!

Tidy up

Do a desk clean up, get rid of any documents, files, post-its that are no longer needed.  Coming back to a clean and ordered work environment will be a much nicer experience.

Out of Office

Don’t forget to put your out of office message on your phone and email.  That way you can be away knowing that any urgent requests will be dealt with and your contacts will know you are away and not simply ignoring them.  It is so important when you are on holiday to be on holiday and not checking your emails and phone.  With our 24 ON society there is often the perception that we must be available no matter what the circumstances.  Be clear with your manager and team that you are only contactable for emergencies and allow yourself to have that well earned break.

Buffer day

If you can, plan your holiday with a day in between coming home and going back to work, this will give you an opportunity to settle at home, sort out your things and get ready to go back to work in a calm and refreshed manner.

First day back

Arrange a quick update with your manager/team and check your lists for priority actions. Don’t panic with the endless list of emails that is awaiting you – start from the top and you’ll soon be caught up.  Stay in holiday mode by ensuring you leave on time and plan activities for the rest of the day.

Lastly – plan your next holiday and have something to look forward to in the diary.  Don’t let that tower build up too high!

Ingrid O’Sullivan, Operations Manager

January, the longest month of the year, or so it seems, is coming to a close. At last many of us will be saying and rejoicing in the fact that we have managed to survive it and have maybe even stuck to one or two of our “resolutions”.  It’s so easy in December when indulging in all things considered naughty and extravagant to make elaborate plans to change, give up, do more, be better…  and then January comes and the long list looks more like an endurance test and less like a happy new lifestyle.

Don’t despair

Our downfall is not the list or what it contains, as let’s face it there usually is a valid reason why we verbalise the changes we want to make. The problem is there are often too many to tackle all at the same time.  What rule book says we have to span our resolutions over the entire year or says we have to make all the changes at the same time? It’s only January and there are 11 more months in the year which offers plenty of time to work our way through the list.

Break it down

The 12 months challenges rather than the 12-month challenge is where every month we take something from our list to address that month. And if you don’t have a list, start one.  It can be something simple like committing to adding two additional servings of vegetables to your daily diet or drinking an extra litre of water a day to doing a specific task. Or if it’s a bigger challenge like giving up smoking set yourself the goal of getting through the month first.  At the end of the month assess the impact of the change or action. Has it been beneficial, has it been a positive experience with a positive outcome – if the answers are yes you will probably be happy to keep going and if not that’s ok too it might not have been the right change to make for you at this time.

Habits are formed over time, some quicker than others however at the end of each month it will become more routine and less effort.  Introducing one thing every month will allow you to explore lots of different activities and ways of life over the year easing the pressure of bombarding your mind and body at all once and reducing the chances of success.

Here are some examples of some easy challenges for the next 12 months you might like to take up:

January
Get out walking for 30 minutes a day – the fresh air and exercise will energise you and blow away any blues, boost your metabolism and give you a healthy glow.

February
Add some healthy items to your diet – extra vegetables to your meals and munch on fruit instead of biscuits.

March
Spring is in the air so challenge yourself to decluttering at home and the workplace.  Take a room or area at a time. You’ll feel great afterwards!

April
Get out of your comfort zone and join a class, learn a new skill, do something you’ve always wanted to.

May
Get ready for summer and clear out your wardrobe.  Don’t hang onto items you know you are really never going to wear again or that simply do not fit anymore.

June
Make the most of the long evenings, get out for walks, runs, meet up with friends for a hike and boost your vitamin D levels.

July
Read a book – any book! If you’re on holiday even better and read two.

August
Think of a behaviour you would like to change or adopt and look at ways to achieve this and then practice, practice, practice.

September
Do a personal financial audit, where can you save, spend less and plan for the future.

October
Heading into wintertime and dark evenings is the perfect time to join an evening class or do some online learning.

November
Cut back on treats – chocolate, cakes, alcohol – December is usually a busy month!

December
It’s good to keep up as many of the positive habits you’ve formed over the year but it’s also a time to let loose and enjoy some over-indulgences too.  And celebrate your achievements!

When tackling any big changes, which impact us emotionally and physically looking after our wellbeing is so important.  Take it a month at time and reward your successes and manage any blips – and most importantly try not to give up or give in!

Ingrid O’Sullivan, Operations Manager

Here we are again another year has flown past and I’m still ruminating over all my New Year Resolutions from January! My resolution for this week is to try and follow these simple tips to get me through to January feeling relatively healthy and ready to make some more New Year Resolutions for 2019.

We all know Christmas can take its toll between over-indulging in food and alcohol, late nights, meeting end of year deadlines and the stress and pressure of having everything “perfect”.  It’s easy to lose the run of ourselves and come January we are often feeling burnt out and suffering from the blues.

Here are some tips on how to avoid that January feeling and bounce into 2019 with a smile 😊

Food

It’s so easy to overeat over Christmas, there are boxes of chocolates and biscuits in the office, lunches and dinners out and at home, and we tend to stock up on tasty treats because “hey it’s Christmas”! And yes, we do all deserve to overdo it a little but the key message here is MODERATION.  Instead of saying yes to everything, and mindlessly dipping into the bowls of crisps, sweets, picking off the plates of nibbles and having that extra mince pie – STOP! Think about what you are eating, enjoy and savour it and then step away.  There are usually some healthy options too, try a few and surprise yourself on how tasty they can be, replenishing your vitamin and mineral levels at the same time.

Food is fuel – the cleaner and purer, the more efficient and stronger the body!

Exercise

Running around the shops, traipsing around town and decorating the house is often all the exercise many of us get at Christmas. And yes, it does count but keeping active and getting some fresh air has a huge impact on balancing stress levels and keeping the extra inches at bay.  A brisk walk after a big meal is a great way to keep energised and if you have a current exercise routine don’t put it on hold altogether for the month of December.  Stick with it as much as possible and come January the thought of going back to the gym, hitting the pavements or signing back up for that Pilates class will not hurt as much.  It’s a great way to get together with friends and family too, organise a hike and a picnic, a turkey sandwich eaten at the top of a mountain cannot be beaten.  And for the really brave and bold a dip in the sea will put a skip in anyone’s step – just be careful!

A fit and active body is one that is truly alive!

Stress

The end of the year can be a hugely stressful time in any work environment.  With deadlines, targets, planning and budgets all top of the agenda, the pressure can be at boiling point.  Take stock, prioritise and manage your time efficiently. Plan your day and stick with that plan as best you can.  Be realistic in what you can achieve and be open with your colleagues and managers on your manageable goals.

The same applies for stress at home, Christmas can add huge strain financially so be realistic and don’t spend what you don’t have. Easy to say, but by planning early, taking advantage of offers, pre-Christmas sales and not leaving everything to the last minute, you can avoid getting into debt and spending January worrying about bills and expenses.

Take stock, be realistic and plan for a stress-free time.

Alcohol

Mulled wine, bubbles, cocktails and sherry, it’s hard to avoid a tipple or two and get a bit merry. At family gatherings and when meeting up with friends, there’s usually some alcohol on offer and given the festive spirit, well why not?! But being mindful of what you are drinking is the key to minding yourself.  No one enjoys hangovers and that feeling of dread after one too many and if you are already feeling stressed or a little bit low, those feelings are magnified and can become overwhelming.  Follow the tips of never drinking on an empty stomach (hard to do over Christmas); pace yourself, drink plenty of water and try not to mix your drinks too much.   Be aware of how much you are drinking, don’t top up, finish your glass first otherwise you really have no idea how much you have drunk. And remember it is ok to say NO! Your friends and family will be jealous of your clear head the next day.

Have a tipple and be merry just don’t over-do it on the Sherry!

And lastly, be mindful of others.  Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, if you know someone is feeling low, lonely or stressed, reach out to them. Volunteer to help out at a local centre, fund raising or simply to do a bit of shopping for a neighbour – it will make their day and make you feel good too.

Enjoy, be kind, be safe and be healthy. Happy Christmas!

Ingrid O’Sullivan, Operations Manager