Happy at work

Posted on May 13, 2013

Not many people say on their death bed that they wish they’d spent more hours at work. This is one of may favourite quotes (not that I know who said it first).  I use it to justify my constant need to get on a plane and see the world.  Others use it as a reality check when they catch themselves rolling from one crazy week into another.

It would be great if we could all come and go from work as we please, making lifestyle our top priority.  Put friends, family, training and travel at the top of the list.  But the reality is that any style of life needs to be funded.  Bills need to be paid and hungry mouths need to be fed.  So how do we keep on working hard and keep happy at the same time?

  1. Get to know the people you work with.  1/3 of working Aussies spend over 45 hours a week at work.  That is more awake time than you’re likely to spend with any other group of people.  So take the time to get to know them and do your best to enjoy their company.
  2. Claim your space.  You want to sit down at your desk in the morning and smile.  Pot plants, photos, quotes… anything that makes you laugh or smile is a great addition to your space.
  3. Eat, drink, move.  Regularly.  It takes a little planning to have quality snacks on hand.  Try these snack options.  As for drinking and moving, it’s simple.  Drink from a glass.  So that you have to get up and re-fill it at least every hour (to drink 8 glasses a day).  If you tend to forget, set an alert.
  4. Ask.  Whatever you want from work, ask for it.  Because chances are no-one else is thinking about you.  Do you want flexible hours?  The option to work from home once a fortnight?  To switch your most dreaded client for one you’d love to work with?  Just ask.  If you get a no, you’ll be no worse off than you are right now.
  5. Keep it in perspective.  You are you.  You are not your job title.  It’s great to challenge yourself at work and to push for more and more.  As long as there is a life outside of work.  If you look after your relationships, you’ll have friends and family around you for a lot longer than you’ll have your career.

Posted in Happiness, Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , |

How much is too much?

Posted on May 6, 2013

We all know when we’re putting in too many hours at work.  We recognise the signs if we’re drinking too much, too often.  We figure it out pretty quickly if we’re constantly stressing and forgetting to unwind.  But how do we know if we’re overtraining?  And why am I even writing about this?

The way I see it, exercise is meant to add to our lives.  It should give us more energy, new friends, a healthy outlet and a whole lot of fun.  The problem is when people take it too far and exercise makes them less healthy.  It’s a fine line.

Excessive exercise places stress on the body.  We can handle it when everything else is running smoothly.  But if we train too hard when we’re working long hours or generally stressed, something has to give.  That something is our health – mental or physical.  Or both.

Here are some signs that you are overtraining:

  • You get worse at your sport. No matter how hard you try, you are slower, weaker or generally worse than you used to be.
  • You always feel like you’re running on empty.
  • You have unexplained aches and pains.  Especially sore legs.
  • You’re grumpy and irritable for no reason.
  • You’ve injured yourself.

What’s right for someone else might not be right for you.  We all need to try and meet the national guidelines for physical activity (30 minutes, most days of the week).  But how far above & beyond that we go depends on our health, our lifestyle and why we’re training in the first place.  Comparing yourself to your super fit friend or your couch potato neighbour is a waste of time.  Follow these tips to keep a healthy balance in your training:

  1. Have at least one rest day a week. Maybe 2.
  2. Mix it up.  You need to combine different types of training (eg running, weights, swimming & yoga), different session lengths and different intensities.  A combination of short sharp sessions and longer, endurance training is the way to go.
  3. Focus on now.  Life changes.  Juggling work, family, injuries and whatever else is going on could mean that you can’t exercise as much as you used to.  That’s OK – just make the most of what you can do.
  4. Listen to your body.  You’ll figure out if you really need a break, or if you’re just making excuses to get out of exercise.  If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll know where to draw the line.

 

Posted in Fitness, psychology | Tagged , , , , |

How do I know if I’m happy enough?

Posted on May 1, 2013

The aim of Spring is to make people happy (and healthy and more, but you already know that).  In fact, my aim for life is to be happy and to make others happy on the way.  Not necessarily as happy as a toddler with a new toy.  But happy enough.

The problem is, how do we know when we’re happy enough?  Is it OK to just be satisfied, or is that settling for second best?

I thought about this last week, because I was in a bit of a grump.  For absolutely no reason, I was unhappy.  I caught myself getting impatient, irritable and a little irrational.  And you know what?  That’s fine.  It’s life.  When I bothered to think about it, I realised that this mini-crisis would pass soon enough.  (If you need help getting over a bad mood, have a look at this post.)

What really matters is that we’re big-picture-happy.  Little things, like a puppy dog or a hug, can make us smile at the time.  But it takes more than that to make us truly happy.  After reading stacks of studies on happiness, I’d agree that we need…..

1. Purpose

We need to be needed.  It could be that a no-one else in your office can do what you do or it could be that your kids couldn’t cope without you.  We need to feel like we’re adding to the lives of others, rather than taking away.

When I was growing up, Mum’s bi-polar disorder was often brought to life through an unhealthy addiction to exercise.  Not surprisingly, excessive mountain biking when her mind was racing led to some serious injuries over the years.  When Mum was injured, wether it was a broken ankle or a shoulder reconstruction, she couldn’t be the hands-on Mum that she identified with.  She would become convinced that she was a burden to the family.  She had temporarily lost her purpose – being a busy Mum of three.  These physical injuries led to a stint in the psychiatric ward almost every time.

2. Connection

Humans are a sociable bunch.  While some of us might need time out to recharge the batteries, we all need meaningful interactions on a regular basis.  It might be with your family.  Or you might have created a family out of your friends.  Colleagues, training buddies, neighbours and plenty of other people can provide us with the connection that we crave.

Connecting with friends online makes this a bit blurry.  Everyone is different.  If e-mailing and facebooking friends leaves you feeling happy, then it works for you.  However research shows that it can deplete our mood.  Especially if you observe others on social media more than you contribute.  If it leaves you feeling flat, try to call friends and see them face-to-face whenever you can.  Sharing a laugh is a lot more inspiring than misinterpreting a message and creating issues that don’t exist.

Let’s ditch the pressure to be happy all the time.  That’s not how the world works.  Instead, let’s remember that even the grumpiest of grumps will pass if we have purpose and connection in our lives.


Posted in Happiness, psychology | Tagged , , , , |

Your week on a plate

Posted on April 24, 2013

Before I launch into this, let’s just take a moment to reflect on the fact that I’m not a nutritionist or a dietician.  My background is fitness.  But what really makes me tick is helping people to build healthier lifestyles.  Lifestyles that make them feel fantastic.  Which is why I can’t help myself from writing about food this week.

It all began when The Vegetarian came to live with us for a month last year.  All of a sudden, a piece of meat and a plate of veges wasn’t a suitable dinner.  It made me realise that whenever I ask my man what he wants for dinner, he names an animal.  As if meat is the meal, the rest of it is simply filling the plate.  This didn’t seem super healthy to me.

So I set up some guidelines to keep us going once The Vegetarian had left town.  Well, sort of.  No need to make it seem more official than it was.  I decided that every week we would have:

  • A maximum of 2 red meat meals.
  • Fish for dinner at least once.
  • A minimum of 2 vegetarian meals….  And they can’t always be pasta.
  • Salad with lunch everyday.

And the rest of the week just falls into place.  It’s not hard.  It’s not a list of things that we can’t eat.  It’s just a bit of structure to make sure we’re eating enough of the good stuff.  It forces me to search different vegetarian meals and think outside the square.  It makes eating 5+ a day simple.  And I feel really good for it – happier, lighter and more energetic.

I’m not saying that everyone should follow the same weekly pattern.  I’m simply encouraging you to step back and look at what you eat each week.  Is pasta the go-to option that you are going to too often?  Maybe you forget to eat enough meat.  Maybe you don’t cook often enough full stop.  Whatever the case is for you, think of 2 or 3 things that you could do better and give it a go.  Making the right changes slowly is a whole lot better than standing still.

 

 

 

Posted in diet, Healthy tips | Tagged , , , , , |

What cancellation policy?

Posted on April 19, 2013

Hmmmm, so much for my ‘no more cancellations‘ policy.  That was published last Wednesday, I was hit by a cold on Thursday, felt like death when I trained on Friday and have done very little since.  I’m sure most of you can relate.

In a way, I’m annoyed.  And mildly defeated, after publicly making my promise.  But it’s also a reminder.  Maintaining health, fitness and happiness takes a lot more than one strong statement.  A silver bullet is not the answer.  We need to bounce back and learn to take challenges in our stride. We need to keep on keeping on.

In short, we need to do a lot of little things well, rather than focusing on a great big commitment.  For example, losing weight is not about saying “I will never, ever eat chocolate again”.  It’s about portion control, limiting intake of sugar and fats, filling up on nutritious foods, eating regularly, limiting alcohol, maintaining hydration.  And that’s only part of the picture!  You get the idea – we need to take several small steps in the right direction, rather than one giant leap.

Are you an ‘all or nothing’ personality?  You know the sort.  When you’re determined to do something, you have the commitment of Nelson Mandela.  But when it’s not all on…. well….. you’re more like a toddler.  To some degree, we need to accept that we are what we are.  However, if you are the bull in a china shop type, think about what you could do differently.  How can you make your decisions stick?  It has been proven again and again that small steps create lasting lifestyle change.  Why not give it a chance?

Keep this in mind when Spring re-launches for 2013.  You don’t need to train and meditate everyday.  You don’t need to follow every recipe.  You don’t even need to do as much as your friends and colleagues.  Just keep moving forward, a little further each and every day.

And on that note, I’ll leave you to it.  After all, I am a bit sick.

Posted in Diet and fitness, Healthy tips | Tagged , , , , , |

Cancelling is for other people

Posted on April 10, 2013

Do you have one of those friends who always makes plans with you, and then cancels?  We all know the type.  Is there a chance that maybe, just maybe, you are that person?  Or perhaps you don’t cancel on friends, but you cancel on yourself.  Especially when it comes to training.

Well, it’s time to stop.  Cancelling isn’t an option any more.  Well, maybe if you’re stuck in bed with a fever or battling a bout of gastro.  But for the most part, you’ll be fit to train.

When you cancel training sessions, you’re avoiding short-term pain, but losing long-term gain.  I’ve posted before on getting realistic with how much you train each week.  The key to avoiding cancellations is to know what you are capable of fitting into your week.  From there, make a plan and stick to it.  It really can be that simple.

So what happens when a work deadline sneaks up on you?  When you feel a bit sniffly and think you might need a sleep in?  When a friend calls you in tears?  When the kids are sick?  You know me, I’m realistic and I understand that life can be chaotic.  So, in these situations, postpone your training session.  Make sure that you fit it in later in the week, in addition to whatever else you have planned.   A double training session one day could be exactly what your body needs to get to the next level.

In short, leave the cancellations to your unreliable friend.  Don’t be the person who lets yourself or others down.  Your body, your mind and your friends will all thank you for your commitment.

PS – I’m more or less writing this blog post to myself.  I’ve been tired and mildly lazy lately.  It seems that it happens to the best of us…..  But it has to stop.  No more cancellations from now.  Starting with the swim squad I did at 6:15am this morning, I will do every session I have planned.  I promise.  And then I’ll reward myself with a super relaxing day off on Sunday….. can’t wait!

Posted in Fitness, Healthy habits | Tagged , , , |

A weighty issue

Posted on March 15, 2013

When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?  Or do you only see the wobbly bits that you don’t like?  Do you accept compliments about the way you look, or do you think that people are lying?  Just trying to be nice?

Bad body image is a miserable thing.  It dominates lives and drags people down.  It chips away at self-esteem and creates a relentless chain of negative thoughts.  Added to this internal dialogue, women are far more likely to chat with friends about the body parts they hate than the ones they love.  So what do we need to do differently?

1. Get Real

Is your body healthy?  The simplest way to check this is to measure your waist.  Are you within the healthy range?  You can also check that your waist circumference isn’t greater than half of your height.

If you are technically overweight….

Stay calm and make a plan.  Plenty of movement everyday, structured exercise on most days and a wholesome, healthy diet will get you moving in the right direction.  If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you did Spring 2012.  So pop back into the members area and have another go at the training plans and recipes.  You might want to read a few recent blogs too, like this one about the voice in your head, or maybe this take on honesty.  Still not feeling confident that you can achieve what you need to?  Hire a professional.  Personal trainers, exercise physiologists, boot camps, nutritionists, dieticians, life coaches….. they’re all there to help people just like you.

If your measurement is healthy……

It’s time to work on your inner critic.  Silence the mean girl within and spend more time thinking about what you like than what you don’t.  But how?

2. Notice your thoughts. Then say stop!

Next time you catch yourself thinking negatively about your body, say stop!  Out loud.  As often as you need to.  Picture a giant stop sign to back up your voice.  This will help to break the pattern of criticism and question your thoughts.

3. Ditch the comparisons

We’ve been told not to compare ourselves to airbrushed models.  We also need to stop comparing ourselves to our friends, colleagues, sisters and anyone else on our radar.  They might be blessed with amazing genes.  Or they might be depriving themselves of the things that they enjoy every single day to look that way.  You’ll never know the whole story, so let the comparisons go.

4. Keep moving

Exercise is about more than keeping in shape (and boosting moods, as all Spring fans know).  Studies show that women feel better about their bodies when they exercise regularly, even if their bodies don’t change at all.

5. Focus on the big picture

Remember that you’re not a piece of art – you are capable of far more than being looked at and rated.  Legs are for walking, running, jumping.  Bellies are home to vital organs and temporary homes to babies.  Arms are for writing, eating, hugging and more.

Body image has always been close to my heart.  I grew up seeing Mum force-fed meal replacements in hospital, trying to avoid the weight gain doctors insisted on.  She’d go to the gym at family meal times to avoid being around food.  She couldn’t enjoy birthdays, anniversaries or Christmas, because it always revolved around a meal.

This makes it easy for me to see that negative body image is a waste of time, sometimes even a waste of a life.  I wish that more females could see that the way we feel about our bodies is up to us, not anyone else.  It’s up to us to appreciate our bodies more and think about the way they look less.  It’s great to strive to be fitter, healthier, leaner and stronger.  It’s admirable to be in great shape and be a role model to others.  But it’s important to balance this out with the ability to relax and enjoy time spent with family and friends around the table.  To accept the body we have, because it’s the only place we have to live.

If you’re worried about yourself or someone else, contact The Butterfly Foundation or Beyond Blue.

 

Posted in Body image, Diet and fitness | Tagged , , , , , |

Will it still matter?

Posted on March 4, 2013

I believe in having fun.  I’m a fan of seizing opportunities when they present themselves.  If you read what comfort zone? you’ll see where I’m coming from – risks and challenges bring us to life.  As we get older and wiser, we’re more likely to regret the things we didn’t do, not the things that we did.

But you know what?  Sometimes I get stuck in my own head.  I lose perspective. I turn a little issue into a big issue.  I go over and over insignificant details.  I get worked up and anxious and frustrated.  I struggle to concentrate.  And I’m going to guess that a lot of you can relate to what I’m saying.

Which is why this weeks blog is about my Number 1 tip for coping with worries.  When you can’t get a problem off your mind, ask yourself:

Will it still matter a year from now?

Will you still care?  Will it still be keeping you awake at night?  Will you even remember whatever it is that you’re worrying about at the moment?  I can tell you, almost every time I ask myself this question, the answer is no.

I’m not talking about the big issues.  Divorce, death, a major diagnosis…. these are life-changing experiences and they will still matter, even in 20 years time.  So if your worry is a big one, share the load.  Surround yourself with people who can provide the emotional and the practical support that you need.  Let yourself ride out the highs and lows, it takes time.

But back to the little worries.  Those worries with an inflated sense of importance.  Put them back in their box.  Let your mind fast forward to this very day next year, and relax when you realise that it doesn’t matter at all.  Thinking ‘what if’ and ‘I wish’ is getting you nowhere.  Trying to figure out someone else’s motives is pointless.  So why not breathe deeply, and then get out of your head and do something fun?  It might feel forced at first, but keep on trying.  Go and do something that you will remember a year from now….. something so amazing that you’ll never want to forget it.

Posted in psychology, Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , |

What comfort zone?

Posted on February 11, 2013

“In this world you’re either growing or dying, so get in motion and grow.” – Lou Holtz

How often are you so nervous that the butterflies in your stomach make you feel sick?  So scared that you wonder if you’ve made the wrong decision?  So removed from the comfort of your everyday that you question your sanity?

Life happens when we step beyond our comfort zone.  It could be getting onto a plane to see somewhere new, even though you’re terrified of flying.  It could be asking for a promotion or a pay rise.  Or making a sales call.  It could be diving off the 10m platform, running your first marathon or simply pushing beyond your usual limits in a training session.

When I decided to blog about comfort zones this week, I was thinking about training.  About pushing yourself to higher intensities, to boost your fitness further and faster.  Then I got distracted (it happens often).  Taking risks and overcoming big fears is much more interesting.  And once you do something you never thought you could do, you’ll be so energised that you’ll train well no matter what.

Some of the biggest fears I’ve overcome are now a normal part of my life.  You’ve heard about my fear of ocean swims before.  I used to pull out of races in a panic.  I have the scars to show that one time I was so scared, I couldn’t focus on where I was going and swam into a rock (no waves, no currents, just blinded by fear).  I was scared to even go to swim squad.  But not now.  I swim in a squad every week and I’ve done a handful of the big ocean swim races.  And it still feels so good, every single time I cross that finish line.

It can be easier to live a little life.  To stick with what we know and keep challenges few and far between.  But since when was easy the best option?  Why not be a role model for your kids, an inspiration for your friends and a surprise to yourself?  Who knows what adventures you’ll find on the way.

Posted in Happiness, Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , |

Really?

Posted on January 23, 2013

A little honesty goes a long way when it comes to food & fitness

In fact, an honest approach is always the best approach.  Do you really train before work most mornings, or do you actually hit snooze 5 times, then head straight to work?  Do you really eat 5 serves of veges a day?  2 serves of fruit?  Or do you eat whatever is easiest?  Like most people who make resolutions, you’re probably hoping for a healthy, happy 2013.  That is why we’ve put together these 3 reality checks.

People often get stuck in the trap of saying ‘I always….’ or ‘I never…..’, when what they’re saying simply isn’t true.  Maybe they used to always run 5 times a week and never eat chocolate, but now that they have kids, a job and a million other demands on their time, they’re lucky to run twice a week.  Sound familiar?

Reality check #1: How often do you train?

It’s time to start a training diary.  It can be as brief or as detailed as you like.  The most important things to note are:

  • Which days you train
  • What type of training you do
  • How long you train for

You’ll need to track your training for about 3 weeks, so that you can see patterns.  Are you training too little? Or too much?  Do you train hard Monday-Thursday, then give up for a few days?  I started keep a training diary last October.  I thought I’d do it for a few weeks, but I’m hooked.  I love seeing what I’ve done written down on paper, tracking how far I swim in a week now compared to last year.  And if I think about swapping training for a sleep-in, I remind myself that the numbers will tell.

Reality check #2: what are you putting into your body?

Like #1, it’s up to you how much detail you put into this.  If you’re aiming to lose a considerable amount of weight, it makes sense to log what you eat, at what time, and portion sizes.  If you’re happy the way you are, simply keep track of…..

The good:

  • How much water you drink each day
  • How many serves of fruit & veges you eat
  • Wether your main meal is red meat, white meat, seafood or vegetarian

And the bad:

  • Serves of alcohol
  • Number of treats
  • Any meals that you skip

Personally, I’m not a big fan of tracking what I eat.  With eating disorders in the family, I prefer to avoid the numbers game.  BUT…. I always ask clients to submit a food diary when they start training, because I know that it works.  Bad habits can slip through unnoticed if people don’t see them in print.  Come to think of it, good habits can go unnoticed and unappreciated too.

Reality check #3: Does that really stop you?

People are pretty good at finding reasons not to exercise or eat well.  So grab a piece of paper and write down every single thing that gets in your way and stops you from eating and exercising the way that you want to.  My work days are too long, I get a sore back, the kids need me, good food costs too much, there’s no time, there’s no time, there’s no time…..

I think you can guess what’s coming next.  Find a way around each of your excuses.  Incorporate exercise into your commute, do exercises that help your back, the kids need a healthy role model, order a seasonal vege box, make time for your health.  No matter what your reasons are not to exercise and eat well, there is a more compelling reason to make it work.  Quality of Life.  For a longer, happier, healthier, more energetic and enjoyable life, we need to take care of our bodies.  And if that all sounds too hard?  Read our previous blog on putting the fun back into fitness.  Good luck!

Posted in Diet and fitness, Healthy habits | Tagged , , , , , |