Month: November 2022 Page 1 of 2

“Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account.” Anne Wilson Schaef.

As I mentioned in the blog a few weeks ago, good health is the real wealth in life. If we aren’t fit and well, it’s not easy to experience and appreciate all that life has to offer.

Therefore, self-care has to be a priority for us all. It’s important that we set sufficient time aside to look after ourselves, stay in top condition and avoid burn-out. As Mother Teresa said “To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.”

I always think that when it comes to self-care, we can learn from the safety announcement they make on planes at the start of flights. In such circumstances, the flight attendants always tell us that in the event of an emergency to put our oxygen mask on first because without oxygen or energy we won’t be in a position to help anyone else. I believe this is a great metaphor for life.

Many high performers have high standards and expectations, push themselves very hard and towards burn-out. In such circumstances it’s important that they establish some new healthy habits and behaviours as a way to avoid burn-out. Life balance is so vital to stay healthy and to sustain high levels of performance.

As well as establishing habits focused on healthy living, we also need to establish strong boundaries, be comfortable saying no and asking for help when we need to.

Periodically, we have to apply our own oxygen mask and put ourselves first so that we can be the best we can be and have good energy levels in order to help others.

Many people put others needs in front of their own, as they feel it self-indulgent to put themselves first. They feel to do so is selfish and makes them feel guilty.

It’s important that we all put some time aside and adopt some habits to take care of ourselves. This is particularly important if you work in an office environment or spend lots of time in front of a computer.

A study published in The Lancet said workers who sit at a desk all day must exercise for one hour a day to combat the deadly risk of modern working lifestyles.

Research by scientists at Cambridge University, on more than one million adults found that sitting for at least eight hours a day can increase the risk of premature death by up to 60 per cent. Scientists said sedentary lifestyles were now posing as great a threat to public health as smoking and were causing more deaths than obesity.

They urged anyone spending hours at their desk to change their daily routine to take a five-minute break every hour, as well as exercising at lunchtimes and in the evenings. They said that an hour of brisk walking or cycling spread over a day is enough to combat the dangers of eight hours sitting at a desk in the office or at home.

Another important element of self-care is to seek to avoid negative people and environments that drag you down. As part of this strategy, ensure that you spend time with people who radiate energy and help increase your energy levels and not deplete them!

This week why not take some time and consider if you need to practice greater self-care or take some action to increase your energy levels.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

 “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead.

It was my birthday last week and I took the opportunity to pause for a while and reflect on the past year. I concluded that much in the world has changed over the past 12 months.

Personally, I had to cope with personal loss, following the sudden death of my mother, shortly after my birthday last year and so soon after I lost my father. It has taken time to adjust, adapt and come to terms with and forces you to evaluate so much in life. You realise that good health is the real wealth in life, and you deeply appreciate someone’s value when they are no longer here.

The world has changed a great deal since last November. We have seen inflation hit double figures in the UK, we have seen much political change and turmoil, fuel and energy prices have soared and sadly Russia invaded Ukraine, and this has caused many deaths, destruction, anxiety, and uncertainty.

During last week, I listened to Michael Jackson’s song “Heal the World.” Some of the lyrics that I have detailed below seem like a great antidote for the current mood and energy of the world.

“Heal the world make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. There are people dying if you care enough for the living, make it a better place, for you and for me.”

These lyrics helped to inspire me when writing this piece and build on the theme of last week’s blog about making a difference.

I genuinely believe that we can all play a part in making the world a better place. Although things like inflation, political turmoil and war is outside our control, there are things that we can control and influence. These are the areas where we can place our attention.

Every day we have a choice about where we put our focus and energy. It is within our gift to choose how and where we can make a positive difference in the world. We can all take small actions and collectively create a positive ripple to counter the negativity, fear, and nastiness that is prevalent in the world.

Detailed below are some thoughts about where we can all have influence and help the world to be a better place. We can: –

• Choose to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have in life rather than focus on what we lack.
• Do things to make our part of the world and our environments more pleasant.
• Be compassionate to our fellow human beings. Keep in mind that greater compassion creates better relationships and inspires others to follow this approach.
• Carefully consider the impact on others of our actions and decisions before we speak or act. Ensure that our language and words are always temperate.
• Be less judgemental and have greater empathy for people suffering challenges and hardship.
• Be present and give people our full attention. This includes listening more than we talk. This will help people we interact with feel heard, valued, and important. This can include spending less time on technology in the virtual world and more time in the real world.
• Be kind and nice to people. Look at what is positive about others. We can ensure we are encouraging and supportive of other’s endeavours and happy for their success and achievements.
• Give credit where credit is due. Recognise people’s value and contributions and express gratitude for the positive impact they have on our life.

A final suggestion. We can regularly perform small random acts of kindness. This can be simple things like letting someone go in front of us in a queue, holding a door open, offering a compliment, giving an unexpected gift, or even making someone a cup of tea or coffee!

This week, why not reflect for a few moments and consider what actions you can take to help make your part of the world a better place. Are there are other people you can encourage to do the same?

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Sir Winston Churchill.

Whilst at the supermarket last week, I had a short conversation with a stranger. During our brief chat, she said that she felt that the world just wasn’t normal anymore, that there were lots of problems and it was full of uncertainty. I think that she summed up how many people are feeling at the present time.

This year, Europe has seen war break out on its land for the first time in almost 80 years with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has caused much human suffering and loss. It has caused much death and destruction. Many people have had to flee their homes and leave their possessions and in some cases family behind. They have had to seek refuge in other countries. It’s sad to see this happening.

Here in the UK, we have much political turmoil, economic challenges and huge increases to mortgages and energy prices and this is causing much anxiety for many people.

All of this has got me thinking about small steps we can all take to help others and improve our environments.

So, with the above in mind and building on last week’s theme of kindness, this week’s blog post is short and simple. It features one of my favourite little stories which I hope you enjoy reading.

The Starfish Story

Original Story by: Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.

The surf is up and the tide is going out.  If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said…

“I made a difference for that one.”

This week, why not pause for a few moments and consider what small steps you can take to make a positive difference to the world or someone’s life.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk