Connecting With Others

I’m presently reading “Anywhere” a book probing the fact that soon anybody and anything,anywhere in the world, can be connected through a variety of wire-less media. The potential is beyond our comprehension.

It’s exciting, challenging, and not a little scary, just thinking about it. We all crave connection with others. While we may be an island unto ourselves, that island can be a very lonely place.

But systems are just that – systems. It’s all a matter of staying in control. Only you can decide what you enjoy and what makes you feel good about yourself. Sharing mutual interests with others can deepen that sense of enjoyment. Systems give you choice options to help you find the right people.

But the right to choose remains your most powerful weapon, one you should never surrender, least of all to a system.

The work ethic has a lot to answer for

The work ethic has a lot to answer for, not because work is so important, but because it has for generations demeaned the value of interests outside of work. We were taught to believe that business solutions can only be found in the workplace. We are now beginning to recognize that life outside of work has a major impact on work productivity, job satisfaction and workforce stability.

I have developed a structured approach that facilitates business managers and their teams doing a review of their lifestyle at work, home and play. Various business people who have done my workshop say it not only helped them establish adjustments they want to make to their lifestyle, they also got important workplace benefits from the process.

The business benefits they mention are summarised at http://www.workleisure.com/BusinessBenefits.html . Their points are practical and potentially extremely beneficial for any manager who wants to attract, keep and more closely engage with team members and staff generally.

It's worth a read. And if you are interested in what I do, my next workshop is in Adelaide on 14 April. For full details, go to http://www.workleisure.com/Workshop.html

Your Emotional Energy is Your Responsibility

The only person who can manage your emotional and mental energy is you.
Only you can manage your stress (most stress is self-imposed anyway).
Only you can manage your resilience.
Only you can manage your mix of work and personal life energies.
Others may influence your thinking but you are totally in charge of how you respond.

These core principles underly my forthcoming Lifestyle Review workshop, Thursday 4th March 2010, 9 30 am – 1.30 pm Norths Rugby Leagues Club, 12 Abbott Street Cammeray NSW
And also in Adelaide: Wednesday 14 April, 9am- 1pm at the Education Development Centre Milner Street Hindmarsh

Go to www.workleisure.com/Workshop.html for full details and a registration form.

I provide a positive, thought-provoking small-group environment in which you focus entirely on your strengths, talents and potential and come to your own unique personal decisions.

When you lose yourself in an interest you love, you find yourself.Only you know how to enjoy yourself. My expertise is in helping you re/discover the Enjoyment Factors that drive your life’s energy.

I can’t give you the energy you need right now, but I can teach you how to find your own energy anytime you need it.

Acknowledge you are responsible for all of your life choices. Choose this workshop to re-evaluate your natural-born talents, skills and the passions that drive and sustain your long-term potential for true life success.

But you must act now! Max 12 places and there’s only a few places left!

I look forward to having you share in what is always a supportive, friendly session.
(A frequent compliment I get is “Peter is a really good listener”!)

Lifestyle Reality Check Workshop

The date of my workshop (see three items earlier than this one) in Sydney has been put back one day to Thursday 4 March. For people in Sydney this is a wonderful opportunity to do what some of my clients call a "lifestyle reality check". In other words it's a great opportunity to simply drop out for half a day and enjoy doing a self-check lifestyle audit under enjoyably relaxing structured conditions.

For more details go to http://www.workleisure.com/Workshop.html

I am also researching the idea of offering the workshop online. If this interests you, let me know at peter@workleisure.com (no obligation).

Enjoy Doing Nothing

We all look forward to doing nothing over the coming holidays. Lazing around and taking it easy will soon be all the go. It’s the time of year when we respect, value and enjoy doing nothing, to refresh and refuel our mental energy.

Why then does ‘doing nothing’ get such bad press for the rest of the year? – “time-wasting, irresponsible, slacking off, non-achieving and counter-productive”? If a car was refueled once a year, it would be
useless for most of the year. People’s mental energy needs are far more complex.

For most of us ‘doing nothing’ actually means doing something we love, simply because we enjoy it. You will have in mind all sorts of enjoyable interests to pursue during your holidays. Such interests are vital throughout the year if we want to sustain our mental energy.

Make sure you enjoy ‘doing nothing’ in the coming weeks. But remember, over the rest of the year you will always do something better if sometimes you do nothing.

Wishing you a mentally-relaxing holiday season and the sustained energy to thrive in 2010,

This message may be freely distributed through your network

Stress Statistics Occupational Health

I recently came across this article. If it interests you, go to my website page at http://www.workleisure.com/corporate/stressManagement.html to consider my approach to helping companies resolve this sort of issue.

Staying@Work Report

The 2009/2010 Staying@Work report found that despite the recession, while many companies have not slashed employee health and productivity programs, they have not dealt specifically with those aforementioned stress factors. Here's a snapshot of employers who were surveyed.

• 78% of employers said excessive work hours was a leading stress monger, but just 21% say they are addressing it.

• 68% of employers cited lack of work/life balance as stress producer, but only 38% say they are taking action to combat it.

• 67% of employers said employees' fear of job loss lead to an uptick in stress, but only 41% of employers say they are taking steps to deal with that concern.

“Not only are stressed workers less productive, they are also likely to incur higher health costs for themselves and their employer,” said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health. “Companies most effective at mitigating the impact of stress are moving in the right direction — helping employees become more efficient while working to lower benefit costs and strengthen balance sheets.”

A Closer Psychological Look

The American Psychological Association's newest 2009 Stress in America Survey found that while 7 in 10 Americans were suffering with stress due to money, 69% of respondents reported stress resulting from work. Riding into the holidays, that stress takes on a new high. "According to our survey three quarters of adults in this country already report moderate to high levels of stress," says psychologist Katherine Nordal, PhD, APA's executive director for professional practice. "The holiday season can bring with it additional emotional and financial stressors that can negatively impact both physical and mental health."

The Long Term Global Perspective

The same workplace stress story is echoed throughout the world. Nearly six in 10 workers in key global economies experienced a rise in workplace stress over the last two years, according to a global survey by Australian workplace consultant firm, The Regus Group. It's Regus Business Tracker survey 11,000 people in 13 countries about their workplace experience during the recession.

The most significant stress hike was reported in China, where 86% reported an uptick. The lowest increase in stress was felt in the Netherlands and Germany, with 47% and 48% respectively reporting a rise.

Wrong Way! Go Forward

For many of us, our stress stems from having made work and life choices that now don’t suit

our constantly changing lives. You might see a sign along your life's road saying:

Wrong Way! Go Forward

You can't go back on past life choices. You can only stay where you are, or go forward and find

a different focus, one that allows the real you to follow your passions.

How well does your current lifestyle reflect your true inner feelings and passions?

Enjoy doing your own positive re-assessment, focusing on the passions that bring your life alive,

at my next -

Lifestyle Review workshop

9.00 am – 1.00 pm Wedneday 3 March 2010

North Sydney Leagues Club, 12 Abbott Street Cammeray NSW

"A fantastic workshop! Peter, your work is really important and you're very easy to work with" L Martin June 2009

Further information is available at http://www.workleisure.com/Workshop.html