Keeping people safe at work is a hugely important thing to do. This is true whether you are a business leader, a team leader, or you’re just concerned about your colleagues’ wellbeing and safety. This has been highlighted a lot in the past year as we have all seen one specific kind of health problem which can arise from a normal workplace. But if you are keen to try and keep the people at your workplace as safe as possible, there are a lot of things you can think about to make that happen. Let’s take a look now at some of the most important of these that you might want to focus on.

Get Medical Assessments

If you’re in a position to make this happen, you should consider trying to get everyone to have a medical assessment carried out before they start work and on a regular basis thereafter. This gives an overview of a person’s health, as well as making it clear what kind of risks there are in the workplace as a whole. Such a medical assessment can therefore be one of the most important tools in trying to keep everyone safe, so it is absolutely something that you should think about using in your workplace if you can. In many kinds of workplace, it could even be considered an essential process to follow.

Have An Effective Safety Policy

It’s amazing what a difference it can make just to have the right safety policy in place. This is something that a lot of people need to think about too in order to have their workplaces be as safe as possible. Good safety policies are informed by risk assessments, so you should carry these out first if you can. Then you can work out what kinds of practices people should be taking on board in order to be as safe as possible in the workplace. This policy needs to be taught back to people, and kept on display somewhere prominent, to help make it a deep part of the working culture. That is going to make a huge difference to how people behave, and will make everything much safer in no time.

Reduce Stress

Everyone has the potential to get stressed at work, but this is actually one of the worst things to happen for people’s health. If you’re keen to try and ensure that the people in your workplace are healthy and safe, you need to reduce the general stress levels wherever possible. There are many approaches you can take here, from removing some of the burden of overworking to allowing plenty of break time, but however you do it, just make sure that you are doing all you can to keep stress at bay in yourself and other people. That will make all the difference in the world.

If you can do these things, you are going to find that keeping people safe at your workplace is much easier and more successful for everyone involved.

As the coronavirus pandemic shows little sign of abating just yet, it can be challenging to see how we can stay active. When the initial wave of Covid panic struck, people knuckled down and stayed at home. As further lockdowns have been put into place, more people are finding themselves staring at their four walls. Gyms are no longer open. It’s trickier than ever to find the time to yourself to head off on a jog. And you can’t partake in a spin class. Your exercise regime may have gone bye-bye and you are worrying about your weight, your muscle tone, and your stamina. Follow this guide and consider how you can stay active during a global pandemic.

Use Your Garden

If the weather is pleasant, the sun is out, and the balmy air is conducive to some outdoor exercise, don’t stay indoors. The allure of the latest Netflix box set might be real but it is crucial that you find the motivation to get outdoors. You could use your garden to set up some circuits. While you might not have gym standard equipment, some rope arm exercises alongside some weights, squats, a yoga mat, and a skipping rope could help you to complete a HIIT circuit. Alternatively, if your garden is large enough, you and your little brood could set up a fun obstacle course or you might fancy doing a mock running bleep test!

Get To The Park

Many people are struggling to get their exercise fix during the global pandemic. If you are missing the gym, think about getting in touch with a personal trainer. While you won’t be able to use gym facilities, personal trainers have shifted their business model so they are meeting people in parks. They will still consider your fitness goals and work out a plan to help you achieve your aims. You might want to lose three inches from your waist. You might want to train for a marathon. Or you might want to become a bodybuilder. A personal trainer can help you. They will have all of the equipment you need and you could spend a couple of hours a week with them. They will be Covid secure and help you train in a safe way. This can give you something to look forward to and this can be one of the many simple ways to do more exercise during the current international health crisis.

Time With The Family

If you have offspring, the chances are that they are active little human beings. Get more involved and spend time with them. Consider making the sot of what you can do when following the Covid rules and get driving to some places of interest. Do a family hike in a national park, head to the coast for an active day at the beach or have a barbecue and a picnic with some games in the park. Spending quality time with the family is one benefit of the coronavirus crisis so make the most of it and as active as possible with your brood.

Staying active can be tough during a pandemic. However, follow this guide and you can still get your gym bunny kicks.

Have you recently found yourself struggling with a pain that just won’t go away? You might be worried that this is going to become a constant issue in your life. Or worse. Maybe you feel it is a sign of something more serious. It’s important to understand that these days, chronic pain is quite common. Indeed, 40 million people in the USA alone are believed to suffer from some form of chronic pain. That being said, let’s look at some ideas on how to handle it.

Speak To A Doctor

Your first step should always be to speak to a doctor. This is important if you don’t have any idea what might be causing your chronic pain. It’s always best to get it checked out and make sure that there aren’t any more worrying concerns lurking beneath the surface. For instance, if you have pain in your stomach that won’t go away, this can be a symptom of a variety of different medical conditions. 

Move Around More

Do note that chronic pain can be caused by not moving around enough. Research does suggest that if you don’t live a particularly active lifestyle, then you may develop pain in parts of your body. This is just a sign that you’re not using your muscles and joints enough. They grow stiff and this can lead to further problems such as inflammation. One of the ways to handle this will be by starting an exercise routine. This doesn’t need to be massively strenuous. It can be something simple like a few pushups and situps each morning. 

Address The Physical Cause 

You might find that there is a physical cause for your chronic pain. Usually, this will be related to inflammation. If that’s the case, then you might want to explore physical treatment options. Research shows that chiropractic treatment from companies like Unwind Health can provide a tremendous level of relief for those who are suffering from chronic pain in places like their back. If you are worried about issues with back pain, then it might be worth thinking about speaking to one of these professionals. 

You might also want to consider exploring medicine to treat your chronic pain. Be aware that you don’t have to use typical medicine. Instead, you could explore herbal solutions such as THC. Again, this is effective when treating chronic pain. 

Make Lifestyle Changes

Finally, you might find that your chronic pain is tied to elements of your lifestyle that you need to change. For instance, it’s possible that you spend too long typing at your desk without breaks during work. If that’s the case, then you might want to think about investing in some ergonomic furniture to offer relief. 

We hope this helps you understand everything you need to know when you are trying to deal with your chronic pain the right way. If you take the key steps here, you can make sure that it doesn’t become a constant burden in your life. 

There’s no such thing as being too safe when it comes to your health. You should always be making sure you do the best you can for yourself. While it’s not likely, illnesses and sickness can pop up in everyday life. You never know what you’ve been exposed to. This doesn’t mean you should be overly cautious with the activities you do. But there are things to consider throughout your business, like how you handle germs, keep your hygiene, and interact with others.

Symptoms

A lot of the time, it’s easier to ignore weird or unusual feelings and pass them off as a one-off thing. But sometimes you should show them some concern, and keep a close eye on them. What might seem like a simple ache or pain, could develop into something more and worse. Something that you could have avoided if you had checked. That’s not to say you should go to the doctor over every concern, but paying attention to your body and possible symptoms is important.

Who to go to

Well, if you’re looking to get the best treatment, you should seek out a specialist. That means going to an ENT if you’re experiencing problems with your hearing or sinuses. Or a different specialist who’s trained in your symptoms. If you’re unsure of who to see, maybe seeing your GP first to get referred elsewhere is the best option for you.

It’s generally recommended not to diagnose yourself, as symptoms can be caused by a broad range of things. You may be having aches from poor sleep, and a quick self-diagnosis will tell you that your organs are failing. You should leave the diagnosis to a professional.

Look out for yourself

Even if you’re not currently at risk of falling ill, that doesn’t mean you should be careless with your health. You should be doing your best to keep yourself healthy and keep the risks as low as possible. 

First of all, getting the right amount of sleep is vital for your mental and physical health. Missing out on sleep lowers your immune system. It can also hinder the way that you think and make decisions. This can make you more susceptible to stress.

Secondly, you should drink enough water throughout the day. While water isn’t going to stop you from getting sick, it’s going to benefit your physical health. This will help keep your internal organs healthy. 

Lastly, taking care of your hygiene can make all the difference. Frequently washing your hands, and making sure to avoid situations where you feel like germs can spread.

Looking out for your health is important, especially today where looking out for yourself means looking out for those around you. Getting sick means putting those close to you at risk of getting sick also. So if you’re not doing it for yourself, do it for others.

I learned 3 life lessons from the dojo that have left an indelible mark on my life.

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When I was in my late 20s, the last thing I ever imagined I do is walk through the doors of a dojo and sign on the dotted line to become a karate student. But destiny called me towards those doors and into a place I’d soon come to call my second home. I use the word destiny loosely here because I’m not sure how many people might refer to a close call with a criminal and an alleyway a call to destiny. But I needed confidence and skills, and the dojo appeared when I needed it to appear. To me, that’s the definition of destiny.

My Journey to these Life Lessons

After committing to be a student, I stepped onto the sacred mats of that brightly colored dojo. I sported my new key in my new white belt, carrying both hope and trepidation for what would come.

Mentors

Mentors come in all forms. Mine just happened to come wearing a fifth degree black belt and a can-do attitude. His posture told me everything was going to be okay. No criminal was ever going to get the best of me again, if I could help it. And I believe my mentor would say the same thing still, to this day.

Here’s the thing about embracing the lessons of a mentor. They can teach us things quicker than we could ever learn them on our own. Because they’ve lived it. They have their finger on the pulse of certain aspects of life. And it’s our jobs as mentees to seek out that which they are willing to share. It’s been my experience that a mentor shows up when the student is ready. Well, I showed up that may afternoon, ready to learn what he was willing to share.

Life Lessons I Learned

Over the course of three years, and a rainbow of colors to add to my belt collection, my mentor sensei Carlos taught me three very important life lessons. I carry them with me to this day, some 20 years later. And I’m able to still carry them because I was open and eager to soak up his knowledge. He was living his life the way I wanted to. He lived with a healthy respect for self control. Everything about his great attitude reminded me how self control can serve us when we find ourselves in perilous situations.

The 1st of Life Lessons from the Dojo

First case in point was the day he taught me that practice doesn’t make perfect because we all need correction. Accepting that we are all in a state of learning and growth means we’re open to adapting. We adapt based on new knowledge we gain as we open to criticism. This concept has helped me throughout my career as a novelist and in my Toastmaster’s International Leadership and Communication journey.

The 2nd of Life Lessons from the Dojo

Second case in point was the day he taught me that relaxation is powerful. Before I met him, I went through life like I was one step away from an anxiety attack. He taught me how to sit still with myself. To use only my breath to root me to that moment at hand. To this day, whenever I feel pressured about life, I stop everything and find a safe place. I close my eyes and breathe. I’ve done this before meetings at work. I breathe before being interviewed. And I breathe like this before logging into my bi-weekly Toastmaster meetings when I have a speech to give.

The 3rd of Life Lessons from the Dojo

Third case in point was the day he reminded me that we’re never too old to start something new. When I took karate, I learned alongside men and women who are grandparents. And I learned along with those who just graduated from high school. Age was not relevant when one entered that sacred dojo. This life lesson he taught me rings especially close to home for me these days. You see, I just started a rigorous graduate program at 51 years of age. It’s been over 25 years since I’ve been to college as a student.

When I first thought about enrolling, I heard his voice in my head. His voice encouraged me to remember that I could be 90 years of age and still enroll in graduate school. It’s important to keep doing new things, and gaining new experiences, especially as we age. It keeps us flexible and dynamic. You can be 100 or 18, and still have incredibly valuable insights to share and gain. Age has very little to do with anything in life when it comes to learning.

I’ll forever be thankful to my mentor sensei Carlos for teaching me these three important life lessons. I’ll never again take for granted valuable criticism, the art of breathing, or my ability to learn new things. No matter how old I am! 

What about you?

What life lessons have you learned that still shape and guide you to this day?

Ever wonder what it would take to live your best life? To wake up in the morning and be excited to face the new day ahead?

Life coach extraordinaire, Natalie Miller-Snell, of NMS Coaching, came onto my podcast, CurvesWelcome, and shared her top tips for how you can get started living your best life. No matter what your new journey entails, you can live the life you deserve to live.

Listen on Curves Welcome Podcast Channel. 

Tips to Live Your Best Life

Understand Your Why.

When you know why you’re doing something, the motivation to continue doing it continues to build. When you feel lost, that why will help guide you back to that point where clarity of purpose exists.

Connect with People.

In today’s world, we’re more isolated. Many of us have lost that connection with folks. We have to find ways to reconnect because we’re a tribal species at heart. And, to move this point even further forward, connect with people who lift and encourage you. Seek people who are on the path or the direction that you want to go and learn from them.

Learn at every opportunity.

Look at the world as a classroom willing to teach you everything you want to know as long as you open your eyes to it.

Be Open and Flexible to Change to live your best life.

2020 has thrown so many curveballs. We’ve had to adapt and change to them. And this openness to bend with the curves will help keep us supple and able to deal with blows. We’ve all experienced massive changes this past year, and those who are coping well are the ones looking for the bright light behind the clouds. Every curve offers a lesson to get us to higher ground. But you’ve got to seek it.

Embrace the lessons in the highs and lows.

Life is full of highs and lows. There are lessons to be learned in both. When dealing with a low, it may feel like it’s never going to end. But realize this, everything is temporary in life. If you can get to a place where you can embrace the lessons that the highs and lows offer, you’ll find your way to middle ground, eventually. And once there, you’ll be able to glance around and realize how much you appreciate it. But without the highs and lows, you’d never fully appreciate the beauty in those rest stops along the way. If you stand on a hill for your whole life, you’re never going to appreciate the beauty that the valleys offer. The real power is, regardless where you find yourself, you need to seek the beauty of the lessons. It seldom comes to you unless you seek it.