10:20am Wednesday 16th December 2009
By Wellbeing At Work
This week as I sat in the dentist's waiting room pondering on how many Christmas presents I needed to purchase and how much more cash I had to divorce - but with a feeling of pride about my regular flossing habits - when something caught my eye. A glossy health magazine had been left in full view on a wall rack blazoned with a headline about tackling stress at work. Naturally I rushed forward to retrieve this attractive volume before anyone else could get their paws on it ! Then realizing that infact I was the only person left in the room I grabbed the mag along with another about world travel and sunny beaches. To be totally truthful for the 10 minute wait I mostly flipped through the Travel magazine looking at the editor's recommendations of Cuba or Egypt,or a city break in St.Petersburg but eventually I got a brief look at the stress article.
In a nutshell (sorry for readers with an allergy) it advised folk to consume less caffeine and sugary food at work which it said fuelled stress, take regular short breaks away from the desk and make sure your laptop was at the right angle - and you taking the correct posture. This is backed up with regular exercise and plenty of out of work hobbies to take your mind off the riggers of office life. Great article, I thought. Respecting the author's wishes I chucked the health magazine to one side and carried on reading about Goa and South Africa. Stress levels remained low until my name was called, and I was introduced to a new dentist who welcomed me with that metal hook instrument they prod your teeth and wrench out the plaque with. Still, the dental hygienist improved my smile and I left the scene having pleasing thoughts about faraway places.
The lesson from all this ? Enjoy the festive season, watch what you drink and eat,be aware of your TV watching posture and book that holiday in Frinton-on-Sea !
From David Latham (Swindon Mindful Employer Network) and Adrian Embling RF WorkLife and everyone at Richmond Fellowship Wiltshire - have a wonderful yuletide and peaceful 2010.
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