WellBeing World Autumn/Winter 2019

Channel Islands Edition ISSN 2516-3426

No.22

September/October/November/December 2019 Happy | Healthy | Inspired

10%

s roceed sales p n to of the io edit of this ated to be don Jersey es Diabet

FEATURING

Creating a Healthy Workplace Culture 12 Things Innovative Leaders Do Differently to Get Exceptional Results Your Curiosity is Your Superpower Shifting Perspectives for a Sustainable World for All

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

7 Reasons to Get Out of Our Comfort Zone An Alternative Approach to Help You Achieve Your Goals Discover Your Life Purpose: From a Different Angle The Importance of Challenging Our Habits as We Age … and much more to inspire, relax and make you FEEL GOOD!

£3.99

A season of permanence and change …

WELCOME

Welcome

WORDS: Beverley Le Cuirot, Founder and Editor

Welcome to our ‘Curiosity and Doing Things Differently’ edition.

The above quote is a variation on Patrick Overton’s original where he said that once you step into the unknown, one of two things will happen; that there will be something solid for you to stand on or you will be taught to fly. This is so very true. We need to trust and to have endless curiosity.

As child we learn to do things in a certain way, we learn to follow rules, and do things teachers taught us because that´s the way it is. In order to open creativity we have to start by ourselves and do at least one thing different every day. Doing things differently leads to exceptional things.

This year, we have focused on two key events, the Leaders in WellBeing Summit & Awards and World WellBeing Week, both a first for WellBeing World, following a long time in the planning. They say that for real success you need to do the groundwork and then let go of the outcome, and have trust. This was certainly the case with these events. And the results were the best ever.

From the support of the Leaders in WellBeing sponsors, HSBC, Rossborough Healthcare, Rossborough Financial, and The Insight Group, to the amazing international and UK speakers, the outstanding nominations received, and the full house at the Summit & Awards, we could not have asked for more. We have tried to capture some of the magic in this edition, and I am sure the ripples will be evident throughout many more to follow. Thank you all.

And World WellBeing Week … what can I say, the response was huge! From the NHS, MIND, SANE, Visit Wales, North West Ambulance Service, the Chartered Management Institute, HR Zone, the NI Chamber of Commerce, Virgin Atlantic, Cambridge University, Thrive LDN, Health Trust Europe, Forestry England, Happiful magazine, and many more all using the #worldwellbeingweek hashtag … and the messages, emails and calls we received from individuals, employers and charities all over the world. It was such an honour to stand in the maelstrom of all this activity. We cannot wait to see what unfolds in 2020.

The same can also be said for this edition. It has been an absolutely joy to publish, what a theme to get everyone inspired. I say it every time but feedback so far suggests this really IS our best yet! I hope you agree.

Beverley beverley@wellbeingworld.je

If you would like to buy yourself, a friend, colleague or loved one a subscription to WellBeing World magazine, please visit: www.wellbeingworldmagazine.com Alternatively, please speak with your Employer and suggest to them that they join our Employer Scheme to purchase copies for your organisations – we’d be eternally grateful to you. Thank you.

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CONTENTS

Contents

Introducing our International Guest Contributors … And our Local Expert Contributors

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FEATURES – DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

You Can Change the World 10 7 Reasons to Get Out of Our Comfort Zone 12 Four Creative Strategies to Recharge an Ageing Brain 14

WHAT’S NEW Shifting Perspectives for a Sustainable World for All NHS Approved Mental Health App ‘Thrive’ Coming to the CI World WellBeing Week Celebrated Worldwide!

Have a Heart Launched During World WellBeing Week

LEADERS IN WELLBEING Leaders in WellBeing Summit & Awards – The Highlights Leaders in WellBeing Summit – What They Said Creating a Healthy Workplace Culture Feeling Valued: Doing Things Differently to Engage Your People The Loneliness of the Visionary Leader Curiosity Killed the Cat, but It Had a Damn Great Life!

WORK Overcoming Busyness – Our Cultural Addiction What a Way to Make a Living!

12 Things Innovative Leaders Do Differently Women’s Health in the Workplace Your Curiosity is Your Hidden Superpower

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CAREERS

The Changing Face of Recruitment 46 How Following Your Curiosities Will Help You Find Career Fulfilment 48

LIFE Teaching the Business World to Sing Discover Your Life Purpose: From a Different Angle Curiosity, Creativity and Coffee

BODY

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Why Do We Slouch? 5 Easy Tips for Practicing Better Posture

FITNESS

An Alternative Approach to Help You Achieve Your Goals 58 GearsnGloves – New on the Jersey Fitness Scene and a World First! 60

FOOD

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Gastronomic Adventures to Satisfy Your Curiosity Vegetable Variety is The Spice of Life

AGEING

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The Importance of Challenging Our Habits as We Age

HEALTH

Being a Curious Type 1 Diabetic and the Exciting New Life for Me 68 From Awkward Child to Neuro-Developmental Delay Practitioner 70 Curiosity through the Eyes of the Soul 72

MIND

74 76 78 82

Trying Something New for Your Mental Health Why Should We See Things Differently?

Looking Closely at Mental Health First Aid Meditation Goes Plural: The Rise and Rise of Sophrology

LOCAL NEWS

84 86

Triumphing Over Phobia Soulgenic App Secures Funding for International Expansion

BOOKS

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Book Review – Change/New Ways

WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY

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10% of the sales proceeds of this edition of WellBeing World will be donated to Diabetes Jersey. Diabetes Jersey works tirelessly to support people with diabetes, and to raise public awareness of the need for testing.

More info: www.diabetesjersey.com Thank You and Disclaimer: WellBeing World would like to thank all of our contributors, members and advertisers for making our magazine what it is; and to you, our readers, for your support. We aim to bring you properly researched information that enables you to make wise health decisions and which support your general health and wellbeing.

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Although every effort is made to ensure the veracity of published information, WellBeing World and its Directors and Publishers cannot be held responsible for the information contained herein or for the views and actions of individual contributors.

All contributors are qualified to practice in their own fields of expertise. If in doubt, please consult with a medical practitioner before acting on health information received.

CONTRIBUTORS

Introducing our International Guest Contributors: We are delighted to welcome so many distinguished authors, thinkers and inspirational experts from around the world.

Aidan Kearney Founder and Director, Malleable Mind Ltd

Dr Amina Aitsi-Selmi MD PhD Founder & MD, Next Generation Coaching & Consulting

Dr Andres Fonseca

Anjana Lala

Psychiatrist, Co-Founder & CEO, Thrive UK

Art of Happiness Institute, Johannesburg

Clare-Louise Knox

Emma Baylin

Harvey Deutschendorf

Jennifer McClure

Director and Organisational Psychologist, See Her Thrive

Founder of Shared Harmonies

Internationally published author of The Other Kind of Smart

CEO, Unbridled Talent & DisruptHR

Maria Tzegka Head of Growth and Wellbeing, Thrive UK

Psychologist and President, Appreciation at Work

Katrina Collier

Dr Justin Varney

MD,The Searchologist, and Author,The Robot-Proof Recruiter

Director of Public Health, Birmingham City Council

Rene Schneider

Sophie Clyde-Smith BSc

Stan Goldberg PhD

Thomas Duncan Bell

CEO at Sideshift

Founder, The Modern Career Coach, Certified Transformational Life Coach

Author, Speaker, Ageing and End-of-Life Expert

MD at The Kingsman | The Bipolar Businessman

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Dr Paul White

CONTRIBUTORS

...And our Local Expert Contributors:

Beth Moore

Beverley Le Cuirot

Clair Cousins

Claire de Gruchy

Jersey Recovery College Manager

Founder, Leaders in WellBeing

Managing Partner, The Resolution Centre

Founder, Shalbeck Life Centre

Dr Gavin Hendricks

Dr Glenda Rivoallan

James Thompson

Jasmine Khanani

Consultant Psychiatrist, Hill Street Clinic

Founder, Soulgenic

Milon Expert and Personal Coach, Healthhaus

Integrative Health Coach, Yoga and Meditation Teacher

Kim Davies

Lorna Jackson 1st BSc

Corporate Health & Wellbeing Manager, Rossborough Healthcare

(Hons) MBAcC AFN Founder, Health Point Clinic

Lucie Filipponi

Marion Gorrod

Co-owner, Les Hoรปmets Care Home

St Saviour Branch Manager, Waitrose & Partners

Paola Mitchell

Simon Miller

Simon Nash

General Manager and Personal Coach, Healthhaus

General Manager Jersey, Hand Picked Hotels

Co-Founder,The Insight Group, Jersey Good Business Charter, DisruptHR St Helier

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Valma Cameron (left) & Maureen de Jong The Art of Living, Channel Islands

FEATURES

YOU Can Change The World.

Yes, It’s Possible!

WORDS: Jennifer McClure CEO, Unbridled Talent LLC and DisruptHR LLC

I want to change the world!

Some days, I can get really excited about that statement, and be filled with enthusiasm – but the reality is, most days, I’m caught up in the day-to-day things that overrun my life, and I don’t even think about it. I’m just a regular person, who used to work in human resources, and who now speaks on stages, writes online, and wants to help people to build careers that they love, and lives that matter.

That may all be good stuff, but if I compare what I do to someone like Tony Robbins or Bill and Melinda Gates, I can’t help feeling like I’m barely making a ripple in the pond. But there-in lies the problem.

I don’t have to compete with anyone to make a difference in my work, or in someone’s life. I just need to recognise that I CHANGE THE WORLD EVERY DAY – in some way. And you do too.

The only question is whether we’re changing the world around us for better, or worse.

Recently, I listened to an interview with a young woman who had been rescued from sex slavery in India by 10

International Justice Mission (IJM) – an organisation that I believe in, and support financially. In the interview, she shared horrific details of what her life was like before brave and committed people physically and emotionally rescued her from the only life she’d ever known. At the end, she made a point to not only thank those who cared about her enough to risk their lives and invest in her personally, but also those who gave money to support those people, and the mission of IJM. She said: “Because of you, my life has been changed.”

I wept. So hard. And I still do when I think of that moment. Why? Because in that moment, I realised the power that each of us has – regardless of our platform or means – to make a positive and lasting impact on others in this world. We just need to take action.

For those that work for organizations like IJM, their opportunity to make a difference seems very clear. For you and me – who work in comfortable buildings in safe cities, where we hire and fire people, balance the books, craft strategic plans, or make widgets – it seems a bit fuzzier.

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But consider this. I heard a fantastic 5-minute talk this past week at the DisruptHR event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. One of the speakers shared about how growing up, his definition of success was becoming the man in the expensive business suit, working in a golden tower in a big city. After graduating from university, he went to work for a major financial organisation, and was making great progress on the path to his dreams.

He took some time off to volunteer for a mission trip, and when he returned, felt transformed. He shared with some of his colleagues how the amazing experience had caused him to rethink what he felt leadership was, and where he saw his path going in life.

After listening to his story, his boss looked at him and said: “If I walk out of my office in 3 weeks, and I see you at your desk, I’m going to ask you to leave. You’ve got better things to do in this world, and you need to go achieve those.”

Even though it felt like he was being fired for doing a good job, he took her advice, and left the company. After leaving that job, he spent some time working in a social services organisation, has founded three companies, and co-founded a Think Tank that facilitates a culture of creative entrepreneurship and “giving before you get”. It’s clear that in the time since his boss cared enough to push him out of the nest, he’s had a tremendous impact on the lives of others, and in his community – all before age 32.

Afterwards, several of us stayed to have a drink, debrief, and share ideas about how to change their city – and the world.

Everyone agreed it wasn’t going to be easy, but the young man who shared the story above reminded us that we all have the power to affect positive change. “The woman I mentioned in my talk tonight literally changed my life, because she saw something in me and believed in me.

I’d probably still be working for that big company selling credit cards if she hadn’t pushed me, and encouraged me to find new opportunities to reach my potential.”

Boom.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

We don’t need to get intimidated by how big, or complex it may be to change our community, our organisation, or our leadership in order to change the world.

We just need to focus on the impact that we can have in the life of one person.

"Somebody in your life needs your influence. Somebody needs you to invest in him or her in some way. And the only thing you may have in common is that neither of you know it yet."

What can you do to change the world?

YOU can change the world by encouraging just one person.

YOU can change the world by being a positive leader that others want to model.

YOU can change the world by listening when someone needs to be heard.

YOU can change the world by investing in something or someone you believe in.

YOU can change the world by overcoming a challenge, so others see it’s possible.

YOU can change the world by sharing your flaws, and being successful anyway.

YOU can change the world by believing you can, and looking for opportunities every day.

Somebody in your life needs your influence. Somebody needs you to invest in him or her in some way. And the only thing you may have in common is that neither of you know it yet.

I believe that you have the ability to do this. And I believe that my belief in you can make a difference. Now, get to it.

More info: www.jennifermcclure.net

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FEATURES

7 Reasons to Get Out of Our Comfort Zone WORDS: Harvey Deutschendorf Internationally published author of The Other Kind of Smart

We are all familiar with our comfort zones, those places that we know well and become comfortable to slip into and stay. It is natural for us to want to feel and stay within what we have become accustomed to and familiar with. The more time we spend there, the more difficult it will be to break free from that space.

Many people will spend their entire lives there, never seeking to venture outside to see what they could have or might be, capable of achieving. While it is tempting to spend our lives never venturing outside of our safe and

secure worlds', there is a cost for living our lives this way, a price that we end up paying. While staying inside of our bubble offers instant benefits, we end up sacrificing the potential for much better possibilities down the road.

Here are 7 reasons we need to get out of our comfort zone:

1. Never Knowing What Could Have Been

Those who never venture far will never know what might have been if they had taken risks and tried to do things beyond what they felt they could manage. Success involves taking risks and all successful people have taken risks, failed, picked themselves up and risked again until they figured it out. Going outside of their comfort zones became a lifestyle for many successful people and they continually do so in their quest for greater achievement.

2. Learning New Habits and Developing Inner Strength

We know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Yet that is exactly what some people are doing. Implementing something new, which makes us uncomfortable, will help us build our inner strength and allows us to continue to push our boundaries. Even if we fail, which often happens, we will have an experience, a learning tool which we can draw upon to help us in the future. Put together, these experiences will act as building blocks which culminate to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

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3. Builds Confidence

Confidence is not something we are born with; it is built by setting goals, achieving those goals and setting more goals to pursue. In order to develop confidence, we need to face our fears and then to step up and do something that we're not sure we can do. We all know the exhilarating feeling that comes with achieving something that we were not even sure we could do before. This feeling is a huge confidence accelerator and helps us realize that we are capable and able to do much more. The added goals we set and achieve, the further our confidence will soar.

4. Makes Us More Adaptable to Change

The increased time we stay inside of our comfort zones, the scarier new territory will appear to be. The accelerating rate of change in the world today will quickly leave those who fear change far behind. For people who are already pushing their comfort zone, change will not appear as frightening as they will welcome it as challenge that can open up possibilities for growth and opportunities that were not there before.

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5. Becomes a Blueprint for Success

If we study the lives of highly successful people, we will see that they tried and failed, sometimes many times before they finally reached the level of success that makes them so admired by the rest of us.

They would have never gone beyond the starting gate of their success journey had they not been willing to confront their fear and try something new. They learned from their failures and continued to go beyond their comfort levels, knowing that this was what it would take to get to where they want to go.

6. Will Support us to be More Creative

There is nothing worse for our creativity than never straying from the path of what is tried and true. The longer we are unwilling to entertain new thoughts, ideas and ways of going deeper, we slip into a rut that keeps us from taking on new challenges. By trying something new we stir up our creativity juices that will awaken our imagination and propel us to continue down the road of exploration and new adventures.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

7. Not Facing Regrets

While taking the safe and sure route is always very tempting, this inevitably results us paying a high price of regret down the road. In interviews with people who were at the end of their life and facing their death, invariably had regrets about what they wanted to do, but didn’t.

I have never heard of someone saying on their deathbed that they were comforted by the fact that they took the safe way out and didn’t take any risks. If life is about preparing for our death, as some people claim, avoiding regret is perhaps the most compelling reason that we need to move out of our comfort zone.

Harvey Deutschendorf is an emotional intelligence expert, internationally published author and speaker. To take the EI Quiz go to: www.theotherkindofsmart.com His book THE OTHER KIND OF SMART, Simple Ways to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence for Greater Personal Effectiveness and Success has been published in 4 languages. Harvey writes for FAST COMPANY and has a monthly column with HRPROFESSIONALS MAGAZINE. You can follow him on Twitter @theeiguy.

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FEATURES

Four Creativity Strategies to Recharge an Ageing Brain

Research shows engaging in creative activities allows you to stay in the moment while temporarily blocking out the daily grind of life.

WORDS: Stan Goldberg, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus San Francisco State University

When we think about “creativity,” images appear of artists, sculptors, writers, or composers labouring away at creating something unique and awe-inspiring. But what about the person who changes a few ingredients in a recipe? The thought process required for substituting basil for oregano in a sauce may be as beneficial as “brain games.”

The Research

Creativity is vital to thrive as we grow older and available to everyone from world-renowned musicians to grandmothers learning a new language. Neurological research has changed our understanding of creativity’s importance, especially as we age. It no longer should be considered as the province of luminaries, but rather a process accessible to everyone from gifted artisans to your boring uncle Ralph who watches TV for twelve hours a day. The cook in the above example did not just grab some basil when oregano was not available. She thought about the taste profiles of each ingredient and concluded that oregano can be substituted for basil. Not quite as profound as the decisions Michelangelo made in 14

determining the dimensions of his David statue, but both may have resulted in creating new neural connections. Michelangelo’s design of something unique in sculpture and the cook’s analysis of herb profiles may have more in common than you think.

to patients with dementia. It almost does not make much difference what activity is selected as long as it is creative. Learning a new language, crocheting or playing a musical instrument can be equally beneficial.

“Creativity” appears to be the mental equivalent of pull-ups at the gym.

What Creativity Does

How Much Creativity Do You Need?

Creative thinking involves making new connections between different regions of the brain – a process that improves memory and strengthens the ability to reason. Research shows creative acts can grow new neural connections, reduce depression and isolation, enhance cognitive skills, and increase emotional fulfillment. Quite a fantastic result for something so easy to do. The findings even apply

The answer is we don’t know, although the trite expression “more is better than less,” is a good maxim to follow. Sometimes a few simple modifications can introduce creativity into an event thought to be only entertaining. For example, when listening to jazz, I have two options: I can float along with the notes just enjoying the beauty of the performance or also attend to how

FEATURES

the musicians are changing chord patterns, modifying the tune, etc.

The first choice is entertaining. The second is creative.

what is essential is that you are activating the creative process.

cognitive ability or at least slow down its deterioration.

Strategies for Triggering the Creative Process

Engage in an Activity that Constantly Changes.

Every day I spend between two and three hours sculpting either wood or stone. With each chipping away of material, I need to decide where I will make the next cut, how much to take off, and how the amount will affect my overall design. Most art activities involve the same type of constant changes.

Don’t expect results tomorrow. Just as muscle strength takes time to develop after years of idleness, so does improved memory and better reasoning abilities. But you will immediately experience a delightful side benefit: engaging in creative activities allows you to stay in the moment temporarily blocking out the daily grind of life. Not bad for something so easy to do and beneficial for your brain and soul.

There are many well-known creative activities one can engage in, such as learning a new language, playing a musical instrument, writing a short story, painting a picture, diagnosing a car’s engine problem, or composing a poem, among many others. All are activities that involve learning. But many of the things you commonly do can be slightly modified to trigger the creative process. Here are four strategies you can use.

Begin a New Activity.

The best example is learning a new language. Everything is fresh: the

Article originally published by ThriveGlobal.com and printed here with the approval of the author.

Change one element in an activity.

Doing the same thing repeatedly may be comfortable, but it does not involve learning, and therefore, does not trigger the creative process that establishes new neural connections.

However, just changing one small feature will require you to learn something new. For example, every morning, I drive the same way to reach the park where I walk my dog. There is nothing creative about the routine. But what if I made a game of how I would get there? For example, each day, I could roll dice, and the number that came up would determine how many blocks I drove in the opposite direction before heading to the park. Although it may appear to be silly, the process of changing how I get to my arrival point involves creativity.

Add Something New to a Routine.

Instead of changing a routine, it might be easier just adding a new element. For example, when watching your favorite TV drama, pause it every ten or so minutes, and predict what will happen when you resume watching. Who will Olivia on Law and Order accuse for the murder? It makes little difference how correct your predictions are,

Creating a WORLD of Difference

meaning of words, the syntax, and pronunciation. You are constantly matching words in the new language with its English equivalents then coordinating it with the muscles required to speak it. A similar creative process occurs when you improvise a melody on an instrument, or compose a poem.

The End Products

The purpose of creative activities for brain health is not to produce a sellable or even a laudable product.

My sculptures are laughable compared to ones done by Rodin.

My musical compositions are only slightly better than the tunes hummed by my granddaughter.

And my modifications of tried-andtrue recipes often result in inedible dinners. Although it would be nice if people praised my creative efforts, that’s not why I do them. Each of these activities creates new neural connections that can preserve my

About the Author

Stan Goldberg, PhD, coaches individual and corporate clients in how to effect change more efficiently. He is also Professor Emeritus in Communicative Disorders at San Francisco State University.

He has authored six technical books in that field.

He is an experienced public speaker and has published articles, poems, and plays addressing end-of-life issues and his memoir, ‘Lessons for the Living’ was awarded the 2009 London Book Festival Grand Prize and is cited in Arianna's book ‘Thrive’ as one of 7 books anyone desiring personal growth should read.

His three-act play, Choices, won first place in the 2007 Festival of New Work at the Oxford International Institute for Documentary and Drama in Conflict Transformation.

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WHAT’S NEW

Shifting Perspectives for a Sustainable World for All INTERVIEW with Rene Schneider Founder of Sideshift

When we started to research for this edition, looking for different ways of doing things, we came across many inspirational individuals doing some great work all over the world, all curious as to how they could make that change.

Rene Schneider was one such individual.

He’d been working in the consumer goods industry, helping international retailers and suppliers to get new inspiration and provide a better service fit for the challenges of the future. The idea for his ‘social opportunity platform Sideshift’ came during a study tour he’d organised for the MSc in Sustainability Management at the American University, Washington, DC. We’ll let him take it from here…

Take a mix of Netflix and Facebook.

But with a purpose. Showing you solutions to create and balance wellbeing, success and sustainability in your life, community, organisation and for our planet. It’s about learning from each other and then applying these solutions yourself. The idea came during that study tour.

The idea was to give the students insights of why and how organisations are

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working sustainably. All organisations were really open to share. They were passionate and genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of their employees, suppliers, society and our planet. Most of our hosts didn’t know each other and we soon realised they too started to benefit because of the reflections shared with our students.

Within just a week we experienced solutions to many big individual, local and even global challenges. These solutions are applicable everywhere around the world. So, we started Sideshift as a ‘virtual study tour’ to connect solutions and people on a larger scale. We’re building a global platform to inspire and connect change-makers, triggering

individual action. It’s about personal responsibility. We cannot expect others, Government or big corporates, to make changes for us.

To get it right, we need to shift our perspective on this.

Shifting perspective helps you to see the same challenge from a different angle. The view of another person.

How it is done in a different setting.

This could be another country, another industry, a different culture.

In our study tours we take people out of their usual setting and comfort zone. They get a different perspective of their own challenges by experiencing how other people are solving the same problem in a different way.

This applies in all aspects of life.

When you feel stuck, the best thing you can do is get out, meet new people, visit new places, start a new hobby, read a book. Just do something. Anything, really. This change in perspective will quickly bring the right next step.

Take my own situation, 10 years ago I was diagnosed with a long-term health

WHAT’S NEW

condition. The medics told me to take a pill a day for the rest of my life. I complied but my health didn’t improve, more the opposite. So, I started my own research and realised, you cannot simply treat a symptom, leaving everything else as it is.

Because everything is connected. I changed my entire lifestyle, my diet, the way I see things. The way I work.

I lost over 75 lbs. I sleep like a baby, feel so much better than 20 years ago, and I don’t take any medication.

So What Next?

Our global challenges bring us towards major crossroads. We must now use the momentum to create a better life, better communities, better organisations and a better planet. Our next step will challenge the perspective that sustainability is only about battling climate change or plastic waste. It will help people to identify what the right next steps are for them. What they can do from today to make a difference for their

life, their family, their organisation.

We must now decide in what kind of world we want to live in future.

We’re about to host a summit which will showcase interviews with over 50 global thought leaders and changemakers. It is structured around 8 categories from global to individual challenges to make it easy for people to identify themes they are most interested in. People will not only be able to watch the full interviews, but also short break-out videos and key messages focused on immediate action. My recommendation is that people start with their main challenges in life, community or business. Then get inspired and follow thoughts into other areas.

The speakers will help to tear down the silos we created in our thinking and acting. Many topics will be touched upon by different speakers in different settings. We have people from all walks of life: Philosophers, world travellers, business leaders

from small to corporate level, startups, activists, life and leadership coaches, city planners, researchers, creatives, yoga-teachers, accountants, academics, futurists, and many more.

It is free of charge to make it accessible for as many people as possible, regardless of financial or geographical background. We must bring people together and build momentum to create this bottom-up change.

It’s all about changing perspective.

What we currently see as a crisis, suddenly becomes a big opportunity.

By changing our values, we can reconnect with ourselves, with other people and nature. Leading much more fulfilled, meaningful, sustainable and therefore, successful lives. Our platform will make it easy for people to do that on a global scale. Showing us these better alternatives to the status quo. And building a global and local community to make these changes together. One step at a time.

The Summit is available online from 26th September to 6th October 2019.

More info: www.sideshift.net/summit

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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WHAT’S NEW

NHS Approved Mental Health App ‘Thrive’ Coming to the Channel Islands WORDS: Maria Tzegka Head of Growth & Wellbeing at Thrive

“Stress is so often a hidden problem in the workplace. Thrive has enabled thousands of employees to easily get the vital help they need in a confidential and effective way." ~ Dr Andres Fonseca, Co-Founder of Thrive.

Effective employee mental health strategies are becoming one of the greatest assets for employers. According to the independent review of mental health and employers, Thriving at Work Report which was published by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer in 2017* lack of support for employees and their wellbeing was costing UK businesses £33 – £42 billion each year. Half of this cost was due to the loss of employee productivity. Lack of job security, long working hours, heavy workloads and tight deadlines are just some of the things taking their toll on employee wellbeing all over the world.

cost and time effectiveness, organisations need to put more emphasis on prevention rather than intervention.

According to the Centre for Mental Health, mental health problems cost organisations £1,300 per employee in the UK economy. This alone puts an emphasis on how crucial prevention strategies regarding mental health will hugely benefit not only employees, but employers.

In Jersey alone, the latest figures indicate that stress related illness accounts for approximately 9,000 working days lost annually, affecting as many as 10% of the working population in 2015. Between 2010 and 2016, the number of prescriptions for anti-depressants rose by 48%, highlighting the importance of prevention and intervention in common mental health problems.

The NHS approved Thrive Mental Health app is one of them. An evidence-based smartphone application providing in-depth tools to detect, prevent and manage common mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression, it was co-founded by Dr Andres Fonseca in 2012. At the time Dr Andres was working as Medical Director of one of the UK’s largest mental health service with Clinical Director and psychologist Adam Huxley.

Together with their team, Andres and Adam created a mental health service that supported 1,200 people across 70 facilities.

Many organisations are becoming more aware of the benefits of supporting their employees and are implementing different support strategies to help overcome mental health problems. Yet, to improve both

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Though tackling the problem before it starts seems simplistic and should then be standardised, there are only a few who are still ahead of the curve.

WHAT’S NEW

However, with the UK’s population at that point being over 60 million and knowing that 1 in 4 people will suffer a mental health condition at some point in their lives, they started to question how support could be provided on a larger scale and with an emphasis on prevention.

Thrive uses the latest computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) methods to help people to manage specific stressors and retrain unhelpful thoughts.

Every Thrive question and feature has been validated by research and is continually developed by experts.

Through encouraging support-seeking behaviour, it allows for prevention of problems before they become severe, and offers life coaching and counselling, where required. It is entirely confidential for employees, although we do send anonymised quarterly reports to employers to highlight the top five stressors within the organisation to assist management to identify what needs to be changed to support the wellbeing of their employees.

The Results

Research has shown that for those who screened positive for mild-moderate anxiety and/or depression, 70% of them where shown to recover within 8 weeks of using Thrive. It has also been shown to reduce by 50% the time taken to recover from mild conditions. The app includes 24/7 support which is available when and where employees may need it, along with optional life coaching, counselling, and further signposting to the relevant support made available by their organisation.

The combination of these services has been shown to reduce employee turnover, increase presenteeism, whilst also providing support of those employees with and without mental health conditions.

Coming to the Channel Islands

Based in the UK, we work all over the world, and we are now delighted to announce our partnership with WellBeing World to bring the Thrive app to businesses and their employees in the Channel Islands. We share the same vision and values for better workplaces where employees can have access to efficient tools to self-manage their health and wellbeing in a private, secure and efficient way; where individuals will be empowered by learning how to manage their emotions and change the way that they react to challenges in

"Thrive uses the latest computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) methods to help people to manage specific stressors and retrain unhelpful thoughts." life. We cannot eliminate the problems but we can help employees learn new ways of coping and assist them in managing how they to react to problems, whether these are work, relationships, family or health related. We are really excited to start working with Beverley and her team at WellBeing World because when people with the same goal collaborate better things can happen. I look forward to seeing our impact in the Channel Islands.

The partnership between Thrive and WellBeing World will provide access to Channel Island companies to receive the full range of preventive, diagnostic, treatment and maintenance options that a healthy workforce requires.

More info: www.thrive.uk.com *Thriving at Work Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/658145/thriving-at-work-stevenson-farmer-review.pdf

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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WHAT’S NEW

World WellBeing Week Celebrated Worldwide!

This year, during the last week In June, we launched World WellBeing Week, an international awareness event created to promote the various aspects of wellbeing, including social, physical, emotional, financial, career, community and environmental wellbeing. The response was huge.

This came all the way from New Zealand – from its largest general merchandise retailer, no less!

The Warehouse Group’s approach to World Wellbeing Week

With World Wellbeing Week upon us, it’s timely to think about all the ways we can better the lives of our team members through wellbeing practices. In honour of the week, we’re taking a look at what we currently offer our team in the space and where we’d like to focus our energy in the future.

As New Zealand’s largest general merchandise retailer, we have a commitment to building and supporting our people’s mental wellbeing and resilience – and beyond that – their whānau and the communities we exist in.

We’re increasingly moving to improve our focus on prevention rather than the proverbial ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. To accomplish this, we look at our work in the wellbeing space with three key areas in mind: mental wellbeing and resilience, physical and financial.

Mental wellbeing

As Terry Johnson, GM of Health, Safety and Wellbeing sees it, once our team members have a strong sense of resilience and the tools they need to address mental wellbeing, they’ll be able to tackle the issues they may be facing in other areas.

“Our work in this area is about helping our team members ask themselves, ‘how do I get my mental wellbeing right so that I can make changes, recognise that I need to do 20

something different and start doing it?’, says Johnson.

“By having a toolkit of resources for our team, we’re able to give them the tools they need to succeed not only in the mental wellbeing space, but across the physical and financial wellbeing areas as well.”

The Warehouse Group currently offers a robust Team Member Assistance Programme through OCP, including free counselling sessions with a qualified counsellor for a variety of issues. We also are continuing to provide team member assistance programmes for people who need help now whether it’s work related or not, and also offer the opportunity to take leave to support family members or colleagues experiencing mental distress.

Wellbeing also involves feeling safe and supported, which is why we offer discretionary sick leave for our team members. We have been acknowledged for our efforts to reduce family violence and were a key supporter of the Government’s Family Violence Victims’ Protection Bill.

We were also the first organisation in New Zealand to become White Ribbon accredited in 2017.

In July, we’ll be launching an app supported by Sir John Kirwan’s company Mementia which will support wellbeing learning of all team members who download it. This app will enable our team to seek out tips and help to address wellbeing issues, with an initial focus on how to change your own mindset when dealing with anxiety, and how to cope with change in your professional and personal life.

WHAT’S NEW

continually looking to support the things that can have the biggest effect on the largest populations of our ethnically and geographically diverse team.

To help us understand the needs across the organisation, we are establishing a reference group made up of team members who can serve as mental wellbeing and resilience sounding board. These people will enable us to bounce ideas off them, gain valuable feedback on how we’re going with our programmes and provide insights into what our team members truly need.

Financial Wellbeing

Financial wellbeing plays just as big a role in overall wellbeing as the mental and physical areas. With this in mind, we look to provide more proactive solutions for our team.

Physical wellbeing

Over the last few years, we’ve proudly rolled out programmes to better the physical health of our team members and their families. Initiatives like the smoking cessation programme have made tangible differences in the lives of our team members.

We’re constantly evolving the programmes we offer relating to physical wellbeing to ensure we’re staying ahead of the curve. Torpedo7 Club’s partnership with Got to Get Out is a prime example of this.

The partnership, announced earlier this year, builds on our Here for Good approach by inspiring team members and our customers to get outside and explore something new.

From snowboarding sessions to group hikes, the outdoor experience club has events for people of every level of fitness and a variety of interests from Torpedo7 store locations around the country.

Our lifestyle leave policy also supports mental health and enables our team to purchase five to ten days additional leave a year to pursue personal interests and passions.

Wellbeing and the community

We acknowledge that there are many different opportunities and solutions within the physical and mental wellbeing spaces, and that what’s right for one team member or group of team members might not necessarily be right for another. That’s why we’re

Creating a WORLD of Difference

Currently we offer discretionary leave for cases of sickness which can help alleviate financial stress during a time of need. We also offer our team members access to discounted health insurance through Southern Cross Health Society, which is an important step in protecting our team members and their immediate family against the costs of unexpected medical expenses.

Through OCP we offer the ability for people to access help in budgeting and managing their finances, as well as discovering which Government programmes or subsidies might be right for their situation.

Team members are also provided with a team card to enable discounts at our major brands, which helps to further enable our team to purchase products which drive their personal wellbeing journey; e.g. buying some outdoor gear at Torpedo7 to get active and socialise with friends.

The role of company culture

Part of feeling well and having resilience is having a sense of belonging and being supported.

Our policies and processes provide the options people can take within each wellbeing category to receive support, but to many, it’s our culture that creates a sense of belonging, whānau, friendship and ultimately, the desire to look after and help each other.

“There’s a lot that’s already being done across not only the organisation, but across the country as well to address these issues on a national and local scale. The key is to find where the gaps are so we can better serve our team and their communities,” says Johnson. “We have an exciting role to play in closing those gaps and being the change we want to see for New Zealand.”

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WHAT’S NEW

#HaveAHeart Launched During World WellBeing Week Another endearing initiative inspired during World WellBeing Week came from the UK. A mum of two from a village in Yorkshire spearheaded a national campaign with a mission of pushing the power of kindness, whilst raising funds for MIND.

At the School Gates hurtful people can be, then me realising the power of kindness and a friendly smile and how my anxiety was either fuelled or fixed by the actions of others.

Reflecting on the impact others had on her own wellbeing, Lyndsey Thomas, 39, whose depression has at times seen her lose days in bed, scared to face people and too anxious to leave the house, created the ‘Have a Heart’ campaign calling for women from across the UK to consciously be more open with their emotions and commit to being kinder to each other.

Lyndsey is a champion of discussions around mental health, having been a media spokesperson on the subject many times and her blog, which has over 20,000 followers, shares real life stories of women who are struggling to be kind to themselves, set amongst articles which celebrate awesomeness and review experiences that uplift and energise.

A victim herself of trolling after her birth story hit the national newspapers five years ago, Lyndsey has reached devastating lows due to high profile public criticism, and online bullying contributed to her ongoing mental health struggles and anxiety that sees her regularly hit self-destruct. However, reading Lyndsey’s latest blog post ‘All it takes is a smile’ we learn that much of her day to day anxiety comes from the everyday interactions and that in fact the blank stare or dismissive glance at the school gates is the cut that can go the deepest.

She said: “I launched ‘Have a Heart’ for a few reasons. One

“In wearing a yellow heart on your sleeve you’re showing that you’re open with your emotions and also that you

was inexplicably personal having revisited my trolling story recently for Maternal Mental Health Week and it bringing it all back just how

are happy to support others too. I hope it will lift and unite people and that it will get women thinking about how much their actions can impact others.”

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“I wanted us to all think about how we treat each other. She added: “With this campaign I am not just working for those who recognise they have challenges with mental health, but the everyday woman who just has those bad days and would really benefit from a friendly smile or quick chat at the school gates.

"Lyndsey is a champion of discussions around mental health, having been a media spokesperson on the subject many times"

WHAT’S NEW

World WellBeing Week Around the World … Just a few of the tweets …

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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LEADERS IN WELLBEING

Leaders in Wellbeing Summit & Awards – The Highlights WORDS: Beverley Le Cuirot Founder, Leaders in WellBeing Summit & Awards

The inaugural Leaders in WellBeing Summit took place on Friday, 28th June on the last day of World WellBeing Week this year. Attendees at the conference which took place in Jersey were addressed by 10 UK and local speakers on a range of different yet interrelated wellbeing topics.

There were many valuable insights shared, the key message which emerged was that individuals can choose their own path. ’It starts with you’ was the over-riding takeaway.

We cannot force people to make wellbeing a priority in their lives but we can lead and encourage them and that is what the Leaders in WellBeing event was all about.

The winners of the Leaders in WellBeing Awards 2019 were then celebrated at a ceremony following the conference. Both events were sell-out events, attracting more than 110 delegates to the Summit and over 170 to the Awards. We were

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absolutely delighted with the uptake for the events and the number of nominations we received for the Awards. Never in all my years of organising Awards ceremonies have we received as many as 70 nominations in the first year, it really goes to show how active the businesses and practitioners are in the Channel Islands with respect to wellbeing. The huge response from employers in all sectors across the business community in both Jersey and Guernsey augurs well for the future prospects of our economy and for the overall health and wellbeing of our people.

The Leaders in WellBeing Summit & Awards 2019 initiative was supported by main sponsor, HSBC, awards sponsors Rossborough Healthcare, Rossborough Financial Services, and The Insight Group, all keen supporters of wellbeing, and in total, more than 70 nominations were received, with almost 30 businesses, groups or individuals from Jersey and Guernsey shortlisted in 10 categories.

Such was the response and the quality of entries that the judges decided to award an additional award, the Customer Health & WellBeing Award for practitioners most focused on their customers. There were also several commendations in

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most categories and a joint winner announced for the Giving Back Good Business Award where the entries were just too close to call.

The Winners were the entries which demonstrated going over and above the norm; those which

emphasised culture, work practices and policies over the more transactional wellbeing initiatives, and who developed strategies, initiatives and services which put the employee (or the customer) at the centre of their focus. They were the businesses, charities, government

departments and individuals who demonstrated authentic integrity, kindness, appreciation and respect, which developed trust amongst their entire workforce, fostering positive, supportive, and empowering workplace environments.

The Winners and Commendations were: Best Workplace Culture 2019 Commendations: Computershare Channel Islands; and Deloitte Winner – Alex Picot Chartered Accountants

Mental Health Award 2019 Sponsored by HSBC Commendations: Jersey Recovery College; and LINC Winner – Accuro Trust ( Jersey) Ltd

Caring Employer of the Year 2019 Commendations: Fairway Group, Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC), and Voisins Department Store Winner – Ocorian

Financial WellBeing Award 2019 Sponsored by Rossborough Financial Services Commendation: TrustFord Winner – Computershare Channel Islands

Healthiest Workplace 2019 Commendations: Accuro Trust ( Jersey) Ltd, Highvern Trustees, Jersey Financial Services Commission ( JFSC) Winner – Fairway Group

Inclusion and Belonging Award 2019 Commendation: Jersey Employment Trust ( JET) Winner – Deloitte

WellBeing Practitioner Best Newcomer Award 2019 Commendations: Lucy Nicolaou for LINC Community; and Sarah Heron for Yoga Nidra Jersey Winner – Helen Papworth for The Aurora Lifestyle WellBeing Practitioner Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 Commendations: Dr Glenda Rivoallan, Soulgenic, and Dr Marie-Christine Dix, Align Health Agency Winner – Claire de Gruchy, Shalbeck Life Centre Customer Health & WellBeing Award 2019 Commendations: Club Soulgenic; and Tap It Better Winner – Align Health Agency

Giving Back Good Business Award 2019 Sponsored by The Insight Group Joint Winners – Le Masurier and Ports of Jersey WellBeing Ambassador Award 2019 Commendation: Extinction Rebellion Jersey, Sam Wilkes of Fairway Group, Susan Russell of Jersey Financial Services Commission, and Tina Hesse of Highlands College Winner – Karen Hollyhock and Calorie Crunchers, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (pictured overleaf )

The independent panel of international Judges, who were all also amongst the keynote speakers at the Leaders in WellBeing Summit, comprised: Aidan Kearney Performance Psychologist and Founder of Malleable Mind Gay Haskins Associate Fellow, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and Author of the book ‘Kindness in Leadership’ Dr Amina Aitsi-Selmi Founder & MD, Next Generation Coaching & Consulting Dr Justin Varney Executive Director of Public Health, Birmingham City Council Emma J Bell Founder, The Global Resilience Project Dr Paul White President, Appreciation at Work (Kansas, USA)

Initial feedback following the event was most encouraging and it is hoped that both the Leaders in WellBeing Summit and the Awards will become regular fixtures on the Channel Islands calendar going forward. Discussions are underway for the 2020 event. More news on which very soon!

More info: www.leadersinwellbeing.com or email: leaders@wellbeingworld.je

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LEADERS IN WELLBEING

Leaders in WellBeing Summit – What They Said WORDS: Dr Amina Aitsi-Selmi MA MD MRCP MPH FFPH PhD FRSA Executive Coach and Consultant | Founder & Managing Director, Next Generation Coaching & Consulting Ltd

So many insights from the innovative Leaders in Wellbeing summit, celebrating organisations with healthy work cultures in the banking and related sectors in the Channel Islands.

Aidan Kearny got us to mind the limbic hijack that gets you into hot water – the key to high level performance and a happier state.

Professor Gay Haskins of Oxford University Saïd Business School talked about the forgotten art of kindness in leadership. "It’s not about being nice but having the courage to do the kind thing. Profits will follow."

Eugene Farrell of AXA gave us a glimpse of the possible future where your coach, counsellor or therapist might be an AI avatar and told us about some of the latest tech breakthroughs used in employee assistance programmes.

Dr Justin Varney – public health leader and a living embodiment of the passion that comes from aligning 26

your job with your values shared his self-care tips for mission-driven leaders under pressure.

Ex-judge turned resilience and management coach specialist, Emma J Bell, explored the question of “why do some people bounce back from adversity?” and shared powerful personal stories she’s collated.

Dr Glenda Rivoallan shared the findings of her 5 year research project on mindfulness. Science continues to uncover the magic of meditation.

Elvina Aghajanyan, HSBC HR Director for the UK Channel Islands, shared her stellar leadership journey and the innovative staff development programme she’s spearheaded with her team.

Simon Nash went beyond the foundations of self-care for leaders into the integral level and what we can create through being together with doing, feeling and ideating.

Our fantastic MC, Jess Dunsdon of ITV, kept everyone energised and engaged throughout the day despite missing sleep for her 8 month old.

Thanks, Jess!

I opened my segment with silence as usual and shared a few principles of energy management including learning to say no!

Thank you to everyone who participated and to Beverley le Cuirot, Founder of the Leaders in Wellbeing Summit, whose calm efficiency was an example of the best of 21st century transformational leadership and feminine strength.

I look forward to visiting Jersey again!

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What the Others Said

The event attracted outstanding feedback, with straight 10’s for the Speakers, the Venue, the Lunch and the Event Overall. Comments included: Brilliant coverage. Such a good vibe about it all!

I just wanted to pass on my huge congratulations for pulling together such a well organised, informative and inspiring day – It was truly fantastic and something that we were delighted to be involved with.

Wonderful, thank you. The trophies are beautiful. We are very proud of this achievement.

I hope you are having a well-deserved rest after putting together such a multifaceted event.

I just want to say again how much I enjoyed today. I came away with so many ideas and as you rightly summed up, I was reminded many times over of the importance of looking after yourself first and foremost. We had some big things happening at the office today which meant that there were not many of us at the awards sadly but I went back to the office after to massive applause and excitement. We are all really chuffed.

It was a great conference and completely inspiring.

Thank you so much for the Wellbeing Summit on Friday. I had a fantastic day and also met some amazing people.

I have thoroughly enjoy the event and the information shared between speakers and attendees.

It is wonderful to see a well organised event where so many leaders have covered the latest research in their field, and I hope businesses and attendees realise the importance of wellbeing in our lives.

Thank you for organising an extremely successful day, it was an excellent conference with a lot of thought provoking speakers.

Well done! You should be very proud of yourself.

And the last word goes to Anna Dennett, Human Resources Manager at Jersey Water who said: “I was fortunate enough to attend the Leaders in WellBeing event at the end of June. It was an incredibly motivating and inspirational day, with some fantastic key note speakers.

I was particularly impressed with the recurring themes through each presentation, even though they were all prepared independently of each other.

These key themes reinforced the whole day, in a variety of ways.

“After reflecting on the day the points that resonated most with me were as follows:

also suffer physically too; the effects are really quite sobering.

"No one is immune from suffering and there is no shame in being honest and saying you’re struggling. Some of the strongest people in our society suffer the most with poor mental health.

"We all have our own thresholds, there is no defined ‘level’; indeed some people have been able to thrive in the most terrible of circumstances.

"Kindness costs nothing and makes a massive difference to people. Being kind in business doesn’t mean always taking the easy option; sometimes the toughest decisions are the kindest in the long run.

"You are important as a person and a leader and we should learn to say ‘No’. Accepting guilt over rejecting an invitation is better than building resentment.

" You are important as a person and a leader and we should learn to say ‘No’. Accepting guilt over rejecting an invitation is better than building resentment."

"A Leader will be more effective in supporting their people if their own wellbeing is looked after first. While reflecting on this point I couldn’t help thinking about the safety demonstrations on aircraft before takeoff: We are told that if the cabin loses pressure, masks will drop down and you must put your own mask on first, before helping others. In summary one must look after oneself first, in order to be able to look after others.

“I now make every effort to incorporate these learnings into my daily life and can honestly say it’s made a positive difference. Well done and thank you for a great day!”

"Stress, anxiety and poor mental wellbeing is not purely a psychological condition. People who are suffering

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LEADERS IN WELLBEING

Creating a Healthy Workplace Culture WORDS: Aidan Kearney Director, Malleable Mind and Guest Lecturer, University of Salford.

Aidan was also one of our highly popular Keynote Speakers at the recent Leaders in WellBeing Summit in Jersey. Here he shares the insights from his talk ...

Imagine you were going to construct a house. You’ve identified where you’d like to build it and drawn up the plans for how it will look; great intentions about the outcome. So what’s the first thing you do? You start building the walls, right? But have you forgotten something? What helps those walls to stand strong against the wind and rain? What maintains the integrity of the building even when stress is applied to its structure? It’s pretty self-evident; that it starts with solid foundations.

Solid foundations are a bedrock for reliable and long lasting buildings.

In the same way, a robust and healthy culture is the bedrock of the healthy workplace. All the pretty wall décor and areas for office bowls, account for nothing if the foundation / the culture which exists doesn’t foster the cement of those foundations. That cement is the fragile construct of trust. Trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair; or so the saying goes. This may be an oversimplification but does convey something very important.

As a species we’re not the strongest animals or the fastest animals on the planet. A central element which makes us successful is our capacity to work together, but this requires trust to exist.

In the absence of trust, our inbuilt 24/7 threat detection system can easily put us in psychological defensiveness mode, with all the barriers this can create for collaboration.

If our amygdala and thalamus cue up a potential threat from another, who we perceive may be seeking to undermine

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us, then it’s unsurprising that we could respond with our inbuilt survival impulse; fight flight freeze; releasing cortisol and either going on the attack or withdrawing and avoiding.

Similarly, though, we find ourselves in the curious paradox where; while we may speak ebulliently about the value of trust and collaboration, that very same internal threat detection system that scans the world in order to keep us safe, can foster and promote egocentric and even narcissistic thoughts and behaviour patterns within us.

In this scenario it may be us who is creating the environment where trust is fractured.

It may be us hogging the credit, undermining co-workers or engaging in snide criticism. Our drives or desires to either win or present ourselves in a good light can lead to us acting like the subsidence to the solid foundation of trust.

LEADERS IN WELLBEING

The reality is we all want certain things from work. From a psychological standpoint important elements are outlined in Rocks’ SCARF model (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness). Think about it; trust is implicated in each and every one of these.

So this model is really just a useful acronym to remember in terms of what we’re trying to create which will support trust. You might say, why go to all this bother? It’s really quite simple. Think trust low; cortisol high, stress high, absence high, presenteeism high and turnover rate high. The links between high stress levels and poor mental and physical health are well documented.

This economic impact is no less real. The Stevenson/Famer report of 2017 outlines the £32-44 billion costs to employers of poor mental health. As far back as 2014 Oxford economics cited the cost of turning over a member of staff was, on average, £30,000.

So I suggest there’s a strong economic case for creating healthy, trust based workplace cultures. But over and above economic reasons, is it not our responsibility to make workplaces somewhere where people feel supported, gain satisfaction from productive and meaningful work and where they can thrive. I would suggest that this is very much our responsibility and should be right at the core of healthy workplace.

If we build trust based cultures, this helps reduce psychological defensiveness and promote brain oxytocin release with its positive impact on reducing anxiety levels resulting in better communication and collaboration across teams, more connectedness / relatedness and the opportunity to harness collective innovation.

So how do we build a trust based cultures?

Well here’s a lightbulb moment. It’s not down to HR; not the job of the head of learning and development, and it’s not something that magically appears out of an away day. Sure HR have their role to play, leadership is key and away days can help to crystallise what we want the culture to be.

All of these can be part of the solution, but actually building and maintaining a healthy trust based culture comes down to each and every one of us and I include myself in that. We must each develop our self-awareness and self-management skills to ensure our behavioural output supports trust.

Self-awareness means tuning into thoughts that might say we can’t show vulnerability; we must have all the answers and checking in with our beliefs and expectations.

Self-management is key to living through agreed and explored workplace values in an authentic fashion. Building trust based cultures starts with each of us, every single day, so let’s leave our egos at the door; take ownership of our behaviour and accept accountability and healthy challenge when we err – as we can all do.

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LEADERS IN WELLBEING

Feeling Valued:

Doing Things Differently to Engage Your People WORDS: Kim Davies Corporate Health and Wellbeing Manager, Rossborough Healthcare International

Rossborough Healthcare was delighted to be involved in the inaugural Leaders in WellBeing Summit and Awards held in Jersey in June this year and to sponsor the Inclusion and Belonging Award. The event was exceptional with global and local speakers sharing their research and experience.

With the core focus on wellbeing at work a key reflection of the day was how we can look at things differently to increase engagement in health and wellbeing activity. Gay Haskins of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford was hugely thought provoking with her presentation on

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the topic of Kindness in Leadership.

This is really inspired when we are thinking about how we can do things differently to engage staff.

Kindness is something that isn’t often on the agenda in the corporate world however as Gay suggests “…

kindness-based behaviours such as respect, consideration, fairness and equality, inclusivity, transparency and valuing the views of others are all key in successful organisations and things that are essential to promote a positive culture and a place where employees feel valued. In turn follows engagement and motivation.”

Rossborough Healthcare are passionate about supporting our clients in implementing and sustaining their health and wellbeing strategies and a huge part of that is

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ensuring activity is relevant and engaging for employees. We are also encouraging our clients to think about this differently and so not just viewing a private medical insurance scheme as something that fixes employees and their families when they are sick but also crucially tapping in to the wealth of preventative support that providers now offer alongside their core medical insurance products.

Similarly, we are looking at employee assistance programmes or “EAP’s” and ensuring that clients and their employees understand their true value as a service that is there to support them through the ups and downs of life and not just as a crisis helpline (although they are of course there for that as well).

Also crucially, the motivation of an organisation is key. Implementing a Health and Wellbeing strategy cannot be done as a tick box exercise; if this is the motivation it is highly unlikely to be successful or sustainable. It has to be done with a desire to reflect all of those kindness-based behaviours – the desire to create a fair, inclusive, considerate and respectful culture. It is really understanding the needs of employees and acting on that.

conferencing / online / apps / webinars, as well as the more traditional methods such as printed material. It is important to use many of these as one on its own won’t work.

If the above is delivered with the right motivation and a genuine desire to improve employees’ health and lives both in and out of work it is sure to be successful and sustainable. Statistics show a workforce that feels valued is highly motivated and engaged making it a win win for employees their families, businesses and our broader society.

More info: www.rossboroughgroup.co.uk

Using MI to shape a strategy but also challenging employees about what it is they need and what they would benefit from and looking at different ways of delivering any initiatives – experts talking to employees, digital media such as video

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LEADERS IN WELLBEING

The Loneliness of Visionary Leaders: 5 Principles for Breaking with Convention Without Ruining Relationships WORDS: Dr Amina Aitsi-Selmi M.D. Ph.D. Founder and Managing Director, Next Generation Coaching & Consulting

Breaking with convention is not for the faint of heart. And yet, it’s the inevitable path of those who innovate and lead the world into new futures. Being a leader means you may have to make unpopular decisions, polarise opinions and have few people to turn to for honest feedback and support.

At a recent awards ceremony of the great and the good in London – The Contrarian Prize founded by Ali Miraj – I was reminded that changing the status quo in society came at a cost. The award acknowledges the personal integrity of those who dare to. It was also clear that some people are wired for divergence. They’re much more comfortable holding an opposing view. Think of Coco Chanel, Steve Jobs or any political revolutionary.

But what happens if you hold a radical new vision for your organisation or society and don’t want to sacrifice a sense of belonging? Is it possible to be relentlessly devoted to a mission while maintaining healthy, sane relationships?

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Belonging Versus Conforming

Leading relationship expert Esther Perel’s distinction between belonging and conforming is useful here.

Confusing the two results in lost dreams. Discerning them results in thriving leaders and organisations. Going deep into this distinction and what it means for you, how these two aspects show up and where you need to shift, could be the single biggest insight you need to fulfil a unique vision while maintaining healthy, authentic relationships (and letting go of ones that don’t serve you).

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Here are five ways to go deeper: 1. Accept the paradox of success

The behaviours that helped you reach your last success may be the very same behaviours that get in the way of your next one. That’s the paradox faced by those who are truly successful in life. Success isn’t a destination, it’s an ongoing process of learning, unlearning and relearning. What do you need to let go of today from your last success, so you can deliver the next milestone in your vision?

2. Design a powerful support system that calls out your blind spots

A visionary leader has to filter for relationships that are aligned with their long term vision while leaving room for challenge. Creating that kind of psychological safety for themselves and their team is a key skill for 21st century leaders. How would you describe your inner-circle? Is it mostly reinforcing of your behaviours or does it challenge them? Where do you need to make a change?

3. Engage in transformational conversations not informational ones

Poor quality relationships that are instrumental and competitive result in isolation, loneliness and poor life satisfaction which are associated with mental and physical ill-health. Technology and over-packed schedules don’t help. As a leader, your job is to create psychological safety and use your words to create the future. How do you engage in conversations at work? Can you make your conversations transformational rather than informational?

4. Inspire rather than control

If you’re a parent, you’ll know that your children are more likely to model what you do, rather than do what you say. Your courage to show up authentically (rather than attempting to overpower them) is more likely to inspire others to rise above the mark. Where are your expectations of others too rigid? Where can you model the behaviour you seek in others while making the expectations clear?

5. Take time to resolve inner - and outer - conflicts

Months if not years can be wasted in doubt over a decision about a project or direction of change. Take protected, quality time with a coach or designated sounding board to examine your hidden inner-conflicts over competing values and priorities.

Case study: One client had been struggling with his business branding and strategy for 18 months and alienating his family. He realised he needed to declutter and let go of many side projects – they were distractions from the discomfort of uncertainty. Within a month, he’d articulated his mission and values, had several promising prospects wanting to work with him and his close relationships were repairing.

Invest time systematically to look inwards and clarify your intent and alignment. Who will be your honest sounding board?

With these principles my clients – who are some of the most service-driven people in the world – find they can enjoy fulfilling relationships while transforming their organisations and making a dent into some of the 21st century’s biggest challenges including inequalities in international health, South-North geopolitics, AI and space exploration.

Case study: One executive client in a multi-billion dollar energy company working on a high pressure, high complexity area, found that a small shift in how he divided his energy and attention made all the difference to his performance and personal satisfaction. He went from feeling out of control to feeling sovereign, and his team and close ones benefitted from his new, calmer and more focused state.

Of course, moments of intense doubt and isolation are inevitable for any visionary leader but it doesn’t have to be the default. Create the future by choice. The world will thank you for it.

More info: www.doctoramina.com About the Author Dr Amina Aitsi-Selmi M.D. PhD is an Executive Coach and Consultant to visionary leaders who want to engage their organisations, transform society and 10X their impact from a place of calm power. She’s currently writing the book The Success Trap. Subscribe to Wise Wednesdays to receive transformational strategies, articles and news.

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LEADERS IN WELLBEING

Curiosity Killed the Cat, but It Had a Damn Great Life!

WORDS: Dr Justin Varney Director of Public Health, Birmingham City Council

Most of us talk about the importance of life-long learning and investing time in developing and learning new skills, but the reality of the day job quickly overtakes us and investing in your own development is usually one of the first things to be deprioritised.

Mandatory training is one way to force through at least a baseline minimum commitment to training, but this is usually focused on core health and safety, child protection and safeguarding and information governance. Not often the stuff that excites or feeds the soul.

If we do make time for self-development beyond mandatory training then it tends to be in a very narrow siloed way driven by the business need. But I would encourage you to think a little bit broader and be curious in your development as it can lead to unpredictable and positive outcomes.

So what are the benefits of being curious outside of your normal sphere of practice? Being curious in a different sphere fundamentally gives you an opportunity to see the world through different eyes and this can spark different ideas and stimulate you to find new ways of working through challenges because it is making your brain work in a different way, waking up new pathways and connections in the brain.

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There is a branch of facilitation and mediation style that uses different techniques to problem solve, if you have a room of text communicators you make them try and communicate with pictures and visuals, approaching the challenge Pictionary style, if you have a very visual room then have them try using a word game to articulate the issue. By switching the style we are used to the disruption can open up new ways of viewing an issue and suddenly a new solution can appear.

The evidence shows that learning a new skill is beneficial for health and wellbeing, some of this may well be about the different bits of the brain that get stimulated but some of it is also about the level of concentration required which becomes a form of meditation.

Curiosity is about being open to new things and following your nose to explore them a bit, it’s not about making a lifelong commitment to a particular path or new skill. It’s a bit like having a tasting plate, you can try it with a nibble but you don’t have to commit to a full course, and that small taste will give you a sense of something different and new.

LEADERS IN WELLBEING

Personally I try and do at least one new class or learning experience each year which takes me outside my comfort zone, one year I did a weekend meditation retreat which covered everything from chanting meditation to walking meditation styles – a little bit stuck – another year it was a weekend crash course in art techniques from oils to wire sculptures.

So how can you build curiosity into your leadership practice?

Well first make the commitment to be curious, make it consciously and write it down. If you have a coach or a mentor discuss it with them or find a ‘curiosity buddy’ to get curious with you.

Like any habit you are trying to form or change, make a plan. Write a long list of things you want to explore – a bucket list of things you want to try, know more about, explore and experience. Go wild and go random, from knitting to Korean, start and see where it goes. If you get a mental block, start with the alphabet and try and write a thing you are curious about against every letter, start with A for Aardvark – have you ever seen one for real? What does an aardvark eat?

Put aside time to make it happen, you control you diary, you are an adult and you can make the time. You have more control than you think. I find if you book into a class or talk or arrange to do it with friends that you are less likely to blow it off.

When you’re doing it, or have done it, take a moment to think about the experience.

How does it feel to explore? What have you learnt? Is it something you like or something you dislike?

Talk about it. Curiosity is infectious and when you talk about what you have

"Curiosity is about being open to new things and following your nose to explore them a bit, it’s not about making a lifelong commitment to a particular path or new skill." experienced it will open up new and different connections with people that you never knew existed. I am perpetually surprised about how sharing some of my curious adventures builds connections with people who I would never have expected resonate with the experience.

So finally a word of warning, after all curiosity killed the cat.

Curiosity can be addictive and sometimes you can experience things that fundamentally challenge your world view or sense of self, this isn’t a bad thing – and certainly won’t kill you I hope – but it can be difficult. This is why talking about it is so important and sharing the experience good or bad with friends or colleagues is such an important step. If you are not a normally curious person start slowly, a single class or experience each month is a good way to get starting.

There are huge benefits to exploring outside your comfort zone and trying something new, you have the control and you can make a conscious decision to be more curious in your life, so follow the cat and try a bit of curiosity today!

More info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjustinvarney @DRJV75

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WORK

Overcoming Busyness – Our Cultural Addiction WORDS: Dr. Paul White Psychologist and President, Appreciation at Work

Busyness seems to have risen to the level of addiction within our culture, and is even considered a badge of honour. When, for example, have you heard anyone report: “I’m doing great. I’ve got lots of extra time and energy to do what I want?”

What is Busyness, Really?

To reduce busyness in our lives, we have to first understand what “busyness” is. Is it a set of behaviours?

Is it an attitude? Or a perspective on life? Most people respond: “All three.”

At a foundational level, busyness is the experience of feeling like we have more to do than we have time or energy – that there is not much “space” in our lives. We are running from one task or meeting to another, often repeatedly throughout the day. Or sometimes, the sense of busyness comes from multitasking – trying to do more than one thing at once. Largely, busyness involves a sense of the needing to rush, to do tasks quickly.

Busyness seems primarily to be an internal experience (we “feel” busy), but busyness also involves behaviours. Busy people can be observed to: have poor eye contact; not listen well; seem somewhat scattered, sometimes disorganised; appear to be rushing through tasks (and making careless errors); forget things (objects, appointments); interact in a “short” irritable way; and maybe most commonly, complain about how busy they are.

What Drives Our Busyness?

Multiple factors create busyness in our lives – and these influences vary across seasons in our lives and they differ from person to person. A brief list of “busyness creators” include: Multiple responsibilities. Our responsibilities at work.

Being married or in a committed relationship. Being a parent. Owning a home.

Changes in circumstances. You are stuck in traffic, and running late for a meeting. The school calls and tells you that your child is sick. The printer is broken. A client shows up to meet unannounced.

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The desire to feel needed. Feeling anxious about how others perceive our skills and abilities. Equating “getting things done” with personal value.

Personal habits (and upbringing). Being raised in a family where, if you didn’t look busy, you were given a task to do.

Trying to be efficient. Not wanting to waste any valuable time, so we “pack” the day end to end, without any space between meetings, calls or tasks to be completed.

There are other factors that lead to our busy lives, but these provide a starting point.

The Overlooked Factor: Our Personal Lives

The primary focus of our work at Appreciation at Work is to “make work relationships work.” Thus, most of our resources and information deal with work-based issues.

Busyness, however, is a different animal. We can clearly address the issues that contribute to busyness at work, and these factors are important. But they are also rather obvious – prioritise, clarify roles and responsibilities, delegate, set boundaries, learn to say “no” …

The most commonly overlooked component that is a HUGE factor (“the elephant in the room”) is the busyness in our personal lives and how the frantic pace at which we live outside of work creates enormous stress for us at work. Think about your or your colleagues’ lives. List the factors outside of work that sap available energy for work-related tasks.

Remember, employees are people and more than production units. And we all (hopefully) have a “life” outside of work – family, friends, and hobbies. But I think most of us tend to dismiss (or, at least, minimise) the impact the busyness of our lives outside of work has on our sense of busyness at work.

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"Busyness, to a large degree, is the natural result of choices we make. With a few exceptions, we create our own busyness."

Overcoming Busyness: The First Step The first step that needs to be taken to become less busy is also the biggest hurdle we have to overcome. And this action is the point in the process where the most resistance and denial are faced: ownership of the problem.

Busyness, to a large degree, is the natural result of choices we make. With a few exceptions, we create our own busyness. Most of us want to attribute our busyness to external factors: the demands at work, our boss, the kids, what the school expects parents to do. But, in reality, our experience of busyness is a result of our own doing (although the choices that got us here may have been made a long time ago).

If we take an honest look at much of the busyness in our lives, many of the activities we choose to do are actually voluntary – listening to podcasts while driving (or doing the gardening), going out to dinner and a concert, or taking the kids to a weekend sports tournament. And, I might add, many of these activities are driven by fear – fear of missing out.

Combating Busyness: Can Anything Be Done?

Some of our busyness is reality-based. We have tasks to complete for work. We need to take the kids to school.

We need to make dinner, do the laundry, clean the house. But let’s start by looking at the optional tasks and evaluating those. Do we need to accept the responsibility of providing cookies for this month’s class party? And, if we do, do the cookies have to be homemade? A lot can (and needs to) be said about busyness.

Reminder: The First Step

So, let’s go back and start with the first step: ownership.

Busyness is not something that “happens” to you. Busyness is almost always a result of choices made. Do an honest review of your life and ask: What is contributing to this sense of busyness in my life?

Then ask: Who made the decisions that led to these commitments? The point: If I made the decisions to get me here, I can make decisions to get me out.

And finally, ask (and answer): What can I do to reduce the busyness I’m experiencing? (This, by the way, assumes you are ok with being “unbusy” – do you have any idea what would that look like in your life?) Like all life changes, start with one or two actions you can take right away, and work your path from there. Don’t get overwhelmed and give up, saying to yourself, “I can’t. There’s too much to overcome.”

One small step can lead to a wonderful lifelong journey!

More info: www.appreciationatwork.com Creating a WORLD of Difference

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WORK

What a Way to Make a Living!

WORDS: Dr Gavin Hendricks B.Sc. M.B. Ch.B. FRCPsych. CCT-GMC and Clair Cousins from The Resolution Centre explain how changing your brain is the only way to up your game.

Have you ever stopped to think about what your brain is actually doing when you’re stressed out at work? Of course, you haven’t. With work place change now a constant threat of recurring restructures, deadlines and demands, there is just too much else going on. The days of Dolly Parton and her nine-to-five are a distant memory and despite an increase in flexible working practices and more focus on employee wellbeing, most of us are still working way beyond 9-5.

The result? Going to work is sometimes more like going to war and instead of feeling like warriors, we become worriers.

The open-plan office is a battlefield and it’s often littered with self-doubt, mistrust, frustration, conflict and loneliness.

So, what is our grey matter getting up to when we’re experiencing anxiety, frustration and mounting threat at work? Why doesn’t our mind obey our instructions to just keep calm and carry on?

It’s all Darwin’s fault

Our brains have been shaped by evolution with our most primitive, or reptilian brain, only focused on our survival. Our mammalian brain focuses on forming groups which bring hierarchy and power struggles into play. And finally, we have

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the primate brain which can balance threats and conflict with compassion, empathy and the ability to self-sooth.

We are hard wired to constantly monitor our surroundings for threat and whether real or imagined, these threats present themselves throughout our working day. That is how we survive.

When we respond to a threat, our brains automatically release adrenalin and cortisol which numb our ability to self-soothe. We get stuck in a state of unproductive provocation, regress into conflict and lose sight of the potential for a win-win outcome. It all becomes about flight or fight.

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Game-changing outcomes

At The Resolution Centre we guide people to think and do things differently. The people, teams and leaders who we work with tell us they want to do better – both personally and professionally. They want stronger relationships and a common purpose that guides them towards shared goals.

Or when the boss has ‘kindly’ signed you up to a three-day conference that has minor relevance to your role when she knows it’s your wedding anniversary that week.

This isn’t kindness. It’s manipulation thinly veiled as having your best interests at heart.

Through a process of discovery, we often find that there is a disagreement, a breakdown in communication or an absence of trust – whether in the boardroom or a team level – that is preventing them from being at the top of their game.

Resolving this type of conflict, and actually changing the way our brain is wired encourages collective problem-solving.

Although it may be difficult at times, the outcomes are game-changers that will see personal growth, stronger teams, and importantly improved wellbeing.

Be the best kind person you can be

So what can you start doing today that will help change your brain’s instinctive responses and move you towards better health? Be kind. It sounds so simple, but we mean genuine kindness that nurtures wellbeing by identifying a need, empathising with it and putting a plan to help into action. Being kind is not about being nice, and you should be wary of false kindness.

You know the score, Rob from Finance calls to tell you he has ‘kindly’ rushed through your expense claim but next thing you know, he’s at the side of your desk asking you to help with a management report that was due yesterday.

If we can start by creating workplace cultures where doing something for someone doesn’t make them feel like a doormat or come with the expectation of something in return, we will build trust and isn’t that at the centre of everything?

Even our brain’s neural pathways re-set.

Improving wellbeing in the workplace is about more than yoga at lunchtimes and smoothies in the breakout room. It is about unlocking people’s true potential, and to do that effectively we need to be open to innovative methods of changing the way we think and making sure that work is no longer war.

More info: www.theresolutioncentre.com

The Resolution Centre is a trusted guide in times of conflict. The team specialises in game-changing journeys of collaborative problem solving that take people, managers, boards and companies to a place where they are at their best and soon you too can be at the top of your game.

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WORK

12 Things Innovative Leaders Do Differently To Get Exceptional Results WORDS: Tayyab Babar PR/Marketing consultant.

Tayyab writes about work, productivity and tech tips at Lifehack.

Great leadership appears simple and easy once conditions are good, the company is doing great business and everybody is happy. However, leadership is learned behavior that becomes unconscious and instinctive over time. As time goes by a leader’s true colors are revealed. Innovative leaders follow a step-by-step outline to achieve the stage of creativity.

Innovative leaders and successful entrepreneurs drive remarkable results and boisterous innovation during this dynamic economic system (market tremble). Innovative leaders make higher use of existing (unexploited) resources and talent for innovation, while not implementing disrupting amendment programs, by constructing the situations that permit vibrant novelty systems to emerge and flourish.

1. They establish and extend trust

While observing some structure that might facilitate learning the method of becoming a successful frontrunner, here is a summary of the processes that are key to become a persuasive innovative leader.

Catalytic leaders audaciously engage the uncomfortable, name the inflexible, address the impossible, and chase the insoluble. In this process, they lead people out of fear into faith, from nervousness to commitment, and from ambiguity toward a vision. And then they take them forward into a cultivated world of the spirit.

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Innovative leaders demonstrate a propensity to build and extend trust. Distinct leaders understand workplace trust that blooms and create excellence drives beyond the basics and extend trust profusely to those whom they trust. They establish trust to others by reading the situation, risk and integrity of the individuals involved in the organisation.

2. They provoke minds

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3. They explore for expertise in the team

According to a BCG study, great leaders possess exceptional qualities and practices that empower them to outperform their industry associates. Innovative leaders foster a mutual team capacity to anticipate and shape a destructive business environment.

4. They aspire to great knowledge

Great leaders aspire for greatness, for themselves, the team, the organization, and for each and every associate around them. They expect the best from everyone, and develop the required skills to become the Guru in the field.

5. They embrace risks

Risk-taking is an essential part of leadership. Great leaders build cultures that embrace risk, and they have the courage to begin instead of waiting for a better time frame, a safe situation, or confident results. They move forward and take risks because they know that being too careful and hesitant eliminates the opportunity to grow.

6. They collaborate to innovate

8. They take actions and accept consequences

Innovation requires actions. Innovative leaders hold themselves accountable for their actions, calculate the influence and impact of their actions, and search for accidental consequences. If the results or effects are not producing the anticipated result, they involve themselves in that scenario and make required corrections.

9. They create a leadership signature

Just as we all have unique ways of signing our names, innovative leaders create their own unique signature as a leader that draws on their own strengths. Signature innovation is not easily copied or plagiarized, because it is originated from a distinctive cultural identity within a team.

"Great leaders build cultures that embrace risk, and they have the courage to begin instead of waiting for a better time frame, a safe situation, or confident results."

10. They connect with a purpose

Purpose is the one thing all great leaders share. Effective leaders ensure a clearly distinct purpose, while ordinary leaders just come to work without any determination.

Purpose fuels desire and work principles. These characteristics give a great leader a competitive benefit over those who don’t recognise the dynamics of this factor.

11. They develop awareness

To build a culture of innovation, great leaders emphasize creating a culture of collaboration.

Collaborative cultures engage and inspire the abilities of team members, value workers’ ideas, and welcome new visions into group decisions.

Innovative leaders remain aware of everything important around them and their team; organisationally, culturally, contextually and emotionally. They value engaging, observing, listening and learning over preaching.

7. They set an example

12. They avoid complexity

Great leaders work hard and work smart, and more so with every passing day. Because of their love and passion to make things happen, they are always focused. They don’t give up easily. They bring 110% of themselves at work and set an example for all those around them.

Great leaders keep themselves ready to face and eradicate or simplify complexity. Complexity chokes innovation, brakes growth, gates progress and badly effects organisation culture. But innovative leaders recognize opportunity and profits are removed from the complexity through interpretation, not by tallying the complexity.

Tayyab is a copywriter, publicist, blogger and editor. He enjoys writing about Technology, Gadgets, Food, Travel, and Business. Follow him @tayyabbaber

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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WORK

Women’s Health in the Workplace: Time for a New Approach?

WORDS: Clare-Louise Knox See Her Thrive

When embarking on a journey to find out about women’s experiences of reproductive and menstrual health issues in the workplace, I didn’t expect to discover such a shocking state of affairs: “I was given a disciplinary by my Manager for missing a shift, after I’d taken an overdose because of my health condition”, Emma explained, as she told me about her experience of working with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a menstrual related condition which affects around 1 in 20 women. “My employer has commenced ill health proceedings against me and there is a real chance I will lose my job due to my illness” – the words of another woman, Amanda, living with Endometriosis, a condition affecting 1 in 10 women.

The narrative became clear very quickly; a large proportion of women are affected by invisible menstrual and reproductive health problems; symptoms associated with these conditions are having a significant impact on women in the workplace; stigma and embarrassment are preventing women from seeking help at work, with many adopting negative coping strategies as an alternative to disclosure; employers are not yet equipped with the knowledge, skills or confidence to effectively manage and support women’s health in the workplace; as a result, talented women are leaving the workforce through voluntary and involuntary means.

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What we often fail to recognise in organisations, is that women have distinct needs due to their biology and reproductive life course, which for some, can present a range of unique physical and mental health challenges.

According to Public Health England (2018), at least a third of women in England are suffering from severe reproductive health problems, including Endometriosis, infertility and the Menopause. Many of these conditions, while physical by definition, also have psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Throw in an additional layer of complexity, whereby symptoms may be cyclical in nature. This means they reoccur frequently (often monthly in-sync with the menstrual cycle). Yet, despite the fact that women make up around half of the UK workforce, female health issues are often ignored or dismissed in the workplace.

Trigger-based absence policies, which are common in many organisations, are just one of the challenges for women with reproductive and menstrual health problems.

If we think about a disorder such as Endometriosis (a medical condition where the lining of the uterus grows in other places) it may be impossible for an employee to get

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to work because of extreme physical pain, thereby forcing her to call in sick. NB. She may not disclose the real reason for her absence due to stigma and embarrassment.

As such, the absence is likely to be recorded as “sickness”. As Endometriosis is linked to the menstrual cycle, this pattern might occur every month. Frequent “sickness” eventually triggers absence management procedures and the employee is likely to find herself on capability measures or out of a job. Yet, with an open conversation and some simple accommodations, the outcome could be very different.

And what about the women who do disclose a menstrual or reproductive health problem? Well, the picture isn’t any better. Just recently, I met an intelligent, successful and ambitious woman working in finance, who has been told by her current employer that she will never be promoted because of her health condition. How would you feel if that was your wife?

Your partner? Your daughter?

You?

Ultimately, women want these issues to be normalised, in much the same way as mental health is beginning to be recognised and addressed, so that they can be discussed openly and supported appropriately in the workplace.

And, the tide is beginning to turn. Some organisations are now actively addressing women’s health through training for line managers and more inclusive policies and practices. Earlier this year, the CIPD (Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development) released new guidance for people managers on the menopause at work, which illustrates the shifting landscape of women’s health in the workplace. This is an important development and a solid starting point, though menopause is only one aspect of a much broader spectrum.

It is crucial that we build on this work and acknowledge other conditions that affect millions of women every day.

"Ultimately, women want these issues to be normalised, in much the same way as mental health is beginning to be recognised and addressed, so that they can be discussed openly and supported appropriately in the workplace."

It is clear that women are “damned if they do, damned if they don’t”. By sharing their diagnosis with a manager or employer, they risk stigmatisation and prejudice.

But if they don’t, they prevent themselves from gaining access to reasonable adjustments and may fall victim to discrimination. At the end of the day, this is a needless dilemma that is likely to exacerbate symptoms and impact the long-term health and wellbeing of women, not to mention their career prospects.

With increased attention on gender equality, inclusion and diversity and workplace wellbeing, women’s health should be an integral part of your company culture. And it makes complete business sense: better awareness, openness and support will enable your employees and organisation to thrive. You will help to attract and retain the best female talent, reduce the impact of regular staff absence (and presenteeism), and improve engagement, performance and productivity. As a business leader in 2019, is women’s health something you can afford to ignore?

More info: www.seeherthrive.com and @seeherthrive About the Author

Clare-Louise Knox is an Organisational Psychologist (MSc), Board Member at the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) and Director of See Her Thrive, a Community Interest Company (CIC) providing specialist training, guidance and support to employers on women’s health in the workplace. Clare-Louise was recently invited to join a Government Taskforce to address menstrual stigma and education in the UK, where she will work to improve knowledge and awareness in this area. Clare-Louise is an accomplished speaker and has presented at the 2018 CIPD Applied Research Conference, 2018 British Psychological Society (BPS) Annual Conference, PMDD & Me 2019, and DisruptHR London and St. Helier.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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Your Curiosity is Your Hidden Superpower Curiosity is not just a useful business skill … it’s an information-age superpower!

WORDS: Simon Nash Co-Founder, The Insight Group, Jersey Good Business Charter, and DisruptHR St Helier

When you were five what did you want to be? An astronaut? A surgeon? A musician? How many people thought they wanted to be an “Assistant Programme Manager, Special Projects” or a “Private Clients Accounting Specialist”? Somehow as a society we have discovered a way of squeezing out the joy of discovery and the thrill of new opportunities from our future generations, and it seems to happen between the ages of five and thirteen.

I blame the teachers. Not individual teachers, obviously.

But I do question an educational system which prizes remembering the right answers, heaps shame upon those who ask impertinent questions, and creates a workforce which is largely docile towards the powers that be. Our education system was ideally suited to the industrial age.

When a skillset would be useful for a whole career. When a diligent, obedient workforce was needed by industry.

Back when an excess of curiosity was seen as a risky character deficit to be carefully managed.

In the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world of the information age, curiosity is an asset. Curiosity can lead to disruptive solutions. Curiosity is one of the few “un-automatable skills” that will be far more useful in the robotic economy.

So, what is curiosity? Curiosity is one of the key ingredients of the openness trait, one of psychology’s “Big Five”. It includes creativity, intellectual interest, absorption, and a love of philosophical depth. It is a positive motivational trait, associated with a desire to seek out new and challenging information and experiences.

Those who are curious balance the risk of anxiety and confusion that may come from new information, and the existential pain of boredom, with the sense of joy that comes from learning, and the satisfaction that dealing with complexity and uncertainty can bring. Curiosity acts as an

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early warning system for threats and risks. If turkeys were more curious about why they were being so well fed, they might have hatched an escape plan well before Christmas.

The “father of positive psychology” Martin Seligman listed curiosity as one of his 24 key psychological strengths, which lead to a better and happier life. People with this strength are better listeners, intrinsically interested in both their inner experience and the world around them, gripped by a thirst for knowledge and fascinated by novelty.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi identified curiosity as a function of directed attention, and recommended the practice of deliberate noticing as a way to build competence in curiosity. Some studies even positively correlate curiosity with longer life!

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10 ways to boost your curiosity

Curiosity is not a static trait. There is no gulf between those born curious and people without this genetic gift. Curiosity is about developing the attentional skills that enable you to make more connections from the information around you. As Albert Einstein wrote, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

Ask more and better questions

Open questions deliver more informational content and create deeper relationships. “What if ?” is incredibly powerful for opening up possibilities.

wary of “common sense”. Whatever exists at the moment, seems in our mind to have a special right to be there, but that is simply an illusion that works to the benefit of those who are currently privileged by it.

Understand your own biases

“Project Implicit” at Harvard is a fantastic online resource to give you an insight into the way your own hidden biases impact your thinking. The curious are more ready and willing to challenge their own perspective and more accepting of their own unknowing.

Create opportunities for cross fertilisation of ideas

Susan Scott advises “let silence do the heavy lifting.” A moment of silence can reveal volumes. Meditation is a special form of silence that can build your curiosity muscle.

Walk outside when you can, especially in nature. Vary your route and choose to notice what the distracted mind might miss. Talk to people you don’t know and learn something from their experience.

Seek out experts in areas you are interested in

Enjoy deep diving into knowledge as a hobby

Vary your information inputs

Learn to listen without judgement

Appreciate silence

An expert is someone who knows a bit more than the rest of us about their interest or passion. Whether you are curious about chess, or fashion or penguins, there is bound to be an expert and highly likely they would love to talk to you about it.

One of the most curious people I know changes his daily newspaper every day and picks a different news channel every time. The more varied your reading, browsing and watching, the more you can foster curiosity.

Think about the history of an idea

The way things are right now is very temporary and contingent. Look up or ask older generations what it was like in different times. Imagine how differently things could have developed. Be suspicious of “the normal”, and

Learning becomes play to the curious. A playful approach to following rabbit-trails of knowledge will spark hundreds more connections. When you add the practice of writing to your play with ideas you enhance it even further.

Curiosity comes from an old French word which means “care”. When we listen to someone without immediately categorising what they are saying, or mentally preparing our own response, we are giving a caring response, which enhances relationships.

Disrupt your world

Curiosity is great to do on your own, but even more fun to do with others. Go to exciting events about the future and expand your sense of the possible!

More info: www.insight.je | www.disrupthr.co One such initiative which is expanding the sense of the possible is DisruptHR, a new and innovative approach to Human Resources; an information exchange designed to energise, inform and empower. It’s founded on the idea that for HR to make a tangible and real impact on businesses and how they perform, the status-quo needs to change. It brings innovation, creativity and fresh ideas to the world of managing people, performance and businesses.

It started in Cincinnati in December 2013 and is now is an international community of professionals in over 150 cities in 33 countries, taking part in events all around the world, sharing their thoughts and generating new ideas about how we work. If you’re an HR professional, a CEO, a technologist, a community leader – and you’ve got something to say about talent, culture or technology – Disrupt is the place. And it’s coming to the Channel Islands!

The first event of DisruptHR St Helier is taking place on 9th September 2019 at 5.30pm. 14 speakers, 5 minutes each – the radical future of work and the disruptive people who are bringing it into business. Tickets on Bookit.je. (If you are reading this article post 9th September, check the links above for the next event!).

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CAREERS

The Changing Face of Recruitment Recruitment from a Different Perspective

WORDS: Katrina Collier Founder, The Searchologist and Author of The Robot-Proof Recruiter

Imagine working for a company where the second-in-charge is so stressed that she is sick each lunchtime. Imagine a manager so toxic and an environment so caustic that a new trainee is reduced to tears for the smallest of errors. Imagine a HR team so remote and powerless that they do nothing to stop this behaviour.

I don’t need to imagine it. This was the Epping branch of the National Australia Bank in 1992 and my first experience as a full time employee. In the last 27 years, in both the UK and Australia, I have experienced many management styles but none quite as detrimental to my health and wellbeing as this experience.

So why did we stay?

Fear and a lack of transparency meant companies could treat people poorly and they would stay. In 1992 the

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Internet wasn’t part of our daily lives. Google wasn’t there to show me the results of a search for bank teller jobs in Sydney. The only place a job could be found was in the newspaper, and you wouldn’t know if it was the only job or one of thousands or if there was one applicant or hundreds. That fear of not finding a new job kept us in our toxic environment.

A job for life was still a real thing and our elders, having experienced the Great Depression and multiple recessions,

CAREERS

insisted we stay and soldier on regardless! You didn’t rock the boat, you didn’t stand up for your rights, you didn’t demand HR intervene and wellbeing programmes, pfff, nobody cared about your wellbeing, “Get back to work!’

After a stint in the bank and the motor trade, I relocated to London and fell into the recruitment industry and over the last 16 years I have watched technology interfere with both talent acquisition and employment. Initially with the first online job boards and then the appearance of LinkedIn and other professional social networks.

When the recession hit in 2008, people flooded to social media to network and open doors to new job opportunities, able to do so in a way that had been difficult in the past. Companies soon realised they could gain access to people directly and recruitment agents started losing their grip on their precious Rolodexes. Over the last 10 years, employer branding has become a thing and review sites like Glassdoor, Kununu, Indeed, Comparably, Fairygodboss and many more have appeared to guide employees and candidates.

In 2019, the employment market is a very different place and wellbeing is now a top concern but besides profitability, why does this even matter?

Transparency!

Both passive candidates, people who are not actively looking for a new job, and active job seekers investigate companies, employees and future managers before submitting an application or responding to a recruiter.

The introduction of Google for Jobs, that blue box prominent in the search results, is also making it even more important for companies to look after their people because the company reviews are posted right next to the job advertisement and easily visible to future employees.

As someone focused on wellbeing, I recommend you peruse your company’s reviews for areas where your company or management can improve and to ensure reviews are responded to. Like most people who head to social media to complain, people want to be heard, they want to be acknowledged and if you can share what initiatives you are now implementing in response, even better.

"Thankfully there has been a realisation that the carrot and stick style of management does not positively impact the bottom line and there is a surge of focus on wellbeing."

If you type site:glassdoor.com/reviews "toxic environment" into Google, you will be asking the search engine to look for employee reviews on Glassdoor.com which contain the words toxic environment. On hitting enter, you will be staggered to see over 25,000 results from people who have taken the time to write an employee review to warn others of the environment. Try this variation site:glassdoor.com/ reviews "don't care about staff " and you will find another 6,630 reviews.

Thankfully there has been a realisation that the carrot and stick style of management does not positively impact the bottom line and there is a surge of focus on wellbeing. It needs to do more than retain your current employees though, it needs to be seen so it will attract your future employees.

But don’t stop there! Instagram has over 1 billion active users and by using a corporate hashtag, your employees can share their own photos showing what it is like inside your company. For example, if you look at #lifeatdell, #insideindeed or #epamers you can see employee photos from employees of Dell, Indeed and Epam respectively who have shared a post and by including the hashtag given you a glimpse of their day.

By using the hashtag and sharing the image or video publicly, they are giving you permission to use it, and then you can either repost it onto your corporate accounts or direct potential new recruits to the hashtag. You could even create a specific career Instagram account using the name of your hashtag, like Dell has done by using @LifeAtDell.

From today remember that though your job is taking care of people for productivity and retention reasons, by sharing your initiatives openly you will be feeding prying eyes and aiding your company's recruitment.

More info: www.thesearchologist.com

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CAREERS

How Following Your Curiosities Will Help You Find Career Fulfilment WORDS: Sophie Clyde-Smith (BSc) Founder of Sophie Clyde-Smith: The Modern Career Coach.

Certified Transformational Life Coach.

Are you one of those people who feel an exasperated pang every time someone tells you to ‘follow your passions’? It’s like there’s this special ‘passion club’ that all the professionally fulfilled people in the world are members of and you’re on the outside, scrambling around trying to figure it all out.

What if I were to tell you to forget about following your passions?

To forget about trying to join the ‘passion club’. What if I were to tell you there is a simpler, less frustrating, route to career fulfilment? The late Steve Jobs knew about this alternative path. He walked the path his whole life, taking the first steps way back when he was a college dropout, and reaped the rewards over his lifetime.

At age 17, Jobs had no idea what he wanted to do. Unsure how college was going to support him long term,

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and unable to justify the college fees to his working-class parents, he dropped out of Reed College. He stuck around for the next 18-months, as a drop-in, sleeping on friend's floors and returning bottles of coke for five cents to pay for food. Free from the strict class schedule of his peers, it was during this time that Jobs’ intuition and curiosity led him to take a Calligraphy class. It just so happened the class was one of the best of its kind in the country at the time and Jobs later described the art form as ‘beautiful, historical,

artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture’.

Jobs knew, for him, there was no practical application for Calligraphy.

But he surrendered to the experience and it had a lasting impact on his life.

Fast-forward 10 years, when Jobs was designing the Macintosh computer, and inspiration struck. Using the artistry of Calligraphy, Apple became the first computer company in the world to add in beautiful typography to their design. And the rest is typography history.

Although Jobs never intended to become a professional Calligraphist, you can clearly see how following your curiosities and allowing yourself to be guided by your intuition can have a positive impact on your career.

CAREERS

A more direct example of curiosity impacting the pathway of a career can be drawn from my own personal experience. Back when I was 17, like Jobs, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Yet I was fascinated by healthcare and the sciences, so a Biomedical Science degree seemed like the perfect place to explore my interest further. I had no idea what would happen after that and I simply made my choice based upon what I was interested in and what I was good at – which, by the way, is generally a winning combination.

Three years later I had deepened my knowledge in human health & disease, and learnt a lot about life, but felt none the wiser in terms of my career. I fell into a recruitment job which was sold to me as essentially ‘helping people’, something else I was drawn to – and so began my working life.

Future of Work’ in 2016).

What happened after meeting these people and immersing myself in this space was that I had a strong, positive emotional response. I came alive. I met like-minded people. I was full of energy and had a burning desire to want to know more. Without realising it, my curiosity was evolving into something else, a passion. And it was only at this point, eight years after taking my first tentative steps into this space that I felt confident enough to take significant action.

Guided by my past experience, the

"If you are one of those people who feel like they don’t know their passions and you’re lacking career fulfilment then I recommend starting with curiosity."

As it turns out, that particular job wasn’t really about helping people, more about making money. So I moved on and quickly found a company whose values matched my own and I settled into the rhythm of helping people navigate their career. It was during these formative years of my twenties that, alongside gaining solid and well-rounded professional experience, I continued to pursue my curiosities outside of work. I read countless health and wellness books, invested in meditation courses and started practicing yoga.

I branched my curiosities out into a new field called corporate wellness and started attending events and meeting people in this space (one of these people happened to be Beverley, the Publisher of this magazine after attending the WellBeing World Summit ‘The

information I had learnt, and the emotions I had felt, I began a new adventure and transitioned my career into wellness.

Over the next two years I grew my network and industry expertise. I gained a qualification in an area I had become intensely curious about and underwent the final transformation; setting up my business. I am now a self-employed Transformational Life and Career Coach. Every day I live out my passion. I make my own decisions, learning from my mistakes and savouring my successes, solely guided by my personal mission of improving people’s wellbeing by

helping them to build fulfilling and authentic careers.

The seed of curiosity, planted back when I was 17, has blossomed and evolved into a career I love. A career unique and tailored to me, my strengths, my experiences and my passions. Now it’s your turn.

If you are one of those people who feel like they don’t know their passions and you’re lacking career fulfilment then I recommend starting with curiosity.

What do you love to do? What curiosities and interests do you have? What can you welcome into your life and commit to outside of your current career?

What wants to emerge?

Whilst I have sold this as a better option than trying to ‘find your passions’ it still requires time and commitment. It took me the best part of ten years to enjoy this level of career fulfilment but I promise you, it’s worth it.

As Marie Forleo so succinctly puts it “clarity comes from engagement not thought” – it's the simple process of surrendering to the experience and allowing yourself to be playful that will help you to figure things out. This is about getting out of your head and getting into the world. It’s here that you will discover who you are and you can take steps down new paths that could lead you to the most fulfilled life you could possibly imagine. As Jobs said: “… the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” So don’t worry about following your passions.

Just start with your curiosities and see where they take you.

More info: www.sophieclydesmith.com 49

LIFE

Teaching the Business World to Sing!

WORDS: Emma Baylin Director, Shared Harmonies

Social Enterprise, Shared Harmonies CIC believes that singing is the way to create business harmony and boost productivity.

“Amazing things happen when we sing; we have a beneficial physiological response” says Founder & Director, Emma Baylin. “Singing releases mood enhancing hormones giving participants an amazing feeling of happiness and wellbeing.”

Employee wellbeing

In the 21st century, people have come to understand that taking better care of themselves not only improves the immediate quality of life but also long term health. However longer commutes, longer working days and constant multi-tasking make it difficult to find the time for individuals to implement wellness goals.

Happily, businesses are realising that because most of an employee’s time is spent at work, the business

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plays a vital part in the creation of that wellbeing. It is thought that by addressing wellbeing in the work place, productivity can be increased by as much as 12%.

Doing things differently

Emma is clear that the beauty of singing as a wellbeing solution is its inclusivity. “Many organisations are now looking to purchase employee wellbeing solutions. We create a supportive and connected ethos where the whole team can participate,

not unneeded competition.” Shared Harmonies deliver services directly in the work place – taking away the onus on individual employees to implement a strategy, which can be difficult, especially if stress levels are already high. “Our services remove possible barriers of language, physical ability and personal motivation. You don’t even need any singing talent - no previous experience is needed” Shared Harmonies prides itself on delivering services that are inclusive and easily accessible for all, as well as delivering tangible impacts.

Shared Harmonies CIC have developed innovative singing techniques that aim to address the top reasons cited for self-reported sickness.

An estimated 137.3 million days in the UK in 2016 were lost due to poor

LIFE

mental health, back problems, respiratory conditions and poor relationships with colleagues. (Office of National Statistics, March 2017) Although overall sickness rates are slowly decreasing, poor mental health and work related stress are on the increase. It is thought that 70 million working days per year are lost to mental health at a cost to the economy of 70-100 bn. The cost of Presenteeism doubles that figure. (Managing Mental Health in the Workplace; Mental Health Foundation 2018)

Track record

Shared Harmonies utilise recognised training and development practices to enable participants to relate the singing experience to themes of organisational development, leadership and team work, as well as reflecting on practice and embedding learning to a deeper level.

They provide workplace choirs, deliver standalone workshops or incorporate sessions into existing leadership programmes, business strategy days and events.

“I was a bit nervous about the reaction we would get trying to convince 30 people that singing would help to inspire teamwork. I needn’t have been! The event was

Singing together also creates a bond between colleagues that promotes team building and shared purpose. “In a time where workers are more likely to email the person sitting next to them rather than start a conversation, it has never been more important to invest in opportunities for colleagues to get to know each other and have fun together” Evidence shows that poor relationships with colleagues can have an adverse effect on an employees work performance, happiness and affect their health.

“Singing helps to create a positive bond between colleagues by the release of the trust hormone, oxytocin.

This in conjunction with the shared experience we create in our sessions improves employee relationships”

engaging and a lot of fun! Comments from the team included: “It helped me see that when the team come together, we can make great things happen”, “I want to start every day with the positivity I feel now” and “Today, I’ve learned something new about people I have worked with for years”. Shared Harmonies is highly recommended

by Nissan” Rachel Turgoose, Senior Controller, Production Control, Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd

Shared Harmonies has worked with leading companies including Nissan, Hermes, Royal Canin and Manchester Metropolitan University. “The feedback has been astounding” says Emma “Businesses we work with are reporting positive improvements in employee relationships, health and wellbeing and that it is great fun -even those who were sceptical to start with or scared of singing. Organisations are amazed at what they achieve.”

"It is thought that by addressing wellbeing in the work place, productivity can be increased by as much as 12%."

Development

Shared Harmonies was created in 2013, born from Emma’s combined passions of improving health and wellbeing, creating communities, and of course, singing.

“I’m a youth and community worker by background, predominantly working in the areas of health and wellbeing. Singing has always been an important part of my life, since I did my first solo performance at age five. I knew it made me feel great but it was only when I started to develop Shared Harmonies as a concept and explored the supporting research that I understood why. Singing is truly incredible. It is proven to improve posture and breathing function, aid sleep, reduce the amount of stress hormone present in the body and is actually classed as an aerobic activity, as well as the other benefits mentioned earlier. Our services are designed to harness these outcomes using fun and engaging techniques”

Social value

The Social Enterprise also meets its customers CSR agendas. All profits are reinvested in community programmes working with people affected by cancer, mental health, COPD, Parkinson’s and Dementia as well as other health and wellbeing issues. “Organisations that work with us will not only feel good – they will be doing good at the same time”

And what next for Shared Harmonies?

The future is looking good and Shared Harmonies CIC have made great progress to becoming one of the UK’s leading providers of ethical team building and wellbeing services. The business continues to grow, taking on more corporate clients and reinvesting the profits to further expand community programmes. “It is recognised that employees are an organisation’s biggest asset. Shared Harmonies is on a mission to help businesses sing their way to a happier, healthier and more productive workforce”

More info: www.sharedharmonies.co.uk Creating a WORLD of Difference

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LIFE

Discover Your Life Purpose: A Different Angle WORDS: Jasmine Khanani

When in life did you first realise or decide what you were ‘meant’ to do? Since then, has it felt like you’ve been living your purpose, or even coming close to the atmosphere of your purpose?

When I hear the word ‘purpose’, it tends to be in the context of ‘ya- I got this’, or at the other end of the spectrum, ‘I really should know that by now’, as well as the various shades of grey that lay in between total certainty and wishing it was nailed by now. No matter the case, there’s something rather large and weighted about the word purpose.

What if purpose, as a concept and thing we try to have, wasn’t actually that big and weighted? Stay with me … What if purpose, especially your purpose, wasn’t that heavy, taxing, tolling or even that hard to understand, find or define? What if your purpose was something much lighter, easier or dare I say happier than that?

Over the past few years, I’ve been drawn to some pretty great people who talk about some pretty huge things – like consciousness, truth, awakening, self-realisation, death, reincarnation and one’s purpose.

One common piece of wisdom I’ve pulled from ALL of them in relation to the question of one’s purpose is this: this moment, where you are, whatever you’re doing, whoever you’re with … this is exactly your purpose.

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When you give purpose its due in the exact moment you’re in, you get to relax and feel the lightness expand inside of you. To be right here in this moment with this article, reading it. That’s your purpose. You haven’t missed anything, you haven’t got to do anything else. This is it right now.

Now, choose to be aware of everything that’s happening in this moment – who’s around you, what do you hear around you, what are the things placed around you.

and experiences you’re encountering?

This is not only all meaningful, but perfect.

‘Is that it? There’s no grand plan for my life?’ you may ask. I believe there is both – the immediate purpose and the longer timed one or ones. These longer timed ones are what usually stump people in their quest for their purpose. This is the weighted and heavy part for most people. Why? Because we want to make sure we have exactly the right thing nailed, which will in turn bring us happiness, joy, peace, fulfilment, and so on. The catch? This is backwards and why it feels heavy.

"‘Is that it? There’s no grand plan for my life?’ you may ask. I believe there is both – the immediate purpose and the longer timed one or ones."

Feel that for a few seconds.

Your immediate purpose – of this moment – may be so simple, but it’s immensely meaningful. Consider what it took for all of these things around you that you see, hear, feel or touch to be with you. And, what did it take to get you right to this place on this day of your life, in this moment, encountering the people

Instead of our ‘being’ leading our ‘doing’ we have our ‘doing’ leading, in hopes of attaining a sense of ‘being’.

Turn it around.

In living our longer timed purpose(s), we can start by deciding three to five feelings that most truly reflect us when we’re authentically ‘being’.

These are not emotions, but feelings.

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When we experience these feelings, we gain deep ease, inner relaxation and the greatest connection to our life. These feelings could be: creative, ingenious, confident, playful, challenged, and so on…

Then, we need to connect with ourselves regularly and tune in to how we’re feeling.

The closer and more consistent (not perfect) we are to feeling the way we want to feel in our lives, the more authentically we’re living – or truly ‘being’.

When we allow the truth of how we’re feeling at any given time, to balance against the feelings that we know most truly reflect our authenticity, we get to see how far or close we are from ‘being’. When that difference or closeness informs our thinking and decision–making on a regular basis, then our ‘being’ is finally leading the way for our ‘doing’. Weight lifted.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

To really live purposefully, I’m asking you to do three things that not many people choose to do. One, trust yourself. This is new to most, and no one else can do this for you. Only you have the inner knowing this calls for. Two, activate your courage.

Authenticity is not for the faint of heart.

Push back will come. Decide to take a chance on yourself. Three, be willing to stand out. Purposeful living is not common and not the norm. Being a part of the crowd is the norm, but your immediate and longer timed purposes are calling you to see and choose your truest, most authentic expressions of yourself.

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LIFE

Coffee, Curiosity and All Things Creative WORDS: Anjana Lala Art of Happiness Institute

Drinking my coffee (Neuroscience says it makes me smarter) pondering on this week, I realise that it has been week of words with C – curiosity, creativity, connection and the most common one comfort zone. My curiosity got me into wondering how one can live a creative and colourful life.

It all starts with curiosity. The awe of things. Curiosity is a very powerful trait. Sadly, many have lost their sense of wonderment.

Shaped by experience

As we age most of us loose our inquisitiveness.

Overworked parents and underpaid teachers apply breaks on our wonderous spirit. Slowly we lose interest in the world around us. We are shaped by experience and people.

Our perception of our world is based on lessons learned.

We judge people and situations centred around these experiences. Making assumptions about the future solely on familiarity. We do not realise that we make many important life decisions on preconceived ideas. Over time assumption buries curiosity and dampens creativity.

But all is not lost!

Curiosity delightfully remains with us. Curiosity is visible in our daily routine. The books we read, the movies we like, the stories we love, the food we eat, the happenings with our near and dear etc. In all these little daily acts comes 54

from curiosity and questioning. We are curious about the goings-on around the world, weather and wellness.

The power of curiosity has led to amazing explorations and great discoveries. Major breakthroughs! Brilliant inventions! Magnificent creations!

Curiosity is vital to me. The freedom to ask lot of questions. Let my mind wonder with new thoughts. I have the pleasure of thinking about anything I please. The fun to explore new ideas - whatever shape or form it takes. It is an adventure. It is a playground for my imagination. It’s travelling to charted and uncharted places and spaces. It is a quest for knowledge. It is a search for insight.

It is a place where I can paint portraits and conjure up abstracts in vibrant colours. There is no boundaries or limits. It is journey with meandering paths and colourful horizons. Its feeds my creativity. I am free to create, experiment on my own. I am empowered to make art in any shape or style.

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Curiosity is the key

Curiosity is the key that keeps the door of creativity open. When we are curious, we find a variety of possibilities, solutions and more thought-provoking questions.

Curiosity leads to the enjoyment of learning something new; making an observation, expanding the mind and growing as a person. It inspires deep thinking required for new and innovative solutions. If we aren’t aware of our habitats and our world, mindful about stories and inquisitive about how things work, then our minds remain closed, dark and sombre.

In Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert writes, “Curiosity is the truth and the way of creative living.

Curiosity is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.” Curiosity is accessible to all of us, she writes! If your curiosity has been extinguished by familiarity, here are 11 ways to ignite your curiosity.

11 Ways to Cultivate your Curiosity Get excited about each new day.

Be fascinated by the people you engage with.

Connect with your senses – see, touch, smell, taste, hear.

Saying "Yes" to new opportunities and stretching yourself.

Learn something new.

Daydream or visualise a life you would love.

Explore your town or a nearby town.

Attend a lecture or a seminar on a new topic.

Make painful and annoying things interesting by adding something fun (e.g., listen to an audio book rather than getting irritated in daily traffic).

Reconnect with your inner child.

Allow yourself to have fun with friends.

Curiosity is a desire that needs to be fulfilled, a thirst that needs to be quenched, even if forgotten can be sparked and cultivated. What are you curious about?

More info: www.artofhappiness.institute About the Author

Anjana Lala has a Bachelor of industrial & Organisation Psychology and is a Laughter Yoga Teacher (CLYT) and Trauma Release Therapist. She is a sought-after Get Happy@Work Consultant and Empowerment Coach for Women, and inspires women to use their sensitivity as a strength and their voice to make an impact in their own life as women and leaders. She says she wants “to live in a world where books are bundled with extra Swiss chocolate, love letters are handwritten, and life comes with a magic wand.”

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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BODY

Why Do We Slouch?

5 Easy Tips for Practicing Better Posture

WORDS: Lorna Jackson 1st BSc (Hons) MBAcC AFN Health Point Clinic

The British Heart Foundation indicates working age UK adults are sedentary 9.5 hours a day. Prolonged sitting is a risk factor for neck and low back pain.

The human spine has natural curves to resist load on the spine in an upright, weight-bearing position. Prolonged sitting or standing fatigues the spines stabilising muscles from the forces of gravity and body weight, just as a lifter or runner becomes fatigued when performing exercises at the gym. When the fatigued muscles no longer provide stability, the spine must rely on the passive structures of the musculoskeletal system for support. Without muscular support the spine gradually becomes more kyphotic or slouched.

Slouching initially provides relief as it relaxes fatigued muscles, however repetitive or prolonged stress to the passive structures of the spine can result in injury to those tissues. Common examples include disc herniation, ligament inflammation/damage and osteoarthritis.

5 Tips for Practicing Better Posture 1) Ergonomic Setup • Do not reposition your body to fit your work area.

Establish a comfortable, well-supported position and rearrange your work area to fit that position.

• Do not sit too far away from your desk or computer.

• Elbows should be bent at 90 degrees and you should not have to reach forward to type or use the mouse.

• Computer screen height - eye level. You should not have to lean forward to read from the computer screen.

• Laptops - position the screen at eye-level. Use an external keyboard and mouse to allow for proper arm positioning.

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2) Movement

Muscles eventually fatigue, changing your position allows for recovery. Take 2-5 minute breaks from your desk every 20-30 minutes or alternate between sitting/standing desks every 20-30 minutes. Perform exercises, walk around, or simply stand up.

3) Strength & mobility

Improves stability, motor control, joint range of motion and/or tissue extensibility. Pilates is a great way to focus and provide measured outcomes on these.

4) External Support

Use lumbar braces and neck travel pillows to provide additional support for the natural lordotic curves of the lumbar and cervical spine. Alternatively, roll up a jacket, blanket, towel, or pillow!

5) Issues in Your Tissues – Try Acupuncture!

Inserting a hair-fine, pain-free acupuncture needle sends a signal through the nervous system to the brain, where chemicals such as endorphins, norepinephrine and encephalin are released. Some of these substances are 10-200 times more potent than morphine! Certain acupuncture points coincide with pressure points or trigger points which help ease muscle tension, ease pain and aid relaxation (Dung HC. 1984). This is what we call in acupuncture promoting the smooth flow of Qi.

More info: www.healthpointclinic.co.uk

FITNESS

An Alternative Approach to Help You Achieve Your Goals WORDS: Paola Mitchell General Manager and Personal Coach at Healthhaus

I have been in the health and fitness industry for 16 years and have lost track of how many clients, when asked what their goal is, say: “I would like to lose weight”.

I have also lost track of the number of clients who used to use the scales to monitor their progress. So many of them would get out of bed in the morning and before they ate or drank anything they would step on the scales. It was their accepted daily routine.

Your Why

So, if your goal is to lose weight then ask yourself: why? What is the reason behind wanting to lose the weight? Is it to look good for a special occasion or not to feel out of breath when you walk up the stairs?

Does this sound like you?

If you are one of these people ask yourself this: Do you feel a sense of apprehension just before you step on the scales?

Do you think ‘what if my weight has gone up’? If so, how disappointed do you feel?

Does this affect you for the rest of your day?

Isn’t the power of the mind amazing!

What a detrimental effect reading a few numbers can have on how we feel about ourselves. This often leads to us reaching for the wrong foods for comfort and skipping a training session because we’re not seeing the numbers we want to see.

What’s worse is that we do this time and time again and we torment ourselves.

Many of you will know what I’m about to say but I think it’s important … we need to be kind to our soul. There are alternative ways of thinking to help you achieve your goals.

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Once you’ve identified your reason then look beyond it and think about how you will ‘feel’ if you achieve this. That ‘feeling’ could be: A sense of achievement Feeling proud about yourself Improved confidence Feeling happier A sense of contentment

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Should these feelings not be your goal rather than losing weight? Isn’t there something more exciting about focusing on these feelings rather than on the numbers that psychologically bring us down? This is what we call your ‘emotional goal’.

Now for the physiological part: when we start exercising, our body will adapt to the demand we put it through.

Weight training will enable the body to lay down more muscle fibre.

Cardiovascular exercise, such as rowing or cycling, will enable the body to be more efficient in transporting blood to the muscles, thus enable them to work more effectively.

With this in mind it's worth knowing that muscle is on average approximately 15% denser than body fat, therefore 1kg of fat is larger in size than 1kg of muscle.

Yes, your weight will go up, but think back to the difference in density between muscle and fat. Muscle is far smaller in appearance than fat. So, the good news is that your body shape will start to change; your clothes will feel more comfortable and the stairs will become easier to climb. This in turn will give you a sense of achievement and improve your confidence. RESULT! So, the moral of the story is to forget the scales, set yourself an emotional goal and focus on how you will feel.

This is a far more motivational and realistic approach to becoming a happier you.

Good luck on your journey!

More info: www.healthhaus.co.uk

Now think of this in terms of your body.

I mentioned earlier that as the body starts to adapt to the demand of training the muscle mass will increase, so the likelihood is that your weight will go up. I’m now sensing the panic as you read this, but wait!

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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SPONSORED CONTENT

FITNESS

GEARS N GLOVES – New on the Jersey Fitness Scene and a World First!

WORDS: Dr Glenda Rivoallan Founder, Soulgenic

When I was told that the theme for this edition was Curiosity and Doing Things Differently, I was in no doubt that our NEW about to launch GEARS N GLOVES programme at Club Soulgenic (ClubSG) fits the bill perfectly.

As Founder of ClubSG, I am often asked what makes ClubSG so different from other clubs in Jersey and my immediate answer is that we really are committed to not just bringing something new and different but also something really effective to Jersey people.

We know that for a lot of people going to the gym is challenging – with that in mind one of our key values at ClubSG is that in all that we develop it is with a view to making our member experience not only rewarding but FUN whilst ensuring that our members stick at it!

We deliberately developed the club with the group fitness model as our central focus as opposed to most clubs

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who put the spotlight on traditional gym workouts (you can however still do that at ClubSG).

Fitness industry research on a global scale demonstrates really strong evidence that members who are working out in groups are happier and stay longer than people who work out alone so it was central to our decision making. Leading exercise behaviour expert Paul Bedford’s extensive research on the UK fitness market demonstrates in technicolour that the key to longer member participation and retention is down to three things: the motivation from peers

the motivation from the instructor

the variety in the exercise modality

These insights have always intrigued me and I was curious if I could develop a further training programme at ClubSG which could exploit the benefits of all three. At the end of the day we want to retain our members at all costs – they pay good money for their fitness club membership and it is our job to make sure they get value for money.

A few intense meetings with the ClubSG fitness team and the GEARS N GLOVES (GNG) concept was born. What is so exciting about our NEW trademarked GNG sub-brand is that it is not just a first for Jersey but a first worldwide.

GNG is based on a 50 minute group fitness workout combining two of the industry’s most successful formats of all time – cycling and boxing. Believe it or not it’s never been done before in the one class. This is quite hard to believe as the ClubSG team feels that it is such a natural fit to design

FITNESS

and combine these incredible genres into the perfect workout giving the member the ultimate lower and upper body workout.

With the GNG class combining both modalities and with classes lasting 50 minutes (2 x 20 min sections) we see the concept as being a progression for people who are already accustomed to these style of exercises or already a gym user. The whole team at ClubSG believe that this is a fantastic opportunity for members who are looking for that extra challenge or something completely different to extend on their existing experience.

The ultimate secret weapon to the GNG concept is our #double trouble philosophy. That is right – it is indeed double trouble as not just one but two instructors will take the member through their paces. We know just how important the presence of the instructor is so that is where we are investing our funds. That of course and an amazing new studio and cutting-edge equipment.

I know so many clubs out there who won’t want the extra costs involved in paying for two instructors but for ClubSG we think it’s worth the extra investment with a view to consistently improving how we motivate, retain and ensure that our members get the best results possible.

We have got an incredible studio complete now with the super cool water filled Aqua Boxing bags and the award winning Stages bikes.

The bikes have premiere power measurement tools used by the world’s most elite cyclists. The same technology is applied to the in-studio class experience, giving everyone access to the same measured improvement tools the pros rely on. We are excited to bring more cyclists into our studio and offer more variety by utilising highly endorsed technology.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

"The ultimate secret weapon to the GNG concept is our #double trouble philosophy.

That is right – it is indeed double trouble as not just one but two instructors will take the member through their paces."

We knew our biggest challenge in putting this all together would come down to the fitness programming and the instructor synergy but the fitness team have worked so hard to deliver this. We also have a super supportive membership who are very pro-active in giving us feedback. With their help in our exclusive member preview week we know we can make this new concept a real hit at the club. Most importantly though we know it will help us in delivering a memorable experience for our members.

Following a recent visit to London we have since been approached by a leading international fitness chain who commended us for our innovation and want to work alongside us in seeing how the GNG concept unfolds. It’s exciting times

for all at the club and indeed our members.

I am so, so proud of the team for embracing the idea so readily as we cannot be an industry leader and make progress without taking calculated risks. A special mention has to also go to Kenny Manson Programme Director and Lisa McCabe Club Manager for working tirelessly in bringing this to life from 1st September.

For more information on GNG or to come and visit the new GNG studio call us on 01534 733080 or e-mail: info@clubsoulgenic.co.uk

More info: www.gearsngloves.com

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Gastronomic Adventures to Satisfy Your Curiosity

WORDS: Simon Miller General Manager, Jersey, Hand Picked Hotels

Curiosity is a key ingredient to learning and just one of the assets of our talented chefs who create the fabulous menus for the AA Four Red Star L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa and AA Five Star Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa. It was our Executive Head Chef Andrew Soddy’s curiosity which led him to travel the world and he has digested those adventures and experiences and poured them into our new Fusion Restaurant at L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa. “All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.” ~ Martin H. Fischer His stunning menu draws on his extensive travels, creating a distinctive mix of modern British cuisine with subtle Asian influences. Andrew’s attention to detail is evident throughout the complete menu from tantalising taste buds with new food combinations to introducing the fusion concept in a range of cocktails too.

He has beautifully blended contrasting culinary techniques 62

with unique flavours and textures to produce six starters, six mains and six desserts.

His mouth-watering starters include local pan seared scallops with coconut braised red lentils, a firm favourite already with our discerning diners.

Andrew was keen to find out more about the health benefits of the spices commonly used in Asian food, including ginger which is also part of the turmeric family and garlic, a classic ingredient commonly used in international cuisines but native to Central Asia.

These sumptuous spices feature in the mains, from turmeric and cumin coated sea bass fillet served with Jersey potato chaat masala and fennel ceviche to a sticky glazed chilli

pork belly; pan roasted pork fillet, butternut squash, and soya glazed bok choy with toasted sesame seeds.

Meanwhile dessert is a fusion of flavours from dark chocolate ganache, red chilli, ginger gel and blood orange sorbet to chilled cardamom rice pudding with caramel raisins, compressed apples and La Mare apple brandy syrup.

To complement the menu, the team at L’Horizon have created a fusion of new cocktails to choose from including a refreshing Blueberry and Ginger Mojito, Chilli Martini and a Ginger Cosmopolitan.

PICTURED: Andrew Soddy, Executive Head Chef, L'Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa

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Tassili, the intimate yet opulent Four AA Rosette restaurant at the AA Five Star Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa offers an exquisitely contemporary British menu, using the very best of Jersey’s local and seasonal produce, with a French twist.

Executive Chef Nicolas Valmagna, Sous Chef Luis Silvestre and Restaurant Manager Nicolas Marais are the perfect team, sharing the same passion and goals, to create an exceptional fine dining experience without any fuss.

This dedicated and expert team takes diners on a theatrical journey of culinary discovery and treat them to an impressive display of inviting and beautifully presented dishes. Simplicity, taste, produce and technique are all key and they spend a lot of time perfecting each one.

Nicolas Valmagna continually plays on diners’ curiosity, creating dishes full of wonder and intrigue, opening their minds and their palates to new gastronomic possibilities.

“When curiosity is alive, we are attracted to many things; we discover many worlds.” ~ Eric Booth His latest signature dish is a delightful dessert which deceives the eye. It is made to look just like a cherry and tastes just as sweet.

Nicolas was inspired to create the Cherry ‘Trompe L’Oeil’, following the success of another of his desserts which left diners looking twice at the humble Granny Smith apple!

"His latest signature dish is a delightful dessert which deceives the eye. It is made to look just like a cherry and tastes just as sweet."

For this season, he whips up delicious cherries into a black cherry mousse and mixes them together with creamy, crunchy pistachios before serving with a citrus-flavored bergamot sorbet, waking up the senses and exciting the palate with a fabulous feeling of freshness.

Curious how he does it? Well, the mousse is put in a mould in the shape of a cherry, it’s frozen before the compote fills the inside. It’s frozen again before the mould is taken off so that it can be glazed with a coloured chocolate made to resemble a cherry and its juice. It’s frozen once more before finally being glazed with the juice of the fruit.

To satisfy your curiosity, book in for your own gastronomic adventure.

Both restaurants are open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, Tassili from 7pm until 9.30pm and Fusion from 6.30pm until 9pm.

PICTURED: Nicolas Valmagna, Executive Chef, Tassili

Creating a WORLD of Difference

More info: www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/grandjersey www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/lhorizon

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Vegetable Variety is The Spice of Life Bored with broccoli? Can't face another carrot? It's time to turn over a new leaf in your choice of fresh produce.

WORDS: Marion Gorrod St Saviour Branch Manager, Waitrose & Partners

If you find yourself buying the same fresh vegetables every week, trying some new ideas will bring big rewards for your taste buds. We can easily get stuck in a rut when it comes to vegetables, repeatedly returning to the same varieties, research has revealed. The average number of different vegetables people eat in a week is seven, according to a survey commissioned by Waitrose & Partners Weekend newspaper. And almost half of respondents – 46% – said they eat six or fewer varieties weekly.

Nathalie Winn, our senior nutritionist at Waitrose & Partners, said she isn’t surprised by the results: "A lot of us have ingredients we use regularly, we know what we like, our children like, and more practically, we know what to do with them.

Preparing a handful of favourite dishes each week on repeat can be a

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to vitamin A in the body, and green leafy vegetables provide the B vitamin folate. So eat the rainbow isn't just a gimmicky phrase – by having different colours, you know you're getting a wider range of nutrients.”

reliable, convenient approach, which will lead you to only pick up what you know at the supermarket.

The survey of more than 2,000 people revealed that shoppers can be wary of experimenting with new produce.

Almost a third said they were only likely to try a new vegetable every six months or more, with 14% never opting for anything unusual.

“But vegetables provide fibre and different vitamins and minerals, so variety is important. Orange veg, such a carrots and butternut squashes, provide beta carotene, which is converted

People can get stuck in their comfort zone when it comes to vegetables, and are a bit scared to try things outside the box but the number of varieties out there is really exciting.

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For cautious customers, making the move away from the standard broccoli, cauliflower and carrots needn't be difficult because Waitrose & Partners stocks many interesting alternatives to the staples.

The good news is that when people do try something different, they tend to be won over. Once they try it and understand what to do with it, they'll end up buying it again.

In Jersey we offer a range of vegetables including many local varieties and seasonal options. We work with Jersey producers at every stage of the growing process, from sowing the seeds to harvesting the crops.

Currently our top selling vegetables in Jersey are asparagus tips, carrots, broccoli, green beans and cauliflower, but it’s fantastic to also see locally-grown leeks, aubergines and courgettes feature in the top 10 sellers too.

Obviously this list changes regularly depending on the season, but it’s great that there’s such a variety of fresh produce available for us to choose from here; it would be a shame if we do get stuck eating the same vegetables every time.

Three years ago, we looked at how we could diversify what Woodside Farms grow for us and shortly successfully launched locally produced beetroot. Our crop has grown year on year, but also our knowledge and learnings have been applied with every harvest, and as a result we’ve refined the crop. We remain keen to work with our farmers in the Channel Islands to explore other opportunities in the future.

Waitrose & Partners has 349 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. It combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop – dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service. Waitrose & Partners is an employee-owned business – all employees are Partners and have a say in how the business is run.

Waitrose & Partners exports products to more than 50 countries worldwide and has nine shops which operate under licence in the Middle East. The retailer's omnichannel business includes the online grocery service www.waitrose.com, as well as specialist online shops including www.waitrosecellar.com for wine and www. waitroseflorist.com for plants and flowers.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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AGEING

The Importance of Challenging Our Habits as We Age WORDS: Lucie Filipponi Co-Owner, Les Hoûmets Care Home

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine.

It’s lethal.” ~ Paulo Coelho.

Do you have the same routine every day? For example, do you go to the same shop, buy the same food, read the same newspaper and watch the same TV programme religiously? Do you sit on the same seat on the bus, or go to the same place on holiday every year?

When was the last time you consciously broke your routine? And, if you did break the habit did it leave you feeling agitated or refreshed?

On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with having a routine.

Without them for instance, a busy working parent’s home would be a mess and the family wouldn’t get fed! Routines can bring a sense of order into our lives and help us with our daily tasks. However, research suggests that there may be some benefit in stepping out of our usual mould.

Your brain needs a workout too!

Just as physical exercise is good for our bodies it is important to activate our brains and stimulate them in order to function.

A healthy, curious mind benefits us as we journey into old age, this is something we have witnessed at Les Hoûmets.

Older people can get a bad rap, often labelled as ‘cantankerous,’ ‘fuddy-duddy’ or ‘stuck in the mud.’ However, ingrained habits can form at any age. But, as we get older we have the power to break our

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habits, often in our later years we have more time for reflection, and the ability to see the bigger picture.

Breaking habits and inheritances are an important part of taking care of our brains at any age and addressing our overall wellbeing. Studies on the brain show how working on auto-pilot and living out the same daily routines essentially means that our brain is running along the same neural pathways or ‘schemas’ it’s learnt to work over time.

"Breaking habits and inheritances can be freeing, allowing us to be more creative opening us to exciting life experiences."

For example, have you ever told someone to stop biting their nails only to be told by the person that they didn’t even realise they were doing it? When we do this over and over again we are doing very little to expand or work our brains in any way.

AGEING

This demonstrates how a habitual routine, that is actions which require no thought or conscious processing, fail to exercise our brains. We are fuelling them to do what they have always done, doing little for enhancing their capacity or function.

At Les Hoûmets we celebrate each day as it comes, our residents wake every morning to ‘seize the day’, usually by starting with a delicious home cooked breakfast.

I want to break free!

Choosing to do things that break your routine and therefore ‘challenge’ your brain doesn't require any specific psychology training, expensive treatments or memberships. We love to take our residents out for trips, be it to the garden centre, afternoon tea, lunch by the sea or into town for some shopping. Every day is a new adventure and age is no barrier to doing something different.

Breaking habits and inheritances can be freeing, allowing us to be more creative opening us to exciting life experiences. When we break our routine we are challenging our brain and it’s easier than you think.

This is something you can start today and it can begin with you merely reflecting on the routines you currently hold.

Start thinking of ways you can step out of them and start to do things a bit differently. Think of it as keeping your brain on its toes.

Breaking the brain barriers!

• Do something as simple as taking a different route to work or the shops.

• Try a different coffee or sandwich shop (and a new sandwich filling); you may even meet new people on the way.

• Take up a new activity like knitting or learn a new style of dance. Or why not pick up a new musical instrument as all are great ways to challenge your brain and improve its function.

• Learn a new language, this is a great way to improve your function and mental capacity. Research shows that learning another language, even in later life, can be hugely beneficial to your brain, in particular your cognition.

We might not make Mastermind but…

Our residents challenge themselves in many ways even in their later years.

They continue to live rich full lives full of new opportunities to learn, chat and enjoy family and friends.

As we all age, we are aware of the wrinkles when we look in the mirror, we don’t always remember that our brains are ageing, although sadly we probably will start to feel the effects.

We have seen how our residents love to have fun and try new things.

This is the beauty of doing things together and sharing experiences in a community. There’s nothing like a good chuckle over dinner at the end of the day, or challenging each other to a game of cards or even a board game like chess.

At Les Hoûmets our residents love to embrace life and live it to the full.

After all, ‘age is but a number’ and as Abraham Lincoln once said… “In the end it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years.”

More info: www.leshoumets.com Creating a WORLD of Difference

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HEALTH

Being a Curious Type 1 Diabetic and the Exciting New Life It Brought For Me WORDS: James Thompson Milon Expert and Personal Coach, Healthhaus (Level 3 GP Exercise Referral, Level 3 Personal Trainer)

Seven years ago I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic; I didn’t like sport at the time or exercising. My diagnosis opened up new opportunities for me in a way that I never realised it would. It gave me a different perspective on life and made me challenge myself to do new things.

So, what is type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is when the body does not produce enough insulin. This means that glucose produced in the breakdown of food (digestion) stays in the blood and the body cannot access it.

I have to administer my own insulin through injections, usually four a day but sometimes more. Even then it’s still not as simple as taking a dose and that being that. Each dose has to be calculated based on what I have eaten and what I’m doing around that meal. For example, if I know I am training, my body needs less insulin as

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the exercise makes insulin more efficient.

To help with this I try to stick to a daily routine. I have the same breakfasts every day, similar lunches all at fairly set times, and I train at certain times of the day.

Unfortunately, blood sugar levels can still become out of control and you can’t always stick to the perfect routine. Too much sugar in the blood and you feel drowsy and sick, too little and your body functions start to shut down. You become shaky, sweaty, cognitive processing slows down and in extreme cases it can lead to loss of consciousness.

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Being diagnosed with a condition like diabetes was a huge adaption for me and at times can be very difficult, there is no denying that. Over time as I adapted to my new life, I became more curious about what my body could be capable of. I slowly started to push myself more and more.

As humans we like comfort zones, however being able to change our health as so many of us want to, requires us to step out of our comfort zone be it a mental or a physical one.

One thing I have noticed as a personal coach is people are often unsure of their limits.

Self-preservation often kicks in long before the body hits its limit and for the body to change, we need to push ourselves a little closer to those limits.

One thing my diabetes has done which I am grateful for is that it has forced me out of my comfort zone. I became much more aware of not only how my body works but also how much I can push myself. I have gone from being a teenager who hated exercise to becoming a personal coach and completing my first triathlon a few months ago.

Being curious about how a body adapts to an exercise is something that drives me. It excites me in my role when I can change how a person moves or how they perform by changing or introducing a new exercise. I was always curious to see if I can do a new challenge. I see what

others do and I want to see if I can match it. Bring a little more curiosity in to your life and you might just surprise yourself with what becomes of it. I know I have been.

The other side of all of this is the lesson I learnt that changing and adapting to something new takes time; more time than you’d think! Unfortunately, as amazing as it would be, change doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen in a few weeks. Often it takes longer and being able to keep the consistency to make the change is tough.

This was the biggest life lesson I learnt with my diabetes.

There is no quick fix. I have to manage it indefinitely and that requires consistency. It’s been a slow process but it has taught me to keep going when things don’t feel like they are working out and I now I’ve learnt that I just need to be patient.

This isn’t meant to sound disheartening to anyone, more a realisation that it takes time and not to ever give up!

If you want to achieve something, be curious about it and be patient, don’t give up at the first hurdle. Life has its ups and downs we all know that, but keep persisting and it often works out, maybe not in the way you initially expect but often in a surprising new one.

My last piece of advice would be to surround yourself with people that can help you with your goals and support you when you are having a tough day. Equally, make sure that you’re there for them too!

More info: www.healthhaus.co.uk

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HEALTH

From Awkward Child to Neuro-Developmental Delay Practitioner – Making People’s Differences their Greatest Asset WORDS: Claire de Gruchy, NDT (LINPP) JIAS PROV. MFHT Founder, Shalbeck Life Centre, 2019 WINNER: WellBeing Practitioner Lifetime Achievement Award

Do open plan offices make you tired? Do you notice noise more than others? Sensitive to sounds, smells, foods, substances? Difficulty reading, writing, spelling, concentrating, processing ideas?

Balance and coordination issues? Vertigo, travel and car sickness? Inflammatory, hormonal, auto-immune or digestive issues such as IBS? Repeated anxiety, stress, fears or phobias?

As a Neuro-Developmental Delay and Johansen IAS Sound Therapist trained in Health Kinesiology (HK), its daily stumbling blocks such as these which I work with, with my clients, to identify the causes of and develop ongoing treatment plans to address.

For the last 20 plus years, as the only Channel Islands Neuro-Developmental Delay Practitioner, I have been helping several generations of children and many adults, to address their own ‘mechanics’ – achieving greater performance and enhancing their lives.

As a child, I would turn the brass spring-loaded door handles in our Victorian terrace house the opposite way to how they were meant to be turned. My unusual technique did open the doors … but my parents said it went against how the handles were designed, putting stress on the ‘mechanics’, possibly causing them to break, or at least, not function as smoothly!

I was often called awkward, holding a spoon and doing things ‘differently’, tripping up over an ‘imaginary stick’, keeping my right thumb tucked underneath my fingers as the norm; although I was intelligent and could articulate my thoughts on a subject clearly, when it came to putting it on paper or demonstrating my knowledge in an exam – that was a different matter. Certainly the

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bridge to my memory had been ‘raised’ and no amount of encouragement was going to bring it down for the information to come across and onto my exam paper. I now know this was caused by a ‘fight or flight’, moro reflex – a primitive ‘baby’ reflex of many that should become ‘inhibited’ or dormant, once no longer needed, 6-12 months after birth.

It was my son’s similar challenges, not mine, that led me to train extensively and qualify as the only Channel Island Neuro-Developmental Delay Practitioner and Johansen IAS ( JIAS) Sound Therapist. This opened my eyes to my own neuro-developmental delay and helped me understand what I’d gone through as a child and when studying.

How doing something differently can help your issue.

Immature reflexes go to ‘sleep’, body ‘mechanics’ mature, body functions and issues improve. Listening daily to music, specifically composed to stimulate different ranges of frequencies (found in sounds and language), via the vestibular-cochlear nerve, JIAS enhances neural pathways in the brain, filtering out unwanted sounds, improving listening skills and balance. Poor balance is linked to many dysfunctions; poor posture, coordination difficulties, head held in hands; headaches, neck or spinal issues.

As a Health Kinesiologist I apply gentle pressure to a muscle, using acupuncture circuits to identify root causes and address dysfunctions. Imagine a ‘kink’ in a hosepipe interrupting the steady flow of water; its whereabouts identified (via muscle testing) the ‘kink’ is cleared (gentle pressure or other tool), a ‘healthy flow’ (electrical or chemical) is resumed.

Improved flow leads to better functioning, to help every issue a client comes to me with. HK works alongside tools such as magnets, homeopathic test kits and essential oils; as smell is the oldest of our senses, linked to the emotional centres of the brain, its correct use calms the client as the associated trauma is permanently released.

"I have worked with clients of all ages – from an 80 year old whose lifetime chronic fatigue has eased, to a teenager with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, who told me ‘OCD does not intrude into my life anymore’."

Primitive reflexes are necessary for us to develop neurologically and physically as a ‘foetus’ and during early infancy; they have characteristics that help us survive but are a disadvantage, if active, once we grow up. One job of the moro reflex is to be noise sensitive, to differentiate between voices of our carers to strangers; this ‘noise sensitivity’ does not support an adult in an open plan office or a child with classroom noise. A child born very quickly or by caesarean, may not have used its moro up; using a movement that stimulates the moro, in a controlled but natural way, it ‘uses up’ its moro ‘fuel’, no longer causing the sound or other sensitivities.

Baby reflexes for various reasons continuing to be active passed infancy, can be the underlying causes to challenges or linked to diagnoses of dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, Asperger’s, Autism; many clients come without any diagnosis, having searched all their life for answers – answers I am able to help them find.

Programmes I devise are based on natural movements made in the womb and infancy. Taking a few minutes daily, individuals follow a programme at home, changed at various reviews, during a minimum of 12 months.

I have worked with clients of all ages – from an 80 year old whose lifetime chronic fatigue has eased, to a teenager with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, who told me ‘OCD does not intrude into my life anymore’. During pregnancy, HK can clear stresses mother and foetus may experience, and support both as the new-born arrives into the world.

Children naturally develop at varying speeds – but, when they are able to speak, then suddenly stop talking, become uncharacteristically frustrated or withdrawn … an Initial Screening for Neuro-Developmental Delay or JIAS assessment may identify why.

I’m always happy to discuss concerns prior to making an appointment and without any obligation. Whether it’s linked to neuro-developmental delay, inefficient listening system or trauma trapped in your cellular memory, causing your body system or ‘mechanics’ to be stressed – why not do something different?

Claire de Gruchy is the Founder of Shalbeck Life Centre at 25 Pier Road, Jersey.

She also sees clients at Avenue Clinic, Guernsey. More info: www.shalbecklifecentre.com

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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HEALTH

Curiosity through the Eyes of the Soul

Valma Cameron and Maureen de Jong of The Art of Living Centre, Guernsey share some tips to look after your eyes Spending hours on your laptop does not probably leave you enough time to take care of that precious face of yours, which practically talks more about you than Facebook! They say, "Your eyes are the window of your soul!"

How much effort do we put in to make sure the windows are strong and clean enough to project the real beauty of our soul?

On the other hand, we strain them and tire them, staring long hours at that screen which connects us to the outside world. But to survive in this tech-savvy world and to stay abreast with the "on-the-move" social, and professional life, we are left with very little choice.

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is "the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work which are experienced during, or related to, computer use." For the computer user that translates to red, itchy, watery, irritated eyes, along with eye fatigue, difficulty focusing, and a variety of other problems.

This constant connection to the virtual world and long use of the computer has therefore resulted in some implications that can affect our eyes and face. Did you know that the biggest eye problem people may face from extended computer use is eye strain, fatigue, and eye dryness? And, hours of staring blank-faced at the screen can cause sagging of the skin? Have you ever caught sight of your expression when working on a computer? More often than not, our faces are completely emotionless. Lack of use of the facial muscles accelerates the rate at which the face sags and wrinkles form. But most of us use the computer for our work and abandoning it for the sake of health and beauty is out of question.

However, practicing some simple facial expressions and yogic exercises on your work desk can help prevent the unwanted side-effects like eye strain, fatigue, wrinkled and stressed facial lines that may arise due to excessive use of computer for Facebook or work!

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You can begin with practicing these simple tips for about 10 minutes a day to see how radiant your face feels and how wonderful a picture does the window of the soul show: Eyebrows massage: Start at the centre and press your eyebrows all the way till the end. Repeat a few times.

Around-the-eye-massage: Massage under your eyes with your fingers and over the eyelid with your thumb. Start from the inside of the eyes, slowly moving to the outside.

Eye slide: Bring your index fingers in front of you and move the right finger slowly to the right side and follow the movement with your eyes. Repeat the same with the left finger. Repeat for a few times. This exercise will help to strengthen the eye muscles.

Eye rotations: Look up between your eyebrows to the third eye and then down to tip of your nose. Repeat a couple of times and then rotate your eyeballs clockwise and anti-clockwise for a few times to improve eyesight.

Blink and squeeze: Blink your eyes as fast as you can and as many times as you can. Repeat this frequently during the day to take care of the dryness in the eyes. Similarly you can also practice opening your eyes wide and then squeeze them to close tightly.

Palm eyes: You can rub your hands together to warm them and gently place your palms on the eyes to warm them and protect them a couple of times during the day to release stress.

HEALTH

Jaw massage: Massage your entire jaw line in circular motion from the ear down to the chin on both sides with your fingers gently. This massage will help to ease out anger.

Kiss & smile: Pout your lips as if to kiss and then smile from ear to ear. Repeat a few times to strengthen the lips and cheek muscles and delay those deadly wrinkles!!

Teddy bear look: Blow up your cheeks and then move your tongue to your right and look to your left and then turn your tongue to your left and look towards the left.

This will help you cope with stress and tension.

Horse gallops: Make Gallop sounds with your mouth in various rhythms to improve concentration and increase alertness.

Stress-buster: Making the Brrrr sound repeatedly is a great stress-buster and also takes care of those laugh-lines!

Shanmukhi mudra: Place your little fingers of both hands on your chin from either side, place your ring fingers similarly on the upper lips, the middle fingers on the sides on the nose, close your eyes gently and place the index fingers on the eyelids and the thumb on the ears. Now breathe in and as you breathe out make a humming sound and vibrate your fingers. Repeat for a few times. When you are done, keeping your eyes closed

and feel the vibration on the entire face. Whenever you feel comfortable and relaxed you may open your eyes.

Shanmukhi mudra improves blood circulation of the face and keeps you looking younger and brighter.

While one cannot completely give up on using computers and mobile phones, adopting these simple exercises will keep the eyes from getting tired of the constant exposure to them. It will also keep the face from looking exhausted or saggy.

It is also advised to take break for a couple of minutes every hour or two and keep away from the bright screens.

Incorporating yoga in your daily routine will also help keep the body and mind fresh.

So, keep the windows of your soul sparkling and fresh by giving them a few minutes of attention every day.

Yoga practice helps develop the body and mind bringing a lot of health benefits yet is not a substitute for medicine.

It is important to learn and practice yoga postures under the supervision of a trained Art of Living teacher. In case of any medical condition, practice yoga postures after consulting a doctor and an Art of Living teacher.

Find an Art of Living workshop near you. Do you need information on courses or share feedback?

More info: www.artofliving.org/UK-en or write to us at: Valma@uk.artofliving.org

Creating a WORLD of Difference

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MIND

Trying Something New for Your Mental Health. Soothing a Tired Mind.

WORDS: Beth Moore Jersey Recovery College Manager

Did you know that if you walk a new route to work in the morning you will create a new information pathway in your brain? Our brains are incredible, they are malleable, adaptable and hungry to learn. We see this in children, in how they grow and develop, their zest for knowledge and their wonder at new things.

As we grow into adulthood we train our brains to be our most helpful tool, we establish well-tread pathways and shortcuts to do what we need to do. Do you remember learning to drive? Driving involves an incredibly complex set of processes to operate a car and navigate traffic. Yet, the day comes for all of us who drive when the complexity fades away and we almost forget we are driving.

We have the ability to simplify the most complex things in our amazing brains, but our brains are organs and can become unwell and get tired just like the rest of us. One of the symptoms of poor mental health is the inability to complete otherwise straightforward tasks. For example, making a cup of coffee can be overwhelming. We can also be forgetful and find problem solving or decision making very hard. When we are mentally exhausted or unwell, simple things can be so difficult to achieve, and yet this is a time where new activities can be something therapeutic we can do for ourselves. When our existing pathways become blocked, we can try new things to activate other parts of our mind.

At Jersey Recovery College we offer courses around trying new things. We have offered open water swimming, yoga trapeze, photography and singing. These activity courses run alongside our wellbeing and mental health education courses such as mindfulness, suicide awareness, sleep management and living with anxiety. They are equally important because we know how helpful it is to try something new when you’re feeling unwell. It takes courage and this is empowering. Trying something new can give hope that there is life outside of your current internal experience. Finally, it provides opportunity to learn something new, to connect with new people and to stimulate a new part of your brain.

It takes strength and courage to commit to try things, particularly when you are unwell but it might just be an important stepping stone to healing a tired mind.

More info: www.recovery.je

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Creating a WORLD of Difference

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Why Should We See Things Differently?

WORDS: Thomas Duncan Bell Managing Director at The Kingsman … also known as The Bipolar Businessman.

In telling my story over the last few years, I’ve managed to reach over a million people. Never one for being overly PC, telling it how it really is, I love saying the things that others don’t, because they fear people’s perception of them rather than focussing on truth. But with my open approach I find that the pleasure in taking someone to task, never outweighs the pleasure of motivating someone to change, or discover themselves.

Everything starts with one’s self. A decorated Navy Admiral – William McRaven said: "If you want to change the world, start by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed."

Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you'll never be able to do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made.

That you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

I believe, that if we want to change the world, we should start looking 76

deep within ourselves and ask ourselves who we really are. Inside all of us there are two voices – one voice that wants to uplift, a voice that wants us to expand and grow. And then there's the other voice – the voice that holds us back. That makes us lazy … complacent, and restricts us from our potential. We all know what voice we should be following … but we don’t!

When I have a dark day, when I lose who I am and I feel like I can’t push myself forward, I remember this …

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

"Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And

as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people, permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This mindset can shift my whole world in an instant.

Just over 10 years ago I was stood on a train track waiting to take my own life this was on a large railway intersection near Guildford station … But, when you stop putting pressure on yourself, when you stop judging yourself, when you stop measuring yourself against how a prescribed society defines you, then you free yourself.

I believe in the power of hope. The power of one person. A Lennon, a Dylan … One person can change the world by giving people hope.

So, if you want to change the world, start each day with a task completed.

Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But never, ever give up …

Through my time in the mental health space, I’ve changed more nimbly and readily, because I’ve seen others change in their own way, absorbing and thriving through their evolution.

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I’ve helped people to remedy issues in themselves that resonate within me, which in turn has made me reflect on how I approach the world. Make someone else happy and you might find you get some positive energy back in return.

Rocky Balboa said: Let me tell you something you already know … and I paraphrase … the world’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.

Nobody, not you or me or anybody, is going to hit as hard as life. But it’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.

Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But you have got to be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you’re not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody! You’re better than that!

So when you wake up tomorrow, make your bed. Exercise, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Be a teacher, pass on what you learn and inspire others. Define yourself by what you love, not what you

don’t like about the world you find yourself in.

Respect those with less power than yourself; not because you don’t know what status they may serve for you in the future, but because it’s the right thing to do, to honour everyone that crosses your path, without judgement, or preconception. And don’t rush. You don’t already need to know what you might do with the rest of your life. Don’t panic.

Life is best filled by learning as much as you can about as much as you can, taking pride in whatever you’re doing, having compassion, sharing ideas, exercise, being enthusiastic.

And then there’s love and travel and wine and sex and art and kids and giving and motorbikes and mountain climbing.

And while this may just seem like another pretentious beep beep, telling you what to do, or how to think, remember, I never said I was there … I never said that I’d made it. You are the only author of the book of your life. All I’m saying is … if you get a chance along the way … perhaps help somebody else write theirs …

More info: www.thekingsman.com and www.thebipolarbusinessman.com Creating a WORLD of Difference

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Looking Closely at Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace WORDS: Dr Andres Fonseca Co-Founder and CEO of Thrive UK

As organisations are increasingly looking at strategies that tackle mental health, it’s important we look closely at what’s being done to ensure their safety and effectiveness. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) has emerged as a popular programme of support in organisations that are training their staff so that they can raise awareness and increase mental health support in their workplaces.

Last year two research studies looked into MHFA and its effectiveness and came back with similar findings: The first being the recent HSE summary of evidence of the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid training in the workplace and a second being a feasibility study by the Institution of Occupational Safety (IOHS). Both seemed to conclude that whilst the training leads to increased awareness of mental health in the workplace, there is not yet sufficient evidence to suggest it has resulted in sustained action or wider management of mental ill-health.

MHFA is a promising initiative that can make a lot of difference in the lives of many employees. However, as the above results clearly show, MHFA is falling short of what it could be. In its current form, it’s not yet performing the function it was intended to perform.

Overall, at the moment mental health first aiders receive a lot of technical knowledge but they lack the training and experience to use it effectively. The problem with this approach is that while it’s a good idea to give people knowledge, we may give them enough knowledge to cause problems. Diagnosing these conditions is not trivial even for professionals and requires a lot of training. After a mental health first aid training session someone may

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feel as if they know what schizophrenia is, but in reality, they don’t. They haven’t seen it up close and personal and haven’t dealt with it. This overconfidence in itself may already be a problem and a risk factor.

A second key issue with the current approach is the lack of practice. When someone goes on one of these courses, they may role play some scenarios, but there’s no real experience transmitted during those sessions. They then return back to the workplace and encounter nothing for a while. One day, someone makes a disclosure to them around their mental health. Because they have not had any practice since the day of the training, they now half remember what they were told. Instead of paying close attention to the disclosure they may well be anxious themselves or trying to remember what the steps were and how to best deal with it.

How can we do it better?

The goal of a MHFA training shouldn’t be to train in house mental health professionals in a day. It has to be a part of a larger, more comprehensive strategy in which the whole organisation is involved. Although mental health first aiders are the first in line in this strategy, that doesn’t mean that they need to know everything. In our view, the

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primary functions of mental health first aiders are relatively simple.

First of all, they have to be skilled and confident in assessing risks. Risk assessment involves a lengthy and sometimes difficult conversation. If you’ve never had one of these before, you’re not really going to be able to effectively gauge the level of risk the person in front of you is in. The danger here is that if people might not be aware they are out of their depth in these situations. They may jump in and give advice that may not be the right thing for that person at that particular stage. Thus, getting risk assessment right should be their primary role and every first aider should be proficient in doing it. This is much more important and useful than being able to categorise different mental health problems.

Therefore, it is very important that people get to grips with a very basic risk assessment process that is very sensitive and effectively detects the risk so that those assessing don’t miss anything. You want to design the training to sensitise people to risk and give them the tools to be calm and neutral whilst they’re gathering the information. It can actually be summarised with five key questions that you can ask that are the biggest indicators and give you the most information about how much risk there is. These questions require for the first-aider to have established a reasonable rapport with the person they are helping, so a large part of the helping process is getting to the point where you can actually ask them.

The second main function of mental health first aiders should be to resolve the situation effectively. Essentially, this role is the same as it would be in any other health emergency; to help contain it in the best way possible until help arrives if needed, or until they are under the care of somebody who actually has the experience to deal with it.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

"We want to enable people to have the discussion – listen, don’t interrupt and help the person get through with their disclosure."

We want to enable people to have the discussion – listen, don’t interrupt and help the person get through with their disclosure. Those trained need to make sure they are retaining all the details as the individual might not be able to repeat it to anyone else later. Then they need to understand what to do – whether this is a case where they’ll support them to access the company’s Employee Assistance Programme or a case where they actually need to support them to go to A&E.

If first aiders perform their first role correctly and they are able to assess the situation accurately, the best resolution option should come naturally. For instance: If a person comes under a threshold of what we would consider an emergency then the first aider can say: ‘Okay, this person is anxious about doing a presentation to some colleagues’. That’s going to tell them what to do next, which is to reassure them and help them to cope with the situation a bit better. It may involve something like talking to them about simple relaxation breathing techniques.

CONTINUED...

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CONTINUED...

If on the other hand the person appears to be at risk the next step is going to be to support them to seek help or in extreme cases seek help on their behalf.

Doing that does not require a specific diagnosis, just an awareness of risk.

"Companies need to be aware of the fact that the training is valuable, but if it’s in a vacuum, it can backfire."

What can companies do to get here?

Companies need to be aware of the fact that the training is valuable, but if it’s in a vacuum, it can backfire. So we would encourage those responsible to think cohesively about mental health strategy and put the missing elements in place for existing MHFA staff rather than training more of them.

First of all, be clear about how to refresh existing skills and how much those already trained are practicing them.

MHFA should go beyond just doing a lot of training and getting more people trained up with the badge.

Question the whole set up. What is the knowledge base we have in the company? What resources are available?

Is everyone aware of them? Are we giving these MHFA enough continuing training and supervision to be able to fulfil their role? Are we giving them enough practice?

Second, getting experience during and after training is really important.

Regular supervision can help tremendously in getting there. Supervision should mean being confronted with cases and being able to have meaningful discussions about them guided by someone more experienced and more senior. A senior person in this context is ideally someone who’s successfully seen many of these situations. Practicing this way, even if it’s simulated practice, is key to actually getting results from your mental health first aiders.

When a company is aiming for effective MHFA, ongoing support it is crucial. Ideally this would be a peer group led by a senior member and who can meet once a month for 1 hour or so to discuss cases. Even if only one person in the group has a case it will be useful to hear what others have encountered and how they have dealt with it. One final aspect to consider is that of safeguarding. Clinicians undergo extensive vetting before they put themselves in a position of power over a vulnerable person. It is worth considering how this aspect managed in the company. Are you vetting first aiders sufficiently? How are you going to safeguard their contact with people in crisis or in a vulnerable situation?

More info: www.thrive.uk.com About the Author

Dr Andres Fonseca is a physician, psychiatrist and senior executive of a number of privately held companies in the mental health space. He trained as a physician in The Complutense University of Madrid, Spain and as a psychiatrist at the University College London / Royal Free North London Training Scheme. He has worked in clinical psychiatry since 1997, and is dual qualified in adult and old age psychiatry.

After qualifying, he worked for the NHS, later joining one of the largest independent mental health providers in the UK. As the Medical Director of this rapidly growing mental health service, Andres worked closely with Clinical Director and psychologist Adam Huxley. Together with their team,

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Andres and Adam created mental health services that supported 1,200 people across 70 facilities.

However, with the UK’s population at that point being over 60 million and knowing that 1 in 4 people will suffer a mental health condition at some point in their lives, they started to question how support could be provided on a larger scale and with an emphasis on prevention.

In 2012, Dr Andres left to co-found Thrive, a company dedicated to creating evidence-based digital tools to detect, prevent and treat mental health conditions. He is also honorary lecturer at the Division of Psychiatry in University College London and the Department of Psychology at University of Roehampton.

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Creating a WORLD of Difference

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Meditation Goes Plural: The Rise and Rise of Sophrology In the last edition of WellBeing World we reported on the latest wellness trends highlighted at the 2019 Global Wellness Summit (GWS), including a trend called ‘Meditation Goes Plural’. It talked about Meditation experiencing the same level of ‘meteoric’ growth as Yoga over the next few years through ‘more meditation at fitness studios, dedicated meditation centres, meditation at work and in schools and via meditation apps’.

It also said that Meditation will move from a singular to a plural practice, with people starting to understand their specific brain mechanisms, and predicted that different practices from Kundalini yoga to Sophrology would trend this year, highlighting BeSophro clinics in London, founded by WellBeing World contributor and friend, Dominique Antiglio, as a ‘shining example’ of the rise of Sophrology in the UK. Dominique told us: “I am so happy that Sophrology has been named as a leading meditation trend to watch in 2019 by the Global Wellness Institute, the leading industry researcher and trend forecaster, in their 2019 Wellness Trends report. We are especially humbled that BeSophro has been singled out – an achievement that makes the years that I have spent spreading awareness of Sophrology in the UK and more recently in the US worthwhile! I truly believe as the ‘Meditation Goes Plural’

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chapter suggests that "Meditation is at an adoption and conceptual tipping-point” and could not agree more with the report’s summary, which states that: “the future is exploring other meditation types (offering different benefits) and seeing different breeds as a personal toolbox for wellbeing.

“I so often get asked to address how Sophrology is different to mindfulness practices and whilst there are clear differences they are also complementary and we always encourage that everyone practice whatever works best for them, as we are all wonderfully different beings.

I am confident that Sophrology will continue to gain momentum as I know from experience that this practice is truly life-changing and its unique combination or breathing, gentle movement and positive visualisation sets it apart.”

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Sophrology or “dynamic meditation” is an emerging stress-management technique that marries components from Eastern meditation practices and Western relaxation concepts. Created

by Spanish neuropsychiatrist Alfonso Caycedo in the 1960s as a structured method for conquering anxiety and building consciousness, Sophrology is a technique that combines components of mindful meditation (Tibetan Buddhist and Japanese Zen); breathwork; guided visualisation; phenomenology; and gentle, mindful movement, such as yoga.

It has been popular across Europe for decades, where there are thousands of practitioners, and where it is used in the medical world, in schools to help students manage stress, to help women prepare for birth, in the corporate world to prevent burnout, and with sports stars to get in the right mind for big events. In places such as France and Switzerland, it’s routinely covered by health insurance. And now this 50-years-young practice is gaining traction in the UK, Asia and the US. It’s particularly on the rise in the UK, with the shining example being the three BeSophro clinics in London, run by Dominique Antiglio, author of the best seller The LifeChanging Power of Sophrology. And now, there’s a new online platform launching from BeSophro so the rest of the world can train.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

Practitioners agree that it’s a powerful way to reach calm and self-awareness for those who may struggle with meditation. No complex thinking or postures required, it only involves 20-30 minutes a day, and, because it has 50+ years of solid use in Europe and its roots are medical, it may appeal to skeptics or those put off by the spiritual vibe of some meditation classes.

Excerpt from the “Meditation Goes Plural” trend in the “2019 Wellness Trends, from the Global Wellness Summit”. Read the full article at:

https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/2019-globalwellness-trends/meditation-goes-plural/

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LOCAL NEWS

Triumphing Over Phobia

Local Self-Help Group for Sufferers of Phobias and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Panics? Anxiety? Fear of lifts, flying, queues? Scared of parties or eating out? Frightened of spiders, birds or mice? Washing hands excessively? Hoarding? Checking too frequently?

Triumph Over Phobia Jersey (TOP Jersey), the OCD and Phobia Charity, can help sufferers overcome their fears and become ex-sufferers.

Triumph Over Phobia UK (TOP UK) was started in 1987 under the auspices of Professor Isaac Marks, MD, FRPsych of the Institute of Psychiatry London and the late Celia Bonham Christie MBE, MA. Celia had used Professor Marks’ book ‘Living with Fear’ to overcome her phobia and managed to fly home from Canada.

‘Living with Fear’ sets out a structured self-help treatment programme and is still used today, together with a range of other books. Triumph Over Phobia offers sufferers selfhelp groups which are run by trained volunteers with lived experience who are often ex-phobics or ex-OCD sufferers.

Group members meet weekly in a warm, supportive environment for one or two hours at a time. Their methods are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and the work of Professor Marks.

TOP Jersey was set up in 1992 by Celia Scott Warren. It is affiliated to the national charity Triumph Over Phobia UK (TOP UK). Like the UK group, they are dedicated to helping sufferers of phobias, OCD and related conditions, and run weekly self-help meetings. They also have a telephone help line (0800 735 0608 or 01534 608008).

Celia told us: “Our self-help therapy group has enabled many people to overcome their fears. The difference getting help makes, and for OCD starting to challenge 84

the 'OCD bully' as it is called, is starting to get freedom back from constant fears, avoidance of difficult tasks, and lengthy rituals. When a person recovers he/she can take an active part in the community again, and perhaps decide to go back to the workplace.

“In my case it was washing rituals and a fear of contaminating others with dirt and germs. Washing and checking rituals, and ruminating on upsetting thoughts can take many hours and severely restrict a person's life.

“So raising awareness and education in schools and other public places about the importance of good mental health and quickly seeking help for any mental health problem is very important. Asking for help sometimes takes a lot of courage but is far better than suffering in silence, often for many years. Good, timely help is obviously vital in order to restore a person's sense of wellbeing, as are the resources to provide this!”

Group meetings are held every Thursday at 7pm at the Headway Centre, Springfield Road, St Helier, Jersey (opposite Roberts Garages Ltd).

More info: www.topjersey.org – call the helpline - or e-mail: topjerseyci@gmail.com

LOCAL NEWS

Soulgenic App Secures Funding for International Expansion Soulgenic, the Jersey based Health & Wellness App, has secured funding from three of Jersey’s most successful entrepreneurs to help fund the growth of the business internationally. Aaron Chatterley (Feelunique), Richard Goulding (Play.com) and Nigel Le Quesne ( JTC PLC) have backed the Jersey start-up with pre series a funding of £500,000.

Founder and CEO Glenda Rivoallan started the company in late 2016 from one desk within Digital Jersey and the company now enjoys a 10,000 sq. ft. Head Office which also operates as a working health club and wellness centre. Its digital platform has been developed beyond its initial viable product phase and is now generating revenue. Soulgenic provides a fully curated wellbeing journey encompassing the 4 key pillars of wellbeing: fitness, nutrition, mind-body (yoga and mindfulness) and general health.

Glenda said: “It has been an exciting road to get Soulgenic to where we are today and we are thrilled to have been able to attract investment from such high calibre, experienced investors, it really is a testament to the quality of the product that we have built. For me, it isn’t just about the funding, it is imperative that we work with people who have been there before and succeeded on a global scale.

Our investor group have done just that with their previous businesses and we are incredibly proud that they have shown belief in not just us as a team but also with the future plans for Soulgenic. These truly are exciting times for the company.”

Aaron Chatterley Founder of Feelunique, who is one of the trio of investors and who will sit on the board commented: “Soulgenic aims to solve a problem by providing an anytime anywhere wellbeing solution to help corporate organisations ensure their staff are both physically and mentally healthy and fit for work. We firmly believe that Soulgenic can become a household name in corporate wellbeing solutions and for that reason we are delighted to provide the necessary funding for their exciting growth plans.”

"For me, it isn’t just about the funding, it is imperative that we work with people who have been there before and succeeded on a global scale."

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More info: www.soulgenic.com

WellBeing World brings together more than 160 categories of health and wellbeing, with a quick and easy online search for the practitioner, supplier or retailer to suit your needs. Check us out, now!

www.wellbeingworld.je

BOOKS

Book Reviews Everything is Figureoutable:

How One Simple Belief Can Help Us Overcome Any Obstacle and Create Unstoppable Success Author: Marie Forleo Publisher: Portfolio Penguin (12 September 2019)

Do you ever have trouble f inishing what you start? Do amazing ideas come to you all the time but after the initial excitement wanes you struggle to follow through?

If you're creative and ambitious, the answer is likely yes.

The problem isn't you. It's not that you're not hardworking, intelligent or deserving, but that you haven't yet installed the one key belief that will change everything: Everything is figureoutable. Whether you want to leave a dead-end job, heal a relationship, grow a business, master your money, or just find two free hours in your day, Everything is Figureoutable will train your brain to think more positively and help you break down any dream into manageable steps.

Inside you'll learn:

How to deal with criticism and imposter syndrome Why it's crucial that you strive for progress not perfection How to bounce back from failure How to overcome a lack of time and money You'll also hear triumphant stories of everyday people using the ‘everything is figureoutable’ philosophy to transform their life. Everything is figureoutable is more than just a fun phrase to say. It's a practical, actionable discipline. And it's about to make you unstoppable.

'Smart, funny, and as brilliant as it is straightforward.

LOVED it!' Brené Brown, author of Daring Greatly.

'This book will change lives,' Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic.

'An unapologetic guide to solving your biggest problems and accomplishing your wildest dreams,' Sophia Amoruso, author of #GIRLBOSS. ‘This book delivers a knockout punch to whatever is holding you back,’ Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild.

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The Miracle of Yes: Reconnecting with Purpose, Passion and Peace, and Creating a Life you Love

Author: Rose-Marie Sorokin Publisher: Rose-Marie Sorokin Publishing (18 November 2018)

Life has brought you to this moment. Perhaps you’ve arrived at this point as the result of a diff icult experience, such as a divorce, a personal loss or f inancial challenge.

Or perhaps you just have a vague sense that life could be different or you want to find more meaning and create a life that is more in line with your authentic self, that I call the ‘True Self ’. Life can be challenging and make huge demands on our time and energy, often resulting in high levels of stress, dissatisfaction and confusion.

However, even with small changes you can start moving towards a life you love. This is a decision that you make and something that comes from the inside, regardless of your outer circumstances. Just making this decision will shift your energy from ‘no’ to ‘yes’ – yes to life and yes to passion, purpose and peace. This book will take you on a journey of self-development.

Somewhere along the line, it’s likely that you absorbed the idea that you are not good enough. If this message is firmly implanted in your subconscious, you may have turned your back on the essence of who you are deep inside and so find yourself moving into experiences of suffering. In this book, Rose-Marie Sorokin, will show you how you can move away from those patterns and into freedom and joy. How you can say ‘yes’ to your True Self and ‘no’ to any old, outdated, negative conditioning.

It looks at how to:

Clarify your current situation and understand your thoughts and emotions.

Understand your negative beliefs, where they come from and how to let them go.

How to heal and get into the ‘yes flow’.

How to live a heart-based life and develop more self-love and self-acceptance.

What it means to be awake and inspired, how to meditate (with links to guided meditations) and how to develop a spiritual practice.

BOOKS

Necessary Endings:

The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward Author: Henry Cloud Publisher: Harper Business (18 January 2011)

While endings are a natural part of business and life, we often experience them with a sense of hesitation, sadness, resignation, or regret. But consultant, psychologist, and bestselling author Dr. Henry Cloud sees endings differently.

He argues that our personal and professional lives can only improve to the degree that we can see endings as a necessary and strategic step to something better. If we cannot see endings in a positive light and execute them well, he asserts, the "better" will never come either in business growth or our personal lives.

In this insightful and deeply empathetic book, Dr. Cloud demonstrates that, when executed well, "necessary endings" allow us to proactively correct the bad and the broken in our lives in order to make room for the professional and personal growth we seek. However, when endings are avoided or handled poorly – as is too often the case – good opportunities may be lost, and misery repeated.

Drawing on years of experience as an executive coach and a psychologist, Dr. Cloud offers a mixture of advice and case studies to help readers know when to have realistic hope and when to execute a necessary ending in a business, or with an individual; identify which employees, projects, activities, and relationships are worth nurturing and which are not; overcome people's resistance to change and create change that works; create urgency and an action plan for what's important; stop wasting resources needed for the things that really matter.

Creating a WORLD of Difference

What They Said:

“Through specific strategies for ending things well, Cloud advocates for powerful personal changes ... and will give many readers the fresh start they crave.” ~Publishers Weekly.

"In this insightful and deeply empathetic book, Dr. Cloud demonstrates that, when executed well, "necessary endings" allow us to proactively correct the bad and the broken in our lives in order to make room for the professional and personal growth we seek."

“Much of what we do each day is an unnecessary waste of time and energy. This book will challenge you put a stop to things that have been getting in your way for a long time.” ~Tom Rath, bestselling author of Strengths-Based Leadership.

“Having written five books about the seasons of life, I can tell you that necessary endings are the hard part. Henry Cloud is a wise, experienced, and compassionate guide through these turbulent passages.” ~Bob Buford, bestselling author of Halftime and Finishing Well; founder, Leadership Network.

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WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY

WellBeing Directory You will find more WellBeing practitioners at www.wellbeingworld.je We print 5,000 copies and achieve +20,000 impressions online, per edition.

If you’d like to advertise in the next WellBeing Directory or in WellBeing World magazine, please contact us for a rate card at info@wellbeingworld.je 90

WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY WELCOME

ALIGN HEALTH AGENCY

Based at Lido Medical Centre, Align Health Agency offers a unique range of services that address multiple aspects of health including the physical, emotional and chemical aspects of wellbeing, alongside a key concept of prevention. Align’s concept is a 360 degree approach to health which is reflected in the range of services: chiropractic, sports and remedial massage, acupuncture and dry needling, craniosacral therapy, nutrition, reflexology, hot stone massage, movement therapy and personal training.

W: www.align.je E: info@align.je T: +44 (0) 1534 789 367

ANN MARIE CLARKE BSc, RGN

UKCP and EAIP Registered Psychotherapist

Ann Marie is passionate about health and relationships; between individuals, with ourselves and our environment.

Her mission is to improve quality of life. As one of Jersey’s first life and relationship psychotherapists, she paved the way for other members of the industry. With significant breadth and depth of expertise across client types, client goals and the methodologies employed to attain them, Ann Marie helps her clients to understand themselves and be the best and most fulfilled they can be, in life and in their relationships.

W: www.annmarieclarke.com E: info@annmarieclarke.com T: +44 (0) 7797 770 059

ART OF LIVING

AUGRÉ PHYSIOTHERAPY

Introductory Talk – Thursday, 9th January 2020 – 6pm at Moores Hotel, Guernsey. Corporate programmes are also available through TLEX Institute.

They also offer Pilates led by a qualified Physiotherapist.

Classes are limited to just five people and conducted in a fully equipped gym.

W: www.artofliving.org/UK-en FB: theartoflivingguernsey E: valma@uk.artofliving.org T: +44 (0) 7781 448 319

W: www.augrephysiotherapy.com E: info@augrephysiotherapy.com T: +44 (0) 1534 280 010

Art of Living offers educational and self-development programmes to facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep and profound inner peace, happiness and wellbeing for all individuals, including breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and practical wisdom for daily living.

A small and friendly practice, Augré Physiotherapy is based at the Lido Medical Centre. Their experienced team of physiotherapists have the ability to treat all musculoskeletal conditions and each are qualified in their own sub-speciality of physiotherapy. They specialise in knee and shoulder complaints.

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WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY

AYUSH WELLNESS SPA

Awarded ‘Best Spa in the South West UK & Channel Islands’ by the Good Spa Guide, Ayush Wellness Spa offers a combination of authentic Ayurvedic therapies and luxurious spa treatments. An Ayurvedic physician works with Indian and Western therapists to provide consultations and treatments and share with you the teachings of this timeless tradition enabling you to develop practices that will help restore and maintain mind and body. The concept is authentic in an environment that advocates a healthy lifestyle, enriching both physical and emotional wellbeing.

W: www.defrance.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 614 171 Hotel de France, St. Saviour’s Road, St Helier

CLUB SOULGENIC

Jersey's first fully integrated fitness and wellness centre. Set in an impressive space over three floors, it provides a range of products and services incorporating fitness, nutrition, general health and mind body. The club includes collaborations with the island’s foremost wellness professionals, providing a community that motivates and rewards members on their journey to optimum health and wellbeing.

Club Soulgenic. So much more than a gym.

W: www.clubsoulgenic.co.uk E: info@clubsoulgenic.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 733 080

ENERGETIX at UP AND ABOVE

FUTURE HEALTH

All the jewellery and accessories have the same purpose, to give us moments of wellbeing in our daily life and each of these moments tells us we are on the right track. Designs for women, men, children and a great sports look.

Comprising a series of 20 minute sessions held in the workplace, it doesn’t require a lot of space – just space around the desk or perhaps access to a meeting room. And, there is no need to get changed or to have access to shower facilities. It is a convenient way of showing your employees how to look after their own wellbeing.

Energetix combines sophisticated exclusive jewellery with the power of magnets. People wear the jewellery because they are fascinated by its radiance and want to have the power of magnets in their immediate vicinity all the time.

T: +44 (0) 1534 758 808 Up and Above, 50 Don Street, St Helier Order online at www.upandabovejersey.energetix.tv

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Future Health for a Healthier You is a stretch programme for employers to help employees to reduce stress, improve back conditions, enhance productivity, increase flexibility, energy and wellbeing.

E: futurehealth.je@gmail.com T: Magda: +44 (0) 7700 325 512

WELCOME WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY

GRAND JERSEY HOTEL & SPA

A subterranean haven, The Spa at Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa offers a wealth of amenities. Stretch out in the pool; lay back in the sauna; release your cares with an aromatherapy steam, or under the cascade of an exotic adventure shower.

Then revel in your solitude in the comfort of the exquisite relaxation lounge, where you can sample fruit and herbal teas. The Spa offers the ultimate cocooned experience, with a range of VIP, twin and single treatment rooms, indoor heated pool and bespoke treatments from Elemis to ensure quality and results.

W: www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/grandjersey E: spa.grandjersey@handpicked.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 288 450 Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey

HEALTH QUEST

Health Quest offers a range of services. Come and relax with a gentle yet powerful Reconnective Healing session, enjoy some soothing Reiki or perhaps a series of confidential Health Coaching sessions. Hannah also offers Bio Feedback sessions using the QEST4 technology to speed up recovery from chronic illness and to bring your body back to a natural balance.

W: www.healthquest.je E: hannah@healthquest.je T: +44 (0) 7829 720 294

HEALTH POINT CLINIC

Lorna Jackson Acupuncture 1st BSc (Hons), MBAcC, AFN. Traditional acupuncture is more than pain management, treating headaches or back pain, it is uniquely suited to modern life as physical, emotional and mental blocks are seen as interdependent.

Acupuncture is safe, gentle and it can be used by everyone, including babies, during pregnancy, sports enthusiasts and the elderly. Lorna operates from her clinics in The Lido Medical Centre and Greencliff Chiropractic Clinic. Most private health insurers cover acupuncture treatment. Please check before treatment.

W: www.healthpointclinic.co.uk E: lornajackson@healthpointclinic.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 852 039 (Greencliff Chiropractic) T: +44 (0) 1534 859 348 (Lido Medical Centre)

HEALTHHAUS

Healthhaus have created a community where the focus is on supporting members with a healthy, happy and sustainable approach to fitness and wellbeing. The award winning Milon Circuit uses your personalised programme to give simple, safe and results driven workouts in just 35 minutes, leaving plenty of time for a dip in the luxurious Ayush Wellness Spa.

Why not contact the membership team to arrange a tour of the club and to find out how Milon training can be incorporated seamlessly into your day. They look forward to taking your fitness personally.

W: www.healthhaus.co.uk E: membership@healthhaus.co.uk T: +44 (0)1534 614 800

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HELEN PAPWORTH THE AURORA LIFESTYLE

Sports and Indian Head Massages, and Pilates.

The Aurora Lifestyle was created to help improve the way you move. By reminding your body how to reconnect with its natural flow of movement. Allowing you to move through life with ease knowing that your mind and body is synchronising together. With our knowledge of anatomy and physiology we can release the stress and strains held within your body, enabling you to feel the freedom of movement again.

W: www.theauroralifestyle.co.uk E: helen@theauroralifestyle.co.uk T: +44 (0) 7797 771 846 Above Blades - Halkett Place

HUMAN HEALTH

At Human Health Chiropractic, we use thorough analysis, specific correction and our unique knowledge to tailor health care dedicated to you, to enable you to fully experience your body’s potential.

Allow us to introduce you to your “neuro spinal organ” – your only gateway between brain to body and its true importance for your health and life.

1st Floor, St Peters Medical Centre, Coop Grand Marche W: www.humanhealthcentre.com E: hi@humanhealthcentre.com T: +44 (0) 1534 747 833 94

HOTEL DE FRANCE

A 126 bedroom four star Hotel conveniently located just outside of St.Helier. Dine in the informal brasserie style Garden View Restaurant overlooking award winning gardens or at the fine dining ‘Saffrons’ Restaurant, renowned for local produce prepared with healthy Indian spices.

The Ayush Wellness Spa at the Hotel offers swimming pools, sauna, steam room, treatment rooms and an extensive fitness centre. Parking and Wi-Fi are free. A friendly but professional welcome is assured.

St Saviour’s Road, St Helier, Jersey JE1 7XP W: www.defrance.co.uk E: general@defrance.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 614 000

JERSEY INTERNATIONAL MINDFULNESS CENTRE

The only Mindfulness centre in Jersey to actively develop, research, publish and implement its findings, the team at Jersey International Mindfulness Centre ( JsyIMC) is passionate about providing a superior customer experience and tremendous value for their customers.

They provide tailored mindfulness courses, taster workshops and consultation at all levels, including: performance, sports, the challenge of exams, emotional intelligence, stress and health conditions management, corporate wellbeing, with formal psychometric measurement.

W: www.jsyimc.co.uk E: mindfulness@jsyimc.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 852 953

WELCOME WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY

JULIE DRYBURGH – TRANSFORMATIONAL COACH

Julie is Jersey’s only leading Transformational Coach. Is the life you’re living now, the life you want? Has your life gone the way you planned? Health, Happiness, Career, Wealth, Friendships, Work/Life Balance? No, then let Julie transform and empower you. Julie is a highly gifted intuitive and uses all that she has learnt over the past 30 years to assist you with your life challenges. She has developed a unique approach, the only one of its kind, that works, to help you with your Transformation. Get in touch for a free 30 minute consultation.

W: www.juliedryburgh.com FB: @juiledryburghtransformational E: Julie@juliedryburgh.com T: +44 (0)7797 742 347

L’HORIZON BEACH HOTEL & SPA

Nestled by the sea, the views are just the beginning.

Step inside and let your journey of indulgence begin.

The new L’Horizon Spa has been designed to offer a world of pampering whether you are visiting for a wedding, a girls’ weekend away or a break with a loved one. Enjoy a special day reviving mind and body, select an Elemis treatment, reinvigorate tired limbs with a dip in the sea-view swimming pool or simply drift away in the sleep room. Feel your cares wash away, just as the ocean washes over the golden sands of St Brelade’s Bay. W: www.handpicked.co.uk/lhorizon E: lhorizon@handpicked.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 743 101 La Route de la Baie, St Brelade, Jersey JE3 8EF

LES HOÛMETS CARE HOME

Les Hoûmets has been established for over 60 years and remains a family run care home dedicated to excellence, compassion and integrity. Located in the heart of Gorey village, with 24-hour care, Les Hoûmets has accommodation for 29 residents. Choose from beautifully decorated en suite rooms or luxury suites, available for couples or singles. Call Monica Le Mière on 01534 855656 to make an appointment or visit www.leshoumets.com for more information.

W: www.leshoumets.com T: +44 (0) 1534 855 656 Les Hoûmets Care Home, Gorey Village Main Road, Jersey JE3 9EP

NAOMI WEST PSYCHOTHERAPY CLINIC BA (hons) 1st class, PgDip, MA, UKCP

Find an enriching way through challenging times.

Providing a safe, supportive space, and a path through depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, eating disorders, trauma, panic attacks, stress, paranoia, relationship difficulties, and other difficulties. Return to insightful wellbeing, richer for the road taken through. Clinical practitioner of six years and from a four year training programme. Offering a low cost £20 for 40min consultation (value of £55). Offering a warm, safe and confidential refuge in which transformation is possible.

W: www.naomi-west.com E: hello@naomi-west.com T: +44 (0) 7797 77 99 49

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NATALIE CLARE CONSULTING

Natalie is an expert on Authentic Leadership for high performing women. Working with women in corporate and entrepreneurial environments, she helps them to discover the power of their own authentic leadership style, command the recognition and respect they deserve and translate this in to the financial rewards they desire. Contact her for a FREE 30 minute “Success Through Authentic Leadership Breakthrough Session” to finally understand why you’re not achieving the results that you work so hard for and create a clear plan for achieving greater success.

W: www.natalieclare.com E: natalie@natalieclare.com T: +44 (0) 7797 781 203

SHALBECK LIFE CENTRE

2019 WINNER WELLBEING PRACTITIONER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Learning Support: Enhance reading, writing and mathematics, improve memory and study skills.

Health Support: Release stress, address physical symptoms and improve health. Treatments: Reflex Stimulation, Raindrop (Aromatherapy) Massage, Health Kinesiology, Acupressure, Johansen IAS Sound Therapy, Harmony Therapy (clearing trauma in cellular memory). WBW Reader Offer: 10% Discount on 1st session.

W: www.shalbecklifecentre.com E: claire@shalbeckcentre.com T: +44 (0) 7797 714 758 25 Pier Road, Lower Ground, JSY and Avenue Clinic, GSY

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PREMIER BIOFEEDBACK

Want to perform better? EEG Biofeedback (also called Neurofeedback) is used today by professional athletes, directors, artists, mediators, and world-leading organisations, such as NASA and US elite forces, to take their performance to higher levels.

A drug free therapy, EEG Biofeedback treats conditions like anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, Autism, Recovery after Head Injuries, Learning Disabilities, as well as helps to improve concentration and attention for people who want to improve performance and achieve higher targets at work.

W: www.premierbiofeedback.co.uk E: info@premierbiofeedback.co.uk T: +44 (0) 7797 773 267

SILKWORTH CHARITY GROUP

We provide hope for those that suffer with drug and/ or alcohol addiction, together with support for families and significant others. Our services are available to anyone in our local community, through statutory or personal referral, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay or not. These include; Residential Treatment Programme, Family Programme, Recovery Day Programme, Secondary Care Programme, Children’s ( 7 to 12 year old ) Programme, Workplace Education Programme, and our Schools Programme.

W: www.silkworthlodge.co.uk E: info@silkworthlodge.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 729 060

WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY WELCOME

SOPHIE CLYDE-SMITH THE MODERN CAREER COACH

Many people are disconnected from their careers which is damaging their wellbeing and health. Through having more direction, clarity, purpose and meaning in your professional life you can significantly improve your quality of life, relationships, mental health and more. By coaching people to reconnect with their careers, explore modern ways of working (self-employment/ freelancing, side-hustles, remote/ flexible working) and finding the confidence for career progression/ transitions, Sophie improves her client’s career engagement and in turn their overall wellbeing.

SOUL HEALING

Help yourself to see blessings in past experiences, beauty in the present and an inspiring future. Are you stuck in an unsatisfactory job or relationship? Is stress taking the best of you? Lost touch with yourself? Struggling with your mental wellbeing? Searching for authenticity? Maybe you don't know how to let go? Have you suffered events so bruising that you don't know how to assimilate them?

You can change it with Soul Healing. Confidential, experienced and effective counselling and Emotion and Body Code healing. Service available for adults, couples, families and children. In English and Polish language.

W: www.sophieclydesmith.com E: sophie@sophieclydesmith.com

W: www.soulhealingjersey.co.uk E: soul.healing@icloud.com T: +44 (0) 7797 781 210

Synthesis hosts discovery for change within an Evolutionary Leadership framework. In a safe, supportive holding environment unpack, understand and integrate the whole of yourself. Become selfempowered by stepping onto your personal journey.

Take a 360 degree look at yourself inside out and outside in. See what hinders and helps you. Get in touch with your body, thoughts, emotions and energy field. Find innovative solutions to problems providing stepping stones toward transformation. Synthesis provides all this through programmes of Personal & Corporate Coaching, Yoga, Meditation and Energy work.

Tap It Better is the brainchild of Advanced Practitioner Yolanda Sáez Castelló MSc and uniquely combines Inside Out Success Coaching with EFT/TFT Tapping for comprehensive treatment of anxiety, stress, phobias, physical pain, exam nerves and much more. Tap Away the Tiger workshops, Tapping In Schools and private/family sessions also available. EFTi member and fully insured.

SYNTHESIS

W: www.synthesis-therapies.co.uk E: sarah.howard@synthesis-therapies.co.uk T: +44 (0) 7797 778 965

TAP IT BETTER

Online sessions also available.

W: www.tapitbetter.com E: Yolanda@tapitbetter.com T: +44 (0) 7700 788 870 FB: www.facebook.com/justtapitbetter 97

WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY

THE DIAMOND BODY PILATES STUDIO

Marilyn has a unique approach to teaching through her study of the Franklin Methode in Switzerland. The Franklin Methode was a three year study of anatomy in breathing and movement and with this knowledge she teaches Pilates on equipment designed by Joseph Pilates at her studio at Fort Regent.

All classes and personal training is by appointment only. Suitable for both men and women regardless of age or ability.

E: mwardpilates@gmail.com T: +44 (0) 1534 724 771 or Mobile +44 (0) 7797 717 803

THE RESOLUTION CENTRE

The Resolution Centre is leading a cultural movement that promotes harmony in society. Their mission is to generate a step change in the way people resolve challenges, make decisions and create opportunity. They have an unique approach which transforms individuals and organisations at every level, enhancing wellbeing, performance and outcomes personally and professionally.

As the ADR specialists in the Channel Islands, The Resolution Centre provide a full range of ADR services, leadership development, coaching, and accredited mediation training across all sectors. Creating a better future, one conversation at a time.

W: www.theresolutioncentre.com E: info@theresolutioncentre.com T: +44 1534 730 234 98

THE FOODSTATE COMPANY

Naturally Good The Foodstate Company exists to provide the finest range of food-based supplements created in the most natural and healthy form available. Because their nutrients are created as foods you can be confident that your body can absorb, use and retain them naturally. At a time when farm soils are desperately deplete of the essential nutrients that give us our health, their foodbased supplements provide the perfect alternative to better health and a stronger immunity. Follow them on Facebook for daily health tips!

W: www.thefoodstatecompany.com E: enquiries@thefoodstatecompany.com T: +44 (0) 1534 855 280

WELLSTEPS JERSEY

Michelle Wedgbury is a certified health coach (ICF accredited*), and adult mental health first aider. She holds a certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and is currently completing the life coaching part of her studies. She has trained and volunteered as a Samaritan and currently works with clients from a local charity who have suffered life changing illnesses.

Michelle’s services include one to one coaching sessions, pop up wellness clinics and lunch and learns. Contact Michelle for a free discovery session. *International Coaching Federation E: wellstepsjersey@gmail.com T: +44 (0) 44 1534 482 638 W: Currently under construction