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Coping with Major Incidents
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Sadly the devastation wreaked by the flooding continues Queensland has suffered catastrophic damage and loss, the waters are continuing to rise in NSW, and heavy rain and flash flooding are hitting Victoria. While the arduous task of cleaning up has commenced in some areas, others remain under threat.
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Drake have provided some helpful articles that may assist you or someone you know who has been devestated by Queensland / Victoria's flood.
Click on the titles below to be taken to the article:
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Slow breathing exercise
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Have you noticed that you're breathing too fast? Tension and anxiety can affect your heart rate and breathing patterns. A relaxed breathing rate is usually 10 to 12 breaths per minute.
Practise this exercise three to four times a day when you're feeling anxious so that you can use this as a short-term coping strategy.
- Time the number of breaths you take in one minute. Breathing in, then out is counted as one breath.
- Breathe in, hold your breath and count to five. Then breathe out and say the word 'relax' to yourself in a calm, soothing manner.
- Start breathing in through your nose and out slowly through your mouth, in a six-second cycle. Breathe in for three seconds and out for three seconds. This will produce a breathing rate of 10 breaths per minute. In the beginning, it can be helpful to time your breathing using the second hand of a watch or clock.
- Count to yourself.
- Continue breathing in a six-second cycle for at least five minutes or until the symptoms of over-breathing have settled.
After practising this exercise, time the number of breaths you take in one minute. Practise the slow breathing exercise each day before breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. Use the technique whenever you feel anxious. Gradually, you'll be familiar enough with the exercise to stop timing yourself.
This exercise is from beyondblue Fact Sheet 6, Reducing stress.
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Did you know ...
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New Study Shows Meditation Improves Attention & Focus
We're familiar with the claims that meditation can improve health, reduce stress and tension, and enhance creativity and productivity. Now those claims have been put to the test in a major US study which shows that visual perception and sustained attention can be improved through intensive mental training and meditation.
Clifford Saron, Associate Research Scientist at the University of California, lead the Shamatha Project to produce the first paper on a major scientific study of meditation training.
Saron says, "The results show for the first time that improved perception, often claimed to be a benefit of meditation practice, underlies improvements in sustained attention."
In the 1990s, Saron observed exiled Tibetan monks and yogis in the Indian foothills of the Himalayas who had achieved remarkable emotional calm, focus and joyfulness in their lives, despite great hardship and suffering. He wanted to know if those states were achievable only by individuals with unusually serene dispositions, or if they could be achieved by most people through intensive training.
more..
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Thirty participants attended a three-month meditation retreat where they received meditation instruction from a Buddhist scholar, attended group sessions twice daily, and engaged in individual practice for about six hours each day.
Testing occurred three times during the course on attention and cognition, psychological and emotional measures, and physical and psychological changes.
Testing at the half-way point found that the group had become better at making fine visual distinctions and their sustained attention improved. These findings were consistent with Buddhist claims that meditation cultivates "attentional vividness".
Meditation training may free up mental resources so that attention can be sustained more easliy for extended periods of time, and meditators may also be better able to regulate their emotions.
The Shamtha Project shows that people of diverse ages, ethnicity, education and meditation experience can achieve measurable changes in their mental state and capabilities. The project also gives insights into the nature of the mind, the relation between psychological and physiological traits, and the effects of sustained meditation.
Source : Futurity
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Look after your body @ work
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Feel tired, sore and stiff after a day at work? Does your body complain after sitting at a desk for seven hours straight?
Of course it does, because human beings are not built to stay still for long periods of time.
We're supposed to up and about, running, walking, dancing and swimming.
Longer working hours and a decrease in the amount of people taking their annual leave have led many employees to develop all sorts of ailments "The workplace has become an increasing health hazard," says Professor Ron Penny of St Vincent's Clinic and Good Health Solutions. "An unacceptable number of employees are putting their long-term health at risk."
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So, how can you stay safe, healthy and comfortable at work without running around the block twenty times at lunch? Know your workplace niggles and how to prevent them
Beat RSI
Repetitive strain injuries come from doing the same movement over and over again. Whether it be typing, bending or reaching our muscles can become sore and tired from constant activity.
To prevent it:
- ’ Cut down on computer use by leaving voicemails instead of sending e-mails.
- ’ Look something up in a book instead of searching the Internet.
- ’ Have your keyboard and mouse low enough so you can relax your shoulders and have your phone close so you don't have to reach for it.
- ’ Do not use your head and shoulder to hold the phone. Use your hands or get a head piece.
- ’ Get up and walk around every 20 minutes. Even if it is to the bathroom.
- ’ Try and do cardio exercise three times a week to work out the kinks.
- ’ Stretch your legs and arms while at your computer.
Side-kick stress
It's a terrible reality, but most of the time when we're anxious and tense we don't even realise it. We're so used to operating at a million miles an hour that we don't have time to realise that our hair is falling out, our skin is suffering, our muscles are sore, our energy has vanished and our general health is fast sliding downhill. What can you do?
Recognise when you're short tempered, moody and tired and nip any erratic behaviour in the bud. Take a few deep breaths and close your eyes to instantly calm down.
Steer clear of caffeine, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol and too much sugar. Instead get your energy from healthy substances and chill out with a cup of Peppermint tea.
Exercise as much as possible and try yoga or Pilates to help soothe your mind.
Take a break! "A holiday is like one big vitamin injection into our bodies," says Ricky Nowak, executive trainer and consultant. "It gives us the chance to boost our immune system, think more clearly and lift our spirits. Without regular holidays, a build up of stress can lead to burn-outs, breakdowns and even depression." A week's break in Australia can be enough to rejuvenate the senses and kick-start your health.
Think happy thoughts and don't let negativity fester. Deal with problems when they arise, don't be afraid to ask for help and try to be a glass half full kind of person.
Prevent bad posture
Sitting at a desk or in a car all day as well as standing behind a counter for longer periods of time can put strain on your back, shoulders and neck which leads to slouched and hunched posture not a good look!
Make sure you remain nice and tall by:
- ’ Setting your chair to a height so your feet rest flat on the ground.
- ’ Making sure the distance between your eyes and your computer screen is around 50-70 cm.
- ’ Keeping your head directly over your shoulders and your shoulders over your pelvis.
- ’ Tightening your abdominal muscles and tucking in your bottom.
- ’ Avoiding crossing your legs when sitting as it prevents proper blood circulation.
- ’ Wearing shoes with good support and cushioning if you have to stand on a concrete floor all day. A rubber mat will also ease the pressure.
- ’ Using a rolled up towel or a commercial back support to support your lower back.
Fight air-conditioning bugs
How often has one person fallen sick in your office and suddenly everyone has the flu? Yep, air-conditioning is the enemy when it comes to spreading germs.
Keep the lurgi at bay by:
- ’ Making sure you're warm at all times wear a scarf to prevent drafts and keep your feet cosy by leaving a pair of slippers under your desk to change into. If you're sitting down all day, no one will know. Hey, actors do it!
- ’ Taking vitamins multivitamins, B12, vitamin C and Echinacea will all boost your immune system.
- ’ Having hot drinks tea has loads of energy boosting antioxidants and it also warms your chest which will help fight colds and coughs.
- ’ Eating healthy you want to go for lots of greens and complex carbs as well as low GI foods that will keep you fuller for longer. Try sushi, unsalted nuts, seeds, oily fish, jacket potatoes, risotto, legumes and lean meats. You also need to drink around two litres of water a day to flush out any toxins.
Put a stop to poor eyesight
More than 50 percent of computer users experience eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision. Constant eye stress can also cause body fatigue and reduced efficiency.
Save your peepers by:
- ’ Making sure your screen isn't too bright. You want something that is soft on the eyes, but still clear.
- ’ Not working under florescent lights. You should have normal room lighting.
- ’ Eliminating glare and screen reflections by moving or tilting your computer appropriately or getting an anti-glare screen.
- ’ Cleaning your screen regularly as it attracts dust.
- ’ Giving your eyes short 20 seconds breaks every 15 minutes. "Stretch" your eyes by focusing on something in the distance.
- ’ For a simple and quick eye pamper, rub your hands together for about ten seconds until they become warm. Close your eyes and place your palms over them. Bliss!
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Image of the month
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Reach your goals
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Do you set goals for the year and never stick to them? Here's how to set yourself up to suceed!
1. Ask yourself the right questions
- Give some thought to what you really want and why your want to achieve it.
- How much does this goal mean to you?
- What are the benefits of achieving this goal? List them.
- Who else does this affect or impact?
- Are you really prepared to do what it takes to achieve this goal?
2. Get anchored
- Write your goals down on a sheet of paper.
- Simplify them into point format
- Place them where you will see them regularly
3. Set a plan
- Identify the key steps you need to take towards accomplishing your goal
- Assign specific dates for this
- Involve significant others in your plan so that you have to be accountable.
4. Be realistic & reward yourself
- It is important to reward yourself along the way as you tick off your action plan.
- Don't beat yourself up if you lose focus.
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Workplace Tip
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Feeling tired after your lunch break? Your own body could be putting you to sleep. Our body's sleep schedule (circadian rhythms) activate around 2pm, which can make you feel drowsy.
The Solution: Take a quick walk in the sun to counter these instigators of sleep.
Source: Mens Health Magazine, July 2010
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