IN THIS ISSUE:You Count! Carving Out Personal Time ... 1The Power of Yoga .......................................... 2Quick Tips for Keeping a Positive Attitude ............................................. 2Going Back To School? .................................. 3Let’s Get Healthy! Exercise and Eating Well ........................................................ 4More, More, More ........................................... 5

LifeBalance Newsletter

The term ‘rejuvenate’ has many different meanings, depending upon whom you ask. It can mean creating time for oneself to enjoy meditation, yoga, a walk in the woods, or other activity; taking a course or learning a new skill; visiting with friends or family; travelling; making time to help others, or even just getting a good night’s sleep. Whatever ‘rejuvenate’ means to you, it’s important to take time to re-energize, refresh and revitalize. LifeBalance can help!

Do you always feel behind or overwhelmed? This feeling of ‘never having enough hours in the day’ isn’t uncommon, but that doesn’t mean it should be the norm. It’s important to remember to slow down and take time for yourself to have fun, stay active and enjoy life. You and your health – both emotional and physical – should come first.

Here are some tips to help you carve out precious personal time in your busy life:

1. Determine what matters the most. Determine what must be done and what you would like to do, then try to create a happy balance. For example, commit to spending 30 minutes every night to tackle one housecleaning chore instead of spending all day on Saturday, creating quality time on the weekend to spend with family. Or,

dedicate 30 minutes every Sunday evening mapping out the coming week on a whiteboard or calendar and assigning tasks and chores. Agree to a reasonable plan and stick to it, while being careful not to over-commit any one member of your family – that includes you!

2. Keep track of your time. Pick a week and track how much time you spend on various activities throughout those seven days, from commuting and errands, to housework, extracurricular activities, and more. At the end of the week, analyze how you’re spending your time, looking for time-wasters. Eliminate wasted hours by combining

errands, saying no to less important activities, and delegating tasks to your partner or family members.

3. Pay for time-saving services and make use of convenient internet tools. More and more companies offer services to help us save time. If you have the money to do so, consider a cleaning service, laundry service, lawn cutting, or other. If you’re not already doing so, pay your bills, shop and book appointments online to enjoy valuable time-savings. Remember that your EAP program also has many time-saving tools and services available to you.

YOU COUNT! CARVING OUT PERSONAL

TIME

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A positive attitude doesn't just make you feel better. It can also strengthen your relationships with friends, family, and co-workers, and even make it easier to deal with everything from a bad day at work to a major life change. Here are some tips for creating and keeping a positive attitude:

■ Turn negative thoughts into positive ones. Instead of thinking, "I'll never make it to the end of my shift," say, "At the end of the day, I'm going to go for a long walk to reward myself for getting through this crunch." When you have a problem, instead of saying, "This is terrible and there's nothing I can do about it," tell yourself, "Things are going to get better”.

■ Try to be around positive people as much as possible. Negative thinking spreads quickly, especially at work. If you make an effort to spend time with people who have a positive outlook, you might find that you'll start thinking more positively, too.

■ Remember that you can choose to be positive or you can choose to be negative. A positive outlook isn't just something

QUICK TIPS FOR KEEPING A POSITIVE ATTITUDEResearch has proven that even faking a smile can help a person to lift a dark mood because the brain associates smiling with happiness! The reality is that forming and keeping a positive attitude takes work. But, the good news is that it’s a skill that you can learn, and it’s well worth the effort!

that you're born with – it’s a skill that you can learn with practice.

■ Keep learning and growing. Learning new things – whether it's how to fish or how to use a new software program at work – gives you confidence. Make it a point to try something new whenever you can, and avoid thoughts that begin with, "I'm too old to..." or "I don't have enough time to..."

■ Make time for the things that make you happy. Whether it's spending time with friends, going to the movies, or just playing with your kids, make the activities you love a priority.

■ Maintain your sense of humour. A sense of humour can help you get through tough situations and it's a great stress-buster. Spend time with funny people, share jokes or funny stories at work, or watch funny movies at home.

■ Have things to look forward to. Plan a weekend get-together with family, go to the gym at the end of a tough day at work, or call a friend you haven't talked to in a long time. Looking ahead to activities you enjoy can provide additional motivation to keep you going.

Developed with funding from the IBM Global Work/Life Fund.

THE POWER OF

YOGAScientists who have studied the effects of yoga have found that it can have a variety of physical and emotional benefits. According to the Office of Alternative Medicine at the American National Institutes of Health, doing yoga regularly can:

❚ reduce anxiety

❚ lower blood pressure

❚ make the heart work more efficiently

When combined with diet and other forms of exercise, yoga can reduce cholesterol levels. Yoga may also have benefits for people who have diabetes, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other conditions. However, you don’t have to have a serious health concern to benefit from yoga. Depending on which techniques you use and how often you practice them, yoga may help you:

❚ feel calmer

❚ avoid insomnia

❚ concentrate better

❚ have more energy

❚ improve posture

❚ develop better muscle tone

❚ increase flexibility

❚ quit smoking or other addictions

Go ahead – give yoga a try and see what it can do for you!

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GOING BACK TO ■ Choose your courses or program carefully.

Make your selections by considering your interests, as well as how they will contribute to your career development.

■ Stay on top of your to-do list. Keep a calendar – paper or electronic – to help you manage responsibilities in all areas of your life. Try not to wait to the last minute to do your coursework, as it will likely create unnecessary stress.

■ Remember to take frequent “study breaks” to recharge. Although it feels good to cross an item off your to-do list, remember to take frequent short breaks throughout work. Here are some good rules to follow:

❚ Every 10 minutes, take a one-minute break, especially if you’re working at a computer. Look up from your screen and focus on a distant landscape to rest your eyes. Stand up to stretch or get a glass of water.

❚ Every 30 minutes, take a five-minute re-fueling break. It may seem counterproductive to take a break when you’re “on a roll”, but the result is actually the opposite! Giving your brain a short rest can actually stimulate productivity and creativity, and help you focus.

■ Stay connected. Communicate with classmates, professors and their assistants if you have questions or concerns. Creating a network of people on which you can rely for support and guidance is important, ensuring that you don’t feel like you’re on your own.

Why go back to school?

■ Improve your job proficiency. In today’s world, many jobs require specialized training and advanced education. Learning new skills may help you broaden your responsibilities in your current role, or even earn a promotion.

■ Strengthen your skills or acquire new abilities. No matter your age or stage of life, you can always learn a new skill or improve upon existing skills. Enrolling in a class is the best way to become more proficient in any subject.

■ Gain satisfaction from realizing a goal. You’ll enjoy a sense of accomplishment and personal pride from achieving a goal you’ve set for yourself.

■ Make new contacts and new friends! Taking a class can open up doors for you – both professional and personal!

What can you do to help yourself succeed?

■ Stay focused. Set goals – both short- and long-term – and break them down into smaller objectives. Create SMART goals when mapping out your plan – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based. You’re more likely to be able to achieve your goals when you follow this structure.

■ Stay positive. Try to maintain an optimistic attitude. If you can believe that what you’re doing is valuable and will create new opportunities, it will help to make bumps along the road less painful.

Going back to school as an adult can be a challenge, especially while working. There are many factors to consider, such as: How will you benefit? Will this additional training help you in your current role, or are you considering a new career path? How will you balance the demands of work and school, while maintaining important connections with family? Is this the best time to go back, and can you fund your training? Could you face a decrease in income and still feel financially secure? If you’re thinking about going back to school, here are some tips to help you weigh your decision.

SCHOOL?

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Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to a Healthy Active Lifestyle recommends that adult Canadians get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day, while children should get at least 60 minutes. Short periods of activity – defined as anything that increases your heart rate and moves your body – are just as valuable as longer stretches of exercise. This means that the recommended number of minutes does not have to be lumped into one session, so you can incorporate activity into your daily life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a short walk at lunchtime, or toss a ball to the dog in the morning before leaving for work. Do exercises while watching TV or talking on the phone.

There are two types of physical activity: aerobic and strength and flexibility. Aerobic activities speed up your heart rate and breathing, helping to build cardiovascular fitness. This can be anything from jogging to biking or cardio kickboxing. Strength

and flexibility activities help to build muscles and maintain healthy bones, while decreasing the likelihood of soreness or injuries.

Equally as important as physical activity to our well-being is a balanced diet. According to Canada’s Food Guide, the bulk of our diet should consist of whole grains, vegetables and fruit. Treat meats and dairy products as side dishes, and eat them less frequently. This is not only more healthy, but also more economical. Here are some additional healthy eating tips:

■ Try making meals from scratch! Test out a new recipe or get creative with ingredients you have on-hand. Cooking and baking from scratch may take more time, but are worth it in terms of cost-savings and nutritional value. Many pre-packaged, boxed, canned and frozen foods are high in fat, calories, sodium and sugar, and they are also usually more expensive. Get your whole family involved in meal planning and preparation, teaching your children an important new skill and to choose healthy!

■ Buy in bulk when possible. Store extra units in your pantry or freezer if you have space. Or, prepare meals in advance and freeze them for later use.

■ Read labels. Labels contain the nutritional information you need to make healthy choices, and to compare similar products.

EXERCISE AND EATING WELL

LET’S GET HEALTHY! Physical activity helps to manage weight, lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and lessen feelings of depression and anxiety. If you’re not already getting the recommended amount of daily activity, give it a try and pay attention to how good it can make you feel!

5©2012 Ceridian Corporation. All rights reserved.

MORE, MORE, MORE

Go online to access other valuable resources, assessments and information: www.lifebalance.net

Looking for more information? Go online to www.lifebalance.net to read, download or order articles, booklets, audio recordings and other resources on wellness, relationships, workplace issues and more. Some of these include:

CDsAchieving Balance: Many of us face feelings of overload as we struggle to balance the demands of work with the requirements of our personal and family lives. This CD, recorded by clinical psychologist and well-known stress-management speaker, Dr. Bob Brooks, includes practical tips that even the most harried of us will find helpful.

Sleep Better Now: 5 Weeks to Improving Your Sleep: Few of us get the amount of sleep we need. Many of us have trouble falling – and staying – asleep. On this CD, Dr. Gregg Jacobs, Insomnia Specialist at the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the author of Say Goodnight to Insomnia, explains how to break unhealthy sleep patterns and start getting the sleep you need to feel better.

BookletsWork, Life, Play: Making the Most of Everyday: This booklet is filled with dozens of ideas and inspirational quotes to help you make positive choices every day – at work, at home, and in your personal life.

The Little Book of Sleep: A Story for 6 to 60 Year-Olds: The Little Book of Sleep teaches children of all ages good sleep habits. This colourful, fun book is the perfect bedtime story for those who cannot, will not, go to sleep! Families will have fun discussing helpful (and not so helpful) sleep routines and put the struggle of getting to sleep…. finally… to rest.

PodcastsNEW! Age & Sleep: Sleep expert Dr. Gregg Jacobs talks about the common causes of insomnia and shares tips on how to improve your sleep at any age.

The Five Pillars of Happiness: What is happiness? Find out in this five-part podcast series that delivers advice, tips and ideas on how to bring more happiness and well-being into your very busy life.