Winter is here, let’s rug up and keep warm.

In the June Newsletter:

1. Winter is here, let's rug up and keep warm.
2. What's news? Celebrating inclusion and belonging.
3. Hot off the neuroscience desk.

Winter is here, let’s rug up and keep warm.

The winter solstice has been and gone heralding the gradual return of longer days and lower temperatures. It’s the beginning of winter down under. It also means we’re almost at the half-way mark of 2023. Help!

This is a great time to reflect on how the first half of 2023 has been for you, to see how much progress you’ve made in achieving your goals, and to celebrate your wins.

Making progress is one of our big drivers to what gives us pleasure in the work we do.

It’s a question I often ask in my workshops and presentations.

“What makes a good day great?”

The power of small wins is what makes making progress so alluring. If you can see you’re making small incremental gains towards your goal, whether it’s the five of the 25 kilos you want to lose, getting a good grade that will count towards your overall academic score or getting closer to completing that manuscript you began last Spring, making progress gives you hope and boosts your morale and motivation.

It also shows you how you’re doing. Are you making progress at the speed you want, or do you need to revise your timetable? Seeing progress feels so much better than thinking, oh goodness, I’ve still got 1500kms to go before I reach my destination.

As a recovering perfectionist and workaholic, I’ve learnt how seeing and feeling the gain of making progress can help alleviate some of that (unwarranted) anxiety that you’re not doing enough, it’s not good enough etc. etc.?Why do we give ourselves such a hard time?

Choosing to focus on your progress rather than seeking a HD in everything you do (note to self) allows you to acknowledge your achievements and keeps your mindset firmly focused on continuing what you’re already doing well.

Progress can provide meaning, and what better feeling is there than knowing you’re progressing in meaningful work??

Remember too, that you yourself are always a work in progress and that’s what keeps you learning and growing.

A?meta-analysis?that looked at the importance of measuring progress to achieve your goals showed that the more often you monitor your progress and physically record it, the more likely you will succeed in reaching your goal!

Let’s do this!

How do you measure your progress at work?

How do you celebrate those small incremental steps that are getting you closer to your goal?

What’s News?

Celebrating inclusion and belonging.

During a conversation this week, the other person shared how lucky he was because he has always loved doing his work, in whatever role he’s ended up in. How fabulous.

Do you love your job?

If so, what’s the one thing that makes you love it so much?

It’s a question many organisations and businesses are now getting better at asking their employees. Why this matters, is because sadly, many in the workplace don’t love what they do, or they’ve lost the passion and commitment they once had.

Naturally, if work makes you miserable this is going to have a ripple effect on those around you – your work colleagues, your family, and your friends. Being unhappy at work will affect your performance. It’s hard to deliver your best if you’re feeling demoralised, undervalued, ignored, or excluded, no matter how good your references or technical skills are.

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging matter enormously to how you feel about your work which is why it’s been so good to have spent time with a number of clients this year exploring what DEIB is, what it looks like in the workplace, why it matters so terribly much and importantly, how to create more.

This is because while it’s good to be aware something more is needed; what counts is knowing what and how to implement the changes.

Because while having flexibility about where you work, moving to a 4-day working week or the installation of a new gym at your work premises might be good to have, this pales into insignificance against ensuring you feel included, valued, respected, and understood.

Being part of a work culture that cares for each other, is gold.

And don’t just take my word for it,?Deloitte’s?Designing the Workplace Experience Report showed belonging is associated with:

• A 56% increase in job performance
• A 50% reduction in turnover risk
• A 167% increase in employer net promoter score (!)
• 2x more employee raises – yay!
• 18 x more employee promotions – double yay!
• A 75% decrease in sick days

This is why I’ve put together a series of workshops to help with this. If inclusion and belonging is something you or your organisation would like to explore further, let’s?talk.

Because we’re human and humans thrive in the company of others, especially those we consider like us, that we like, and feel like us too.

Hot off the Neuroscience Desk

Worse for your health than smoking. The need to combat social isolation and loneliness.

One aspect of the global pandemic that wasn’t foreseen was the impact of prolonged lockdowns and restricted social interaction on health and wellbeing.

Loneliness was already becoming a global issue prior to the pandemic and now we’re coming to terms with the detrimental effects heightened levels of loneliness and social isolation have caused.

A recent?meta-analysis?of over 2 million participants found a significant risk in all-cause mortality rates in socially isolated (32%) and lonely (14%) individuals, made worse if there were also pre-existing conditions of heart disease or breast cancer.

Here's a short video about the findings. Credit: Neuroscience news.

Belonging matters. At home. At work and in life.

That’s why comprehensive public health strategies are needed to encourage social interactions.

It’s why health professionals need to keep a person’s social health on their radar and integrate these into regular health check-ups.

It’s why employers, business owners and organisations need to include social wellbeing into their holistic workplace health and wellbeing programs.

How social isolation changes the?brain.

From Germany, another?study examining the impact of social isolation on the brain and cognitive function showed reduced cognitive function (memory, processing speed, executive function), a reduction in hippocampal volume (the part of the brain involved in processing memory) and clusters of reduced cortical thickness (a thinner cortex or thinking cap).

This explains how social isolation negatively influences brain structure and function and is especially important in determining how well we maintain our cognition as we age.

The suggestion here being that promoting social networks (at every age) is an opportunity for better health and a reduction in the risk of developing dementia.

Healthy living starts with community.

Almshouses have been part of the social fabric of the UK for hundreds of years.

They were built to provide affordable housing for those in need.

While it’s generally accepted that those in lower socioeconomic circumstances tend to have shorter lifespans than their wealthier counterparts, that’s not necessarily true if you live in an almshouse.

Research?undertaken at Bayes Business School found almshouse residents live up to two and a half years longer compared to the wider population. This is thought to be because they are encouraged to undertake social activities and responsibilities (like sharing in the washing up, food prep or sharing a meal) on behalf of their fellow residents while living independently.?

Community and a sense of belonging matters

• It boosts wellbeing keeping you healthier and happier.
• It increases self-esteem and your sense of identity.
• Strong social supports are reassuring during times of adversity and uncertainty and raises coping skills and resilience.?
• It gives us a reason for being.
• We’re more motivated to take better care of ourselves and to be more proactive in looking out for others.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What provides you a sense of belonging or community?

Jenny is a workplace health and wellbeing consultant and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, author, coach, trainer, and speaker specialising in mental wellbeing, burnout prevention and psychological safety. To find out how you can work with Dr Jenny in your workplace you can visit her?website?or connect via?email.