How Exercise Can Help Inflammation

Achy joints, minor swelling, even aches related to weather change are common hindrances to pursuing activity goals. Many things can sidetrack us if we let them, whether reasonable or not. However, one of the more viable and common hindrances to pursuing healthy goals can be the pain brought on by inflammation. When our muscles and joints are aching, the last thing we want to do is MOVE. Because it hurts. Let’s explore how we can find the freedom to move again! WHAT is inflammation? Inflammation occurs when the tissues of the body are damaged by things such as bacteria, trauma, toxins, or various other irritants. These damaged cells then release chemicals that make the blood vessels leak fluid into the body’s tissues and swelling occurs. The manifesting characteristics of inflammation are redness, heat, pain, and often loss of function. Acute inflammation, caused by injury, sickness, or even allergies, is generally short-lived and thus typically has only a brief impact on healthy activities. When linked to disease, however, inflammation can become chronic. Ultimately, chronic inflammation, left unaddressed, can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being. We will take a closer look at who inflammation generally affects, why exercise is important, and how the right kind of exercise can confront and reduce the inflammatory pain to keep us moving toward our BEST health. WHO Is Affected? Those who are most commonly challenged by the pain associated with inflammation are those with conditions like fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 23% of the adult population in America suffers from arthritis of various kinds. Another 4 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia. These conditions are caused and characterized by inflammation in the joints and muscles. Moving can feel painful when these conditions are escalated. Although not moving feels like the right response, it typically does not remove the pain or aid in reducing inflammation. In fact, inactivity can make things worse by creating stiff and weak muscles, leading to joint problems, and pain can increase. Allowing pain to dictate mobility often creates a vicious cycle of pain that can overall health. WHY Is Exercise Important? Foundational to breaking through the pain of inflammation is realizing that exercise is important for the health of the entire body. Cardiovascular and muscular training are innate to developing a strong heart, lungs, core, and limbs. Exercise keeps us functional as we age and provides us with the energy to do those things that are both necessary and enjoyable. Exercise effectively helps to keep metabolism higher so a healthy weight can be maintained. Cholesterol and blood pressure levels are also profoundly affected by exercise. Additionally, exercise is beneficial to mental health. With bodily exertion, “happy” hormones—epinephrine and norepinephrine—are released into the bloodstream which emotionally make us feel good! As we can see, because keeping the body moving is so very important to overall health, climbing over the hurdle of inflammation is worth the effort required. Ultimately, an immobile body tends to slowly decline because the important functions the body was naturally designed to perform are hindered. In a nutshell, exercise is key to every aspect of our health. HOW Does Exercise Benefit Inflammation? In most cases, exercise can have a significant impact on reducing inflammation. Positive and life-changing benefits come from gradually implementing movement, giving the body an opportunity to respond on the cellular and chemical levels in a natural way to reduce pain. With a doctor’s approval and recommendations, simply starting to move in small ways will begin the journey toward mobility. Recent research done by the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine found that even 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise can be enough to suppress the production of the pro-inflammatory cellular components in the blood. Exercise naturally ignites the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which promotes the release of those “happy hormones” we talked about earlier. Those same chemicals that make us feel good after exercising also work to reduce inflammation. That’s what we call a win-win! Also, important to understand is that only moderate intensity exercise is necessary to experience these benefits. In other words, we don’t have to get out and sprint down the block 10 times to trigger this positive body response - a sure relief to anyone experiencing pain. Merely 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exercises like brisk walking can be enough to provoke the hormonal response that reduces inflammation. And there is more. Another important body response to exercise when joints are put in motion is that synovial fluid is released, which both lubricates and reduces swelling in the joints. Most of us have experienced stiffness in our joints and extremities after sitting or lying down for an extended period of time. After taking a few “creaky” steps, however, we loosen up and within a few minutes, the stiffness and associated pain subside. This has everything to do with the body’s lubricating systems being dormant and then rising to perform as they are called upon with movement. Being active helps keep these systems efficient and ready to provide the body what it needs to function in a pain-free way. Let’s Get Started The most important things to remember are: The first steps should be “small” ones. There is no need to rush! If you are just starting out, try to make very gradual increments of change and notice how the body will adapt to what is demanded. Here is an example progression. 2-3 minutes of easy walking. Brisk walking, cycling, swimming (try to gradually work up to 20-30 minutes). Simple bodyweight strength exercises like wall squats, lateral leg lifts, planks, and pushups (modifying as necessary). Gradually, resistance bands can be introduced, increasing the resistance level as joints and muscles adapt. Finally, remember that as exercise time increases and new challenges are being considered, it is always best to consult with a doctor if there is any question as to what is appropriate or wise. Remaining mindful of how the body is responding is important and any concerns should always be addressed with your doctor or physical therapist. Conclusion The body is an amazing creation! The components that make up the human body were wonderfully designed by our Creator to work in tandem for optimal function. When any part of the body is not working to its potential, it can be very discouraging and will most certainly impact the body as a whole. Pain is never fun and can be a powerful deterrent to an active and healthy lifestyle. Armed with the proper knowledge, hope can be found in breaking through that cycle of pain. As wisdom and patience are applied in a practical way, the body will be given what it needs to grow healthy. The joy of movement can be restored! *If you have any questions about diet, exercise or nutritional supplements that can help you reduce inflammation; ask one of the doctors at our office. Source: Medical News Today; 11/17/21.

The Rules That Create Millionaires

1. Never spend more than you make - When I was 10, I started cutting grass to earn money beyond my meager allowance. Minutes after earning my first buck, my mom was stuffing me in the car for a trip to the bank to open my first passbook savings account. Fifty years later, priority one is still to put something aside from every paycheck and send out less than I bring in. Of course, life being what it is, hasn’t always worked out that way. But in general, getting richer every month is as simple as spending less than you make, and getting poorer is as simple as spending more than you make. 2. Avoid debt like the plague - Most people treat debt as if it’s a normal part of life. They divide it into categories like “good debt” and “bad debt.” They discuss it endlessly, as if it’s some mathematical mystery. Debt is not complicated. Paying money to temporarily use other people’s money makes you poorer. Charging money to temporarily let other people use yours makes you richer. Since paying interest makes you poorer, you only do it in two situations: When you have to in order to survive When you’ll earn more on what you’re financing than what you’ll pay to finance it Unless borrowing is ultimately going to make you richer, don’t do it. 3. Buy when everyone’s freaking out, and sell when everyone thinks they can’t lose - Rich people ring the register when the economy is booming, but that’s not when they created their wealth. You get richer by investing when nobody else will: when unemployment is high, the market is tanking, everybody’s freaking out, and there’s nothing but fear and misery on the horizon. The cyclical nature of our economy all but ensures bad times will periodically occur, and human nature all but ensures that when bad times happen, most people will freeze like a deer in the headlights. But downturns are the time you’ve been saving for. If you think the world is truly ending, buy canned food and a shotgun. If not, step up. As billionaire investor Warren Buffett famously advised, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” 4. You can either look rich or be rich - When I worked as a Wall Street investment adviser, I quickly learned that people who have tons of money most often don’t look like it. They don’t have to. So, who are the big shots wearing the fancy suits and driving the Porsches? Often, it’s the people who make a living selling stuff to the rich people. I can’t remember the last time I wore a fancy suit. I’ve never owned a new car, and I live in a house that’s worth about one-third of what I could afford. Diverting your investable cash into things like cars, clothing, vacations and houses you can’t afford will make you look rich now, but prevent you from actually becoming rich later. 5. Live like you’ll die tomorrow, but invest like you’ll live forever - You should always strive to get as much out of life as you can each and every day. After all, you could die tomorrow. But here’s the thing: You probably won’t. Put something aside so you can continue soaking up what life has to offer for as long as possible. 6. Time isn’t money, money is time - Whoever said “Time is money” had it backward. Time is the one nonrenewable resource you have. Once your time is up, it’s up. So, the trick is to spend as much of your limited time as possible doing stuff you want to do, rather than working for other people doing stuff you have to do. Money is the resource that allows you to do this. If you go to the mall and spend $200 on clothes, that’s $200 you could have invested. If you’d earned 12% compounded annually on that $200, in 30 years you’d have accumulated around $6,000. Ignoring inflation and assuming you could live on $3,000 a month in retirement, forgoing those clothes today means retiring two months earlier. Of course, you must have clothes. But maybe you don’t need $200 worth, or maybe you could have gotten them for less. It’s your choice: stuff today or time tomorrow. Those who choose the first often stay poor. Those who choose the second often get rich. Which will you choose? Source: Stacey Johnson, Money Talk News, 10/21/21.

25 Suggestions That Will Make a Butt-Kicker Out of You

‘Progress Equals Happiness' I can say a lot of things, but I don’t think I can say anything more impactful for the average person than that. List these 7 areas of your life: Physical body, mental health, family, finances and contributions, career, relationships, and spirituality. The areas above where you feel ‘happiness’, are the ones where you have had recent progress. The areas above where you feel ‘frustration’, are the ones where you have no recent progress. Here are 25 ways for you to make progress today and EVERYDAY: 1. Sleep well. 2. Learn daily. 3. Eat clean food. 4. Drink lots of clean water. 5. Walk every day. 6. Have three important things to accomplish each day… start your day completing them. 7. Do something kind for a stranger, that behavior will leak into your closer relationships. 8. Set aggressive timelines so you become more productive. 9. Write down three things you’re grateful for every morning to start your day (don’t just think of them… write them down with pen and paper). 10. Don’t work to be the best… work to be the ONLY! 11. Judge less and be judged less (life is a mirror). 12. Set a MONSTER worthy goal that matters to you. Get emotional leverage on yourself. 13. Show others you love them. 14. Don’t be wasteful with your time, focus or money. 15. Track your finances. 16. Fail fast. 17. Learn new skills. 18. Concentrate on finishing rather than starting, you’re measured in life by what you finish not what you start. 19. Invest. 20. Journal. 21. Meditate. 22. Get a mentor and a coach. 23. Tell yourself you can accomplish ANYTHING and believe it. 24. Build your network. Your greatest successes will come through others. 25. Get around people that think BIG. Bonus: Rather than seek focus… eliminate distractions. Double Bonus: You’re going to die anyway… you might as well try. Make small progress in each of the 7 areas and watch how your life transforms. When one area falls away make sure the others do not follow creating a negative feedback loop. You heard it here first. You can do ANYTHING THAT YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO! Who is holding you accountable? Source: Paul from 911 profit, 10/3/21.

I’m a Cardiologist, and These Are the 5 Things I Do To Keep My Heart Healthy

Here's a fun fact: the average doctor visit takes 17.5 minutes. That means you have less than 18 minutes to go over your vital signs (weight, blood pressure, temperature, all that jazz), talk through how you're feeling, and ask your doctor questions before they have to see another patient waiting in the next exam room. Clearly, it's not often that people have the chance to pick the brain of a doctor—which is why it’s ultra exciting that Jennifer Haythe, MD, director of cardio-obstetrics and internist at NYPH/Columbia, is sharing an inside look at the things she does to keep her heart in tip-top shape. “Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in this country,” says Dr. Haythe, who is also the co-director of the Women’s Center for Cardiovascular Health at Columbia. “The key to longevity is to take really great care of your heart.” Dr. Haythe explains that your heart is a muscle and, therefore, like your other muscles, it needs to stay in shape. “It's also intimately connected with your neurological system,” she says. “So your mood and stress levels have a huge impact on how your heart feels.” What are the heart health tips that a cardiologist lives by? See for yourself, straight from Dr. Haythe. 1. Set exercise goals Dr. Haythe loves to run, and says that setting goals for herself, like signing up for a half or full marathon, helps her to stick with a regular exercise schedule. “Doing at least 45 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular exercise four to five times a week is a part of my life,” she says. Thankfully, you don't have to be a runner to take care of your heart. The American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (like brisk walking, dancing, or even gardening) or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity (like running, cycling, or swimming laps). You can also do a combination of both to make sure you clock in your weekly recommendation of heart pumping activity. 2. Stick to a Mediterranean style diet The word "restrictive" isn’t part of Dr. Haythe’s eating vocabulary. Instead, she says, she uses common sense to guide her plant and fish based diet, limiting red meat to once every two weeks and relying on olive oil, fish, chicken, legumes, fruit, and nuts as staples. “It's okay to have fries and pizza now and then—just make them delicious ones!” she added. Take it from a heart doctor; you have to live a little. 3. Prioritize healthy sleep habits Dr. Haythe says she aims for about seven hours of sleep each night, “even though it's not always possible." This makes sense, given that a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, shows that too little—and too much—sleep can lead to a higher risk of a heart attack in adults. According to the study, people who slept less than six hours of sleep per night had a 20 percent higher risk of a heart attack; on the other hand, people who stayed in bed for more than nine hours per night were at a 34 percent higher risk. “Sleep is essential to heart health and your heart rate slows and blood pressure comes down with sleep,” Dr. Haythe says. She also favors reading instead of screen time before bed, which helps her to fall asleep and stay asleep more easily. 4. Try meditation Dr. Haythe doesn’t consider herself a meditation pro, but she said she relies on the Calm app on her phone to try and score 20 minutes of focused relaxation time every day. “Meditation slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure, which are both great for the heart,” she says. If sitting on a cushion just isn't your thing, there are other, more active forms of meditation you can try, like cooking, walking, or just taking a long bath. 5. Take care of your teeth When you think about heart health, you might not link it to brushing and flossing, but Dr. Haythe says you should. “Poor dental and gum health are linked to heart disease, so I get my teeth cleaned twice a year,” she says. Indeed, a 2018 study of 682 people showed those who brushed less than twice a day and for less than two minutes tripled their increased risk of cardiovascular diseases compared to those who said they brushed at least twice a day for at least two minutes. Source: well+ good, 8/28/21.

5 Junk Food Alternatives for Healthy Living

When life gets busy or stressful it is so easy to fall into the convenience and comfort of junk food even though we know it’s bad for us. “Consistently eating a diet high in processed ‘junk’ foods and low in nutrient-rich foods has been shown to increase risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, depression, digestive disorders, and mortality,” Medi-Share Registered Dietitian Megan Moore said. However, there is a way to avoid the junk and still feel like you have a little comfort in your food. Check out these 5 Junk food swaps and feel good while you snack! 1. Fruit snacks Are they fruit or are they candy? Some may have fruit juice in them, but most are primarily sugar and made of a gummy texture that sticks to your teeth. My daughter loved these until she started having issues with her teeth and these were the culprit. Try dried fruit like dried apples or apricots. The sugar content is higher in dried fruit than fresh fruit, but dried fruit will still give you some nutrients while feeling like a treat. Fruit leather is another good option that comes packaged. 2. Soda As a child, getting your own can of soda at a party was a rare and special treat. Now soda, pop, cola, or whatever you call it, seems to be abundant and always available. The bubbles help to open your senses in a satisfying way, but be cautious of the 150 calories and 39g of sugar the average can contains. Instead, try sparkling or fruit-infused water. Either add lemon or fruit to your own water bottle or buy a flavored version. When buying sparkling water, it is still a good idea to check those sugars – specifically artificial sugars. I recommend a naturally flavored version like zero-calorie LaCroix. For a fun twist try SANPELLEGRINO Momenti, an Italian sparkling drink with real fruit juice. This drink will give you just 35 calories and 7 grams of sugar, but feels like a sophisticated treat. 3. Ice cream and Milkshakes Ice cream and milkshakes have been a part of family outings and gatherings forever. There is a time and place where the experience of going out for these things with a group creates a special experience. However, I would challenge you to think outside the box when consuming these things at home. Making a smoothie or fruit-based ice cream at home can boost your nutrient content while still providing a chilly treat. 4. Candy Bars A great alternative to a packaged candy bar is an energy ball. These are homemade but easy to make. Once made, they are easy to grab which will make them a good choice when you are looking for a quick convenient snack. You feel so much better after eating a couple of these over a packaged candy bar. They are most commonly made with peanut butter and chocolate chips, but you can get creative! You can add sprinkles and pea protein or mix in dried fruit. Just keep the ingredients whole for a true energy ball. 5. Donuts My kids love going to the local donut shop and I admit to occasionally using that as a bribe to get them out the door on time to church. Sundays are our family’s “cheat day,” but I try to make healthier alternatives to our Sunday treats. The average donuts will cost you 250 to 550 calories and 15 to 30 grams of sugar. This much sugar in a small package makes donuts very low in nutrient density and causes our bodies to pump out loads of insulin. Remember, sugar spikes lead to sugar crashes. Instead, make homemade donuts or baked bread with whole ingredients. For the true donut shape consider purchasing a donut pan and bake your own wholesome donuts. Conclusion Junk foods come in many forms. I encourage you to consider what foods cause havoc on your diet and research some healthy alternatives. Ask yourself if you gravitate to junk food because of convenience or cravings. This information will help you find alternatives that still meet that need. The occasional junk food item isn’t going to kill you, but moderation is important. Remember, it’s what you do most of the time that will make the biggest impact. Creating a habit of having healthier snacks available will make a big impact on your overall health, energy levels, and self-esteem. Source: Debbie Ryan, 7/18/21 This article was originally published by Medi-Share and written by Debbie Ryan: https://www.medishare.com/blog/junk-food-alternatives

5 Fun Ways to Eat More Vegetables

Feel better and improve health by increasing your vegetable intake. Getting your 5+ servings a day of vegetables can lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, give you feelings of well-being, and curb your appetite. That’s a lot of benefits! If you have not made a habit of eating vegetables, the idea of consuming a plate full of broccoli may not be something you feel motivated to do. The truth is, the more veggies you eat the more your body will enjoy the taste and how you feel after consuming them. But for now, consider these 5 tips to up your veggie intake while enjoying your meals each day. 1. Veggie noodles—zucchini, squash, carrots, or beets—if you can spiral it, you can make veggie noodles. Some flavors and colors will feel more like a traditional noodle, but sometimes adding color is fun too. Check out the internet for options on how to make Veggie noodles. 2. Add veggies to soups—purée in broth. If you don’t like big chunks of veggies in your soup, no problem. Try roasting vegetables then putting them in a blender or food processor. Add the puréed vegetables to your soup broth. It will add flavor and thickness to your soup, making it satisfying and healthy. 3. Smoothies—this is one of the easiest ways to get leafy greens in your diet each day. A hand full of spinach or baby kale will blend right in. Allow your greens and water to blend a bit longer before adding other ingredients to help them chop up nicely. Then add in a few fruits as well as an avocado or other boosters. Smoothies are cool and refreshing ways to sneak greens into your diet. 4. Experiment with Cauliflower—before you turn your nose up at cauliflower just being “white broccoli,” hear me out. Cauliflower is booming in popularity lately because people have experimented with the possibilities. If made correctly, most cauliflower recipes don’t taste like the vegetable but the flavors they are made with. What makes cauliflower so great is the great texture you get from it—from rice to pizza crust to a whole roasted cauliflower. Numerous times my family didn’t even know they were eating a vegetable version of a beloved carb and, in some cases, preferred it. Season it well and you will be surprised at the taste. 5. Savory oatmeal—oatmeal gets rave reviews for its fiber-packed goodness, but it does not need to be eaten sweet. Try a savory version for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. My sister introduced me to a kale and mushroom steel-cut version last year. Instead of cooking the oatmeal in water, cook it in vegetable broth then add in mushrooms and kale. This recipe is delicious and will change the way you think of oatmeal forever. If you can incorporate a few of these into your routine; you will soon feel energized and healthy. As you start to eat these foods and introduce them to your family. Your kids will start to acquire the taste of vegetables early and you will all benefit some these small changes. Source: Debbie Ryan, 6/16/21 This article was originally published by Medi-Share and written by Debbie Ryan: https://www.medishare.com/blog

6 Life Rules That My Mom Taught Me

By Dr. Paul Inselman, owner of Proven Profit Solutions My heart is broken. My mother, Elizabeth, passed away on February 28th. For those that have never buried a parent I suggest that you wait 200,000 years. For those that have, my heart goes out to you more than my previous condolences ever could have conveyed. This is the so much harder than I ever thought possible. The good news is each day gets better. Growing a chiropractic practice or a business can really be distilled down into several powerful lessons that my Mom taught me. 1. Be Yourself Your patients, clients and customers can see and smell BS a mile away. Just be yourself. You will have more fun and the people who you attract will want to be with YOU, not the façade you created. 2. Don't Worry She would say "why worry about things that may never come to pass?" If negative things do occur you will have plenty of time to worry then. How many of your worst fears never came true? 3. Always Act With Integrity Integrity is what you do when nobody is looking. If you always act with integrity, you can never go wrong? 4. Be Happy and Have a Pleasing Personality She was always happy and had an amazing pleasing personality. She loved her family and she loved being together. What would happen if you had the same disposition in your business every single day? 5. Take Care of Others, Especially Those Who Are Less Fortunate My Mom taught me well. Last year I donated over $250,000 in pro bono work saving 54 business from going bankrupt. Don't worry about giving stuff away. Take care of others. When you help someone less fortunate you will automatically help yourself. 6. Go After Your Dreams and Don't Take No For An Answer My mom was a fierce competitor and was way ahead of the woman's liberation movement. She hunted, she fished for sharks and other big game in the sea. She would never accept the word no. To her no meant figure out another way to get to yes. That was probably the biggest and best lesson that she taught me. My Mom was a very special lady. Super-Model material in her younger days. A fierce athletic competitor, great cook, great wife, mother, grandmother and friend. At 85 she had 36 people attend her Zoom funeral. Not a bad send off. She had an incredible dash. If you don't know what I mean by the dash; it is the dash between your birthdate and death date. 1935-2021. Mom, I love you and miss you. Till we meet again. Obsessed with your success, Paul Inselman PS: If you have parents treat them better than gold. You will be happy that you did. I have no regrets; my Mom knew how much I loved her because I showed her in some way every single day. I hope this very personal newsletter helps you in some way. Source: 911 proven profit solutions, 5/25/21

7 Steps to Spring Clean Your Financial House

A popular New Year’s resolution is to get your financial house in order. But if addressing money matters wasn’t your goal in January, spring is the perfect time of year to get started! In this season of new beginnings, there are plenty of steps you can take to freshen up your finances. Spring cleaning your home is a big project, but it’s easier if you tackle it room-by-room. You can tidy up your financial house in the same manner by going step-by-step and not getting overwhelmed by trying to do everything all at once. You’ll thank yourself as you enjoy the lazy days of summer, knowing you’ve taken action to pay down debt, save and invest for the future, protect yourself and your loved ones, and simplify your accounts and documents. Follow these seven easy steps to master your money management this year and improve your financial health. You can take care of a few of these steps while you check off some of your regular spring-cleaning tasks. Consider tackling others on a rainy weekend morning or in place of scrolling social media feeds for a few minutes each night. 1. Weed Out Your Belongings As you declutter closets, drawers, cabinets, and other areas of your home such as the basement, garage, shed, or attic - you’ll find plenty of items you no longer want or use. Place each item into a toss, donate, or sell pile. Discard the items in your toss pile and donate household goods to local organizations such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity. Don’t forget to ask the organization for a tax receipt if you think you’ll itemize deductions (rather than use the standard deduction) when you file taxes for this calendar year. Next, decide how you want to sell the items in the last pile. You could host a garage sale or join in an upcoming neighborhood yard sale. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, Poshmark, and ThredUp are just a few of the online options where you can sell your unwanted stuff. You can use the money you make from spring cleaning to pay down debt, help fund a summer vacation, or work toward meeting other financial goals. And don’t forget to clean out your wallet too! It might surprise you that up to $3 billion of gift cards go unused each year! 2. Purge Some Paperwork As you organize your home this spring, you might question what to do with your files full of financial documents, too. Organizing what you should keep and shredding unnecessary paperwork is key to an uncluttered, money-savvy home life. The first step is to figure out what to save and which documents you can purge. This depends on the type of paperwork and your financial and tax situation. If you aren’t sure where to start, use these articles to help you decide what important paperwork to keep and for how long and where to store important documents. Make sure to shred any financial paperwork you can discard to help prevent identity theft. If you don’t own a shredder, search online for “shredding events near me” to see if your community hosts free shred events. Don’t forget to clean up your digital documents too. Update and safeguard passwords for your electronic files and mobile devices. Consider an online password manager such as LastPass or Dashlane. It’s also a good time to do a clean sweep of your email and unsubscribe from businesses that may tempt you to make impulse buys that bust your budget. 3. Polish Your Credit You may have easy access to your credit score as a benefit of one of your credit cards. And websites such as Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, or Nerd Wallet also offer ways to get your credit score for free. It’s essential to monitor your credit score because of its impact on your overall financial health. Remember, your credit score can influence things like credit card and loan interest rates, insurance premiums, and your ability to land the apartment or job you desire. Have you reviewed your credit report yet this year? You’re entitled to a free credit report annually from each of the three leading consumer-reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Request copies of your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. Obtain all three reports at once or stagger downloading them throughout the year. Examine reports and report any errors to the credit bureau. Consider asking for credit line increases on credit cards to improve credit utilization. (Note: If you struggle with credit card debt, this could be a dangerous strategy to improve your credit score.) If you won’t be applying for any new credit soon, freezing your credit may be a good idea to help protect against identity theft. Each credit bureau has directions on freezing your credit on their website and a phone number to call for assistance if needed. Planting new financial habits like consistently monitoring your credit history and score can help your bank account balances and net worth bloom! 4. Refresh Your Budget Spring is also tax season, and there’s a good chance you’ve recently finished your annual tax return (or it’s at the top of your “to-do” list!) After sorting through W-2’s and 1099’s and considering your tax expenses, you’ll want to do everything you can to make sure that your earnings are working for you. Are you maximizing your income? If you haven’t received a raise for a few years, it may be time to ask for one. You could also consider changing jobs and negotiating a higher salary or better benefits package. If you are making more money, try to avoid keeping up with the “Joneses”. Pay down high-interest debt (credit cards or personal loans) or increase investments rather than letting lifestyle inflation take over. Are you struggling to stick to a budget because you’re living beyond your means or because your spending plan needs adjusting? If you haven’t carefully tracked your expenses, it can be challenging to create a realistic budget. There may be many ways to save money if you work to trim your expenses. Did you drop cable TV because of the cost but replaced it with four or five subscription services? Have you called to negotiate your internet bill or asked your lender to reduce the interest rate on your credit card? If you’re too busy to take this on, consider using the Trim app to do the work for you. If you’ve slipped into the habit of grabbing coffee on your way to work, buying lunch, and ordering take-out for dinner a few times a week, you might be spending a lot more money than you realize. There’s nothing wrong with ordering food or going out to eat if it fits your budget! Just make sure that this category’s spending isn’t causing you to fail to meet other financial goals. Consider adding sinking funds to your budget for short-term savings goals that you can expect to need. If you plan to spend $900 for the holidays, add a line item for holiday spending of $75/month to help you reach that goal and avoid debt. Are the kids going to camp, or is a much-needed summer vacation in your plans? Take the expected cost and divide it by the number of months until the event and put aside money each month in your plan to help you save for those goals. 5. Scour Your Bank Accounts While it makes sense to have more than one bank account (checking and savings) and even use more than one lender, some people have more accounts than necessary. You might choose to simplify your finances by having accounts at one brick-and-mortar (traditional lender) and one online lender. Consolidating accounts may help you avoid monthly fees on accounts that require a minimum balance. You can also earn more interest on savings if you move money to an online lender’s high-yield account or certificates of deposit (CD’s). Consider setting up automatic bill payments from your bank accounts to ensure your payments arrive on time. You can also create scheduled transfers of funds between your accounts to help you meet savings goals. If you think you may have left money in an old bank account years ago, search for it at Unclaimed.org. It might surprise you, but there are billions of dollars of unclaimed funds in the United States! Don’t forget to change your passwords on bank accounts and make them strong and unique. Two-factor authentication is another smart move for financial accounts. The same holds for any types of digital wallets you use, such as PayPal or Venmo. 6. Clean Sweep Insurance Policies If you can’t remember the last time you reviewed your insurance documents or shopped for better rates, it’s time to dust off your policies. Putting your monthly insurance premiums on autopay is a great way to make sure payments are on time - but you may be paying a lot more than you need to if you don’t stop to consider the increased costs when your policy renews. Start by reviewing your auto and renters or homeowners insurance policies. Are these policies “bundled” with the same carrier? If not, you may be missing out on significant discounts offered by many insurers. What are the deductibles on your policies? If you have enough money saved to cover a higher deductible in case you need to make a claim, it may make sense to increase deductibles to pay lower premiums. You should also consider the amount of insurance coverage you have and assess whether you need to make adjustments (up or down!) An older, high-mileage car may not need the same coverage it did when you bought it with a loan years ago. But if you remodeled your home or put on an addition, you may need to increase coverage to ensure you have adequate protection. The amount of life insurance you carry may also need to be increased if your family situation has changed. A growing family or a stay-at-home parenting situation are good reasons to boost coverage. If you’ve put off buying disability insurance, it might be time to review whether it can fit in your budget now, too. Research how much sick leave you have available at your current employer and if your employee benefits package offers short- or long-term disability insurance and the coverage level. If you’re self-employed or lack a high level of coverage through work, this protection may be vital to you based on your level of savings and risk tolerance. Spring showers are also a good reminder to consider your needs for an umbrella insurance policy. Umbrella insurance provides additional liability coverage above and beyond your standard insurance policy. Own a pool, trampoline, or dog? Have a teen driver in your household? Rent out property to others? These are all examples of when you may want extra protection from an umbrella liability policy. 7. Cultivate Your Wealth April is the month where organizations countrywide focus on helping people grow their financial literacy and capability. It’s a great time to learn more about managing your finances and investing in your future. Whether you enjoy books, blog posts, podcasts, or courses - there are thousands of free and low-cost resources at your fingertips. Our suggestion is always to read multiple sources and consider the author’s expertise and how they make money before blindly following their strategy. You can start right here on the Medi-Share blog, explore other reputable personal finance sites such as NerdWallet, Investopedia, The Balance, and our site Women Who Money (be sure to check out our directory of blogs and podcasts too). Visit your local library or fire up your e-reader and check out these great books: The $1K Investor: A Guide To Help You Start Investing The Simple Path to Wealth Save Yourself: Your Guide to Saving for Retirement and Building Financial Security Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way Napkin Finance: Personal finance for visual learners While you’re improving your financial literacy, take steps to improve your current investments, too. Have you increased contributions to your retirement accounts recently? Remember that the power of compound interest lies in investing early and often. You may want to roll over and consolidate old 401k accounts and unify brokerage accounts too. Make sure to analyze fees being charged to your investment accounts. You should aim for far less than one percent to maximize the growth of your investments. Remember to rebalance your portfolio to match your age, risk tolerance, and time to retirement. If you have questions about investing, asset allocation, and diversification of your portfolio, consider scheduling a consultation with a fee-only financial advisor. If you haven’t started estate planning, it’s time to get started with that, too. Don’t skip this necessary process because you think you’re too young or don’t have enough assets to have an estate. Every adult needs at least some of the primary estate planning documents in place, including advance healthcare directives, financial power of attorney documents, and a will. To learn more, read 10 Steps to an Estate Plan. Final Thoughts on Cleaning Up Your Finances This Spring You’ll be set up for organized and healthy finances for the rest of the year if you take time to clean your finances this spring. Whether you need to “deep clean” or simply “spruce up” money matters, decluttering, simplifying, and taking control of your financial health is priceless. You’ll reap the rewards for your efforts as you save time, money, and frustration while going about your busy life. Source: women who money, 4/26/21.

Turning happy customers into customer advocates

Need more business? Customer advocates are your key to more leads — and as a result, more revenue. People are more likely to purchase a service or product based on a recommendation than ads they see or research they have to do themselves. In fact: Ninety-two percent of people trust recommendations from friends and family over any other type of advertising Positive reviews and user-generated content highly impact purchasing decisions as customers want to know real people are using the products and services they are considering “Word of mouth brings in 5 times more sales than paid media” Seventy-six percent of millennials and baby boomers surveyed are more likely to trust content shared by “normal” people than by brands. Referral marketing, advocacy marketing … whatever name you give it, turning your happy customers into ambassadors for your brand can have a big impact on both your reputation and your bottom line. In the wake of the global pandemic, word of mouth marketing via customer advocates is more important than ever. When budgets get tighter, and more people are online reading reviews to learn about the companies they are considering being patrons of, the businesses that have the most people shouting your brilliance from their digital rooftops will be the most likely to survive and thrive. Especially now, customers have their ear to the ground and are listening and watching to see what companies are doing – how they are treating their employees and users, if they are keeping safety top of mind, and even their political stance. It’s critical that you have brand ambassadors on your side, telling others why purchasing from your business is a good choice. Loyal customers vs. customer advocates What’s the difference between loyalty and advocacy anyway? A loyal customer will keep coming back. They will renew contracts and buy things you’re selling regularly. When you launch new courses, books, or other products – they’re the first in line. A customer advocate, though, is more than just loyal — they are your biggest cheerleaders. Customer advocates are the ones singing your praises, referring people to your business and bringing them into your doors. Through word-of-mouth, social media, review sites and more, customer advocates share how passionate they are about your company, your products or services, and everything you do. Customer advocates do the heavy lifting Consider the last time you made a purchase. You likely asked people for their referrals, and made your buying decision based on those recommendations. Perhaps MVE Media stated it best: “With referrals, you basically have someone vouching for you. Therefore, it is easier, because potential clients have a living proof that your services worked and they were good enough to be recommended by the referral.” In fact, MVE Media found that you have a 95-percent higher chance of converting that lead into a customer as well, because the referral did the hard sell and pitch on your behalf. How to acquire customer advocates Now that you know you need customer advocates, what’s the process of transforming a happy customer into your biggest fan, someone who’s willing to promote your business to others? This down-and-dirty checklist might help: 1. Ask for referrals. 2. Offer an incentive. 3. Stay in touch. 4. Nurture the relationship. 5. Turn new customers into new customer advocates. Could it really be that simple? Yes! Now let’s look at each step in this checklist a little closer, to help you get all the fangirls and fanboys spreading the news of your business! 1. Ask for referrals - You’ve wowed the customer and perhaps achieved repeat business. Now it’s time to ask for referrals. But, don’t just ask. Make it stupid simple for your satisfied customers to share your business information. For example, you could send an email they can forward to their database. Or you could share an image on social media and tag them with the ask in the caption or comments. The easier you make sharing your business with the world, the more likely people will be to actually do that for you. Still, asking is not going to be enough for most people to promote your business. Which brings us to step two. 2. Offer an incentive - The incentive is what gets the most loyal of customers jazzed up enough to shout your awesomeness from the rooftops! You might be wondering, though, what kind of an incentive will yield the best results? I’m so glad you asked. Here are the three best incentives: a. Coupons or discount codes for your products or services Everyone likes a good deal. And, if you give them a code or coupon that they can share with their friends, all the better. It will make your advocates feel good to spread the wealth for things they are already a fan of. Anytime a business can offer an incentive, it’s a win-win for not just the two parties that are purchasing, but also for the business. They acquired a new customer, and cemented a relationship with someone who is already a fan! b. Swag and invites to exclusive events Some people like to be the VIPs who get things others don’t have access to. That exclusivity factor is enticing. You could even call your customer advocates your street team, or your wolf pack, and make a spectacle of it. Let’s say you own a company that sells dog treats called Bob’s Barkery. Your street team could be called Bob’s Barkers, and you could host exclusive events like yappy hours (socially distanced of course!) where your customers can bring their dogs for treats, and their owners get treated to beer and wine. Everyone leaves with a custom shirt (including the pups) for additional promotions. Then, to take it to the next level: Offer an extra incentive that if they take pictures in this shirt and share on social media, they get entered to win a gift card for more treats for their dogs. Without having to spend too much money you are that much closer to more shares and hype for your business. c. Cold hard cash Who doesn’t love THAT as an incentive? You could offer your customer advocates cash in exchange for leads that convert. Something as simple as $50 cash for every five paying customers could mean bigger profits for you. 3. Stay in touch - The more you can keep in touch with your loyal customers, the more likely they are to transition into an advocate. A few ways to do this include: a. Automatic emails that you send on their birthdays and customer anniversaries. On the one-year anniversary of their first purchase you could send a note that says, “Happy anniversary,” along with a coupon to buy again. The month or day of their birthday send a nice note with a freebie to get them back in the doors. b. Send text messages, emails and even snail mail of news and upcoming events. c. Give them a phone call — no one really does that anymore, with the exception of that company who’s trying to reach everyone about their expired vehicle warranty, so perhaps it could help you stand out. d. Mail them a surprise care package. For cost purposes, obviously, you’ll want to save this for your customers who are frequenting your business the most, but you get the idea. e. Don’t forget to include your social media handles and relevant hashtags with your surprise care package. 4. Nurture the relationship - Keep nurturing that relationship even as new leads come in. The fastest way to lose a customer advocate? Stop showing them you care. Here’s the thing — people want to feel like they matter. When it seems like you genuinely have an interest in them, they are more likely to preach the gospel of your stellar customer service. The kicker is you can’t just squeeze some leads out of them and then drop them like a bad habit. You have to keep the love going. Don’t neglect them once you start getting more business. A long-term customer advocate is the goal here so that you can keep building on top of all the free promo. If they haven’t reached out in a while, or haven’t made a purchase, reach out to them. Don’t pitch them, just check in. Let them know how grateful you are that they are a part of your business’s community. 5. Turn new customers into new customer advocates - Once you start converting those leads from your current customer advocates into customers, you can start the process of transitioning them into advocates as well. Building relationships and making offers. Converting those offers to sales. Wowing them with the sale, and making them so happy to spread the news of your business. And ‘round and ‘round we go. With a little luck, and a lot of relationship building and nurturing, your business will have several customer advocates bringing you heaps of leads in no time. Who knows? You might get so busy you have to expand your business. Talk about a great problem to have! Source: Ashley Grant, 3/29/21.

The Pros and Cons of Getting Ahead on Your Mortgage

Some people like the peace of mind that comes with living debt-free. Others don’t mind a little debt hanging over their heads. Regardless of which camp you fall into, it’s wise to consider getting ahead on your mortgage payments. This isn’t to say there’s a black and white answer to this financial question. Doing so may or may not be the right choice for you. However, a closer look at the pros and cons should shed a bit more light on the issue and help you determine the best course of action. Pros: Depending on your financial goals and lifestyle, you may be able to get ahead on your mortgage — but should you? If you have the money to pay off your home loan early, there are a few benefits to doing so. 1. Freedom From Debt At some point or another, most people have to deal with debt. While some are comfortable with the reality of borrowing — feeling they have control over their finances with credit cards and loans — others are not. If you fall into that second category, you may want to consider getting ahead on your mortgage. Doing so will allow you to pay it off sooner so you can experience freedom from debt and a more carefree life. Your personal values might lead you to want to truly own your property, and that’s valid. 2. More Savings Putting more of your income toward your mortgage will leave less money for savings. Accelerating your payment timeline might mean making some short-term sacrifices or being mindful of bonuses and other financial windfalls. However, you won’t be in this situation for very long if you can pay off your debt more quickly. Once you’ve eliminated mortgage payments, you can begin saving more money than you would have otherwise. Imagine how much you can commit to your family time and charitable endeavors without worrying about your housing costs. 3. Less Interest The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is about 2.88% right now. If you used the full 30 years to pay off your mortgage, you might pay thousands of dollars in interest over that period. However, if you pay off your debt sooner, you’ll pay less interest, potentially saving lots of money in the long-term. This is funding you can put towards other concerns in decades to come, whether that’s supporting children, enjoying retirement, or managing residential care. 4. Option to Leverage Equity Putting a large chunk of money toward your loan balance can also help you build equity more quickly. Once you’ve paid off 20% of your loan, you can cancel any private mortgage insurance you may have and further lower your monthly payment. You can then leverage that equity and turn it into cash to cover renovations, emergencies, and other costs. Just be mindful of whether this is the best financial move for you — home equity lines of credit are not tax-deductible until 2026. Ultimately, how valuable your home equity is to your family comes down to your desire for improvements and whether or not you plan to sell in upcoming years. Cons: Of course, getting ahead on a mortgage isn’t a good choice for everyone. In fact, doing so can even come with a few disadvantages. 1. Insufficient Retirement Savings Depending on your financial situation, paying off your mortgage early can divert funds away from your tax-free retirement account. Subsequently, you’ll miss out on any interest you could have earned with those funds. Plus, you’ll give up the annual tax break you would have received from your 401(k) or IRA. 2. Small Emergency Fund Tying up more money in mortgage payments will also leave you with less income to put into savings or your emergency fund. If you’re comfortable with taking the risk and having less in savings, then getting ahead on payments may be the right choice for you. However, if you foresee a few unexpected costs in your near future, you might want to pay the minimum on your mortgage for a few months. 3. Less Diverse Investments Investing in your home and getting ahead on your mortgage may seem like a historically sound decision. However, you’re still putting all your eggs in one unreliable basket. Therefore, you may be better off maintaining your mortgage so you can diversify your investments. Doing so will allow you to hold more assets and attain more financial stability. 4. Lower Credit Sometimes, paying off your mortgage loan early can lower your credit score. Banks like reliable borrowers and often use consistent payments to determine whether or not you’re dependable. Thus, eliminating your mortgage in just a few years might be a red flag to lenders and quickly deflate your credit. Conclusion: Should You Get Ahead on Your Mortgage? Ultimately, the choice is yours. After carefully considering your finances and personal lifestyle, simply pick an option that works best for you. Talk to a financial adviser and homeowners who have already walked this path if you want some more advice. Remember, you can always refinance later on if you change your mind. Source: Evelyn Long, 3/14/21.

Burnout Is About Your Workplace, Not Your People

We tend to think of burnout as an individual problem, solvable by “learning to say no,” more yoga, better breathing techniques, practicing resilience — the self-help list goes on. But evidence is mounting that applying personal, band-aid solutions to an epic and rapidly evolving workplace phenomenon may be harming, not helping, the battle. With “burnout” now officially recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the responsibility for managing it has shifted away from the individual and towards the organization. Leaders take note: It’s now on you to build a burnout strategy. The Non-Classification Classification The term “burnout” originated in the 1970s, and for the past 50 years, the medical community has argued about how to define it. In May, the WHO included burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and immediately the public assumed that burnout would now be considered a medical condition. The WHO then put out an urgent clarification stating, “Burn-out is included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition… reasons for which people contact health services but that are not classed as illnesses or health conditions.” Although the WHO is now working on guidelines to help organizations with prevention strategies, most still have no idea what to do about burnout. Since it was explicitly not classified as a medical condition, the case is less about liability for employers and more about the impact on employee well-being and the associated costs. The Emotional and Financial Toll When Stanford researchers looked into how workplace stress affects health costs and mortality in the United States, they found that it led to spending of nearly $190 billion — roughly 8% of national healthcare outlays — and nearly 120,000 deaths each year. Passion-driven and caregiving roles such as doctors and nurses are some of the most susceptible to burnout, and the consequences can mean life or death; suicide rates among caregivers are dramatically higher than that of the general public — 40% higher for men and 130% higher for women. If those statistics aren’t scary enough, consider the fact that companies without systems to support the well-being of their employees have higher turnover, lower productivity, and higher healthcare costs, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). In high-pressure firms, healthcare costs are 50% greater than at other organizations. Workplace stress is estimated to cost the U.S. economy more than $500 billion dollars, and, each year, 550 million work days are lost due to stress on the job. Another study by the APA claims that burned-out employees are 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking a different job, 63% more likely to take a sick day, and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room. Obviously, this is a real problem. And it can feel like a herculean task for leaders to tackle perhaps because the concept seems too ambiguous or overwhelming. When experts still struggle to define burnout, how can we ask our managers to actually prevent it? It’s Not Me, It’s You According to the foremost expert on burnout, Christina Maslach, social psychologist and professor emerita of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, we are attacking the problem from the wrong angle. She is one of three people responsible for the gold standard of measuring burnout — the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) — and the coauthor of the Areas of Worklife Survey. Maslach worries about the new WHO classification. “Categorizing burnout as a disease was an attempt by the WHO to provide definitions for what is wrong with people, instead of what is wrong with companies,” she explains. “When we just look at the person, what that means is, ‘Hey we’ve got to treat that person.’ ‘You can’t work here because you’re the problem.’ ‘We have to get rid of that person.’ Then, it becomes that person’s problem, not the responsibility of the organization that employs them.” To Maslach’s point, a survey of 7,500 full-time employees by Gallup found the top five reasons for burnout are: 1. Unfair treatment at work 2. Unmanageable workload 3. Lack of role clarity 4. Lack of communication and support from their manager 5. Unreasonable time pressure The list above clearly demonstrates that the root causes of burnout do not really lie with the individual and that they can be averted — if only leadership started their prevention strategies much further upstream. In our interview, Maslach asked me to picture a canary in a coal mine. They are healthy birds, singing away as they make their way into the cave. But, when they come out full of soot and disease, no longer singing, can you imagine us asking why the canaries made themselves sick? No, because the answer would be obvious: the coal mine is making the birds sick. This visual struck me. Although developing emotional intelligence skills — like optimism, gratitude, and hope — can give people the rocket fuel they need to be successful, if an employee is dealing with burnout, we have to stop and ask ourselves why. We should never suggest that if they’d just practiced more grit or joined another yoga class or taken a mindfulness course, their burnout would have been avoided. I have long been a proponent of empathy and optimism in leadership. I believe in practicing gratitude skills for a happier, higher performing work and life experience. I endorse the idea of building resilience to better handle stress when it arises. But these skills are not the cure for burnout, nor are they the vaccine. So, what is? First, ask yourself as a leader, what is making my staff so unhealthy? Why does our work environment lack the conditions for them to flourish? How can I make it safe for them to work here every day? We have to ask our people what would make work better for them. More generally, we need to better understand what causes people to feel motivated in our organizations, and what causes them frustration. Motivation-Hygiene Theory Frederick Herzberg is known for his dual-factor, motivation-hygiene theory — essentially, what motivates us versus what basic needs must be met in order to maintain job satisfaction. Herzberg found that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a continuum with one increasing as the other diminishes but are instead independent of each other. This means that managers need to recognize and attend to both equally. Motivators are different than hygiene factors. Motivation factors include: challenging work; recognition for one’s achievements; responsibility; the opportunity to do something meaningful; involvement in decision making; and a sense of importance to the organization. On the other hand, hygiene factors include: salary; work conditions; company policy and administration; supervision; working relationships; status and security. Often, employees don’t recognize when an organization has good hygiene, but bad hygiene can cause a major distraction. The latter can come down to seemingly innocuous issues, like having coffee in the break room one day and no more coffee the next. People feel it. Burnout happens when these presupposed features in our day-to-day work lives are missing or taken away. Maslach has affectionately named this feeling “pebbles.” She describes them as the tiny, incremental, irritating, and painful stuff at work that can wear you down. Through my work, I’ve seen this in action. Consider this example: The music faculty chairs at a university where I worked decided to put their entire annual improvement budget towards building a sound-proof studio. They were certain the rest of the group would be thrilled. They were wrong. In reality, staff just wanted new music stands at a cost of $300. The existing ones were imbalanced or broken, and students would often find their sheet music on the floor when practicing. The ribbon-cutting event for the studio was lackluster, and engagement was low. Some faculty didn’t even show up. The leadership expressed frustration with the lack of gratitude. Neither group shared their dissatisfaction with the other, and over the course of the following year, that seed of anger grew. The non-tenured high-performers sought out new opportunities, and the faculty lost talent. If staff had been given a say in how the budget was allocated, the team might still be intact for just $300. Maslach shared a story with me of a CEO who decided to put a volleyball court on the roof of his office building. Employees would look up at it and see how little people were using it. It would make them cynical because that money could be going to so many other things. “They would think, “If only I had some of that budget, I could fix [insert problem to be solved here].” Leaders could save themselves a huge amount of employee stress and subsequent burnout, if they were just better at asking people what they need. Ask Better Questions When investing in burnout prevention strategies, it’s best to narrow the efforts down to small, micro-pilots, which mean a lower budget and less risk. I suggest starting with one or two departments or teams and asking one simple question: If we had this much budget and could spend it on X many items in our department, what would be the first priority? Have the team vote anonymously then share the data with everyone. Discuss what was prioritized and why and start working down the list. Employees may not have the perfect silver-bullet solution, but they can most certainly tell us what isn’t working — and that is often the most invaluable data. A larger pilot can start with some critical but some simple tactics. For example, take a referendum on some of the annual events. Ask your employees if they like the holiday party or the annual picnic? What would they keep? What would they change? Or is there something else that they would rather do with that money? Digital tools and simple surveys are easy to use and deploy — particularly if you ask a simple question. The part critical to making this tactic successful is in how the data is used. Before engaging in a practice like this — or any employee survey for that matter — something has to be done with the information. If you ask questions and don’t bother with a reply, people begin to get wary and stop answering truthfully, or at all. If sending out questions digitally doesn’t feel right, start by walking around. Some of the best data-gathering comes from the MBWA style of leadership — management by wandering around. Maslach says she’s witnessed hospital CEOs walking the floor only to realize why people keep asking for, say, a new printer. They see that because the existing one is always breaking down and never serviced, it rarely has paper. So, when someone wants to print out something for a patient, they are forced to run down the hall and get somebody to help or to find a printer that works. It’s hard for leadership to then ignore needs after witnessing them first-hand. Organizations have a chance, right now, to fix this type of thing. Burnout is preventable. It requires good organizational hygiene, better data, asking more timely and relevant questions, smarter (more micro) budgeting, and ensuring that wellness offerings are included as part of your well-being strategy. Keep the yoga, the resilience training, and the mindfulness classes — they are all terrific tools for optimizing mental health and managing stress. But, when it comes to employee burnout, remember — it’s on you leaders, not them. Source: jennifer moss, harvard business review, 2/17/21.

COVID-19’s Ripple Effect on Mental Health and Addiction

Society must prioritize mental health now to avoid more painful outcomes later. Typically, the holiday season means end-of-the-year corporate parties, family gatherings, and festive get-togethers with friends. But the holidays in 2020 looked very different. As the coronavirus numbers continue, schools are returning to in-person learning, offices are keeping employees home, and the fear of another lockdown is on everyone’s mind. People are being encouraged to stick to their “COVID pods” and embrace more intimate gatherings, with virtual parties sprinkled in. 2020 has presented a host of challenges, and there is a grave concern for what the mental health effects on our society are going to look like in a post-COVID era. Substance Use Disorders One outcome of coronavirus related stress is the accelerated use of drugs and alcohol. Reports released throughout the year have highlighted how the pandemic has intensified America’s substance use so far. Between March and December of last year, there was a 34 percent increase in prescriptions used to treat anxiety. Alcohol consumption in the face of mounting concerns has also climbed and will most likely continue post pandemic. A study by RTI International discovered that between March and December of 2020, survey participants’ alcohol intake increased in terms of their average number of drinks per day as well as rates of excessive drinking and binge drinking. Last but not least, the opioid crisis continues to burden Americans and shows no signs of slowing down during the coronavirus outbreak. Last year, at least 40 states had seen an uptick in the number of opioid overdose fatalities, which were already occurring at alarming rates prior to the pandemic. Left unchecked, these trends are likely to continue years from now, and lead to an even more dramatic increase in the number of people who struggle with drug addiction and alcoholism. OCD and Other Mood Disorders Because the mental health crisis created by the current coronavirus outbreak will persist for years post pandemic, society can also expect to see an increase in anxiety disorders, especially Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Fear of catching a deadly virus through other people’s germs has exacerbated OCD symptoms in those who have been previously diagnosed with the illness. A Journal of Anxiety Disorders study of 394 individuals with OCD revealed that 72 percent of participants experienced heightened symptoms during the COVID-19 crisis. The virus has additionally created OCD symptoms in many who have other preexisting anxiety diagnoses or are prone to suffering from stress. The increased isolation of quarantines and lockdowns has likewise had an impact on rising rates of depression and agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder that causes an aversion to certain surroundings. Mental Health and Younger People COVID-19’s damage to our collective psyche has not been limited to adults. This is also uncharted territory for children and adolescents, who may have trouble processing the events of the past year. A CDC report found that mental health-related visits to emergency departments between April and October 2020 increased 24 percent among children aged 5 to 11 and 31 percent among children between the ages of 12 and 17. Similarly, it is predicted that children will experience a greater onset of anxiety disorders and worsening of social anxiety disorders specifically when they are able to gather in person again. There are children who have not been allowed to see their friends since the pandemic started, and even younger ones who have yet to meet another child or human outside of their quarantine bubble. Insufficient Funding for Behavioral Health Services The current healthcare system does not treat mental health needs the same as medical needs; there is pay disparity, coverage disparity, and more restrictions on the authorization of services for mental health than medical needs. Mental health costs largely rest on poorly funded state insurance and on privately insured or self-funded plans that can make up their own rules with very little oversight for what is best for their policyholders versus the bottom line. When the pandemic started, some insurance providers waived co-pays and allowed for all services to be telehealth. Co-pays have now been reinstated in many cases, and restrictions on telehealth services are currently being put in place by private insurance companies. It will be difficult to treat what is expected to be an overwhelming mental health crisis post pandemic when the cost of any decent insurance continues to go up for the members on an annual basis and reimbursement rates for providers continue to go down. With the impending mental health crisis we face, it is worrying that some states have already made cutbacks in their mental health departments. The pandemic has been an unprecedented time for all. Post pandemic will also be unprecedented, and our healthcare system, as it stands now, is not adequately prepared to deal with the enduring mental health effects. Source: psychology today, 1/31/21.

2021 - How to Fit Exercise into Your Day

Most of us know it’s not good for our health to sit all day, but many jobs involve hours of sitting. Many of us work long hours then have family and home responsibilities once we leave work. Is there a way to be productive at work and home while still getting the physical exercise we need each day? Many experts recommend getting in exercise in the morning so that you benefit from an elevated metabolism as you start your day, as well as improved sleep at night. Completing a workout before the commitments of the day begin can ensure that other activities do not distract you from your workout. However, morning workouts can be easier said than done. Many of us don’t get enough sleep as it is, so to wake up extra early to workout doesn’t always happen. How do you get in more exercise at work? 1. Stand up at work - While on the phone, stand or pace. Take a stretching break by extending your arms over your head or swinging your arms side to side. Try a twist at your waist or a triceps stretch to waken up your body and mind. 2. Take fitness breaks - Taking a quick walk around the building, a few hikes up and down the stairs, or even a few squats or lunges at your desk can get your blood pumping to beat an afternoon slump in the time it would take to get a cup of coffee. 3. Keep fitness gear nearby - Having a set of dumbbells or elastic bands at your desk can make fitting exercise into your workday easier. Doing a few bicep curls while on the phone or performing some abductor moves with the band around your ankles can be done while typing on your computer. Many exercises can be done without taking you away from your work. It may be as simple as establishing a routine in your workday. If you have a workout facility or gym at your workplace, be sure to take advantage of it. Usually this is offered as a free service. If you pack your lunch, you will save the time you usually spend driving and waiting for food to be prepared. This time saved will give you the time to workout at lunch. Even if you do not have a designated workout space within your building, going for a run or finding a nearby tennis court or gym will still allow you to use your lunch time to improve your health. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind that will help you stay motivated to workout at lunch time: 1. Choose physical activities that you enjoy doing - You are more likely to stick with an exercise routine if you choose activities that you enjoy. 2. Work out with a buddy - Having someone hold you accountable helps you to show up on days you don’t feel like it. You will have opportunities to return the favor with your friend as well. In addition to strengthening your health, you can strengthen relationships through this shared experience. 3. Set goals - Instead of just exercising for a set time or even a set numbers of days, set an achievement goal so that you feel that you are working towards something. Train for a race, a level of flexibility, or a weight to lift. Set realistic goals and benchmarks along the way to get yourself to your goal. 4. Participate in group activities - Consider participating in a sport, like doubles tennis, where others depend on you. This will help keep you motivated to show up. 5. Bring your lunch - If you know you have a healthy lunch ready to eat after your workout, you will not feel like you need the time to run out and get lunch. It’s already there. 6. Keep a set of workout clothes at work - The easiest excuse to not workout at lunch is that you have the wrong clothes or shoes. Always keep an extra set of active clothes and shoes at work. 7. High intensity for a shorter duration - Results keep us motivated. If you have limited time to work out, make the best use of it. If you are cleared by your doctor to do so, workout at a higher intensity so you gain the same benefit in less time. For example, run for 30 minutes instead of walking for 60. If your job is staying home with growing kids, include them in your workout routine. Kids need exercise too and will love the attention. Play active games. Roll a dice and let each number represent an activity. Do workouts in the park. If the kids fade out, they can play on the playground while you continue your routine. Conclusion Active lives may require creativity in the beginning. Once you find a system that works for you, make it a routine. Consistent exercise will reap the biggest reward. Most of us have busy lives. It may be very easy to come up with reasons why you can’t fit exercise in your daily routine, but with a little effort and determination, you will be able to come up with solutions on how to fit exercise in your life. Your increased productivity and improved mood will make the time invested in your health well worth it. Source: medshare.com, 1/1/21.