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Why Time Off Helps You Have Better Time On!

It astounds me as I read articles and research from reliable sources, such as Canadian HR Reporter, how many people are not taking their vacation time! Every year, HR departments and the leadership teams they support are challenged to find ways to encourage people to take their earned, and well-deserved, time off!

We hear all sorts of responses from people:

  • I am too busy.
  • I have nowhere to go.
  • I can’t afford to travel.

At times, people even request being paid out their vacation time! Thankfully, most organizations refuse to do that. Not only is it a major expense to the organization, the leadership team knows that people NEED time off!

Why do you need time off? Because your time ‘on’ will improve tremendously! Taking time away from the workplace – and fully away (no checking email, etc.) – allows your mind and body to rest. And we all know the value of a good rest. No amount of money can buy the value of a rested mind and body. (If you have ever experienced insomnia, you know that high-quality sleep is your most treasured mental health resource!)

So, the next time you are wondering whether or not to schedule time off – JUST DO IT!! Then, embrace it. Embrace the nothingness, embrace the difference from your normal routine, embrace the opportunity to read that book you have have been putting off reading, embrace the mid-afternoon nap and embrace the drool on your chin!! (Or, is that just me?!!)

You’ll be glad you did!

And, then, pay attention to how much your work performance is enhanced when you return, refreshed and ready for the next challenge and opportunity!

 

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Returning to the Workplace: Tips for Positive Mental Health At Work

Positive mental health is a state of well-being, of flourishing, of resilience, and of positivity. It is a desirable state for human beings to be productive, to feel good, and to live a meaningful life.

Sound interesting?

You can begin to practice positive mental health by embedding a few simple practices into your every day life. Begin with one or two…and focus on just those strategies for 21 days. Then notice what you notice. Slowly and steadily, as you begin to feel the positive benefits of each strategy, add more. Continue reading “Returning to the Workplace: Tips for Positive Mental Health At Work”

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Mental Health in the Workplace: Be Compassionately Curious With Yourself and Others

I had the honor of experiencing Dr. Gabor Mate for two days in a workshop on Compassionate Inquiry. I was riveted the entire time. This post features just a wee snippet of the opportunity we all have to increase our compassion for ourselves and for others.

Dr. Mate describes how we are all traumatized. He goes on to say that the essence of the trauma is not what happened to you, it is what happened inside of you as a result of what happened to you. If you were neglected as a child, the neglect is what happened to you, and the trauma is what happened inside of you as a result of that neglect (developing a belief that you are not worthy of love and being cared for, for example).

Part of his teaching was about how to treat yourself when you are triggered. Instead of trying to ‘fix’ that part of yourself that was triggered (i.e. when your childhood belief about your unworthiness appears in your adult relationships), you can be curious about what ‘combustible material’ inside of you was triggered. And this part is very important: when you are curious, you are not judging yourself – you are only seeking to understand that mechanism that resides inside of you. And to make friends with it.

“You are never upset about what you are upset about – it is always a trigger that goes way back. They are not new emotions.” says Mate.

Check out his Youtube video below, in which he explains the root of how we develop these mechanisms inside of us – and how we can develop a new relationship with them – one that is more compassionately curious.

One study Dr. Mate shared with us really stuck with me. It was a study in which mice were exposed to a certain smell and then simultaneously were given a shock. The mice began to associate the smell and the pain of the shock. After awhile, just the smell would bring pain to the mice – they became conditioned to associate the two. This part of the study makes sense – you have likely heard about other studies just like this one.

What was really interesting about this study is the next part … the grandchildren of these mice shudder at the smell – and they were never shocked! This conditioning was passed on through the generations. It is done epigenetically;  how the genes function are changed and then passed down through generations. The grand-mice are manifesting the experience of their ancestors – and, likewise, so do you.

When you are curious about the source of your experience, it will enhance your compassion – towards yourself and towards others. And when you are more compassionate and understanding of your internal mechanisms, you can begin to change your relationship with them (and interrupt the ‘auto’ response of the trigger). You, then, are able to make different choices when triggered – you can choose a different path, and have the opportunity to affect the future gene pool along the way!

Stay tuned for more in future posts…and check out more from Dr. Mate on Youtube.

Deri Latimer is an expert in positive possibilities for people! A TEDx Speaker, Author, and Organizational consultant, Deri works with organizations who want to create happy and healthy workplaces for increased positivity, productivity and prosperity!