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Common
workout mistakes
November
2014
Whether your workout is a brisk walk or a high-tech gym routine, there are
common mistakes that many people make. Healthworks’ Program Manager
and personal trainer, Katherine Rothwell, shares her top five:
1. Not pushing yourself enough
3. Unrealistic expectations
The body loves to take the road of less resistance.
You need to constantly push yourself to keep
achieving results. Just like a drug addict needs more
of the drug to feel the same effect, the body needs
to be pushed to achieve greater fitness or strength.
There’s nothing more discouraging than not
seeing the results you expect, especially when
you’ve tried so hard.
Try changing one of these FITT principles:
Frequency – change the number of days you exercise.
Intensity – increase your intensity; if you always
run or walk on flat ground, try doing more hills or
stairs, or take less rest between weight sets.
Time – if you exercise for 30 minutes, try 45 minutes.
Type – mix up the type of exercises you do.
2. Getting dehydrated
The recommended six to eight cups of water a day
is really designed for inactive people. When you
exercise, you need to rehydrate regularly. Unless
you’re doing very long and very intense workouts,
you don’t need sports drinks. Drink water before,
during and after your workout.
What’s inside
Shows like The Biggest Loser have skewed many
people’s expectations of how quickly they
can reach their goals. Do some research
to find out what’s realistic for your body
type, age, gender and activity levels.
4. Overtraining
By not allowing your body adequate rest, you can
begin to lose your fitness and strength. Overtraining
is a physical, behavioural, and emotional condition
that occurs when the volume and intensity of your
exercise exceeds your recovery capacity.
5. Assuming 10 minutes isn’t worth it
There’s increasing evidence that short sharp
workouts can be just as effective as long sweaty
workouts. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or
Tabata methods, along with the popular “7 Minute
Workout” have delivered good results. Even just
a 10 minute walk a day has been shown to result
in improved cardiovascular fitness.
2Dairy: do or don’t – busting the
myths around dairy foods.
4Aim for average – why we can’t
all be better than average, and how
to deal with it.
5Mind and body – the links are
even more powerful than you thought.
6Driver distract…ions – how to
limit in-vehicle distractions while driving.
What’s on this month
Sun
30
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Mon
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Tues
Wed
Thurs
November is:
Movember
Lung Awareness Month
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Fri
Sat
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Walk to Work Day
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World Pneumonia Day
World Diabetes Day
World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day
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Cervical Cancer Awareness Week
Skin Cancer Action Week
Antibiotic Awareness Week
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Australian Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Week
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Strength does
not come from
physical capacity.
It comes from an
indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi
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Dairy: do or don’t?
by Jenny Boss, Nutritionist
Foods marketed as dairy-free may imply that dairy is something
to be avoided, yet for the majority of Australians, dairy foods are
a valuable part of the diet.
Milk, cheese and yoghurt are nutrient dense and
rich in calcium – in fact very few other foods in the
diet contain as much of this important nutrient.
Dairy foods are also an important source of other key
nutrients, including protein, phosphorus, potassium,
riboflavin and vitamin B12.
The benefits of milk, cheese and yoghurt
go beyond bone health, with recent
research indicating that they can
protect us against heart disease and
stroke, reduce the risk of high
blood pressure and some
cancers, and may reduce our
risk of type 2 diabetes.
Decades of research
have gone into
supporting dairy
products’ role in
a healthy diet, and
the most recent Australian Dietary Guidelines reflect
this, recommending two and a half to four servings
of dairy a day depending on age and gender.
Yet dairy foods are not without controversy. Myths,
rumours and misinformation, fuelled by the internet
and social media, continue to surround dairy.
Here are some of the most common:
Milk is only suitable for young cows,
sheep and goats
The fact that our ancestors worked out how to
access the milk of their domesticated animals gave
them a significant survival advantage. In fact it is
thanks to dairy food, argues dietitian Glenn Cardwell,
that many of us are here today.
“There is accumulating evidence that the
domestication of cattle, camels and goats provided
a survival advantage when we started consuming
their milk and, subsequently, yoghurt and cheese,”
he explains.
“Domesticated animals became a guaranteed source
of nutrient-rich food, with the earliest evidence
being 7000 years ago in sub-Saharan Africa.”
You must cut back on dairy to lose
weight
Research shows three to four daily serves of milk,
yoghurt or cheese as part of a balanced diet –
including regular fat varieties – is not linked to
weight gain.
“In fact contrary to popular belief, including three to
four serves of milk, cheese and yoghurt, as part of
a kilojoule controlled diet can actually help shrink
waist lines,” says Emma Glassenbury, Accredited
Practising Dietitian with Dairy Australia.
Dairy foods trigger asthma
Dairy foods have often been suggested as a
common trigger for asthma, but there is little
scientific evidence to support this myth. The National
Asthma Council Australia also does not routinely
recommend avoiding dairy foods as a way to
manage asthma.
Eight out of ten Australian adults need to increase their
intake of the dairy food group in order to achieve the levels
recommended by the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
02
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Calcium from non-dairy sources
If you have difficulty digesting dairy products, or prefer not to consume them,
there are other sources of calcium.
“It’s rare that food allergens trigger asthma,” says
Associate Professor Janet Rimmer, Respiratory
Physician and Allergist at the Sydney Medical School,
University of Sydney. “It’s more likely that food
additives or food preservatives will trigger asthma.”
You can’t have any dairy foods if
you’re lactose intolerant
Calcium is found in canned sardines and salmon (if you eat the bones), calcium
fortified tofu and soy milk, and dark green leafy vegetables, such as kale,
broccoli, and bok choy. Other sources include dried beans and legumes,
sesame seeds (and tahini), dried figs and apricots, fortified breakfast cereals
and almonds.
However, it is difficult to reach calcium requirements through non-dairy sources.
You need to consume five cups of cooked broccoli, five cups of red beans or
165g almonds to provide your body with the same amount of calcium as it
would get from one 250ml glass of milk, says Nutrition Australia.
Lactose is the main carbohydrate found in milk, yet
people with lactose intolerance do not need to avoid
dairy foods altogether.
“People with lactose intolerance or people who
think they have lactose intolerance often avoid dairy
foods,” says Glassenbury, “however, up to 250mls of
milk may be well tolerated if broken up throughout
the day and consumed with other foods.”
“In fact, many dairy foods do not contain large amounts
of lactose,” she continues. “Most cheeses contain
virtually no lactose and are usually well tolerated.
Yoghurt is also generally well digested as it contains
bacteria that ferment (or consume) the lactose.”
Milk is high in fat
Do you know the percentage of fat in regular milk?
Research suggests most of us don’t, with replies
averaging 22% fat! Milk actually contains only 3.8%
fat, while reduced fat milks have around 2%.
Osteoporosis is rare in countries such
as China, where dairy intake is low
The reality is that fractures in the spine are as
common in Asian populations as in Caucasian
populations, and the International Osteoporosis
Foundation predicts that 50% of all osteoporotic hip
fractures will occur in Asia by the year 2050.
Research shows that getting enough calcium-rich
foods, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt is important for
bone health in both Asian and Western populations.
So how much dairy food
should I be having?
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become brittle,
leading to a higher risk of breaks than in normal bone.
It is a common disease affecting over one million Australians. Because of the
loss of the bone-protecting hormone oestrogen at menopause, women make up
75% of those affected.
Your bones act like a calcium bank, so that if you don’t have sufficient calcium
from your diet to maintain adequate blood levels, the body reacts by withdrawing
calcium from your skeleton.
If your body withdraws more calcium than it deposits over a long period your bone
density (bone strength) will gradually decline, and you risk developing osteoporosis
or osteopenia (defined as low bone density but not yet osteoporosis).
As bones become thinner and less dense, even a minor bump or fall can cause
a serious fracture. Any bone can be affected by osteoporosis, but the most
common sites are the hip, spine and wrist.
Fractures in the spine due to osteoporosis can result in height loss or changes in
posture. Osteoporosis usually has no symptoms until a fracture occurs which is
why it is often called the ‘silent disease’. Worldwide, osteoporosis causes more
than 8.9 million fractures every year.
Your best defence? Sufficient dietary calcium
such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, vitamin D
from safe sunlight exposure, and plenty
of weight bearing exercise – strength
training, for example, brisk
walking, or various sports.
This depends on your age and gender.
Topping calcium requirements are
adolescents and post-menopausal women,
who need four serves of dairy a day to meet
their calcium needs, while men over 70
require 3½ serves per day.
The rest of us need about 2½ serves per day.
Your calcium calculator
Try this simple online calculator from the
International Osteoporosis Foundation to
work out your average daily calcium intake
based on the foods you eat daily and weekly.
www.iofbonehealth.org/calcium-calculator
And what is a serving? One glass (250ml)
milk, 200g yoghurt, 40g (2 slices) of cheese,
and ½ cup of ricotta cheese each provide
one serving of dairy.
Sources: Dairy Australia at legendairy.com.au; Osteoporosis
Australia at osteoporosis.org.au; theconversation.com; and The
Dairy Council UK at milk.co.uk
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03
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Aim for average
Do you feel under pressure to be brilliant every day?
Will being average really change the way you work?
How would you feel if your work was described
as average? Most likely you’d be devastated, as in
today’s culture it would be considered an insult.
Few of us are content to be called an average
parent or partner, worker or friend, and how
many would happily tick the box on
‘average personality’?
Our competitive society demands
above average performance in
order for us to feel special. “But
it’s impossible for everyone
to be above average at the
same time,” explains Dr
Kristen Neff, Associate
Professor in Human
Development at
the University of Texas
at Austin, and selfcompassion and
self-esteem researcher.
The laws of mathematics
dictate that we can’t all be
more skilled or special than
others, so what’s going on?
Is self-esteem
to blame?
Part of the problem, believes
Neff, is the growth of the selfesteem movement. For many years
psychologists believed self-esteem
could never be too high, as high self-esteem
correlated with better mental health.
That may be true, but the way we pursue selfesteem can be problematic. It’s better to feel
worthy than worthless, but perhaps not when the
pursuit of high self-esteem involves what’s termed
self-enhancement bias – puffing yourself up while
putting others down.
What can happen, claims Neff, is that we overly
criticise ourselves when we don’t meet our high
standard. And as soon we feel ‘less than’, as we
inevitably do at times, our sense of worthiness
takes a nosedive. We end up on the emotional
rollercoaster of overly inflated and overly deflated
self-esteem, and that’s not good for achieving, either
personally or professionally.
So how can we feel good about ourselves without
needing to feel above average? One answer is
developing self-compassion.
Be kind to yourself
Self-compassion is about being kind to ourselves
when life doesn’t go as planned, when we slip up,
say something insensitive, or notice something
about ourselves we don’t like. Self-compassion’s
major advantage over self-esteem is that it kicks in
exactly when self-esteem falls down – when we
don’t meet our expectations.
Says Neff, “my research and that of my colleagues has
shown that self-compassion offers the same benefits
as high self-esteem, but is not associated with the
downsides, such as narcissism, social comparison, or
ego-defensiveness.”
Sources: Dr Kristen Neff, writing in Social and Personality
Psychology Compass, and in Psychology Today at
psychologytoday.com
Living among scarcity
Whether it’s scarcity of love, food, sleep, money or time, when you
feel you just don’t have enough, it can lead to anxiety and stress.
Many of us, for instance, just never feel we have
enough time to do the things we want. We end
up poor time managers, double scheduling
appointments, paying credit cards late, meeting
deadlines in the nick of time.
To stop your focus on any one scarce resource
like time or money, try the following:
Don’t compare yourself to others. We always
tend to focus on those people we perceive as
having more – more time, money, or possessions.
But you really never know what it’s like to walk in
that person’s shoes, and as the saying goes “don’t
compare your inside to everybody else’s outside”.
04
Distract yourself from obsessing. It takes
a lot of effort to break the cycle of worrying
about decisions you’ve made, or ruminating
over the ‘what-ifs’.
When you catch yourself doing so, get up and
get active to activate the left side of your brain,
which can break the depressive emotional
focus. Take a walk, call a friend, or declutter
an area at home or work.
Source: Melanie Greenberg, PhD, in Psychology Today.
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Mind and body:
the links are even more powerful than you thought
“Psychological studies show that your mind and your body are strongly linked. As your
mental health declines, your physical health can wear down, and if your physical health
declines, it can make you feel mentally ‘down’.” (American Psychological Association, 2005)
Instinctively we know it to be true: our physical health
has a direct impact on our mood and mental health.
Studies have also shown the inverse to be true:
people with mental illnesses have higher rates of
chronic disease. Not just poor health from poor diet
or lack of exercise, but diseases such as heart disease,
diabetes and cancer.
According to the Mental Health Foundation (UK),
“Depression is associated with 67% increased
mortality from cardiovascular disease, 50% increased
mortality from cancer, two-fold increased mortality
from respiratory disease and three-fold increased
mortality from metabolic disease.”
Yet this link isn’t just for those with serious illnesses.
Any of us who have eaten badly and dropped the
exercise for a couple of weeks know the toll it takes
on our mood, concentration, motivation and ability
to handle stress.
What’s the explanation? While this is still a
surprisingly new area of research, it seems diet,
exercise and stress are the main contributors.
What you eat affects your mood
New research is beginning to find links between diet
quality and mental health. Michael Berk, professor of
psychiatry at Deakin University School of Medicine,
says that while this is still a new field of study, “the
results are unusually consistent, and they show a link
between diet quality and mental health.”
In a study of 5,000 Norwegians, Berk found lower
rates of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder
among those who ate a diet of meat and vegetables
than among people who ate lots of processed and
fast foods.
Other studies have found similar results for people
who eat whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods.
One of the reasons could be to do with gut bacteria.
The bacteria in your gut make most of the body’s
serotonin, which regulates mood. Healthy gut
bacteria means a healthier mind.
Blame stress
Mental stress has a chemical effect on our physical
body. When we experience stress, our body goes
into overdrive. Our heart rate increases, our blood
vessels constrict, our blood gets ready to clot, and
our brains release hormones that stimulate the
release of cortisol and norepinephrine.
While everyone experience stress to some extent,
people with depression and anxiety experience
much higher rates.
Chronically elevated levels of cortisol
and norepinephrine contribute to
high blood pressure, insulin
resistance and diabetes,
which are risk factors for
heart disease.
If it seems you’re always
coming down with
something during or after
a stressful period, you’re
probably right. High levels of
cortisol, along with the actions
of a neurotransmitter called
neuropeptide Y, both released
during stress, work to lower your
immunity.
Main sources: Mind, Body and Heart: Psychotherapy
and the Relationship between Mental and Physical Health
at psychotherapy.com.au; “Can what you eat affect your mental
health?” at washingtonpost.com; mentalhealth.org.uk
The exercise effect
Exercise not only helps reduce the severity of
mental health issues, but it is also shown to reduce
the risk of developing a mental illness.
A 2011 Dutch study of more than 7000 adults found that doing exercise reduced
the risk of developing a mood or anxiety disorder over the following three years,
even when controlling for socioeconomic factors and physical illnesses.
Other studies have shown that exercise can be as effective on depression as
antidepressants. Researchers at Duke University in the US assigned sedentary
adults with major depressive disorder to one of four groups: supervised exercise,
home-based exercise, antidepressant therapy or a placebo pill. After four
months, patients in the exercise and antidepressant groups had higher rates of
remission than patients on the placebo.
They concluded that exercise was comparable to antidepressants for patients
with major depressive disorder.
Similar findings apply to those with anxiety. In a 2008 study, anxiety-sufferers
who participated in a two-week exercise program showed significant
improvements in anxiety sensitivity compared with a control group.
It’s thought that exercise helps mental health in a number of ways:
•It releases feel-good brain chemicals such as neurotransmitters and
endorphins.
• It increases body temperature, which may have calming effects.
• It provides distraction from negative thoughts.
• It gives us an improved sense of control and self esteem.
Sources: Psychosomatic Medicine Journal of Behavioural Medicine; American Psychological Association
at apa.org and Mayo Clinic at mayoclinic.org
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05
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Driver distract...ions
Drivers’
reaction times to
incidents increased
by 44% when eating,
while reaction times
increased by 22%
when sipping a drink.
Institute for Transport
at Leeds University
As a driver, the number of distractions competing for your
attention have increased considerably in the last few years.
In-vehicle distractions include your GPS
system, on-board DVD, complex sound
systems, MP3 players, climate controls,
and alarms from a range of vehicle
operations such as your fuel gauge.
Then there’s mobile phones– not just in
terms of phone calls and texts – but also
the distraction of photo-taking, social
media posting, tweeting and music
organising.
A study of serious road accidents in
NSW and Victoria has found that drivers
distracted by passengers, car stereos or
mobile phones cause more crashes than
drivers under the influence of alcohol or
drugs.
Controlled studies confirm this, showing
that distraction is a contributing factor
in 22% of car crashes and near crashes
and 71% of truck crashes (and 46% of
near crashes), according to the Centre for
Accident Research and Road Safety, QLD.
Mobile phones
While it’s legal to use hands-free mobile
phones in the car, numerous studies
have shown they are not safe.
Even the recent use of a mobile phone
can increase your chances of a crash.
Based on phone records, statistics
show that mobile phone use within the
10-minute period before a crash was
associated with a four-fold increase in
the likelihood of being in a collision that required
hospital attendance.
Texting
According to US Department of Transportation, five
seconds is the average time your eyes are off the
road while texting. When traveling at 90km per hour,
that’s enough time to cover the length of a football
field blindfolded.
What about GPS units?
Data on the distractability of GPS and in-vehicle
navigation is still in early days of collection.
A 2010 NRMA Research Centre road-test revealed
that drivers glanced at the GPS around 90 times
for an average of 1.2 seconds. “This means, when
travelling at 60 km/h, they were looking away from
the road for up to 19 metres at a time – or more than
four car lengths.”
Steps to distraction-free driving
The Office of Road Safety WA offers these tips to
reduce distraction:
•Turn off your mobile phone when driving
(even if it is a hands-free mobile phone).
•Adjust all vehicle controls (including the
radio/CD player) before setting off.
•Turn off your MP3 player when driving.
•Take a break rather than eat, drink, smoke or
groom yourself while driving.
Sources: drive.com.au; Curtin-Monash Accident Research at
c-marc.curtin.edu.au; Roads and Maritime Services rms.nsw.gov.au;
NRMA Stay Safe Driver Distraction Submission at nrma.com.au
How to give first aid for a scald
Hands up if you’ve dropped your hot lunch when transferring it from the microwave
to the plate, or spilled some hot tea? We’ve all managed to do this and barely
escape from a serious scald. However, should a colleague be unlucky and drop
their dinner left-overs on bare skin, here’s what you can do to help.
1.Follow DRSABCD. Make sure you and
others don’t slip on the mess!
© St John Ambulance Australia.
This information is not a substitute for
first aid training. St John recommends
that everyone is trained in first aid.
For more information on St John
first aid training and kits visit
www.stjohn.org.au or call
toll free 1300 360 455.
06
2.Immediately hold the scalded area under
cool running water for 20 minutes (yes,
20 minutes).
3.Remove any jewellery and clothing from
the area unless it is stuck to the burn.
4.Cover the scalded area with a loose and
light non-stick dressing, preferably clean,
dry and lint-free, for example, Glad-wrap
from the bottom drawer.
Absolutely DO NOT apply any lotions, ointment
or fat to burns; DO NOT touch injured areas or
burst any blisters; DO NOT remove anything
sticking to the burn.
Seek medical attention if:
•the burn is deep, even if patient does not
feel any pain
•the burn is larger than a 20 cent piece
•the burn involves airway, face, hands or
genitals
• you are unsure of the severity of the burn.
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Good
judgment comes
from experience.
Experience comes
from bad judgment.
Don’t say
‘cheer up’
Fast fruit
Has anyone ever told you to cheer up when you’re
feeling blue? And did it work? Unlikely. If you could
cheer up by choice, you’d already have done so,
argues Oliver Burkeman in theguardian.com.
Trying to resist the contents
of the vending machine at work,
with that gnawing hungry feeling
mid afternoon? Don’t despair – an innovative
Queensland company may help with your dilemma.
A Canadian study published in the
Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, found no evidence
that ‘positive reframing’ is helpful
for people with low self-esteem,
and telling others to look on the
bright side is both unwelcome
and counterproductive.
The same company that launched a banana vending machine last year, has
now rolled out a fruit version that dispenses seasonal fresh fruit as well as
roasted nuts. And in case you think you’ll end up with damaged goods, the
machine has a bruise-free elevator system to protect the fruit.
The best selling item? A strawberry and blueberry mix.
What can help is ‘negative
validation’ – comments that
encourage people to feel that
expressing negative emotions
is appropriate in the situation.
Sources: Landline at abc.net.au; and Australian Health Food Guide.
Are our fates
written in the stars?
Science has for a long time debunked the notion of
astrology, but it does seem that the month, or at least
the season, of your birth really can predict your fate.
Scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals have
found that:
•People born in the autumn tend to live longer. Autumn babies
are about 40% more likely to live to 100 than spring babies.
•Winter and spring babies are typically more at risk of
schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder.
•On the plus side, winter babies are more likely to be chess
champions, and the least likely to be highly short-sighted.
•Summer babies are less susceptible to allergies.
The mechanisms behind these trends aren’t clear, but it could
be down to exposure to vitamin D, or to different kinds of
allergens during different seasons.
The effects of season, however, tend to be relatively small, so it’s
not worth planning your conception according to these dates!
Source: BBC Health at bbc.com
Source: theguardian.com
D and Dementia
If you tend to avoid the sun or just don’t get out in it
much due to your work, it might be worth getting a
blood test for vitamin D levels.
One study that followed 1,650 people over five years found that
those lacking in the sunshine vitamin were twice as likely to develop
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease compared with people with
healthy levels.
The study was able to show an association between low levels of
vitamin D and the risks of developing dementia, but could not prove
cause and effect. More research is needed to establish whether eating
vitamin D-rich foods, such as oily fish, or taking supplements, could
delay or even prevent dementia.
For information on vitamin D and healthy levels of sun exposure,
visit the Cancer Council website (cancer.org.au) and download the
brochure How Much Sun is Enough?
Source: NHS Choices at nhs.uk
Editorial Team:
Director: Ken Buckley MSc DipPE
Published by: Healthworks
Jim Horning
®
Editor: Kylie Singh
PO Box 615, North Sydney
Deputy Editor: Jenny Boss MHumNutr
NSW 2059 Australia
Design: Trina Hayes, Feathered Edge Design
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Website: www.healthworks.com.au
Email: [email protected]
© Copyright Healthworks® 2014. For intranet use only.
May not be copied, sold, distributed, reproduced in either part or full in any other form.
Healthworks® wellness, health, and safety products and
solutions are a trademark of Worklife Solutions Pty Limited
(ACN 002 553 291), registered in Australia.
Well at Work™ ©2014. All rights reserved. No part of this
work may be re–sold, reproduced or copied in any form.
The information in this publication does not provide medical
advice for individual problems. For advice and treatment,
consult your doctor or health care professional.
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paper. The pulp for this paper is sourced
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plantations and the paper mill is
ISO 14001 accredited.
07
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thing
you can
do today
Live as if
you were to die
tomorrow. Learn
as if you were to
live forever.
Mahatma Gandhi
Feeling stuck in a rut? Rarely see people
outside work and family? Then connect to your
community and become a volunteer.
And before you say you don’t have time,
consider the benefits:
• New friends and contacts
Committing to a shared activity together
is an ideal way to meet new people and
broaden your support network. It also
increases your social and relationship
skills if they’re a little rusty.
• Physical and mental health
Volunteering can prevent social
isolation, and give you new skills and a
sense of achievement, thus reducing the
risk of depression. Studies show it can also
reduce mortality from all causes.
• The happiness effect
Helping others kindles happiness, and
the more people volunteer, the
happier they are, according to
a study in Social Science
and Medicine.
In fact the hike
in happiness was
comparable to having
an income of $75,000 compared to $20,000.
Not sure where to start? Visit volunteeringaustralia.org
for information on volunteering in your area.
Sources: helpguide.org; and worldvolunteerweb.org
“Before you speak, ask yourself: is it kind, is it necessary,
is it true, does it improve on the silence?” Mevlana Rumi
It’s always
best to
speak
your mind
There are hundreds of articles, books and
self-help gurus encouraging us to speak our
mind. Be assertive! Stand up for yourself!
Because no one else will! Define your voice!
Strengthen your identity and position!
Command respect! Strengthen your influence!
Yet there are many reasons why sometimes it’s
better to hold your tongue, or at least to take
pause and think about how you’ll phrase things.
When we’re quick to “speak our mind”, it’s often
an emotionally-charged situation. Too often we
lash out in anger or hurt, and regret our words
later. In other situations, your opinions might be
culturally, socially or politically inappropriate.
Communicating with sensitivity and tact can
build your reputation and credibility, and can
show professionalism and integrity.
It’s not always about staying silent, it’s
about thinking through the most appropriate
way to communicate effectively – finding the
best way to convey your thoughts in a way
that’s respectful and positive.
Before you speak, figure out what you
actually want to achieve by speaking out.
What is your objective? Then think about
the other person’s perspective, and how
they may be feeling. Then and only then
consider the best way and place to do it.
A good guide is ENATA:
is what you want to say
Effective, Necessary, Accurate,
Timely and Appropriate?
Did you know?
in
itting smoking kick
The benefits of qu
rette.
af ter the last ciga
just 20 minutes
In 20 minutes, heart rate and blood pres
sure will drop,
and in 12 hours the carbon monoxide leve
l in your
blood will return to normal.
08
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