Sleep Like a Baby

 

In the past parents regularly put their babies outside in their prams to give them a good dose of fresh air each day. But today many parents worry about babies being too hot or too cold and so keep them indoors more often. And with the increase of cars and indoor shopping centres, children are spending less and less time outside.

 

There is however a big incentive for parents to take their children out for fresh air each day and that’s a good night’s sleep! Recent research has shown that babies who are exposed to natural daylight during the afternoon will sleep longer at night time. The study which was published in the Journal of Sleep Research suggested that spending time outdoors in natural daylight helped babies to establish their circadian rhythm which is essential for setting the body clock, allowing babies to distinguish between day and night.

 

Interestingly, the time of day is important when heading outdoors with baby as experts have found that afternoon daylight in particular is most beneficial. During the study the sleeping habits of 56 babies were recorded and those who slept the longest at night time were found to have been exposed to twice as much light between midday and 4pm.

 

So if you’re a parent who would like to improve your baby’s sleep patterns, try to get out in the fresh air each day. Don’t worry about the weather – even on an overcast or rainy day, your baby will still get the benefits. Keep waterproofs and rain covers ready so that you can pop out whatever the conditions.

 

For more information about healthy sleep for all ages, visit: www.sleepcouncil.org.uk

 

Categories: babies, fresh air, natural daylight, nbsp, night, Night time, sleep, time

How to Make Your Workplace Happier and Healthier

Most of us are interested in our own wellness and wellbeing. This doesn’t stop just because we are in a corporate environment – in fact it can compound the necessity. When you start to think about health, and all of the issues that surround it, it can actually be easy to become a little obsessed with the whole thing. Once you are reaching your own health goals, you start to notice those of the people around you – and co-workers are no exception to this rule.

 

The interesting thing about co-workers is that we spend more time with them than we do with our own families sometimes. We start to care about them, and part of caring means that we are interested in their health and want to improve their long-term outcomes.

 

You do have to be careful about how you tackle the health of your colleagues, however, as it is very easy to be branded as a ‘health nut’ if you start to blab on about your new healthy lifestyle or diet. There’s also no point in telling people that they are unhealthy or doing it all wrong, as they will simply feel defensive. Nobody likes to feel criticised.

 

Instead, there are some small, unobtrusive things that you can do to help encourage a healthier workplace.

 

For example, one thing that you can do is to encourage walking meetings. Meetings are dull and boring at the best of times, often cramped inside a lifeless meeting room. Instead, why not invite your colleague out for a walk. You can walk and talk at the same time, getting in some vital exercise, fresh air and hopefully even some sun. Being outside in the fresh air can also spur on creative thinking. This doesn’t’ mean that you need to discard all notion of sit-down meetings, but when you get the chance, a walk outside (or even through the hallways if you can’t get outside) can do wonders.

Categories: colleague, employee, fresh, fresh air, health, Meetings, nbsp, walk

Top Tips For Staying Healthy In The Workplace

We’ve all been there – the afternoon hits and our energy slumps almost instantly. If you find that you’re regularly running out of energy come the end of the day, you might not be taking as good care of yourself in the office as you think you are. What we eat and how we conduct ourselves makes a massive difference to the energy levels we have throughout the day, whether it’s taking regular breaks as you work or making the most of your lunch break, here are some great tips on how to stay healthy.

Take regular breaks

It’s easy to find yourself in amongst a project and suddenly you’ve been working solidly for hours on end. Regular breaks give your mind chance to refresh itself and unwind, limiting the risk of you burning out and becoming tired too quickly. Try and take ten minutes of fresh air when you can or move to another department or the canteen for a change of scenery and a chance to stretch your legs.

Move around the office

A change of view can change your whole perspective on work and sometimes that’s all you really need. If you find yourself stuck with a problem that you can’t seem to get through, pick yourself up and move somewhere else for a short while – perhaps go and chat it through with a colleague. The change of pace and scenery might give you the mental boost you need.

Do something nice for a colleague

Workplace kindness is invariably forgotten in most companies, but random acts of kindness can really boost your morale. Why not take a trip to the bakery at lunchtime and treat your department to a nice treat? Or you could offer to make your colleague a cup of tea or pay them a compliment – anything you’d enjoy to receive, offer it to your team and watch the mood instantly lift.

Get involved

The feel-good factor is vital for helping to keep company spirit high. Why not join in on fundraising activities or make a company-wide bake sale for charity? It might sound like a lot of effort but it helps to improve teamwork and you’re helping others at the same time.

Have fun at work

Work doesn’t need to be boring, so make time for play – it not only improves your mood but can also help to stimulate your brain, which is often what we all need by the time the afternoon rolls around. Why not take part in a friendly game of table football at lunch or ping pong with a colleague? It will be fun as well as helping to get the brain juices flowing.

Treat yourself to a massage

Believe it or not, but lunchtimes don’t need to be reduced to a soggy lunch and a read of the paper. You can treat yourself! Why not visit the local masseuse for a stress-relieving massage which will lift your spirits and lower your stress levels. It can even boost mental health. Making time for yourself can really do wonders for your mood.

Get active

If a massage on lunch isn’t really your thing, you can still use this time to get some fresh air and go for a walk. Boosting your energy levels is just one of the benefits – you’ll also have chance to stretch your legs, lower your stress levels and enjoy a change of scenery, to set you up for the remainder of the day.

Categories: change, energy levels, fresh air, health, levels, lunch, Stress, Stress Levels, time, work, Workplace Wellness

How to Stop Cancer-Related Nausea from Keeping You Down

There’s no denying that cancer is a major health concern, but what’s less well-known is that it can affect your wellness with nausea. Chemotherapy is the number one cause of nausea in cancer patients, as it releases drugs used to destroy cancer cells which are also toxic to healthy cells in the digestive tract, as well as releasing chemicals into your digestive tract that eventually stimulate the portion of your brain that controls vomiting and nausea. Plus, radiation therapy and other medications similarly affect your wellbeing, as well as the constipation you experience as a result of your cancer treatment. So, how can you prevent cancer-related nausea?

 

1. Nausea medications: As nausea is the number one reason for chemo patients giving up treatment, doctors are often quick to prescribe drugs to prevent nausea and vomiting. These drugs are known as anti-emetics and they regulate your brain chemicals so that you’re less inclined to feel nauseous. Your doctor is likely to give you these drugs before you start chemo, and you may take the treatment for several hours or days after each dose of chemo. Prevention is the best treatment for cancer-related nausea and vomiting, so it’s important to get proactive early on.

 

2. Anxiety medications: According to Redwing Keyssar, the coordinator of a palliative care programme in San Francisco, anxiety can also play a key role in triggering nausea. The reason for this is unknown by wellness experts, but worrying about feeling nauseated can actually make it more likely that you will feel sick, and so this begins a vicious cycle. Keyssar recommends that you speak to your doctor about medication to treat anxiety.

 

3. Alternative approaches: In combination with your anti-nausea medications, treatment by an herbalist specialising in Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) can make a big difference in reducing your instances of nausea and vomiting and strengthening your body to withstand chemotherapy. A recent study, published in the Annals of Oncology, found that CHM helped to significantly reduce nausea among cancer patients treated with CHM.

 

4. Small meals: Your food should be prepared in small, easy-to-serve portions, and you should aim to eat many small meals throughout the day rather than three large ones. Foods that are high in carbs, such as crackers and toast, can help to settle your stomach and move through your digestive system quickly. You might like to keep snacks near your bed so that you can start your day with a few bites. Another good idea is to have jars of nuts, dried fruit, small crackers, and other snacks around the house, and to eat a handful whenever you can manage it.

 

5. Avoid unpleasant smells: Even if you’re in the prime of health, a bad smell can make you feel incredibly nauseas. This feeling becomes magnified when you’re undergoing chemotherapy, so take steps to remove strong odours where possible. Ask the person taking care of you to move the rubbish bins to the garage and put the cat litter downstairs, and park at the curb so you don’t have to smell exhaust in the garage. Food-related smells can also set you off and make it difficult to eat, so stay away from the kitchen – outside in the fresh air, if possible – while food is being prepared. Avoid smelly foods like fish, and keep meals cool as hot foods tend to have a stronger odour.

 

6. Rest after meals: Activity slows your digestion which can make your nausea worse, so take a rest after eating. Don’t lie flat on your back as this can cause nausea and heart burn. Instead, sit up or lie with your back and shoulders propped up with pillows, and wear loose clothing in a cool room with plenty of fresh air.

Categories: cancer, cancer patients, cancer related, chemotherapy, digestive tract, fresh air, Nausea, Nausea and Vomiting, nausea medications, related nausea, small meals