by Annika Sorensen | Dec 21, 2014 | Leadership & Corporate, Your Health
It is funny, isn’t it, that every New Year we want to make a new start. As if there is a start and end in the middle of life rather than life being just an ongoing process. Well, we humans need milestones in life to focus our story around and a new year is as good as any time for that purpose. I had been doing the same until I discovered that it didn’t matter when you make your promises to yourself – as long as you do what you promised. And I find it is easier to keep the promises if I make them in a context connected to the issue rather than to a fixed date.
The other day I heard about a study on longevity. It was based on the fact that more and more people are reaching the age of 100 years in Sweden and I found that interesting at a time when we are makeing resolutions for our own positive changes.
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by Annika Sorensen | Dec 5, 2014 | Your Health
Just the word Christmas starts a lot of thoughts and feelings within most people. It often presses the “Stress Button” within since it is “supposed” to be the fun and healing time, but it more often tends to be the most stressful time of the year. It can be traditions to be faithful to, being alone without family, other people’s expectations and so much more. What is Christmas time for you? Today it is family time for me, but before it was just a lot of stress. I was in a rat race that I hated. But I found a solution. Here is my story:
When I was a kid I remember the hectic race going from one relative to the other on Christmas Eve. Some of them got annoyed because they thought we didn’t make the right priority in which order to visit them. We were supposed to exchange gifts and taste each other’s sweets. I never understood the fun in this – it was just a must because of other people’s expectations – and I was so relieved in the evening when we had our own Christmas evening – just for the closest family including grandparents.
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by Annika Sorensen | Nov 20, 2014 | Your Health
Holiday Season is coming up with all fun activities and gatherings with your favorite friends and family! Or – Holiday Season is coming up with stress and depression for the things you MUST do! Which scenario do you prefer?
The first one I guess!
It is time to start now to make the perfect Christmas and New Year Holidays. With a little bit of planning it is achievable. Miscommunication and unrealistic expectations are usually the causes of all this stress. That is why you need to start talking with your folks – now!
Here are 7 tips to help you make it happen:
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by Annika Sorensen | Nov 10, 2014 | Leadership & Corporate, Your Health
Home sweet home! That is what I say every time I get home from long-distance travelling. Not because I don’t like travelling and definitely not because I don’t like where I have been. No it is just because living out of a suitcase for too long is distressing and also travelling over many time zones stress your circadian cycles.
I have already been travelling long-distance to the west coast in US twice this fall and that is a time difference from Sweden at 9 hours. One more trip is planned. It doesn’t only split the time in my work but it does take some energy with the jetlag from such big time difference – both going there and also when coming back home.
As stress mentor I meet lots of business leaders and executives that say exactly the same thing. I usually ask them for their best tips on how to avoid to get all stressed out of all the travelling and I will list a few of their tips below. (more…)
by Annika Sorensen | Oct 29, 2014 | Leadership & Corporate, Your Health
People often talk about, almost brag about, how much they have on their to-do list. It has for a long time been high status in being busy – as if the one with the most full agenda wins. And many also claim that they can’t get sick from their long list because they just doing fun things.
They claim to have positive stress.
They are wrong! It is as simple as that.
There is no such thing as Positive and Negative stress. The reactions to our bodies are the same whatever the reason. (more…)
by Annika Sorensen | Oct 12, 2014 | Leadership & Corporate, Your Health
Rehabilitation cost at least 100 times more than health promotion cost!
Once a week I work in a team doing work assessment test on people on long-term sick leave. I get to meet fantastic people who struggle to make life worth living again. Some of them are refugees from war zones around the globe, some are brought up in dysfunctional families and it is easy to understand that these people had a tough life and therefore maybe became ill.
But I also meet many, I would like to say too many, men and women who have just worked themselves sick. People who were just going to do this extra, and then that extra, and then something else extra – a never-ending story. They had a hard time to say NO to their boss – I can’t increase my workload any more. Or they say it was all fun work – it just was way too much and consequently got out of hand.
Whatever the reason, I can tell that none of them say it was worth the price to get sick. The consequences for the person him/herself, for their family and friends, for the workplace and for the society can be very extensive. We talk both about massive money AND human loss.
What is the lesson in this? (more…)
They claim to have positive stress.
But I also meet many, I would like to say too many, men and women who have just worked themselves sick. People who were just going to do this extra, and then that extra, and then something else extra – a never-ending story. They had a hard time to say NO to their boss – I can’t increase my workload any more. Or they say it was all fun work – it just was way too much and consequently got out of hand.