REFLECTION: Earlier this year, I wrote about the value of ‘Getting Out There’ – making time to spend a few minutes or a few hours in nature. My last Pause message in September touched on the struggle between getting ‘things’ done and taking time for a walk. It’s not my intention to turn into a broken record on this subject. However, two events have inspired one more commentary on the impact of walking on well being.
First, a personal experience. We spent the last two weeks exploring New York City and cruising the coast of New England and the Maritimes. For all its cabs and subways, NYC is a walking city. And walk we did. If we’d had a pedometer, I’d give you a reading. But we didn’t, so I can’t.
What I can tell you is that it’s a long way from Uptown Central Park to the Financial District at the south end of Manhattan. Our soles covered most of that territory – some of it repeatedly. (I loved Central Park.) We stayed on the 6th floor of a Midtown Manhattan hotel, and other than using the elevator to haul luggage on arrival and departure, we took the five flights of stairs to and from our room – often several times a day.
As for the cruise, our cabin was mid-level in the ship. (more…)
PAUSE -10.29- Always Time For A Walk
September 28, 2010
REFLECTION:
As I write this, it’s mid morning Monday. At 6:30 a.m, I debated with myself whether I could actually spare the time to take my morning walk along the river. You’ve maybe had similar conversations with yourself from time to time!
The situation for me this week, is that Tuesday I’m headed to Vancouver for a business conference that will take up the rest of this week. I return to Saskatoon in time to attend a friend’s memorial service, empty my suitcase, and repack for a two week fall vacation get-away. A flurry of pre-travel tasks is queued up on the to-do list; and before I leave I need to take care of the final prep for a series of programs I’m booked to deliver on the heels of my return.
In the end, habit won the debate. I laced up my sneakers and headed for the trail. Here’s how things unfolded from there.
As I left the yard, a stunning red maple leaf caught my eye. I picked it up and took it along. My feet crunched as I made my way through the yellowed poplar leaves strewn across the path.
Mid-walk, I perched on my riverside rock for a moment’s meditation. The sun popped over the crest of the riverbank, flooding the valley with gold as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of geese veed up as they flew south along the river. A beaver nosed his way upstream, trailing twigs in his wake.
Apparently, relocation and dam repairs are underway as summer winds down and winter approaches. I don’t really need a calendar to know that the seasons are changing and time is moving on.
This churning and turning of the seasons was on my mind last weekend as I MC’ed the wedding reception for my niece and her new husband. Two decades ago, much shorter and younger, my niece trundled down the aisle as a flower girl at my youngest sister’s wedding. Saturday, she blazed her own trail to the future.
Yes, time is moving on; and I’m grateful every time I realize I’ve actually been present for another moment along the way. Apparently, in retrospect, I did have time for a walk along the river!
ACTION:
Life and time move quickly. A day, a week, a month, a year can all evaporate before our very eyes.
Reminder note to self: Don’t talk yourself out of making and taking time for what you know to be good for your heart and your health.
Questions to ponder: What habits help you tune in to the moment? What would increase the likelihood you’ll take time for those things that energize your heart, mind and body – despite the never-ending pressures of work at hand?
_________________________
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“The best way to get where you’re going is to be where you are.” – Noah Ben Shea
_________________________
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Here’s an upcoming opportunity to dive more deeply into issues of life balance. On Tuesday, November 9th, I will be delivering a Life Balance Leadership seminar here in Saskatoon. This program is offered through the University of Saskatchewan Business & Leadership Programs. We’d love to have you and your colleagues join us for the day. For program and registration details check online at: http://learntolead.usask.ca/easetheload.html
_________________________
READERS WRITE:
If you appreciated last week’s wellness and travel tips, you might also enjoy travel suggestions contributed by a handful of Pause readers. You’ll find them posted to the Pause Blog at: http://www.pauseworks.com/wp/?p=1560
REFLECTION: As I write this, it’s mid morning Monday. At 6:30 a.m, I debated with myself whether I could actually spare the time to take my morning walk along the river. When life gets busy, you’ve maybe had similar conversations with yourself from time to time!
The situation for me is that Tuesday I’m headed to Vancouver for a business conference that will take up the rest of this week. I return to Saskatoon in time to attend a friend’s memorial service, empty my suitcase, and repack for a two week fall vacation get-away. A flurry of pre-travel tasks is queued up on the to-do list; and before I leave I need to take care of the final prep for a series of programs I’m booked to deliver on the heels of my return.
In the end, habit won the debate. I laced up my sneakers and headed for the trail. Here’s how things unfolded from there. (more…)
PAUSE – 10.28 – On The Go
September 21, 2010
REFLECTION: Knowing that I do a fair bit of travel in my work as a conference speaker and seminar facilitator, a Pause reader recently wrote to ask me to share a few helpful travel hints.
Specifically, she wanted ideas for maintaining a healthy balanced rhythm of work and renewal when you are far away from your everyday routines and supports.
If you find yourself on the road from time to time – or frequently, for that matter – you might find some of these ideas helpful, too. If the challenges of travel aren’t part of your world, pass this message along to your trekking friends and colleagues.
ACTION: Seven tips for staying well on the go: (more…)
Vacations Essential
August 19, 2010
Thought you might be interested in the contents of my letter to the editor of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix that was published today in response to a recent article on vacation carry over and pay out. Here’s what I had to say:
In Friday, August 13th’s article on vacation pay for health care executives, Saskatoon Regional Health Authority chair, Jim Rhode, is quoted as saying: “It’s always great to see an employee that is concerned about their job more than they are about their vacation in terms of being there enough to get things done.”
While I agree with Mr. Rhode that commitment to your job and profession is laudable, his admiration for those who sacrifice personal vacation time for their work is misguided. Sadly, he is not alone in his point of view. This kind of self-imposed and peer-admired pressure to keep slogging at all costs creates significant problems for employees, leaders and the organizations they serve. Those costs go far beyond the fiscal liability of accrued holidays.
According to two studies on workload, the average person has a backlog of between 50 and 200 hours of work at any given time. The fact of the matter is, we will never be done again. Those who wait until the work is done to take a vacation will rarely give themselves permission to get away.
And, there are consequence for not getting away from the office. In an American study of 12,000 middle aged men at risk for coronary disease, those who take annual vacations are nearly 20% less likely to die during the ensuing nine years than those who skip holidays. A 20 year study of 749 women aged 45-64 found that for both employed women and homemakers, tension and a lack of vacations were two key predictors of heart attack.
The last thing we want is for our health care leadership to be damaging their own health and wellbeing in the interests of serving ours.
Taking time for renewal is not a reward for being done, it is an investment in being able to continue. It’s far wiser to encourage people at all levels of an organization to take their vacation and come back to the inevitable and ongoing workload refreshed and renewed for the challenges ahead.
—
In Friday, August 13th’s article on vacation pay for health care executives, Saskatoon Regional Health Authority chair, Jim Rhode, is quoted as saying:
“It’s always great to see an employee that is concerned about their job more than they are about their vacation in terms of being there enough to get things done.”
While I agree with Mr. Rhode that commitment to your job and profession is laudable, his admiration for those who sacrifice personal vacation time for their work is misguided. Sadly, he is not alone in his point of view. This kind of self-imposed and peer-admired pressure to keep slogging at all costs creates significant problems for employees, leaders and the organizations they serve. Those costs go far beyond the fiscal liability of accrued holidays. (more…)
Techno Dilemmas
June 16, 2010
Each time I write an e-zine message or post to the Pause blog about the place of technology in our lives, it generates a mega response. It’s apparent that people hold strong feelings on both sides of the fence and right down the middle, for that matter.
Today’s blog post by Peter Bregman at Harvard Business Review, Why I Returned My iPad, is also generating a lively set of reactions – both for and against. Bregman describes the seductive appeal of this new techno toy in his life, the impact his use had on balance in his life, and his challenges with turning it off or setting it aside.
What is just as interesting as his experience are the reactions – pro and con – of those who comment on his decision. This is exactly the kind of debate that we need to find the right balance of time in – time out when it comes to the place of technology in our highly connected lives.
PAUSE – 10.17 – Getting Out There
June 16, 2010
REFLECTION:
It seems like weather everywhere has been pretty wonky so far this year. Here in Saskatchewan we’ve experienced record rainfalls. The dreary, grey cloud cover that delivers the daily driving rain has put a tangible damper on mood.
That changed as the last few days finally brought bright sunshine and warmer temperatures. There is a palpable shift in mind-set as people spend more time in motion and out of doors. Suddenly, the world seems brighter. Problems seem lighter.
Physical activity is a well known contributor to mental health. Moving around outdoors delivers an even greater bonus. There’s a whole world out there to engage in, nature’s beauty to appreciate, and a universe sized space that puts human size problems in perspective.
Getting out there gets us out there. It draws us out of our little corners of concern. It smooths away the mind ruts created by spinning around in our tiny circles of thought.
Our mothers were right when they told us to get out of the house – to go outside for awhile. Although it may have gotten us out from under their feet, it probably helped us find ours.
ACTION:
What would it take to get you outdoors today – and again tomorrow? And, I’m not talking about walking from the house to the vehicle and back again.
If you aren’t already doing so, look for those opportunities to take a few moments outside every day – even on days when it is too hot, too cool, too rainy, or too busy.
There are work-arounds for each of those obstacles. Too hot? Walk early or late. Too cool? Bundle up. Too rainy? Grab a poncho. Too busy? Combine a walk with a meeting or phone call.
Once you reap the benefits of getting yourself outdoors, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get out there sooner and more often.
_________________________
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” – Rachel Carson
_________________________
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
See this article for examples of research on the positive impact of nature on connectedness and generosity: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33243959/ns/health-behavior/
REFLECTION: It seems like weather everywhere has been pretty wonky so far this year. Here in Saskatchewan we’ve experienced record rainfalls. The dreary, grey cloud cover that delivers the daily driving rain has put a tangible damper on mood.
That changed as the last few days finally brought bright sunshine and warmer temperatures. There is a palpable shift in mind-set as people spend more time in motion and out of doors. Suddenly, the world seems brighter. Problems seem lighter.
Physical activity is a well known contributor to mental health. Moving around outdoors delivers an even greater bonus. There’s a whole world out there to engage in, nature’s beauty to appreciate, and a universe sized space that puts human size problems in perspective. (more…)
REFLECTION: Earlier this year, I wrote about the value of ‘Getting Out There’ – making time to spend a few minutes or a few hours in nature. My last Pause message in September touched on the struggle between getting ‘things’ done and taking time for a walk. It’s not my intention to turn into a broken record on this subject. However, two events have inspired one more commentary on the impact of walking on well being.
REFLECTION: As I write this, it’s mid morning Monday. At 6:30 a.m, I debated with myself whether I could actually spare the time to take my morning walk along the river. When life gets busy, you’ve maybe had similar conversations with yourself from time to time!
REFLECTION: Knowing that I do a fair bit of travel in my work as a conference speaker and seminar facilitator, a Pause reader recently wrote to ask me to share a few helpful travel hints.
In Friday, August 13th’s article on vacation pay for health care executives, Saskatoon Regional Health Authority chair, Jim Rhode, is quoted as saying:
Each time I write an e-zine message or post to the Pause blog about the place of technology in our lives, it generates a mega response. It’s apparent that people hold strong feelings on both sides of the fence and right down the middle, for that matter.
REFLECTION: It seems like weather everywhere has been pretty wonky so far this year. Here in Saskatchewan we’ve experienced record rainfalls. The dreary, grey cloud cover that delivers the daily driving rain has put a tangible damper on mood.