Making your health a priority can seem like a time-consuming task. But it’s an essential one because healthy habits can have an immense positive impact on your life! If you don’t know where to begin, here are 3 ways to improve your overall health both at work and at home.
Manage your personal finances
Are you someone whose financial worries affect your performance at work? You’re not alone! According to a study by the Canadian Payroll Association, nearly half of Canadians feel the same. With high interest rates and prices that continue to rise, it’s normal to be anxious about finances. To reduce your stress and prevent this anxiety from leading to health problems, try to remain in good financial health. The following tips can help:
- Spend within your means: Should you purchase a second snowmobile helmet or pay off your credit card debt?
- Manage your day-to-day expenses: A latte from a coffee chain, a snack from the convenience store… Do you really need to spend your money on these non-essentials?
- Organize your finances according to your own lifestyle: Despite what you might think, the grass is not greener on the other side!
- Plan for the future and save for retirement: Soucy employees can take advantage of an employer RRSP matching program. It can make a big difference!
- Expect the unexpected: Misfortunes can happen to anyone! It’s better to be prepared for an emergency.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can ask an expert for advice. As a Soucy employee, you can consult a financial advisor through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Reducing your financial worries can alleviate your levels of stress and improve your overall health.
Find a way to manage your stress
Major events, whether good or bad, can be massive sources of anxiety which in turn can lead to physical and mental health problems. According to Dr. Sonia Lupien and the NUTS theory, sources of stress can be broken down into four components:
- N – Novelty (ex.: you’re starting a new job and you’re wondering how well you’ll get along with your team.)
- U – Unpredictability (ex.: a loved one becomes ill, and you don’t know what will happen.)
- T – Threat to the ego (ex.: you must present a project to a very critical team.)
- S – Sense of control (ex.: your employer is restructuring the team and you’re wondering if you will lose your job.)
Assessing each component listed above can help you pinpoint the source of your stress. That will help you deconstruct the threat and provide you with insight on how to reduce your anxiety.
Moreover, it’s important to surround yourself with the right people in periods of sustained stress. Don’t hesitate to call upon someone in your personal network to confide in and get support. If you’re feeling stressed at work, you can speak to your immediate supervisor or the HR department. They’re there to help. There are also plenty of resources outside of work. As a Soucy employee, you have access to telemedicine and myriad specialists thanks to the EAP. For instance, you can consult a psychologist, psychotherapist, sexologist, nutritionist, career counsellor, financial advisor, legal advisor, etc. Rest assured that you’ll get the support you need!
Take part in physical activities that suit you
Feeling powerless in the face of a disease or a health problem? A few small changes and a different mindset can make a huge difference!
It has been proven that regular exercise increases performance at work and significantly reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases.
Thanks to Soucy’s health and well-being committee, employees can try new activities and benefit from support in different ways. They can take advantage of discounts on group classes, discounts on sporting equipment, or even assistance with organizing sports leagues.
The bottom line is that you should find a physical activity you enjoy. When you have fun, you’ll be more motivated to make time for it in your schedule.
It’s important to pay careful attention to your financial, mental, and physical health. After all, they’re all connected!
Now it’s your turn. How do you make your health a priority?