Motivate – Inspire - Re-Energize

your Workplace

Jo Surkitt - Revitalize Lifestyle

Locus of Control

• This concept was brought to light in the 1950's by Julian Rotter.

• Internal and External Locus of Control.

• A person with an internal locus of control believes that he or she can influence events and their outcomes.

• Someone with an external locus of control blames outside forces for everything.

Locus of Control | Encyclopedia of Psychology - Psych Central, https://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/locus-of-control/

What can we control?

Thoughts, emotions, feelings & behaviours

MIND BODY

Diet and exercise

RELATIONSHIPS

How we relate to others

Brain Gym is: Effective ~ Safe ~ Simple ~ Flexible ~ Adaptable ~ Portable

Activates and stimulates the brain (Switching your brain on to work effectively)

Benefits of Brain Gym

Increases focus and concentration

Relieves tiredness and mental fatigue

Improves memory

Reduces stress and anxiety

Enhances productivity

Promotes wellness

Accesses your creative brain, enhancing

your ability to discover new ideas or

Assists in managing work demands

Helps with dealing with change

Improves communication skills and

can assist with public speaking

Brain Gym Simple & Energizing Brain Gym Activities for your Workplace (and Home)

Brain Gym Techniques

• Cross Crawl

• The Grounder

• Positive Points

• Sipping water

• Thinking cap

• Hook ups

Energy Boosters

• Healthy sleep

• Regular exercise

• Healthy eating habits

• Stress management/relaxation activities

• Maintaining healthy weight

• Maintaining good physical health

• Healthy mindset

• Healthy work relationships

• Healthy family and personal relationships

• Healthy finances

• Job satisfaction

Energy Drains

• Poor or insufficient sleep

• Too little exercise/lack of movement

• Unhealthy eating habits

• Stress

• Weight management issues

• Physical health issues

• Pessimism or emotional issues

• Work relationship issues

• Family or relationship issues

• Financial issues

• Job Issues

Movement – energy output

• Movement is not just about exercise – its about moving your body whether that is

sport, hobbies, playing, everyday life or exercise.

• Being alive takes energy and moving not only uses energy, it also energises you!

• A sedentary life is not good for our health and wellbeing - sitting is the new smoking!

• Research has shown that lack of exercise increases the risk of death from any cause,

coronary heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, breast

and colon cancer, anxiety and depression.

• Chinese perspective – yang and yin.

The Ipad/Iphone injury Upper Crossed Syndrome

• Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS). A common posture problem, UCS describes a chronic over tightening and under working of a group of muscles in the upper back and neck.

Movement – at work

• Standing desks are becoming popular as standing takes more energy and is better for us

than sitting.

• Getting up every 20-30 minutes is a good thing, even to go and get a glass of water.

• Lunchtime is a great time to go for a walk or run, or go to the gym or do yoga. Find a work

colleague to buddy up with.

• Taking the stairs at any opportunity is also a good way to get movement at work.

• How do you get to and from work?

• Walking meetings.

Qi Gong (Chi Kung)

Qigong is an ancient Chinese system of exercise and meditation.

Benefits of practicing Qi Gong regularly:

• Brings peace and tranquility to the mind

• Improves focus and concentration

• Cultivates good health through activating all body organs and systems

• Enhances stamina and performance in sport and fitness

• Improves circulation

• Improves metabolism

• Promotes increased energy

• Feeling an overall sense of calm and balance reducing stress,

anxiety and exhaustion

Using your Five Senses to reduce Stress

Sound

Listen to music or sounds that either calm your

mind or spark inspiration. This can be music you

love, sounds of the ocean or waterfalls, musical instruments,

or nature (birds, rain etc)

Taste - Mindful Eating

Take a moment to bite, taste, chew and swallow your food. This will

slow your mind, calm your nervous system and allow your digestion to

function optimally.

Touch • Breathing – Feel the sensation through your nose, throat and

diaphragm from a deep breathe

• Body - shaking and gentle slapping of the body

• Hands - webbing between thumb and forefinger, touching fingertips,

interlaced fingers, massage

• Face - wide yawn, acupressure points, massage ear lobes

• Stress ball in palm of hand or on feet

Smell – The Olefactory System

Some stress reducing scents:

• Lavender, Orange, Lemon, Sandalwood,

Geranium

• Anything that reminds you of a positive

experience, perfume, flowers, nature, the

ocean etc.

Vision

• Mindful watching

• Something visually appealing within sight

(Screensaver, photos, view out your window)

• Visualisation - meditation

• Colour therapy (your clothes, artwork,

pens)

Mindfulness/Meditation/Visualisation

Workplace Wellness Tips

Take a break every 90 minutes as after this time the brain needs a break before it

fatigues. A short break reactivates it. It doesn’t have to be a long break some

suggestions include:

Walk around the office

Go make a cuppa or grab a snack

Go to the toilet

Stand up and stretch

Do some brain gym

Drink water

Take a few deep breathes and close

your eyes so you are not looking at a

computer screen or device.

Go outside and get some fresh air

Short meditation/visualisation

(Deepak Chopra has great 3-5 min

ones)

Thank you and may your life’s journey be a fun, healthy and exciting one.

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