Be all that you can be

We all feel like there are never enough hours in a day, and sometimes our task list gets longer and longer and it often feels like we are never going to get through it. So how can you make your work life less stressful? One way is to get organised. One of the first ways to do this is to get a calendar, whether this be paper based or on your PC. Fill in not only your own schedule but also that of your team. This will help you to easily check on availability of team members and keep a track of how long projects are taking.

The next thing to do is make a list of your daily task. Throughout the day, mark off which tasks you have completed, this will help you feel that you are achieving things as well as helping you to keep track of where you are up to when you get pulled away into a meeting.
Although organisation in itself takes time it can save you more time in the long run and help you feel more in control.

The majority of us don’t like conflict as it makes us uncomfortable. We often try to avoid it, but what about those situations where you just can’t? Tensions can often rise, especially in the workplace which can lead to stressful relationships with your work colleagues.

So how can you resolve conflict in the workplace without it getting out of hand? Following the three steps below should help you to do just this.

The first step is to make eye contact when talking to your colleagues. This helps to instil a sense of respect and trust. Also if you find that a colleague continually interrupts you make sure to look them in the eye and regulate your breathing to demonstrate patients, this helps you to avoid making eye contact which is intimidating or threatening.

Secondly, make sure to listen. It is all too easy to misinterpret what is being said. It is very easy to jump into a conversation to get our opinions out, but instead it is better to take a moment to prepare what you are going to say rather than saying something that you will later regret.

Lastly it is very easy to get annoyed with the person you have a conflict with, but try your best not too get too emotional and instead try to feel some empathy for the person. After all, you are both passionate about the same subject which is why you are having the conflict in the first place. Seeing another person’s point of view can help you to resolve your issues.

If you follow these three steps you should be able to help resolve conflict in your work environment.

Many people have tried time and time again to quit smoking unsuccessfully, and this may because they just don’t have the determination or will power to do it, but there is another method, which will help you to stop smoking gradually so that you don’t suffer from those terrible mood swings and cravings. This method involves the simple practise of keeping a record of how many cigarettes you smoke in a day. This just needs to be a simple tally on a scrap piece of paper which you can carry around in your back pocket. Research has shown that when this method is used almost immediately smokers find themselves cutting down on those one or two extra cigarettes they otherwise would have had in a typical day. Over the weeks, this number gets cut down even further until eventually the smoker no longer needs to light up a cigarette. Like anything its’ a gradual process, but it means that you can give into your cravings and still reach the ultimate goal at the end.

Speed reading can be a great skill especially if your job involves you reading lots of large documents, but it is a skill which takes practise. Many of those who try it for the first time, may find that they can train their eyes to read the words faster but fail to capture the meaning of the text they were reading. This is very common and is why the skill can take a while to perfect.

The problem with speed reading is getting your mind to respond as quickly as your eyes are running through the text, and even during normal reading many of us are guilty of letting our mind wander onto other things. The key is to keep mindful while you are reading, so that you become an observer of what is happening in the present rather than letting your mind wander to things that have or haven’t happened in the past or may or may not happen in the future. This practise of mindfulness aids with better comprehension when reading as well as longer term recall.

Everyone knows that you need your vitamins to stay fit and healthy and now that we are well into Spring many people are enjoying the most of the sunshine and soaking up their vitamin D. However it is a common misconception that the sun with give you all the vitamin D you need.

Vitamin D is needed to support a wide variety of systems in our bodies, from healthy bones and joints to memory and concentration, but the sun only gives us a percentage of the amount that we need so instead we need to get it from other sources. Vitamin D can be found in cod liver oil and in fish such as salmon and tuna. So in all a combination of sun and healthy eating, will give you the Vitamin D you need for optimal health.

Even though Britian has now seen the worst of the recession, many families are still struggling from its effects and many people are still out of work. During this time you want to be able to make the most of your money, and save where you can. Martin Lewis, the money saving expert, is a great resource for finding out about where you can save money and he always has loads of useful advice on his website. Whether you are a student or a pensioner, there’s lots of good information.

Rather than worry about money problems, find out how you can resolve them by following Martin’s advice, and put plans in place that will help you to improve your situation.

When I was at university I wasn’t exactly the best cook. In fact I didn’t even really try that hard and mostly lived on a diet of toast. I’m one of these people who doesn’t want to wait forever for my meal to be ready, which always put me off learning to cook. That was until I was bought Jamie Oliver’s Cook book as a present. It’s got some great meal ideas in it, and after trying one recipe I realised that it actually wasn’t that difficult.

Although I’m still not the best chef, I do now enjoy cooking and found that it’s great to be able to cook for friends when they come over for dinner. If you want to learn a new skill, I would definitely recommend cooking, and if I can do it, then anyone can.

If you’re like me you will have been watching the latest series of Britain’s Got Talent. There’s always a great variety of acts from the brilliant to the very strange. What always amazes me is that people have the confidence to be able to get up on stage and perform in front of famous judges as well as a theatre packed full of people.

The show has changed the life of many people, most famously, Susan Boyle, so if you’ve think you’ve got a talent, why not go for it and show people what you can do. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and who know, you might just be the next Susan Boyle story.

We can all get bogged down in the day to day routine of our lives, so why not mix things up a little and try something new.

Last weekend I did just that and went on a segway tour in the Lake District. It’s not something I have ever done before, but after seeing a documentary on TV about it I decided to that it looked like lots of fun. I went with a group family and friends and after only 5 minutes of trying to work out how to use the segways we had huge smiles on our faces. It was great fun and something that I would definitely do again. So if you’re feeling that things are getting a little boring, try something new, even if it means coming out of your comfort zone.

During the winter months it can be hard to get motivated, but now that spring is upon us it’s the perfect time to get outdoors. The nights are lighter and there’s no excuse not to go for a walk or jog after or before work. While you’re at it, why not sign yourself up for a challenge.

This time last year I signed myself up for a 10k charity running event. I had never done one before, so it was a little daunting, but gave me the push I needed to make sure I got out and trained. Whether you take part in a walking or running event it’s a great challenge and doing it for charity really helps to spur you on. You get a real sense of achievement from taking part in these types of events and at the end of it, you get the added bonus of improved fitness.

Now that I’ve done one run, I’d really like to take part in another. Why not see what events are taking place in your local area and get signed up today.