Sandra Larkin

(W)inning the Game of Stress

2010-06-11T16:54:26Z

Stress. Who hasn’t felt it on a daily basis. There is so much going on in each of our lives it becomes overwhelming to think about adding more to our plate. Some of our lives are upside down and spinning out of control. “The Inner Game of Stress” (W. Timothy Gallwey, Edwards S. Hanzelik, M.D. and John Horton, M.D.) explains that chronic stress ” …is caused largely by the way people perceived the events and circumstances of their lives-and not the realities themselves.” Perception is reality. Change the perception and change your stress level.

The big misnomer is that stress happens to us and not something we cannot control. It’s the way in which we internalize and handle events and activities that causing stressful feelings. Do you have control over stress to some degree? Absolutely, 100 %, yes.

Honestly ask yourself these questions to gain an understanding on where you can begin to decrease your stress levels.

What outcomes or people am I trying to control for my own personal gain or benefit?
What is controlling me that I could or should be saying “no” to? Will people still “like” me? Yes!
What are unproductive thoughts of situations, events or “what if’s” that probably won’t come true?
What are external conflicts that I play over and over in my head or continue to tell others about which revives these feelings?
What am I yearning for that is causing me to stall my future?
In my personal circle, who am I associating with that is devaluating me and my future?
What types of time management tools am I utlitizing to protect myself against time stealers?
Do I have goals for the future and have a way to reach out to others in the community to help me?

Once we have clarity around these questions we can begin to control our perception of the external factors of our lives. We begin to establish new thought patterns and ways to set boundaries around our priorities in a way which still maintains positive relationships. We look for tools that can help us maintain control.

The only person we have control over is ourselves and what situations we allow ourselves to be in. In addition, we control our attitude and feelings towards others as well as thoughts of the future. Make your perception a positive move towards your priorities. You’ll feel more in control and perceive events and people with less stress. I highly recommend ….

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager

Nearly Half of American Workers See Wellness Programs as an Important Employee Retention Tool

2010-01-18T20:50:03Z

Forty-five percent of Americans working at small to medium-sized companies said that they would stay at their jobs longer because of employer-sponsored wellness programs, according to the latest Principal Financial

Well-Being Index(SM).

The survey also found that as a result of workplace wellness programs, 40 percent of workers say they are encouraged to work harder and perform better and 26 percent miss fewer days of work by participating in such programs. As in previous years, 51 percent of workers believe wellness programs are very or somewhat successful in reducing health care costs.

(Read More) …. http://alturl.com/2ofb

Healthy Snacking In The Workplace

2010-01-18T20:43:43Z

Offering healthy snack food alternatives is an easy start to showing your commitment to workplace wellness. Keep records to see that they are actually being used. Make sure the supply is fresh, clean, and attractively presented. If necessary, charge a fair price, but remember that the continued wellness of your employees impacts morale and your bottom line.

Here are some helpful tips and things to keep in mind:

Read the label! If you can’t pronounce the names of the ingredients inside, chances are it contains chemicals and additives and its best not to eat it.
Choose snacks that are nutritious and unsweetened. Sugar lowers immune system function for several hours after being eaten.

(Read More) http://alturl.com/c3to

Steps To Improve Workplace Wellness

2010-01-18T20:32:56Z

With employees spending eight to 10 hours of their day in the workplace, it is important for businesses to have an environment of wellness present. Studies show that when companies provide wellness programs, employees feel valued and businesses save money while improving their productivity.Our nation is in a health crisis. About 65 percent of American adults are not physically active, contributing to astounding rates of heart disease and a huge increase in type II diabetes. This costs the U.S. billions in health care each year. According to the American Heart Association, “Obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of all medical spending in the United States.” Heart disease and type II diabetes are obesity-related diseases that stem from poor nutritional habits and sedentary lifestyles.(Read More) … http://alturl.com/8tnr

(V)ictory Over the “What If’s”

2009-11-17T21:30:43Z

Nothing stays the same. Change happens every moment and we just hope it doesn’t happen every moment to us. What can we do to put ourselves in the forefront of change and manage it properly? Ultimately, that’s up to us how we react and take action.

We can easily come down with a bad case of the “What If’s”. What if it’s worse than they’re telling me? What if I lose my job? What if he/she won’t forgive me? You get the picture because we’ve all been there done that and possibly as early as today.

Here are some tips to get us through those time to the other side which is call “Knowledge and Action”.

Know the theory of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy also known as You Get What You Expect. Expect bad and negative and, bingo, it magically appears. Expect positive and great things and slowly it will come to you. The key is that you need to be watching for it.
Talk to yourself with more Positive Self talk vs. Negative Self Talk
Visualize the positive. Stop dwelling on the “what if’s”. Most won’t come true.
Attack the problem head on. Without some movement towards a solution, the problem still exists for days, weeks, months at a time.
Be open minded. Resist using past experience to judge the future.
Don’t dwell on the past. That’s why it’s the past. Learn from it and make leaps toward growing yourself out of the situation.
Don’t view life as an all or nothing proposition. Failure stems from this thinking patten. One thing may be wrong but not everything.
Don’t’ take rejection personally. It’s just not the right fit, right job, right moment, right person, etc… Your unique and the right fit will uniquely fit you.
Avoid mind reading. Speak up and ask in a respectful manner. We need facts not fiction to get through change.

With the New Year right around the corner, we should make a decision to stop living in the house of “What If’’s” and move to the house of Possibility and Action. Possibility and action lead to solutions, growth and strength in us and transcends to others around us.

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager

www.sandralarkin.com

www.healthyprofitsbook.com

(U)niversal Things I Recommend

2009-11-01T17:45:53Z

I’ve been getting alot of questions about what I recommend for wellness or just life in general. Like Oprah, here are a few of my favorites things ….

“Healthy Profits: The 5 Elements of Strategic Wellness”by Sandra Larkin and 30 Additional Authors
GREAT resource for individuals to put together a wellness action plan in these five areas simultaneously (physical, emotional, social, intellectual, occupational). Includes assessments and sample plans along with advice from 30 wellness professionals. Also, can be used as a corporate small group plan or given to corporate employees to aid with the new Healthcare Reform which includes workplace wellness. See www.healthyprofitsbook.com

You On A Diet”by Dr. Michael F. Roizen, and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz
Best book I’ve read for telling exactly what goes on in the body and how to move toward positive health.

“Eat This Not That”by David Zinczenko
You see and read about your favorite foods to make better choices. Yum and Yuck all at the same time.

Costco
I LOVE Costco’s organic fruit and vegetables. You don’t have to think about what to buy. Just roll up and LOAD UP!

Prevention Magazine
Best magazine for all around health and wellness along with tips and ways to make wellness stick.

Exercise TV
If you own cable, this is FREE. There are 10 minute to 1 hour exercise videos with variety. I love this! No excuses for lack of time.

Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit
Creative ways to stimulate the mind and body. Can include “teams” of people for a team challenge. Yes!

Silk Soy Milk
I use to turn my nose up at soy milk until I tasted it. This is really good and it’s good for you. I drink about three 8 oz glasses a day. Dairy doesn’t like me so it’s a good move towards health.

Guidepost
The articles are motivating and inspiring. We all need a little of that right about now.

Keeping a food journal.
Yes, this is work AND you will see what you are doing right and where there are gaps to improve. This was very telling for me because I was NOT getting enough calories each day. That’s why I was not losing weight. I would not have known that unless I kept the food journal.

Keeping a time log.
More gunts and groans AND it will help you manage your time and set those needed boundaries. People will steal your time. Don’t let them.

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager

www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com

(T)ime Management Tips To Live By

2009-09-14T20:55:12Z

If your like me, you’ve got more than one think going on at any given moment. Between family, friends, work, blogging, Twittering, authoring or just plain doing nothing, it takes alot of energy to accomplish the simple task and try to be “all you can be” in the process. I’ve developed a list of Time Management Tips To Live By as a way to center myself and get things done. Consistently applied they will help you get your mind in the right direction to work more effectively. We all have days that these tips won’t work. No worry. Try your best and don’t beat yourself up. Tomorrows another day!

Limit your moments of exasperation over a task.
- When we take on a new project be it at work or just cleaning the closet it may seem ‘SO BIGGGGG” that we quit before we start. Realize that it took you awhile to get to this point so it will take the same amount of time to make it better. Huffing, puffing and complaining won’t make the time any shorter. Take a deep breath and dig in one small piece at a time.
Approach a task like you’re going on vacation.
- Did you ever notice that when you’re going on vacation that you seem to get alot done, with more clarity, quicker? This happens to me and I feel terrific when I walk out the door. Try this tip and see how much more you can get done in less time while saying “no” to things that truly don’t matter.
15 minutes then “I’m out of here” rule.
- Set a timer (not kidding) for 15 minutes. What can you get done within that time period? What you should find is that #1 things don’t really take as long as I make them up in my mind #2 I’ve achieved SUCCESS because I got done things that have been on my plate for sometime. The timer rule can apply to 30 minutes or even an hour. It centers our priority and sets a limit so we won’t get distracted.
Have one calendar or at least two side by side.
- I can’t tell you how many times I overbooked myself only then to have to choose and disappoint someone. Plus, I’ve lost alot of credibility by canceling. Too many calendars leave too much room for error and results in alot of apologizes. Not cool! One calendar is best. Two at the most.
Spend 15 minutes the night before ANYTHING to get it ready.
- I wake up with good intentions and then the cat throws up (multiple times), my dogs won’t come back in the house or I hate what I’m wearing so I change clothes three or four times. If I would have set myself up for success the night before by spending 15 minutes instead of watching TV, I would be less frustrated, not in a hurry and calmer walking out the door. Murphy’s Law is always working. It may be your door that Murphy visits next. Be prepared.
Watch the distractions.
- Believe it or not, we have control over distractions. We can choose a different time of day to perform an activity or block out time on our personal or professional calendars. If TV is a distraction, don’t be near the room where others are watching. If the phone is a distraction, only answer necessary calls. The more we control distractions, the more empowered we feel to take back our time and focus on our priorities.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager

www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com

(S)ecrets of Success In Four Strategic Steps

2009-08-25T03:05:48Z

Success is defined differently by every person. For some, it means a promotion, gaining material possessions, creating additional income, realizing internal growth or helping and serving others. However we define success, it’s personal and just right for us. Others cannot define it for us or tell us what our success should be. Each of us comes up to the table to feast on success in terms that we desire and a definition that we super impose on it.

We don’t just wake up one day and proof we’re successful. We can’t rub elbows with the rich and famous and automatically claim to be a self made success story. It’s our journey and effort that puts us dead center into our self made success definition where others see our effort, sacrifice, gains and losses. Others respect and support our “why” for keeping the light burning to reach our dreams.

There are secrets to success and they come in four (4) strategic steps.

Success Strategy #1. Define what success means to you.

What does it mean to you? If you can’t define it, you can’t measure it and you don’t know when you have reached milestones to get there. For example, success means to me “Helping businesses make money and people become successful.” Short, simple and a continual reach. I will never “arrive” at success but get a continual conformation that I have reach this eight (8) word sentence. Define it in simple terms, easy, quick and make it fun!

Success Strategy #2. Develop A Flexible Plan of Action

If we proclaim,”Ok, I’ve defined what success means to me. Now, come and get me.”, we’ll probably be standing the same spot a year from now without making any movement towards our goal. Some people seem to think that sitting, waiting, quietly with hands folded in their lap will bring success to them. In some cases, it might but for most of us it requires action, a little bit of planning, alot of patience and a huge amount of flexibility.

Put a five (5) to ten (10) year plan together on how you THINK you might get there with resources and action steps. THINK is in BIG letters because it most likely WON’T happen according to our plan. Our plan is a guide that will have twist, turns, road blocks, successes, failures and frustration. Knowing that leads us to Success Strategy #3.

Success Strategy #3. Learn To Be Patient. Your Going To Need It

Once you make the proclamation that your on the road to success, the Universe will test you to see if you have what it takes to reach the success you desire. You will plant many seeds where most won’t sprout. When just a few do, you will reap a fresh harvest of internal growth, legacy to others and success they way you defined it. It probably won’t come close to the plan you developed but it will come in the right measures, the right people and the right opportunities.

For example, I started off in Information Technology and ended up writing a book, coaching people to improvement and success, owning my own business(s), becoming an international speaker and corporate trainer. A far cry from what I wrote down on paper many years ago. The journey was interesting and frustrating and it still continues to energize me.

Success Strategy #4. Don’t Leave Dead Body’s In Your Path.

We can become extremely focused on obtaining success that we leave behind our family, friends, co-workers, and even the family dog or cat. They lie there all beat up by our harsh words, negative attitude, actions or inaction with no consideration that they are an important part of the process and most likely come first. If we have patience and enjoy the journey, our relaxed demeanor actually draws success to us rather than push it away. Emulate someone you want your family and friends to be proud of. Someone who gains the respect and trust of others and are happy for your milestones of success. Someone that others will want to help and be drawn to rather than run away from.

Like we’ve heard before … Success is a journey. Enjoy the process, the pain and exhilaration of the action to reach your goals and dreams. It’s in the process that we grow, learn and impact others to learn and serve. Continue to be patient and practice a positive attitude.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager
www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com

(R)einvest in YOU!

2009-08-25T02:57:36Z

If you don’t think you have the time to exercise, read, take a walk, attend classes, be social or breath, you probably don’t. Our perception is our reality. In other words, what we perceive is real to us. For example, if you think your right when your in an argument, you are because that’s your perception. It’s pretty hard for someone to change your point of view. And when they try, look out!

This is a frustrating place as we feel like we’re in a rut, running in circles, unproductive and lacking a positive attitude. It feels like we’re defeated before our feet hit the floor each morning. We should strive to change what we can and that starts with our perception.

So how do we change our perception of lack to gain. We need to look at what we do as a reinvestment in ourselves. We can change ….

I don’t have time to look for another job … to … I have at least 15 minutes per day to check out job sites.
I’m so busy, I can’t look for healthy receipies … to …. I can plan out my meals on the weekend for the coming week.
I can’t exercise because I work long hours …. to … I can walk at lunch with a buddy or join a local fitness center for lunch time exercise.
I can’t read the newspaper each night …. to … I can scan the newspaper for interest stories or positive news listen to 15 minutes of CNN or MSNBC.
I don’t have time to take self-help classess … to … I can borrow self help books on CD from the library and listen to them on the way to and from work, running errands, etc.
I can’ seem to keep my house organized …. to … I can spend 15 minutes each day to housework or organizing a drawer, folding laundry or going through a stack of papers.

Reinvesting in ourselves creates confidence, empowerment, focus, productivity and just plain feels good. We don’t have to make a huge public declaration that “OK, I’m going to make time for myself so things have to change!”. We just do it slowly and deliberatly. Others will notice.

This is not a race to see who can be different in the next six months. This is your personal journey to reinvestment. This is a reinvestment in yourself, your time, your lifestyle, your dreams and your impacts on life.

Be healthy and fabulous

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager
www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com

(Q)uit Living With Two Thieves

2009-08-13T03:07:43Z

Have you been living with two thieves? How can that be? I don’t see or hear them but they plague us day after day. The two thieves are Regret and Worry. Regretting decisions from our past that we think may have turned out better. Worrying that an unknown consequence awaits us in the present or future.

We need to lasso these thieves by answering this question “Will we choose to live in yesterday or today?” It’s a deliberate decision not to let past experiences or uncontrollable situations steal our joy or our future. When we begin to emotionally multi task we live in the past and disregard that which is right in front of us (today) and that which we can control (future). When we emotionally multi task we tend to live in the past, present and future all at the same time. We need to live in the moment, right now, while not regretting the past and not worrying about the future.

Think of this …We live in the best time in history with our advanced technology in medicine and personal conveniences. Our society is educationally focused on health and well being. We live in a free nation with liberty and personal rights. Each one of us has health to some degree. Even if we lose everything, someone somewhere loves us and will help us get back on our feet.

A Quick Cheat Sheet

Don’t worry about yesterday live for today.
Emotional multi tasking lives for the future.
Don’t let others steal your joy.
We always think we have tomorrow. Do we?
You can always make more money but cannot buy back time.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. We don’t get another performance.