Since the last Union Executive Meeting, all members have received (from Human Resources) an Internet link to LifeHub provided by Interlock. It contains good self-help guides on depression, addictions, health and fitness, nutrition, exercise, parenting, relationships and stress (just to name a few). There are also numerous articles to enhance career skills and personal goals, plus shopping and financial guides.

With all these articles, one must be cognizant of the fact that these are for self-help purposes and don’t replace a qualified Professional.

One good article is on change with less stress. Unpredictability, as we currently work in this situation, is a major cause of stress. How we manage this stress is up to us. Learning the techniques of the basics of relaxation will alleviate some symptoms. There is a pathway on LifeHub that will teach the core concepts of balancing tension and relaxation, the levels of relaxation, and the four foundation skills for relaxation among others. Using the techniques on these pathways during your workday can help you identify stress and using simple exercises that can be done at work to help you reduce this stress.

Take the time to read up on these and perform them. They will help.

An interesting article on the Globe and Mail website recently cited that the downsizing strategies by Canadian Governments and Companies in the 1990s have actually burdened the Health Care System with $14 billion dollars in extra costs. This amounts to no more than the remaining workers and businesses subsidizing these business practices. There is something to be said for a full-time employed workforce that has a reasonable workload. People who have less job stress tend to have less sick time and illnesses, and fewer diseases and injuries.