Published on 22 April 2022
April is Stress Awareness Month, and it’s a great time to reflect on the small strategies and microsteps that help us lower our stress when we feel overwhelmed. Try one or all of the tips suggested.
One that works for so many is listening to music. Research shows that playing a song you love in a stressful moment can help you shift gears to a more positive and calm mindset, and even trigger feelings of joy and nostalgia.
Avoid cumulative stress by planning your day the night before. Write your list and highlight the two most important things to you to get done. You can look back and have a sense of achievement, and still have your list for the next day’s focus.
Try the 3-3-5 breathing technique, anytime during the day, and especially when you feel your emotions rise. Simply breathe in through your nose for three counts, hold it in for three counts, and then release it through the mouth for five counts – it’s simple and highly effective.
Focus on the solution, not the problem. One way to get ahead of stress is to focus on the solution instead of the problem. When you start focusing on the problem, you get flooded with toxic hormones and chemical reactions. When you focus on the solution, it helps you stay present and look toward the future with hope.
Share some of these tips with others and have a stress free day.
Seated Massage is back!
The seated massage wellbeing initiative was so popular in March that we just had to bring it back.
The team at ‘Seated Massage’ are returning during April and May to once again pamper staff at each site with free 5 minute neck and shoulder massages.
Bookings are not necessary. Just turn up at the times allocated to the site you work at:
Westie Wind Down
Massage messages and staff snaps
Did you take some time out for a free five minute massage last month?
Staff from Sunshine and Footscray hospitals shared their thoughts on the wellbeing initiative.
Here is what some of our staff had to say about their massage experience last time:
“It’s so nice of the hospital to do this for us. I feel very valued and cared for”
“It’s amazing what 5 minutes of massage can do. I feel so much better”
“The massage was amazing. My headache has now gone”
“What a fantastic initiative. I loved it”
“The massage was so beautiful. I feel really relaxed now”
“That was so nice. The therapist was really lovely too”
Kind regards,
Suellen Bruce
On behalf of the Executive Team