Earlier this year I was asked to moderate a two-day conference in Finland. The event, hosted by @FirstbeatTechnologies, brought together speakers from around the world and focused on the theme ‘Elements of Optimal Performance’. There were some excellent presentations from the world of health, sport and work but there was one phrase that really struck […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Bridge-the-Gap.jpg529661Simon Shepardhttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngSimon Shepard2019-07-29 10:36:412019-07-31 08:57:07Bridge the Gap
Celebrating is a good thing to do. So in the month that Optima-life reaches the grand old age of 10 we’d like to celebrate in three ways. Say THANK YOU. Success has been born out of collaboration, adventure and belief. So a big thank you to our clients, our confidantes, our critics, our advisors and […]
This week marks Mental Health Awareness week, and with this being hot on the heels of National Stress Awareness month the topic of looking after mind as well as body is quite rightly making the press. As an organisation that has worked in this arena for the past decade and has physiological data relating to […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/003-firstbeat-netti-srgb-8246.jpg8001200Optima-lifehttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngOptima-life2018-05-16 14:13:102018-05-16 14:17:49The Data of Stress: From Understanding to Recognition
Four years ago, I completed a tender document for an automotive company looking for a partner to deliver a strand of work entitled Health & Leadership. If I am honest, most tender documents I find quite tedious to plough through, so it was interesting to come across a word that I had never heard before. […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/iStock-610747230-resized.jpg495742Simon Shepardhttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngSimon Shepard2018-02-14 11:54:332018-02-14 12:35:28NHS Staff – Who is Caring for You? Shifting to a Salutogenic mindset
How do those whose job is to care for others cope with the impact on their own health? And are they their own best judges? Over the past ten years we have worked with nearly 100 different NHS organisations. We have aggregated data from around 1500 days and nights and with over a billion data […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/021-firstbeat-press-adobergb-1997.jpg23623543Optima-lifehttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngOptima-life2018-02-08 14:59:052018-02-09 11:04:23NHS Staff – Who is Caring for You? Do Carers Really Know How They Feel?
When delivering workshops, I often talk about the balance between non-negotiable and negotiable demands. These demands can change on a daily basis and this is so true when considering the demands of shift working. In the world of the #NHS, working a night shift is potentially one of those non-negotiables, on the other hand how […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/NHS-staff-pic.jpg7061059Simon Shepardhttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngSimon Shepard2018-02-02 15:13:462018-02-02 16:01:22NHS Staff- Who’s Caring for You? Night Shifts and the “Negotiable: Non-Negotiable” Equation
Apparently we live in a #VUCA world, whether it be the Volatility of extremism and terror, the Uncertainty created by the likes of Trump, the Complexity that continuing layers of process and communication produces, or the Ambiguity of socio-political events such as #Brexit. Having worked with NHS organisations over the past five years it seems […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/VUCA-World.jpg14142121Optima-lifehttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngOptima-life2018-01-26 16:13:062018-02-02 15:17:10NHS Staff - Who’s caring for you? Working in the VUCA world of the 21st Century
The New Year news has been dominated by stories of the NHS under severe pressure. But behind the headlines, what is the impact of all this on the health of those who work there? Long-term stress in the NHS is up by nearly 20% – so who will care for the carers? What can NHS […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iStock-177854277-1.jpg6931039Optima-lifehttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngOptima-life2018-01-12 16:41:302018-01-12 16:42:24NHS Staff – Who is Caring for You? The “Other” Challenge Facing NHS Leaders
It’s that time of year where the annual ritual of self-delusion reaches full swing, where dreams are dreamt, ambitions are articulated, and promises are made. Yes folks, it is resolution time and we want to give you a couple of things to think about before you jump into the abyss of meaningless self-talk! Firstly, look […]
We all have things we know we ought not to do, for instance smoking or looking at our emails right before sleeping, yet we consistently weaken at the powerful urge to satisfy our (damaging) craving. Many people fail to change their behaviour because they focus on what they are not supposed to do, rather than […]
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and […]
Are you a ‘snacker’? Snacking in and of itself is not a bad thing, in many ways it is better to eat small meals regularly than letting hunger build up only to binge eat as a result. Are the snacks you eat providing energy in a healthy way or are you relying on unhealthy foods […]
https://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/rollercoaster.jpg20023002Optima-lifehttps://optima-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Optima-Life-White-129x70.pngOptima-life2017-12-05 12:52:482017-12-05 12:52:48Avoid fuelling the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster at work
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Bridge the Gap
/in Optima-life Blog /by Simon ShepardEarlier this year I was asked to moderate a two-day conference in Finland. The event, hosted by @FirstbeatTechnologies, brought together speakers from around the world and focused on the theme ‘Elements of Optimal Performance’. There were some excellent presentations from the world of health, sport and work but there was one phrase that really struck […]
#WeAre10
/in Optima-life Blog, Optima-life News /by Optima-lifeCelebrating is a good thing to do. So in the month that Optima-life reaches the grand old age of 10 we’d like to celebrate in three ways. Say THANK YOU. Success has been born out of collaboration, adventure and belief. So a big thank you to our clients, our confidantes, our critics, our advisors and […]
The Data of Stress: From Understanding to Recognition
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-lifeThis week marks Mental Health Awareness week, and with this being hot on the heels of National Stress Awareness month the topic of looking after mind as well as body is quite rightly making the press. As an organisation that has worked in this arena for the past decade and has physiological data relating to […]
NHS Staff – Who is Caring for You? Shifting to a Salutogenic mindset
/in Optima-life Blog /by Simon ShepardFour years ago, I completed a tender document for an automotive company looking for a partner to deliver a strand of work entitled Health & Leadership. If I am honest, most tender documents I find quite tedious to plough through, so it was interesting to come across a word that I had never heard before. […]
NHS Staff – Who is Caring for You? Do Carers Really Know How They Feel?
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-lifeHow do those whose job is to care for others cope with the impact on their own health? And are they their own best judges? Over the past ten years we have worked with nearly 100 different NHS organisations. We have aggregated data from around 1500 days and nights and with over a billion data […]
NHS Staff- Who’s Caring for You? Night Shifts and the “Negotiable: Non-Negotiable” Equation
/in Optima-life Blog /by Simon ShepardWhen delivering workshops, I often talk about the balance between non-negotiable and negotiable demands. These demands can change on a daily basis and this is so true when considering the demands of shift working. In the world of the #NHS, working a night shift is potentially one of those non-negotiables, on the other hand how […]
NHS Staff – Who’s caring for you? Working in the VUCA world of the 21st Century
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-lifeApparently we live in a #VUCA world, whether it be the Volatility of extremism and terror, the Uncertainty created by the likes of Trump, the Complexity that continuing layers of process and communication produces, or the Ambiguity of socio-political events such as #Brexit. Having worked with NHS organisations over the past five years it seems […]
NHS Staff – Who is Caring for You? The “Other” Challenge Facing NHS Leaders
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-lifeThe New Year news has been dominated by stories of the NHS under severe pressure. But behind the headlines, what is the impact of all this on the health of those who work there? Long-term stress in the NHS is up by nearly 20% – so who will care for the carers? What can NHS […]
Look Back, Talk Aloud and Think ‘Why?’
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-lifeIt’s that time of year where the annual ritual of self-delusion reaches full swing, where dreams are dreamt, ambitions are articulated, and promises are made. Yes folks, it is resolution time and we want to give you a couple of things to think about before you jump into the abyss of meaningless self-talk! Firstly, look […]
Are your goals ‘positive’?
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-lifeWe all have things we know we ought not to do, for instance smoking or looking at our emails right before sleeping, yet we consistently weaken at the powerful urge to satisfy our (damaging) craving. Many people fail to change their behaviour because they focus on what they are not supposed to do, rather than […]
The Greatness of Gratitude
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-life“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and […]
Avoid fuelling the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster at work
/in Optima-life Blog /by Optima-lifeAre you a ‘snacker’? Snacking in and of itself is not a bad thing, in many ways it is better to eat small meals regularly than letting hunger build up only to binge eat as a result. Are the snacks you eat providing energy in a healthy way or are you relying on unhealthy foods […]