Moving Overseas for Business – things to consider  

It is estimated that 250,000 Brits work abroad taking advantage of the benefits to career progression that this has always provided. Working abroad can be both daunting and exciting and when the day of the posting arrives you are bound to have some mixed emotions. Moving overseas is a massive change to your way of living and your decision will have needed careful thought.

Planning is key and if you and your employer have taken account of all the issues that you may face then you will leave confident that you are fully prepared. Some aspects to consider are: 

Family.

How will the move affect you and your family

Is your partner fully supportive?

Will your family be going with you or will you be on your own?

How frequently will you be able to return home to see your family?

Financial

Is the higher salary and improved status going to be worth the time away from your family in the long run? 

Research your tax position – how long will you be away? Will you be paying tax abroad? How much?

What are the effects to your pension?

Health

What is the healthcare situation in your destination?

Is there a state system?

Do you have healthcare insurance?

No matter how confident you are in your own ability to adapt to a change as drastic as moving overseas, it is important you do not underestimate how stressful a move to another country can be. This is especially true for young and teen-aged children who will also be leaving friends and family behind. 

If the company you work for has your living arrangements and transportation taken care of in advance, that's great. However, what if they do not?  

Do you know the area following visits and can arrange a rental property?

Does the new role include a car? 

Driving 

You may also need to obtain a driver permit specifically for the country in which you are moving. 

Culture

• If you are going completely alone, do you speak the local language? 
• How you will spend your time when you aren't working?
• Where will you find like minded people with whom you can connect? 

Moving to a different country at any age, especially if you've never been there before, can be both just a little bit terrifying and totally exhilarating.

Take the time to think your decision through before you set anything in stone. Perhaps talk to a few people who have moved overseas at some point in time. Pick their brains a little about what it was like and what exactly you should have in place before you go.  

A thorough checklist will go a long way and give you piece of mind.

Finally, don't forget to set some time aside to explore and enjoy the new country you've just arrived in.

Depending on the position you have moved overseas for, the adventure of your new territory may just be the best part of the experience after all. 

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We have all been there.

You have a deadline to meet and you’ve missed lunch; you knew it wasn’t a great idea at the time but  you had no alternative because a client was insisting on having a proposal by 3pm and there was so much work involved.

You hit your deadline and it’s now mid-afternoon. You are irritable. You snap at your workmates over something trivial which is most out of character for you.

Is the reason that you are feeling ‘hangry’?

This is a word that has crept into the English language in recent times and is a blend of the words hungry and angry. But what a good description for the way that you feel when your blood glucose levels drop during that afternoon period when you have heard thing to eat.

Hangry remedy

The most effective way of putting this right is to have a carbohydrate hit!

Bread, dried fruit or a smoothie would do the job.

However, wouldn’t it be better not to get hungry in the first place? And wouldn’t it be better not to totally miss food at lunchtime?

We all use up energy when we are working and like our cars, we need fuel to keep us going.

The best advice would be to not only have a proper breakfast (say porridge) in the morning to set you up for the day, but to also keep some nutritious snacks available if you find yourself in a position whereby you have to miss a midday meal.

If you don’t look after yourself, no-one else will. The client doesn’t know that you missed lunch to hit his deadline so be prepared for each eventuality and avoid ‘hanger’.

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The job prospects of IT professionals may seem to be quite bright and prosperous.

However, the work life of software engineers isn't easy! In fact, IT engineers typically encounter some of these common job-related problems, such as long working hours, heavy workload, stressful work environment, bad posture, lack of exercise, and poor eating habits.

Collectively, each of these issues may result in various health concerns, for example, lower back pain, stress and anxiety, insomnia, and more.

In this context, this article will examine five common health issues for IT professionals and effective ways to alleviate such health concerns.

Lower Back Pain

Cause -- This is one of the most common health problems that IT professionals often encounter. The primary causes of this health concern include long, tiring, and stressful working hours & bad posture.

A vast majority of software engineers usually spend approximately 8 - 10 hours in front of a computer screen. This sitting posture can place huge stress on the joints, cartilage, and spinal cord.

Consequently, IT professionals often suffer from lower back pain. Please note, lower back pain needs to be treated on time. Or else, the continuous strain and stress on the ligaments will lead to chronic back pain and severely worsen the health condition.

Remedy -- According to physiotherapists, right posture (sit upright and avoid bending the back and head) must be adopted when seated at the desk for long hours. Also, simple exercises must be performed throughout the day to improve the blood circulation on the muscles.

Anxiety and Stress

Cause -- Due to the poor work-life balance, rigorous job pressure, and tight deadline, many IT engineers develop the health problems like stress, depression, and anxiety.

Remedy -- Maintaining a proper work-life balance is the key to avoid stress and anxiety. Also, simple exercises (like swimming, cycling, and running), yoga, meditation, and relaxation therapy

Insomnia

Cause -- Insomnia is another common health problem for IT engineers. Insomnia can be associated with sleeplessness, inability to sleep, and habitual sleeplessness etc. The fundamental causes of this health concern are odd working hours, depression, lack of exercise, anxiety and sitting in close proximity to a computer screen for many hours.

Remedy -- Software professionals are recommended to maintain a proper sleeping habit. They must ensure at least 7 - 8 hours of peaceful and uninterrupted sleep per night. If the condition worsens, they must consult with an experienced physician and undergo appropriate treatment.

Heart Disease

Causes -- Due to the nature of their job (i.e. long working hours, deadlines, pressure), IT professionals suffer from an increasing risk of potential heart diseases including stroke, heart blockage, high blood sugar, increased blood pressure, and excess body fat.

Remedy -- To avoid these health concerns, software engineers are recommended to indulge and follow a good exercise program. Plus, they must take a short break in every thirty minutes and opt for a brisk walk inside the office premises.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Cause -- Carpal tunnel syndrome leads to numbness and tingling in the hands. Due to restricted movements of the wrist joint, this condition gets developed where the median nerve which passes through the wrist gets abruptly compressed. Software engineering professionals suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome due to the repetitive tasks like uninterrupted typing.

Remedy -- As a remedy to this problem, software engineers should perform some simple wrist exercises like stretching and bending. These workouts not only release the tight tissues, but also they accelerate blood circulation and reduce pain, strain, and stiffness.

Additionally, while working on a personal computer, the keyboard needs to be placed in such a way so that the elbow forms a 90-degree angle with the table.

Health in the IT industry - Key Points to Note:

If you are working in the IT industry, then you're most likely to encounter some of the aforementioned health issues.

In such cases, do not forget to follow the remedial steps (that are explained above) and quickly alleviate the problems before they cause a more serious impact on your health.

For your reference, the key points are summarized below.

• Maintain a good work-life balance

• Follow a regular exercise regime

• Dedicate some time to practice yoga and meditation

• Maintain a healthy and nutritious eating habit

• Ensure 7 – 8 hours of interrupted sleeping

• Get moving – do not sit slouched at your desk for long

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Source : https://www.computerworld.com/article/2533251/it-careers/health-hazards-for-it-workers----how-that-desk-job-wears-your-body-down.html

What Is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine can be described as the remote delivery of healthcare service that includes both health assessments and consultations. The process allows the healthcare service providers to easily detect, diagnose, and treat a patient without any in-person visit.

In simple words, it can be further stated that telemedicine features the use of medical information that's exchanged to evaluate and improve a patient's health. As mentioned earlier, a patient doesn't need to come and visit a physician's chamber if he/she is receiving medicinal advice/consultation through telemedicine.

Advanced technology, for example, video conferencing and audio conferencing are primarily used for telemedicine. Considering the notable benefits of telemedicine (such as remote patient monitoring and better convenience), it's now being widely used among the seafarers and maritime professionals.

Please note, according to a recent research study report, around 98% of seafarers have admitted that the use of telemedicine can treat emergency medical conditions and even save lives. Especially, for those vessels that do not have an onboard medical supervisor, the benefits of telemedicine are absolutely unquestionable.

The Usage of Telemedicine – and the Benefits to Seafarers. 

In its early days, telemedicine was originally adopted for the soldiers and military professionals as well as in rural areas where the residents do not have a direct access to a nearby medical facility.

But the benefits of telemedicine to the seafaring community quickly became obvious.    Seafarers have a pretty hectic work schedule and due to the critical nature of their job, they encounter a myriad of health-related issues, starting from stress and depression to epidemic diseases and Musculoskeletal Disorder – please see our earlier blogs.

Each of these potential health concerns may turn into a permanent disability if they are not treated on time. For example, if an illness or injury occurs at sea, then the main concern becomes how the seafaring community will provide an adequate care? Or, how can they handle a critical medical emergency?

So, the underlying concern is -- how can the seafaring community receive the much-needed healthcare support when they are away from their homeland and traveling in a vessel? In such situations, the remote delivery of healthcare service using the telemedicine facility becomes the most convenient, viable, and appropriate solution.

Needless to mention, telemedicine is considered to be the most convenient way of receiving the healthcare assistance for the seafarers. It doesn't require to schedule a pre-appointment or in-person visit to a doctor's office. In fact, seafarers can receive top-quality healthcare service promptly and efficiently with the help of telemedicine.

An experienced and trained medical consultant will evaluate and assess their medical conditions via phone calls, video conferencing, or live chat and recommend/advise them the best-possible solution to cope up with the situation.

The Final Takeaway:

The increasing rate of potential chronic diseases among the seafaring community has become a major challenge. Telemedicine will provide seafarers a better and easier way to maintain control of their overall health. In addition to this, it's a valuable tool for receiving preventative healthcare support.

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In order to avoid and or reduce such common health issues, we look at five effective measures that could be undertaken and practiced in order to ensure better welfare and well-being of the seafarers.

Work pressure needs to be balanced:

In many cases, it has been discovered that seafarers experience tremendous work pressure. Due to the long working hours, hectic work schedule, and minimal rest, they face various health issues, starting from stress and fatigue to deterioration of their physical health and well-being.

Work life balance at sea is key. Research studies and reports have already highlighted the growing levels of stress, distress, and fatigue among the seafaring community. That's why it's important to promote a positive work culture and behaviour.

By reducing the excessive work pressure and promoting a healthy work-life balance, the seafaring community will feel more motivated, relaxed, and focussed. Consequently, the instances of their common health issues reduce.

Knowledge is Power:

The master & senior crew should research and be aware of any outbreaks of illness, epidemic and pandemic diseases before docking in a specific port.

Due to the nature of their job, seafarers need to travel around the entire world and visit many international ports. That's why the seafaring community often gets exposed to various epidemic and pandemic diseases, for example, cholera, yellow fever, malaria, and tuberculosis etc.

Advance knowledge and awareness of a potential issue may help overcome this problem, but seafarers should also be medically checked and vaccinated prior to visiting the infected ports.

By using these preventive measures, the spread of infectious and contagious diseases can be avoided.

Quality of life for seafarers needs to be improved:

This is another effective measure that helps the wellness and well-being of the seafaring community. To improve the quality of life for seafarers, it's important to promote a healthy work-life balance. Apart from that, it should be further ensured that seafarers are offered enough rest and sleep.

To boost their morale, some fun, engaging, and interactive activities need to be arranged frequently. Such activities will make them feel more unified and motivated.

Self-awareness and personal health:

Self-awareness is vital when it comes to avoiding and handling health hazards. And, it's also not an exception for the seafaring community. Once onboarded, seafarers should be provided adequate training on the common health issues and how to tackle such situations in a timely manner.

Additionally, they should be encouraged to follow a proper fitness regime. Their fitness regime should include the necessity of practicing regular workouts and maintaining a healthy diet.

Needless to mention, self-awareness is a proven and meaningful way to avoid various health issues that are mostly faced by the seafarers.

Finally:

Seafarers should be encouraged to regularly visit a physician or medical supervisor so that a disease doesn't turn to a permanent disability

Certain health issues (especially Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome, Musculoskeletal Disorder, and CVD) may turn into a permanent disability if they are not treated on time.

That's why seafarers must be encouraged to regularly visit a physician for periodic health check-ups. In this way, a potential disease can be easily detected and treated so that it doesn't cause a long-term impediment or disability.

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Seafaring is considered to be one of the most strenuous of occupations. The seafaring community encounter a multitude of issues and challenges due to the critical nature of their job. In recent years, the spotlight has fallen on specific health issues among seafarers which have become a growing concern.

We examine some of the more common health issues that affect the seafaring community.

HAVS or Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Hand

Transmitted vibration or HAVS is one of the most common health hazards that's found among the seafarers.

Operating power tools, for example, needle guns, hand-held grinders and chipping machines generally cause this syndrome.

Prolonged exposure to power tools such as these may result in HAVS that can lead to a permanent disability if it's not treated properly and quickly. Some symptoms of HAVS include numbness, tingling of fingers, blanching, and acute pain in the wrist and arm and can be distressing for the individuals concerned.

CVD or Cardio Vascular Disease

Compared to the general population, CVD is commonly found among the seafaring community. The primary reason behind CVD is the hectic and often stressful workload of the seafarers.

Other influencing factors include poor diet, stress, and lack of exercise.

MSD or Musculoskeletal Disorder

Seafarers are reported to suffer from various disorders that are mostly related to the skeleton and muscular structure of their body. Their long working hours and round the clock schedules are the fundamental causes of MSD. If not treated properly, the musculoskeletal disorder may turn into a disability.

Cancer

Officers and crew members have a continuous exposure to various toxic substances, such as beryllium, lead, and cadmium.

Overexposure to these harmful substances leads to different types of cancers, for example, renal cancer, lungs cancer, lymphoma, and leukaemia.

Compared to the general public, the seafaring community is more susceptible to these deadly diseases.

Pandemic & Epidemic Diseases

Seafarers can often be worldwide travellers visiting numerous international ports. Whilst this can be exciting, it can also leave the seafarer exposed to dangerous epidemic and pandemic diseases. A recent, and high profile example is the Zika virus but other examples include malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, and yellow fever.

Not only are such illnesses distressing for the individual, if they become carriers who take such viruses home with them, the potential for spreading the problem to family and friends is high.

Mental Health Issues

(Hypertension, Stress, and Fatigue) Seafarers also suffer from various mental health-related issues that can seriously impact their psychological health.

Excessive stress, loneliness, smoking, fatigue, lack of physical activity, and consumption of alcohol are the primary causes of their mental health issues.

Summary

These are just 6 common health issues that are observed among the seafarers.

Each of these health problems may lead to potentially disastrous consequences if they are not treated in a timely manner. But, why do such health issues occur? Well, the underlying reasons behind such health problems are bad quality of sleep, extended work, lack of rest, long working hours, heat, vibration, noise, restricted movement, social exclusion, climate change, dehydration, and other factors.

To overcome these situations, the following five measures can be undertaken.

• Work pressure needs to be balanced.

• The master & crew should be informed about various epidemic and pandemic diseases before docking.

• Quality of life for seafarers needs to be improved.

• Seafarers should be trained about the common health issues for an increased self-awareness. • Seafarers should be encouraged to regularly visit a physician or medical supervisor so that a disease doesn't turn to a permanent disability.

We will examine these measures in more detail in our next blog.

Remember Mayfair, We care

Source: 

1. M. Oldenburg, H. Jensen, U. Latza, X. Baur, "Seafaring stressors aboard merchant and passenger ships", Int J Public Health, vol. 54, pp. 96-105, 2009.

2. A. Sliškovi?, Z. Penezi?, "Occupational stressors risks and health in the seafaring population", Review of Psychology, vol. 22, no. 1–2, pp. 29-39, 2015.care

It is easy to spot the tell-tale signs of a stressed employee. These can include:

•        regular absenteeism,
•        constant tiredness,
•        smoking,
•        drinking,
•        inactivity in exercise terms,
•        disorganised,
•        convenience food addiction
•       personal issues with their partner.

If you are a company owner why not consider avoiding the situation getting that serious? Why not think of creating workplace well-being in your company which will boost the performance of your employees and also boost the overall productivity.

For some employees work is endured rather than enjoyed and that is why a good wellness program will boost working morale for everyone and improve productivity across all pay grades.

Consider these reasons for introducing a wellness program: 

Increased Enjoyment  

A boring and repetitive role within a workplace can lead to a high turnover of staff which is expensive for the employer and creates an adverse effect on productivity.

Whilst the introduction of a good Health in the Workplace programme will not make a repetitive job less tedious, it will give the employee some variety and something to look forward to.

Increased Productivity 

Employees engaging in workplace wellness activities such as a healthy eating programme, exercise classes or workplace massage often feel happier about themselves, their employer and their job which can result in improved productivity and performance.

Employees will be more focused and energised to have the motivation to tackle their work.

A program which includes education around good nutrition and an exercise activity can bring tremendous benefits.  7

Happy staff

Employees taking part in one of these programmes tend to feel more satisfied in their job as compared to those who do not have any programs.

It usually leads to improved health which does not only boost overall attitude but also appearance.

Team Building

When a group of employees engage in group activities such as health and fitness activities, they will feel more connected to their colleagues which is excellent for team bonding within the workplace and gives them all a common interest that might have been lacking previously. This can only be a positive outcome for the company.

Company benefits

Introducing such schemes will have an added cost to the company but if such healthy living schemes can help reduce absenteeism and improve productivity then these benefits will go a long way to covering, if not exceeding the costs of the scheme which will then become cost neutral.

Employee benefits

A job that promotes good nutrition, health and wellness habits will lead to employees taking better care of themselves resulting in improved health. With health improved, sickness days will be reduced, there will be less expenditure on medical bills and other associated costs. 

But don’t let these good habits finish when you leave work! Carry good habits over into your leisure time and continue to benefit from an improved regime of diet and exercise.

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George Bernard Shaw once said "Progress is impossible without change. And those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything".

We resist change but in an ever changing world do we not need to embrace it by managing it effectively, by not fearing failure and by being prepared to ask others for help as part of a learning / readjustment process?

Many people are afraid of any changes that occur in their lives especially if it does not bring an immediate advantage to them. Even though progress can only come through change, it is still difficult to accept change unconditionally. Changes can occur in many parts of our social lives as well as the workplace and we look at some of the different approaches that people have towards change and how our attitude leads to different outcomes.

Fear & Resistance

Changes in the workplace could lead to fear among the employees. People may be afraid of losing their jobs.

But resisting change is one of the things that can put jobs at risk by leading businesses to lag behind in terms of development and become uncompetitive within their marketplace.

Such human reactions are understandable but need managing if commercial progress is to be made.

The following approaches are commonplace and successful:

Admit change is inevitable

By acknowledging that change will happen with or without you, you will be psychologically prepared and more likely to embrace the new methods.

It will also help you have a positive attitude toward the change and therefore you will approach it with a clear head. Accepting that change is inevitable also helps you to have positive thinking that the change is for the good of the workplace. 

Be Inquisitive.

Often, the main reason that people are afraid of change is because they do not understand it. Making enquiries enables employees to properly understand any change in the workplace that is made. This way, they will be able to avoid being afraid of changes and embrace them for the development of the workplace. Remember, Knowledge is Power!

Play an active part in change

Assist in managing the change effectively and playing a full part. A good example of this is digitalisation. When employees are willing to take part in learning on how to use these tools for the development of the workplace this will, in turn, to betterment of the workplace. 

Conclusion

Even though our lives have experienced significant change already, many of us are still wary of change so please remember "Progress is impossible without change. And those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything".

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Obesity is undeniably a global epidemic.

Not only is the global population expanding in figures, but apparently also in weight! Since 1980, statistics indicate that obesity rates have more than doubled and are still rising.

A WHO (World Health Organization) global report outlines that in 2014; about 600 million individuals were obese with about 1.9 billion adults being overweight.

Naturally, industrialised nations featured among the affected with countries such as Qatar having 42 % of its population (adult) being obese, Kuwait (40 %), Northern Ireland (28 %), England (28 %), USA (38 %), and France (24 %). Astoundingly, the obesity issue is not just with adults, but with children too. 

This is predominantly evidenced by the 2013 figures where about 42 million youngsters aged 5 and below tested positive for obesity/overweight. What’s even more shocking is that it is not industrialised nations that lead the group anymore. Compared to high-income nations, developing ones have a rise of over 30% in child obesity rates.

In fact, between 1990 and 2014, the number of obese and overweight kids below five years shot up from 5.4 million to 10.3 million. And according to the WHO, if the trend remains as is, over 70 million infants will either be obese or overweight by 2025. 

Reasons behind the escalating Obesity figures: 

One primary reason for the surging numbers is the rapidly changing lifestyles across the globe further fueled by the easier accessibility of unhealthy food options. Currently, there are over 700,000 fast food joints globally. Moreover, the improvement of technology and the ensuing reliance on its products like computers and cars have inspired a typically sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, lack of education also contributes to the high numbers both in industrialized and developing countries. 

Consequences of Obesity: 

Obesity is a key contributor to chronic cardiovascular diseases, stroke, Type 2 diabetes as well as some cancers. Obesity results in the build-up of fat in the body arteries, and narrowing of vessels, therefore leading to minimized blood flow to the heart – a condition usually associated with heart attacks.

An increase in diabetes mortality rate was witnessed rising from a million deaths (2000) to about 1.5 million (2012). Isn’t diabetes among the consequence of obesity? 

What measures are nations taking to manage Obesity? 

Evidently, obesity is a major issue affecting all nations of the world. Nonetheless, with proper strategies and policies, the trend can change. Most nations have come up with a national strategy to regulate obesity following WHO recommendations. These plans are designed to promote healthier dieting and food production and include appropriate and targeted domestic subsidies.

The UK, for instance, has imposed a sugar tax in 2018 to help tackle the obesity issue. Similarly, in the U.S for instance, in 2010, former President Obama set up an exclusive taskforce for Childhood Obesity Prevention which brought about an actionable strategy to reverse Obesity. In extension, he also signed the ‘Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act’ into law which included healthier school meals standards.

In Mexico, the Congress passed into law a tax on high-calorie foods and soft drinks, while Ecuador’s Health Ministry produced processed foods labelling regulations. Most notably, Norway used a combination of price manipulations, food subsidies, public education targeting individuals, and retail regulations to successfully turn its population to relying on energy dense, high-fat diets. 

Conclusion: 

With Obesity rapidly spreading globally, there is a need to find actionable strategies aimed at reducing and ultimately eradicating this otherwise preventable condition. Each sector in the society plays a significant part in not only promoting healthier lifestyles but also establishing an atmosphere for sustained change where optimistically, ‘Globesity’ will someday be controlled. 

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After a long tiring day, it is normal to have a lot on your mind and this can bring some sleeping difficulties. If this annoyance is a familiar one for you, you should try out a brain dump just before you go to bed. 

What is it?

A brain-dump is basically a full transfer of whatever is on your mind from your brain down to some other medium of ‘storage’ like a notepad or a computer hard drive. 

A comprehensive and systematic brain dump is the best approach to dealing with chaotic thoughts and feelings of overwhelm. It is a quick and simple method to get it off your chest - or in this case head - strategy where you simply jot down everything on a paper.

As soon as you outline all your crazy thoughts on paper, you will usually see that the worry and panic is just in your head. And better yet, after writing your thoughts on a paper, you can subsequently analyse them without being astounded. 

Basics, Tips, and Importance: 

A brain dump is basically a distinct escape route that you can return to over and over each time you feel scattered, confused, or overwhelmed.

It allows you to outline all your thoughts so that you can consider them, assess them, and make sound decisions on them and deal with them in priority rather than haphazard style. 

Brain dumping may sound simple and straightforward, but it is the ideal way to help you enjoy the much-needed peace of mind and of course sleep. As such, it is important that you take time to do a comprehensive job. This is because it will give your mind the time to incubate and percolate connections and ideas about what to adjust, modify or even delete on your list. Just don’t be in a hurry! 

Luckily, you can keep your brain dump list either in a notebook, tablet, voice memos etc but try to keep your list in the most convenient, accessible place for you.

Moreover, don’t attempt to do it all at once. Start it out in little time snippets, here and there, as the thoughts occur. Spend a good chunk of time just getting things off your head and down onto paper, particularly if it is your first time to do it or it has been long since you tried it. 

In a nutshell: 

Although using a brain dump does not mean that you are free of getting overwhelming thoughts completely, it does mean that next time you feel this way, you know how to approach and combat such feelings. A brain dump simply gets you back on track quicker. 

If you are having trouble finding sleep due to thoughts racing through your mind, then a brain dump is worth every effort! 

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