Earlier this week we had World Mental Health Awareness Day. However, we believe that every day should be World Mental Health Awareness Day and we make no apologies for repeating some of the advice that we have given in the past - it should be a habit, because it is an issue that affects countless hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

For sufferers, they are aware of it every day at work, at home and at leisure but this article looks at the effect in the workplace.

Owners, directors and employees all have to pull together to contribute to the success of a business and each is affected by different pressures and stress which can lead to an adverse effect on mental health.

What should we look out for?

Colleagues who have previously been great communicators becoming withdrawn and less involved.  

Previously calm colleagues being unusually emotional.

Previously positive colleagues having difficulty making decisions and having negative points of view.

Colleagues looking constantly tired.

All of the above ( and it is not an exhaustive list ) are classic symptoms of a developing mental health issue.

What should we do?

In the first instance, just talking to colleagues is a good start. Trying to understand what the root cause of their worries could be. If it is work related, try to assist them with workload and bring this to the attention of others

But what if I am the employer and it gets worse?

• ·    This can be reflected in absence from work impacting on costs

Many employees may not be comfortable in sharing the fact that they are taking leaves because they are suffering from anxiety, depression, or stress. But, if you notice them taking regular short-term absences, without offering any doctor’s note then this could be a warning sign.

What to do – Try to keep proper track of employee absence pattern. If you notice the same employee taking regular leaves you can conduct a meeting with them so that you can help them readjust to the workplace. It is better to have a good employee coping with a comfortable workload than the same person being constantly absent.

• ·     Increasingly erratic behavior and mood swings affecting others

When people deal with too much stress it is likely to reflect in their behavioral pattern and you will notice a change in their character and mood. Even the most polite employee might start bullying others, may suddenly become withdrawn, or be short tempered.

What to do – if you notice an employee displaying such behavior then you should hold fun and informal workshops on a regular basis, where you should also educate your employees about mental health problems, and how it can affect their work life. You can even offer counseling to the employees to help them further.

• ·       Lack of engagement & productivity

People suffering from poor mental health may look lethargic and tired, find it difficult to make decisions, and also struggle to start and complete their assigned tasks, which affects overall productivity.

What to do – Try to do something to vary the workload of your employees. You may share the workload more evenly amongst team members. If offering flexible working can be an option, this too could improve morale as many people struggle with work life balance and this could help.

• ·       High turnover of staff

     Many employees leave their job without even thinking about it seriously. More than the nature of their job, the reason is poor management, a poor workplace culture, and the way these can impact on employees.

Employees with mental health problems may leave work because they feel they will not be able to improve until they do something about their working environment.

What to do – try to find out why are people resigning. You can conduct exit interviews which allow the employees to be frank and backlash if they want to. This will help you know what is wrong with your workplace and how you can correct it.

Good mental health at the workplace is very important. If your employees are happy, satisfied, and enjoy working in your company, that will result in great productivity.

However, if they suffer from mental health issues then it will impact on your productivity, in a negative way.

So, try to keep track of any signs of mental health problems in your company, and find a solution at the earliest.

And remember, Mayfair we care.

We have all heard the phrase use it or lose it. This applies predominantly to our physical fitness. As you will be aware to maintain a healthy body weight it is essential to combine a healthy diet with an active lifestyle.

But what sort of exercise is appropriate for you?

The best type of exercise for weight management is cardiovascular exercise. This activity increases your heart rate and exercises muscles.

An exercise regime of three or more times per week should enable you to fit you fitness programme into a busy lifestyle and achieve your goals of maintaining fitness levels important for both mind and body.

Effective exercising should make you feel slightly out of breath but do avoid pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion especially if this is at the beginning of your new exercise regime. It is best to start slowly and build up the time and intensity of your workout so you slowly increase your fitness levels. Once you have increased these levels, exercise will become easier and more enjoyable.

Opinions differ on how frequently exercise should take place but perceived wisdom is that a minimum of 30 minutes per session will have an impact on helping you achieve your goals. If you are able to exercise for longer then the goals will be achieved and maintained more quickly.

Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. Any activity that keeps your heart rate elevated will be worthwhile and this will include most team sports such as rugby, cricket, football and basketball  among others, as well as individual sports such as tennis, squash, and badminton which are also brilliant exercise.

Swimming, dancing, jogging, walking, aerobics, cycling and just generally being active will all contribute to achieving the goals that you desire for both your health and fitness.

One cautionary note, if you are over the age of 35 and you are beginning a new fitness regime then it would be wise to see your doctor if you have had a number of years of secondary lifestyle. The doctor will advise on the best and most effective means of easing you into increased activity and you should not hesitate to seek the advice.

Remember, Mayfair we care

We have written about tiredness and fatigue syndrome before because it is such an important subject and affects both physical and mental health at home and in the workplace.

Some people can feel tired even though they appear, on the surface, to have enough sleep. If this is the case they might try a short nap during the day or have an early night but sometimes this doesn’t help.

Tiredness is a complex issue and it can affect your entire being and cause headaches, aching muscles, moodiness, short-term memory problems, poor concentration and low motivation. If all this sounds more like a mental health issue then you may be right.

Constant tiredness can impact on your personal and work life and will affect your ability to do your job and have an impact on the health and safety of those around you dependent on the sort of work that you do.

If you do feel tired all the time then examine the quantity and quality of your sleep but for many of those who visit the doctor complaining of fatigue it’s most likely that something else is to blame for the lack of sleep and constant feeling of exhaustion.

The cause of fatigue isn’t always obvious, and you may have an underlying medical problem such as anaemia, and underactive thyroid sleep apnoea, diabetes, heart problems or an auto immune disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis

It can also be a side-effect of any medication that you might be taking so your to examine doctor should investigate the potential knock-on effect of any prescription medicine that they recommend before you take it.

Alternatively, feeling tired all the time can be a response to your personal lifestyle, or your social and psychological issues rather than a medical condition. Here are a number of possible reasons why you might be tired all the time.

Top of the list is stress, anxiety or depression because studies suggest that between 50 and 80% of tiredness is due to psychological factors. Stress and emotional shock such as a bereavement or a relationship break up can leave you feeling worn out. In fact,  fatigue is regarded as one of the main symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder and depression which affect up to 7% of the worlds population. The good news is that doctors and health professionals will be able to help.

Insufficient iron. The mineral iron is essential for transporting oxygen in your blood so if you’re not eating enough iron rich foods you’re likely to feel constantly tired women are more prone to developing and efficiency than men because of their menstrual cycle.

If you suspect that this could be the reason for your tiredness examine your diet and consider foods that are rich in vitamin C.

Exercise. It’s probably the last thing you feel like doing if you’re constantly in a state of tiredness but research shows that regular low intensity exercise can boost energy levels and people suffering from fatigue.

Even a brief 15 minute walk and help and one British study found that yoga was effective at increasing energy. Why exercise alleviates fatigue isn’t clear but study findings suggest physical activity axed directly on the central nervous system to increase energy.

Dehydration. You can feel tired when you are mildly dehydrated. We see more and more people carrying bottles of water these days and this is a very sensible remedy to ensure that you do not become even mildly dehydrated. If you’re planning to exercise ensure that you are well hydrated before you start and sip water throughout your work out re-hydrating afterwards.

We hope that some of these tips may help you if you are one of those who feel constantly tired. Please review our other blogs on the same subject which you may also find to be of assistance.

Remember, Mayfair we care

As the Formula One racing circus visits Singapore for its latest race, air pollution and the haze created has been brought into sharper focus than for a long time. There are reports of the haze closing schools in Malaysia and fears for the visibility and wellbeing of the F1 teams and their drivers in Singapore. Suddenly, something that is a constant for those who live in the region becomes big news.

But what is Haze?

The definition is that it is an atmospheric phenomenon where suspension of extremely small dry particles in the air obscure the clarity of the sky.

Its components can be gases such as ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Particulate matter also in the air includes benzene sulphate, organic carbon, microbial components and pollen.

These particles can penetrate respiratory and circulatory systems and can cause damage to the health of an individual exposed to it for any length of time, or on a regular basis,

Haze and your health.

But it’s not just the head that is affected. By breathing in particulate matter, this can cause problems in the throat with irritation, dryness and soreness causing coughing.

Extreme cases can create chest discomfort and respiratory tract infection. Asthma attacks are often prevalent and even something as natural as drinking water can be an issue if the drinking water is contaminated by dense haze. This can lead to stomach upset and vomiting. The skin can also be irritated by constant exposure to Haze.

So what precautions can be taken to prevent all these outcomes?

Spend less time outdoors.

Sadly, at a time when we are encouraging our children to spend less time on their iPads and more time outdoors, the advice in areas of high air pollution is to reduce outdoor activities such as jogging and cycling amongst others.

Drink plenty of water as long as it does not fall into the contaminated category.

Wash your hands and face on a regular basis and especially after outdoor activities and finally, please make sure that if you are prescribed medicines by your doctor that you take them on a regular basis especially if you have an underlying respiratory or cardiovascular dilute disease.

We will be revisiting the subject of air pollution in future blogs but in the meantime stay safe.

Mayfair, we care.

For years now we have all loved bottled water and it has been the fastest growing area of drinks in the world with a forecast estimate of $215 billion by 2025.

Amazing isn’t it? A commodity that a lot of the world can have, freely available from our kitchen taps, is selling for around 2000 times the price in the supermarkets and we are buying it!

Why are we buying bottled water?

Do you buy bottled water or spring water because of the minerals?

Once again testing has indicated to tap water has a relatively high concentration of beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium – more than most bottled brands.

Plastic pollution.

Health

Improving the environment and your health; it’s a powerful argument to turn away from plastic bottles of water.

Mayfair, we care.

Carbohydrates get a bad press of these days for a variety of different reasons but a number of widely held beliefs do bear closer examination. 

Weight loss

However, not all research backs this up and whilst it may be true that some studies have found low-carb diets to be more effective for weight loss than low-fat diets in the short-term, in the longer term both approaches produce modest weight loss at best.

A 2015 review of the research on different types of diet found that low carb diets marginally outperformed the low-fat diet. However the difference in weight loss on the groups of dieters was tiny with the low-carb dieters losing about one girl kilogram more after 12 months.

One expert advised that the best way of losing weight was simply to eat less of everything in a way that can form a habit and be maintained over a long period. That sounds less complicated to us!

A low-carb diet is healthier?

However, there is a big difference between unrefined and refined plant foods.

A diet high in unrefined whole grains protects against cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes, but swap these for refined grains like white flour, white bread, sugar and white rice and your risk of poor health will increase.

Wholegrains and carbohydrate rich foods such as legumes also encourage a healthy diversity of gut bacteria, something that is linked to reduced inflammation, better immunity and improved mental health.

One recent study found that switching to a high-fat, no carb diet lowered the number of beneficial bacteria residing in the gut.

Avoid fruit – really?

We hope that this clarifies some of the myths surrounding low-carb diets.

Mayfair, we care.

Gluten is an umbrella term for certain protein group found in cereal grains, like wheat. These proteins are what allows the dough to stick together, to be elastic and capable of being formed in many shapes.

Recently, gluten-free products have taken over the world and have become usual in many households. Usually, gluten-free alternatives are more expensive, but... Gluten is bad for you and your health is more valuable than saving money, right? Well, things are a little bit more complicated.

Do All People Have to Avoid Gluten?   

The short answer is no. Gluten-free products can only cause problems for certain people with existing medical conditions. The research right now is just not significant enough to draw such drastic conclusions as "gluten is bad for everyone". Nonetheless, it is advisable to experiment with your diet. Maybe you have one of those conditions which we will mention soon, or maybe your body just functions better without gluten in your diet.     

Wheat Allergy     

If you have a wheat allergy, your immune system is destined to react abnormally to wheat products and certain proteins in wheat. It means that you should avoid all products with wheat, as symptoms can range from mild inconveniences to life-threatening. To people who suffer from a wheat allergy, it is uncommon to experience anaphylaxis shock after ingesting a wheat product. That being said, most of us have wheat daily, so chances that you have wheat allergy with life-threatening risk is low, as you should have already experienced it.    

In spite of that, you might have a wheat allergy and ingesting wheat might cause slight problems breathing, a headache or nausea. You might get those symptoms but attribute them to any problems, so it is important to get tested for wheat allergy and know for sure if you can eat wheat.    

Celiac Disease    

This is the disease which is most commonly associated with gluten. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. If you suffer from celiac disease, ingesting gluten causes inflammation throughout your body, mainly in the small intestine. It, in turn, causes damage to the lining of your small intestine, which might result in diarrhea and stomach ache. In addition, full-body inflammation can cause brain-fog, depression and weaken your immune system.     

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)    

In case you are sure that you have neither wheat allergy nor celiac disease, but still suffer adverse effects from eating gluten, you might have NCGS. It is a condition when a person is sensitive to gluten despite obvious causes. Reasons for non-celiac gluten sensitivity is not known and for that reason cannot be easily treated. If you experience brain fog, drop in energy, abnormal bowel movement or other unpleasant symptoms after eating gluten, you might have NCGS and it is advisable that you go on a gluten-free diet.    

Final Words    

So, is gluten-free a craze or is gluten bad for you? In brief, if you have a wheat allergy or a celiac disease, gluten-free is the way to go. Otherwise, if you are happy after your tea and toast breakfast and do not feel any worse, avoiding gluten will not make you any healthier.

Remember, Mayfair we care.

Improve your sleep

Escaping stress

Healthy Snacking

Guilty pleasure.

Milk chocolate is only 10 to 20% cocoa and mainly consists of cocoa butter, fats and sugar – so less good for you.

Memory boosters

One top tip to help you remember things is to write it down – writing by hand strengthens the memory more-so than recording things on a keyboard. The process of writing, along with the sense of touching paper and hep aids memory

Easy exercising

Good luck!

Mayfair, we care.

Nowadays many of us live a life in a way that is not really natural for either our bodies, or in many cases, our mental state. Of course, we are tough and many will adapt sooner or later.

However, there are negative side effects that many of us have to deal with and severe fatigue is definitely one of those side effects.    

The pace of an average person's life has increased significantly over the past two decades. And even at primary school, we all have countless pressures and often too much to deal with.

Important Note:   Severe fatigue can be a side effect of countless diseases and mental illnesses, and as such it is extremely important to visit your personal doctor as soon as possible if you are facing constantly weary.        

What is Severe Fatigue?     

The severity of fatigue is rather hard to determine as we all deal with fatigue in different ways. What might be an extreme case for one person may be just tiredness for someone else and if you are simply tired, or even exhausted, by the end of a tough and long day, you are not facing severe fatigue. The term severe fatigue is used when one is constantly tired.

When one must deal with very low energy levels all day every  day for then you've probably got severe fatigue on your hands and should definitely schedule an appointment with your doctor to check your physical and mental health.

How to Fight Severe Fatigue?     

Once you have determined that the cause of severe fatigue doesn't actually lie in health issues, then it is time to take the matter in your own hands. For a healthy person to be facing severe fatigue, it absolutely means s/he is doing quite a few things wrong and that s/he should make some lifestyle changes ASAP.    

Understanding that modern-day pace of life can result in many perfectly healthy individuals facing severe fatigue too often. For those, we offer the following hints and tips to get your energy levels back to normal.     

Get more sleep    

Many of us deal with the crazy pace of work and life in general by creating longer days and cutting down on sleep hours to work longer or fit in some leisure time. Keep in mind that we all need to get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is basically recovery time and we just can't function properly without getting enough of it.    

Change your dietary habits    

Just as sleep is the recovery time, the food we consume is the fuel. If the fuel is of poor quality, it is just not providing our body with the nutrients it needs. Our body needs enough minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, fibre, proteins, and complex carbs. As such proper diet is as equally important as sleep. Examine the possibility of having a well balanced diet and try cutting out or reducing the amount of fast and processed food intake.   

Exercise      

It might sound strange to deal with severe fatigue by exercising, but a human body is built to move. You should aim to get at least 30 minutes of some sort of exercise performed daily. Walking is one of the healthiest choices. Also add some straight exercises, such as push-ups, squats, and lunges.

When we exercise our bodies produce hormones that will elevate your energy level and help you cope with severe fatigue.    

Everyone needs a relaxation    

If we are mentally exhausted, our physical state won't be any different. As such it is important to treat yourselves with some sort of relaxation that best suits you on a daily basis.

Meditation and Yoga (which will at the same time cover the above point) tend to be the most effective ones, but it can be anything you like that helps you relax and clear your mind; reading, or a hobby you enjoy are other alternatives to help you switch of from the daily grind.

In summary

If you believe you are dealing with severe fatigue, first schedule an appointment with your doctor. If you are physically and mentally healthy, you should change your lifestyle by improving all four aspects that affect your energy levels the most - SLEEP, DIET, EXERCISE, and RELAXATION.         

Good luck!

Mayfair, we care.

List of sources: 

https://www.healthline.com/health/fatigue#causes   https://www.webmd.com/balance/how-tired-is-too-tired#1   https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/fatigue/basics/causes/sym-20050894   https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248002.php

Stress can be a contributory cause to many conditions experienced by society today Some of these issues are widely known but others may come as a surprise and we examine five as well as two coping mechanisms that we hope will help. 

Depression and anxiety.

Headaches.

It is widely recognised that stress is one of the most common causes of chronic migraines and tension headaches. Both are debilitating conditions and add to the likelihood of depression and anxiety developing.

Diabetes.

Heart conditions.

Early death.

Research has indicated that people under a great deal of stress are over 60% more likely to die at a younger age than those who are less stressed.

So what can we do?

Deep Breathing.

If suffering from a panic attack, one technique is to use a small paper bag and breathe into it filling up the bag completely when exhaling, then another deep breath and fill the bag again. Do this until the feelings pass.

This is a widely used technique, not only for panic attacks but for more general stress relief during the day, several minutes of deep breathing four times a day can produce positive results over a period of time.

Avoid Catastrophising by using Perspective. 

“What’s the worst thing that could happen to me?“.

               Answer “well, I could die.“

“Yes of course you could put has this feeling happened before?”

               Answer “yes, it has!"

“And are you still alive?“

               Answer “Yes I am!"

“Well then just console yourself with the fact that the feeling, however unpleasant and frightening, will pass."

Please be aware that we would always encourage anyone suffering from a stress related condition to seek professional medical advice.

Good luck!

Mayfair, we care.