Together we stay stronger Keeping Active: We have been in lockdown now for around 10 weeks and maintaining physical wellbeing is crucial, however this is not just done through exercise. A number of factors will help you to keep your physical wellbeing on track:
Fatigue & sleep Many of us may be finding sleeping well a challenge at the moment so we have some tips below to assist you in getting better night's sleep: Keep regular sleep hours: Going to bed when you feel tired and getting up at roughly the same time each days helps teach your body to sleep better. You should try to avoid napping where possible as this could impact your sleeping pattern. Create a restful environment: Dark, quiet and cool environments generally make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Confront sleeplessness: If you're lying awake unable to sleep, don't force it. Get up and do something relaxing for a bit, and return to bed when you feel sleepier. Write down your worries: If you often lie awake worrying about tomorrow, set aside some time before bed to make a list for the next day. This can help put your mind at rest. Put down the pick-me-ups: Caffeine and alcohol can stop you falling asleep and prevent a deep sleep. Try to cut down on alcohol and avoid caffeine close to bedtime. Try a sleep app: Apps like Sleepio or Calm can help with meditation and sleep. If you have trouble sleeping the NHS have some simple steps you can also try.
Diet & hydration Eating a well-balanced diet is known to have an impact on your physical health. You may find you have more energy and can concentrate better by eating a healthy diet. Eat a balanced plate of each food group everyday which should include healthy protein, fruit and vegetables, dairy and rich carbohydrates. You should also drink between 6 - 8 glasses of water every day. Online help with dietary advice from the NHS EatWell guide.
Alcohol Being at home more and enjoying the recent weather, you may find you are drinking alcohol more regularly than before. If you do drink regularly or frequently (most weeks), then the following guidelines apply to you: To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis (1 pint of beer/lager is approximately 2.3 units and a small glass of wine 2.1 units). Drink sensibly and try to have 2-3 consecutive days off alcohol each week. If you are concerned about yours or others frequent drinking then visit Alcohol Change's website for further information.
Physical fitness Keeping active is important and there are many options for everyone whatever your ability. As the lockdown measures continue to be eased across the country, with many of us now able to exercise outdoors more often and a small number of sports being permitted, we still need to ensure we all adhere to the social distancing measures. Here's some useful resources to help your physical wellbeing, both inside and outside the home: NHS: Check out their 10 minute home workout videos which are suitable for all levels of fitness. British Heart Foundation: The BHF have compiled a list of eight free top fun fitness apps. Joe Wicks ‘the body coach’: He's still offering free PE classes every day at 9am for children. He also offers a wide variety of challenges and exercise videos from low impact beginners to intense workouts. Exercising is a great way to help improve your concentration plus it can also help you sleep, look and feel better
Together we stay stronger Cycle to work The government has said that where possible when commuting and generally travelling, everybody should continue to avoid public transport and instead choose to cycle, walk or drive. As part of My Barratt Benefits we offer two cycle to work schemes (cyclescheme and Halfords Cycle2Work). It’s quick and easy to join these schemes and you’ll save at least 32% on the cost of a new bike and you can spread the cost of the bike over 12 months. Check out cyclescheme's website for information on how to follow COVID-19 advice on your bike.
Physical wellbeing eLearning We have a range of short eLearning modules available to complete on MyLearning which support positive physical health & wellbeing with helpful hints, tips and challenges including:· Five ways to wellbeing / Be Active / The dangers of sitting / Healthy eating at work / Kick the habit Dangers of sleep deprivation / The importance of sleep Over 500 Health & Wellbeing eLearning modules have been completed over the last two months so why not give one a try!
Internal webinars Tuesday 2 June Managing your team's return to work: 10:00 - 10:45 Leading from a distance: 14:00 - 14:45 Wednesday 3 June Resilience and bouncing back: 10:00 - 10:45 Leading from a distance: 14:00 - 14:45 Thursday 4 June Mindfulness practice: 10:00 - 10:30 The power of networking: 14:00 - 14:45 Please register via MyLearning. You will receive a diary invite to your work email address with the details of how to join the webinar the day before the session. You are allowed to access work emails for training even if you are furloughed. If you don't have a Barratt email address please contact edward.beckingham@barrattplc.co.uk to register.
MyLearning New to MyLearning this week Setting SMARTer objectives: Understand the meaning behind SMART objectives and pick up some new techniques to inspire you. Worth a look: Productivity and time management – Focusing on prioritisation, this module will give you the skills and confidence to be an effective manager of your own time. Don’t forget: As we return to work , please ensure you have watched the informative videos to help get you up to speed on using Microsoft Teams and Microsoft OneDrive. IMPORTANT: Please ensure you are up to date with your mandatory learning, in particular GDPR, which may have now expired and Information Security Essentials, which is due for many by the end of May