Coupling is a skill that affects workplace wellness just as a functioning family.
Family life, roles have changed drastically over the last couple of generations.
The two most significant work trends affecting American businesses and families in recent years:
The exponential growth of two-income families
and
increasing levels of job stress
The #1 failure of a corporate health process is not including spouses in the process
Having one stressed-out spouse can harm couple’s work and home lives — but what about when it’s both?…and then there is coming home and dividing up in home chores, children wanting attention…..Our roles as spouses have flipped and flopped, leaving most people stunned, confused, often resentful bickering over what’s fair, and stressed beyond manageable limits.
According to statistics, most people are not happy at home:
we know the divorce rate is over 50%
A 2013 study found over 60% of individuals are stuck in an unhappy marriage but will not walk away for fear of financial or emotional hardship
There are going to be health consequences for both the individual, and the workplace.
The corporate happy place, needs its roots at home with functional coupling.
As always – let’s listen to the data
The 2015 UK study of “changing together” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA):
Behaviour -Change programs are more successful if they were aimed at couples rather than individuals.Couples who work together to change their unhealthy habits appear to have more successful outcomes.
At Best in Corporate Health we encourage full participation of spouses in our health processes at the same cost..the truth is for long term sustainability….health is a family affair.
If marital discord is an employee issue – we have relationship coaches to help.
We all agree how important employee health is to performance, productivity….but spousal support can be the great determinator of success or failure of a health process.
The Web of influence of the supportive partner for effective coupling:
The state of the marriage…how it affects personal performance in the workplace
Supporting each other in a healthy lifestyle..the reality of embracing healthier choices
A 2012 study conducted by Florida State University professor Wayne Hochwarter concluded:
Those who reported high levels of stress but strong spousal support — as compared to stressed-out employees without such support — experienced the following positive benefits:
•50 percent higher rates of satisfaction with their marriage;
•33 percent greater likelihood of having positive relationships with co-workers;
•30 percent lower likelihood of experiencing guilt associated with home/family neglect;
•30 percent lower likelihood of being critical of others (spouse, children) at home;
•25 percent higher rates of concentration levels at work;
•25 percent lower likelihood of experiencing fatigue at home after work;
•25 percent higher rates of satisfaction with the amount of time spent with their children;
•20 percent higher views that their careers were heading in the right direction; and
•20 percent higher level of job satisfaction.
Effective Coupling is a vital part of our Cell-Being …..
Cell-Being: Think of Cell Being as the ultimate conductor of life. Our cells confront the daily cacophony of life, and orchestrate the musicians, our cells, into the symphony of life.
Cell-Being to Well-Being….the path to health, the path to providing employees what they need to perform at their very best. Stress management needs to come from the cell, not preaching to people what to do and how to think.
When we talk about true health – we need to go right down to the very center of our being – cell health, our cell-being…all 70 trillion!!
Our Being: Our Raison D’être, the essence of a person.
Cell health has been the focus of our health and being from ancient Chinese Medicine and the flow of Qi, meditation, Yoga…..this symphony of life is critical to being. Our current world literally throws thousands of assaults daily, it is not at all conducive to cellular function…health needs to be respected at this deepest, most central level.
With all the wonderful intentions of eating right, exercising – we still live in a world which bombards us with oxidative stressors.
What is oxidative stress? Damage to the cells that causes an imbalance, causing the cell to not function at its full potential, or even worse – malfunction and start reproducing incorrectly, out of control, destroying healthy cells …aka….cancer.
There are more fads out there claiming to be the healthiest lifestyle. Fads come and go. The truth is a life to prevent cancer is the healthiest life of all. Nurturing our cell-being protects us from the harshness of ageing, disease, stands up against viruses and bacteria and the many bombardments from today’s world…that is the art and science of cell-being.
Cell Being…..Oxidative Stress….The Real Cause of Stress....
Oxidative stressors attack relentlessly through out the day. What we perceive as “stress” is a by product of physiological, oxidative stress. How we react to stress often further oxidatively stresses our cells:
Alcohol: One of the very worse oxidative stressors of all. It is just not true…”a glass of wine a day is good for you”….just not true. A glass+ of alcohol is chosen as stress relief – when in truth – that glass of alcohol is an oxidative stressor. Does this mean we have to stop drinking all together? No. However, coming up with a balance, is part of a cellular health program.
Smoking: I have heard people rationalize smoking is good because it relaxes them, or it stops them from eating too much – it is NEVER good to smoke.
Over exercising: Exercise and physical activity power the cells, no question. However, doing the wrong exercise can be a serious oxidative stressor.
Food choices: We may have the very best intentions of food choices, however many “healthy” food choices are ultimately endocrine disruptors or various other disguised oxidative stressors. We live in a world where are off supply is tainted by hormones, and now we have the invasion of GMOs – Genetically Modified Foods.
Or, we deprive ourselves of certain foods, thinking they are hurtful, when the truth is they are a superb source of the many vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids our cells need for defence and repair.
Besides the potential oxidative stressors listed here, the truth is there are many more. Cancer, aging, heart disease…mood disturbances….many of these are the product of a disturbance to our cellular health. The functioning of our cells are are affected by the constant bombardment of viruses, toxins, mutagens, carcinogens, bacteria and we are at the mercy of having a strong inner ecosystem (immune system, circulation, digestive system….) to keep us our of cellular stress. What we need to do is discover what oxidative stressors we have in our lives, that are sabotaging our best efforts.
It is often said ” life causes cancer”. Yes, there are those awful cases, someone could have been exposed to mutagens before birth or at a very young age. Cancer is thought to be only 8% hereditary, the rest is environmental exposures.
We often wonder why we think we are doing everything to live a healthy life – yet our biomarkers don’t reflect our efforts. So very often medicine is prescribed. Yes, there are times when medications are necessary, but every medication comes with a list of potential side effects. Lets get down to the cell. Strengthen the cell, strengthen our health. If our cells are misfiring, every aspect of our being is in jeopardy.
Now lets talk about our cells on another level: Our outer cell. Think of each of us at the center of a cell -we are the nucleus of our own cell. The cell we build around us is our family, work, our environment…all of these components of the outer cell deeply influence our inner being – our cell being.
Cell Being creates a rewarding environment. It is not a restrictive prescription of misery and sacrifice, which is why people often go “off and on” a health program. With cell being comes an inner reward – this is working, a liberation – “I feel better” – the wish list of a health process is now attainable: focus, energy, productivity, health….Inner reward is the path to compliance and sustainability
At Best in Corporate Health, we factor into all of our health processes the cell-being, systemic-being and well- being of every employee. This is why we strongly encourage spousal/partner participation. Our health is the union, the interdependence of these two beings – and ultimately how they flow as one.
Shira Litwack, medical fitness professional, Cancer Exercise Specialist , Medical Exercise Specialist, Holistic Nutritionist
Chief Health Enthusiast – Best In Corporate Health
Shira is regularly consulted by Naturopaths, oncologists, health coaches on cancer exercise and exercise adherence.
Has assembled over 20 health and fitness professionals with varying specialties to bring to corporate wellness programs
Platforms include: Speaking, One-one/group health coaching, Retreats, Course development for in house delivery, Metrics to measure success available, Partners always included
Now offering live interactive webinars, just as if each participant has a personal health coach – making corporate wellness programs affordable to all.
Shira has been interviewed & published in hundreds of resources over the last 12 years:
Articles featured in: ezines, ArticlesInk, European Registry of Exercise Professionals, The National Post, Investment Executive Magazine, Directory of Greater Toronto, Canadian Leukemia & Lymphoma Association, Prostate Cancer Canada, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Anytime Fitness, Today’s Black Woman, Today’s Seniors, Medical Fitness Network, FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), Willow (Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support), Cancer Exercise Training Institute, Urban Poling for Breast Cancer, ROW – Recovery on Water for Breast Cancer
Shira Litwack, Medical fitness professional |Cancer Exercise Specialist Personal & Corporate Health Coach | Fitness For Disease Recovery| Industry Expert Cancer Exercise
Director of International Relations Cancer Exercise Training Institute Master Trainer
Radio talk show host/Guest/Producer Health & Fitness Radio
The 2015 UK study of “changing together” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA):
