In the news, Individual Strategies, Mental Health Resources, Mindfulness
Laura & Lydia
Mental Health and Social Media

Today marks the start of Mental Health awareness week in Toronto! With the rising usage of social media in corporate and personal contexts, our focus this year is on raising awareness about mental health and social media. Are you a community manager? Do you manage a corporate social media account? Are you a social media guru? Blogger? Vlogger? Or regular Facebook checker? Then stay tuned this week to the blog and L&L Social channels for information, tips, personal stories, and strategies to maintain your mental health while using social media.

Mental Health and Social Media
Individual Strategies
Annette P.
Overcoming Workplace Social Anxiety

Awkward. Shy. Withdrawn. Unfriendly. Disinterested. Nervous. Quiet. Aloof.

These are all words that some of us may intensely identify with when social anxiety strikes. The good news is that these words are just words! … As in they do not define us as people, but are mere perceptions of ourselves that can be actively changed.

Overcoming Workplace Social Anxiety
Laura & Lydia
Nutrition for your Mental Health - Nutrition ...

March is Nutrition month! A time of year where we can reflect on what we put in our mouths, and re-consider the purpose and impacts of the food we eat and how it affects our body. For nutrition month, we have rounded up some of our favourite posts on nutrition and the mental health benefits, and some tips to eat well at work!  What will you try this month to spruce up your nutrition? 

Nutrition for your Mental Health - Nutrition Month Round-up!
Individual Strategies, Mental Health Resources, Work-Life Balance
Laura & Lydia
5 Mental Health Strategies YOU Can Implement At ...

For this week we have rounded up some of our favourite posts with strategies that individuals can implement in the workplace to help improve their day to day mental health! What strategies are you implementing at work?  Pick one that you could try today and see how you feel.

5 Mental Health Strategies YOU Can Implement At Work
In the news, Individual Strategies, Workplace Strategies
Laura & Lydia
Cooking More than Just Food - Chef's Mental ...

We at L&L Consulting are saddened by the recent death of top Chef Benoit Violier from the famous Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville. Chef Violier's suicide has once again drawn attention to the working conditions and lack of mental health supports available for chefs, and all those working in kitchens and restaurants.

Cooking More than Just Food - Chef's Mental Health

Mindfulness

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The Onion Story

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The Onion Story

Do you ever catch yourself doing something and saying “huh why did I do that?” or “I didn’t mean to do that”. I don’t know about you, but this happens to me often. Today I was chopping an onion while on speakerphone and thinking about a million things and all of a sudden, you guessed it, I sliced my finger. I was working in autopilot to chop the onion and not really paying attention to what I was doing. After stopping the bleeding and hating on myself for a few minutes, it really got me thinking about what it means to be “busy” and how mindfulness can help.

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It's the Simple Things ... Like Making Your Bed!

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It's the Simple Things ... Like Making Your Bed!

How many of us get up in the morning, rush out of bed, and juggle our thermos and breakfast in hand out the door? Perhaps you have also neglected the unruly state of your bed, thinking "what's the big deal? No one will notice if I make it!" Admiral William McRaven explains how the simple task of making your bed can be life changing. So, read on and think again about leaving those crumpled covers behind! 

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Take a Breather!

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Take a Breather!

Diaphragmatic breathing, otherwise known as “deep breathing,” is defined as an efficient integrative body-mind training for dealing with stress and psychosomatic conditions (Ma et al., 2017). Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing, notably emotional balance and social adaptation have been investigated in association with meditative practices, ancient eastern religions (e.g. Buddhism), and the movement arts (e.g. yoga and Tai Chi) (Sargunaraj et al., 1996; Beauchaine, 2001; Porges, 2001). Various psychological studies have also found diaphragmatic breathing to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression (Stromberg et al., 2015) ...

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Games for Mental Health & Mindfulness

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Games for Mental Health & Mindfulness

With the increasing use of technology in our everyday lives, electronic games have become accessible enough and are of enough quality that it is not uncommon to see a child walking down the street playing Pokemon Go on their phone or a working mother playing Candy Crush on her laptop after dinner. Electronic games are often designed to be stimulating, based on progressing through levels or achieving rewards, are available on phones, computers, tablets, gaming consoles etc., and are often linked to social media, which help enable them to be highly addictive. Although electronic games can have a bad reputation for being "mindless" or harmful, there are newer (and often indie) games designed to be therapeutic, mindful, or simply relaxing. 

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Mental Health and Social Media

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Mental Health and Social Media

Today marks the start of Mental Health awareness week in Toronto! With the rising usage of social media in corporate and personal contexts, our focus this year is on raising awareness about mental health and social media. Are you a community manager? Do you manage a corporate social media account? Are you a social media guru? Blogger? Vlogger? Or regular Facebook checker? Then stay tuned this week to the blog and L&L Social channels for information, tips, personal stories, and strategies to maintain your mental health while using social media.

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Beating Monday Blues

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Beating Monday Blues

We’ve all experienced it from time to time, some of us more consistently than others. Monday blues are often a mixture of sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety about the entire work day or the workweek ahead of you (Smith, 2013). You might feel sluggish or wound up. We have got your covered with tips for beating the Monday blues.

 

 

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What's in a Commute?

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What's in a Commute?

Commuting. The mere word strikes a sense of dread into the hearts of many. Unless you work from home, you have to find a way to reach your place of work. Commuting sets the tone and pace for the rest of the work day and can have negative effects on physical and mental health, such as increasing blood pressure and blood sugar, and increasing risk of depression, anxiety, and social isolation (Zamon, 2015).

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Meditation: The Best Medicine?

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Meditation: The Best Medicine?

“Meditation is for hippies”.

“I can’t shut my brain off for long enough to ‘do’ meditation”.

“Sitting in an uncomfortable position while burning incense isn’t really my thing”.

… Sound familiar?

In a society addicted to getting things done and checking items off our to-do lists, there is something seemingly “weird” about silence and stillness in our culture.