Sharon M Weinstein

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Survive and Thrive

As an advocate of work/life balance for nearly 20 years, necessitated by working 100 hours weekly, 3 countries per week, with no life of my own, I believe in sharing the merits of life in #balance. I believe that our biggest goal for 2021 and beyond is to #Survive and #Thrive! How about you? 

In a time when our work and home lives have intertwined like never before, do we really ever turn off our devices? Do we set boundaries, or do we let the world of connectivity overwhelm us? If you are open to setting boundaries, I suggest the following:

  • Presenteeism – You know that there are those who take up space, but who are not present in the moment. When you are working from home, be present. When you are homeschooling your kids, be present. When you are on those continuous-feed Zoom calls, be present. Work hard when you are working, and relax when it is high time for social and family encounters.
  • Prioritization – Everything does not have a “now” deadline. Separate your must-do list from your to-do list and share the accomplishment of crossing off what has been done and look forward to more must-do’s tomorrow
  • Self-care – We all have responsibilities, some more than others. We are all on the same journey, but perhaps in different boats or cars. Schedule time for yourself (in your calendar) and take that time to rest, relax, reset your battery, and be good to yourself.

If you are employed, be grateful, but take time for yourself. If you are freelancing, job hunting, working from home, self-employed, or finding yourself, take the time for balance.  Your greatest task for the remainder of 2021 is to Survive and Thrive. Answer this question, “Do you work to live, or live to work?” What’s your story?

 

Artwork credit: Bhavya Poonie/Mashable India

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E is for Engagement…

Nurses are the largest segment of the healthcare workforce and they are at the core of care delivery, safety, and outcomes.  In today’s environment, we hear much about the patient experience but think about it – you cannot deliver a great patient experience without great employee engagement. 

Are those responsible for providing care in your organization treated as well as those they serve?  Engaged employees are energized, committed, action-oriented, problem-solvers, critical thinkers, and innovators.  They have a voice, and their voices drive change within the organization.  They see, touch, and feel it each and every day.  Engagement is woven within the vision, mission, and goals of the institution, and your staff knows it.

A crisis exists today…and that crisis is stress.  Regarding of the professional role, stress is usually work-related.  We all have the same requisite number of hours in a day – only 24.  And yet, we try to extend those hours and make them equal 36 or more.  It is virtually impossible, and our productivity demonstrates our failure to adhere to the ‘work day’ as a somewhat normal work day.

A workplace is only as good as how it treats its workers.  Today’s employers are constantly seeking ways to assist their workers in managing their job responsibilities and their personal responsibilities and needs. Strategies for work/life balance help create supportive, healthy work environments; strengthen employee commitment and loyalty, and result in more productive workplaces and improved patient outcomes. Nurses are at the heart and soul of healthcare, and yet, they sometimes do not have time for self-care and renewal activities – activities what would make them whole, enhance their well-being, and allow them to celebrate themselves.

Think about what drives engagement!  “An analysis of Press Ganey’s national nurse engagement database Dempsey et al, 2015 identified drivers of nurse engagement.  Key drivers of nurse engagement in 2015 included:

  • The organization provides high-quality care and service.
  • The organization treats employees with respect.
  • I like the work I do.
  • The environment makes employees in my work unit want to go above and beyond what’s expected of them.
  • My pay is fair compared to other health care employers in this area.
  • My job makes good use of my skills and abilities.
  • I get the tools and resources I need to provide the best care/service for our clients/patients.
  • The organization provides career development opportunities.
  • This organization conducts business in an ethical manner.
  • Patient safety is a priority in this organization.”

By giving nurses a voice; by providing a healthy work environment, including opportunities for professional advancement and personal growth, today’s health systems will put the E in Engagement – enhancing retention, empowering staff, and enriching the workplace.

By

Your Environment…your choice

Your environment is your space…it is your body, and the settings in which you live, work, and play. Your body probably started out on an even playing field 25 or more years ago. And, your home and work settings have influenced your body’s ability to adapt – to thrive and survive today and forever. Think about where you live, work and play, and think about the sources of stress that present on an almost daily basis and influence your ability to be well and to stay well.

Let’s begin with choice! The choices that you make, about what you put into your body and that with which you surround yourself, impact your outcomes – how well you feel, how productive you are, and how good you look. Are the choices that you are making healthy, or will they impair function? For example, is a can of soda on your desktop – eager to turn your body into an acidic environment that will slow you down, swell you up, and put you to sleep? I hope not!

The work-life connection

A crisis exists today. Millions of people are unwell, suffering from the stresses that are part of modern living: lack of sleep, poor nutrition (and obesity), exposure to dangerous pollutants, no exercise, and time pressures. And people — millions of people — are looking for solutions.

Workplace wellness programs are beginning to earn their place among necessities within the environment. Model programs for disease management are decreasing days lost from work, enhancing lifestyle, and increasing performance. As workweeks are expanding and stress levels are rising, more hours are spent at the workplace, and health takes a toll.

One of the greatest sources of stress for workers, regardless of professional role, is work-related. We all have the same requisite number of hours in a day – only 24. And yet, we try to extend those hours and make them equal 36 or more. It is virtually impossible, and our productivity demonstrates our failure to adhere to the ‘work day’ as a somewhat normal work day.

A workplace is only as good as how it treats its workers.   Today’s employers are constantly seeking ways to assist their workers in managing their job responsibilities and their personal responsibilities and needs. Strategies for work/life balance help create supportive, healthy work environments; strengthen employee commitment and loyalty; and result in more productive workplaces and improved customer satisfaction.

As professionals, we have expectations from our work environment, from those with whom we work, and our future. Oprah Winfrey suggests that, “right now you are one choice away from a new beginning—one that leads you toward becoming the fullest human being you can be.”

If your path is paved with good intentions, but your work is unrewarding and your time is not your own, negotiate. Think things over and make a change. Negotiate for change in the workplace; work with your employer to improve the environment, your outcomes, and the company’s success.

As workweeks are expanding and stress levels are rising, more hours are spent at the workplace, and health takes a toll. Initiatives aimed at producing a healthy workforce, enhancing recruitment and retention, decreasing overall healthcare costs, and enhancing productivity and bottom line are evolving.  Workplace Wellness Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many individuals need in order to make lifestyle changes. Embark on the journey to workplace wellness…and begin by treating your staff well!

It’s your choice! It’s your business! It’s your future! Make it a healthy one…

Life Balance…it is what I do and who I am! I work with organizations that want to learn how life balance can drive safety, satisfaction, and success!

Sharon is an energetic, motivating and highly skilled professional speaker and author specializing in work/life balance. After all, she wrote the book.   She is the founder of SharonMWeinstein, an LLC and two not-for-profits.

 She holds the coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, the highest earned international recognition for professional speakers. This makes her one of only 12% of all speakers to hold this designation and one of only 22 nurses in the world with this credential.  www.sharonmweinstein.com

 Are you ready to embrace a life in balance in 2017 and beyond?

 

 

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MM…what does it mean to you?

Driving on the Interstate, I saw a sign that said, “MM” and I wondered aloud what that might mean.

  • Could there be a Mastermind meeting at the next rest stop?
  • Is it a filler term that is often used in speech, such as: um, uh, ah, mm
  • Could it possibly refer to M & Ms for sale at the next highway shop?
  • In some locations, MM might indicate the ubiquitous mouse
  • For Hollywood followers, MM is synonymous with Marilyn Monroe
  • Might it refer to the metric measure with which I am most familiar?

There are so many applications for the term MM, including those used in pure mathematics in which MM is an abbreviation for “million”, short for “mille mille”, or 1000 × 1000.

And then there is the ‘mm’ used as a sign of distraction…the humming sound you hear when you nod your head in agreement, meaning “Yes”, “I agree” or “I hear you”.

We live in an age of instant communication, via texting. Texting has unique meanings for MM, such as:

Merry meet – Make me – Missing my

https://www.allacronyms.com/_internet_slang/MM/text_messaging

When I decided to identify other ways in which MM might be used, I discovered an extensive list of acronyms:

Acronym              Definition

MM        Million

mm        Millimeter

MM        2-digit Month (as in MM/DD/YYYY)

MM        Multimedia

MM        Materials Management

MM        Memory Module (computing)

MM        Money Market

MM        Master of Music

MM        Mass Media

MM        Marketing Manager

MM        Media Manager

MM        Meeting Minutes

MM        Marilyn Monroe

MM        Mile Marker

MM        Mickey Mouse

MM        Memorandum

MM        Malignant Melanoma (malignant skin lesion)

MM        Multi-Meter (Multimeter)

MM        MusicMatch (computer music application)

MM        Middle Man

MM        Mamma Mia

MM        Mastermind (archetype in the game City of Villains)

MM        March Madness (college basketball)

MM        Mighty Mouse

MM        Mucous Membrane

MM        Minnie Mouse

MM        Millimolar (SI measure)

MM        Married Men

MM        Mickey Mantle

MM        Master of Management (degree)

MM        Military Mission

MM        Money Makers

MM        Mid-Month

MM        Mission Management

MM        Mapping Mode (windows programming)

MM        Mobile Management

MM        Mobility Manager

MM        Money Match

MM        Money Mart

MM        Minutes/Month

MM        Mega-Memory

MM        Mean Mom

MM        Mensa Member

MM        Military Message

MM        Mineral Map

MM        Mission Minded

MM        Momentum Management

MM        Micro Mole

MM        Master’s Degree in Management

MM        Master of Ministry

MM        Materiel Manager

MM        Millions or Thousands

MM        Main Memory

MM        Magic Missile (Dungons & Dragons)

MM        Major Mode (Space Shuttle)

MM        Mad Max

MM        Maintenance Measurement

MM        Molecular Medicine

MM        Mad Magazine

Adapted from http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/MM

Wow…what an incredible number of possibilities! So, what was that MM by the side of the road? It stood for Mile Marker.   I’ve lived in 7 States, and I’ve never before seen a sign that said only “MM” and nothing more. Mile markers on interstate highways help you determine which direction you’re going. On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. On east-west routes, the numbers begin on the western state border and increase as you travel east. http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-highways-have-mile-markers.

With a GPS, who needs a mile marker?

imagesdjb3ufbsI’d rather see Mickey or indulge in some M & Ms.  How about you?

 

 

 

 

Life Balance…it is what I do and who I am! I work with organizations that want to learn how life balance can drive safety, satisfaction, and success!

Sharon is an energetic, motivating and highly skilled professional speaker and author specializing in work/life balance. After all, she wrote the book.   She is the founder of SharonMWeinstein, an LLC and two not-for-profits.

 She holds the coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, the highest earned international recognition for professional speakers. This makes her one of only 12% of all speakers to hold this designation and one of only 22 nurses in the world with this credential.  www.sharonmweinstein.com

 

 

By

Your Environment…your choice!

imagesCA63FFWQYour environment is your space…it is your body, and the settings in which you live, work, and play. Your body probably started out on an even playing field 25 or more years ago. And, your home and work settings have influenced your body’s ability to adapt – to thrive and survive today and forever. Think about where you live, work and play, and think about the sources of stress that present on an almost daily basis and influence your ability to be well and to stay well.

Let’s begin with choice! The choices that you make, about what you put into your body and that with which you surround yourself, impact your outcomes – how well you feel, how productive you are, and how good you look. Are the choices that you are making healthy, or will they impair function? For example, is a can of soda on your desktop – eager to turn your body into an acidic environment that will slow you down, swell you up, and put you to sleep? I hope not!

The work-life connection

A crisis exists today. Millions of people are unwell, suffering from the stresses that are part of modern living: lack of sleep, poor nutrition (and obesity), exposure to dangerous pollutants, no exercise, and time pressures. And people — millions of people — are looking for solutions.

Workplace wellness programs are beginning to earn their place among necessities within the environment. Model programs for disease management are decreasing days lost from work, enhancing lifestyle, and increasing performance. As workweeks are expanding and stress levels are rising, more hours are spent at the workplace, and health takes a toll.

One of the greatest sources of stress for workers, regardless of professional role, is work-related. We all have the same requisite number of hours in a day – only 24. And yet, we try to extend those hours and make them equal 36 or more. It is virtually impossible, and our productivity demonstrates our failure to adhere to the ‘work day’ as a somewhat normal work day.

A workplace is only as good as how it treats its workers.   Today’s employers are constantly seeking ways to assist their workers in managing their job responsibilities and their personal responsibilities and needs. Strategies for work/life balance help create supportive, healthy work environments; strengthen employee commitment and loyalty; and result in more productive workplaces and improved customer satisfaction.

As professionals, we have expectations from our work environment, from those with whom we work, and our future. Oprah Winfrey suggests that, “right now you are one choice away from a new beginning—one that leads you toward becoming the fullest human being you can be.”

If your path is paved with good intentions, but your work is unrewarding and your time is not your own, negotiate. Think things over and make a change. Negotiate for change in the workplace; work with your employer to improve the environment, your outcomes, and the company’s success.

As workweeks are expanding and stress levels are rising, more hours are spent at the workplace, and health takes a toll. Initiatives aimed at producing a healthy workforce, enhancing recruitment and retention, decreasing overall healthcare costs, and enhancing productivity and bottom line are evolving.  Workplace Wellness Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many individuals need in order to make lifestyle changes. Embark on the journey to workplace wellness…and begin by treating your staff well!

It’s your choice! It’s your business! It’s your future! Make it a healthy one…

 

 

 

 

To start the process:

  • Please complete the contact form or email Sharon directly at info@sharonmweinstein.com.
  • Visit Sharon’s Consulting site for information about work/life balance programs and services, as well as an extensive client list by category.
  • You may also reach Sharon by phone at 202.798.0092.

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