Go Home!!

November 18, 2015
by Rodney Olsen
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ghotd

Working back a little today? Need to do a little unpaid overtime? Think again. It’s officially Go Home on Time Day. Yep … that’s actually a thing.

National Go Home on Time Day is an initiative of The Australia Institute, Australia’s most influential progressive think tank.

The day was conceived in 2009 as a light-hearted way to start a serious conversation about the impact of poor work/life balance on our health, relationships and workplaces.

Now in its seventh year, Go Home on Time Day on Wednesday 18 November is a great way to recognise that life doesn’t need to revolve around work.

If you’re someone who feels you need to go above and beyond … all the time … it’s probably time to reassess.

While many people can afford to be a little more conscientious at work, there’s a growing number of employees who are putting a little too much effort into their work at the expense of family, friends and relaxation.

The Australia Institute doesn’t just thing that the extra time you’re putting in is hurting you, your family and your relationships, they believe it’s hurting Australia. You can read their full report here. So if putting in all those extra hours is something you’ve been meaning to deal with at some time, make that time today and go home on time. Then start to think through how to pull back those hours that really do belong to you. Do it not only for yourself but for those you love. Here are a few hints to get you started.

Measures that could improve work life balance include:
1. Starting a conversation about work life balance with your employer.
2. Deciding what time you are going home before you go to work
3. Scheduling activities after work to ensure you leave on time
4. Improving workplace practices around recognising and responding to work
related stress.
5. Requiring all organisations that employ more than 100 staff to publish the
results of an externally conducted, and nationally consistent, survey of
employee satisfaction.

So … what time are you going home today?



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Yep … Passenger

September 7, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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So how did I get here? Sitting in a room in the emergency department of Fremantle Hospital at 5:30 a.m. on a Friday, tapping out this stream of consciousness, or perhaps I should say semi-conciousness.

Thursday had its ups and downs. My rear dérailleur cable snapped on the way to work, presenting challenges of its own, but thanks to a very accomplished bike mechanic the bike was fixed in time to give me a great ride home.

Once I got home life was pretty normal. That was until we got the call. Our daughter, Emily, was experiencing sharp pains and needed to be picked up from her part time job. Pauline headed out to get her and soon realised this was more than a tummy ache. After dropping home so that Emily couple change they headed out again to the after hours GP. The doctor suspected appendicitis so we all headed for Armadale Hospital where we waited about three hours for Emily to be seen by a doctor. After some initial treatment it was suggested we drive Emily to Fremantle where she could be seen by a surgeon.

That was many hours ago. Emily has been looked after very well by some lovely staff but the surgeon has had to go to theatre so we’re waiting again. Thankfully Emily’s now quite comfortable but Pauline and I could do with a bed and some sleep … and for that matter the dinner we missed out on last night.

Seeing an emergency department go about their business in the wee small hours is quite an experience. Doctors, nurses and support staff all go about their business, never knowing what the next moment will bring.

Just a short while ago a patient was wheeled past the room where Emily is resting. The patient was in a bed surrounded by medical staff, blood across their face. I caught just a snatch of the conversation as they passed. “Yep, passenger.” The victim of a road accident no doubt. Right now there are two police officers exchanging information on a crash with the emergency department staff.

There’s a lot of waiting for us here this morning but there’s also a sense that our girl is in very good, caring hands. Hands that will be called upon to patch up people from a variety of circumstances. I’ve only caught a snapshot of what goes on here but it’s enough to give me great respect for those who day after day care for those who come through the door marked ‘EMERGENCY’.



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12 Week Challenge

January 27, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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One of the segments on my Morning Café radio program on 98.5 Sonshine FM is a look at fitness and health with personal trainer Kellie Long.

When we began the segment last year we started out with a little of Kellie’s story. It’s a story with which many of us can identify. It’s a story about dissatisfaction from where we find ourselves but the difference in Kellie’s story is that she did something about it then set about inspiring others.

I am not unfamiliar with the pain of being unhappy in my own skin, both physically and emotionally. I was once 93kgs and can proudly say that after 18 months of hard work lost 30 kgs and have never looked back. Was it easy? NO! Was it worth it? Yes! This is why I have been working and studying in the fitness industry for the past five years. I enjoy training people of all walks of life whether they are mothers, aspiring firemen, police recruits or business men and women. I’m proud to be a partner in their lives and a catalyst for them to reach the goals they strive for.

My goals for my clients are to see not just the improvement of their physical capabilities but their mental and emotional progress also. Physical training cannot be separated from a person’s emotional state. Therefore, my training has a holistic approach in building self confidence through client’s achievements and newly formed lifestyles of clean eating, their ability to handle stress and of course their new found strength in all their physical achievements. – KellieLong.com

Something very exciting is happening with the segment this year. We’re offering a couple of listeners the opportunity to undertake a 12 Week Challenge that will help them make a life transformation. It’s not just a weight loss challenge, it’s an opportunity to turn their life around while being supported by a great bunch of people. We’re teaming up with Goodlife Health Clubs to change lives.

Kellie and I chatted briefly about the 12 Week Challenge on air this morning. You can hear our conversation by clicking play on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/FIT020212_0946.mp3]

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Reducing Breast Cancer Risk

January 16, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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There’s been a lot said about high and low GI foods in recent years. GI stands for Glycemic Index and many experts say that choosing foods based on their GI values can have significant health benefits.

A recently published review of scientific evidence reports that consuming a high GI diet for five years or more may increase the risk of breast cancer by 8%.

It’s a major cause for concern that the average Australian diet contains far too many high GI foods.

1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85, with the disease accounting for around 1 in 4 cases of all cancers in women.

While there are a large number of uncontrollable risk factors for breast cancer such as genetics, menopause and family history, there are also a number of lifestyle-related risk factors that you can change. Factors which increase the risk of developing breast cancer include:
· Excessive alcohol consumption
· High-fat diets
· High processed meat consumption
· Being overweight or obese.

Australia’s leading GI researcher, Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, from the University of Sydney, joined me on my radio program this morning to talk about the research findings and what we can do to reduce the risk of breast cancer and other diseases. You can hear our discussion by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

You can get more details about the Glycemic Index at the Glycemic Index website.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR160112_1241.mp3]

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Ride to Work Day 2011

October 12, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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The short video doesn’t really capture the atmosphere of the breakfast in front of the Perth Concert Hall this morning but it certainly hints at it.

It’s Ride to Work Day and so I did waht I do every day and cycled to work. I detoured into the city on the way for the free breakfast. I didn’t really get to eat breakfast but I did catch up with a number of people I know.

Ride to Work Day is on Wednesday 12 October 2011 and is part of a National Behaviour Change Program. Ride to Work Day is a National Day and celebrates bike commuting within the workplace as an alternative means of transport while encouraging Australian workers to adopt a healthier and environmentally sound means of commuting.



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