20 May 2019 | St Albans, United Kingdom [Victor Hulbert]
Working together for better health outcomes, staff at the Trans-European Division (TED) office took two full days to focus on positive health in a comprehensive programme that reviewed stress, diet, exercise, mental health, and the work-life balance. Day one was theory as health specialists provided information and engaged in debate, while day two focused on the office family during an outing to the Isle of Wight.
Helgi Jónsson, TED Heath director, set the tone for the two days by noting how Jesus dealt with stress. In Matthew 14 Jónsson noted that Jesus reacted to the news of the death of John the Baptist by retreating to a desert place, yet He also dealt with stress by showing compassion, healing, teaching and feeding the 5,000. At the end of the day, Jesus again retreated and spent time alone, in prayer.
This was then followed by a more formal presentation on stress where, with a balance of humour, theory, and practical information, Jónsson led staff through practical steps in balancing stress within the confines of ‘working for God’, along with family and health needs.
“If you think you are stressed, you will be!” he emphasised, while noting that dealing with stress in an office environment is very different to the ‘fight or flight’ situations that our forebears would have faced. Thus, today’s stress is more of a vague, strange phenomenon which, somehow, the brain must interpret as it sets cortisol levels, trying to determine how much energy the body will need.
One of practical tips, Jónsson noted, was to try and get out in nature regularly – or even just look at nature pictures. He also emphasised the benefits of prayer, particularly when focused towards a God of love.
Together with the experts that followed, he also indicated the need for 7+ hours of sleep per night, that any exercise is a stress reliever, as is getting involved in creative arts.
Three other experts came from across the British Union Conference (BUC) to share their passion for good health. BUC Health director, Sharon Platt-McDonald linked our dietary habits to the natural rhythms of our bodies and the 24-hour cycle of day and night. She emphasised that learning how to balance our diets, focusing the right foods at the appropriate times of day with five-hour gaps between meals and a twelve-hour gap at night will be beneficial to our well-being.
Fitting things to the natural cycle of your body clock with an early breakfast, combined with exercise, Platt-McDonald concluded, is the best way to start the day.
Grace Walsh, Health director for the North England Conference took an equally important look at mental health. She teaches a course in mental first aid and shared how we can best be supportive and protective in what can be delicate situations.
Naturally you would expect the lunch to be healthy – and it was – but that left Dr Chidi Ngwaba with the challenge of the sleepy, ‘after lunch’ slot. He need not have worried. With a strong track-record on reversing or preventing lifestyle diseases through diet and exercise, in very practical ways, he shared tips on how to exercise better – right from first thing in the morning. A number of staff are now making enquiries about standing desks as they recognised the benefits of less sitting while in the office, as well as taking a lunch-time walk, and moving around the office space from time to time.
Dr Chidi cares for Health Ministries in the South England Conference and is recognised internationally for his very practical expertise. He also lives by example with a daily exercise programme and a careful diet combined with a joyful spirit.
Discussions based around the good theories continued the next day as staff boarded a coach for a trip to the stunningly beautiful Isle of Wight on England’s South Coast. A boat trip, walks on the beach, and a visit to medieval Carisbrooke Castle gave time for conversations, deepening friendships, fun and relaxation.
Has the two days been beneficial? Perhaps it is too early to say – but what is clear is that there is a spring in the step of office staff, a bigger smile on the faces, and with that, a full expectation that looking after health appropriately will have productivity benefits within the work environment. Certainly, going by the positive messages that started appearing on the staff WhatsApp group and a short, fun video report, individual staff members are appreciating both the effort put in and the anticipated benefits.
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, editor; Deana Stojković, associate editor
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Website: www.ted.adventist.org
tedNEWS is an information bulletin issued by the communication department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European Division. Readers are free to republish or share this article with appropriate credit including an active hyperlink to the original article.
