Episode 5

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Published on:

5th May 2020

Increase your fuel efficiency

Micro resilience Part IV: increase your fuel efficiency

The micro-resilient concept this week comes from Bonnie St John’s 4th framework: increasing our body’s fuel efficiency. You can increase your fuel efficiency in the way you approach drinking water. 

Research tells us that our brain is made up of 70% water, the rest of the body is made up of 60-65%. Water plays a key role in how most of our body systems function.

Some of the symptoms that can easily be due to dehydration:

·        A dry mouth and the sensation of being either thirsty or hungry

·        Generalized body aches and muscle cramps

·        Dry skin that seemed more prone to irritation

·        Decreased ability to focus well – even during high energy times

·        Multiple non-specific coughs and colds

How do you stay hydrated in a crisis? 

How you plan to have access to water may need to be adjusted to how you are going to stay hydrated while wearing a mask, and for some, gloves and gown. How are you going to stay hydrated if it is not appropriate to keep a bottle of water with you in your work environment?

Do you have influence as a leader within a work environment:

·        where you work specific blocks of time where you musts wear masks?

·        within the healthcare environment with those who must wear full PPE?

·        with those who work directly under the sun?

·        with those who are working from home?

During this global pandemic we have come face to face with the immutable truth that human safety is critical to our economic well-being.

How do you define human safety in the workplace?

How does the long working hours culture fit into the definitions of human safety that are emerging as a result of this pandemic?

The purpose of this focus on a micro moment in resilience is to find what works best for you. How can you plan ahead for each day so that you are drinking enough water to be at your best – to think your best and to respond at your best. How can you influence those around you? 

Resources:

Candore, Giuseppina & Colonna-Romano, Giuseppina & Balistreri, Carmela & Carlo, Daniele & Grimaldi, Maria & Listì, Florinda & Nuzzo, Domenico & Vasto, Sonya & Lio, Domenico & Caruso, Calogero. (2006). Biology of Longevity: Role of the Innate Immune System. Rejuvenation research. 9. 143-8. 10.1089/rej.2006.9.143.

Cleary, M. A., Sitler, M. R., & Kendrick, Z. V. (2006). Dehydration and symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness in normothermic men. Journal of athletic training41(1), 36–45.

St John, B. (2017). Minor Shifts for Major Boosts in Focus, Drive, and Energy. Hachette, UK.

n.d. (2017). How dehydration impacts workplace productivity. Premium Waters Inc. Retrieved from https://premiumwaters.com/blog/dehydration-impacts-workplace-productivity/

Jy Ong, J.,et al. (2020). PPE- associated headaches increase among health care workers amid COVID-19. Headache. Retrieved from https://www.healio.com/primary-care/practice-management/news/online/%7B01a63c64-82a8-4db9-a272-48c962445c60%7D/ppe-associated-headaches-increase-among-health-care-workers-amid-covid-19

Wittbrodt, M., Millard-Stafford, M. (2018). Dehydration Impairs Cognitive Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: 50; 11; pp 2360-2368. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001682 Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2018/11000/Dehydration_Impairs_Cognitive_Performance__A.21.aspx

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About the Podcast

The Art of Leadership
The Art of Leadership focuses on soft skills... some of the hardest skills a leader will ever learn.
The Art of Leadership with Dr. Niña Ellison focuses on the soft skills of leadership, their value and the power of their influence. As a leader, if you are interested in moving from success to significance then balancing both hard and soft skills is essential!

Hard skills are demonstrated through technical expertise that results in clearly measured goals being reached. They are vital to the success of any initiative or program. On the other hand, soft skills emphasize the transformation of people. They highlight behavioral changes and making a difference in people’s lives.

This podcast is for leaders who are seeking a fresh perspective into some of the hardest soft skills a leader will ever learn. You can connect with Niña at https://www.ninaellison.com

About your host

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Niña Ellison

In 2019, after years of leading teams varying from international disaster relief and healthcare to the US Corporate world, Niña founded Healthy Leadership to focus on her passion for partnering with leaders in their growth and sustainability. Her own journey into soft skill development has convinced her that while her technical skills helped her get her foot in the door, her soft skills moved the influence of her leadership from success to significance.

As a soft skill specialist Niña takes monthly deep dives in her podcast series, The Art of Leadership, to explore the underlying dimensions of soft skills. She knows that soft skill development is not so much about WHAT but HOW a leader leads.
• From a 10,000 foot view a leader pursuing soft skills asks, “How do I problem solve; How do I manage time and energy?”
• From a 1,000-foot view that same leader, as they dig deeper into soft skills, begins asking questions like, “How do I listen; or How do gain self-control?”
• From Ground Zero the leader recognizes that there are underlying dimensions of soft skills as they ask, “How do I model respect for all; How do I sustain hope; How do I demonstrate appropriate love in the workplace; How do I maintain the right attitude?” How do I lead by serving?

Nina believes that behind every wildly effective and sustainable system and process are leaders and teams who have interwoven soft skills into every phase of their work.