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Beauty & Health

15 Small Ways To Slow Down So You Don’t Burn Yourself Out

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Beauty & Health

15 Small Ways To Slow Down So You Don’t Burn Yourself Out

Why not kick off your good intentions with these four food habits that will always stand you in good stead? So get ready to take charge of your health and wellbeing this year!

August 19, 2019

If you’re feeling stressed and overworked, you’re not alone. According to a new study by digital access experts, Kisi, Singapore ranks a horrifying 32 out of 40 for work-life balance.

Scoring 36.36 out of 100, the Lion City pales in comparison to the #1 city on the ranking, Helsinki in Finland, which achieved a score of 100. With that said, Singapore still performs better than other Asian cities in the index, such as Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

How Did This Ranking Come About?

Researchers looked at things that either cause work-related stress, or relieve it. For example, they counted how many hours people work, how long they have to commute to work, how much access they had to green spaces, and so on.

The results seem to show that Singapore’s ranking is partly due to employees here feeling very overworked and just generally stressed by work.

A silver lining? We’ve got the lowest global rate of unemployment at 2.1 percent – which is good, because high unemployment tends to make people stressed – but we also have the second-highest score in the “work intensity” category, just after Tokyo.

To rank “work intensity” the researchers looked at factors such as how many national holidays we get, average working hours per week, paid maternal and paternal leave, and the percentage of people who work at least 48 hours per week.

And with a score of 95.4 out of 100, it looks like most of us in Singapore find work here pretty intense.

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How Much Do Singaporeans Work On Average?

On average, Singaporean employees arrive to work at 9:34 AM, take 14 holiday days per year, commute one way for 44.5 minutes, and work for 44.6 hours per week. And at least 23 percent of us spend at least 48 hours at work per week.

Aside from the U.S.A. – which surprisingly does not legally sanction annual leave days at a national level – Singapore and Hong Kong offer the lowest number of national vacation days in the world, at seven days per year.

On average, Singaporean employees arrive to work at 9:34 AM, take 14 holiday days per year, commute one way for 44.5 minutes, and work for 44.6 hours per week.

Compare this to Finland and France who breeze in with 30 days of annual leave each.

In theory a more well-rounded work life balance happens when a city has a less intense working culture, with high city livability, well-being, and what researchers call “institutional support”, such as easy access to affordable health care and schools.

And Singapore does do really well in some aspects of this.

We ranked at #10, at 94 points, in terms of city livability— partly because we have the highest safety score (100.00) and the most outdoor spaces score (100.00). Obviously safe parks are are great news if you find an evening walk or a morning session of yoga helps you destress from your busy work day.

And late opening hours for shops may be stressful if you work in them – but they also make life more convenient.

“When I worked in Sydney I had to do my grocery shopping during my lunch hour because all the big supermarkets shut at 5pm in Australia. I hated it. I love how shops stay open later here” says Tara Barker, a Group Editor.

READ MORE: 11 Simple But Effective Ways To Feel Less Stressed At Work Right Now

The Importance of Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a tricky thing to describe or measure anyway because we all have our own personal hot button – an early work start may drive you crazy while your friend is not bothered at all.

Even the researchers found some of the results surprising. “As a cloud-based IoT company, our mission is to improve life at work through technology that saves time and energy without sacrificing security, ” says Bernhard Mehl, CEO of Kisi. “But it seems we all still need to address the most everyday aspect of enhancing our lives—finding the balance between work and leisure. ”

Here are 15 ways to slow down so you don’t burn yourself out this year:

Text: Paxia Ksatryo, Charlene Fang and www.bauersyndication.com 

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/easy-self-care-tips-prevent-burn-out/
15 Small Ways To Slow Down So You Don't Burn Yourself Out
1. Enjoy Your Food
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This message may have been lost among all the dos and don’ts and diet fads. Sharing and finding joy in food – including cooking together – is a mainstay of cultures around the globe. Sitting around a table with friends and family is a great stress reliever, it teaches children to be social, and it’s an oasis in which to catch up during a busy week.

Why not teach your children how to make some of their favourite healthy family meals? They’ll find it will come in handy later in life.

READ MORE: Try These 10 Heart-Healthy Recipes

Photo: Pexels
2. Make A Meal Plan
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It’s much easier to eat well if you have all the ingredients at hand.

Make a meal plan for the week and do it as a family so everyone feels involved, and write a list. Then do one big shop (or shop online if you’re pushed); this saves time during the week and solves that “what do we eat tonight?” decision each day.

Photo: Pexels
3. Invest In A Ritual Of Hygge
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The Scandinavians are masters of creating joy out of grey skies. With winter lasting months and the sun not showing up for weeks, it’s important to keep the gloom at bay. Think of hygge as an elevated form of self-love, which can be anything from enjoying a cocktail alone in a cozy bar to spending the last hour of your day curled up in bed reading your favourite book. There’s no golden rule, except one: To do what sparks joy within.

READ MORE: Best Beauty Buys 2019: Self Care Will Never Be The Same Without These Shower Gels And Body Creams

Photo: Pexels
4. Take A Water Break
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When you’re working constantly, you may forget to hydrate. And we all know the importance of staying hydrated. Harvard Health says four to six cups of water a day is ideal. However it does vary from person to person, so check with your GP, especially if you have health conditions like thyroid disease or kidney, liver and heart problems.

Having water on you means you’re less likely to choose a sugary option to quench your thirst.

Photo: Pexels
5. Indulge Your Love For Ice Cream
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Whether it’s a $0.70 vanilla cone from McDonald’s – seriously, how good are they – or the latest artisanal gelato flavour from Birds of Paradise, there’s never a bad time to have some ice cream.

An indulgence to be savoured solo as you window shop, or to be shared with friends – remember Swensen’s eight scoop, eight topping Earthquake? – life always feels better after a scoop or three.

READ MORE: The Best Low-Fat Ice Creams You Can Indulge In Without Feeling Guilty

Photo: Pexels
6. Commit To A Hobby For At Least Three Months
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Newsflash: Work is not a hobby. Nor is Netflix, which is really just a fun distraction. This year, dare to delve deep to nurture what really interests you.

Just like how your parents exposed you to chunks of ballet, piano, swimming, martial arts while growing up, do the same, but this time you’re in charge of sussing out your own interests.

For a start, if you feel the urge to create something tangible with your hands, have a go at throwing and shaping clay at Mud Rock Ceramics, which runs regular classes.

Mud Rock Ceramics is at 85 Maude Road, Singapore 208357, tel: 6291 1186. Classes are $315 for five lessons, Tues or Weds (7pm to 9.30pm), or Sat or Sun (11am to 1.30pm).

Photo: Pexels
7. Save For That Bucket List Trip
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You could whip out your credit card and jet off to Paris for a week… but where would that leave you 10 days later? Saddled with debt, that’s where.

Travel is a splurge that should be planned for. Start making a list of bucket travel plans, big and small. Whether it’s to learn how to dive, spend a week leisurely exploring the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, hot air ballooning in Cappadocia or joining a surf/yoga camp in Costa Rica, it’ll feel so much more amazing knowing you saved for it.

Lower your costs by doing your research (accumulate air miles, explore house sitting and couch surfing options) and don’t be above taking on a side gig to make this dream come true.

Photo: Pexels
8. Re-Watch Your Favourite Pixar Movie
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Call us sentimental fools but there’s something about Pixar films that – to borrow a phrase from them – makes us “grin from fin to fin”.

While we have our personal favourite (We’re talking about “Finding Nemo”), others like “Monsters Inc” and “The Incredibles” never fail to get us chuckling. If you prefer films which hit you in the gut, “Inside Out”, “CoCo” and “Up” will make you shed a tear or two.

Photo: Pexels
9. Tidy Up Your Space
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Spend a weekend beautifying your space and you’ll never want to leave home. Make your own soy-based candle, purchase some plants or put together your own stained glass pane. If you’re not artsy, it’s amazing what a fresh set of pillow covers and curtains will do for the room, or just tidy up your desk space with a cool pegboard from IKEA.

Photo: Pexels
10. Make A Mood Board
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If you’re not living your best life now, start the realisation process by putting all your dreams and hopes down on a mood board.

Clip pictures from magazines, trawl Instagram for inspirational sayings that resonate with you, make a list of great stuff that happened in 2018, and keep adding to it — before you know it, your dreams may come true.

Photo: Shutterstock
11. Treat Your Bestie To A Meal
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Sharing (food) is caring, so show your love for your gal pals by footing the bill during the next outing. It doesn’t have to be an expensive affair.

Whether it’s utilising your credit card privileges (UOB is particularly good for dining options) or signing up for Beyond (by Burpple, from $9.90 a month) offering one-for-one deals at over 300 restaurants (e.g Park Bench Deli, Sunday Folks, Vatos Urban Tacos), or downloading the Eatigo app to get discounts at restaurants, there’s enough variety to pique anyone’s taste buds.

READ MORE: 9 Best Places In Singapore For High Tea Below $25 Per Person

Photo: Pexels
12. Buy A Season Theatre Pass
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Support the arts while gifting yourself (and a friend) some culture by becoming a W!ld Rice angel for as little as $350.

Depending on your donation sum, you’ll receive tickets in lieu and by inviting a different buddy each time, you’ll expand both your artistic horizons and know you’ve contributed to Singapore’s art scene at the same time. Go here for more information.

 

Photo: Pexels
13. Subscribe to a podcast for a happier commute
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No one loves commuting to/from work. Make this daily chore one you actually look forward to by subscribing to a podcast geared to your interest. Whether it’s true crime or stories about modern love, it’s a surefire way to pass the crowded commute in a more enjoyable manner. Plus, you don’t have to crane your neck to look at the screen. Hit up Anchor and explore your options.

Photo: Pexels
14. Eat A Rainbow
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Include green, orange, red, blue/purple and yellow produce in your daily diet. These fruit and vegetables are packed with nutrients and fibre, and may help to protect against some cancers and other illnesses.

Photo: Pexels
15. Embrace your femininity
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There’s no better way to empower yourself than through the art of dance. Start by learning the art of Tahitian dancing perfected by Polynesian women from a young age. While it’ll take time to master movements like the tari tamau and varu – the secret lies in one’s hip movements – to the level of instructor Beatrice Caisson, her encouraging, open attitude will keep you focused and determined to learn those hip-tastic dance moves.

Tahiti Dance Fitness is at 46 Southbridge Road, #02-02, Singapore 058679, tel: 8374 8408. Their Tahiti Basics class is on every Weds at 12.45pm and 6.45pm.

Photo: @tahitidance/Instagram

READ MORE:
19 Fun Fitness Workouts For People Who Hate To Exercise
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