What is Debt?
Technically speaking, debt is any amount of money owed to another person or organisation.
Realistically, debt is money spent but not yet earned.
Practically, we think of debt as being unable to repay bills or borrowed money.
Research carried out in the UK found that more than 15% of us regularly miss bill repayments or feel overwhelmed by debts because even our best-laid plans occasionally go awry.
Here are the 5 most common characteristics of personal debt and their effect on resilience and well-being.
1. Debt is so often so Mundane
There’s a common misconception that money management issues are karma, the reasonable result of extravagant life style choices. Sadly, the truth is much grittier.
A lost job, relationship breakdown, an illness or anything that affects our ability to maintain consistent income can create debt problems within a matter of weeks and it can happen to anyone.
Judgement, therefore, just isn’t helpful.
Helpful is an open mind and a willingness to create a recovery plan.
Go to https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en for more advice on how to move forward when things are going wrong.
2. Debt is Super Stressful.
About 50% of people with diagnosed mental health issues live in debt but who can say how many became ill because of debt or vice versa?
What we do know is that stress related to debt makes money management even more challenging. Short term fixes often have long term consequences and filling the fridge with a payday loan is a great way to perpetuate the debt, stress cycle.
The ability to recognise the most common signs and symptoms of mental illness in yourself and others can help prevent debt and depression becoming partners for life.
Step Change is a charity who offer support with debt stress, find them here … https://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/debt-stress-and-mental-health.aspx
3. Debt is Incredibly Isolating.
Despite the overwhelming worry, people find it really hard to talk about debt to family and friends.
Honestly, family and friends often find it hard to talk about debt too.
A great support network can help reduce stress, maintain self-esteem and enable a rapid return to health, well-being and financial equilibrium.
If you’re worried about someone close to you, ask how you can help, make no judgement calls and keep it confidential.
http://• Ways to spot a friend in debt http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40340737
4. Debt is Seriously Exhausting.
Night time worry is notorious for being the most profound and least productive worry pattern of all.
Losing sleep to worry will always have a negative effect on well-being and emotional resilience.
To protect your job, your relationships and your health, it’s important to get help with sleep loss as early as possible.
Make one appointment with your GP, and another with a debt counsellor, then have a long talk with your nearest and dearest.
http://www.frugalitymagazine.com/losing-sleep-over-debt-here-are-4-simple-solutions-89252/
5. Recovering from Debt is Exceptionally Empowering
Getting mad at debt and kicking it out is actively good for your personal resilience.
People who never worry about money often never think about it and that’s a risky strategy.
Once you’ve sorted your bills, negotiated with creditors and made a few basic changes you’ll feel stronger and more competent than ever.
For more advice on Resilience and Wellbeing go to https://embraceresilience.com/embrace-resilience-wellbeing/
The only thing worse than training your staff and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.
Organisations that want to work well, train well.
Here are 6 great reasons to commission our carefully crafted, bespoke learning for your team this year.
1. You get fabulously flexible training that uses your language, your goals and your reality.
Nothing embeds learning faster than familiar accents, images and language.
Bring the team on board and get a great ROI with brilliant e learning which delivers your message to your team, anytime, any place, anywhere you like.
You’ll create an asset that can be used repeatedly, across your entire organisation.
Snatch screens to make supporting work books and presentations.
Slip relevant sections into other learning materials.
Flip it onto social media and let it be known that you’ve generated an organisation specific piece of complete genius.
2. Because you already know that forcing a square thing into a round hole hardly ever works.
Pitch your training sessions at exactly the right level for your learners. Your training should reflect your organisation, not ours.
Use your images, your voices and your mission to build training that makes the most of every training minute.
3. Your confidence won’t go unnoticed.
Making them part of your training experience says plenty about your commitment your most valued customers, staff and supply chain partners. Tell them how much you appreciate their support by using real life case studies to show your best practice requirement meeting their needs.
4. Engage and retain your Team
Generate valuable buy in by using recognisable faces, images and commentary. Training investment creates a sense of belonging in teams, making your employees much less likely to leave before you want them to.
5. Hold the Focus.
Your bespoke e-learning modules will contain only what you want them to – no conflicting advice, no time wasted and no compromise required.
6. Bespoke e-learning will almost certainly improve your Training ROI
If you’ve never considered bespoke e-learning before you’ll probably be surprised at how cost effective it is.
Saving travel time, room hire, tutor costs and expenses is a serious advantage, but the ability to repeat the session whenever and where ever you choose outweighs all other savings.
One beautifully designed module with unlimited delivery potential, tailor made learning outcomes and the capacity to support your employees for years to come could generate income and reduce overheads from day one.
Get more information about bespoke e-learning fromhttps://embraceresilience.com/bespoke-course-development/
Challenging Behaviour
A term used to describe behaviour which threatens the quality of life of an individual or others.
A single unit module, designed to provide information advice and guidance to those who encounter challenging behaviour at home or at work.
The course focuses primarily on challenging behaviour in dementia but includes guidance content which applies equally well to a wide range of alternative situations.
This course will help you to;
Understand what can reasonably be described as challenging behaviour.
Describe some common examples of challenging behaviour.
Apply good practice when addressing challenging behaviour in others.
Identify appropriate responses to different types of behaviour.
Make your workplace a little happier – Embrace-Learning.
Go to http://www.embrace-learning.co.uk to see fifty more brilliant E-Learning courses from Embrace.
First Aid: emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained.
First Aid is for everyone, whether the situation is a minor one or something serious, First Aid knowledge will give you the confidence to act, and your actions could be life-saving.
A great course for anyone who needs to know how to help others while waiting for professional help in the event of an accident, or sudden illness.
Learn how to identify first steps for common injuries or sudden illness.
Understand the responsibilities the First Aider.
List the duties of an employer.
Describe the correct contents of a compliant first aid kit.
Be clear about the fundamentals of First Aid, including CPR
Make your workplace a little safer – Embrace-Learning
Click on the link below to discover 50 more brilliant e-learning courses
Working at Height
Working at height is one of the most common causes of fatality and major injury in the UK.
Used in the workplace the term usually describes work carried out in any place, where if there were no precautions in place a person could fall from a distance liable to cause injury, or where a person working below the site could be injured by falling objects.
This short course is designed to support safe working practice for those of us who have the occasional need to carry out work at height.
Learn the do’s and don’ts of working where there is a risk of falling or being injured by another person’s fall.
Work safely with ladders.
Perform a risk assessment before working at height.
Name the relevant regulations that govern working at height.
Make your workplace a little safer – Embrace-Learning.
Follow the link below to see information 50 more brilliant Embrace Learning Modules.
Embrace; Providing e-Learning to the Care Sector Since 2004
Health and Social care teams deserve a greater than average measure of gratitude and respect for being there to care for us when we need it most. But without the right support, daily engagement in emotional and physically demanding work can seriously impact the health and well-being of anyone – and the most dedicated among you are also the most likely to succumb.
Which is why Embrace Resilience created a range of fully accredited Wellbeing modules designed specifically for carers and their managers – its’ also why we bring you our …
6 top tips for staying well when the going gets tough.
1. 
Take some time for yourself.
This is not an optional extra. People depend on you too much to let your emotional shape go to the dogs. Time devoted to your self is the one thing that will make it possible for you to continue caring for others.
Make a list of three things that make you feel happy. Just a note here, having a very clean oven does not count but a long walk on a big beach, dancing a quick tango in the kitchen and a big fat lie in all do.
Make sure that a least one thing on the list can be done at the drop of a hat and snatch a quick fix when you can.
Then commit to making absolutely certain that the other two become a permanent and unmovable feature of your week and month …
Which takes us directly to …
2. Ask for help. Everyone needs help.
You are not the exception to this rule.
When people offer help take it, every time, even on days when you don’t really need it.
Try to avoid making yourself indispensable. Encourage independence in others and get comfortable with delegation, which is not the same as abdication – I promise.
So you know, some people will genuinely want to help and others really ought to help. If the people who ought to don’t offer to, make a very specific request – and if they honestly can’t find the time – because we’re all busy – make the serious suggestion that they could pay someone else to do it.
3. Meditate – yes, you’re short of time but this will reward you more than you think.
Sit still, breathe slowly and listen to silence for just three minutes in the day.
Count the sounds you can hear, which might include your heart beat, the dryer kicking in and the kettle cooling down – just stop moving and stay in the moment.
Anyone who has experienced the stress of having a million thoughts all fighting for attention will benefit from this quick reboot – the minutes pass really fast and the benefits are more lasting than the sugar boost you might otherwise reach for.
4. Talk to your Friends
Sometimes you need to know that others care for you too. Choose your confidants wisely though. Saying your thoughts out loud is only helpful if you’re confident that they won’t be taken down and used as evidence against you.
5.Eat something, preferably fresh, preferably green and preferably delicious at least once per day.
And drink enough water. If you had a glass of water every time you stood by the sink to wash dishes, cook something or clean something you’d feel a great deal better. Dehydration is more damaging than you think and it will make you look and feel worse than necessary. 85% of brain tissue is water, which is why not drinking enough can make you irritable and depressed
6. Sleep.
If getting to sleep is a problem for you try listening to yourself; name every feeling you’ve experienced in the day, and as you name them, put them to bed.
If you wake too early listen to the world; name every sound you can hear and appreciate the quality of each in turn.
And if that sounds like a pointless waste of good worrying time – think again.
To see the full range of Embrace Resilience and Wellbeing material go to
https://embraceresilience.com/library-accredited-learning-modules/
Autist, Aspie or just another uniquely talented colleague who takes everyone at their word and probably loves the jobs you hate – lucky you.
No two people with Asperger’s are the same.
They share the same level of intellect, talent, skills and desire to work as the rest of the population and yet unemployment rates for people on the autistic spectrum range from 75% to 97%, even when the economy is healthy.
With thanks to http://the-art-of-autism.com/favorite-quotes-about-autism-and-aspergers/
It’s a commutation thing.
People with Aspergers often have quirks that require a degree of social adjustment from the rest of us, which can turn interviews into a special kind of minefield. But employers ignore this section of the population at their peril because about 700,000 people in the UK are on the spectrum and that’s a lot of potential to miss.
Why? Because characteristics of the condition often include professional attributes that few others can match. Perfectionism, the ability to absorb every tiny detail of a process and a willingness to test outcomes to the Nth degree are all on this list.
Here are just a few typical Asperger’s characteristic and some hints on how to embrace their potential.
They may find it difficult to understand non-verbal communication
Body language or tone of voice is often lost on those with Asperger’s.
Which means they won’t always pick up on what you didn’t say.
Which also means you’re less likely to accidentally hurt their feelings.
Try not to take their apparent ambivalence personally. If you’re having a bad day, or a good day and your facial expression isn’t getting the required response, just say so.
Say, I’m having a good day today, let me tell you why.
Say I’m proper grumpy today so I won’t be speaking to you till home time. Just do it, it’s fine.
Interpreting the thoughts and motives of others isn’t really their thing
Office politics, cattiness and unspoken motives are lost on the average Autist. They work at a refreshingly straightforward and much more transparent level than most. Share your feelings if you want some recognition, conceal them if it feels better but don’t expect your Asperger’s affected colleague to read your mood without help.
Non-literal uses of language, such as jokes or irony won’t resonate
They might not get the joke and they almost certainly won’t pick up on irony. All of which might take a bit of getting used to. Be fair though, you probably don’t get every sense of humour you encounter either.
Don’t take it personally. The process of learning to say exactly what you mean can be a revelation.
You might even learn something about your own communication style in the process.
Respecting social conventions might not be instinctive
This can feel awkward – but the same rules of explicit instruction apply. Your colleague won’t be offended if you ask them to stand a little further from your desk, speak a little more quietly indoors, or stop talking to themselves. In fact they’ll most likely appreciate your clarity and willingness to help them fit in with the crowd.
Getting anxious if their routine changes
Dependency on routine is what makes many Autists tick, it’s what allows them to excel at certain tasks and it’s part of their overall uniqueness. Embrace the quirk, don’t force sudden changes unless you absolutely can’t avoid it, give them plenty of warning and allow for a period of adjustment.
Experiencing occasional sensory meltdowns
Imagine being asked to write a detailed report in the middle of a packed dance floor.
Some autistic people are incredibly sensitive to stimulation that most of us don’t even notice. The tick of a clock, the rumble of the coffee maker, a tiny flicker in the overhead light. These people have a lot to contend with, so expect occasional meltdowns and look for ways to offer a little bit of calm when they come along.
Crashing and banging
Yip, people can be clumsy, get used to it.
Don’t expect more than a person can offer and be kind, this isn’t carelessness we’re talking about.
Asperger’s is often accompanied by Dyspraxia – yet another life challenge for your colleague – vive la difference.
For more information about working with Asperger’s, Autism and other conditions go tohttps://embraceresilience.com/library-accredited-learning-modules/
About the Team
We’re a tiny team of specialists, which means while we all get to wear a lot of different hats you’ll always hear a friendly voice when you call.
We all have our own area of expertise, but we also place really great customer service at the top of our big list of important things to do – it’s a nice place to work.
About our Partners
We work with a long list of associates, in lots of different disciplines including subject matter experts, techies, designers, artists and actors. These are the people who make it possible for us to give our customers exactly what they want – great looking e-learning with really good content that makes our learners want to keep clicking.
About our Product
Holding a positive view of ourselves, our relationships and the work we produce has a huge impact on mental health and our ability to make a consistently great contribution.
Embrace Resilience and Wellbeing titles are packed with information designed to develop resilience by creating a healthier state of mind and body. Giving every member of your team – or family – all the tools they need to stay well and excel every day.
About our Mission
We aim to make workplaces and communities healthier, happier and more productive by giving people, whether in paid work or not, the information they need to take care of their own resilience and well-being. Making everyone feel better equipped to take care of business, at work and at home.
Check out the Wellbeing Ecosystem for more information about how to access Free Learning for your Community Group.
Co-designed by Embrace-Learning and some very clever people at Forever Manchester. ABCD introduces the principles of Asset Based Community Development to those with an interest in improving lives and reducing dependency in local communities.
www.forevermanchester.com
With the focus firmly on the positive aspects of community life, the module aims to support pride, in ownership and positive action. Suitable for professionals or volunteers, the course suggests some fab ways to uncover the secret skills and hidden passions in your neighbourhood and includes fun ways to bank new connections and get people talking about what really matters where you live.
Get more details about this course and loads of others by clicking here … https://embraceresilience.com/library-accredited-learning-modules/
www.forevermanchester.comFocused
