Miller Health Workplace Health and Fitness

Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Results

CALL CENTRE

John Miller conducted a Seven Habits of Fit and Healthy People seminar for public sector call centre in November 2007.

35 participants, 20 women and 15 men completed the following profiles: -

■ Health, Fitness and Wellbeing

■ Stress risk

■ Career satisfaction

The results are presented in graphic format, with commentary.

HEALTH CLIMATE SURVEY

The Mind and Body profile provides people with a very good idea of how well the various systems of the body are functioning, particularly the

• the mind

• autonomic nervous system

• immune system

• digestive system

• circulatory system

• elimination system

• musculo-skeletal system.

	Symptom	None		Not much			A fair bit			A lot
1.	Headaches	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
2.	Migraines	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
3.	Lack of energy and vitality	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
4.	Candida - jock itch, thrush, tinea ...	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
5.	Poor sleep. If on tablets score 10	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
6.	Snoring &/or sleep apnoea.	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
7.	Crook back, sore shoulders RSI ...	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
8.	Frequent colds, flu, sinus	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
9.	Unsettled stomach, reflux	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
10.	Irritable bowel, constipation, trots ...	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11.	Overweight - 1 point for every 2Kg	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
12.	Asthma	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
13.	Low level of aerobic fitness	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
14.	Chest pain, palpitations	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
15.	Rashes, itchiness, psoriasis, zits	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
16.	Mouth ulcers, cold sores	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
17.	Elevated blood pressure. Score 0 on pills	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
18.	Reduced libido	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
19.	Shakes, nervous ticks, mannerisms	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
20.	Grinding teeth	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
21.	Alcoholic drinks per day (2 pts/drink)	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
22.	Smoking. (1 pt/cigarette/day)	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
23.	Caffeine (1 pt/cup per day)	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
24.	Anxious about life in general	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
25.	Insecure/apprehensive about the future	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
26.	Sad or depressed (On medication, score 0)	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
27.	In wrong job for now	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
28.	Under-appreciated at work	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
29.	Under-appreciated at home	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
30.	Unhappy with family and romantic life	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10

Score

The score of a normal, fit and healthy human being is less than 20

Higher scores are symptomatic of dysfunction of one or more body systems.

People with low levels of fitness and high levels of stress usually score well over 100.

For people with a score of more than 80, the ‘background noise’ of their life is becoming louder and louder. It is hard to concentrate on your work when body systems are dysfunctional.

We know a fit and healthy group when we see the majority of scores below 40. This was not the case with this group. By and large higher scores are usually a reflection of

• low levels of fitness

• an inability to deal with what life and work are serving up to people.

Remember, it is not what happens, but how we deal with what happens that determines our level of stress.

Classification of average scores: Excellent - less than 40. Good - 41 - 50. Reasonable 51-60. Poor - over 60.

The average score was 84. Anyone scoring more than 80 is putting up with a lot of 'background noise'.

HEALTH CLIMATE SURVEY ANALYSIS

Based on scores received in the Mind and Body profile we've compiled a Health Climate Survey. Scores on each item have ranked - the higher the score the worse the problem. We added the scores for each item. The results appear in the table below.

	Symptoms / Issues / Concerns	% of people scoring over 5
	Poor sleep	63
	Lack of energy	54
	Wrong job	54
	Musculo-skeletal dysfunction	51
	Fitness	51
	Overweight	46
	Under appreciated at work	46
	Snoring	43
	Under appreciated at home	37
	Smoking	34
	Crook gut	31
	Too much alcohol	31
	Anxious	31
	Insecure	31
	Depressed	31
	Unhappy family	29
	Colds and flu	20
	Irritable bowel	20
	Low libido	20
	Headaches	17
	Grinding teeth	17
	Caffeine	17
	Shakes	14
	Candida	11
	Chest pain	11
	Blood pressure	11
	Asthma	9
	Rashes	6
	Mouth ulcers	6
	Migraines	3

Our recommendation is that the organisation focus on improving scores on the items highlighted.

4 people were on anti-depressant medication and 2 people were on blood pressure medication.

STRESS RISK PROFILE

Participants completed a simple stress and relaxation profile designed to assist them in making an assessment of how they were affected by stress. It is based on the habits of unstressed people.

If you do what unstressed people do you are less at risk of becoming stressed. I’m yet to see someone who said they were highly stressed or depressed who got a high score on this profile. A good score is over 70.

• How would you rate your current stress level

• Do you get a good night’s sleep?

• Do you take your holidays?

• Are you keeping yourself fit and healthy?

• Is there balance in your life?

• Do you take time off at lunch time?

• How many hours a week do you work?

• Are you good at giving back to your Self?

• Do you meditate?

• Are you happy with your family (and romantic) life?

The matter of stress always needs to be addressed by organisations as part of a personal development thrust, and aimed at all staff. If stress management type programs are to be conducted, all staff need to be involved, otherwise those at most risk and those who are currently most stressed (and too wrapped up in their own busyness) will not attend.

For those who spend long hours at work, I often wonder whether the behaviour is externally or internally driven. I suspect the latter. No body on their death bed ever said 'I wish I'd spent more time at the office.'

A few people are struggling with their family life. This is another fertile area for personal development and counseling programs. It's hard to concentrate at work when your home life is in turmoil

SCORING GUIDELINES

Excellent, scoring 8 or more

Good, scoring 7 or more

Fair, scoring 5 or 6

Poor, scoring less than 5

‘Pass mark’ on all parameters 7/10.


	Patchy. Quite a few people have a low level of ability to manage stress.	This is not a good result. The first casualty of anxiety and low levels of fitness is sleep.

	Not a good result. Paul Pearsal in his book Superimmunity' said you need a 21 day away from home holiday every year.	Not good at all. A lot of people are not keeping themselves in good shape.

	FAQ.	A patchy result. Our advice - get out of the office at lunch time and go for a walk. At least get away from your desk.

	This is a better result. However the people who scored poorly are probably mothers with young children.	Patchy. Too many people are 'too busy' to look after and nurture their Self - or don't know how to do this.

	Very few people meditate. The reasons to do so are compelling, particularly for people in this industry.	Family life satisfaction is patchy. For 7 people it is not good at all.

Average score: 52. This is a poor score. People could do more to look after their Self. People are not doing the things that fit and healthy people do to manage the stress of their lives. I recommend that people scoring less that 50 spend time with a counselor or life coach, or go to a personal development weekend to get themselves centred and grounded on looking after their Self.

CAREER SATISFACTION PROFILE

The parameters in the profile relate to a mix of factors influences by the participant, management and their colleagues.

• How close are you to doing the job you’d really like to be doing?

• Are you in the right job for now?

• Is work giving you life or sucking life out of you?

• Are you focused on your career options?

• Do you get good feedback from your manager?

• Do you receive an appropriate financial reward?

• Do you feel you and your work are valued and appreciated?

• Do you work for an organisation that cares about people?

• Do you enjoy the company of the people you work with?

• What’s the level of morale like in your work group?

Normally, when results on the overall career profile are less than 70/100, people agree that they’re not in the right job. Certainly those scoring less than 60 have sufficient issues relating to career management as to seriously consider going somewhere else.

SCORING GUIDELINES

Excellent, scoring 8 or more

Good, scoring 7 or more

Fair, scoring 5 or 6

Poor, scoring less than 5

‘Pass mark’ on all parameters 7/10.


	This is th4e first time we have seen so many people (about half) acknowledging that they don't know what they want to do 'when they grow up'. My encouragement to people who scored less than 6 is to move heaven and earth to work out what it is they really want to do - and develop a plan to get there as soon as they can.	The question was, 'Are you in the right job for now?' A lot of people scored under 6/10. Good managers can find out who the people scoring less than 6/10 are and assist them to move to the job they'd really like to have.

	Work is stressful.	Too many people are not focused on their career.

	Close to 30% felt they could do with more feedback from their manager. For staff our recommendation is always to manage up.	These people are pretty satisfied with what they sell themselves for. If you're not happy, you're selling yourself short. Log onto Seek and get your suit dry cleaned!

	This is a poor result.	Patchy.

	This is a good score. People like working with each other.	Patchy.

Average score: 61. If you get less than 70 there is the wisp of a suggestion you're not in the right job. Less than 60 and the smell is becoming stronger.

Miller Health

In association with Integrated Health Systems

7 Salvado Place Stirling ACT 2611

(02) 6288 7703