4 Key Strategies for Setting Your Personal Fitness Goals

Many people are staying-in these days, but the quarantine will be over soon. When it is, we will be outside more than ever after being cooped up for months. When you head out, you want to look your best. Here are four key strategies for setting your personal fitness goals.

Be Realistic

One of the biggest mistakes people make is setting unrealistic expectations. You simply cannot change your entire body in one month. You need to set realistic goals and just continue to progress with time. It may seem frustrating when your progress isn't going as well as you'd like. This can even make you want to give up. Be realistic, and you will be more likely to continue to work toward your goals. Many people don't know what realistic goals are. It all depends on what you're trying to do. Whether you're trying to bulk up or slim down, talk to a professional to help you learn where you should be in a month, three months, and six months.

Give Yourself What You Need

If you want to achieve fitness goals, you need to have the proper gear. First, go out and get some workout clothes and shoes. You'll be more comfortable going to the gym when you feel comfortable about the way you look. 

Next, you'll have to give yourself a membership to a gym. However, you may not even know what to do at the gym. Look into getting a personal trainer to help guide you. Once you have these things, you're ready to go.

Don't Forget About Diet

Your fitness goals aren't only about working out. You need to pay close attention to the things you put into your body. Stock up on plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein full of nutrients. Avoid processed foods and foods full of empty calories, such as potato chips.

Work at It

Ultimately, if you want to achieve your fitness goals, you need to work at it. Learn some self discipline and force yourself to work out every single day. You can even look into fitness training  to get more specialized workout advice. The more effort you put into it, the better results you will see. However, you don't want to push yourself too far to the point where you're hurting your body. Stay safe.

You need to focus on your fitness for more than just aesthetic reasons. Improved fitness can improve your heart health, keep you young, and keep you alive longer. All good reasons indeed!

Comfort food: Women more likely to admit to overeating, under exercising amid COVID-19

Experts say women are more prone to emotional eating due to various psychological factors

You only have to look as far as social media to be bombarded with images of recipes and what people are eating and cooking during this period of isolation amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Food or a lack there of has become the forefront of what people are thinking about as we are restricted from indulging in other social behaviours. And, while the meals might look enticing and satisfying from the pictures, how many of you are overeating to cope with stress or anxiety during this outbreak?

In a global survey of more than 16,000 people across 16 major countries, overeating is cited as the third biggest ailment or health condition that respondents say they are suffering from as a result of COVID-19 after under exercising and anxiety.

Women are more likely to admit they are overeating compared to men in 15 out of the 16 countries with the biggest gap between the genders in Canada and Russia (a 13 percentage-point difference), followed by the United Kingdom (12), India (10), Australia, South Korea and the United States (9).

Added to this, women are most likely to say they’re overeating in Brazil (39%), South Africa and Mexico (29%), Canada (28%) and the U.K. (25%).

Experts say a combination of gender coping mechanisms, social stereotypes and disruption of routines along with additional burdens due to COVID-19 may be contributing to why women feel as if they are eating more than they otherwise should or would.

Emotional eating, meal sizes & stereotypes 

Barbel Knauper, Professor and Director of Health Psychology Laboratory at McGill University in Montreal, said emotional eating, which is overeating in response to negative emotions, is more prevalent in women at all times than it is in men.

“Generally, this might be related to higher rates of depression and anxiety in women than in men, with emotional eating being one of many coping mechanisms to deal with negative emotions,” said Prof. Knauper. 

“It might not be that women and men view eating differently but rather that emotional eating is a more common coping mechanism for women who are also more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety.”

Anxiety was the second most cited health concern in the study with at least a quarter of people in 11 countries saying they are suffering from this because of the pandemic, while depression was the fifth biggest concern. Women were more likely than men to cite anxiety and depression in all countries, except for Japan and China where more men reported feeling depressed.

Claus Vogele, Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology, and Annika Lutz, Postdoctoral Researcher in Clinical Psychology at the University of Luxembourg, said women are known to experience eating problems more frequently, because they report overeating more often, and also restrict their eating behaviour to change their body weight or shape more frequently than men.

“This could make them more prone to reporting overeating, i.e. eating more than their diet plan allows,” they said. 

“Social stereotypes about adequate meal sizes also differ for men and women. In consequence, large meals are socially more acceptable for men, which could contribute to comparatively fewer reports of overeating among men.”

Shilagh Mirgain, Psychologist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, agreed adding that men are more likely to admit to eating larger meal portions, while women are more likely to report a sense of loss of control over how much they eat and experience negative consequences such as dissatisfaction with body image.

“Women are also more likely than men to internalize stress and beat themselves up mentally,” said Dr. Mirgain. “Emotional overeating is seen more often in females than in males, perhaps as a result of the greater intensity of emotions expressed and experienced by women.”

In terms of body image, women in the survey were more likely to say they under exercising compared to men in all of the countries except for Mexico, Spain, China and Brazil.

Loss of structure, boredom & age

Experts said these social factors and biological coping mechanisms are being exacerbated by social distancing and isolation because of the pandemic.

People are experiencing a loss of structure, and the loss of regular coping strategies such as going to the gym, while grocery shopping and stock piling food can also be overwhelming, according to Dr. Mirgain.

“Not being able to access certain foods a person typically eats can bring up a lot of anxiety. When things feel outside our control and there is increased anxiety and feelings of helplessness, it’s easy to turn to food for self-soothing,” said Dr. Mirgain. “Under significant stress, most people automatically revert back to past coping strategies. For women, this may include a vulnerability to resorting to emotional eating to cope.”  

Meanwhile, Prof. Knauper adds that one of the main reasons for emotional eating is boredom and people are experiencing this more as they spend most of their time at home.

“One could do further analysis to see whether it is in relation to living alone, for example, in which case younger women may experience more boredom than their older counterparts, causing them to overeat more,” said Prof. Knauper.

Younger women – those aged 34 and under – were most likely to cite overeating of all the age groups. They were also most likely to say they are suffering from insomnia, anxiety and depression, according to the study.

Prof. Vogele and Lutz said eating problems frequently occur first during adolescence and young adulthood and this includes overeating, dieting, but also clinical manifestations of eating disorders.

Dr. Mirgain also said that it is during this phase of life when we enter adulthood and go through lifestyle changes such as getting a higher education, getting married or living with a partner and parenthood.

“During this developmental phase, it can be easy to feel lost or even rudderless. As a result of this, women may turn to food as a coping strategy and vulnerability to overeat may be the highest,” said Dr. Mirgain.

Added to this, women are often caregivers in a family, and their responsibilities may have increased on top of what they already do in the home because of the pandemic. As a result, self-care such as regular exercise and healthy eating may be put “on the back burner.”

How to cope without overeating

Experts agree there are various ways for women to soothe themselves with things other than food so that excessive weight gain from overeating and less exercise doesn’t put them at risk of developing longer term illnesses such as diabetes.

Prof. Knauper said it’s important to identify and monitor new behaviours that have already set in such as eating while watching Netflix, which people are likely doing much more now, and how to break them with more adaptive behaviours.

“The good news is that the new habits are likely not yet deeply established and thus are still relatively easy to change,” said Prof. Knauper.

Dr. Mirgain recommends women process their emotions versus “stuffing” them by writing about it in a journal, talking to a trusted and safe person, or creating something to help express them.

“Express your emotions by making something, such as an art project, a vision board, a collage, baking something, TikTok dancing, gardening or writing,” she said. “Reach out to people, do video chats, plan some social time virtually to build your support base.”  

She also said it’s important to be compassionate to ourselves and prioritize our self-care to help keep our immune systems healthy like getting regular sleep.

“Mindful awareness of the feelings and triggers, knowing that you are not alone and others are feeling the same way, and then offering some kindness to yourself through words, touch, actions [help],” said Dr. Mirgain.

Meanwhile, Prof. Vogele and Lutz recommend finding time to exercise at home and outside and sticking to a time slot. But if you do indulge in food – enjoy it slowly.

“Pay attention to the taste and the experience of eating and make it a special occasion,” they said. “This way you make it a treat instead of gobbling down food.”

Serta Simmons Bedding to Donate Mattresses to Long Term Care Homes and Shelters in Toronto and Quebec

TORONTO, May 29, 2020 /CNW/ - Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB), Canada's premier mattress company will donate mattresses to local long-term care homes and shelters in Toronto and Quebec to aid in the fight against COVID-19. 

Long-term care homes and shelters across the country have become frontlines to the COVID-19 pandemic. They now face critical shortages of necessary supplies such as personal protective equipment and care beds.

SSB Canada's donation will be facilitated through its partnership with Relief Bed International, a non-profit organization that provides beds to impoverished people and disaster victims around the world. SSB will deliver mattresses to local shelters in the GTA, Blue Door Shelter, The Salvation Army – York Region and the Integrated Center for Health and Social Services Lanaudière in Quebec.

"As a company, SSB Canada recognizes the devastation and hardship COVID-19 has caused," SSB President, Canada, Shawn Trinier said. "We are proud to do our part in making a difference to help those most in need to fight this virus."

SSB will donate these beds with the help of National Mattress Outlets Plus+ who have generously offered their time and services to deliver these essential supplies on June 5^th. 

About Serta Simmons Bedding LLC
Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC is the leading sleep company and the largest manufacturer, marketer and supplier of mattresses in North America. Based in Atlanta, SSB owns and manages the two best-selling bedding brands in the mattress industry: Serta®, which has five other independent licensees, and Beautyrest®. The brands are distributed through national, hospitality, and regional and independent retail channels throughout North America. SSB also owns Simmons® and Tuft & Needle® direct-to-consumer mattress brands. SSB operates 28 manufacturing plants throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about SSB and its brands, visit www.sertasimmons.com.

About Relief Bed International
Relief Bed International provides strategically built beds to homeless shelters in the United States and to disaster relief victims and emerging countries through their network of international relief partners around the world. For more information and how to partner with Relief Bed please visit www.reliefbed.com.

SOURCE Serta Simmons Bedding

United States of Care Releases Guide to Help Humanize the Health Care Debate and COVID-19 Response 

Washington, DC — United States of Care (USofCare) released a new guide today to help policymakers, advocates, and other key stakeholders humanize the health care debate and COVID-19 response. USofCare has undertaken an ongoing listening project to better understand people’s shared needs in response to COVID-19, combining public opinion analysis, survey research, and in-depth interviews throughout the country. Our new guide summarizes what we learned, advice on connecting with the public, as well as how to prioritize solutions. 

We’ve consistently found that centering the conversation around shared needs and values opens new avenues for more people to be part of the conversation and the solution. In our discussions and several of our survey’s open-ended questions, responses were similar across a variety of demographics (Republican and Democrat, rural and urban, African American and white), including raw, sometimes heartbreaking, emotions as they describe their concerns. Our findings show many people share common experiences, even if we each have unique circumstances and different political viewpoints. 

“Health care policy has historically been polarized and politicized. Our review of public opinion is that the country is quickly retreating to partisan corners. By elevating people’s shared values, we hope to humanize the health care debate. If we aren't meeting people where they are, we will miss the moment to pave a path toward lasting positive change,” said Natalie Davis, Co-Founder and Senior Director for Public Engagement. “Throughout our research, we encountered people expressing waves of emotions - including significant levels of anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, hope, and gratitude - with deep concern about the health and financial well-being of themselves and their loved ones. While immediate fixes are needed, COVID-19 has also illuminated the public’s desire for long-term fixes, including a more reliable health care system that cares for everyone and supports essential workers. ”

Our most recent survey confirmed our focus on four critical shared needs that are emerging in response to the pandemic, including the desire for:

• A reliable health care system that is fully resourced to support essential workers and available when needed, both now and after the pandemic.
• A health care system that cares for everyone, including people who are vulnerable and those who were already struggling before the pandemic hit.
• Accurate information and clear recommendations on the virus and how to stay healthy and safe.
• Being able to provide for ourselves and our loved ones, especially as we are worried about the financial impact of the pandemic

We’ve already started putting these findings into action through the policy priorities we’ve recommended to federal and state policymakers. 

Lead with values and emotion

People everywhere are concerned about protecting and providing for themselves and their loved ones. This unprecedented moment provides policymakers with the unique opportunity to ensure that our health care system is responsive to the pandemic while being accessible and affordable, now and into the future. Our findings show that centering the conversation around shared needs will open new avenues for more people to participate in the health care debate and the design of new solutions.

State and federal officials should show how they are listening to the public by proposing durable, people-centered policy solutions. These solutions should address not only the short-term challenges but also be designed to remove the long-standing barriers in our current health care system. People need to feel heard and that the health care system is there to support them. To be successful, policymakers must:

• Meet Americans where they are. The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing how the health care debate lacks a sense of humanity, making it feel detached from what people are experiencing. Leaders should connect with the American public on an emotionally resonant level and address feelings of anxiety and concern. We continue to see compassionate leadership from state and local leaders being well-received by the public.
• Address the interconnectivity between health and financial wellbeing which has been illuminated by the pandemic. Consider this connection of health care and personal finances when building and implementing solutions.
• Seek solutions to build a health care system that is fully resourced and ready to support essential workers, doctors, nurses, and the public.
• Center the people you’re trying to impact within the design of new policies. Continue to listen to constituents and consider formalizing the ways you gather input and work with community and business leaders. 

Public Opinion Key Findings: 

• There is a conflicting set of emotions, with Americans feeling concerned (53%), anxious (47%), uncertain (44%), frustrated (35%), and also hopeful (33%) and grateful (23%). 
• The most pressing concerns for the majority of respondents are the health and safety of their loved ones (66%), followed closely by their health and safety (55%). The next most pressing concern is for “my own and my family members’ employment and financial situation,” (44%) except in the GOP groups, which stated that reopening the economy is of higher importance. Participants were least concerned with “getting back to my job” (around 20%).
• Americans are also finding hope amid the crisis—in religion, their families, and stories of people helping others. 
• The pandemic illuminated deficiencies in our health care system; many respondents reflected on the fact that the US was caught unprepared to handle the pandemic, and our losses have been higher than those of other countries. 
• Many expressed pride in the response from doctors and nurses. 

In early March, we began conducting comprehensive assessments of available public opinion surveys from a variety of pollsters, including Kaiser Family Foundation, Gallup, Pew, and others. We also conducted in-depth interviews with members of the public between April 3, 2020, and May 1, 2020. Our national survey was conducted May 1-3, 2020, and carried a confidence interval of 90%, with a margin of error between 2-4%. It included a sample size of 2,156 respondents. It has a margin of error between 2-4%. 

###

United States of Care is a nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring that every American has access to quality, affordable health care. The organization supports endorsing state-based policies, building resources to understand current and new ideas, and educating and mobilizing the public toward this mission.

Social justice leader Rev. Barber: Screams, tears and protests are a mourning for our democracy

America must listen to the protests in the streets if it is ever to heal the wounds caused by both police and policy brutality, social justice leader Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II said as he delivered a pastoral letter on Pentecost Sunday.

“ … I want us to look at those crowds deeply in the street. Listen to them, hear them, see the diversity,” Barber said from Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he is the minister. “And remember that in our history, slavery was abolished, women did gain the right to vote, labor did win a 40-hour workweek and a minimum wage. The civil rights movement in the face of lynching … did expand the right to vote for African Americans.”

Rev. Barber, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, spoke less than a week after video was released showing an African American man, George Floyd, drawing his last breaths as a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck. His death has led to protests across the nation as people have taken to the streets to express their outrage not only at Floyd’s death but also at this country’s history of racism and injustice.

Rev. Barber wrote and delivered the letter in a sermon because so many people had asked him to share a moral perspective on this moment. 

People must refuse to be comforted too quickly about the deaths of black people at the hands of white police officers and white citizens and from COVID-19,  he said.

“We cannot try to hurry up and put the screams and the tears and the hurt back in the bottle, to just get back to some normal that was abnormal in the first place,” Rev. Barber said. “Hear the screams, feel the tears. The very people who have been rejected over and over again are the ones who have shown us the possibility of a more perfect nation. They are telling us these wounds are too much, this death is too much.”

It was two years ago that the Poor People’s Campaign said it would hold a historic  Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington on June 20^th because even before the pandemic, 700 people died a day from poverty and 140 million people lived in poverty or were low-income. The march and assembly now will be held online because of the pandemic. 

“When we set the date for this event two years ago, we had no way of knowing that 100,000 Americans would breathe their last breath due to COVID … we didn’t know that George Floyd’s dying words would have force the nation to consider how the knee of white supremacy would continue to bear down … but we knew already that there was too much death,” Barber said. “Too much pain, too many moans. And we were listening to the moans, from California to Carolina, from Maine to Mississippi. And we know where to look for hope. The hope is right in the valley of the rejected. If we listen, America. If we listen.

“Now is the time not to stop mourning, but to mourn and refuse to be comforted, to unite our collective moral power and demand transformative change. Right now.”

___

Contact: Martha Waggoner | mwaggoner@breachrepairers.org | 919-295-0802

___

The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, is building a generationally transformative digital gathering called the  Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington, on June 20, 2020. At that assembly, we will demand that both major political parties address the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism by implementing our Moral Agenda

Sun Life and Teladoc Health bring Mental Health Navigator to Canadian Clients

 New offering provides additional mental health support

TORONTO, May 27, 2020 /CNW/ - A recent Sun Life survey found that 56% of Canadians said the COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative impact on their mental health; this is supported by independent Teladoc Health research. Of particular concern, 60% of those affected said they are not seeking support.¹ To help Clients navigate their mental health issues, Sun Life is offering Mental Health Navigator from Teladoc Health. This complements the resources available through Lumino Health, an innovation from Sun Life. 

Mental Health Navigator is a confidential and personalized service that draws on a team of clinicians including psychologists and psychiatrists. The service aims to efficiently help determine the right diagnosis and treatment for individuals, while allowing people to receive care on their terms and manage their mental health as they need. Depending on a Client's needs, they can connect virtually to conduct a thorough review of an existing mental health diagnosis, discuss symptoms or receive advice and treatment options. 

Through their acquisition of Best Doctors in 2017, Teladoc Health has expanded services to include Mental Health Navigator. Mental Health Navigator is now available to Sun Life Group Benefits plan members with access to Teladoc Health Best Doctors either through their Extended Health Care or Critical Illness Insurance coverage. It's also available to Individual Critical Illness Insurance Clients.

"COVID-19 has had many impacts to our society and economy. As we continue to navigate the implications of the pandemic, our focus is on supporting Canadians in putting their mental health first," said Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada and Lumino Health. "At Sun Life, we continue to strengthen our suite of virtual care solutions to support Canadians and make it easy to get help from home. After their initial assessment and diagnosis, Mental Health Navigator will help Clients receive guidance throughout their mental health journey." 

How it works
Once a Client contacts Teladoc Health, they are set up with a case manager, known as a 'navigator'. The navigator will gather the individual's health history including their mental health concerns and symptoms. They will coordinate a consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist and remain in contact throughout the Client's action plan to ensure they are feeling supported.

"In our years offering mental health solutions throughout Canada, we've seen how critical it is to assure individuals are not only feeling empowered to get care, but have access to the right type of support for optimal outcomes," said Karen Grant, Vice President, Global Product Development, Teladoc Health. "We are thrilled to partner with Sun Life so that together we can help provide even more Canadians with the resources they need to comprehensively care for mind and body." 

Lumino Health launched in 2018 providing Canadians with access to Canada's premier health network. The platform helps people find healthcare providers, connect virtually and access the latest resources and innovations. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada created the platform as a commitment to helping Canadians live healthier lives. 

About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,023 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com. 

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

About Teladoc Health
A mission-driven organization, Teladoc Health, Inc. is successfully transforming how people access and experience healthcare, with a focus on high quality, lower costs, and improved outcomes around the world. Ranked #1 among direct-to-consumer telehealth providers in the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study, the integrated services from Teladoc Health include telehealth, expert medical services, AI and analytics, and licensable platform services. With more than 2,400 employees, the organization delivers care in 175 countries and in more than 40 languages, partnering with employers, hospitals and health systems, and insurers to transform care delivery. For more information, please visit www.teladochealth.ca or follow @TeladocHealth on Twitter.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contacts:

Kim Armstrong 
Manager, Corporate Communications, Sun Life
T. 416-979-6207 
kim.armstrong@sunlife.com 

Kyle Denton
Director, Golin, on behalf of Teladoc Health
T. 647-917-6984 
Kdenton@golin.com

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada

A CARDIAC SURGEON’S LIFE STORY SETS THE STAGE FORAN INSPIRATIONAL GUIDE TO UNLEASHING PEOPLE’S FULL POTENTIALIn HEART TO BEAT, Dr. Brian Lima Challenges Readers To Strive For Greatness And Never Settle For Second Best 

College, medical school, and then ten years of grueling surgical training, that’s what it took for Brian Lima to become a leading heart transplant surgeon – literally able to breathe new life into critical ill patients.  Not only has Lima never shied away from a challenge, he has spent his life actively seeking them in pursuit of seemingly near-impossible goals.  In his insightful new book, HEART TO BEAT:  A Cardiac Surgeon’s Inspiring Story of Success and Overcoming Adversity—The Heart Way (Clovercroft Publishing/February 18, 2020), Dr. Lima shares his story, giving everyone – not just aspiring physicians – the tools and encouragement needed to be their best selves.“We all have free will, and we all have a choice,” he writes.  “You can choose to live aimlessly, halfheartedly going with the flow and suppressing that inner voice, the one beckoning you to unleash your full potential and to grab the world by storm.  Or you can achieve success by committing to hard work and unceasing effort.”In HEART TO BEAT, Dr. Lima candidly shares, often with a wry sense of humor, how this approach enabled him to reach the pinnacle of success in all of his undertakings – whether it was building the strength and skill to become a varsity football player, becoming valedictorian of his high school class, earning a scholarship to Cornell University, or winning coveted residency opportunities as he trained to become a heart surgeon.“You don’t have to be the smartest or most talented person in the room to get ahead, just the one who wants it the most,” he writes.  Indeed, Dr. Lima credits his own achievements purely to his intense effort.  In his eminently readable, down-to-earth book, he breaks down the keys to advancing beyond your comfort zone and perceived limitations to unleash your full potential.  Dr. Lima’s powerful lessons include:Heart Over Matter – “You, and you alone, are responsible for how much or how little you achieve in this life,” he writes.  Only when you realize that you are master of your own destiny, and refuse to allow insecurities, past experiences, and fears to limit your potential, will you realize your dreams.Heart Of War – Complacency is your biggest adversary.  You must never cease working and bettering yourself – if you do, you will surely slide off the top of your game.  “The minute you rest on your laurels and kick your feet up, you’ve settled for defeat,” says Dr. Lima.Kickstart My Heart – Dr. Lima explains that the “propulsive power of ambition” has been one of the most impactful forces of his life.  “Your eagerness to move ahead contributes more to your success than natural talent or being born with a silver spoon.”  Ambition is what enables people to overcome the primary hurdle to success:  self-doubt.Till Death With My Heart – If something is truly your calling – meaningful, bigger than you, and well-intended – it is likely not going to be easy to achieve, says Dr. Lima.  For him, the rule must be “it’s all in or no win.”  Being “well-rounded” is incompatible with true excellence, he contends.Not For the Faint of Heart – Fear of failure can disrupt the pursuit of any goal, and overcoming this fear is a monumental task that requires you to meet it head-on again and again, until you’re desensitized to its paralyzing influence.  Dr. Lima urges readers to see every moment as just that – a moment – whether they’re going for a buzzer beater in basketball or performing heart surgery.  This is what gives people the courage to take their shot at every opportunity.The Heart Sell on Entrepreneurship – “One way or another, you have to get the word out about how great your ‘brand’ is – in other words, how great you are,” says Dr. Lima, contending that the sales mantra “always be closing” is critical to success.  He points to such key fundamentals as avoiding pigeonholes and being open to opportunities; never second-guessing yourself; continuing to invest in yourself; and using your time wisely.In addition to the author’s compelling personal story, HEART TO BEAT also includes a fascinating look at the current technologies and medical care available to treat heart disease, along with the basics about living a heart-healthy life – straight from the mouth of one of the country’s leading heart transplant surgeons.“There are those who choose to chase victory and to live life on their own terms, and there are those who don’t,” declares Dr. Lima.  HEART TO BEAT will help you choose the path to victory, giving you the motivation you need to achieve your dreams, whatever they may be.#          #          #ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Brian Lima is a cardiac surgeon, associate professor of surgery, and recognized authority in advanced heart failure.  He has published nearly 80 articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at numerous national and international medical conferences.  As the surgical director of heart transplantation at North Shore University Hospital, Dr. Lima helped launch the first and only heart transplant program on Long Island.  Dr. Lima completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University and was awarded a Dean’s Full Tuition scholarship to attend Duke University School of Medicine.  During medical school, Dr. Lima spent a year at Harvard Medical School’s Transplantation Biology Research Center as a Stanley Sarnoff cardiovascular research fellow.  He then completed his general surgery residency training at Duke University Medical Center, and subsequent heart surgery training at The Cleveland Clinic, where he was awarded the prestigious Dr. Charles H. Bryan Annual Clinical Excellence Award in Cardiovascular Surgery. 

How a $5 Bill (and Other Simple Tools) Can Help Nurses Beat Pandemic Weariness 
Nurses and other frontline workers start out inspired...but it's easy to lose touch with that feeling during a pandemic. Rich Bluni, RN, says it is possible to renew your inner resources—and he offers an easy, energizing (and refreshingly low-tech) plan to start following now.

          Pensacola, FL (May 2020)—In the face of unprecedented levels of stress, America's nurses keep soldiering on. That's just what nurses (and other frontline workers) do every day. Still, it's hard not to give into despair and exhaustion. Rich Bluni says the antidote for pandemic weariness is inspiration. And the good news is, it's not that hard to create your own.

          "It is possible to reconnect to that feeling of inspiration you felt when you first became a nurse," asserts Bluni, himself an RN with over 25 years of experience in the ER, Trauma, and ICU and author of best-selling books Inspired Nurse (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-9749986-7-1, $24.95) and Inspired Nurse Too (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-6221804-6-2, $28.00). "But you have to own it. You have to get deliberate and proactive about it. It won't just happen—especially right now."

          Bluni—who is now sharing stories and tactics from Inspired Nurse in short video segments—offers a fun, energizing five-day exercise to try now. (By the way...you don't have to be a nurse to benefit from this plan. All healthcare professionals need inspiration right now!)

What You'll Need to Get Started: Five dollars; five thank-you notes; five stamps, envelopes, and sheets of paper; five minutes; and five prayers/positive thoughts. Over the next five work days, you will use each of these. The order of your "fives" is not important, but the actions themselves are. 

Day 1: Give away your five dollars to someone who needs it. This person could be at work, on your way to work, or on your way home. You might buy breakfast for a patient's family member or for a coworker whose partner is now out of work. You could donate it to a local pet shelter or contribute to your favorite takeout spot's fundraiser so they can make payroll. Or use it to buy a couple pairs of new socks for a homeless person...just give away your five dollars to someone who needs it. Don't worry. You'll find them.  

Day 2: Bring your five thank-you notes to work and find five coworkers to thank.Chances are, over the past few months, your coworkers and fellow staff members have gone above and beyond for you over and over (and you for them). This is your chance to acknowledge all they have done. Write them each a thank-you note and give it to them. (Yes...texts count!) 

Day 3: Use your five stamps, papers, and envelopes to send letters of gratitude or just to say "hi" to five people for whom you are grateful or whom you miss. This can be done before, after, or at work (if you have a break). If you are quarantined from your family, send a letter to your spouse and kids. Send one to your elderly parents. Send letters to people who have made a difference for you in your healthcare journey, such as a professor, mentor, or anyone who has supported you in becoming who you are or in doing what you do. 

Day 4: Spend five minutes doing a simple act of kindness. Maybe you're caught up but your peer isn't. Give him five minutes of your time and help him out. Spend five minutes with a new peer and tell her what a good job you think she is doing. This kindness can even be extended to yourself! Go outside for five minutes and feel the sun on your face instead of going to the candy machine for an unhealthy sugar fix. 

Day 5: Depending upon your preferences, pray for five people or situations and sincerely wish them well. They could be patients or peers. Be positive in your prayers. Focus on surrounding these people or situations with blessings and peace. In lieu of prayers, you could also think five positive thoughts. Notice five positive things about a person or situation and be deliberate about sharing them with others. 

          Be purposeful about each task on each day. You might even recruit five others to do it with you. (Imagine what work would be like if even 10 percent of your peers "took five"!)

          "Your renewed enthusiasm for your work is stronger than your fear and more lasting than your fatigue," says Bluni. "Let the love and gratitude you feel for nursing inspire those around you and create a ripple effect that reaches to your patients and coworkers." 

# # #

About the Author: 
Rich Bluni, RN, is the author of the best-selling books Inspired Nurse, Oh No...Not More of That Fluffy Stuff!, and Inspired Nurse Too. He has an active and popular Facebook page called Inspired Nurse. 

Rich has been an RN since 1993. He has worked as a nurse in Adolescent Oncology, Pediatric ICU, and Trauma ICU departments as well as serving as a pediatric flight and transport nurse. He has served as an ED nursing manager as well as a senior director of risk management, quality, and patient safety.  

He came to Studer Group in 2007 as a coach working with dozens of healthcare organizations and leaders to drive outstanding results. He is presently a senior director with Huron and a Studer Group national speaker, having traveled across North America to speak in front of hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers and leaders in hundreds of healthcare organizations, large healthcare conferences, as well as virtual webinars. 

For more information, please visit www.studergroup.com/people/rich-bluni.  

About the Books: 
Inspired Nurse Too (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-6221804-6-2, $28.00) and Inspired Nurse (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-9749986-7-1, $24.95) are available from major online booksellers and the Huron|Studer Group website. 

Staying Inspired on the Front Lines of Healthcare: 7 Things to Do When You're Struggling 
Rich Bluni, RN, offers seven simple, yet powerful tactics for reconnecting with meaning and purpose in these dark times.

          Pensacola, FL (May 2020)—The life of a healthcare professional has never been easy. Now, though, it's hard in a way that would have been unimaginable before. Between endless work shifts, separation from loved ones, the ever-present fear of infection, and the need to comfort isolated COVID-19 patients, the pressure on nurses and other frontline workers is unbearable. So how do we keep going?

          Rich Bluni says the answer is that somewhere under the fear and exhaustion we're all driven by mission. And we owe it to ourselves, our coworkers, and our patients to find a way to reconnect to our sense of purpose, our meaning, our calling...our why.

          "That doesn't 'just happen' even in good times; it's a choice we must make every day," says Bluni, himself an RN with over 25 years of experience in the ER, Trauma, and ICU and author of best-selling books Inspired Nurse (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-9749986-7-1, $24.95) and Inspired Nurse Too (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-6221804-6-2, $28.00). "If we don't, we will quickly get overwhelmed by pain, fear, and negativity."

          Bluni—who is currently sharing stories and tactics from Inspired Nurse in short video segments—says hard times can deeply inspire us if we make a point of staying open to them. While his primary audience is nurses, his ideas resonate with healthcare professionals of all stripes. Here, he offers a few tips for reconnecting with your inspiration when you're struggling:

Take 10 minutes to relive a moment when you made a real difference. "At any moment when you're feeling crushed and exhausted, close your eyes and be right back there when you did something incredible," suggests Bluni. "Relive your greatest moment. Your mind doesn't know the difference between it really happening and the memory."

Write down your gratitude... Even in a pandemic, there are things to be grateful for. Maybe a patient you thought was going to die actually recovered. Maybe a coworker paid for your lunch. Maybe the cafeteria had that carrot cake you love. Charting moments of gratitude (however big or small) helps you remember why you chose this deeply meaningful line of work.

"Write down three things about your work that you are thankful for," says Bluni. "Each day, look it over and add to your list. You almost cannot be in a state of gratitude and negativity at the same time, but you can choose." 

...then, share it with others. Chances are, some of the "things" you find yourself writing on your gratitude list are actually people. Maybe it's the coworker who always jumps in to help, the unit secretary who runs your labs for you when you're swamped, or the food service employee who always remembers your lunch order.

"Extend your gratitude to someone every day," advises Bluni. "Give them a thank-you note, or tell them face-to-face—even if it has to be from 6 feet away while wearing full PPE. Not only will you feel better, you'll help others feel better at a time when most likely they really need it."

Make a self-care plan. "Get out a journal and write the following labels on five separate pages: Mind, Body, Spirit, Love, and Prosperity," suggests Bluni. "Under each title, come up with just two things that you can do every day that would impact that part of your being. In the 'Body' category, you may write, 'walk a mile,' 'eat more green veggies,' and 'drink eight glasses of water.' It may feel strange to focus on improving your life when the world seems to be falling apart, but now is when we need to be at our best." 

Get intentional about who you spend time with. Who do you chat with on breaks during your shift? Who do you vent to when times are tough? Often, we don't make these decisions consciously. The problem is, we might be hanging out with psychic vampires who drain our life force and break us down with their negativity.

"Your two most valuable resources are your love and your time," Bluni says. "So if you're spending them on people who spread fear, or hold grudges, or don't act in ways that are kind and compassionate, I encourage you to become more intentional about your relationships. The company you keep has a big impact on your attitude and well-being." 

Stop blaming yourself for others' difficult behavior. All nurses have plenty of experience dealing with the occasional patient or family member who is grouchy, demanding, or even downright mean. Too often we may take their difficult behavior personally. 

"Realize that 99 percent of the time, difficult patients aren't reacting to you but to their circumstances," Bluni reminds. "The real antagonist is their pain, fear, lack of mobility, etc.—and as a caregiver, you've simply been caught in the crossfire. Try not to take their bad mood personally. Most of us are scared right now. Knowing that gives you a different perspective." 

Realize that you don't rent your life. You own it. Do you let bad situations and other people's negativity dictate how you feel about your work life? If you do, then you're renting, says Bluni.

"You can't wait around for someone to rescue you or to fix how you feel," he asserts. "Start by practicing gratitude and improving yourself. Connect with other people every chance you get. Opportunities to do so exist around each corner in healthcare. Look for inspiration today. Look for ways to give. Own your life—especially right now."

          "It's when times are toughest that we learn the most valuable lessons and experience the biggest leaps in our personal growth," says Bluni. "If there's one thing that has been made abundantly clear throughout all of this, it's that nurses are the most resilient, compassionate, and inspiring people on this earth.... That's one bright spot we can be grateful for."

# # #

About the Author: 
Rich Bluni, RN, is the author of the best-selling books Inspired Nurse, Oh No...Not More of That Fluffy Stuff!, and Inspired Nurse Too. He has an active and popular Facebook page called Inspired Nurse. 

Rich has been an RN since 1993. He has worked as a nurse in Adolescent Oncology, Pediatric ICU, and Trauma ICU departments as well as serving as a pediatric flight and transport nurse. He has served as an ED nursing manager as well as a senior director of risk management, quality, and patient safety.  

He came to Studer Group in 2007 as a coach working with dozens of healthcare organizations and leaders to drive outstanding results. He is presently a senior director with Huron and a Studer Group national speaker, having traveled across North America to speak in front of hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers and leaders in hundreds of healthcare organizations, large healthcare conferences, as well as virtual webinars. 

For more information, please visit www.studergroup.com/people/rich-bluni.  

About the Books: 
Inspired Nurse Too (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-6221804-6-2, $28.00) and Inspired Nurse (Huron|Studer Group Publishing, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-9749986-7-1, $24.95) are available from major online booksellers and the Huron|Studer Group website.