Wellbeing

How to create light in the dark

Jan 20, 2022

Mette Theilmann shares her tips on how to bring light into your home during the long dark winter months. Yes, it’s that time of the year when we start thinking about bedtime at 4 o’clock because it gets dark so early! But maybe we can embrace and enjoy these ‘cosy’ moments by bringing light into the house when we don’t get enough of it from outside. In Denmark we take the light very seriously - the...

7 things to consider before accepting a job offer

Jan 11, 2022

Lioness Recruitment list seven important points to consider before accepting a new job. When you’re considering a job offer, there’s more to think about than just how much you are going to be paid. While pay is an important factor, make sure you also contemplate any other potential advantages versus drawbacks to ensure that it won’t cost you in the long run. Here are some things to consider before accepting...

7 tips for a stress-free family Christmas

Dec 15, 2021

Mette Theilmann from Predictable Parenting shares her tips on how to create a family Christmas that everyone will enjoy. Let me start by saying that as a Dane I LOVE Christmas! Even the dark cold winter evenings can be magical. It’s a time of the year where we can believe in anything; Santa, elves, angels, miracles, wonders and the love of mankind. A happy family is based on cooperation, connection and...

Christmas presence

Dec 08, 2021

Georgie Edwards shares her thoughts on how to enjoy Christmas by embracing the present moment. If you're stuck for Christmas present ideas this year, I've got the perfect one for you. The gift of P R E S E N C E. 'Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present'. — Alice Morse Earle. It's the warm-up to Christmas; we've waited all year for the magical month of...

Christmas joy: Celebrating the festive season your way

Dec 01, 2021

Psychologist Rachel Ward Lilley shares her thoughts on why we should celebrate Christmas in a meaningful way, without feeling restricted by traditions and expectations. Have you ever felt sorry for shopworkers who are obliged to listen to those Christmas soundtracks for a month or more before the big day dawns? I don’t know how they cope. I mean, some of the musical numbers are undoubtedly enjoyable,...

The difference between employee benefits and staff perks

Nov 24, 2021

When looking for a new role, salary is usually the top consideration for most employees because it’s the reason they work in the first place. Remuneration is followed by the role being a good fit logistically for the candidate. After this, many people are interested in the employee benefits as a potential draw to work for an organisation. Benefits can be a fantastic way to ensure a happy and productive workforce but what do they...

How self-care benefits you and others

Nov 15, 2021

Psychologist Rachel Ward Lilley discusses the importance of practicing self-care and how it benefits not only yourself but others. Some dismiss self-care as self-indulgent mollycoddling, but that is an unbalanced perception of what has proven to be an effective discipline with far-reaching benefits. Within my field of work, self-care is the recognised starting point to effect positive interventions in personal welfare....

November reads: book recommendations

Nov 12, 2021

This month we've listed our favourite books to improve your performance and wellbeing. Whether you want to reduce stress, become more productive or unleash your full potential, we hope these books help you feel more inspired and positive. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (Canongate Books | Hardback, Ebook, Audiobook | July 2021) The bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Aliv e brings us The Comfort Book which is a...

From technophobe to IT trainer: My journey to becoming a digital devotee

Oct 22, 2021

Molly Gilbert, Digital Customer Engagement Officer, tells us about her journey into IT at PA Housing. When I started working in PA Housing’s customer contact centre in Leicester three years ago, I was a complete technophobe – I didn’t even know how to use Excel. I’ve now helped on organisation-wide CRM projects and am helping to build a chatbot. I’m also the person who liaises between residents,...

Tips for single parents juggling work and family

Oct 15, 2021

Mette Theilmann from Predictable Parenting shares her tips on how to juggle parenthood and work as a single parent. As a parent of three and a family coach for 18 years, I know how tough it can be juggling parenting and work. Worries about balancing everything — financial challenges, career fulfilment — can all add stress to our daily life. But doing it solo brings these challenges to a whole new level! There's no one to help...

10 signs you need a new job

Oct 08, 2021

Lioness Recruitment identify ten tell-tale signs that will help you recognise if it’s time to leave your current job and move on to pastures new. Everybody has the odd bad day at work and it’s normal to feel bored or frustrated every now and again. There’s nothing wrong with occasional blips, unless of course you find that it starts to happen regularly and every other day seems to be horrendous. If you recognise...

Stress: What it is and what you can do about it

Sep 30, 2021

Clinical reflexologist Nicola Stewart discusses stress, how it affects us and what we can do to manage it. If you find it hard to concentrate, struggle to make simple decisions, worry more than usual, feel ‘down’ or over-anxious, feel tired but can’t sleep – you may be suffering from stress. What is stress? Stress is what happens to the body when the level of pressure it is feeling goes beyond its...

The power of acceptance

Sep 23, 2021

Georgie Edwards explains how practicing acceptance can help us manage expectations and enable us to let go and just be . Before we start, Take a deep, long breath in through the nose. Sigh out of the mouth. Perfect. Now ask yourself this question... How am I doing? Try not to think about it too much; let the response come organically. Now, take one more deep breath and allow yourself to relax into this feeling...

What’s your fantasy digital team?

Sep 17, 2021

We’ve all heard of fantasy football teams, but who would you put in your digital dream team? Who do you need to achieve your digital strategy? Steve Dungworth, digital transformation adviser at Golden Marzipan, takes us through the ultimate ICT super team. Let’s face it, in the housing sector it’s unlikely that there will ever be enough people available to deliver at the pace of change required, especially if...

Apprenticeships in housing: The technologist’s apprentice

Sep 09, 2021

Mark Wilson, Head of IT at Vivid Homes, discusses the value of apprenticeships and how apprentices are making a real difference across their business. There was a time in my career when I had a ‘downer’ on apprenticeships, which was counter-intuitive because when I left school, I did a four-year Ministry of Defence apprenticeship. I’d become stuck in a rut, thinking that modern apprenticeships were not...

Habits for a happier life at home

Aug 31, 2021

Developing positive habits at home can actually impact your mood with positive effects. Lorena Romo from Porch shares her tips and suggestions on how to create household habits that will help you build a framework for a happier life. Building and maintaining good habits can provide our lives with a positive framework, but these habits don’t simply happen by chance. It’s pretty easy to fall into bad habits that impede...

Ecotherapy in the city: How urban nature boosts wellbeing

Aug 19, 2021

Psychologist Rachel Ward Lilley discusses the importance of nature in urban areas and how it supports our wellbeing. More than half of the world’s population has gravitated to cities and, in doing so, has become disconnected from the essential elements of nature – the countryside, oceans, mountains and all the life that abounds in them. Civilisation flourishes in cities, where humans interact and exchange ideas, without...

A dose of nature

Aug 12, 2021

Psychologist Rachel Ward Lilley tells us why connecting with nature is essential for our mental and physical wellbeing. Since the Industrial Revolution began, the pattern of our daily lives has been dominated by the way we work. Employment in factories, offices and retail has meant that the majority of us have been obliged to lead our lives according to the clock, not by the natural biorhythms determined by the cycles of the...

Bimbling: The benefits of ‘being’, not ‘doing’

Aug 04, 2021

What exactly is ‘bimbling’? Psychologist Rachel Ward Lilley explains how it brings a joyful feeling of freedom from the tyranny of routine and relaxes the mind, opening it to fresh experiences that you otherwise might not have encountered . Planning for recreational trips can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore, especially if we are keen to be reassured by timetables and pre-booked seats. It’s comforting to know that...

Why summer is important for wellbeing

Jul 29, 2021

Rachel Ward Lilley shares her thoughts on why we should embrace summertime and how the season benefits our health and wellbeing. Most of us will be familiar with the song, “Summertime, and the living is easy…” It has been popular since it was a hit way back in 1934. Perhaps that’s because it is so evocative of the subject and it strikes a visceral and universal chord with our human psyche, proof – if any were...

How to make the most of your annual leave: A sideways look at holidays

Jul 21, 2021

Summer has arrived and many of us will be planning a week or two off to relax or take a holiday. Our resident psychologist, Rachel Ward Lilley, will be sharing a series of articles over the next couple of months talking about the benefits of taking a break and relaxing over the summer. This week, Rachel focuses on how to enjoy and make the most of your annual leave. These last eighteen months have been life-changing in...

The benefits of corporate reflexology

Jul 14, 2021

Clinical reflexologist Nicola Stewart shares her expertise on the importance of corporate reflexology and how it can improve staff wellbeing. I am a clinical reflexologist based in Cheshire and part of my services include corporate reflexology. To kick things off, I’ll explain what reflexology is and how it works. What is reflexology? Reflexology is a complementary therapy based on the principle that different points, or...

June reads: Wellbeing book recommendations

Jun 28, 2021

Here’s this month’s list of our favourite books that aim to improve your performance and wellbeing. Whether you want to reduce stress, become more productive or unleash your full potential, we hope these books help you feel more inspired and positive. Ten Times Happier by Owen O’Kane (HQ, Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook, May 2020) Owen O’Kane is a psychotherapist, former NHS Clinical Lead and author of...

Supporting wellbeing in the workplace