The World Happiness Report 2016 Update

The World Happiness Report 2016 Update, which ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, was released in Rome in advance of UN World Happiness Day, March 20th. The widespread interest in the World Happiness Reports, of which this is the fourth, reflects growing global interest in using happiness and subjective well-being as primary indicators of the quality of human development. Because of this growing interest, many governments, communities and organisations are using happiness data, and the results of subjective well-being research, to enable policies that support better lives. Below are the top 15 happiest countries in the world, from 2012 to 214 and from 2013 to 2015.  Where does your country rank?

How The Toilet Changed History

This is a fascinating little documentary on the commode, throne, privy, latrine, potty, whatever you want to call it. It is not as new an invention as you might think and no, it was not invented by Thomas Crapper (isn't that too bad.)

All work and no play

As I listened to the participant in my workshop talk about how important it was for us as we retire to pass on our wisdom to younger workers, I remembered this saying, All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. When I went home, I looked up some variations on this theme and here are a few I like:

• As if a man's soul were not too small, to begin with, they have dwarfed and narrowed theirs by a life of all work and no play; until here they are at forty, with a listless attention, a mind vacant of all material of amusement, and not one thought to rub against another, while they wait for the train. Robert Louis Stevenson
• There is no such thing as work-life balance. Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life. Alain de Botton
• You may try your experiment for a week and see how you like it. I think by Saturday night you will find that all play and no work is as bad as all work and no play Louisa May Alcott
• It is better to rise from life as from a banquet - neither thirsty nor drunken. Aristotle
• A time for everything: A time to relax and a time to be busy, a time to frolic and a time to labour, a time to receive and a time to give, a time to begin and a time to finish. Jonathan Lockwood Huie

If you are thinking of retiring, in 10 years, 5 years, or 1 year, the time is now to consider whether there is balance in your life between work and leisure. Developing a healthy balance between work and leisure before you get to that point will position you to enjoy your post-retirement days and may even make your work years more enjoyable and productive

For many works is what they do for money, I was lucky, I did what I loved and I was paid and I was able to live within my needs. For most people, the economic reality is they NEED money to survive, to live and to have some fun. When we are paid, that paycheque is used to balance between living for the now and providing for your future.

Since many of us do not look very far ahead, (economist calls this our time horizons), if we have a short time horizon (which most of us do), we think about providing our future in short-terms such as a week or six months. However, as we get older a change happens for most of us so about 10 to 15 years before we retire, we start to consider our future after work.

For many playing is what is done outside of work. In a traditional working environment, it’s what you do in the evenings, weekends and on your vacation time. Play can be interpreted as anything you want, it may be about sports, travel, hobbies, socialisation, meditation, self-actualization, the list is endless and personal.

We see retirement as a time when we are playing more than working (that’s the traditional retirement concept). But before we can get there, we had to work first and we had to put money aside so we could live and afford to play. Retirement used to be an ‘off the cliff’ event where you worked and then you retired. Today, more and more people are experiencing a transitional or phased retirement where they make keep working but they may work less and play more.

This idea of a phased retirement is important because as I have said, we do not know how to transition from work to retirement. So how do we start? While here are a few ideas:

• Start introducing "time outs" into your schedule. This may begin with lunch out of the office. This sounds simple, but you need to take time away from the office, with no work multi-tasking. Join a gym or a team or a club and make time to go.
• Make "dates" with your spouse or significant other. Begin the discussion of what you want your retirement to be. You may have different ideas, but when you talk, you can work out a plan so each of you has the retirement you want.
• Set boundaries. With the prevalence of smartphone and instant internet, you can always be on duty unless you turn off your phone and ignore messages at night or when you are busy.
• Find something you want to try, explore it, and enjoy it - without making it a job. It is never too late to develop a new hobby or change your ways, but if you are obsessive about work, you may approach hobbies the same way to become a fishing or photography zealot. You need to work to change your patterns.
• Take vacations, starting with some long weekends, where you leave your job behind. Remember, when you retire, the company/job will continue without you. No matter what your job, you are able to be replaced.
• • Many of us do not like that idea but it is very true. Good planning can help make this work. When you return to work and find the place still standing, you will build the courage to take more time off - and leave the office behind when you shut out the lights.

All your working life, you worked smarter, lived better, played harder, and worked hard. As you retire, you have to learn to let that life go and find new adventures, new goals, new dreams. I recommend that you start this transition about 10 years before you retire so that retirement transition is smooth for you. It may not be what you want to hear but it’s my truth.

I have been lucky and I have met a lot of successful people in my time and I can’t think of one that got to where they are without working hard.  The lucky ones found their passion and do not see what they are doing as hard work.  But for many of us, life was about hard work. We believed that life is about paying our dues and we also believe that we all have to pay our dues.  We all have to contribute by working to make a better world. 

Are you Caregiving someone with Dementia?

The following is from McGill University, and it is interesting reading if you are caring for someone who has Dementia. I had two friends who had early onset Alzheimer and it was a devastating blow to their family and friends. It was painful watching the people I had known for over 30 years, disappear into themselves. In the information below, there are three stategies that work for people with Dementia.

Dementia can be a devastating diagnosis. The characteristic problems with memory, thinking, language and judgment are a challenge, but there are also “behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia” (BPSD), including agitation, aggression, wandering, resistance to care, delusions, hallucinations and repetitive speech. These symptoms can be very upsetting for people with dementia as well as their loved ones and are often the reason people are admitted to long-term care.

How do caregivers cope with these challenging behaviours? Often, doctors prescribe medications including antipsychotics, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs to help calm patients, but there are problems associated with drug use including side effects that can lead to serious health issues. Recent evidence recommends a shift in the way we manage challenging symptoms of dementia, valuing non-drug approaches that calm and reassure people as a first treatment step.

What works best? Try one or of these 3 non-drug approaches for people with dementia, supported by recent high-quality research. Click on the titles for more information and to read the research summaries.

1. Person-centred care: Getting to know all about you

One of the most promising approaches involves an individualised person-centred model of care in which a person’s background, likes/dislikes, values, culture and abilities are taken into account to develop communication and care strategies that encourage positive responses and interactions.

Person-centred care has also been shown to benefit caregivers by promoting greater job satisfaction and preventing burnout.

2. Sensory stimulation: The healing power of touch

Various types of sensory stimulation, such as hand massage, can help improve behaviours and the general wellbeing of people with dementia.

3. Music to soothe and relax

Many people enjoy the uplifting and relaxing qualities of music. Relaxing music has been shown to promote cooperation during meal times. Listening to the music of their choice while receiving one-on-one personal care – such as bathing – may also help improve behaviour among people with dementia who are more resistant to care (8).

Other drug-free strategies currently being studied for their impact on agitation among nursing home residents include bright light therapy, doll therapy, pet therapy, and aromatherapy.

Considering the rapid rise in the rate of dementia and the toll it takes on individuals, families, caregivers and healthcare systems, it’s not surprising that experts are intent on exploring and testing new treatments and therapies. Non-drug approaches not only avoid the side effects of medication, there is increasing evidence that they help reduce challenging behaviours associated with dementia, making life a bit easier for people with dementia and their caregivers.