NEWS & OPINIONS

In these unusual times, it's easy for our normal habits to be broken and as a result for our health to suffer. We asked Health Coach Michelle Flynn for her advice for life under lockdown.During this time we should be focusing on our health more than ever.  Whether you have already had the coronavirus and are thankfully recovering or if you have not had it, at least as far as you know, boosting your immune system is critical for our long term health and wellbeing.When it comes to living a long, healthy, happy life there is nothing that can impact us more than implementing good habits.I am going to make it easy for you, here are six core principles of healthy living that most effectively add years to lives, and life to years. SleepSleep is key to all health and wellbeing.  Are you getting enough?  You need to be getting 7–9 hours sleep a night.  Our bodies all require long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue and synthesize hormones. FoodEat whole, real foods and avoid processed foods.  If you do this not only will you never have to count calories again but more importantly you are significantly boosting your immune system and reducing your risk of all chronic disease.MovementRegular physical activity at moderate intensity will assist weight control as well as reduce cancer risks, simply this means using your one exercise a day slot to walk 10,000 steps.  If you are an athlete then of course train hard but over exercising can actually do more harm than good.StimulantsSorry you are not going to like this one (especially as I know at the moment we are probably turning to these more than ever) but we all know the more you reduce caffeine, alcohol, smoking the better. StressStress is an inevitable part of life, but you can improve the way you respond to stress and avoid / change some of the situations that create negative stress.  To cope with the stress that you cannot remove there is nothing more powerful than a daily breath practice as it scientifically changes the chemistry in our body.  It is as simple as inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8, repeat.LoveLoneliness is one of the biggest causes of depression and we are all feeling more lonely than ever before, even if we are isolating with those we love.  So connect with your family and friends in whatever way you can… virtual quiz nights, dinner parties over zoom or a good old fashioned chat on the phone.So rather than saying “I will get healthy” it is time to say “I AM healthy”.And if you are ever unsure what to do then ask yourself  “What would a healthy person do?” If you act like a healthy person long enough you will become one.Michelle Flynn is a Certified Health Coach. Find her at www.michelleflynncoaching.com

Continuing our Business Unusual series we look at how new team members can be welcomed into a business under lockdown.It may seem untimely, tactless even, to be talking about hiring new staff when so many agencies and other firms are laying people off because of the global pandemic. But sometimes, through accident or need, it happens. Ian Henderson, CEO of AML Group, talks us through their recent experience.We’re a few weeks in to the new normal of remote working. The move to working from home was a double jolt to AML, having just moved into a shiny new space at the Tea Building in Shoreditch then moving out again a couple of days later. It was just long enough to find the nearest coffee shop, bag the best locker and make sure the new tech was working.Fortunately, it worked beautifully thanks to our excellent IT support team. Virtual server access, new phone setup and everyone on Microsoft Teams meant we were ready for the crisis even before it happened. Working with clients around the world meant videoconferencing was nothing new; and we even managed our first remote pitch during the few hours we were in the new building.Our new FD, Sheena Shah, joined AML from Fallon only a few days before. Sheena just about had time to learn peoples’ names before being plunged into full crisis management mode, looking at smart ways to protect the business and look after our people, while giving our clients the service they are still needing from us.AML does simple ideas for complicated businesses – advertising, content and digital strategies for organisations in finance, technology, government, professional services. These tend to be sectors where the current crisis demands more communication, not less; we know we are very fortunate to be less exposed to sectors like travel or events. It means we’ve had a busy few weeks – so busy, in fact, we decided to go ahead with a senior creative hire despite every instinct saying the opposite.Starting a new job at home in a global pandemic feels pretty surreal, especially when your first brief is a pitch!Creative director Ross Garden and I met Dan Wright, a senior creative writer who had spent some years working at Lida and M&C Saatchi, a week or so before the crisis. We liked him, and his track record seemed exactly right for us. We have a terrific ‘family’ of freelancers who often work with AML but we felt strengthening our in-house team would make client continuity easier while working remotely; plus we didn’t want to lose Dan, so we went ahead with the hire.Dan himself was surprised – he’d thought the lockdown would change things and only started believing it would happen when AML MD Tim Lloyd turned up on his doorstep with a brand new laptop – leaving it a safe distance away, obviously. The next day Dan was using it to join the all-hands morning meeting on Teams video –  feeling very foolish and still wondering if it was some April Fool’s Day prank.It wasn’t – an hour later he was being briefed on a pitch, and soon found working as half of a creative team over video link just as productive as being across the same desk. Dan tells us he always feels anxious during a pitch, and that was the same; and there were inevitable glitches in communication – working apart meant Dan couldn’t have the same degree of control over every aspect of the work as he was used to and some things couldn’t be fixed by walking across the office for a chat.The pitch went well and everyone was buzzing afterwards – including Dan, who said the experience felt good but mentally exhausting. The agency knocked off early for Easter with a visit to the AML Arms, our virtual pub where everyone gets together for a gossip over a drink. We announced a couple of well-deserved promotions, Dan and Sheena joining in the congratulations as fully-fledged members of the team - even though Dan had never physically met anyone. But maybe that’s just normal, in the new normal.You can read Dan's thoughts on starting a new role under lockdown at https://www.advertisingweek360.com/starting-my-new-creative-job-during-a-global-pandemic/.Ian Henderson is CEO of AML Group

NABS is the support organisation for the advertising industry.       They support everybody in the industry, from junior execs to CEOs, helping them with their wellbeing so that they can thrive.Despite the unpredictable world we currently live in, there are a few simple things you can do to support your wellbeing.Follow the official advice. Do what you can to keep safe, and this will give you a little peace of mind. The government guidelines along with instructions from your employer should be your main source of information here.Restrict your news consumption. You want to be informed but not inundated; too much news could make you stressed or frightened. Choose when you’ll check in, and only use trusted sources.Get help and information from the NABS Knowledge Hub. Free to use and full of practical and helpful advice, NABS’ Knowledge Hub brings together everything you need for support during the coronavirus outbreak, from understanding furlough to managing anxiety and navigating life as a working parent.  Communicate. This is huge. While isolated and working from home we need to make an extra effort to keep in touch with our colleagues. Map out with your teams how you can support and work with each other, and don’t expect things to work first time. This is a new situation for all of us. It’s OK for us to make mistakes and try new ways of working. NABS Advice Line team ask this question to everyone who calls: “What do you most need?” Ask your colleagues the same question and you’ll discover how you can meaningfully support each other.Mind movement. Calm your body and mind with breathing, mindfulness, yoga or exercise. Try doing something every day to support your physical and emotional health. From meditation apps to yoga videos on YouTube, there are lots of wonderful free resources online that can help you.Read more of NABS’ advice. We’ve shared our advice across the industry press on how to cope during the pandemic. Do have a read for more tips in MediaTel, Little Black Book, Campaign and MarComm News. Working parents will like this honest and informative piece in BITE.Call NABS. We’re ready to help you with our support services:NABS Advice Line 0800 707 6607 or email support@nabs.org.ukWellbeing and career coaching via phone and Skype: https://nabs.org.uk/how-we-can-help/career-support/Masterclasses (group coaching to be delivered online): https://nabs.org.uk/how-we-can-help/masterclasses/Newsletter: sign up for weekly advice, support and updates in your inboxConnect with us on social on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.Our services are free and you can use them as many times as you like.NABS is the support organisation for advertising and media. We’re here for you, so please get in touch with our Advice Line on 0800 707 6607 or email support@nabs.org.ukAnnabel McCaffrey is Head of Support for NABS.