Health & Wellbeing Winter 2022

Winter Edition, 2022 HEALTHThe HUB newsletter WINTER WELLNESS Looking after our health BiMOdOoeSoTaIdNsG TPG cookbook competition Winter warmers recipe R U OK Day This way up Quarterly highlights

Welcome to the Winter edition of The Health Hub. Welcome back to Health Hub. We hope that There are some fantastic health initiatives and you are keeping warm and dry during these activities planned over the coming months cooler months. including: Learning Lunches (Work, Home, This edition of the Health Hub will focus Life – Finding the right balance), TPG on RUOK Day and the role it plays in our Cookbook Competition and RUOK Day workplace, supporting our awareness though activities. workplace mental health checks. We encourage everyone think about their The days are shorter and the nights are own self-care as we continue towards a cooler, this is a great time to change cooler change, whether this be better up/create a new self-care routine and to mindfulness practices, exercise routines or learn new skills during your time keeping simply a change in eating habits, we all need warm indoors. In this edition of Health Hub, to think of ways to maintain and improve our we will focus on keeping well during the overall health. winter months, both in a physical and emotional sense.

Learning Lunches Tuesday 6th September – Reframing | Changing Your Lens Thursday 8th September – R U OK Day Please refer to the intranet for Zoom ID links for these sessions. Mental Health Morning Tea We would like to invite each area to come together as a team to share lunch and tune in to the dedicated RUOK Day Learning Lunch delivered by our Health and Wellbeing Officer – Eddie Barry. Take a moment to come together as a team to discuss internal supports available to all team members and external services that can be accessed on an as needed basis. Wear an item of Yellow clothing and post a team picture to Yammer to fill the page with Yellow to raise awareness and show our collective support.

WINTER Signs and symptoms of SAD include: • Moodiness WELLNESS • Irritability • Feeling lethargic • Oversleeping • Weight gain • Changes to appetite With the cool winter change upon us, we may find With summer depression, a person may that we experience changes in our moods. experience weight loss, depression, poor appetite, anxiety and trouble sleeping. While it’s normal for our moods to fluctuate with In extreme cases, the feelings of depression can the seasons, the weather can trigger a mood last all year round, with a lack of motivation or disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder interest in normal activities, possibly leading to (SAD). thoughts of suicide. If you experience any of the above symptoms SAD is a type of depression that begins in for more than 2 weeks, and they interfere with the autumn and lingers through winter before enjoyment of your life, it’s a good idea to see a improving in spring. But in some cases, people medical professional. can experience this type of depression in summer. BMOOOSOTINDG IDEAS Some of the active measures that we can take to try to boost our mood during the cooler change in seasons include the following suggestions. • Take your lunch break at the park or try a walking meeting to get a dose of fresh air and sunshine • Book a sunny escape in the middle of winter • Drink plenty of water • Make the most of ‘pleasant’ weather; have a family picnic, go for a walk or run, consider outdoor sport or play with the kids. • Spend time in nature • Invest in a good raincoat to embrace the elements all year round Research suggests that spending just 30 minutes a day outside when the weather is warm can lift your spirits. The same study also discovered that the optimum ‘happiness’ temperature for the participants was at 22 degrees (McBeth, 2022). The Personnel Group have policies relating to heating and cooling that see all office air conditioning and heating systems set to 22 degrees. https://www.bupa.com.au/healthlink/mind-and-body/healthy-mind/wellness/steps-to-wellness/does- weather-really-affect-your-mood

Looking after our health. Making decisions that have a positive impact on your overall health this winter is more important than ever. It is important to stop, sit and redirect your focus to actively put into practice daily habits that will nourish our bodies. Nourishing your body • Eat a varied diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables • Drink lots of water • Keep moving with regular exercise • Stay warm when you go outside Managing COVID-19 Seeking medical help • See your doctor if you need to • Check that you are up to date with your • Don’t put off your regular checks if COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. • If you’re in a busy or poorly ventilated you’re due, and make sure to book ahead area, consider wearing a face mask Supporting your mental health • Catch up outdoors where you can to • Check in with your mental health. help reduce the spread of COVID-19 Call a friend or family member to stay • Practise social distancing where connected, or access additional EAP possible services for extra support. • If you’re feeling unwell, test for COVID-19 with a Rapid Antigen Test • If you test positive to COVID-19, make Around the house: sure to report your test result and • Have your heater serviced every two self-isolate in line with current years to avoid the risk of carbon regulations. monoxide poisoning (Moreland City Council, 2022) https://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/globalassets/website-moreland/areas/my-council/news-and-pub- lications/news/winter-wellness-checklist.pdf

Check in with yourself. July August This month I will look after my health This month I will look after my health by… by… September This month I will look after my health by…

TPG Cookbook Competition During the month of August, we would like to invite all team members to bring in a soup to share with their team, take some pictures of the team sharing lunch and post it to Yammer. Each team will decide on the most delicious soup made within their site and submit a recipe which will form part of the TPG digital cookbook. The People and Culture team will then endeavour to make each recipe and decide on a winner that will receive an E-gift card. The virtual cookbook will be available for all team members to access via Yammer.

Winter Warmers Method Chicken and Vegetable Soup Pre-heat oven to 180C and cook chicken breast for 25 to 30 minutes until no longer pink Ingredients inside. Then remove and allow to cool. 400g boneless skinless chicken breasts Whilst the chicken is cooking in the oven, 1 medium onion sliced prepare all the vegetables. 2 cloves garlic crushed 4 medium carrots peeled and sliced When the chicken breast has cooled, using 2 4 celery stalks sliced forks shred the chicken. 1.5 l chicken stock ½ teaspoon dried thyme Place the shredded chicken, vegetables, Salt and freshly ground pepper garlic, stock and thyme in a large soup pot and Chopped curly parsley for garnish turn on the heat underneath. Bring the soup to the boil and then turn down to simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the vegetables are as soft as you prefer. Season to taste. Serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley. https://neilshealthymeals.com/chicken-and-vegetable-soup/

Winter Warmers Roasted Parsnip and Carrot Soup Ingredients 1 large onion peeled and chopped 500g parsnips peeled and chopped 500g carrots peeled and chopped 4 garlic cloves with the skin left on 3 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon ground coriander powder Salt and freshly ground pepper 1L vegetable stock 1 tablespoon coriander freshly chopped Method Preheat oven to 190C (Fan) Place the chopped onion, parsnip, carrots and garlic into a large baking tray. Add the olive oil, coriander powder and freshly ground salt and pepper. Mix and combine well with all the vegetables in the tray and place in the oven. Roast the vegetables for about 35 - 40 min- utes but make sure you stir them every 10 to 15 minutes or so to prevent them from burning. When the vegetables are cooked, remove the roasted garlic cloves and squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins and add back to the roasted vegetables, then discard the skins. Add the vegetables to a large soup pot and scrape the tray to get all the goodness from the vegetable tray into the pot. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender in batches. Serve garnished with the coriander. https://neilshealthymeals.com/roasted-parsnip-and-carrot-soup/

This Way Up. Depression Program Learn practical strategies for managing persistent sadness and low mood with our clinically-proven online program for depression. About the Depression Program This 6-lesson program is based on an effective psychological treatment for depression called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It is designed to teach you proven strategies for tackling your symptoms and show you how to work with your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours so you can make a positive change in how you feel. It may be especially helpful to you if you’ve been previously diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and haven’t had CBT in the past. What You Will Learn Throughout this program you will follow an illustrated story of ‘Liz’ as she learns how to tackle her symptoms of depression and improve her mood. Each lesson focuses on teaching you a practical skill you can use to begin changing the vicious cycle of depression. Once you complete a lesson, you will have 5 days to practice your new skill before the next lesson becomes available. If you are considering enrolment in a program though This Way Up, please contact Eddie Barry the Health and Wellbeing Officer to have a confidential discussion and discuss enrollment.

Referral Bonus We are always on the lookout for great people who share our values. Do you know someone that aligns with our values, is looking for work and would be a great team fit for The Personnel Group? If you have someone that you would like to refer, please email their resume to Mandy Gilpin - Recruitment officer (0488 131 584) who will contact them for a confidential discussion Even if we don’t have any suitable roles now – we would like to grow our talent pool. Remember – For a successful applicant that progresses through their Six month probation period you will receive a $500 bonus (conditions apply). Getting the Jab? Brain While we hope never to make having the Teaser COVID vaccine compulsory for team members, we do follow the science and What Goes up the medical experts that say – it is safe and Chimney Down but needed for Australia to be able to live with Cannot Go Down the COVID into the future. Our little piece of the Chimney Up? big picture is supporting you all when, and if, you make your booking. Answer will be posted Most people will get a booking during a on Yammer. working day, and so, please feel free to take the rest of the day off afterwards. This is not taken as sick leave – just a thank you for doing your bit. Please let your Manager know when you have made your booking so they can manage the site.

QHiugahrtleigrlhy ts Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea! This year TPG Raised $1,340!