News, Reviews & Resources   ||   Issue 127 June 2016 Dear Reader, Another very eclectic bag of goodies this month. For example, you'll find some ti

StarlinkHead

News, Reviews & Resources   ||   Issue 127 June 2016

bag-of-goodies

Dear Reader,

Another very eclectic bag of goodies this month.

For example, you'll find some tips on time management and how to be free of pointless meetings at work, learn how to conduct child-friendly interviews and how to differentiate between different kinds of dementia.

There are also some great cookbooks designed specifically for aged and disability care as well as a site full of resources for child care worksers and early childhood educators.

And for a little inspiration, there's the 'I am not Black, You are Not White' video, the Wear Your Label clothing company that's dedicated to eradicating the stigma associated with mental illness, and some great advice about slowing down and celebrating solitude and introversion.

I hope you enjoy it!

Cheers
Sue
BJ Seminars International

Meeting Madness

boring-meeting

Some years ago, I was in a job in which I seemed to spend most of my time going from one meeting to another. And I was often reminded of the old saying about a committee being something that keeps minutes but wastes hours. :)

If you ever feel like that, here are some interesting snippets.

Erin Paul advises us to Say No to Mindless Meetings. He offers the tip that the "Tentative" button in Outlook is a handy strategy, and also shares the amusing (though groan-worthy!) video by David Grady called The Conference Call.

Patrick Allan on Lifehacker tells us how to Waste Less Of Your Time In Meetings With The 10-30-50-90 Method

There's also some sound advice in 8 ways to Avoid Pointless Meetings.

It's all About the Food Not the Fork

its-all-about-the-food

This month HammondCare has realeased a new cookbook called It's all About the Food not the Fork:

Imagine… you’re not comfortable with cutlery, can’t face a large meal, have reduced appetite, trouble with chewing or swallowing, are always on the move or have other things on your mind—an easy to eat, handheld snack that is high in energy, nutrition and taste will restore dignity and enjoyment to your dining experience. While everyone who loves a snack will enjoy "It's all about the food not the fork", it is a gift of love especially prepared for older people and people with dementia, swallowing difficulties or other disability, as well as carers.

Their new cookbook publication follows the success of Don’t give me eggs that bounce: 118 cracking recipes for people with Alzheimer’s, published in 2014 - a bestselling cookbook that "helped begin widespread change approaches to food in aged and dementia care".

More information

Chair Chi Training Program

chair-chi-training-pic

As well as several onsite Chair Chi training workshops for which he's been booked, Chris will be travelling to a number of regional centres in Victoria in the second half of the year to deliver public workshops for both Chair Chi Level One and Chair Chi Level Two: Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Sale, Horsham, Echuca and Mildura.

You can find more details about the Chair Chi Training Program and the dates for the public workshops on our website.

The Level One workshop enables you to deliver a basic 30 minute Chair Chi session which includes gentle exercises and strategies that will help enhance your clients' emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing.

Level Two provides additional activities and includes a segment on Pain Management.

Level Three includes many additional skills to allow you to deliver a full one hour Chair Chi session, and also included components that cover sleep, anxiety and depression from a Tai Chi perspective.

Child Friendly Interviewing: Dos & Don'ts

refugee-boy

This webinar, produced by Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services in the US, is designed for service providers working with families and young people from refugee and immigrant communities who would like to improve their interviews with youth.

It includes best practices and tips for how to make interviews more child-friendly and less intimidating for children. Suggestions for how to do so with a limited or non-existent budget for child welfare supplies are also discussed, and several other resources provided.

Audio Recording with PowerPoint
PowerPoint Presentation

Steps to Building a Successful Team

teamwork

This article from UC Berkeley is a quick and interesting read - a useful checklist about what it takes to build a successful team.

The article is part of UC Berkley's A Guide to Managing Human Resources, which is fully available online and has other useful information and tips for all managers.

Although some of the content is US-centric, much of the content is applicable for anyone anywhere managing a team.

Work Smarter, Not Harder: 21 Time Management Tips

clock3

As the author of this article on time management says:

"I promise you - there really are enough hours in a day for everything you'd like to do, but it may take a bit of rearranging and re-imagining to find them."

The article contains 21 useful tips to help "nudge you in the right direction".

Out and About on the Web

tots

2care2teach4kids

 
black-white

I am not Black - You are Not White

 
special books

Special Books by Special Kids

 
dementia

Differentiating Dementias

Voices of Youth

voices-of-youth

Voices of Youth offers inspiring, original insight and opinion from across the globe – from young people, for young people.

Did you ever ask yourself, where are all the young people who actually do give a damn? Well, they’re right here. Countering disheartening headlines about today’s young generation, the Voices of Youth community proves that young people ARE making a difference, each and every day. But making a difference doesn’t have to be boring – we bring you fresh and honest views and stories, written and filmed by our unbeatable international youth bloggers.

Wear Your Label

wear-your-label

From a small side-project during school to a start-up company that's building an international reputation, Wear Your Label aims to banish the stigmas around mental illness.

Kayley Reed and Kyle MacNevin met while they were working at a local mental health organisation in Canada. They shared their stories about their own struggles with mental illness - Kayley about battling an eating disorder and Kyle dealing with anxiety and ADHD.

“We became frustrated with the statistics, and the stigma. 1 in 5 people live with mental illness, but 5 in 5 have mental health. So why aren't we talking about it? ... We wanted to encourage individuals to take ownership over their mental health, rather than fear the labels that so often define us."

Wear Your Label's clothing line produces t-shirts, tank tops and jumpers all scripted with positive messages like “Self-care isn’t selfish”, “It’s okay not to be okay", or "Anxious but Courageous". Wear Your Label is an inspiring movement as well as a fashion label - visit their website to learn more.

Go Quietly ...

slow-down

I'm sure many of us these days can sometimes feel overwhelmed by 'busy-ness". Constantly on the run, juggling personal and professional lives at a hectic pace, and bombarded by the noisy and strident world around us. It can also be hard to slow down, retreat and enjoy the gift of quietness.

So here are some inspiring snippets that, like the opening advice in a prose-poem called Desiderata, remind us to:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

snail

Carl Honoré speaks In Praise of Slowness. In a world that's 'stuck in fast forward', where we are hurrying through our lives instead of living them, he says it is possible to slow down and savour life ,rather than speeding through it.

He also mentions the Slow Movement that's gaining ground and popularity all around the world in many different aspects of life. You can also read more about this on this Slow Movement website, or in an article called Seven Slow Movements and Memes that Can Change our Lives. There's even a World Institute of Slowness!

Susan-Cain

Some Starlink readers may have come across a book by Susan Cain, called Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. Here is her related TED talk called The Power of Introverts, in which she highlights the fact that introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated. She also alludes to the fact that even for extroverts, time spent in solitude and quietness are crucial for true creativity and inspiration.

Finally, on Susan Cain's Quiet Revolution website, you'll find many links, tips, resources and ideas to help you find a quiet space and celebrate the power of introversion - even for extroverts!

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