Have you or someone you know on your job been experiencing some health issues lately that may have resulted in you having to take time off from work?  If so, it could be that your boss is making you sick.

Research evidence suggests that good leadership has positive effects on employee health and well-being, including decreased sick leave and disability.

Recent studies indicate qualities associated with good leadership included treating employees considerately and truthfully, providing social support, and providing inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation.

Workers with good leadership were 40 percent more likely to be in the highest category of job well-being (ie, with low rates of symptoms like anxiety, depression, and job stress).

There was also moderate evidence linking good leadership with reduced sick days and disability. Good leadership was associated with a 27 percent reduction in sick leave and a 46 percent reduction in disability pensions.

Some studies found that good leadership was associated with increased job satisfaction, although this evidence was relatively weak. There was no evidence showing a significant effect of leadership on measures of job performance.

Several characteristics of work can affect employee health. Studies have shown that factors like job control and support influence measurable health outcomes, such as sick leave. Leadership is thought to be one of the most important factors mediating the relationship between work and health.

The findings support the “job well-being pyramid model”: a theory suggesting that a strong foundation of leadership, healthy work environment, and good working conditions reduces worker health problems.

1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends. Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a “circadian clock” in our brain and the body’s need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep in.

2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep. Avoid arousing activities before bedtime like working, paying bills, engaging in competitive games or family problem-solving. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water (such as a hot tub or bath) before retiring to bed can ease the transition into deeper sleep, but it should be done early enough that you are no longer sweating or over-heated. If you are unable to avoid tension and stress, it may be helpful to learn relaxation therapy from a trained professional. Finally, avoid exposure to bright before bedtime because it signals the neurons that help control the sleep-wake cycle that it is time to awaken, not to sleep.

3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep — cool, quiet, dark, comfortable and free of interruptions. Also make your bedroom reflective of the value you place on sleep. Check your room for noise or other distractions, including a bed partner’s sleep disruptions such as snoring, light, and a dry or hot environment. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, “white noise,” humidifiers, fans and other devices.

4. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. Use your bed only for sleep and sex to strengthen the association between bed and sleep. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit it from your bedtime routine. For example, if looking at a bedroom clock makes you anxious about how much time you have before you must get up, move the clock out of sight. Do not engage in activities that cause you anxiety and prevent you from sleeping.

5. Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime. Eating or drinking too much may make you less comfortable when settling down for bed. It is best to avoid a heavy meal too close to bedtime. Also, spicy foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and discomfort during the night. Try to restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent nighttime awakenings to go to the bathroom, though some people find milk or herbal, non-caffeinated teas to be soothing and a helpful part of a bedtime routine.

You have two women vying for a managerial position. One is petite. The other candidate is visibly overweight. Of the two, the heavy set woman is better qualified for the job requirements. Who will get the job?

When it comes to job hiring or career advancement, a common phrase is “it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know,” but research on weight–based bias suggests “it’s how you look.”

Does being extra heavy or obese hinder the opportunity of getting a job or moving up the work ladder?

A recent study conducted at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, shows that, yes, obesity can and does have a denigrating effect in the workplace.

“There are a whole set of stereotypes that go along with being overweight, and a lot of them transfer into the workplace in terms of people’s judgment about others’ abilities and appearance in relation to job performance,” said doctoral candidate Cort Rudolph.

But that’s not necessarily the case when it comes to doing business on the internet.  People are less inclined to consider body image when conducting business.  Your integrity is more important by far.  Can you produce RESULTS or do you have a product the customer needs?  What you look like tends to be irrelevant.

Michelle Obama wears her hair in flips and bobs reminiscent of Kennedy First Lady Jackie O and of June Cleaver, the ’60s suburban housewife of “Leave It to Beaver” fame.  In her own role as potential First Lady, Michelle Obama’s hair is politically correct.

America expects the baby boomer wife of Barack Obama, the man who wants to be president, to project an image of sophistication and near perfection. That image includes having hair that doesn’t make waves.

“As potentially half of the public face of America, Ms. Obama in locks or cornrows would be a bit too ‘in your face,’ even with her Harvard degree and her attorney status,” says Arizona State University English Professor Neal A. Lester, who studies African-American literature and culture and has written about black hair issues.

Mainstream America considers styles that reflect the European aesthetic more acceptable and less likely to offend. Hairstyles with African roots don’t get the same respect. To say someone has a nappy head is considered an insult, and the word “nappy,” which merely describes the kinky texture of hair, is practically considered a profanity. In polite circles, the word is euphemistically referred to as “natural.”

Natural hair wearers have seen their politics, patriotism and even their hygiene come under attack. Their Afros, braids, locks and twists have been considered unprofessional, and many who have worn the styles have been demoted or have lost their jobs. Wearers of natural hairstyles also have not escaped being labeled subversive or being perceived as social misfits.

The media is fully aware of how certain hairstyles worn by African-Americans can feed negative stereotypes.

Michelle Obama’s real life hairstyle plays it safe. Intended or unintended, it is decidedly apolitical.

“This is no different from Condoleezza Rice and her visits to the beauty salon for her perms these many years,” says Lester of Arizona State.

“There is a reason that Oprah, Beyonce, Mo’Nique, Patti LaBelle, Tyra, and Queen Latifah haven’t gone the way of Whoopi Goldberg. The reason is that there is clearly a public persona that makes these women culturally less threatening with straightened hair.

“I am not saying that these women are betraying their blackness. I am saying that the pattern of self-acceptance has not made its way into the realm of unstraightened hair.”

To roughly paraphrase a line by songstress India.Arie, Michelle is not her hair.

Whether she continues to flaunt the flip like First Lady Kennedy during the presidential campaign or decides to start locks like the First Lady in Philly, her real character should not be superficially determined by what she wears on top of her head.

It should be determined by the intelligence that dwells within it.

Written by Linda Jones for Naturallycurly.com Reprinted with permission.

“It’s a known fact that women lie about their age, but nobody wants to admit it until they get caught!” says Catharine Fennell, creative director of a website called Define Yourself.

According to a book written by Susan Shapiro Barash, women tell many lies over the course of their lives. She says “there are infidelity lies, financial lies, lies about children and their achievements, plastic surgery lies, and smaller, white lies about time and commitments that border on excuses. There are bigger secrets, the ones that require real work to maintain. Some are dark and haunting and demand a selective brand of secret telling, such as lies about domestic abuse, a drinking problem, or having a husband or child with an addiction.”

If women’s lies and secrets are used as a survival technique, it is also a means by which women get what they want. Where a man will lie for a secret as a quick fix and be sloppy in his lie, a woman will carefully guard her secret — this secret is a part of her existence, it can make her feel powerful.”

So ladies, fess up.   Has lying ever been used  to your advantage?  As a woman in business, have you been forced to stretch the truth a bit?  Is it OK to tell a lie every now and then as long as no one gets hurt?

Women over age 90 are significantly more likely to have dementia compared to men in their 90s, according to a study published in the July 2, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Research shows that dementia risk for both men and women increases from age 65 to 85, but this most recent study is one of few that looks at people over age 90.

“While men don’t typically live as long as women, those who do make it to age 90 appear to be much less likely to have dementia and also have a shorter survival time when they do have dementia,” according to study author Maria Corrada, ScD, with the University of California, Irvine.

Researchers reviewed an analysis of about 900 people age 90 and older. Of those, 375 had dementia.

The study found that women were nearly twice as likely to have dementia in their 90s compared to men. The results also showed that the likelihood of having dementia doubled every five years in women but not in men.

“As more and more people reach age 90, our findings provide further evidence that more needs to be done to provide adequate resources to care for the increasing number of very old people with memory problems,” said Corrada.

In addition, the study found that women with a higher education appeared to be as much as 45 percent less likely to have dementia compared to women with less education.

The 90 plus age group, or the “oldest-old” is the fastest growing segment of the elderly population according to the US Census.

If you’re like me, you probably need a jump start to get your morning off and running. For many people, a good shot of caffeine will do the trick. But did you know you may be putting more caffeine in your body than it can handle—especially if you drink coffee AND an energy drink.

It’s now a billion dollar industry. Currently, there are at least 200 energy drinks on the market. So is it bad to get an energy drink buzz?

“There was a time when we would get our caffeine intake from coffee and cola, but now there are a number of caffeine containing beverages and we need to be careful because over a period of 24 hours that caffeine intake is cumulative,” says Dee Rollins, R.D., PhD, dietitian with Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine.

In fact, experts say energy drink consumers should keep careful track of the amount of caffeine they get in a day.

“If you know that 400 milligrams a day is the upper limit you can check the back of the labels and make sure that you don’t get more than that,” explains Dr. Rollins.

It may sound like a lot, but 400 milligrams is roughly the equivalent of just one energy drink and two cups of coffee. Getting more than that can lead to a jittery nervousness, nausea, heart palpations—and in extreme cases more severe symptoms.

“It can be so bad that if you take too much caffeine you can end up in the hospital thinking you have flu-like symptoms and really it’s caffeine overdose.”

So remember as you’re sipping—take it slow or it may not just be energy you end up with.
“We don’t think of caffeine as being a drug that we need to monitor, but we can overdo it,” says Dr. Rollins.

For most people—if they’re not getting more than around 400 milligrams of caffeine a day—these energy drinks are safe. But here are some important things to remember:

- Don’t drink energy beverages while exercising. It can lead to severe dehydration.
- Don’t ever mix these drinks with alcohol—it’s popular—but doing so can not only mask how intoxicated you really are, it again can be extremely dehydrating.

In addition to caffeine, most of these energy drinks contain very high amounts of sugar and sodium which can be dangerous for diabetics or those with high blood pressure.

1.) FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right, and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means half an hour. Five Minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine (see #1).

4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh: This is not actually a word but a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. “That’s okay” means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you - do not question or faint. Just say you’re welcome.

8.) Whatever: Is a women’s way of saying “%@ &* YOU!”

9.) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking “what’s wrong” - for the woman’s response refer to #3.

J. Lenora Bresler has written a very insightful article in the March/April edition of American Business Women’s Association magazine on the do’s and don’ts of women in leadership roles.   She discusses the female stereotypes in the workplace and offers suggestions on how to overcome them.

Here’s a summary of Ms. Bresler’s “Do’s” for women:
• Do: Focus heavily on providing two-way communication with employees
• Do: Provide constant feedback
• Do: Show respect by welcoming workers’ suggestions and ideas and allowing them autonomy to help the grow
• Do: Champion career plans for staff
• Do: Tailor recognition for employees
• Do: Go to bat if need be to ensure your team has access to desired training and any necessary tools

Here’s a summary of Ms. Bresler’s “Don’ts” for women:
• Don’t: Act like a victim, even if you’ve been one
• Don’t: Promote negative stereotypes about women
• Don’t: Cry or become overly emotional unless you are displaying shared grief
• Don’t: Engage in male-bashing no matter how mild
• Don’t: Gossip or catfight
• Don’t: Limit yourself and your visibility to all-women groups
• Don’t: Refer to women as your “sisters” – your mission as a leader should be to promote and develop talent, regardless of gender, race or national origin

To learn more about being a part of the American Business Women’s Association, visit them online.