This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.

Stress and anxiety is bound to creep into your life no matter the mitigation. When it does, you can prepare yourself with simple a quick techniques to sooth the impact and recover quicker.

How Can Grounding Techniques Help Manage Feelings?

Grounding is a practice that can help you manage experiences such as flashbacks, unwanted memories or negative emotions. These techniques involve focusing on the present to distract yourself from anxiety and other challenging emotions.

Physical Grounding Techniques

Physically grounding yourself involves using your senses to help you navigate feelings of distress. A technique to physically ground yourself is to put your hands in water and focus on the temperature of the liquid or switch from cold water to warm water and back while focusing on the present moment.
Other physical grounding exercises include deep breathing, savoring food or drink, picking up nearby objects and moving your body (e.g., walking, running in place or doing jumping jacks).

Mental Grounding Techniques

You can mentally ground yourself with exercises that prevent mental distractions and help redirect your thoughts to the present.
Such exercises include memory games, category-thinking (e.g., listing all the types of cake you can think of), reciting a song or book passage you know by heart, and visualizing a daily task you enjoy.

Soothing Grounding Techniques

Soothing techniques can be used to comfort yourself in times of high anxiety or distress. These techniques are intended to promote good feelings that reduce or distract from negative emotions.
You can practice soothing techniques by picturing the face of someone you love, repeating compassionate phrases about yourself, spending time with your pet, visualizing your favorite place or listing positive things.

Conclusion

Grounding techniques can help you manage unpleasant experiences like distress, anxiety, traumatic nightmares and flashbacks. Try these exercises to reduce distress when you first start to feel negative emotions.

Try These Mood-boosting Activities

Negative emotions and disappointments can easily derail your activities. Although it’s common to be in a bad mood occasionally, letting negative emotions take over your day can leave you feeling worse. Instead of ignoring a bad mood, try a mood-boosting activity.

Free Mood-boosters

• Walking outdoors is a great activity for improving your mood. Spending time outdoors and being in sunlight have both been proven to boost mood. Additionally, walking can release endorphins, which ease stress and discomfort.
• Find ways to laugh, such as watching funny videos, sharing jokes with a friend, going online or watching comedians.
• Try aromatherapy to de-stress. Smells can trigger positive memories and help relieve anxiety or stress. Find your favorite scented soap, smell something that reminds you of a loved one or sample a new essential oil.
• Play cheerful and upbeat music. This can help boost your mood, ease tension, reduce anxiety and even improve certain brain functions, such as memory.
• Do something nice for somebody else, such as a co-worker or friend. Being compassionate to others can make them feel better and may improve your mood as well. Consider small favors, such as doing chores for your housemate or partner, walking a neighbor’s dog or helping a stranger with their groceries.
• Talk to people in your life who uplift you. A short call or time spent with a loved one can help you reduce tension. As a bonus, your loved one may be able to make you laugh, take your mind off your troubles or remind you that you’re not alone.

Conclusion

The next time you’re in a bad mood, try one of these free mood-boosting activities to reduce stress and lessen the impact of negative emotions.

This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.

Power surges, which are sudden spikes in electrical voltage, can wreak havoc on business equipment and systems. While they may seem like minor inconveniences, power surges can have a significant impact on a business’s bottom line. This article explores the dangers of power surges, effective strategies to shield businesses from their effects and the crucial role of insurance in safeguarding their assets.

What Causes a Power Surge?

A power surge happens when there’s a sudden increase in electrical voltage in a building’s electrical system or the electrical grid. These voltage spikes are caused by different factors, like lightning strikes that discharge massive amounts of electricity into the grid or directly into buildings. Electrical grid fluctuations, such as changes in demand or power line switching, can also cause surges. Internally, power surges can happen when there’s faulty wiring, malfunctioning appliances, or when power-hungry equipment like heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems and large motors start up. These surges can spread throughout the electrical system, potentially damaging connected devices and equipment.

Identifying the various sources of power surges is important to ensure effective surge protection in commercial settings.

The Impact of Power Surges on Business Operations

The impact of power surges on business operations can be substantial and far-reaching. Financially, power surges can lead to extensive costs, including equipment damage or replacement expenses and downtime, resulting in lost productivity and revenue. Beyond the financial implications, surges can inflict reputational damage on a business, eroding customer trust and partnerships due to frequent disruptions and equipment failures. In essence, power surges have the potential to disrupt normal business operations, strain resources and harm a company’s reputation, making them a critical concern for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Strategies to Protect Against Power Surges

To protect against power surges, businesses can utilize the following effective strategies and tools:

• Surge protection devices (SPDs)—These devices should be installed at critical points in the electrical system to divert excess voltage away from sensitive equipment and prevent damage. It’s advisable to install SPDs throughout different areas of a building. The three primary zones for protection are service entrance SPDs, distribution panel SPDs and point-of-use SPDs. Service entrance SPDs prevent surges from entering the building, while distribution panel SPDs limit the spread of surges to downstream areas. Point-of-use SPDs offer targeted protection for specific assets.

SPD installation should comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations. SPDs need to be properly sized and grounded to protect equipment.

• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)—A UPS is a type of device that powers equipment nearly instantaneously in the event of grid power failure, protecting the equipment from damage. Implementing a UPS can provide a temporary power source during surges or outages, allowing for safe equipment shutdown.
• Grounding and bonding—Proper grounding and bonding of the electrical system can reduce the risk of surges caused by electrical faults.
• Regular electrical maintenance—Regular inspections and maintenance can help identify and address potential issues before they lead to surges.
• Employee training and awareness—Educating employees about power surge risks and establishing protocols for immediate response can minimize damage and downtime in the event of a surge.

By adopting these strategies and tools, businesses can significantly enhance their protection against power surges and avoid potential financial and operational disruptions.

The Role of Commercial Property Insurance

Even though preventive measures are essential, power surges can occur unexpectedly, and accidents can happen. However, there is good news for businesses. Commercial property insurance policies and appropriate endorsements can help cover the financial losses that result from power surges. Here are some of the benefits of such coverage:

• Equipment replacement coverage—Insurance can cover the cost of repairing or replacing damaged equipment.
• Business interruption coverage—If power surges cause downtime, insurance may compensate a business for lost income during that period.
• Spoiled inventory coverage—Insurance may cover the cost of spoiled inventory that results from power outages.

Conclusion

To ensure smooth operations, businesses should take proactive measures to protect against power surges. This can be achieved by implementing surge protection strategies and acquiring the appropriate insurance. By doing so, businesses can safeguard their assets and maintain productivity even when faced with power surges.

Contact us today for additional guidance on commercial property risks.