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​The Importance of Exercise​Around one in four people suffer from general fatigue not associated with a serious medical condition. When a person is fatigued, the last thing they want to do is exercise. But new research shows that regular, low-intensity exercise may help boost energy levels in people suffering from fatigue.​Why exercise helps fatigue isn’t clear, but recent scientific findings suggest exercise acts directly on the central nervous system to increase energy and reduce fatigue. Notably, the improvements in energy and fatigue were not related to increases in aerobic fitness.​A lot of people are overworked and not sleeping enough. Exercise is a way for people to feel more energetic. There’s a scientific basis for it, and there are advantages to it, compared to things like caffeine and energy drinks.​​Exercises to help fight fatigue​Aerobic exercise: This type of exercise is the most obvious energy-producer. Plus it's heart-healthy, helps your lungs function more efficiently and increases overall energy.​Resistance exercise: Also referred to as strength training, resistance exercise builds muscle mass and boosts your metabolism, which in turn increases energy. Strength training also reduces blood sugar. Muscle mass stores excess blood sugar in the form of glycogen. We lose muscle mass as we age, which means we lose some of our capacity to store glucose. Too much glucose in the blood can lead to diabetes. As you build up muscle, you decrease the amount of glucose in the blood.​Flexibility exercise: Exercises such as yoga and tai chi are stress relievers - and we all know that stress is an energy sapper. The practice of flexibility exercise helps people to restore their levels of energy, to enhance stamina, relieve anxiety, and reduce fatigue. It gives you a sense of peace, which then allows you to sleep, which in turn gives you energy. People who are more flexible also sustain fewer injuries​Exercises that help: ​RunningLow to moderate intensity walkingYogaCyclingBoxingPilatesTai ChiSwimmingIf you have any questions regarding the topics covered in our Fatigue series, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our HSEQ team on 0333 011 2048 who will offer you support and guidance.

Eat for Alertness ​Cravings, hunger, and overeating result from skipping meals or not eating on a schedule. This kind of eating leads to peaks and lows in your energy levels.​Take the time to stop for breaks and do your best to eat your meals and snacks at the same time every day or night.​Besides eating regularly, you should try to eat foods that release energy slowly, choose foods carefully to keep up your energy at work.​If you want more energy, look at your diet and make sure you're following these basic guidelines:​​Drink lots of water - Dehydration can lead to fatigue.Be careful with caffeine - One or two caffeinated drinks per day like coffee or tea can boost your energy and mental alertness, but more than six caffeinated drinks per day may make you anxious, irritable, and negatively affect your performance. Eat breakfast - Food boosts your metabolism and gives your body energy to burn. Choose a complex-carbohydrate breakfast like porridge or whole grain bread. Don't skip meals - Going without food for too long allows blood sugar levels to dip. Try to eat regularly to maintain your energy levels throughout the day. Don't crash diet - Low calorie diets or diets that severely restrict carbohydrates don't contain enough energy for your body's needs. The typical crash diet also deprives the body of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Eat a healthy diet - Increase the amount of fruit, vegetables, whole grain foods, low fat dairy products and lean protein in your diet. Reduce the amount of high fat, high sugar, and high salt foods. Eat iron rich foods - Women, in particular, are prone to iron-deficiency (anaemia). Make sure your diet includes iron rich foods such as lean meat, fish, and greens.​If you have any questions regarding the topics covered in our Fatigue series, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our HSEQ team on 0333 011 2048 who will offer you support and guidance.

I speak to a lot of people daily who are not sure if a role in recruitment is right for them. Most of these people have either had a bad experience in a recruitment/sales role themselves or know someone else in their network who has. However, the sector has progressed enormously in recent times; Consultancies have recognised the need to conduct good business to create solid relationships with both clients and candidates and the importance of providing long-lasting, rewarding careers for their own employees. ​When I joined the recruitment industry, I had my own concerns. Although I had done internal recruitment in a retail setting, I was nervous about stepping into the unknown. I had a few friends who worked in recruitment and through them was aware of the highs and lows that a Recruitment Consultant can experience, particularly in their first twelve months in post. That said, through my research I felt as though the positives outweighed the negatives and despite experiencing some lows, I still feel this way now. ​A Recruitment Consultant learns – quickly – how to work under pressure; you are given targets and with support, you are expected to hit them. Yes, it can sometimes mean that you have a stressful day; it is unlikely that everything will go your way all the time, but it also means you can easily measure your performance. It is clear which areas you are performing well in and which you need to improve on/invest more time in. ​This transparency is not something that a lot of careers offer, and it gives you the opportunity to pinpoint those areas of development and work on them yourself – and with your Manager/Team – meaning your job performance will visibly improve. As your performance improves you will be able to progress at a speed that just isn’t available in a lot of other sectors, as any reputable recruitment business will have a clear route of progression and development available for you to follow. ​A career in recruitment can also offer a lot of stability. Within Ganymede and ATA Recruitment I have many colleagues that have been with us for over 5, 10, 15, even 20 years. While the economy has suffered at different points over the years and their remit may have changed to reflect this, ultimately the need to hire has never gone away. Once you have built positive relationships with candidates and clients, they will continue to use your services throughout their careers, ultimately strengthening your position within the marketplace and offering you continued success throughout yours. ​Working in recruitment has benefitted me in many ways. I have become a lot more confident in both my professional and personal life; having to speak to and work with such a variety of people means that I am now comfortable in pretty much any social situation. This surge in confidence in turn made me better at my job, meaning that I was performing at a higher standard and ultimately being more successful which meant that - unlike in other careers - I was being rewarded for my success. The recruitment industry (and the sales industry as a whole) is extremely meritocratic. If you perform well, you will benefit personally. I had had jobs before in which I felt like I was working harder than some of the people around me but earning the same salary. This is not the case in a recruitment career - those willing to push themselves the extra mile will reap the rewards of this. ​Please feel free to get in touch today for an open and honest conversation, I would be more than happy to discuss any concerns you may have, listen to your career goals and aspirations and discuss whether a recruitment career would be right for you. Ganymede & ATA Recruitment are both actively recruiting now in the East Midlands and London. Alongside a great basic salary, we have a market-leading commission scheme and many benefits including an agile working policy. ​Find out more about a career with Ganymede and ATA today. Send your CV to rachael.bailey-frost@ganymedesolutions.co.uk or contact me on LinkedIn today.

Hydration​One of the key tools in the fight against fatigue is good hydration.​Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly; your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste and lubricate your joints. Water is needed for overall good health.​Most people should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. That is a reasonable goal. However, different people need different amounts of water to stay hydrated.​If you are concerned that you are not drinking enough water, check your urine. If your urine is usually colourless or light yellow, you are well hydrated. If your urine is a dark yellow or amber colour, you may be dehydrated.​If you are in good health then a moderate amount of tea or coffee is not going to cause you any problems. But they are not recommended as your sole source of hydration as caffeine, unlike water, can cause side effects.​For example, people who drink coffee in the afternoon are likely to have impaired sleep quality compared to those who go caffeine-free. Caffeine is also a known diuretic, which makes you pass urine more regularly. ​What is it?​Caffeine is the most common mood-altering drug in the world. It is a mild stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It can be found in many products such as tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, and some over-the-counter medications. According to the National Institute of Health, adults shouldn't consume more than 400mg of caffeine per day. Three to four cups of tea or coffee is considered moderate consumption and won't harm you.​​Here are some hydration tips that can help: Keep a bottle of water with you during the day. Carry a reusable water bottle and fill it with tap water Drink water before, during, and after a workout When you’re feeling hungry, drink water. Thirst is often confused with hunger If you have trouble remembering to drink water, drink regularly to a pre-arranged schedule. i.e. on waking, every hour etc. ​Energy drinks usually contain large amounts of caffeine. Also, they contain ingredients that overstimulate you (guarana, ginseng, or taurine). These are things your body doesn’t need. Most of these drinks are also high in added sugar. According to doctors, children and teens should not have energy drinks.​​Some people are at higher risk of dehydration, including people who exercise at a high intensity (or in hot weather) for long periods, have certain medical conditions (kidney stones, bladder infection), are sick (fever, vomiting, diarrhoea), are pregnant or breastfeeding, are trying to lose weight, or are not able to get enough fluids during the day. Older adults are also at higher risk as they have a decreased sensation of thirst, and their kidneys have a decreased response to dehydration. Water makes up more than half of your body weight. You lose water each day when you go to the bathroom, sweat, and even when you breathe. You lose water even faster when the weather is really hot, when you are physically active, or if you have a fever. If you don’t replace the water you lose, you become dehydrated. When it comes to daily water intake, it is recommended that most women get about 2.7 litres of water a day (or about 12 cups), and most men get about 3.7 litres a day (or about 15 cups). If you have any questions regarding the topics covered in our Fatigue series, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our HSEQ team on 0333 011 2048 who will offer you support and guidance.

​What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?The official definition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the NHS is: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.The general feeling is that PTSD just affects the Military and not the civilian population. This is understandable as the disorder was highlighted following on from the Vietnam War and more recently, in Iraq and Afghanistan where HM Forces were present. To try an explain what PTSD means, a Veteran once wrote: Surrounded by loved ones, yet I am alone, Feeling so trapped in my solitary zone. Thoughts of chaos as my anger overtakes, Feelings of happiness my past dominates.Laughter and smiles, they never seem to last, I am haunted and hunted, by memories from my past. Roaming in my head with nowhere to go, Visions of the past, in my head, a film show. In my head I scream, but no one can hear, Past demons of death are always so near. Voices from my past, like a long-playing song, Breaking the man, I was, he was strong.How long will it take, until I feel right? It's exhausting me, this battle every night. Each new day I try, to make a new stand, But when I sleep, they come back on command. I can't give up, my family need me strong, Smiling and happy like nothing is wrong. In this living state I find I'm in, Dealing with my past, and memories from within.​However, PTSD has been around since the Human Race has experienced trauma. Previous generations knew PTSD as Shell Shock, Soldiers Heart, Combat Fatigue and War Neurosis. As the names suggest, they all have links to the Military. Despite the long history of PTSD, it was only officially recognised in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association. As you can see from the NHS definition above, it does not differentiate from Military and Civilian. ​What Causes PTSD?Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt. Types of events that can lead to PTSD include, but not limited to: Serious accidents. Physical or sexual assault. Abuse, including childhood or domestic abuse. Exposure to traumatic events at work, including remote exposure. Serious health problems, such as being admitted to intensive care. Childbirth experiences, such as losing a baby. War and conflict. Torture. The above are not just applicable to those directly involved, but can also affect those who may witness a very stressful, frightening or distressing event. We have seen recently both in the Rail and Construction industries that some incidents have had a serious effect on some of our colleagues and families. In 2016, Network Rail introduced its own standard for Trauma Incident Management which includes how to manage the risk of trauma related mental ill health in the workplace. ​Symptoms of PTSDSymptoms can vary in intensity over time. You may have more symptoms when you’re stressed in general or when you run into reminders of what you went through. For example, you may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences or you may see a report on the news about a sexual assault and feel overcome by memories of your own assault. People react to traumatic experiences in a variety of ways. Some may experience symptoms of trauma which dissipate after a number of weeks. However, if symptoms of trauma continue for longer then PTSD may be present. Symptoms vary from person to person, but some examples are: Flashbacks (Acting or feeling like the event is happening again). The detail of the flashback can vary depending on the individual’s experiences. Flashbacks can last a second, minutes, hours or even longer. General things that happen during a PTSD flashback include: Seeing full or partial images of the traumatic event. Noticing any sense that is related to the trauma (such as hearing, smelling or tasting something). Sensing that the person(s) involved in the traumatic event are physically present. Feeling physical symptoms that you experienced during the trauma, such as pain or pressure. Experiencing the emotions that happened during the trauma (this could be almost anything such as fear or even rage). Nightmares (either of the event or of other frightening things). Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma. Work-related or relationship problems. Inability to remember important aspect of the trauma. Loss of interest in activities and life in general. Sense of a limited future. Feeling numb and empty. Avoidance of people and places. Feeling isolated. Frequent periods of withdrawal into oneself. Increased anxiety and emotional arousal. Hypervigilance (On constant ‘red alert’). Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g. Pounding heart, nausea, muscle tension, sweating). Irritability or outbursts of anger and aggressive behaviour. Irrational and intense fear. Reduced tolerance to noise (hyperacusis). Difficulty concentrating. Being easily moved to tears. Panic attacks/anxiety/depression/mood swings. Feeling jumpy and easily startled. Difficulty falling or staying asleep. Thoughts of suicide. Tense muscles. ​Tips for dealing with PTSDSpeak to relatives or friends who will support you and help you to discuss any experiences and thoughts, or emotions that you are struggling to deal with. Try to overcome the feeling of helplessness by doing something positive like exercise, volunteering and so on. Avoid alcohol and drugs at all costs as these will not solve the problem in the long term. Spend time outdoors in a relaxing environment with positive people who you trust. Join a support group where you can meet other people who are experiencing the same kind of emotions and difficulties as yourself. Try to find out what triggers you to feel the symptoms of PTSD and pull together a plan to avoid these triggers. Understand that relatives and friends will find it difficult to see you struggling, so allow them to understand what you are going through. Seek professional treatment, to help you to overcome your PTSD and take steps towards recovery and wellbeing. You can also speak to your Mental Health First Aider in your Company. ​Complex PTSDComplex PTSD may be diagnosed in adults or children who have repeatedly experienced traumatic events, such as violence, neglect or abuse. As a result, it could be some time before the symptoms of complex PTSD are recognised. They are similar to PTSD but could also include suicidal thoughts, difficulty in trusting other people and destructive or risky behaviour. Complex PTSD is thought to be more severe if: The traumatic events happened early in life. The trauma was caused by a parent or carer. The person experienced the trauma for a long time. The person was alone during the trauma. There's still contact with the person responsible for the trauma. Your company should employ a Mental Health First Aider who can act as the first point of contact. All discussions will be totally confidential and they should be able to assist should you need help. ​For further information on PTSD, access the following links:Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) - https://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/ or call 01263 863 900. Combat Stress - https://combatstress.org.uk/ or call 0800 1381619. Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/ or call 0300 123 3393. Able Futures - https://www.able-futures.co.uk/ or call 0800 321 3137. Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org/ or call 116 123. PTSD UK - https://www.ptsduk.org

4 reasons you should move from a traditional sales role to a role in recruitment If you are a successful salesperson with a strong track record, it is highly likely you have been contacted about embarking on a recruitment career. There is a very simple reason for this; salespeople generally make the best recruitment consultants. There are a lot of similarities between sales and recruitment and with the growth in the recruitment market in recent years, the sector is becoming the go-to option for salespeople keen to utilise their skills but create a viable, long term and lucrative career. However, there are still people unsure if a career in recruitment is the right sideways step for them. Here are 4 points which may make you consider that career change today: ​Recruitment is sales too; If you thrive in a fast paced, targeted sales environment, then a career in recruitment will offer you this. Recruitment Consultants are given sales targets and although you are technically selling a service opposed to a product, the skills you have learnt in a typical sales role will enable you to get to grips with recruitment sales a lot faster. Ganymede and ATA Recruitment have an extremely successful training programme, where you will receive one on one training to help you adapt your sales technique to our sector. We also offer a threshold free period while you settle in your role, meaning you will start to yield financial results quickly. ​You have a lot of autonomy; While we offer a huge amount of support initially, you are also given the autonomy to essentially build your own business within our business. We want people who have the confidence to go out and win their own clients, have the gravitas to engage with and maintain their own candidate base and have the know-how to manage the sales process from end to end. We train our rookies to do this, but for those that have previous experience in a sales setting, you can quickly get to the point in which you are managing your own work load and being rewarded for doing this. ​Progression is based purely on results; Progression in sales and recruitment is meritocratic – if you perform well, you will progress. However, in a typical sales setting, this progression can stagnate quickly – a sales team will have a Sales Manager or Director looking after a team and while opportunities for small steps up may present themselves, you will potentially find your self stuck in a mid-level position for a while, until someone else departs and you can fill their post. I mentioned in the previous point that you can essentially create your own business within our business, meaning if you are consistently performing, the opportunity for your growth is endless. Recruitment Consultancies often create new positions for top performers – this is something that we do regularly here at Ganymede and ATA Recruitment – and, there is also the opportunity to bring in junior Consultants to help manage your work load and grow ‘your’ business. ​Recruitment is an extremely lucrative sector; There is no doubt that sales can be lucrative too, but most people I speak to who are looking to move into recruitment from sales have capped or team commission schemes, essentially limiting what they can earn individually. Within most recruitment organisations, your commission is completely uncapped and generally those with a sales background start earning additional commission quickly. At Ganymede and ATA Recruitment, our Consultants earn at least a third of what they bill.​​Ganymede and ATA Recruitment is in an exciting period of growth and we are currently looking for experienced sales people to come and join our teams. Alongside the above, we offer our Consultants a flexible, agile working policy. We have numerous incentives and prizes outside of our generous basic salary and commission scheme and encourage healthy competition between our staff. Due to expansion, we are looking for the next Leaders of our business, with fast-tracked routes to management available for high performers that also demonstrate they can behave in the correct way and uphold our high company standards. Find out more about a career with Ganymede and ATA today. Send your CV to rachael.bailey-frost@ganymedesolutions.co.uk or contact me on LinkedIn today. ​​​CONTACT RACHAEL ​