Tag Archives: tennis

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Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic – Poor Workplace Behaviour On A Global Scale!

believeI have to admit, I’m a huge tennis fan.  I love watching the tennis, so much so that I try and get to the Australian Open in Melbourne every single year.  I’ve also been lucky enough to attend the French Open, as well as being in New York during all of the buzz and excitement surrounding the US Open.

There’s just something really magical about Grand Slam events – no matter what the sport.  For me, just being in the presence of some of the best tennis players in the world is pretty amazing.

However given what’s transpired over the last 24-48 hours, I’m feeling somewhat embarrassed to call myself an Australian.

Why?  Well like many people around the world, I was shocked to watch the behaviour of Nick Kyrgios in his match against Frenchman Richard Gasquet last night, along with a similar outburst by his fellow team mate Bernard Tomic earlier in the week.

Whilst they may be some of our best tennis players right now – what ever happened to displaying a bit good sportsmanship?  You know the kind of behaviour that we see displayed by the great Roger Federer every single day both on and off the court.

Because it’s not  just about being exceptional at what you do – it’s about having integrity and earning the respect by all those around you.

Which is the same for any occupation or workplace around the world – whether it’s on the tennis court, in an office, a hospital or an airport.  It’s one and the same.

So here’s a question for you.

If someone spoke badly of you, would those who really know you believe it?  Would they stand up for you and fight for you knowing that this person was not speaking the truth about you?

Let’s use Roger Federer as an example.

Whenever anyone mentions the name Roger Federer (or even Pat Rafter one of our most highly respected and successful Aussie tennis players), straight away the words “world class, number one tennis player, integrity and a true gentleman” spring to mind.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Nick Kyrgios or Bernard Tomic.  Whilst they may be young and very good at what they do, it certainly does not give them the right to be arrogant.

So what’s this got to do with shift work?

Well I believe we should all be striving to be a Roger Federer of sorts in both our workplace and our home life (well for me it would be the female version of Roger!), because it’s easy to let our emotions get the better of us whenever we’re feeling sleep deprived.

But that’s just an excuse.

Whenever we’re feeling tired, stressed or just overwhelmed by our workload – we may say or do things that we would not ordinarily do, but these actions and behaviours can have consequences so it’s important to be mindful of this.

By striving to be the best at what you do at work (and at home), not only is this the right thing to do, but it’ll open doors for you that you never thought were possible.

Just ask Roger Federer.

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Shift Work Versus A Game Of Tennis: Which One Is More Exhausting?

Is working shift work harder than playing a game of tennis? Probably, but not if you asked the players currently competing in the Australian Open in Melbourne right now.

With a week of record temperatures (4 days of over 40 degrees), even the world’s best are struggling to overcome fatigue and extreme exhaustion.

Of course “fatigue” is a familiar word for shift workers everywhere with sleep-deprivation being the number one cause.

But what about dehydration? Because if you throw “dehydration” into the “sleep-deprivation” mix, then you’ve certainly got an uphill battle on your hands. Quite simply, if your body loses too much water then your cells, tissues and organs dehydrate making you feel weak, exhausted and even delirious.

Sounds like a typical day at the office when you work 24/7 doesn’t it?!!

Of course the obvious dietary sources to help overcome dehydration (and fatigue) is water itself along with other beverages (coconut water is awesome), but most of us underestimate the beneficial effects of our fruits and vegetables with some containing up to 90% water.

Percentage of Water in Selected Foods:

90-99%
Strawberries
Watermelon
Lettuce
Cabbage
Celery
Spinach
Broccoli

80-89%
Apples
Grapes
Oranges
Carrots

Source: ‘Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition’ by Rolfes, Pinna and Whitney.

So if you’re needing some extra help with fatigue and exhaustion (besides trying to get as much sleep as possible) …

* Make sure you’re incorporating more of the above fruits and veges into your diet each and every day – juicing is a great way to do this and

* Keep drinking water consistently throughout the day (remembering thirst drives a person to seek water, but it usually lags behind the body’s need – ie; keep drinking well before you begin to feel thirsty).

For those working in extreme heat conditions 24/7 (and most vulnerable to dehydration) – you might find taking the supplement “Megahydrate” particularly beneficial as research has shown this supplement significantly increases hydration at a cellular level and also helps with pain relief from headaches, sore muscles, and inflammation of the joints.

On that note, I’m off to watch a bit of the tennis on the telly (in the air-conditioning) with plenty of water on hand minus the heat!