EILEEN MCDARGH'S
Resiliency Report
Published monthly and when the mood strikes.
Update from Eileen
I’ve been reading, writing, and researching the correlation between loneliness and health. According to the National Institutes of Health, research has linked social isolation and loneliness to high risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and even death.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general of the United States, has made this a clarion call, noting that loneliness is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and more lethal than consuming six alcoholic drinks a day.
As if to underscore all this information, United Healthcare just sent me a notice that I can get $10 on my United HealthCare UCard each month just by doing things like catching up with a friend, joining in a class or activity, bringing a healthy dish to a get-together, and more. The UCard can be used to purchase specific items from a drug store, grocery store, etc.
As the information flier explained, “It is just another way United Healthcare helps you open doors to connect with family, friends, and new experiences.”
Whoa! You better believe that for an insurance company (a very profitable insurance company) to literally put their money into this initiative, there is a great truth behind the need to alleviate or lessen isolation and loneliness.
PS: Money isn’t the only answer. Britain is a pioneer in the effort to build connections, having created the post of Minister for loneliness in 2018. “Britain oversees public-private partnerships that collectively knit millions of people together with programs like nature walks, songwriting workshops, and community litter pickups,” according to an article written by Nicholas Kristof reporting from London.
So here is your challenge for the rest of 2023: email me (eileen@eileenmcdargh.com) what you are doing to handle isolation and loneliness for yourself and others. We’ll publicize what you send and—if we get enough entries—ask our readers to rate the top 3 actions. Yes—a reward will be coming. Just not on a credit card :).
Sharing My Birthday Bouquet with You!
I love flowers. I love butterflies. And this birthday, my sister sent me an amazing bouquet that will not die, consumes no water, is not carried via plane, requires no plastic packaging, and will not end up in a landfill.
Visit this site and see the whimsical, gorgeous 3D designs that not only are environmentally friendly BUT, for each bouquet that is sold, a mangrove tree is planted. Look at my butterfly arrangement here.
And for every Sunflower Bouquet that is sold, 20% of the money is sent to World Central Kitchen. WCK is a non-profit organization founded by the indefatigable Chef Andres and serves meals for folks in eight Ukrainian cities.
Imagine: Health Insurance REWARDING You for Having Dinner with a Friend
October 2023
A Short Thought
In case you are into overwhelm: Consider signing up for the no-hustle ezine. The author, Matthew, is a colleague from England and I’ve been a guest on his podcast.
Just For Laughs
Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the reason I have trust issues!!
I went to school to become a wit, and only got halfway through.
It was all so different before everything changed.
Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant.
Old programmers never die. They just terminate and stay resident.
I wish the buck stopped here. I could use a few...
Kids in the back seat cause accidents; accidents in the back seat cause kids.
It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end.
It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.
The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.
If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees.
Must Read Book
I read this book almost two years ago and am ready to pick it up again. Annie Murphy Paul is an acclaimed science writer who shows us how to think OUTSIDE the brain and use, instead, nature and how our physical body responds to solve problems, make discoveries, and create new work. From the author, I learned the word “interoception” which perches on a sticky note atop my computer. It reminds me to become aware of body sensations to make sounder decisions. Yes—the body can be more rational than the brain.
PS: Social interaction and engagement around a body of knowledge (i.e., grad school students who spent time debating and advising one another) resulted in the essential growth of intelligent thought… NOT the guidance the students received from faculty mentors.
Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills: Lessons from Wordle
Almost every morning, I start the day with a Zoom call to my sister. Once we do a quick check-in, we play Wordle together. It’s a web-based word game created and developed by Welsh software engineer, Josh Wardle, to play with his partner. Players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word, with feedback given for each guess in the form of colored tiles indicating when letters match or occupy the correct position.
About Eileen
If you are looking for a unique keynote speaker in resiliency, a facilitator for executive retreats, a speech coach or an emcee/moderator, then you want to work with Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE. Eileen has spoken for audiences as large as 15,000 and facilitated groups as small as 18! She is the author of seven books and other products that you can find in her online store. The British Research firm of Global Gurus ranked her #4 among the top 30 communication gurus worldwide. Why not hire Eileen for your next event?
Ranked 3rd in Communications
This is the 7th year in a row that I have been ranked in the top 5 in communication. Global Gurus surveys some 26,000 business professionals to determine rankings plus professionals also vote.
Dear Friends,
It’s that time of year again to vote for Global Gurus in various categories. I’ve been in the top 5 of Communication Gurus for many years. Global Gurus is a British research firm that goes out to some 20,000 people to determine standing.
Click below to nominate me as inspirational. It might ask you to log in using either Linked in or Google. You are asked to log in to assure people can only vote once. You’ll then see my face pop up along with other nominees. Select and then near the bottom, you can rank me as “inspirational ”or not.
Please let me know if this works. You are all the best.
Many thanks. I am most grateful for YOU!!!!!
