With Easter just gone, no doubt it has left feelings of guilt in some who gorged on lots of chocolate! So, what better time is there to discuss the benefits of eating chocolate to remove the aforementioned guilt and justify our binges?! And after some research, we've managed to unravel some pretty some pretty fantastic benefits.

Think about how many days of work your employees missed last year as a result of the flu. Then consider how many more they cost you when they came to work sick and infected other employees. Unfortunately, people are going to get sick and it’s going to impact your business.

At our breakfast on Oct 17th Tammy Van Wisse had people laughing, crying and shaking their heads in amazement. Her anecdotes about her incredible achievements and how they relate to goal setting in business gave us all lots to think about.

Down to earth, warm and engaging, Tammy had us all enthralled as she related her many achievements including crossing Bass Strait and swimming the entire length of the Murray River – which took 105 days!

It’s not long until November which means Movember is about to kick off. Movember is more than just about men growing moustaches. It’s about raising the awareness of men’s health issues and giving men the opportunities and confidence to learn about taking action to improve their health. So, why the fuss about men’s health?

While we may be ready to let go of the colder months, the flu season is still very much here and it usually continues through to October, continuing to affect tens of thousands of Australians.

We've had an early start to the flu season this year with higher case numbers compared to the same time in previous years. According to the Department of Health’s Surveillance Report from August, there are still rapidly increasing numbers particularly in NSW, SA and Tasmania.

Did you know that the average worker can spend anywhere between 30-60 hours per week at work? This significant amount of time spent at work is one of the many factors contributing to the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace and the promotion of a positive working environment.

It’s interesting that some people still question the purpose or validity of corporate wellness programs when there is so much research that supports the business case for investing in employee health. Smart companies understand that focusing on ‘well care’ makes good business sense.

In 1966 Paul Simon wrote "Slow down you move too fast, You..." How did he know that paying attention to the present moment allows us to connect to the world and the joy around us as well as giving us a break from our tiring thoughts? Basically, that caring for oneself does have physiological benefits.

Happy employees help to make organisations more successful. The good news is that work can provide opportunities for many of the things that help to make people happy such as connecting with others; learning and growing skills; achieving goals and finding meaning. There are things we can all do to help make our workplaces happier and thus more productive.

How badly did this year’s flu season impact upon productivity within your business/company? Figures show that 1 million working days are lost in Australia each year due to the flu and that 2,500 Australians die from the flu each year.