Wellness Wednesday Issue #71

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Wellness Wednesday #71

🎉 Happy National Receptionists’ Day & Nurses Week!

✅ Today’s checklist:

Supercharge your supplement game
Joanna shares how to help a grieving friend
TA Reader Savita gives a quick wellness tip

🤔 Trivia: Which is the only U.S. state that grows coffee commercially? Find out.

QUICK LINKS

👩‍💼 Workplace Relationships: Five conflict resolution strategies for the workplace.

➡️ Delegation: Create a delegation plan that works for you.

⚡ Productivity: How to harness ADHD hyperfocus.

🧠 Mental Health: Find ways to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month at work.

🤑 Financial Wellness: 5 ways you can audit your expenses right now.

DAILY DOSE

Supercharge Your Supplement Game

Vitamins are essential to our health, but knowing how to maximize their benefits isn’t always straightforward.

Here’s how you can get the most out of some common vitamins:

❌ Avoid These Combinations for Better Absorption

Zinc and Copper
Zinc and copper compete for absorption in the body. High zinc intake can reduce copper absorption, potentially leading to deficiency.

If you need to supplement both, consider taking them at different times of the day or with meals to minimize interaction.

Calcium and Iron
Taking calcium and iron supplements together can hinder the absorption of iron.

Calcium can block iron absorption because both minerals compete for the same absorption pathways.

If you need to supplement both, take iron with a vitamin C-rich food, like oranges, to enhance absorption.

🤝 Combine These Vitamins for Enhanced Benefits

Vitamin D and Calcium
Taking Vitamin D and Calcium together works synergistically to improve bone health.

Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption in the gut, making it beneficial to take these together, particularly for those at risk of osteoporosis or fractures.

Vitamin C and Iron
Vitamin C boosts iron absorption, particularly non-heme iron from plant-based sources.

Pairing vitamin C-rich foods or supplements with iron sources can significantly improve your iron status, which is especially useful for vegetarians or those with iron deficiency.

🕰️ Consider Timing for Better Absorption

B Vitamins
B vitamins work together in many metabolic processes, so taking a B-complex supplement can be more beneficial than individual B vitamins.

However, if you need to take individual B vitamins, it’s best to space them out throughout the day for optimal absorption.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins with Meals
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning they are absorbed better when taken with a meal containing fats.

Taking these vitamins on an empty stomach can significantly reduce absorption.

Optimizing vitamin intake is about more than just taking the right supplements; it’s also about understanding how vitamins interact with each other and how our bodies absorb them.

EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

My 1:1 Meetings Used to Suck — Then I Did This 👉

We’re a small team at The Assist, so we rely on lightweight tools like Notion to power our operations.

Because we wear multiple hats (startup life for ya!), projects are constantly flying around, and priorities can change on a dime.

And even though I’d have regular 1:1s with Cameron (my direct report), sometimes weeks would go by before we’d realize a few to-dos slipped through the cracks.

Our solution?

Creating a system to track our 1:1 meetings and creating a centralized hub for all things TA.
Filling out agenda items prior to meeting to keep us focused
Ending each meeting with a clear plan of action and to-dos listed with deadlines
Reviewing uncompleted tasks in our next meeting and aligning on priorities

You don’t need a complicated system to stay organized — in fact, the simpler it is, the easier to keep up with it.

⭐ I recommend starting with an easy to use template like this 1:1 meeting notes from Notion.

Joanna's headshot Joanna (Co-Founder of TA)

GRIEF

Supporting a Grieving Friend

About ~2 weeks ago, one of my best friends sent a shocking text saying his dad passed away from a heart attack.

As he and his family navigate this incredibly difficult time, our group of friends has been doing our best to offer support and comfort.

Dealing with grief is a deeply personal experience, and everyone copes with loss differently.

I reached out to my friend to discuss the gestures and actions that he found most helpful in the days following his loss — here’s what he highlighted:

When people gifted DoorDash or Uber Eats gift cards because they could be used any time. Dropping off food is nice, but it can get to be too much — prepared meals can pile up and go bad or uneaten.
When people took action instead of asking how they can help. My friend explained, “Don’t ask how to help because, honestly, [the person grieving] has no idea at that time.”
When people offered up their unique skill sets. For example, because I have event management experience, I took over planning the funeral reception. One of his lawyer friends also offered to help review the trust his dad put in place and explain next steps — and so on.
When people made themselves available to hang out (even on a whim). There were multiple times the last couple weeks my friend asked me and/or our other friends to hang out — we all showed up as often as we could.
When people felt comfortable just sitting around together. Distractions and staying busy can be great, but sometimes just being present and doing nothing together is what’s needed.
When friends continued to joke around and engage in their usual banter. While it might seem counterintuitive, maintaining a sense of normalcy can be incredibly comforting. Laughter and moments of lightheartedness can provide a much-needed break from the heaviness.

In times of loss, it’s not always easy to know how to support a grieving friend or loved one.

But by showing up with empathy, patience, and a willingness to help in practical ways, we can make a meaningful difference in their healing process.

Joanna (Co-Founder of TA)