A unique wellbeing programme, measuring and monitoring stress biomarkers and behavioural health.
Best companies are striving for excellence while deeply caring for their teams. Some stress is inherent to our modern life, including at work and as a good leader, you want your people to be performant without being overwhelmed.
In other words, you aim for your team to be `in the flow” and reach a balance between the:
• GOOD STRESS -the pleasant, stimulating healthy stress, with an optimal level of energy, creativity and enthusiasm
• BAD STRESS - the prolonged, chronic stress that is unpleasant, can make people sick, disengaged, exhausted and burned- out.
But how to know, early enough if your stress is good (stimulative) or bad (harmful)? Traditional methods to evaluate stress are exclusively based on ‘narratives’, what one's feeling (symptoms). They’re important but not sufficient, given that every one’s stress is different (different personality, life experience, environment etc) and its perception is different.
Traditional healthcare systems and workplaces struggle to address ‘stress at work’ with their existing tools and methods.
A several month programme guiding individuals and teams on how to make a ‘good stress’ working better for them and how to prevent, detect and control a ‘harmful’ chronic stress.
Our solution is different because is:
• science-based - backed by doctors and other medical scientists
• comprehensive - unique 360° evaluation & health programme
• personalised - adapting to your company's & culture and your team's needs
Customised team package, for min 3 months:
Stress tests (home kits)
Individual report and personal recommandations
Anonymised aggregated group report | risk stratification
Behavioural health monitoring
1:1 sessions with stress experts
Webinars | training for teams on stress-free workplace
Online mindfulness programme
You used to have a vibrant energy. You’re exhausted, no matter how well you sleep. You got used to feeling tired, but it's not you. You need more coffee and stimulants to function. Check your fatigue biomarkers and get on the right track with an individualised plan.
Sleep is essential for health and recovery. Everybody deserves a good night's sleep. Instead of counting sheep every evening, learn how to tackle your sleep problems from within.
It’s normal not being joyful and happy all the time, feeling down or moody. But, when you’re” feeling blue”or “seeing red” most days, it's not all in your head! Stress (and other factors) can undermine your happiness molecules. Check if they are at the right levels.
Your work performance it’s not what it used to be. You’re less focused, you get easily distracted and you have brain fog. Improving your stress response will help you to have a clearer mind and a better concentration level. And everything becomes easier.
Motivation is important, don't get used to less! Not enough stimulation (too little, unhealthy stress) can get your people bored, disengaged and push them to procrastination. Check your stress hormones too and get a better picture of your drive biology. You'll know what is needed to be back on track and will help your team's dynamics.
Hard to reach your optimal weight, no matter what? Tired of making efforts with no/little results? Stress could be to blame, since it puts you on fire (increases inflammation) and becomes a break for slows down your metabolism.
I had the chance to meet Lavinia from Sorcova Health and benefit from her help while I was working in another startup. When joining Willo, I also wanted my new team to receive this kind of unique support. Moreover, having an international team and several locations, we’ve really appreciated the flexibility and the easiness of the process, including that services could be offered in English and French. She is a key partner to our People Operations’ team. She offers support that neither HR nor the managers are able to provide, and for this reason I would suggest that any People Operations team, no matter the size, consider working with Dr. Lavinia and Sorcova Health.
Our daily life is getting more stressful. Covid is even accelerating that pace. To fight that stress, self development & awareness is the key. I had worked a lot on my mental, but in 2020, I started to have huge stomach issues & I decided to start working on my lifestyle with Sorcova Health. I especially liked the holistic & data approach, and after a full recovery & a new lifestyle increasing both happiness & productivity, there was no doubt that I should give this service to my whole team. In fact, any competitive company should provide that. Mental Health is not an option.
We've been growing at a very fast pace since our incorporation in Jan 2020, but growth doesn't always carry a positive meaning. Behind the scenes of Sparkmate (on top of the start of the pandemic), is our amazing team who works tirelessly and constantly pushes the boundaries to deliver quality work. With that being said, work burnouts and mental health issues have been a serious concern especially in startups. And to prevent a creeping burnout, we're super excited to partner with Sorcova Health who'll be our aid in keeping our team's mental wellbeing in check and always at a tip-top condition so that we can continue to imagine, build and launch kick-ass products.
My stomach directly affects my level of energy and mood. At some point, I couldn’t afford the fatigue that followed a meal. I went to my GPs and even after some basic checks, nothing concluding came back and my problem was still there. Then I recalled Lavinia’s explanations about gut-brain connection and how stress can (also) impact digestion, although I didn't feel ‘stressed’. I’m building an exciting product (the most awesome VR headsets :), I raised money, built a team, but I didn’t feel ‘burned’ (I’m also 20!). After several tests, within weeks after starting my health programme focusing on my gut flora, diet and mental wellbeing in parallel, I've started to feel better. It was only then that I realised how ‘stressed’ I was before .My mind was clear again and my energy and vitality at an optimal level. I wanted my team to get the same support, avoiding the trap asking for help only when they would already feel unwell.
Fatigue can have various causes, but chronic stress is a common reason for exhaustion and energy depletion, whether or not you manage to get one good night’s sleep or some rest over the weekend. Changes in cortisol secretion level and other stress molecules can be the main cause, but it is hard to say without testing them and looking at the whole picture. Moreover, each individual will need a personalised solution (tiredness caused by too much or too little cortisol will require different solutions).
Sleep disturbances can also have several root causes, but stress is by far the most common cause. Who didn’t experience the type of endless brooding” that keeps you awake all night long? Again, knowing more about your stress biology will give you more information about your sleep patterns and how to best improve it.
It is perfectly normal to have a slightly fluctuating mood (you can’t feel ‘happy’ all the time). But when the emotional roller-coaster has become the norm rather than the exception, then you need to do something about it. Stress affects several regions of the brain linked to emotions and behaviour. Many studies show a relationship between high cortisol and and depression. Moreover, mood is also influenced by other stress molecules like Dopamine (DA), the “reward molecule”.
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To save our life before a life-threatening danger, our body is hardwired to react to stress in a way that will help us “run for our life”. Therefore, organs and systems that are not essential for this race will be turned down (or shut off). That’s why sex hormones and libido are greatly affected by chronic stress (as they are by other things like menopause or andropause). Checking stress hormones and maintaining them in balance will have a positive impact on your libido and sex drive.
When “running for your life” during stress, your general metabolism will also be slowed down and you will have a tendency to put on weight, no matter how balanced your diet. Furthermore you may develop more appetite for junk food. To make things worse, under the action of cortisol, the additional weight will be mostly located in the abdominal area (the so-called “belly fat”). Therefore, checking your stress biology when you struggle to keep an optimal weight, could be very wise.