Physical and mental well-being
A member’s guide to stress-management, tech overload and work-life balance support services
Tech overload, its effects and the tools, services and support Aetna International offers members to help tackle anxiety, burn-out and stress-related conditions.
Smoking cessation programmes for employers
What are the best strategies to adopt when setting up your own workplace smoking cessation scheme? We share how to launch and measure smoking cessation programmes.
Things to do instead of smoking
The evidence on the dangers of smoking are clear but breaking the habit can be a hard process. We offer simple ideas for distracting yourself from triggers and curbing your cravings.
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What is wellness? We surveyed expats and their families to find out
We spoke to 32 families of different nationalities living around the world to explore what ‘wellness’ means to expats.
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Frequent fliers: Maintaining the health of your globally mobile workforce
Frequent travel could be having a negative impact on your employees’ health and well-being. Here’s how you and your staff can mitigate its effects.
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Sleep: facts, stats and tips to help you get a better night’s sleep
Concerned about getting enough quality sleep, or about the effects of sleep deprivation? It’s well understood that sleep plays an essential role in maintaining mental and physical wellness. Discover the facts, stats and tips that can help you develop healthier sleeping habits.
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The best things you can do to look after your health in 2021
Read our tips to get healthy, helping you adapt for a healthy year ahead.
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End-of-life care: It’s in your hands
Across the globe, the one thing that connects us all — mortality — tends to be shrouded in mystery and silence for many people. In some cultures, it’s perfectly natural and desirable to die at home amidst family and caregivers. But in others, too many people are spending their last days in hospital — a place designed primarily to treat disease and illness, not provide the peaceful, dignified end-of-life care and experience many of us would like. And having frank conversations about death and dying is not commonplace everywhere.
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Moving to a new country with children
We asked 500 families about the most important aspects of settling children into a new home abroad. We share their top tips and advice in our article.
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Total recall: Can I record my doctor's visit?
As more people record their medical appointments, we look at the benefits, whether it’s legal and how best to go about it.
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Expat mental health: Do you need a check-up?
As expat mental health becomes more of a challenge, how can you tell if yours is suffering? And what can you do to manage your own mental health?
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What does 'best' mean in health care?
How do you know you’re getting the best health care? And how would you choose it? Filmmaker Suzanne Garber explains how quality, accessibility, affordability and transparency mean the best health care in the world.
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Using tech to tackle mental health
As technology develops and its proliferation grows, it is increasingly being applied to treating and managing mental health conditions.
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Quit smoking tips
Giving up smoking can improve your health and well-being in so many ways. From coping mechanisms such as surrounding yourself with support and avoiding triggers to understanding how much you’ll benefit, find out how to take control of your health now.
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Skincare tips
Natural sunlight has many benefits. It triggers the production of vitamin D and serotonin, which help protect against inflammation and boost a person’s mood. However, too much sun can be harmful to your skin. Make sure you stay safe and protect yourself from the harmful effects of overexposure.
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Get smart about sugar
You don’t have to completely give up the foods you love to have a healthy, balanced diet. But it’s important to know how to keep your sugar intake in check.
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Weight reduction tips
Maintaining a healthy weight can help you feel better and can boost your energy levels. Everyone is different, but these tips provide some habit-changing guidance that can help you get on the path to a healthier you.
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Work healthy
The goal of office ergonomics is to create a work space that fits you. Find out how to better manage your health at work, particularly if you’re using a computer for the best part of the day.
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Tips to improve your diet
Dieticians and nutritionists seem to agree that we should all have more fruit and vegetables, more complex carbs and less refined sugar in our diet. (Beyond that, the right nutritional balance for each individual can be more difficult to define as a range of factors, including genetics and basal metabolic rate, play a role.) These healthy eating tips will help you start to make good food choices every day.
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Create a peaceful holiday season
The holidays can bring an increase in social occasions, family visits, spending and the availability of tempting treats. Being organised and making good choices can help you maintain your calm — and waistline — over the holidays.
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Home safety: Help people avoid falls
Falls are one of the leading causes of injury at home. Is your home as safe as it could be? What can you do to make sure your ageing loved ones don’t fall and injure themselves at home?
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How to practise mindfulness
When you bring your awareness to your emotions, thoughts and experiences in the moment, you’re being mindful. You can purposefully practise this every day and use it to your advantage. Find out how.
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Relative and absolute: 32 expat families describe health care in their new homes
Expats from 32 countries discuss health care in Hong Kong, Spain, Mexico, Singapore, India, Nigeria, and Canada.
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What is wellness? And what is the role of health care providers?
Wellness is a personal responsibility, but what role can health care providers play in supporting its customers in staying healthy?
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What is wellness? And how is it affected by living in another country?
Expats give the real stories behind the statistics: what are the benefits and challenges of expat living
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What is wellness? Mindfulness and mental health
What are the challenges expats face trying to maintain good mental health away from home?
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What is wellness? The role of physical health and diet
How do expats stay healthy abroad and how does it support general wellness?
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How does personal security and safety abroad impact expat wellness?
Many expats work in countries where families are at risk from wars, terror threats or petty criminals. What is it like to live with this? And how do expats tackle it?
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What do expats think of virtual health? How does it help achieve wellness?
Technology is revolutionising health care for expats, but what do they actually think of virtual health?
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What is wellness? And what does it mean to expats?
We spoke to 32 families living around the world to explore what ‘wellness’ means to expats. What does it mean to you?
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Antibiotic resistance: Do your part to fight it!
Throughout the world, antibiotic drugs have saved countless lives — and chances are pretty good you’ve taken at least one course of an antibiotic yourself. The problem is, overuse and misuse of these miracle drugs have caused some bacteria to successfully adapt in order to survive. This means that some antibiotics no longer work against some bacterial infections.
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Your dinner plate: A novel way to fight antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance has emerged as one of the world’s deadliest health crises. The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is threatening the effectiveness of last-resort treatments for life-threatening infections. You may have heard that the problem is partially driven by doctors overprescribing the medications and patients misusing them. But you might not realise that another contributing cause is the extensive use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, especially factory farming.
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Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
To maintain a healthy weight, knowing how many kilocalories to intake every day can be a great place to start.
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Cholesterol health tips
Understanding cholesterol and its impact on health can help you to reduce your risk of developing certain conditions.
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Fitness tips
How often should you exercise? What’s the best form of exercise? A schedule of cardio, stretching
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Flu and pneumonia vaccine guidelines
Whether your immune system is fragile or you’re a frequent flyer, find out more about flu and pneumonia vaccines here.
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Manage your stress and take control
Get on top of your stress levels to help avoid health complications, such as heart and blood pressure problems.
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Tips for your next doctor's visit
Whether it’s in person or via a virtual care service make sure you get the most out of your next doctor’s appointment.
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How to stay strong and focused at work
Struggling to focus at work? These small changes can help.
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Expatriate mental health: Key things to know before you go
Many people living or working abroad are woefully unprepared for how the challenges of being an expatriate might affect their mental health. If you’re taking an overseas assignment for work or starting a new life abroad, arm yourself with these top tips to prevent or address common mental health issues before you go.
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Expatriate stress: Top five pressure points
Working abroad or accompanying your spouse on international assignment? Don’t underestimate its potential to impact your mental health. Find out how to recognise - and manage - stress, anxiety and depression.
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Working abroad? Five ways to safeguard your mental health
Here are five ways to prepare for the mental well-being challenges you could face when moving abroad. They’re all designed to help you prevent the onset of stress, which can lead to anxiety and depression.
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A balanced diet abroad
Moving overseas for leisure, retirement or work is always an exciting challenge. One of the major issues to affect all expats is adapting their diet in a new country.
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10 smart snacks around the globe
Snacking is a part of everyday life for many people. Here’s a list of some of the world’s favourite healthy snacks.
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Why do assignments fail and how to avoid it
While there are clear benefits to relocating staff internationally, there are also risks involved on both sides: not least, the cost. Because foreign assignments are so expensive, companies involved in moving staff around the world are continually looking to find ways of ensuring sure they don’t fail.
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10 health checks you can do at home
These 10 basic checks can help keep track of your health, monitor ongoing conditions and check symptoms – without having to leave the house.
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International child health for globally mobile families
While living and working in a new country can bring excitement and adventure, it also creates a range of unique challenges. If you’re considering emigrating with young children, it’s important to be understand how to handle any potential health issues that could arise.
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Health care for new families: an international guide
Many of us will face the challenge of nurturing a young family and developing a career simultaneously.
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Stress and your health
Try these tips for reducing stress during your relocation, wherever you are.
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Mental health support while you're abroad
Off on an international assignment with your family? Don’t underestimate the impact relocating can have on mental health. Learn more about the challenges expats face and where you can turn to for support.
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Common anxiety disorders
Moving abroad can be a cause for anxiety. Here are some of the common forms it can take.
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Expat parenting a child with ADHD
Moving abroad with children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can seem especially daunting. Find out how to prepare and nurture them throughout the move with our top tips.
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Eating disorders and travelling abroad
Here are some ways to prepare for the challenges you could face when moving abroad. They’re designed to help you prevent the onset or relapse of eating disorders.
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Expat risk of depression
People are less likely to seek help for depression than for other medical conditions, even though treatments can be very effective. Make sure you’re getting what you need.
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Treating depression abroad
A guide to treating depression for those who live away from home – from medication to counselling.
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Mindfulness tips for expats
Try our tips for incorporating mindful moments into your daily routine, wherever you are
