Welcome to the March edition of Thinkr.

Contents:
Relocation and Immigration news
Upcoming events
Editorial
Archive

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Lists
More interesting nuggets for everyone involved with recruitment and relocation:

Most expensive cities
Source: The Economist

Housing Affordability Survey
Source: Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Cascadia Scorecard on Liveability
Source: Sightline Institute

50 Most Innovative Companies
Source: FastCompany

Think About it

Updated: E-LMO advertising guidelines and New: Workforce Reductions Questionnaire

HRSDC has amended the E-LMO program to coincide with the new national recruitment efforts requirements. E-LMO positions are now required to be advertised following the same guidelines as regular LMO applications. In addition, proof or recruiting efforts are required to be submitted wiht the application. Employers are also required to complete a questionnaire providing information on workforce reductions and results of their recruitment efforts.

New: E-LMO on-line application form

While the E-LMO standards are stricter, it is slightly easier now to make an application. The on-line form must be completed in one sitting and supporting documents and signatures are sent to Service Canada once the on-line form is submitted.

Need for foreign workers continues despite downturn

Despite the economic downturn, employers are still in need of foreign workers due to skills shortages and the on-going demographics of retiring boomers. Tighter guidelines on labour market opinions are in response to the short-term pressures but the longer-term needs should not be overlooked.

Additional H-1B visa restrictions

Companies benefiting from the stimulus bill face tougher rules and restrictions for their
H-1B visa applications. With the U.S. dependence on foreign students and talent, this protectionist moves leaves many potential employees and employers in the lurch. The H-1B visa cap was difficult enough and now these additional restrictions make this an even tougher category.

Cuts to Canadian immigration considered

In response to labour market conditions, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is considering lowering the immigration targets for this year. Citing lack of jobs for those who immigrate to Canada as permanent residents, the Minister also says this needs to be tempered against Canada's long-term goals.

Competition for foreign students

Universities all over the world compete for the lucrative international student market. Knowing that these students would like to stay after graduation, governments are loosening up immigration rules to help retain their talent.

Language and cultural skills beneficial to career growth

For our internationally mobile workforce and global business environment, language and cultural skills are an important to business development and career growth. Employees are better able to respond in different cultural contexts and communicate more effectively.

Spanish management culture

This article takes a look at the management culture in Spain and examines hierarchy, strategy, meetings, negotiations, decisions, time perceptions, greetings, dress code, and dining.

Effective expat communications

Corporate communications in general can be a tricky area; communications with your expat population can be especially difficult if not handled correct. This article looks at the challenges, issues and provides suggestions for an effective expat communications program.

Thinking Back
We enjoyed co-facilitating our Immigration Basics workshop in March and getting to know all of our attendees. If you missed the workshop this time around, not to worry, it'll be back as part of our Summer School workshop series in a few months.

Think Ahead

Housing Trends Update

This morning meeting will examine the current housing market situation, including the short-term accommodations and rental markets.

Webinar: Business Interactions with Mexican Nationals

This webinar will examine the cultural do's and don'ts of doing business withing the Mexican context.

Get all the latest Immigration and Relocation Events on our website.

This edition's guest editor is Tammy Vigue from Sit Still Integrated Wellness:

Tammy Vigue is the founder of Sit Still Integrated Wellness.  She is a Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Meditation teacher and Life Coach.  Sit Still delivers workshops and programs on stress reduction and mindfulness for busy professionals including some of the top lawyers in Canada, law firms and financial institutions. 

Think Tank

Managing Stress in Uncertain Times

It’s nearly impossible to escape the bad news these days... from the global economic crisis, the Wall Street bailout, housing foreclosures, bankruptcies, turbulent equity markets,  to rising unemployment...

It can be a challenge to stay centred in the midst of it all while being bombarded by all the negative messages in the media.  In times like these it’s important to find ways to remain calm and centred.    Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

Breathe to Release Stress

Breathing exercises can be practiced anytime, anywhere and are one of the quickest ways to relax and de-stress.  By changing the quality of the breath, you can change the experience of the mind. 

Notice your breathing when you are stressed or anxious - your breath becomes rapid and shallow. By the same token when you are relaxed your breath slows and becomes deeper. Knowing this, if we manipulate the breath to make it slower and deeper, we begin to experience a sense of peace and calm.   The mind follows the breath. 

Shallow, rapid breathing = anxiety and stress
Slow deep breathing = peace and calm

Practice: This week, whenever you notice yourself feeling stressed or agitated, observe your breath.  You will find that it will be rapid and shallow in the moments when you feel tense. 

When you notice this happening, take a moment and sit or lie comfortably.

Place your hands on your belly. 

Inhale slowly and deeply, expanding the belly on the inhalation.  Imagine that you are inflating your belly like a balloon on the inbreath. 

As you exhale relax your belly back towards your spine. 

To keep you attention on your breath you may find it useful to count each breath.  For example, Inhale (mentally count 1), Exhale (mentally count 1), Inhale (mentally count 2), Exhale (mentally count 2) ...Continue until you reach a count of 10.  If you lose count simply begin again at one.

This exercise is one of the quickest ways to elicit the ‘relaxation response’.

Practice being mindful

To be Mindful is to awaken to your moment to moment experience as it is.  Being mindful doesn’t require you to “do” anything about your experience, to change anything or to make anything happen, it’s simply being open and curious to what actually is happening in the moment without getting lost in judgements or fantasies about what you wish were happening. 

So why is this important?  It can help you realize that we have a choice in how we respond to our circumstances.  If we relate this to the current environment for example, a 25% drop in the equity markets is just that – a 25% drop.  Notice how looking at it in this way is different than concluding that the decline in equity markets means that the world is entering a depression, that the markets will never recover, that you will lose your job, that you will never be able to retire, that your kids will end up living in poverty and having to support you in your old age, that you’ll have to sell your house...etc. 

Notice our tendency to create a ‘story’ around events.  If X, then Y.  But if instead we come back to the direct experience (eg. my investments dropped 25%) we are able to see that we can choose how to respond.  Will it change the situation (will the markets recover?) by you feeling angry, depressed, frustrated or helpless?  What if you could choose a different response?

Mindfulness allows us to look at our situation with objectivity (versus reactivity) and gives us the space to choose how to respond.

So although we may not be able to change our circumstances (the markets, economy, and unemployment rates) we can change the way we relate to them. 

Each time you notice yourself becoming anxious, stressed or worried, realize that you have a choice in how you respond to the situation.  Although you might not be able to control your situation, with practice you come to realize you have the power to choose how you respond.  Bad news can be met with an attitude of doom and gloom or one of acceptance and equanimity - the choice is yours.

Practice: This week commit to ‘coming to your senses’ as many times as possible throughout the day.  That is, open to the direct experience by using your senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. See if you can use ordinary activities as opportunities to be mindful.  For example, when washing your hands notice the temperature of the water, the feel of your hands touching, the aroma of the soap...everything in your direct experience of washing your hands. 

Become present to ordinary activities like the ringing of the telephone, brushing your teeth, eating and walking.  These are all perfect opportunities to practice being mindful throughout the day.

By practicing being mindful in moments like these we are building the capacity to be mindful in whatever situation or circumstances we find ourselves in.

Tammy Vigue
Sit Still Integrated Wellness

Learn more about sitting still at: http://sitstill.ca/