Tag Archives | health
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That Guilty Overworked Feeling: How to Reduce It

By on March 16, 2011 in Personal Growth

Guest post from David in Australia!

Everyone is feeling overworked these days. But stress relief is on the horizon. Take a look at these ten tips on how to avoid that guilty feeling that you’ve been overworking yourself beyond what is good for you.

1. Stop Complaining
If you think you’ve got too much work, the most important aspect is how you react. If you do nothing but complain, think about how you react to someone else complaining about their job. Stop your complaining before your life is ruined. Remember, complaining is a toxic poison that will kill you. Top performers do not talk about how they’re being overworked.

2. Prioritise
Prioritise your work by realising what work you have to do, what work you should do, and what work you can skip doing entirely. No matter how much you think you can do everything, realise that doing everything is simply not possible. Cutting corners is not something to avoid; embrace the fact that you cannot do everything all the time.

3. Organise Your Time
Your time is your most valuable resource. Use a system to set up your tasks for every day, week and month so that you can see your commitments at one glance. Set aside some time every week for leisure time, for family time, and for hobby time. Take time for a vacation, and keep your personal relationships at the top of your list.

4. Cut Back on Busy Work
There’s that work we all have to do that does nothing to produce what we want. Concentrate on the 20% of the tasks on your To-Do list that return 80% of the profit. Don’t worry that you’re ignoring work; take pride in these unproductive work tasks you can forget about because you let them fall away. Delegate if you have to.

5. Stop Working
Keep track of the time you spend working, and do not let the rest of your schedule suffer. Understand that an extra few hours you spend on work when you’re exhausted is not worth the effort. Get a good night’s sleep, and come back tomorrow to that task refreshed and better able to do what needs to be done.

6. Dedicate a Space
Besides dedicating time and effort for work, set aside a workspace where you do your work. Let everyone know that when you’re in that spot, you are working and the DO NOT DISTURB sign is up and blinking away in bright neon. It goes beyond privacy; it’s all about focus on the task.

7. Set Expectations
Let your co-workers, your manager or supervisor, and your clients know what they can expect from you. Tell everyone what your commitments are at the start of any task related to them, what your boundaries are for that task, and the structure of the working relationship. Be ready to stand by what you say.

8. Learn to Say no
In conjunction with the last tip, learn how and when to say “No.” If you take on a task that will eat up all of your time and effort, yet you know you cannot commit those resources, have that word ready. Think of alternatives, though. Can you pass the job to a freelancer looking for work, or out-source the job?

9. Talk and Listen
Having someone just listen to you is great. Cultivate friends and colleagues and even mentors and managers who will sit down and listen to you unburden yourself -remember, no complaining. And be ready to return the favour and let your ear be available for them.

10. Stay Healthy
Do not take your health for granted. Sleep, diet and exercise are all important, and must be fit into your schedule. Get at least five hours of sleep a night – we know no one has enough time every night for eight hours. Eat good healthy food, and avoid the unhealthy stuff as much as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get fit and stay that way.

This post was written by David who is co-founder of one of Australia’s leading comparison websites where he contributes reviews of credit cards for many of the best business credit cards offering rewards such as cash back and frequent flyer points.

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Paris - Musée Rodin: The Thinker

Contemplation is Priceless

By on March 4, 2011 in Personal Growth, Success
Paris - Musée Rodin: The Thinker

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Do you ever take time to just sit and think? If you are like most people the answer is no. Thinking seems lazy and unproductive; a waste of time.  In reality, time to think, dream, plan and contemplate can be one of the most valuable uses of our time. How will we make friends with our inner selves otherwise? How will we conjure plans to change the world? How will we get that inspiration that takes our success to the next level? How will we discover the true gifts of life unless we take the time to turn them over in our minds and fully absorb them?

This weekend set aside some time to just think and see where it takes you. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that it the time well spent.

Never be afraid to sit awhile and think. – Lorraine Hansberry

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You’re Not Joan of Arc – Don’t Be a Martyr

By on February 15, 2011 in Personal Growth, Success

You’re Not Joan of Arc – Don’t Be a Martyr

If you ignore your body’s pleas for rest, miss lunch time, and try to do too much, then you’re not doing anybody any favors, especially not yourself. That’s not productivity; that’s foolishness.

Slow down

Ask for help

Take a break

Enough is enough

Say NO

Breathe

Don’t forget… Joan of Arc was burned at the stake anyway. Not a good end.

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The First Thanksgiving, painted by Jean Leon G...

Take Time Off

By on December 24, 2010 in Personal Growth
The First Thanksgiving, painted by Jean Leon G...
Image via Wikipedia
Take time off!

Please take some time to enjoy your family and get some rest. The holiday crunch is coming and for most of us that means non-stop activity until January.

Enslaving yourself to your work can actually make you accomplish less. Master the ability to recharge yourself when you need it. Studies have shown that productivity actually improves with time off and rest. We cannot operate at full speed all of the time and expect not to lose some of our efficiency.

For example, I have started a practice of unplugging from my laptop on Sunday, unless there is some truly compelling reason not to. It is far too easy to become addicted to my Twitter, Facebook and HootSuite and before I know it the “10 minutes to check in” has turned into 2 hours. I have found and many studies substantiate this, that I can recharge my health, energy and focus by completely getting away from work in all its forms. So, my Sundays include reading my paper over coffee, walks, hiking or bike rides with my family or the dogs, gardening and best of all spending time in my chair with a good book!

This Thanksgiving week I am going to attempt to only check in with social media and personal email once a day (max 30 min.,) that’s a compromise my family and I can live with. I plan to spend time petting my dogs, listening to my children, getting in some “auntie” time with my niece and nephew.

What can you do to rest and recharge? Think of the possibilities…..

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Hands

Thankfulness is Power

By on November 29, 2010 in Personal Growth, Success

HandsDuring tough times, many people find themselves battling thoughts of anger, depression, fear, etc.  These thoughts do nothing to inspire you, nor to move you in the right direction.  In fact, they make matters worse.  Thankfulness on the other hand, is a fast and powerful way to create a positive change in your circumstances.  Gratitude raises you up to a new level of consciousness and provides an atmosphere for awakening spirituality.  You are able to visualize new possibilities, receive ideas on what steps to take next and realize a positive vision for the future.

What we feed grows and what we think is purely a matter of personal choice.  We have to choose powerful thoughts that move us in a direction that serves our purpose.  Powerful, positive thoughts bring us peace of mind and inspire us.  They help us with smart goal setting as well as self improvement.  Get out of a funk by changing your thoughts and following up with clarity and precise action.

Excerpted from MorningCoach.com, contributed my Paul Lederman.

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Lessons Learned: Month 4

By on November 3, 2010 in Life Balance, Personal Growth

My husband has been deployed for 4 months now. Looking back gives the impression that time has flown by, but as it is passing it seems excruciatingly slow. A few more months to go, but we are on the downslide now.

Lessons Learned: Month 4

  • Put yourself at the top of the list – Don’t just give it lip service, do it! You’d think I would have figured that out in month 1, but for some odd reason human nature turns us into martyrs. We consistently slip to the bottom of the priority list, the section that we never get to. We tell ourselves that it’s only temporary and that sacrifices are necessary. Sleep – who needs it, meals – sitting or sometimes eating is optional, breaks – yeah right, relaxation – what’s that? If we are not careful, we sacrifice ourselves right into burn-out.
  • Approach a deployment as a 2nd job – We absorb dual parental responsibility, extra household responsibility and sometimes additional family responsibilities. In addition we need to set aside time to communicate and care for our partner from afar. Whether that takes the form of email, phone, Skype, mailing packages or all of the above, it is an additional time commitment that wasn’t there before. I received some very wise counsel this month from a brutally honest confidant. “You were operating with a full plate before your husband left. How did you honestly expect to absorb all of these extra demands and still keep everything in the air?” Well, I guess I never thought about it that way. Now I will.

This month’s take-aways; self-care is non-negotiable, delegate, defer or delete responsibilities to make room for extra demands.

Today I am grateful for the biggest lesson I have learned so far: Taking care of myself is the foundation for a fulfilling, purposeful life.

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Change Your Habits: 30 Days to a more Productive and Successful Life

By on October 5, 2010 in Personal Growth, Success
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Excellence is not an act but a habit. The things you do the most are the things you will do the best.

- Marva Collins

Our habits make up the web that supports the fabric of our daily lives. We may often not even realize we have them, but trust me, they are there. Good and bad, we all repeat them in often unconscious patterns that shape the tone, productiveness and success of our lives. You cannot escape this reality. Whether you work in a corner office, are a stay at home mom or especially if you work from home or are a business owner, the quality and efficiency of your work depend on good habits. The good news is that habits can be changed with persistence and patience.

habits

If you want to change the quality and trajectory of your life, then you must cultivate better habits and cease old patterns.

Reality check – Have you identified the habits that are not serving you? Let’s be honest. We know when a habit is undermining our plans and progress.  We stay up too late, watch too much TV, eat unhealthy food, compulsively check email or haunt Facebook. We overspend and ignore our health. Whatever your destructive patterns are, you have to be willing to look at them honestly.

Why – Know your motivation. Is it better health, getting your home or office organized, losing weight, making more money or getting out of debt?  Is there a project you need to finish or a dream that you want to pursue? Motivation can be the determining factor in whether you succeed or not.

Stay positive – It is far easier to focus on cultivating a positive habit rather than trying to simply break an old one.

Some examples:

Instead of saying I need to cut out sugar, you might try I will eat fruit for dessert.

Instead of I want to cut back on spending, you might want to say I will save X amount per week.

Instead of trying to refrain from checking email first thing in the morning, you could cultivate a habit of using your first hour for either your most important work (which I doubt is email) or your self-care (exercise, reading, etc.)

*My ongoing struggle is to consistently get enough sleep and rise earlier. I know that sets the tone for my whole day and often makes the difference between a productive day and a stressful one. So that will be my habit change for October.

Join me in the 30 day challenge to a more productive life by changing your habits. I recommend you choose just one to start and stay consistent. As we progress through October I will share more tips and strategies for making your habits stick.

What habit will you choose to change?

Read more on changing habits and making them stick.

 

 

Looking for a coach in UK? Check out the Life Coach Directory
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Month 3 Lessons Learned

By on October 5, 2010 in Personal Growth

I just realized that it has been 3 months already since my husband left for Afghanistan. I hesitate to say that I don’t know where the time went, because I do. It went to work, kids, home maintenance, family and volunteer commitments, worry and sleepless nights. Some of my time consumers are getting better; some worse. As the journey continues I continue to stretch and grow and learn along the way.

Month 3 Lessons learned

You can do so much more than you thought possible – This month I have had many firsts and am ever amazed at the expanding limits of my capacity. Without my husband to lean on this month, I have learned my way around a caulk gun, helped to close the pool for the season, successfully opened the fireplace while managing not to blow up our house, negotiated more car repair visits than I would like and helped my mom ready her home for sale. Who knew?

You cannot do as much as you think you can – In a seemingly direct contradiction of my first lesson comes the second one. Projects will take longer than expected, obstacles will arise and demands on your time and attention will test your limits when you can least afford it. You can’t do and be everything for everyone without losing yourself in the shuffle. I have found that when juggling competing needs, my time, my health and my care are the first to be overlooked. That can only lead to burnout.

For the month of October, which also happens to contain my birthday, I am renewing my commitment to me. I need the reminder that I am the central force and touchstone of our family unit right now and just like the crash scenario on the airplane, I need the oxygen mask first.

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20 Strategies to Recharge and Refocus to Increase Your Productivity

By on September 14, 2010 in Personal Growth, Success

Did you know that taking time to rest and recharge are possibly the most valuable productivity and success strategies you can practice?

What do you do to recharge and boost your energy and focus?

Here are some suggestions on steps you can take to restore your energy and revitalize your focus in no particular order. Choose one or several and practice them this week:

  • Meditate – start with a few minutes and work your way up to whatever is comfortable for you
  • Take a walk out in nature – try a park, the woods or near the water
  • Spend time with friends – share, connect and receive and offer support
  • Read a book that inspires you or stretches your imagination
  • Get active – go running, cycling, swimming, tennis, golf
  • Do yoga or Pilates – a regular practice helps both body and mind
  • Practice Pranayama breathing – or try another kind of deep breathing practice
  • Get more sleep – take a nap or go to bed early one night per week
  • Drink lots of pure water and eat really fresh food – try a visit to the local farmer’s market
  • Take in some culture – attend the theatre to watch a performance or a symphony
  • Get outside – take pictures, draw or just sit and soak in the beauty of nature
  • Have fun – play games, tell jokes
  • Treat yourself to your favorite indulgence – a fine glass of wine, a soothing cup of tea, a delicious coffee creation, a scrumptious bakery delight
  • Do something thrilling – cliff diving, bungee jumping, hang gliding, sky diving
  • Get some “bodywork” – schedule a massage, facial, Reiki, reflexology treatment or acupuncture
  • Learn a new sport or activity – try dance lessons, rock climbing, quilting, scrap-booking, bird-watching; the possibilities are endless
  • Spend some time in solitude
  • Listen to music – whatever kind appeals to you. Rock music can be relaxing and energizing for some and classical tunes can be an energy booster
  • Dance – Just get up and let yourself go
  • Brain dump – Get everything out of your head and turn off the worry machine
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Manage Your Energy

By on August 5, 2010 in Personal Growth

Learning how to manage your energy goes along with the post I wrote a few days ago explaining the importance of knowing yourself and what works for you. Another part of that strategy is also knowing and managing your energy cycle, levels and preferences. Then the next step is figuring out how to use that knowledge to your advantage to help you work smarter, be more effective and have more free time.

Personal energy considerations:

  • Are you a morning person or a night owl?
  • Do you get a lunch time or mid-afternoon energy slump?
  • What is your optimal length of focus or work period? For some people it’s 30 minutes spurts with short breaks in between, for others it’s 60 or 90 minutes and for a rare few it’s 3 or 4 hours.
  • How often do you need to eat to maintain your concentration and energy? For health purposes you should eat every 3-4 hours, but perhaps a snack every 2 works better for you.
  • Does the type of food you eat matter? Perhaps pasta isn’t a good lunch if it makes you want to take a nap!

You may not know the answers to these questions and you are not alone. The best method to use to get a better “map” if you will of your energy cycle is to track your workday activities with energy notes for a week. You should already have some type of calendar that you use for work and/or home. Simply make brief notes as you go through your week about the type of task you are doing and how you are feeling each hour. When you look back at the end of the week, you will see a pattern that you can use to help you schedule tasks, meetings, breaks and other activities during the times that are more appropriate for you.

For example, I have discovered that I am a morning person and that my brain gets fuzzy late at night. However, when I first wake up it takes me a while to calm my mind and focus; it’s usually like a whirling vortex of ideas and task. This is not a good time for me to write a blog post or do project work. It is a great time for me to scan social media, read RSS feeds, answer quick emails (things that only need a few minutes focus) or alternatively to exercise which helps to calm my mind. My energy and focus “curve” slowly climbs throughout the morning and peaks late morning. So 10AM-12PM is great project/writing time. This is why I frequently get caught up in a project and do not want to stop to eat lunch. I will keep working until 1 or 2 some days and then I am starving. So, the lesson for me here is not only when to schedule high focus activities, but also to make sure I take a mid-morning break and have a good snack in case lunch is later. I am almost useless many days late afternoon, so I best get everything done before 3PM or else it has to wait until mid-evening. I do get another spurt of energy between 6-8PM, which I like to use for those household chores, being active with the kids or occasionally writing or other business tasks that I may not have time for during the traditional work day (i.e. finances, marketing, technology issues.) The other things I discovered are that I work better in 90 minute blocks of time (30 minutes is too disruptive for me) and that I need to eat every 2 – 3 hours.

To read more on the other Golden Rules of Productivity, click here.

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