Dear Friends of Balancing Act,
Summertime, and the living is (supposed to be) easy. But coaching clients tell me that's not always true. If a vacation is in the offing, there's the crunch to double up on work before and after. And if there's no vacation in the offing, we start singing the deprivation song. So this month, we'll look at some well-being strategies for summertime work, as well as ways to make work feel more fulfilling year-round. In case your workplace escape is Facebook, we'll take a look at the impact of those mini-second rants. Here's to a more balanced, happier summer, |
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If Summer's become a colorless drudge because of too much work or too little vacation, try these tips:
For fitting in that scheduled time off:
Inventory everything on your plate and decide what you MUST say yes to and what you can say no to, to get to the yeses.
Go back and see what on the yes/no list can be delegated to others to start, process or wrap up while you're gone.
Take another look and see what must be communicated to clients and co-workers about your upcoming vacation. Gain agreement on what your availability will be, with a view toward making this vacation a real vacation.
If you struggle with smartphone addiction, turn to this recent op ed piece, A Quiet Cheer for Solitude, by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni for inspiration.
For defeating no-vacation deprivation mode:
Schedule some day trips on your regular days off. If those are errand-running days, break the errands down into mini-chunks, or delegate them, to free up bigger blocks of time for your trip.
Whether you pack or buy, find a different place for lunch, and take lunch. Eating at your desk is a downer to begin with and simply feeds deprivation mode. Work in a lunchtime walk to someplace new, a mini-meditation in the park. Think about your favorite lunch breaks ever. Repeat the elements that energized you.
Plan your next vacation, whenever and wherever it may be. Anticipation can be as inspiring as the trip itself, and no one but you can take that away from you.
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Recovering from I-Hate-Work Syndrome
I couldn't help but notice a New York Times column, Why You Hate Work. It cited studies showing that employees at all levels are burning out, explaining why, and noting that - no surprise - productivity is better without burnout. The article pointed to a study showing that a whopping 70 percent of white collar senior execs and managers don't have time for creative or strategic thinking, that 66 percent are unable to focus on one thing at a time, and 60 percent don't have opportunities to do what they most enjoy at work. The authors, consultants to corporations, pointed out that employees are more productive and less likely to burn out when corporations meet four basic needs: (1) encouraging regular breaks; (2) letting employees know they're valued; (3) encouraging employees to create blocks of highly focused work time; and (4) cultivating meaning and purpose in work. They also pointed out that many simply don't do it. So what if you work for a place that doesn't feed the four basic needs? One solution is to begin searching for one that does. In the meantime, you can focus on ways the big four are in YOUR control and take small steps to meet your needs in a dysfunctional culture. How can you work in some creativity breaks? Who in your workplace can affirm you and vice versa? How can you make appointments with yourself to focus on one project t a time? And what's the big picture you're contributing to - either in terms of the company's mission or some meaningful end that your paycheck is feeding? Maybe contributing to a better family life or worthy cause outside work is your end game. If the company you work for isn't willing to feed its own well-being, you can still look out for yours. |
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Before You Vent on FB....
Do you find yourself venting the frustration of the moment on Facebook?
Not so fast. Your momentary moment of frustration may torpedo your friends' good mood.
At least that effect would be consistent with research published last month by social scientists, who found that positive Facebook posts appear to be contagious, and so do negative ones.
Not surprisingly, researchers found a substantial correlation between rainfall and negative status updates. They also found that friends of those sulking from rainy weather reported more negative status updates themselves, without regard to their own weather conditions.
The same was true with positive weather posts.
The old adage, "Be careful who your friends are" may also apply to social media.
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SHIFT YOUR GEARS WITHOUT
STRIPPING THEM
With so many coaching clients experiencing transitions in their personal and professional lives, Pat has developed a new workshop, "Shift Your Gears Without Stripping Them."
It will debut with four interactive sessions this month at Chautauqua Institution in western New York and become available to other groups beginning in November.
Based on the latest positive psychology research and the work of William Bridges (Managing Transitions), "Shift Your Gears" applies to the positive and negative transitions we all go through.
Contact Pat to schedule a workshop or transitions program for your group.
NEW TIME-SAVING
STRENGTHS TEST
Are you naturally courageous? Creative? Prudent?
The Values In Action inventory, developed by positive psychologists to detect your highest character strengths,
is now faster to take than ever (around 20 minutes) and free.
Why bother? Strengths use can increase your overall well-being and your energy and flow at work.
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