Beat the Back to Work Blues Part 4

A break from work can highlight how much you are actually doing there.  Have you heard of people that have left their jobs or retired for their position to be replaced by two or three people?  That is ludicrous!  You are not the only one that can do your job and you let yourself down if you think that by doing more you are more valuable to your employer. If you don't develop the people around you, you don't develop yourself either.

Focus on making whatever you’re working on real from the get-go

Work less. 

Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they just use it up. If all you do is work, you’re unlikely to make sound judgements. No one makes sharp decisions when tired. Forty hours is an astonishingly apt ceiling for sustainable productivity. Stop trying to raise it, and instead start thinking about how to make each hour count for more. It’s the constraint of time that provides the creative context for clever solutions. Embrace constraints.

Make the call now. 

When you put off decisions, they pile up. Piles of guilt and wasted worry. Whenever you can, swap “Let’s think about it” for “Let’s decide on it”. Commit to making decisions. Don’t wait for the perfect solution. It’s the rarest of decisions that can’t later be improved upon, or even reversed. Most things you thought were worthy of additional deliberation turn out not to matter in the least. But moving forward always will.

Say no with gusto. 

Nobody is going to protect your time and your productivity for you. That’s all on you. But every meeting you really didn’t need to be a part of, every email thread you don’t have a great input on, and every other demand on your time adds up to a big deal very quickly indeed. Make “no” your default, and your rare “yes” will not only be respected, but coveted, and you’ll actually have time to make progress on your stuff.

Something is everything. 

Focus on making whatever you’re working on real from the get-go. Yes, it’s a rickety mock-up that only works when you hold it at a 30-degree angle against the sun, but it’s something! Something is everything when it comes to making progress. Simply discussing concepts in the abstract leads to illusions of agreement. It’s easy to think that you’re all on the same page when you’re just talking, but if the page only exists inside everyone’s heads, you’re probably not.

Be a quitter. 

Most stories of glory are about people persevering against all odds and at all cost. Those make for great stories, but often terrible business. The right move when faced with unexpected adversity is indeed sometimes to give up, retreat, and live to fight another four-hour meeting on Monday. It might not be glorious, but in real life bad odds usually – surprise, surprise – turn out badly. Save your bet for a hand worth holding.
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Beat the Back to Work Blues Part 3

You come back to work and it just isn't what it used to be right?  Fulfilment at work isn't necessarily going to come from your employer.  There needs to be some input from you right? If you shift how you think and act at work then you'll realise that you can have more control over your time there and make it more of want you want it to be.

Consider what makes you feel on top, then focus your energy on getting those things right

Don’t balance work and life, blend them. 

Draw a circle and break it into eight segments. Now imagine that everything is running smoothly in your life. Populate each segment with an element that contributes to this feeling – your children, exercise, progression at work, for example. Score each from zero to 10 on your level of fulfilment, then decide what you would like your score to be. Now think about what you need to focus on to get there.

Prioritise your state of wellbeing. 

Wellbeing is the backbone of productivity at work and in your home life. It relates to your happiness, stress levels, confidence, and sense of security, and is closely linked to your personal work-life blend. Once you have identified the things that contribute to your optimum state of wellbeing (using the exercise above), make them a real priority. It will be worth it in the long run.

Find your own blend. 

We each have a certain amount of energy that we can devote to things, but we waste a lot of it comparing ourselves to others who seem (on the outside) to be managing it all. Everyone has a different job, kids with different temperaments, varying degrees of supportive partner. Consider what makes you feel on top of your world, then focus your energy on getting those things right.

Foresight is a game changer. 

We all have niggles: perhaps your manager doesn’t understand how committed you are to progression since you’ve returned from maternity leave, or your partner is letting you deal with more and more at home… but we choose to ignore them because we have other things going on. Don’t. Talking with a like-minded person is a great way to acknowledge your problems and come up with options to address them.

Embrace our culture shift: it’s 2017. 

The world is a very different place from our parents’ generation. You and your partner are and will be building your world together, so make sure you really are doing it together. Constantly communicate to ensure that your partner understands how he or she can support you in achieving your blend, and if a big challenge occurs in your family, discuss how you can work collaboratively. Try as hard as you can to see things from one another’s point of view.

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Beat the Back to Work Blues Part 2

What is about work that you either love or hate?  Do you find coming back to work after being away that you feel deflated and that it is all a bit dull?  How about changing how you work and changing your mindset?  Let your work impact on your life in a positive way.

Consider the things you love about your job, then ask your boss if you can do more of them

Take the power. 

Think of yourself as an entrepreneur and run your career like a one-person business. Think about your brand, recognise who your customers and bosses are, and be clear about what they pay you for. Keep up to date with trends in your industry, look for new ways to add value, and keep expanding the range of 'products' you sell by signing up for professional development programmes, or volunteering for projects that will bolster your skill set.

Learn how to play nicely. 

No one wins when there’s friction in the workplace, so make an effort to get along with all your co-workers. This might mean congratulating a colleague on a job well done, or you could find something you can all share outside work – a company sports team, choir or exercise group, perhaps. Finally, laugh more. A recent Gallup poll found that people who smile and laugh at work are more engaged in their jobs.

Focus on what you like and ramp it up. 

Consider the things you love about your job, then ask your boss if you can do more of them. Try not to be nervous about asking; your boss usually wants you to succeed, especially if it will make him or her look good, too. Each day, write down three things you’re grateful for. Gratitude for the good parts of your job will give you the strength to ride out the difficult parts.

Transform your workspace. 

Decluttering is liberating, empowering and a physical way to make decisions about your life. You’re saying, “This is valuable, this is not.” Next, find a positive image to inspire you and help you cope. Close your eyes and visualise it, or tape a version of it to your office wall. Directing your attention away from your work opens up a door in your day for respite, a restart, and a new view.

Mentor someone. 

As well as infusing your job with a sense of purpose, mentoring can help you get excited again about what you do and boost flagging confidence. Keep in mind that mentoring is a two-way street - a younger person has plenty to teach you, too. Some businesses have formal mentoring programmes, so check with your HR department. If they don’t, keep your ear to the ground about new starters who might need help, or see if you can make connections elsewhere in your industry.

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Beat the Back to Work Blues Part 1

Going back to work after a holiday or even the weekend off can seem like a bind.  But work is a significant part of your life and how and what you do there matters especially as it affects your well being.  Working smarter will help make your time at work easier.

Avoid having food and drink at meetings - they're not social occasions

Match work to your natural rhythms. 

Try to coordinate challenging tasks with the times you are likely to be at your best. If you’re a morning person, for example, don’t start by going through your emails. Instead, tackle that big thought piece and leave the emails for when you’re in a slump. If you have a regular meeting that’s always a bit flat, hold it at a different time of day. If your boss seems on their best form in the afternoon, approach them with your ideas then.

Rethink meetings. 

We attend too many meetings. Before you agree to a meeting, ask what the purpose is and what the organiser needs from you. Meetings should be for decision-making and discussion rather than sharing of information, so if everyone prepares properly you should be able to limit them to 15 minutes. Stay standing (to keep alert) and avoid having food or drinks, which turn meetings into social occasions more likely to drag on.

Edit every email, cutting its length by at least 50 per cent. Writing a shorter email means that the receiver is more likely to read it, make a quick decision, and write a shorter reply, which in turn saves you time. But what you write is also important. More often than not, we write what we want to say rather than what will get people to think, feel and do the things we want them to. Stick to the facts, keep things simple and, if there’s a request, make it clear.

Get cut-throat. 

Your top resource at work is your time, so work out who and what you need to spend yours on in order to achieve your goals. At the beginning of each week, decide on three things you want to achieve by Friday, as well as a few people you want to have spent some time with. If you hold steady to your plan, you’ll stand a much better chance of achieving at least some of it.

Step away from the smartphone. If you’re angry or upset at work, do not make any calls or write any emails, at all, to anyone. An emotional email or call will only cause you more repair work further down the line when you have to apologise or rebuild a broken relationship. Leave the work environment, do something you enjoy for an hour, and wait until you are totally calm before acting. If you can, leave things overnight. If you have to respond there and then, keep things factual. Report only on what you’ve seen and own your emotions.

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7 Reasons to Walk 20 minutes a Day

Sometimes the thought of Exercise is rather too much to bear, but in truth a simple 20 minute walk is 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back again.  Simple!  It doesn't have to be hard.  However the benefits of taking one 20 minute walk a day far outweigh staying indoors.

1. Improved Mood: Studies have found that taking a moderately-paced walk can instantly improve your mood.

2. Increased Energy:  People who walked just 20 minutes a day reported feeling more energetic and less fatigued.

3. Lowered Risk Of Heart Disease: Walking for 20 minutes a day can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by eight percent, according to research from the University of Leicester.

4. Longer Life: Even just a brief walk can reduce your risk of premature death by a staggering one-third.

5. A Lowered Risk of Diabetes: Walking after each meal can help lower your blood sugar and reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes.

6. Stronger Memory: People who walk have a larger hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

7. Weight Loss:  Just 20 minutes a day can help help shrink your waistline and burn off calories.

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4 Benefits of Wonderful Kombucha

A while back I attended an event where healthy eating was discussed and one of the things that was demonstrated to us Kombucha.  Have you ever heard of this?  It also came up in my blogs on ways to stop becoming run down.  

Benefits of Kombucha

Helps prevent a wide variety of diseases

While a lot of health claims for kombucha focus on the way it heals the gut (which, in itself, contributes to boosted immunity), there is also a fairly well-confirmed body of evidence that kombucha contains powerful antioxidants and can help to detoxify the body and protect against disease.
Related to this disease-fighting power is the way these antioxidants help to reduce inflammation, at the root of most diseases. This inflammation-reducing, detoxing quality is probably one reason kombucha might potentially decrease the risk for certain kinds of cancers.
One reason this happens is because antioxidants reduce oxidative stress that can damage cells, even down to DNA. Being exposed to a lot of processed foods and chemicals within your environment can lead to this stress, which in turn contributes to chronic inflammation.

Supports a healthy gut

Naturally, the antioxidant prowess of this ancient tea counteracts free radicals that create mayhem in the digestive system. However, the greatest reason kombucha supports digestion is because of its high levels of beneficial acid, probiotics, amino acids and enzymes.
Some research has shown kombucha’s ability to prevent and heal stomach ulcers.
Kombucha can also help heal candida from overpopulating within the gut by restoring balance to the digestive system, with live probiotic cultures that help the gut to repopulate with good bacteria while crowding out the candida yeast.

May help improve mental state

Kombucha doesn’t just help your digestion; it might be able to protect your mind, too. One way it can accomplish this is by the B vitamins it contains. B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12, are known to increase energy levels and contribute to overall mental wellbeing.
Its high vitamin B12 content is one reason supplements sometimes contain dry kombucha products.
The gut-repairing function of kombucha also plays a role in mental health. Depression may be a major symptom of leaky gut, specifically due to the way that bad gut permeability contributes to inflammation.

Beneficial for the lungs

A (probably) unexpected benefit of kombucha is its use as a potential treatment method for silicosis, a lung disease caused by repeated exposure to silica particles.
Chinese scientists discovered that inhalation of kombucha could be a way to treat this and other diseases of the lungs caused by inhalation of dangerous material.
That being said, I would recommend you drink kombucha, rather than inhaling it.

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Dry January

For some of you it may be dry January where you give up alcohol for the month. Although that is not a bad thing after the excesses of Christmas and the New Year. Did you make some New Year's resolutions? It's a way of making a promise to yourself to make a change in your life and do something different. But in truth you don't have to wait for the New Year to do this. You can make resolutions throughout the year for all you are doing is setting yourself goals. What do you want to achieve right now? What is your aim and desired outcome? If you set yourself achievable goals then the outcome is more likely to be what you want it to be.

Did you make New Year Resolutions that you can keep?

New Year New You

Did you start the Year with the best intentions? There are lots of good reasons to make New Year Resolutions, but sometimes your busy life can get in the way. Mind you, new habits don't have to be started in the New Year - you can make simple changes to your life at any time to make a difference to your health, welfare and well being. Here are 7 simple things you could try to incorporate into your daily routine.

Enjoy Citrus fruits

Stock up on grapefruits, oranges and clementines because these wonderful citrus fruits will help keep your skin looking healthy thanks to vitamin C, which aids in collagen production. 

Eat your Veg!

Use more veg in your diet if you're aiming to lose some weight or if you want to be more healthy. 

Share your Goals the right way

You may want to lose weight, but if you tell everyone you want to lose 12lbs, it may actually make you think you have done that and jeopardise your progress. Confide in someone close to you your progress and how you are getting on so you still have accountability and then share your wins when you have actually achieved them.

Learn to look after some Plants

Look it's not hard all you need to do is your household plants occasionally and they'll be fine. Just the presence of indoor plants can lower your stress levels, calm your autonomic nervous system and lower your blood pressure. Having a plant on your desk at work may even help you to concentrate more, feel better and makes the room and air in it feel cleaner. 

Do One thing at a time

Doing too much all at once won't make you more efficient, but it will make you more stressed, anxious and bothered that you haven't got everything done while there are new things that now need doing. Organise your time and focus on the task that you have allocated for each time slot. 

Remember and honour your Family History

Just having some pictures of past family members or some items from the past that are meaningful to your family helps you to feel that you are part of and belong to something that is continuing on into the future. This is more likely to make you feel happier as you are remembering and honouring your family.

Plan your Holiday

Plan and book your next holiday/vacation even if it is just a weekend away with some close friends. Just thinking about an upcoming break will make you feel happier and will give you something positive to look forward to. Plus knowing that you have a break coming up will motivate you to save/slim for that event.

Looking for a New U in 2019? Want more energy, better mood, focus, concentration and weight loss. For free samples or product of smart coffee, cocoa or smart caps and business opportunities in the USA or UK