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5 Ways to Catapult Your Career Through Mindfulness

January 20, 2016 by Iman

5 Ways to Catapult Your Career Through Mindfulness

5 Ways to Catapult Your Career Through Mindfulness

Source: How Mindfulness Will Turbocharge Your Career

We talk about mindfulness quite a bit because it’s a practice that should be in everyone’s daily routine. Mindfulness is a way for you to take control of the weeds of your brain. The weeds are negative thoughts and responses that pop in your brain. And when it comes to those weeds and work they can be a deterrent to your current job, and your growth at the company. Here are 5 ways to use mindfulness to advance you career:

  1. Stress – Mindfulness helps will stress relief, it takes you out of the fight-or-flight mindset and helps you become more relaxed.
  2. Focus – When your mind is not cluttered with negative thoughts you’re able to focus on the things that matter.
  3. Creativity – Your mind needs to be clear to be creative. Mindfulness allows your mind to make room for the good stuff.
  4. Emotional Intelligence – The way you manage your behavior is important especially in the office. Mindfulness allows you recognize and understand your emotions.
  5. Better you – Mindfulness can help you express more compassion and kindness, which is always welcomed in the workplace.

How does mindfulness help you control the negative self-talk we all experience?

READ MORE: Mindfulness Could Save Your Job

This article covers the mindfulness and kindness pillars of the Living Happier @Work program.

Filed Under: Mindfulness Tagged With: Mindfulness

For People Who Are Sick of Attending Boring, Unproductive Meetings

January 18, 2016 by Wilma Jones

Tired business woman with headache at seminar

For People Who Are Sick of Attending Boring, Unproductive Meetings

It’s difficult to be happy at work if you’re bored. And one of the most frequent complaints about boredom in office etiquette is the meeting. Whether in-person, on the phone or via the web most people think there are too many boring meetings. A large portion of those meetings are not very productive, as the results of this study and this one contest.

So what makes most meetings so unproductive?  I think it’s because people forget that you only need to have a meeting for one reason: Some type of ACTION is required to solve a business problem or issue.

If there is no action needed then there shouldn’t be a meeting.

An agenda helps to create a more productive meeting, especially if it’s distributed prior to the meeting. Bonus points for including the agenda as a part of the meeting invitation.

Note taking is important to ensure things move forward after the meeting concludes. How many of us have been to a meeting where we simply re-hashed what was discussed at the previous meeting?!

Your notes should be simple. Action items listing the person responsible, what the action is and when it should be concluded – or if longer term, when the person will update the group. This list is incorporated into the agenda, if a follow up meeting is necessary.

The third and final tip for managing a successful meeting is to have a hard stop time. Wasting time at work is irritating to most people. If someone wants to waste time at the office, trust that it’s not at your meeting. So be respectful of people’s time. State the amount of time scheduled and alert all participants that you’re going to do your best to run the meeting on time.

A couple of hints for you to think about regarding meetings. The first is for one-on-one meetings. If it’s just two people consider having a ‘walking meeting.’ Print your agenda, grab a pen and especially if it’s a nice day, grab your coworker and take a walk outside to work through the items. Note the actions to each agenda item so you can follow up with notes after your walk. Research shows this type of meeting can spark creativity. Try it and see.

Final hint for those meetings with more than two people in a conference room or office. If the meeting is expected to be short, like 20 minutes or less, consider a standing meeting. That’s right, everyone stands up rather than sitting around a table. It’s healthier and the meeting will probably be shorter because people will engage in fewer sidebar conversations and thereby stay more focused.

Try these ideas for a meeting folks will look forward to attending. Or print this blog post and discreetly place it on the chair of the person in your office who most needs to implement these tools. All your colleagues will thank you.

READ MORE: 1 Amazing Way to Practice Mindfulness Right in Your Cubicle

Filed Under: Uncategorized

10 Ways to Prepare for Your Yoga Practice

January 15, 2016 by Iman

 

10 Ways to Prepare for Your Yoga Practice

10 Ways to Prepare for Your Yoga Practice

Source: 10 Things to Know Before Your First Yoga Class

January is officially half way over; so how are you doing with your New Years Resolutions? Many people make the same New Years Resolutions, and in recent years close to 40% of people have made fitness and health focused resolutions. But for those of you that are going from 0 to 100, finding out where to start in your exercise routine can be a challenge.

Yoga is a popular practice for those that want to feel the burn, but add some mindfulness to their routine. So for those of you that are just starting out, been away for a while or just want a refresher here are 10 things you should know before your first yoga class.

  1. Don’t eat right before class – In order to do some of the moves comfortably, your stomach can’t be full. Try eating an hour before class.
  2. Get there early – Many exercise classes fill up fast; and since it’s your first time you’ll want the ability to get acclimated to the studio.
  3. Get all the props – If you don’t own a yoga mat call and see if you can rent one from your studio. While there, pick up a block, strap and whatever other props the studio has in order to make your practice more enjoyable.
  4. Chanting is OK – Some yoga studios chant during their practice, don’t feel pressured to join in if you’re not comfortable. Simply relax and enjoy the class the way you would.
  5. Bare feet allowed – Some studios may try to sell you sticky socks and gloves; these things are not a requirement. Your bare feet are more than enough.
  6. Let it go – Release any tension in your body that may be there. You may clench your jaw or tense your shoulders up. Be mindful of your stress spots and let them go.
  7. Embrace your breath – You will realize breathing deeply will help you relax more and help you go deeper into your stretch.
  8. We love Child’s Pose – Whenever you feel overwhelmed or just want a break, feel free to go into Child’s Pose; no one will judge you.
  9. Trust your instructor – You may feel the practice is too much for you, but just take it at your own pace. Many time instructors will offer modifications of poses for those who need them.
  10. Embrace where you are – Everyone has to be a beginner at some point, embrace your current stage. Learn from others, listen to yourself and ask as many questions as you need to.

For those of you that want to try your exercise practice at home, here’s a great 10-minute video to get started.

READ MORE: 10 Easy Exercises to Do at Your Desk

This article covers the mindfulness and exercise pillars of the Living Happier @Work program.

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: Excercise, Mindfulness, Yoga

4 Ways to Add More to Your Mindfulness Practice

January 13, 2016 by Iman

4 Ways to Add More to Your Mindfulness Practice

4 Ways to Add More to Your Mindfulness Practice

Source: 4 Ways To Improve Your Health At The Office

So you’ve added mindfulness to your workday, but you still feel like something is missing. The next time you’re feeling a little off at work try these four tips to improve your day.

  1. Get creative – Studies have shown that creative people are healthier than other people. Think out of the box for your next project. Offer a new way to do a task; you may spark new ideas from your team that may not have come about if you did things the same way.
  2. Make your cubicle yours – You spend more time at work during the day than you spend anywhere else. Bringing in items to spruce up your cubicle can make you feel more comfortable. You will find it easier to concentrate when you’ve made your space more like you.
  3. Find a work friend – Having someone to relate to and experience things with is important in any situation, especially at work. This relationship allows you to have a built-in support system in a place that can be very stressful.
  4. Make a gratitude post-it – Writing down things you are grateful for is an excellent way to put things into perspective in your work and home life. At the end of the day, write three things you’re grateful for on a post-it and stick it to your desk. Studies show this can make you happier.

Tell us how you used these suggestions, and let us know if you have any more.

READ MORE: Live a Healthier Life at Work with These Tips

This article covers the mindfulness pillar of the Living Happier @Work program.

Filed Under: Mindfulness, Uncategorized Tagged With: Mindfulness

20 Simple Acts of Kindness for Work

January 11, 2016 by Iman

 

20 Simple Acts of Kindness for Work

20 Simple Acts of Kindness for Work

Showing kindness to people is a great way to increase teamwork on the job. Being friendly, generous and considerate to colleagues really isn’t that difficult. And if you can only accomplish two of the three, let the generous go. Trust and believe that being friendly and considerate to the people you work with will improve the work environment. Sounds like a no-brainer, right?
Even more interesting is the way kindness affects people. Research shows that the person receiving the kindness is impacted as well the person being kind. But also, anyone who witnesses the act of kindness is also affected.

To give you some ideas to start practicing more random acts of kindness into your work day, listed below are ideas for one month of work days.

 

  1. Help someone before they ask.
  2. Give a thank you card to a coworker for something they did to help you.
  3. Commend a colleague to their boss via email.
  4. Buy coffee for a colleague.
  5. Hold the elevator door for someone.
  6. Give a genuine compliment to a co-worker.
  7. Start a meeting with a positive statement about achieving a successful outcome/solution.
  8. Ask about something important to a coworker and then really listen to their response.
  9. Appreciate your boss by thanking them for something.
  10. Say good morning to the security staff, cleaning people or other support staff who work in your building. Speak to them using their name, if you know it. (If you don’t, ask them.)
  11. Congratulate someone on an achievement.
  12. Smile at someone when you walk by.
  13. Ask a colleague about their family, pet, hobby (or something they care about outside work).
  14. Remember a coworker’s birthday.
  15. Stop looking at your phone when people are speaking.
  16. Speak kindly for an entire workday – don’t say anything negative all day.
  17. Let someone in front of you in line.
  18. Hold the door open for someone coming behind you.
  19. Tell the office manager or administrative assistant how much their efforts are appreciated. Name something specific.
  20. Purchase a small treat for yourself to show some kindness to you, too!

Being kind to others on the job improves workplace happiness. This is something that everyone can do. In most cases being kind costs us nothing and requires very little effort, but it pays big dividends. Increase teamwork and thereby productivity in your office or workplace by showing more kindness.

Do you have other ideas for showing kindness at work? Let me know in the comments.

READ MORE: These 3 Tasks May Help You Love Your Job

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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Wilma Jones
Wilma J, LLC
Wilma@WilmaJ.com

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