well-being Archives - hr bartender

How to Develop Healthy Habits When You’re Busy All the Time

July 13, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

Ever since I saw the headline that “Sitting is the New Smoking”, I’ve been trying to figure out ways to add more activity into my daily routine. But I have to admit, developing healthy habits is hard. Especially when you work from home.

And you’re busy. I can’t speak for anyone else but exercise moves way down on my priority list when I’m stressed out about a deadline. I know it should be the exact opposite. Getting a little activity would help to reduce stress and stay focused. But we sometimes fall back into old (and unhealthy) habits.

I’m very happy that I’ve been able to add activities like walking at my treadmill desk and cycling on my Cubii. I’m trying to eat healthier, which is so much easier when I’m home. I can pre-make meals in the slow cooker. And I’m more focused on my posture. The challenge for me is having healthy habits when I travel, because so many things are not in my direct control.

Which is why I was excited to meet Walter Lewis at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference. Walter is a fitness coach and he was conducting exercise sessions bright and early each day of the event. I will confess I didn’t go to his sessions. My bad. But I did stop by Walter’s booth in the expo hall, picked up a stretch band, and talked with him about the challenges of staying healthy on the road.

Walter was very graciously to send me a copy of his book, “The 4 Healthy Habits of the Highly Effective Busy Professional”. I loved this book. First of all, the book is 85 pages. There is absolutely no excuse not to read this book. It was written with the busy professional in mind.

The second thing I liked about this book is it gave me some practical advice. For example, one of the chapters is titled, “Eat Healthy 85% of the Time”. Honestly, I can do that. Then the book goes on to tell me how to read a nutrition label. It reminds me of that old saying, “Give a man a fish..”. Tell me what to eat, I eat healthy for a few days or weeks. Teach me how to read a food label, I develop healthy habits.

Lastly, the book addresses metrics. As human resources professionals, we talk about measurement all the time – calculating cost per hire, turnover rates, employee engagement scores, etc. The book talks about tracking your activity, evaluating your results, and setting healthy goals. Concepts we’re very familiar with.

The big takeaway for me was I need to think about developing personal healthy habits very similar to the way I develop professional ones. Set a goal, plan my action steps, make it a priority, and celebrate my success. Walter’s book covers a lot more in those 85 pages, but that’s my ah-ha moment.

If you’re looking for wellness resources, consider picking up a copy of Walter’s book. We continue to hear about stress and burnout at work. Organizations want their employees to be healthy. Employees want to be healthy. While there’s no magic formula for developing healthy habits, sharing practical resources is always beneficial.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby on the streets of Miami, FL

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How to Reduce Individual Stress Levels at Work

May 14, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

During this year’s BetterWorks Goal Summit, closing keynote speaker Srikumar Rao, author of the book, “Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful – No Matter What”, shared with us his views on stress and goals. I must admit, it was a great way to wrap up our day.

I don’t know about anyone else…but I love going to conferences for the learning and ideas. At the same time, I also find myself creating massive “to-do” lists for myself – things I want to look up or read, projects I should start, and overall reminders of habits that I need to start doing again. Of course, this means I’m learning and adding to my own stress.

Stress continues to be is a major issue for employees and organizations. And there are many reasons for it. Rao shared several and I found they fell into three buckets: individual, work, and life.

The “me” issues.

I’m putting in this category financial stressors such as not having enough money or savings. Or if you’re a freelancer, not having customers pay on time.

Health issues like not feeling well and the stress associated with trying to resolve health insurance issues. Fighting with insurance companies can really take a toll.

We love our family and friends, but sometimes they get on our nerves. And we get on theirs. Dealing with misunderstandings, gatherings, and holidays can be stressful.

The workplace stuff.

Our careers don’t always move as fast as we would like. It can be frustrating. We think we’re ready for a promotion (and more money). Or we want to be on a special project that will get us noticed.

Too much work! We never seem to get a breather to get organized and focus on our goals. We no sooner get done with one project and another one is dropped on our desk.

And let’s face it…sometimes our boss, co-workers, and customers can be a PITA. I’m sure there are days they feel the same about us. It’s all part of work.

Life in general.

Regardless of your political affiliation, it’s hard to escape today’s political environment. It’s on our Facebook pages and everyone wants to share their point-of-view. Whether we want to engage or not…

Time is precious and we don’t always have as much as we would like. We’re thinking there’s no such thing as work-life balance, or work-life integration, etc.

As you can see, these examples aren’t mutually exclusive. Politics at work = stress. No work life balance = hard on relationships.

Now you might be saying to yourself, “Yep, I knew all of these things are stressors. I don’t need someone to tell me what I already knew. Tell me how to make the stress go away!” Well, that’s the interesting part. Rao says that the reason we have stress is because we have a rigid idea of what the universe should be like and the universe isn’t cooperating.

Stress is the result of control. And the key to reducing stress is realizing that we aren’t in control. And we never will be. But we can learn how to manage control better.

Stress – How to Manage our Need for Control

Rao outlined three activities we can do to manage our need for control.

Practice appreciation and gratitude. This could also be in the form of mindfulness. Rao pointed out that we tend to spend more time focused on the things that are wrong around us instead of focusing on the things that are right. He suggested that things are only bad if we say they are. It’s important for us to reframe change in the context of the things we appreciate versus the stuff we can’t stand.

Become aware of mental chatter. Speaking of focusing on positive messages, that also goes for the messages we send to ourselves. I refer to this as self-talk. It’s that little voice inside our head. Does it send us positive messages or negative ones? We should make sure our mental chatter doesn’t wear us out. It will take some time and activities like mindfulness could help.

Invest in the process, not the outcome. Rao shared his view that we are a goal obsessed society. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Goals are important because they set direction. What we need to change is the mindset that if I meet the goal, that’s great and if I don’t, that’s bad. The experience is equally as important as the outcome. Rao suggests, “The more detached you are from the goal; the higher the probably that you will achieve it.”

Think Like a Civil Engineer

Rao compared the steps for managing control to being an engineer. You have a road to build. How are you going to handle the obstacles (i.e. stress)? Because we know the project will have some speedbumps along the way (pun intended). But the road still has to be built. So, we need to learn ways to manage those obstacles.

Managing the stress in our personal and professional lives isn’t easy. But I can definitely see how trying to control everything adds to our stress. And learning how to manage control could be helpful.

Thanks to Author Andrea Beaty for sharing this image (and others!) with the March for Science organizers around the world.

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5 Deskercises to Keep You Active at Work

May 4, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

One of the things I love about my health insurance company is that they offer webinars and workshops to both members and the community. I’ve been able to get the latest info from a doctor about the Zika virus. They also hold nutrition workshops. Recently, I attended a Deskercise workshop (aka activities we can do at our desk).

Because I work from home, I’m very conscious of the need to get active. We’ve all heard that sitting is bad for us. Physical activity improves our focus, mood, and energy. It can benefit our blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress levels. So, what are a few activities that we can do? Well, here are five that were shared during the workshop.

Wooden Legs – This is an activity you can do while sitting at your desk. Sit upright in your chair and extend one leg out straight in front of you. Hold for two seconds. Then raise it up higher, hold for two more seconds. Repeat each leg 10 times. Great to do during webinars or long conference calls!

Calf Raises – Next time you’re waiting for the printer or copier, push up on your tippy toes, pause at the top, then lower back down. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.

Silent Glute Squeeze – Refrain from snickering on this one. You don’t have to announce to your co-workers when you’re doing it! Try isometric glute squeezes by simply squeezing the buttocks, holding for 5-10 seconds, and releasing. Do this while typing one complete email. Not only will it help you write concise messages but the results will be uplifting!

Shadow Boxing – This could be helpful during a frustrating day. Pretend you’re a boxer. With knees soft and core tight, throw out some punches in rapid succession. Continue for a minute or longer to blow off some steam and tone your arms, shoulders, and core.

Dance Party – When you feel like celebrating, break out your favorite active dance moves. If you don’t want anyone to see you, stay low and chair dance. Otherwise, stand up and let loose! Boogie for 30 seconds, rest, and repeat.

Doing these activities – even in short bursts – can have a benefit. Remember, before starting any type of exercise or activity program – even deskercise, be sure to talk with your physician. And, don’t make the assumption these activities are easy. Take things slowly and stretch before you get active. If you wear heels, consider removing them. And be sure to really focus on what you’re doing because form matters!

Oh, and one more thing. Get your co-workers involved! Maybe you can find a buddy to hold each other accountable.

Adding a few activities to our day takes a little commitment. But it can reap big results.

Oh, and P.S. I just discovered an app called Zova that allows you to do short exercises throughout the day with a prompt from your phone. The app offers video instruction so you can do the activity properly. It also lets you rate the activity so you do more of the things your like (and less of the ones you don’t). The idea being – turn these short bursts of activity into a habit.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby wandering around in South Florida

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The Business Benefits of Mindful Leadership

April 23, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 3 Comments

I’d like to think that everyone understands the importance of leadership. And good leadership benefits organizations. But there’s not one standardized type of leadership. It takes on many forms and, as individuals, we might be attracted to certain types and models more than others. Personally, I think that’s okay. The important piece is that individuals find a way to practice leadership that feels authentic to them. Because if they embrace it, they will do it. And that’s what benefits the business.

I’m really looking forward to attending this year’s WorkHuman Conference because one of the speakers, Pandit Dasa, a mindfulness expert and former monk, is speaking on mindful leadership. Pandit has spoken in several Fortune 500 companies and is the founder of Conscious Living, a consultancy focused on bringing mindfulness and wellness to the workplace. He’s also the author of the book, “Urban Monk”.

Regular readers of this blog know I’ve become fascinated with mindfulness and have written a few pieces about the practice. Pandit was generous to share his time with me and provide a sneak peek into mindful leadership.

Pandit, how do you define “mindful leadership”?

[Dasa] Many people today operate within a leadership capacity, not just the C-Suite. Everything a person does influences others. Those who are specifically in leadership roles need to understand if and when their actions are the result of their ego and personal needs. Mindful leaders are trained in managing their egos and not letting them get in the way of the company’s success.

When it comes to leadership, I take my inspiration from people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi. They were individuals who led by example and lived by the saying, “Be the change you want to see.” Leadership is about being willing to set the example.

Now, when we think of mindfulness, it’s about being aware and in the moment. Bring those two concepts together. Mindful leadership is about being aware of your motivation and the reasons you choose to lead. It’s about asking yourself: Why am I choosing to be a leader? Am I serving my needs or the needs of others? How am I treating others as I go about meeting the goals of the organization?

I saw in the program description for your WorkHuman session that you plan to discuss “putting people over project”. I think maintaining this balance is a challenge that leaders face daily – to the point where it creates stress and burnout.

[Dasa] When leaders are faced with multiple demands, here are three things they can do to alleviate personal stress and burnout.

Practice mindfulness/meditation. It’s amazing how taking a few moments to decompress and focus can have so much impact on our state of mind and energy. Make time for this daily. While research says that a 15-20 minute is an ideal session that could be challenging for someone who is new to meditation. I’d suggest starting with 5 minutes/daily for 30 days. Everyone has 5 minutes a day. Use the time to focus on clearing your mind, taking deep breaths, feeling grateful for the positive things happening in your life, and appreciating your colleague’s contributions. The time will fly by. After a month, just add a minute. Work up to a time that’s comfortable for you.

Focus on relationships. According to The American Institute of Stress, forty-six percent (46%) of our stress is related to workload, and 28 percent is people issues. When we get stressed, the most helpful thing is having positive relationships around us. Whether it’s in your personal or professional life, if you have a difficult relationship, try to resolve any conflict and tensions. Ignoring it isn’t going to help. Resolving conflicts generally means we need to be proactive because conflicts won’t resolve themselves. We will need to take a humble approach by being ready to acknowledge our contribution to the conflict.

Get a good night’s sleep. With advances in technology, we can find ourselves constantly planning. Our devices keep us connected, so we’re always thinking about the next thing we need to do, and frankly, we’re letting it interrupt our rest. Take time to truly disconnect. Put away the phone, so you’re not tempted to check your emails in the middle of the night. The work will still be there in the morning. You’ll be so much fresher in the morning and ready to deal with whatever is waiting for you.

When it comes to work, how can mindful leaders hold people accountable and still meet their business goals?

[Dasa] A mindful leader won’t simply blame others if the goals aren’t met. They will take an honest look at themselves and see if they did everything possible in their power to help their workforce succeed. Did they:

Set clear expectations and communicate them effectively?
Make sure expectations were reasonable and achievable?
Understand the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the team before assigning tasks?
Provide sufficient empowerment and support so the team can achieve their agreed upon goals?
Monitor the situation and address any emergencies before they get out of control?

Mindful leaders don’t just hold others accountable, but they do the same with themselves.

Speaking of communication, I’ve been told that positive messages are easy to share and not-so-positive messages…well, are more difficult. What can mindful leaders do when they need to communicate the difficult message. For example, like when project needs aren’t met?

[Dasa] It is important to regularly appreciate the contributions of your workforce. This creates a positive emotion balance in the relationship. When there has been a sufficient expression of appreciation, it becomes easier for the recipient to hear the not-so-positive messages.

The monks that I lived with for 15 years taught me that the ideal communication covers four criteria:

It is truthful.
It is beneficial.
It doesn’t disturb the other’s mind.
It is pleasing.

While it may not always be possible to meet all four criteria, we can try and be more thoughtful and compassionate in not only what we communicate, but also how we communicate. Ultimately, the goal of our communication should be to inspire the individual to do and give more. An uninspired worker is not going to be very productive.

If an organization encourages mindful leadership, how can they measure the results of their efforts?

[Dasa] Mindful leadership is a transformation in the way we think and behave. It requires commitment, training, and work. Individuals need to evaluate their emotions and become more self-aware. Think of it like running a marathon. You don’t become a marathon runner overnight. It takes time to train. You take small steps every day. Then, once you get into your routine, it progresses quickly.

The organization will know that mindful leadership is working through greater retention. Because leaders are thinking of others. Individuals are happier at work. They’re being recognized for their efforts.

There’s a good read in Harvard Business Review titled, “Proof that Positive Work Cultures are More Productive”. I’d add happy to that title. When employees are happy, they’re productive. And when they’re productive, they will stay. People spend a lot of time at work. Positive interactions matter.

Mindful leaders don’t just hold others accountable. They do so with themselves.Click To Tweet

My thanks to Pandit for sharing his expertise with us. If you want to learn more about mindful leadership, check out this article on the Society for Human Management (SHRM) website about the business benefits of mindful leadership.

And consider joining us in Phoenix on May 30 – June 1 for WorkHuman 2017. Our friends at Globoforce have put together a fabulous line of speakers. Besides Pandit, the agenda includes Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star of the award-winning HBO series “Veep”. If you’d like to join us (and I hope you will), HR Bartender readers have been extended a discount. Just use the promo code WH17INF-MFA to receive the special rate of $995 (a savings of $500).

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6 Tips for Successfully Working at Home

March 26, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

I started my consulting firm in 2002, so I’ve been working from home for 15 years. My home office is the nicest I’ve ever had in my career.

When I was researching consulting as a profession, I asked consultants about their success strategies and biggest challenges. A couple of them talked about home offices. The first one told me as soon as I could get an office outside the home, I needed to do it because clients won’t take you seriously if you work from a home office. I didn’t follow that advice and I don’t regret it. The business world has changed a lot and most of my clients want me to visit their worksite (not the other way around.)

The second piece of advice I received was that it would take two years to learn how to effectively work at home. Yep, two years. And I must admit, it probably took me that long. Tim Sackett wrote a post on his blog titled, “Working From Home is One Big Lie” and it reminded me of the challenges people can have working at home. I know several consultants who chose to reenter the corporate world because they didn’t care for the isolationism that working from a home office can bring.

If you want to work from home, you should learn how to successfully do two things: control the distractions and embrace the freedom. On the surface, they might seem counterintuitive, but the key is to figure out the balance.

Learn How to Control the Distractions

Yes, it’s true that there are distractions in a corporate environment too. Sometimes you can tune your co-workers out by closing a door or putting on some headphones. When you work at home and you’re all by yourself…you are your own distraction. So, if you spend the afternoon playing Con Man, then you only have yourself to blame. If you want to overcome the self-imposed distractions, here are a few things to consider:

Figure out how you like to work. Self-awareness is a very powerful thing. Be honest with yourself about productivity. When are you most productive? When are you least productive?

Set up the best office space you can. Speaking of productive, your home office should allow you to be productive. Make it something that you will want to spend hours in. That includes making the space comfortable and healthy.

Designate time for home chores. Just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean that you need to do stuff around the house every day. Once you figure out your best work schedule, then you can figure out when to do the laundry, etc.

Embrace the Freedom that Comes from Working at Home

Many people want to work from home because of the flexibility it brings. And I’ll be the first to admit that it’s true – in terms of everything from time to clothing. Even when companies give employees flexible schedules, it’s not the same. But to rip-off a quote from Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Enjoy all the benefits that working from home brings, but do it responsibly.

Practice self-discipline. If you want to visit a Starbucks to get out of the house, do it. Just remember that at some point, you must go back to work. Maybe set up a recurring appointment or reminder so you can get out.

Schedule errands and appointments during non-peak hours. A goal of working at home isn’t to work more hours. This allows you to get certain activities done faster, like doctor’s appointments and grocery shopping.

Find time to exercise and eat healthy. A huge challenge working from home is exercise. The good news is you can also visit the gym during off-peak times. And you can make healthy meals in your slow cooker while you work.

Working at home isn’t easy. There are many advantages like a lower dry cleaning bill and shorter wait times at the dentist. But there are challenges too – like exercise and self-discipline – that have to be addressed. Finding the balance that works for you takes time and honesty.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while wandering her neighborhood in South Florida

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Being a Nice Person Could Be the Source of Your Stress

March 19, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 4 Comments

I just finished a super interesting read from the Harvard Business Review (HBR) titled “Generosity Burnout”. I would highly recommend that everyone download a copy.

The idea behind generosity burnout is this: our best career advice for others is to be a servant leader, pay it forward, be nice, help others, etc. However, if every time someone asked, we said “yes”, we could be placing ourselves in a position where we’re sacrificing our own well-being and goals for others. Hence, creating stress and burnout. There’s a line in the article that really resonated with me, “The road to exhaustion is often paved with good intentions.”

By pointing this out, I’m not implying that the answer is to say “no” to requests. Adam Grant, author of the book “Give and Take” A Revolutionary Approach to Success” and one of the co-authors of the HBR article, reminds us it’s about becoming what he calls a “self-protective giver”. Basically, it’s about giving in a way that creates high-value while utilizing few resources, a concept we’re always striving for in business.

If you want to balance giving with stress levels, they key is to focus on three things:

What you give away: Just because you can give something away, doesn’t mean you should. As a consultant, I’m reminded of this on a regular basis. Organizations will ask consultants to give away their expertise in exchange for “exposure”. Let’s be real, there’s no exposure. But there could be times when it makes sense to waive fees. That’s our individual decision to make. We should spend some focused time thinking about what we’re willing to give away (and what we can’t).

When to give: Everyone has times when they’re absolutely slammed with work and personal stuff. And times when they have greater flexibility. Individuals have to decide if they have the time to give and respond accordingly. Saying “yes” and not delivering only hurts your reputation. It’s better to say, “Sorry, I’m in the middle of a big project right now…can I participate another time?” or “I can do it if my deadline is next week, not this week.” Deadlines can sometimes be negotiated.

Who you give to: People will send you requests all the time. It’s like throwing spaghetti against the wall. They just want to see who says “yes.” And you don’t have to sign on board. It’s true, there will be people who you are close to that, when they call, you say “yes”. But the number of people in that category is probably pretty small. If someone calls and the request looks fun or interesting, you might agree. When in doubt, look at #1 and #2 for answers.

Being a kind and generous person is a good thing. It will help you in business and in life. But no one should be creating stress for themselves in the process. This is true regardless of your job title. If you work inside a company, you might get asked to do things that aren’t really related to your role. Sometimes we think we have to say “yes”, when we really don’t.

I can see generosity burnout being a real thing that individuals need to recognize and manage. The downside is that each of us will have a unique formula for dealing with it. That could be a good thing – because self-awareness is a very powerful solution.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV

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Quick Shots for #HR and #Business Pros – Stop Distractions at Work Edition

March 17, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

I’ve seen quite a few articles lately about employees being distracted at work. And it’s more than the usual one-day “Superbowl Monday” -type distractions. Last year, we published an infographic on HR Bartender about the different types of distractions. Some of them are actually welcome. I know that “Neko Atsume” is a welcome distraction for me.

If you think about it, when the internet went mainstream, businesses talked about employee distractions. And when social media went mainstream, there was more talk about workplace distractions. But now, we’re hearing about how “Politics is Killing Workplace Productivity”.

I will admit, there have been a couple of moments where politics has kept me glued to the television screen too. But I do realize that we can’t let distractions get the best of us.

In the U.S., I’ve seen both Democrats and Republicans frustrated about what’s happening in Washington. I’ve also seen friends in the U.K. frustrated about Brexit. A little frustration is okay. I ran across this article titled “How to #StayOutraged Without Losing Your Mind”. While the article deals with the frustration of our current President, I found that the advice could be applied to multiple situations. The third point was particularly important, “You don’t have to suffer to make a difference.”

You also can’t make the difference you want if you don’t take care of yourself. Getting the right amount of rest, eating well, and taking moments to enjoy life are essential. Also, I remain fascinated by mindfulness and wonder if it would help with distractions. It’s been known to improve our leadership skills and help us communicate with others.

Future Leaders Need Organizational Mindfulness

Everything You Need to Know about Mindfulness

There are Many Ways to Practice Mindfulness

If employees are distracted, I believe organizations need to help them deal with distractions. Simply saying, “Focus!” or “Get to work!” isn’t going to cut it. That’s dealing with symptoms. Train employees on the best way to work with distractions, and no matter what the distraction is, they will be able to manage it.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while wandering the Wynwood District in Miami, FL

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