5 Strategies that Minimize Stress
(Beating Workplace Anxiety – Part II) Anxiety can affect your work productivity and damage relationships with your co-workers. Fortunately, there are ways to cope with anxiety so that you can reduce or even eliminate the effect it has on your life and your career. * Breathe – Take a deeeeeep breath Anxiety sabotages your ability to breath deep, instead encouraging fast shallow breathing. “If we are breathing very shallowly, we are going to feel anxious,” says Dr. Katherine Falk, an integrative psychiatrist in New York City. “If we begin to breathe from the belly, that will calm our mind.” Simple…
Kudos to the Well-Organized Office
The benefits of a well-organized office are many: higher levels of productivity, a feeling of competence and control, and fewer distractions to name but a few. Order creates a sense of professionalism and generates an atmosphere where team spirit thrives. Each of these components contributes to the customer’s perception that this company can be trusted. Attention to organization suggests an attention to important details that contribute to customer satisfaction, further building trust. This trustworthiness breeds loyalty which translates into higher profits. Orderliness and profits—sounds like a winning combination, doesn’t it? And if it weren’t for all the clutter, you’d be…
Beating Workplace Anxiety – Part I
Place two fingers on the inside edge of your wrist. That slight throbbing you feel is your pulse. Having a pulse means you’re alive. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that living comes with some level of stress. UC Berkeley stress researcher Daniella Kaufer says, “We’re learning that moderate amounts of stress have powerful benefits. Our research shows that moderate, short-lived stress can improve alertness and performance and boost memory.” It’s when stress becomes chronic and escalates into anxiety that it’s damaging effects become widespread. Many people see workplace anxiety as the norm—that’s just the way it…
Strategies for Moving to a Better Position
If you’re happy in your current job, satisfied with the position and all that goes with it, bravo. Stay put and excel. But if you have a hankering to move onward and upward soon, or even down the road, then here’s some tips—centered around goals, building a reputation, and networking—that will head you in that direction. Goals First things first, set aside some time to take stock of where you’d like to be in 5 or 10 years, and then turn the focus to you, as an employee. Hmm, wait – let’s switch that up. Look at your performance first.…
Safety in the Workplace
Each year an average of 3 million people face a work related injury. Costly to both the employee and the employer, these injuries remind us of the never ending need for attention to safety in the workplace. These “safety first” strategies can help you maintain a safe working environment. Require breaks One of the best ways to reduce the incidents of accidents and injury is to require employees to take regular breaks. Being physically or mentally fatigued or being overwhelmed with the task(s) at hand, sets the stage for injuries to occur. Taking regular breaks not only increases alertness and…
Common Management Mistakes
Part 2 – While the 3 “Cs” of effective management discussed in last week’s post will establish a good foundation for your managerial endeavors, the leadership field is rife with potential pitfalls that can sideline even the best management strategy. Be mindful of avoiding these “nots” as you add layers of “bricks” to that good foundation. Not walking the talk Unless you want to undermine every word out of your mouth, practice what you preach – down to the letter. Personally, follow the same expectations you mandate for the team. No cell phone use or personal calls? Then none for…