Five Strategies for Staying Mindful on “Social”
Ever noticed how dogs behave when they’re taken for a walk — easily distracted, stopping to sniff and/or chase everything along the way, the smellier the better? That’s our minds on social media. As I mentioned in my previous post, Are You Missing Out?, there’s no question that social media has created exciting opportunities for us to connect, stay informed and build community. At the same time, it’s being integrated into our lives so insidiously seamlessly that most of us haven’t ...
‘Tis The Season to be Emotional, Part II: What To Do When Things Get Tense
A few days ago, I gave you the first part of a step-by-step training plan that lays out exactly what and how to practice managing your emotions. Now that you know how to prepare, what do you do in the heat of the moment when your emotions flare up? IN THE MOMENT 1.Recognize the signs of the “fight-or-flight” response. Heart pounding, stomach turning, palms sweating: these are signs that the part of your brain that is on the lookout for ...
Are You Missing Out? How To Handle The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media
A pic of someone posing on a sunny beach, fervent opinions on the presidential election, updates on wedding prep, kiddies looking adorable — just a typical glance at my Facebook feed. ON THE ONE HAND There’s so much that’s good about social media: It updates us on the lives of people that we care about but might otherwise not keep in close touch with, creates community and provides an easy forum for self-expression. In the aftermath of hurricanes and other ...
Why Getting Things Done Is Not The Answer
Awhile back, during one of the sessions in my Productivity Mindset course, one of the participants asked, “What’s the best way to use 10 or 15 minutes where you don’t have anything planned?” You should have heard the shocked silence when I said, “Well, you could just do nothing, you know.” Do nothing!? Like, stand in line without checking your phone? Like, sit in a chair and stare out the window? What a concept. Most of us feel like we should always ...
The Secret to Feeling In Control Of Your Destiny Under Risky Conditions (At The Office and Beyond)
Do you think having a 50% chance of dying while at work everyday might affect your job satisfaction? Well, according to the 1945 report, Men Under Stress, that was the mortality rate for fighter pilots in World War II, the highest among the military. And yet, they also had the highest job satisfaction in the military, 93 percent of them claiming to be happy with their assignments. How could this be? As Taylor Clark relates in his fascinating book Nerve: ...
How To Make Reality Catch Up Faster
In the late 1970s, Jim Fannin was coaching Adriano Panatta, one of the top-ranked tennis players in the world and a former French Open champion. He tells the story of Panatta’s quarterfinal match with one of the newcomers at an ATP tournament. “As the match unfolded, this low-ranked, left-handed, red-headed jerk of a guy has no respect for a top-ranked player in the world. He stalls. He berates an umpire. He yells at a ball kid. He crushes my player! We ...
Listen To Your Inner Critic
Rob, a client of mine (though not his real name), recently took a one-week vacation from work, a much-needed break from a highly stressful, fast-paced corporate environment. Upon his return, one of his colleagues welcomed him back and noted that Rob’s team had worked hard and been very productive during his absence. Rob’s first reaction, as he relayed the story to me, was: “I knew it, they’re going to find out they don’t need me here – I might get ...
What Is Flow Anyway?
You know that feeling when you’re so fully immersed in an activity — an engrossing conversation, say, or a riveting mystery novel, a challenging game of tennis — that you lose track of time, your self-consciousness falls away and life seems effortless? That’s being in the flow. It’s a phenomenon that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor and former chairman of the University of Chicago Department of Psychology, has spent over 20 years researching and views as the key to enhancing the ...
Effort Is Not A Dirty Word: Five Ways You Get A Big Payback
“Lose 10 pounds in 10 days — without diet or exercise!” “Win the lottery, live a life of ease!” “Click here to meet the man of your dreams! Poof! Just like that, we’re rich, thin, in love and, presumably, happy. Except we’re not. And yet, each time we fall for – or are at least tempted by — the lure of the quick fix because we want to believe that we can have it all, instantly, without breaking a sweat. ...
Feed Your Mind, Think Different
Imagination is like a muscle: if we exercise it, it will grow more powerful and agile. Being imaginative, however, is not just about being artistic or creative – it’s having the ability to see alternative possibilities beyond the current “reality” or what’s immediately apparent. Actually, we all already have pretty lively imaginations. How often do we tell ourselves, or allow someone to convince us, that something is not possible? There’s no lack of creativity, it seems, when it comes to ...
