Mental Habits to Reduce Stress and Burnout

On January 26, 2022   /   Pandemic Resolutions, Personal Accountability, Post Pandemic Return to Work   /   Leave a comment
Mental Habits to Reduce Stress and Burnout

As the pandemic and its effects drag on, many people are moving from feeling stressed to being completely burned out in their professional and personal lives.  Stress and burnout can impact employees—despite their position/title—and can carry over to home life.  

Here are a few habits to consider implementing to help reduce stress:

1) Get a Good Night’s Sleep!  According to Dr. Michael Twery, Director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR), sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies including:

  • Growth and stress hormones
  • The immune system 
  • Appetite
  • Breathing
  • Blood pressure
  • Cardiovascular health

Doctors have long attributed a lack of sleep to the increased risk for obesity, heart disease, and a number of infections.

2) The Gift of Life!  The moment you wake up, try to focus on the gift you’ve received for a brand new day.  Embrace the idea that today is filled with opportunity and your productivity will benefit yourself, your employer, co-workers, family, and the community.  Make a conscious effort to create joy the very moment you awake.   Avoid mentally drifting into the difficult moments of the past—you’ll introduce yourself to a “worry” mindset.  

Worry has a physical impact on the body:

  • Muscle tension
  • Digestive disorders
  • Attack on the immune system
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue

3) Focus! Practice centering your attention on the matter(s) at hand; it is a great way to ignore distractions.  Think strategically, avoid multi-tasking, and take on the day with a positive frame of reference.

4) Make Space! Distance yourself from problems or situations.  Distancing doesn’t mean you don’t care, it means you and your mind are unavailable to worry—about anything.

5) Let Go! Release negative emotions surrounding situations, people, or issues.  A fatalistic mental loop replay can keep you trapped in bleak emotions and entangle you in an uncomfortable web of negativity.

Peak performance in the workplace depends on good mental health.  Stress and burnout will stifle your creativity and ability to make excellent decisions.  Great mental health habits are key to remaining calm and relaxed. 

If your struggle with life is beyond self-help, many resources are available to assist you.  We encourage you to reach out to professionals who care about your well-being.

In the comments below share your tips for reducing stress and remember…make it a great day!

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Keeping Unconscious Bias Out of the Workplace

On January 11, 2022   /   Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Leadership, Post Pandemic Return to Work   /   Leave a comment
Keeping Unconscious Bias Out of the Workplace

Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, essentially is subconscious prejudices based on stereotypes or attitudes developed through upbringing, environment, and experiences.  Several types of unconscious bias exist in the workplace and in society such as affinity bias, beauty bias, racial bias, and gender bias.

A common prejudice, affinity bias, causes a person to closely identify with others who possess attributes similar to themselves.  For example, perhaps you have developed a friendship with a colleague who graduated from the same college as you.  Because of this relationship, they are the only person you consider to head up a new project instead of contemplating the qualifications of other candidates who may have equal qualifications.   This is a sign of what could be considered affinity bias.  

Beauty bias is when you subconsciously form certain beliefs or attitudes about people based on their physical attractiveness.  Let’s say a coworker:

  • Doesn’t have the “right color hair” or hairstyle
  • Doesn’t wear “the right makeup”
  • Doesn’t wear the “right designer clothing labels”
  • Wears casual attire everyday
  • Has a “different type of smile”
  • Doesn’t get professional manicures “on a regular basis”

In the instances listed above, subconsciously, one may think the coworker is unqualified to lead an important project because the results of their work might be unprofessional, unrefined, incomplete, and delayed.

Unconscious bias can lead to micro-aggressions in the workplace and mutate into harassment and/or racism.  It occurs during the hiring process as well as promotion reviews.  That said, employers can actively work to eliminate implicit bias.

Educating employees on the topic is an excellent start.  According to the Harvard Business Review, employee training should include the following practices:

  1. Empower employees to change.  Provide employees with tools/best practices to reframe their thinking in order to break stereotypes.
  2. Create empathy by providing opportunities to see and respect different perspectives.
  3. Encourage diverse interaction by nurturing curiosity in team projects.

Training should be accompanied by policies, procedures, and a corporate philosophy that talk about its harmful effects on clients, employees, vendors, visitors, and the company as a whole.  

Let us know your thoughts on reducing implicit bias in the workplace in the comments below.  

Go out there and make it a great day!

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Guest Post: Getting 1 Step Closer to Meeting Face-to-Face

On May 5, 2021   /   Back to Work, Personal Accountability, Post Pandemic Return to Work   /   Leave a comment
Guest Post: Getting 1 Step Closer to Meeting Face-to-Face
Today’s blog is written by Tamika Brown, President and Chief Experience Officer of RSVP Premier Group LLC, a meeting, event, experiential marketing, incentive, concierge & lifestyle management company based in Troy, Michigan.  She is a contributing writer and has been featured in Michigan Meetings & Events Magazine, Meeting Planners International (MPI) Professional Magazine, Wedding Planner Magazine, and the DIY Television Network.  

Not sure about you but I have turned into a “Zombie” with all these online meetings and events.  As a planner who is accustomed to planning in-person events, the last year has proved to be quite challenging as it relates to determining which events can be reimagined in a virtual environment.  A survey conducted in the February Dashboard on PCMA.org suggests that other meeting planners and suppliers are finding the return of in-person events easier to see on the horizon and feeling less anxious about the future.   With safety measures such as rapid testing, venues commitment to cleanliness policies, the availability of on-site medical personnel, and other safety practices in place, we are getting one step closer to returning to face-to-face meetings.

Another important factor to consider as we prepare to return to meeting in-person is everyone involved (vendors, attendees, suppliers, etc.) must make a “personal accountability commitment” to keep not only themselves but everyone they come in contact with safe by adopting a multi-layer approach including wearing the appropriate 3-ply mask, social distancing, and taking the vaccine before attending large gatherings.

Looking forward to seeing you in person—soon.

Tamika

Tamika loves to write about event, experiential marketing, and providing solutions for customers face-to-face or in the digital arena.  You can connect with her on LinkedIn

Also, visit her awesome website at RSVP Premier Group LLC

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