Learning

How to Get Motivated

By in Learning, Living Well No Comments Tags: , ,

Motivated_Employee

There may be times when you don’t feel motivated at work. You may not feel excited about the projects that you’re working on or engaged in your tasks. And that may make it harder for you to focus, be productive, and get things done.

If you find yourself in this type of situation, don’t blame yourself. Just because you feel unmotivated, this doesn’t mean that you’re a bad employee or a lazy person. It also doesn’t mean that you need to start looking for a new job. According to author Ashley Stahl, there are things you can do to feel more excited and motivated about your work, including the following:

  • Try something new – Ask your manager if you can change your role to better align with your interests, or ask to take on a new project that interests you. Do what you can to shift your efforts onto tasks that make you feel enthusiastic and engaged.
  •  Learn something new – Learn a new skill. (Make sure it’s something that interests you!) This will help to make you feel more engaged at work. In addition, your manager will most likely be impressed with your efforts, and you will become a more knowledgeable, valuable employee.
  • Get some feedback – You may not be sure how to branch out at work or what types of tasks would make you feel more motivated and engaged. If you’re not sure what path to take, talk to your manager and ask them what they think your strengths are. How do they think you best contribute to your organization? It may be a good idea to focus on those areas, knowing that this type of work is needed and valuable.
  • Think about the importance of your work – It’s essential to regularly remind yourself that your work is important. Think about all of the people that have been helped due to your efforts! You make a difference, every day. Remember that.
  • Take a break – Use your vacation days. Taking a break from your job can help you to relax and recharge. And it will allow you to return to work feeling more energized and motivated to get work done.

Stahl, A. (2016, November 22). Seven ways to get motivated at work. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2016/11/22/seven-ways-to-get-motivated-at-work/?sh=276cb0223cd5

Ten Ways to Stay Focused at Work

By in Learning, Living Well No Comments Tags: ,

Distracted_Employee

At work, there are distractions everywhere. There are phone calls, emails, and visits from friendly coworkers. And let’s not forget about the internet! It’s essential to a lot of our jobs, but it can also be a major distraction. (A quick glance at Facebook, Pinterest, eBay, or Amazon can often last a lot longer than you intended it to.) All of these things can make it difficult to get work done.

So how can you maintain your focus and prevent yourself from getting distracted? Here are a few tips:

  1. Determine exactly what it is that distracts you. If you can identify the things that cause you to lose focus, it will be easier to avoid them.
  2. Plan out your day. Make a list of everything that you hope to accomplish. It will help to keep you on track.
  3. Plan to take breaks. Working hard doesn’t mean working non-stop. When you’re planning out your day, schedule in a few short breaks. The breaks will rejuvenate you and help you to be more productive as the day goes on.
  4. Eat breakfast. That first meal of the day will give you a boost of energy and help you to concentrate.
  5. Work offline. If possible, try doing some of your work using a pen and paper. Avoiding all electronic devices can really help to reduce distractions.
  6. Clean up your work area. The most innocent things can become a distraction when you’re trying to work. Even something as innocuous as an old magazine or a random Post-it note can turn into a time-consuming distraction. Avoid these traps by cleaning up your desk and getting rid of these items.
  7. Break it down. Sometimes, a big project can feel so overwhelming and insurmountable that you just want to avoid it altogether (and surf the internet instead). If you’re experiencing this type of situation, try breaking the project down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Completing these smaller tasks will help you to make steady progress, give you a feeling of accomplishment, and motivate you to continue.
  8. Have some caffeine. A cup of coffee or tea can help to sharpen your focus.
  9. Wear headphones. If you work in a noisy office, headphones can help to block out distracting chatter.
  10. Give yourself a reward. Promise yourself that if you get a certain amount of work done, you’ll reward yourself in some way. This should help to keep you motivated and engaged.

 

Schwecherl, L. (2012, July 23). 13 ways to beat distractions and stay focused at work. Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/23/13-ways-to-beat-distractions-and-stay-focused-at-work/

 

Dealing With Conflict – Some Do’s and Don’ts

By in Communication, Learning 1 Comment Tags: ,

OfficeConflict

We’ve all experienced occasional conflicts with other people. That’s what happens when you live and work with others. It’s impossible to be in perfect harmony at all times.

But it feels terrible, doesn’t it? I know there are some people who kind of enjoy arguing – but personally, I hate conflict and confrontations. It makes me feel stressed and sad. So the more quickly I can resolve a conflict, the better!

Sometimes, however, resolving conflicts can be difficult – especially if you use the wrong approach. That’s why I found Alan Sharland’s article, “Conflict as an opportunity,” to be interesting. He provides some helpful “Do’s” and “Don’ts” on how to resolve conflicts with friends and coworkers.

Don’t do this…

  • Don’t treat the conflict like a competition. If you focus only on “winning,” it’s likely that the conflict will escalate and become more antagonistic. And even if you manage to resolve the conflict, bad feelings will almost certainly remain.
  • Don’t try to avoid the person that you’re having a conflict with. I think I’m guilty of this one. It seems like a nice way to avoid confrontation! But unfortunately, this approach often doesn’t work. Avoiding people actually takes a lot of time and energy. And the conflict will remain unresolved.

Do this…

  • Do think of logical and practical steps that you can take to resolve the conflict. Instead of just focusing on the problem, try to think of realistic changes that you or others could make to alleviate the situation.
  • Do view the situation from the other person’s point of view. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. You’re probably not entirely right and the other person is probably not entirely wrong.
  • Do think about how you’ve reacted to the situation. Conflicts can be hard, but also great learning opportunities. Try to gain some new insight into your own motivations and feelings.

 

Sharland, A. (2014). Conflict as an opportunity. Training + Development, 68(7), 60-64.

You Sent an Angry Email? Get Ready to Grovel.

By in Communication, Learning No Comments Tags: ,

Email_Regret

Have you ever sent someone an angry email? Maybe you were feeling frustrated or upset – and you reacted by sending something mean, abrupt, or sarcastic?

If you have, you’re certainly not alone. Most people have been guilty of this on at least one occasion. Technology allows people to respond to perceived slights almost instantaneously – often before they’ve had the chance to think about the situation calmly and rationally. When someone offends you, it’s so easy (and kind of satisfying) to respond with an angry text or email. But once that message has been sent, that’s it. It can’t be retracted. Even if you regret it later.

So what should you do if you send an angry email and then regret it? According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, you only have one option – groveling. Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center in Corona del Mar, California, says that you can fix the damage by doing the following:

  • Admitting that you were wrong to send the email
  • Apologizing sincerely
  • Asking the person what you can do to make things better

It’s best if you deliver this message in person or over the phone. Having an actual conversation with the person can be very beneficial!

Of course, this technique will only work if you rarely send out angry emails. If you send them all the time, you need to change your overall behavior. Before responding to an upsetting email, try to do the following:

  • Take a time out – Don’t respond immediately. Give yourself some time to cool down before you reply.
  • If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say much – Indicate that you are surprised by the person’s message, and then ask if you can get together to talk about it. Having a conversation face-to-face (or over the phone) will help you to avoid saying something that you might regret.
  • Think about the other person – Try to view the situation from the other person’s point of view. And try to imagine the type of stress that he or she might be experiencing. Thinking about the other person should help you to craft a reasonable and compassionate response.

Do you have any other suggestions about how to avoid sending angry emails – or repair the damage once an angry email has been sent? Please share your feelings in the Comments section below!

 

Bernstein, E. (2014, October 21). Thou shalt not send in anger. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D1, D4.

 

How to Deal With Office Gossip

By in Communication, Learning No Comments Tags:

Gossip

Let’s be honest – people like to gossip. I think it happens in most workplaces, especially within close-knit groups.

But is that really a bad thing? The word “gossip” sounds negative, but it can actually have some positive effects. Research indicates that office gossip can help people to relieve feelings of stress and frustration, and gain a greater sense of power and control over their situation.

But what if YOU are the focus of office gossip? And what if it’s hard to take? If that’s the case, then it’s helpful to know how to deal with it. The approach that you choose really depends on the type of gossip that’s being circulated.

  • Type of Gossip: Harmless and innocent.
    Best Response: Do nothing. Roll with it.
  • Type of Gossip: False and potentially damaging – and you know who started the rumors.
    Best Response: Tell the person or people who started the rumors that the rumors aren’t true. Be calm and reasonable, and try to use some humor if you can. Don’t get angry or overreact. You want to diffuse the tension and not give people more things to talk about.
  • Type of Gossip: False and potentially damaging – and you have no idea who started the rumors.
    Best Response: Talk to a group of coworkers whom you trust, and explain why the rumors are false and upsetting. These individuals will stand up for you when you’re not around, and help to stop the rumors from circulating further.

 

Shellenbarger, S. (2014, October 8). They’re gossiping about you. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D1, D2.

Doodle Your Way to Greatness

By in Learning No Comments Tags:

Doodle

Do you doodle during meetings? Are the margins of your notebooks littered with swirly lines, geometric shapes, blocky letters, or cartoon animals? And do you possibly feel guilty about your tendency to doodle? If so, I have good news! Doodling is not a waste of your time and attention. It turns out that doodling helps people to solve problems and process information.

Research suggests that people who doodle retain more information than those who don’t. In a 2009 study, a group of test subjects were asked to listen to a long and monotonous list of names. While they listened, half of the subjects doodled and the other half didn’t. Later, they were given a quiz to see what they remembered. Researchers found that the doodling group was able to remember 29% more names than the non-doodling group.

And that’s not all! Doodling can also help people to release tension, focus, understand new concepts, and generate new ideas.

So go ahead and doodle. And stop feeling guilty about it. It’s not a distraction, as some might think. It may actually help you to become more productive and effective!

Andrade, J. (2009). What does doodling do? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24, 100-106.

Shellenbarger, S. (2014, July 29). The power of the doodle: Improve your focus and memory. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-power-of-the-doodle-improve-your-focus-and-memory-1406675744

Dream Better, Be Smarter

By in Learning No Comments Tags:

Dream3

Have you ever had a lucid dream? A lucid dream occurs when you’re asleep and dreaming – and then you suddenly realize that you’re asleep and dreaming. It’s happened to me a few times, and it’s always enormously entertaining. When you know you’re dreaming, you can control what happens. You can do anything! You can walk on Mars, explore the depths of the ocean, meet someone famous, or fly. (Personally, I like to fly. Nothing beats it.)

So lucid dreaming is definitely fun. But now researchers are suggesting that it might also be beneficial to you! In a recent study published in the journal Dreaming, investigators found that people who regularly had lucid dreams were significantly better at solving word problems than those who did not have lucid dreams. They concluded that lucid dreaming may help to sharpen cognitive abilities. It may enhance critical-thinking skills and help people to solve problems more quickly and effectively.

Unfortunately, lucid dreaming doesn’t come naturally to most people. It’s believed that only 20% of the population have lucid dreams on a regular basis.

But if you’re part of that 80% who don’t have lucid dreams on a regular basis (like me), don’t despair! Apparently, there are things that you can do to enhance your dreaming abilities:

  1. Question yourself – A few times each day, ask yourself if you’re dreaming or not. The things that you do when you’re awake affect your dreams. So if you ask yourself this question when you’re awake, you’ll be more likely to do the same thing when you’re asleep.
  2. Check for weirdness – When you’re dreaming, try to look around and see if anything looks weird. Do you see anything strange or unnatural – something that couldn’t possibly exist in the real world? (Talking cats? Floating furniture? Dancing vegetables?) If you can get into the habit of doing this, it can help you to recognize when you’re dreaming.
  3. Keep a journal – When you wake up in the morning, write down everything that you remember dreaming about. This will help you to gain more control over your dreams.

I’ve been using these techniques, and I must admit that I haven’t had any lucid dreams recently. But I’ll keep trying! And asking myself “Am I dreaming?” throughout the day does make me laugh. So there’s that at least!

Maybe you’ll have more success. Give the techniques a try and see! Good luck, and happy dreaming!

 

Romm, C. (2014, August 20). Those who know they’re dreaming tend to be savvier when awake. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/those-who-know-when-theyre-dreaming-are-savvier-when-theyre-awake/378861/

Wang, S. (2014, August 12). Sleepers with greater self-awareness may have a cognitive edge during the day. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D1, D2.

Does Slouching Make You Sad?

By in Learning, Living Well No Comments Tags: , ,

Slouching

Do you slouch? Most of us probably do, at least some of the time. It seems so natural to hunch over our steering wheels as we drive to work, over our cell phones while texting, and over our computer keyboard as we work at our desks. Unfortunately, recent research suggests that slouching can not only lead to back and neck pain – it can even affect your mood!

Apparently, slouching makes you depressed. At least that’s what Johannes Michalak (a clinical psychologist at Germany’s University of Hildesheim) concluded in his recent study. He asked one group of people to slouch and another to sit with good posture. Then he showed them a series of positive words (“enjoyable,” “beauty”) and negative words (“exhaustion,” “dejected”). Later, he asked both groups to recall as many of these words as they could. The good posture group was able to recall both positive and negative words. But the slouching group had trouble recalling the positive words. They were, however, able to recall the negative words.

Now granted, it’s only one study. More research needs to be done in this area before any definitive conclusions can be reached. But hunching has been shown to cause back and neck pain, so good posture is definitely a good thing, whether it truly affects our mood or not.

So what do you need to do to have a happy and healthy spine? When you’re sitting, your ears should be over your shoulders, and your shoulders should be over your hips. Then, when you stand up, your hips should be over your knees and ankles. Try to sit and stand this way as frequently as possible. Slouching can become a habit, but with a little conscious effort, it’s a habit that you can break!

 

Whalen, J. (2014, June 24). Slouch at your own peril. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D1, D2.

Believe in Yourself – It Actually DOES Make a Difference

By in Learning 1 Comment Tags: ,

Self_Efficacy

You probably know at least one or two people who seem to be full of self-confidence. They act like they can do anything – climb a mountain, bake a great apple pie, or build a gorgeous set of shelves out of scraps of old wood.

But does that really matter? Even if these people are full of self-confidence, does that really mean that they’re more likely to succeed? Well, yeah, it actually does.

According to psychologist Albert Bandura, people usually know what they need to do to achieve a certain goal. To be successful, however, Bandura believed that people must also be confident in their ability to actually do those things. Bandura called this “self-efficacy” – having confidence in one’s ability to do what needs to be done.

And Bandura might be right. Research suggests that self-efficacy is a good predictor of success. People who are high in self-efficacy are more likely to succeed than those who are not. For instance, let’s say you have two people who want to climb a wall. Both people are equally skilled at climbing, and both have already tried once and failed. The only difference between these people is that one person is really confident that she can succeed and the other isn’t. Research suggests that the confident person will be more likely to succeed. Why? Because people who are high in self-efficacy are more likely to be persistent. If you really believe that you can do something, you’re more likely to keep trying until you successfully accomplish the task.

So what can you do to boost your feelings of self-efficacy? Here are four ways:

  1. Performance – If you experience some small successes, this will increase your feelings of self-efficacy.
  2. Vicarious experiences – If you watch someone similar to you have success, this will make you more confident in your own abilities.
  3. Verbal persuasion – If someone that you find credible tells you that you will be successful, you’ll be more confident in your abilities. (If your mom or dad tells you, it might not hold as much weight. My mom tells me that I’m great at everything, but I’m not sure I can believe her.)
  4. Physiological arousal – Strong emotions (like anxiety) tend to lower performance, and can also reduce your feelings of confidence. So try to relax, if you can!

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychology Review, 84(2), 191–215.

Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist, 28(2), 117-148.

Zajacova, A., Lynch, S. M., & Expenshade, T. J. (2005). Self-efficacy, stress, and academic success in college. Research in Higher Education, 46(6), 677-706.

How to Be Happier

By in Learning, Living Well No Comments Tags: , ,

HappyPeople

Would you like to be happier? Well, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, a greater sense of happiness is well within your reach!

Researchers have found that minor changes in behavior can make people happier. You simply need to do the following:

  • Talk to strangers – I’m an introvert, so this sounds a little frightening to me. But researchers have found that talking to strangers (like a fellow commuter, or the barista who serves you coffee at Starbucks) is uplifting and gives people a sense of well-being.
  • Become a matchmaker – No, I’m not kidding. Researchers have found that acting as a matchmaker for your friends can increase your feelings of happiness. And the more unlikely the match, the happier you will feel! So get busy trying to fix up your difficult, single friend!
  • Avoid temptations (like chocolate) – Researchers took a group of chocolate-loving people, and divided them into groups. One group was given a big bag of chocolate to eat. Another group was told to avoid eating any chocolate. A week later, they brought the study participants into the lab and asked them to sample chocolates. The people who had been eating chocolate all week didn’t get much pleasure from this experience. But the people who had been avoiding chocolate felt very positive and happy. So apparently, to increase your feelings of happiness, you just need to avoid temptations – at least for a little while.
  • Walk in a happy way – This one sounds the most doable to me. Research has shown that if you walk in a happy way, you will actually feel happier! How do you walk in a happy way? Walk at a good pace, stand up straight, swing your arms, and move up and down (instead of swaying from side to side). Easy! I tried this technique just now, and I’m feeling happier already!

So what do you think of these suggestions? Are you willing to give them a try? Feel free to share your thoughts in the Comments section below!

Reddy, S. (2014, November 18). Walk this way: Acting happy can make it so. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D3.

«‹ 2 3 4 5›»