10 Two-Minute Habits That Will Change Your Life
You haven't a moment to lose.
Photo: Create & Cultivate
For most of us, mornings are rough. We snooze, wake, repeat. Jump out of bed. Java. And then start firing off emails and Slacks. It's no way to greet the day and its disruptive energy that carries into our work. To help you kick-start your day the right way, here are 10 tiny, two-minute switches that are easy to implement and can have a major impact on your day. So, what are you waiting for? It's only your life.
1. CONSCIOUS BREATHING
When you feel anxious, you disrupt the ease and flow of your breath. You might not even notice these slight disruptions in your breathing pattern and how they affect you. But reestablishing normal breathing restores your energy and focus.
How to do it: Breath in through the nose for a count of five. Feel as though there’s a balloon that is filling your entire pelvis and causing it to stretch out in all directions. Hold that inhale for a moment, and when you exhale, contract all the muscles in and up the spine as you exhale for a count of five. Hold the exhale for a moment and repeat 10 times. Do this whenever you feel stressed.
2. CHEW SLOWLY
It’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s also how you eat it. You can eat all the highly nutritious food you desire, but if you don’t chew your food well, it can lead to indigestion, bloating, and lack of nutrient absorption. The more you chew, the more saliva you produce. Saliva coats the particles of food with enzymes that break it down for better nutrient absorption.
How to do it: Chewing 25 times per bite helps cultivate more mindful eating. You eat in a more relaxed state of mind, which aids digestion. Plus, the more slowly you eat, the less you’re likely to consume because you’re giving your body time to let you know you’re full.
“Reestablishing normal breathing restores your energy and focus.”
3. SIP ON WARM LEMON WATER
Skip the ice in your cup and add warm lemon water to your daily routine instead. First thing in the morning your body needs to be rehydrated. Warm lemon water quenches thirst, preps and primes your digestive system, aids in detoxification, and supplies a free-radical-crushing dose of vitamin C. Lemons may taste acidic, but they are actually alkaline forming, helping the body maintain an ideal pH balance and neutralizing free radicals to keep you feeling vivacious and looking vibrant. “Lemon water benefits the enzyme functions in your body, stimulating the liver and flushing out toxins,” says Josh Axe, DNM.
4. TAKE MOVEMENT BREAKS
When it comes to improving your movement, it’s not just about doing your workout for an hour in the morning and checking it off the list. Your body thrives on movement. More movement all throughout the day is highly beneficial for your body and brain. Mobility exercises help lubricate the joints to ward off stiffness, aid in circulation and help boost energy levels and increase focus and productivity. For every hour of sitting, aim for at least a few minutes of mobility drills, such as alternating between arm backstrokes and pelvic circles.
“More movement all throughout the day is highly beneficial for your body and brain.”
5. FIX YOUR POSTURE
Proper posture—with the spine aligned and the joints stacked—puts your body at ease, reduces tension and strain and ensures that muscles and tissues are well oxygenated and receive nutrients for proper function.
How to do it: Katy Bowman, biomechanist and natural-movement expert, recommends first aligning the outside edges of your feet with a straightedge. Then make sure your feet are hip-distance apart. Press all four corners of your feet into the ground. Make sure your pelvis is over your heels. Engage your thighs to lift your kneecaps, squeeze your glutes, keep you chest lifted with the bottom ribs tucked in, and keep your head in a neutral position with chin slightly tucked.
6. TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES
One of the greatest health tools is right under your feet, literally. Earthing, or walking or standing barefoot on the ground, sounds simple enough, but how often are you actually barefoot outside? It may sound a bit hippie, but a 2012 review published in the Journal of Environmental Public Health found that research supports the touted benefits of going barefoot, which include improved mood and sleep and reduced inflammation and chronic pain. Just don’t step on any rusty nails!
“Proper posture—with the spine aligned and the joints stacked—puts your body at ease, reduces tension and strain.”
7. DRY BRUSH YOUR SKIN
Take care of your body’s largest organ: Your skin. Dry brushing is a natural technique that can reveal the beauty of your skin by sloughing off dead skin cells as it stimulates the lymphatic system. Dry brushing has also been credited with giving the skin a natural, luminous glow.
How to do it: Purchase a dry brush with natural bristles. Start at your feet and brush in long, sweeping motions toward your heart (avoiding the face) without applying too much pressure. Don’t dry brush for too long or too often. Try just a few minutes once a week.
8. SET AN INTENTION
When you want to break out of your comfort zone or start a new healthy habit, you must first have a strong intention to do so. As Wayne Dyer, author of “The Power of Intention,” said, “The power of intention is the power to manifest, to create, to live a life of unlimited abundance, and to attract into your life the right people at the right moments.” You can set an intention for every action in your life. Before eating, set an intention to eat mindfully. Before working out, connect to your intention. Ask yourself, “What are you aiming to achieve?”
“Keep your vibe high and light by filtering out the noise and filling yourself up with gratitude throughout each day. ”
9. APPLY SUNSCREEN
Sunscreen isn’t just for summertime. Dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen daily because, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. Yikes! Even if you’re not hanging outdoors for a long period of time, UVA rays that cause wrinkles and premature aging can pass through window glass. Check the ingredients on your sunscreen and look for one with the mineral zinc oxide for UVA protection. If you’re going to be outside for an extended length of time (at least two hours) look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 that’s sweat and water-resistant.
10. EXPRESS GRATITUDE
Western society is constantly telling us we need to be more, do more, have more, and achieve more. It can be depleting and depressing. Keep your vibe high and light by filtering out the noise and filling yourself up with gratitude throughout each day. There have been numerous studies regarding the positive effects a daily gratitude practice has on the mind, body, and spirit.
How to do it: Keep a journal in which you jot down what you’re grateful for each evening before bed or when you wake up in the morning. Try writing affirmations, positive things about yourself and your life. Or write a thank-you note to someone to say how grateful you are to have him or her in your life.
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This story was originally published on May 21, 2018, and has since been updated.
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Millennial Burnout Is Real. The Question Is: Do You Have It?
We want to do it all. At what cost?
We want to do it all—but what happens if doing it all drives us to a place where we can't get anything done?
Millennials are not invincible—but we love to tell ourselves we are. I recall multiple occasions when concerned friends and family members warned me, "Careful you don't burn out!" And I recall as many occasions when I just shrugged it off before heading to my next commitment.
For most millennials, it starts in high school when you’re expected to take on countless extracurriculars. College is no breeze, but you get through it with the grades your parents expect and with a smattering of internships you somehow tuck between classes. Your friends are right there with you, juggling it all and joking that “overworked” is the new “normal.”
But then there’s adulthood.
I dove head-first into my first job while handling two apartment moves, a hectic social life, and then—because I wasn’t stressed enough—I took on additional volunteer work. My high school and college self could handle juggling, but I quickly realized I hadn’t accounted for the real world pressures of independence and a competitive work environment.
The trouble with burnout is that it strikes when you least expect it. You're overworked, overstimulated, and striving for excellence in a world that sets the bar high. And as a millennial, you’re setting your own bar even higher.
“The trouble with burnout is that it strikes when you least expect it.”
We know ourselves better than anyone, yet we internalize societal pressures and put aside our needs. We want to strengthen our personal brand, maintain an active social life, all while striving for that sweet work-life balance—when balance means we just sort of never stop working.
We. Are. Tired.
And who can blame us? Fortunately, though, we can change that. Here are signs you’re nearing burnout and some ways to stop it before it happens.
SIGN 1: Someone asks what’s most important in your life and your answer is ‘everything.’
We want to do it all. But what happens if doing it all means sacrificing healthy sleeping and eating habits? Not worth it.
You know the word “prioritize,” but a lot of millennials struggle with the concept. There's so much to do, and in the Digital Age, it feels like everything needs to be done immediately. Ever have someone give you a hard time about not texting them back immediately? I hate to break it to you, but you can’t do it all at the same time. You’ll burn yourself out, guaranteed.
SOLUTION: SLOW DOWN + STREAMLINE
I say it's time to cut some of the dead weight. Start by taking a look at your schedule for the next week. Is there anything you'll be doing that fills you with dread? See if there's a way to maneuver yourself out of it. Our entrepreneurial tendencies mean we often say “yes” to every opportunity. But people will be supportive of your need to take a step back. Be honest about your concerns, say no, then stick to it.
Next, try making a to-do list. It may seem archaic, but listing out what needs to be done per day and then checking those items off your list can give you a great sense of accomplishment. It will also allow you to visualize what’s most important and what can be left for another day.
SIGN 2: You panic if you leave your iPhone (and thus instagram) at home
As millennials, we've been raised with limitless information and countless ways to communicate. We’re encouraged to build our identities on social media, reinforcing our public image with well-edited photos of party going and staged selfies. That’s a lot of pressure, and it’s time consuming. Suddenly, the need to share means we’re permanently plugged into our devices.
SOLUTION: DON'T GIVE IN TO THE PRESSURE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Remember that you exist in the present and that person is enough. If your work life isn’t contingent on your social presence (meaning you’re not working as a social media marketer), reevaluate your participation on social platforms.
How often are you pulling up Twitter or Instagram to share? Try actually counting how many times a day you open the app. The results might be staggering, but you’ll have to face your problem honestly.
That time can be better spent sleeping, cooking healthy meals, or exercising. Yes, these options may initially seem less appealing (thanks to social media, too many of us have no sense of how to be alone), but they can drastically improve your overall health and energy levels.
Put your phone in another room before you go to bed so you won’t be tempted to check it in the middle of the night or immediately when you wake up.
Consider committing to only checking Instagram (or Twitter or Facebook) once a day.
Disable your push notifications. They’re both tempting and distracting. You’ll be more productive without them.
The next time you plan a fun activity or take a trip, commit to not photographing it. Instead, just focus on enjoying it.
SIGN 3: You know your body needs a quiet night in, but when friends text, you wind up going for yet another night out. that’s five days in a row.
This may seem like an obvious point, but we often forget to take care of ourselves. We get a text from a friend asking to meet for dinner as the workday comes to an end. Instead of heading home to get an early night’s rest, we talk ourselves into meeting for happy hour and feel pressured into the next bar or restaurant down the street.
SOLUTION: MANAGE EXPECTATIONS AND PRACTICE SAYING “NO”
It’s difficult to tell your friend no because you want to sleep. Chances are, they’ll put on the pressure and make a few jokes at your expense. But that extra time for self-care is crucial to avoid burnout. You will miss many more happy hours if you’re completely exhausted, depressed, stressed, or even physically ill. As hard as it may be to make time for it, self-care is crucial.
If you’re like most millennials, you may need to actually schedule your nights in so you don’t make plans on top of them. Put them on your calendar and stick to them.
Consider limiting drinking to weekends. Late nights are exhausting, but you’ll only feel more run-down if you’re dehydrated and hungover.
For the friends who tend to pressure, make advanced plans and offer them the specific days you’re available. Then they won’t expect you to text on the nights you’re not.
Single? Delete your dating apps. If you’re feeling frantic and exhausted, you’re not going to be your interesting self anyway. Make your self-care your priority until things calm down. Trust us, Tinder will be there when you get back.
Whether you’re on the cusp or already drowning in a pool of burnout, it’s never too late to take your life into your hands. Reflect on how you got to where you are, cut yourself some slack, then use our tips to get back on track. As millennials, we hate the thought but: sometimes we need to take a step back to move forward.
Do you think millennial burnout is a real thing? Why or why not? Chime in below.
An original version of this article appeared on Career Contessa.
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You Should Def Think Twice Before Doing This On Social Media
Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
It’s estimated that 81% of Americans are on social media, (up 5% from last year) so it’s more than likely that you’ll come across professional contacts on various social media platforms. While it might be second nature to connect with those in your professional network, it’s important to think twice before adding a professional contact on social media and make a conscious decision about whether or not connecting is the right move. There are a few extremely important things to consider first.
Nothing is private
One of the reasons why you should think twice before adding a professional contact on a social platform is because nothing is private. This goes for anything you put on the internet, but it becomes even more important when you’re dealing with your career. Regardless of privacy settings, it’s important to remember that everything you put out there can be seen by those in your network.
The first thing that comes to mind may be party pictures, but it’s important to think about the other factors of social media that others see. Are you posting pictures of a relaxing mental health day? Or did one of your friends post a funny meme that your boss might not like? Just remember that when you connect with someone on social media, you are giving them a window into your personal life. If you’re someone that likes to keep your work life separate from your private life, it’s best not to connect with professional contacts on social media.
You’re putting yourself in the line of judgement
It’s human nature to judge others, but when you add a professional contact on social media, you’re opening yourself up to a new line of judgement. Think about it this way: If someone sends you an email and you don’t respond, but you’re actively posting on social media, it sends the message that you don’t care enough to respond to your professional contact, or that you are spending more time on social media than handling your professional obligations.
This can negatively affect you and cause others to judge your work ethic and level of respect. Similarly, if you’re sneakily (or not so sneakily) on social media at work, others will be able to see it. Depending on the office culture and social media rules, this may or may not be allowed, so you’ll want to make sure that you consider this when you’re posting.
If you’re someone who often posts social updates and pictures, you might want to think twice before adding a professional contact on a social platform so it doesn’t affect your reputation at work. If you are going to make a social post, be conscious of who will see it and what they will think.
Sometimes it’s best to keep your work and personal life separate
An industry-wide study of over 2,500 people found that 55% of workers would take less pay to have more fun at work. With that in mind, fun at work is still different than fun outside of work, and it’s important to note the difference. Regardless of your company culture or how relaxed your office is, it’s still important to remember that work is work, and you need to uphold your professionalism.
Remember that you can’t un-see something. If someone sees a picture of you hanging out at the beach in a bathing suit, they will remember that at the office. If you’re comfortable with your office contacts seeing you in that setting, there’s no problem, but it just depends on what you’re comfortable with. It’s a very personal decision that only you can make.
This goes back to the judgement issue, but one of the reasons why you should think twice before adding a professional contact on a social platform is because you don’t want your personal life, outside hobbies, or personal opinions to have an impact on your work. In a perfect world these issues would not affect one another, but it’s human nature to take everything into consideration. With that said, it would be a shame if a personal opinion or weekend activity affected how someone viewed your work or your professional reputation.
_______________
In a society where we’re all connected and plugged into various social platforms, it’s important to think twice before adding a professional contact on social media. Ultimately it comes down to what you’re comfortable with and what you want to share with others. Social platforms are a window into our personal lives, so when you’re considering adding a professional contact, consider if your personal life outside of the office is something you’re willing to share, or if it’s something that you want to keep private.
A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your resume, style, and boost your confidence.
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Dos and Don'ts for Overcoming the Worst Work Day Ever
When it feels like Monday all week long.
Written by: Crosby Noricks
From the outside, owning your own business means waking up each morning Cinderella-style; singing with the sunrise, adorable little bluebirds helping you to get dressed, a zippity doo dah of gratitude and oh yeah, great hair.
And sure, on those days when everything is humming along, professional independence is a bit like being the fairy godmother of your own life. But we all know life itself is no fairy tale. Some days, you wake up just not feeling it. at. all.
It could be the never-ending news cycle horrors, a fight with your main squeeze, a good morning panic attack (a recent study found that 72% of entrepreneurs surveyed cited a mental health concern, the struggle IS real), or a go-go-go couple of weeks that have left you tired in all the parts and places a human can be tired.
When something personal is affecting you professionally, try out some of these guidelines to help you persevere through those ups and downs.
After all, you still have to make sure someone is driving the carriage and paying attention to that midnight deadline.
Don’t resist reality
Sometimes it’s our unwillingness to accept what’s actually happening that ends up causing us the most pain. All that running from what’s going on makes moving on harder, not to mention leaves you wide open for an emotion-filled sneak attack when you least expect it. Often, you will immediately feel better when you clearly acknowledge your emotional attachment; “My dad is in the hospital and I am scared,” or “I wasn’t able to secure sponsorships during yesterday’s conference call and I’m second-guessing myself.” Get a handle on the root of the problem.
For Brand Consultant and Certified Coach Stacey Hagen, a tough spot is a call to go inward. “Since I'm ultimately responsible for the energy I bring and I don't want that energy influencing a client on a coaching call, I do my best to sort out whatever is going on prior to getting on a client call. I do this by meditating and journaling. It helps me clear my mind so I can show up fully and hold space.”
Ask yourself, “what do I need to do to feel better?” and start there. A quick 20-minute walk or bitch session with a friend who gets it can work wonders.
Do fix what you can
For circumstances where there’s miscommunication and frustration building between yourself and someone else, getting on the path to peace might be easier than you think. Consider the adage, “no one can resist a non-resistant person.” This phrase is one Relationship Coach and Therapist Kelli Adame uses to help her clients move into a non-resistant, acceptant flow around a challenging affair. She suggests, “the next time you’re dealing with a difficult interpersonal conflict, focus on validating the other person by making them right. Everyone has the right to feel and think whatever they want, after all. Making the other person feel heard is the first step toward de-escalating a situation and puts the other person in a better mindset to receive what you need to deliver.” Adame recommends using this language “I hear everything that you are saying and you have every right to that concern AND I’d like or I need (whatever you have to negotiate).”
Do tell those you trust
Now, it might not be the most professional of declarations but sometimes getting real with your network about certain challenges can deepen rapport.
For Alex Moresco, a Chicago-based entertainment publicist and star of the new original reality web series “PRGirl”, a Lyme Disease diagnosis in 2016 completely changed how she approached working with clients. “Working and balancing a chronic illness can be incredibly tricky, especially in a service based industry such as PR. I have been especially fortunate to work with clients that I now also call my friends, and who genuinely care about my wellbeing. It is imperative that I am transparent with clients about my limitation so I can set expectations and provide the best service possible.
Don’t silo yourself
You could go back to bed and wallow in whatever has you down. It’s your company after all, and if you need to close up shop to get your mind right before getting back in the game, it’s a viable option. However, there’s a fine line between hiding out and simply giving yourself some necessary, though temporary, down-time.
That said, the quickest way to stop self-pity is to focus on serving others. Making valuable business introductions or taking your new intern to lunch are all easy-effort acts to get outside yourself and into the feel-goods that doing for others sparks. For an instant uplifting mood boost, Adame loves to simply buy the person behind her in line coffee.
Whether you choose to shut down or power through, how you handle your rough days can shed light onto your values and expectations as a business owner, it also models to self-care for your own team, clients and partners. Not all situations or solutions are one-size fits all of course, but over time you’ll learn how to overcome not-so-ideal days with ease and grace and find a regimen for achieving happiness and professional sustainability that fits your personal needs and gets you back on track toward happily-ever-after.
Crosby Noricks is the founder and director of PR Couture, the sourcebook for fashion and lifestyle communicators. As part of the site’s own 10-year anniversary celebration, Crosby launched The Bespoke Communication Awards, a global online award program established to recognize excellence among agencies, in-house teams, individuals and brands.
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5 Ways to Be a Strategic Slacker
Chill work fam. Chill.
We've made it. It's Friday. Which means it's almost time to kickoff those boots and stick your toes in the ocean or your nose in a book-- whatever suits your weekend fancy will do.
It's time to slack.
But what about the work week slack? Is it possible to kick your feet up at your desk and STILL be incredibly productive. Perhaps they aren't as at odds as your might think. Here are the 7 magical ways to slack at work and still get shit done. Most employees are only productive four hours a day.
Call it failing upwards.
1. TAKE AN EXTENDED BREAK
Or really, take any break. Chances are that 15 minutes you’re legally allowed twice a day goes unused. You get busy, you get buried. It’s common. But when you’re working that hard your brain stops functioning at optimum output. So take a walk and grab a coffee. (Or bring water along for the jaunt, since dehydration during the workday can also lead to an kaput of creativity.)
Whatever you do, use it. Especially when you’re feeling stuck.
2. SHUT YOUR COMPUTER OFF AND READ
Word to the wise: always bring a book to your office. Sure, powering down your computer and taking a break from responding to emails may feel out of the question, but here’s an important one to ask yourself: when you’ve hit a slump is it better to stay stuck or read yourself out of it? Stand up. Give your spine a stretch and then crack the spine on a book. Seeing words come together in unexpected ways might be the jumpstart your brain needs. It’s not work, but it will work for you.
3. MEDITATE
We’ve all read about the benefits of meditating in the morning or before bed, but meditating in the office can bring clarity, calm your nerves before presentations, and de-stress high impact situations. Stress brings on emotions. Some of which are not beneficial to us in the work environment. Meditating at your desk (or in the storage closet) can help bring clarity and the right kind of emotions to your decision making. For instance, if you’re about to blow your top at a co-worker, take a beat. Meditate. And come into the situation with a clear head. It might look like you’re not doing a thing, but you’re being incredibly productive for you and the company’s well-being.
4. PLAY GAMES ON YOUR PHONE
While we don’t suggest scrolling through the IG during the work day, there are word games and brain games you can play to whip that brain into shape. You could opt for memory, attention, and problem solving apps like Luminosity, or try an app like Happify, that helps you build skills for lasting happiness. And being happy at work directly affects your productivity. So come on, get happy. Play a game or two.
5. DON’T MULTI-TASK
Sometimes it feels like the busier you are, the better you’re working. Untrue! You don’t have to do multiple things at once in order to get things done. Slow down and work on one thing at a time. It might feel like you’re slacking at first, but once you see how quickly you start ticking things off your list, you just might abandon the multi-tasking addiction.
We want to know… how do you do work slack? Share below!
Hey Lauren: Can You #Hustle Your Way to Happy
The positive psychology movement wants to improve normal lives.
"Hey, Lauren" is our new bi-monthly column from licensed psychologist Dr. Lauren Hazzouri. Dr. Hazzouri is a TV show host and founder at Hazzouri Psychology, where she’s carved out a successful niche treating women who are psychologically healthy—but trying hard and not getting satisfaction in various aspects of their lives. Through her life experience and training, Lauren’s developed a program that allows women to live meaningful lives and feel fulfilled doing it. Lauren is founder of HeyLauren.com, a project for women, where she provides evidence-based insights on job stress, relationship woes and everything in between.
photo credit: Moriah Ziman Photography
To submit questions to Lauren follow the prompt at the bottom of the article. She'll be responding to your needs every month! In her first post, Hey Lauren addresses the issue of "the hustle."
FOR DECADES, psychology focused on ill-being—providing scientifically-driven treatments to help miserable people be less miserable. More recently, the positive psychology movement set out to determine how to improve normal lives. Much research has been done to answer the ultimate question: What makes us happy? Everyday I have women (just like you!) trying super hard and not getting any satisfaction, rolling with the 'Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop' mentality and coming into my office saying, “I just want to be happy!” The problem is NOT that no one is talking about happiness—an Amazon search for books on happiness results in 22,083 differing opinions and tips, and to date, there have been 544 ideas worth spreading about happiness at TED. The problem is that no one seems able to define the word happiness. Happiness is defined by Merriam-Webster as the state of being happy. I don’t know about you, but one of the first things I learned in Fourth grade vocabulary class is that it’s not acceptable to define a word, using that word or any variation of that word in the definition. The only students, who tried to get away with that were those who hadn’t studied the vocab list.
"No one seems able to define the word happiness."
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In this case, it’s not that simple. Happiness is hard to objectively define. I remember (back in my doctoral training days when I studied happiness) having to split the happiness variable into positive and negative affect ( mood) and life satisfaction. The problem— and, I’m sure you’ll agree!— is that you can have a ton of positive feelings, like your life a whole lot and yet, not feel blissfully happy. Many times, the missing factor is that we still don’t like ourselves!
It’s been said that the key to happiness is healthy self-esteem. People often confuse confidence and self-esteem. While correlated, they’re not one in the same. You can be confident in many areas—your skill-sets, your appearance, your ability as a tennis player—and still have very low self-esteem. Confidence is a feeling of self-assurance that arises from appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities, while self-esteem is confidence in one’s own worth or value. In an attempt to feel good about ourselves, we often improve our tennis game, lose those five extra pounds, or #Hustle, #Hustle, #Hustle. While good for a confidence boost, there are many champion tennis players and experts in their respective fields, who’s self-esteem remains very low. However, confidence and self esteem are correlated, and self-esteem and happiness are correlated, too.
Recent literature points to three levels of happiness. There’s The Pleasant Life—a life filled with fun and positive experiences; The Good Life—the life of one, who’s identified her signature strengths and uses them to access Flow; And, The Meaningful Life— the life of one, who uses her strengths and abilities to make a contribution to the bigger picture, the world. It’s said that people who live The Good Life and/or The Meaningful Life are happier than The Pleasant Life livers, but the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. Adding pleasant experiences and fun to the other two seemingly renders the best results. I know, shocking!
Here’s the deal— We can use this insight to make our #Hustle work for us, rather than against us! Get off the proverbial hamster wheel and #Hustle to use your signature strengths ( areas in which you have high confidence levels) to live The Good Life, losing yourself in Flow. This way, working hard can feel good! If you’re lucky, you’ll discover that those same strengths can be used to make the world (—even your community) a better place to live The Meaningful Life. The best part—doing so will allow you to feel your worth and value, and in turn, increase self-esteem.
"Get off the proverbial hamster wheel and #Hustle to use your signature strengths to live The Good Life."
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In the words of Gloria Steinem, “Self-esteem isn’t everything; it’s just that there’s nothing without it.” Apparently, not even happiness! So, let’s get started.
IDENTIFY YOUR SIGNATURE STRENGTHS
Take this brief survey at authentichappiness.com! Knowing your individual strengths is the most important part.
PRACTICE FLOW
Flow, a term coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, is the result of being so engaged in an activity that your awareness of time disappears, and you are almost one with what you are doing. I’m sure you’ve heard an artist talk about losing herself in her art. She’s describing flow. To achieve flow, you need to be able to do three things: engage for an ample amount of time on one task, focus wholeheartedly and with intensity, and finish the task to completion. Ready, set, flow!
GIVE BACK
The trick to fulfillment is to make the shift from self-centered to others-centered. Use your strengths to get outside yourself and do things in your community to make your world a better place. Remember, giving back is an integral part of your personal growth and development, and the bonus is that you’re doing great things.
HAVE FUN!
Take breaks and get social. In reality, we are social beings having a human experience, not visa versa. When we spend too much time mastering our craft, we get a little bit squirrelly! Have pleasant conversations. See amazing places. Do fun things. For this one, think — You only live once!
With a commitment to honing your #Hustle toward the life you deserve ( —which at times means to #AntiHustle!) and have fun, too, you might be the one to finally define happiness for us all.
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Dr. Lauren’s on a mission to bring psychology to the public. She contributes to a variety of online publications, provides candid talks to women’s organizations across the country, and was recently cited in Forbes. Lauren’s next appearance is on September 9, when she will deliver a Ted Talk entitled Life Works. Her talk is said to highlight various aspects of the book she’s currently writing on “how to do the human-being thing really well.”
Dr. Lauren is the 2016 recipient of The Psychology in the Media Award from The Pennsylvania Psychological Association and is a member of The American Psychological Association. For more from Lauren, visit @dr_lauren and sign up for her weekly newsletter at HeyLauren.com.
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The Origins of Work/Life Balance & How To Achieve It
It's not a myth, and it can be achieved with 4 small steps.
Work/life balance is the unicorn in every bedroom, kitchen, and desk of the modern working woman.
It is a term used indiscriminately that powerfully affects how we approach day-to-day tasks. How do we find it? Where is it hiding? Is it possibly beneath this desk I want to nap under? (No, it’s not there.)
Most Millennial women report that such a concept is a myth. Or at best, the out-of-key piano soundtrack to our lives that we can’t figure out how to tune. But work/life balance is no whisper campaign that effectively targeted and exploited a vulnerability-- even if it feels as such at times.
We all have the desire to buy into this concept as possible and the want to improve our quality of life. It makes sense that this groundhog day concept keeps appearing.
So how do we reconcile our relationship to work/life balance? How do we make quantitative decisions about what is right for us? How do we, as working women, scale balance?
Our friends at Origins created a new post-workout products that help us refresh after the gym and continue that zen a little longer, and it inspired us to nail down 4 keys ways that help us approach the elusive work/life balance.
REMOVE ONE APP RIGHT NOW!
In an almost astonishing way technology has changed the way we work. But it’s a double-edged sword because we’ve come to rely on said tech in ways that hinder our ability to balance.
If you know that the phone is an issue in your life stop relying on apps to solve all problems. Learn to rely on yourself again.
“Learn to rely on yourself again.”
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Remove one app from your phone right now that you rely too heavily on. You know what it is. It’s disguised as convenience, but has made you all the more entrenched in the work crunch. I.e. Food delivery apps that have made it all the more simple to order lunch straight to our desks. Delete it and walk to lunch tomorrow.
UNBLUR THE LINES BETWEEN WORK AND HOME
One person’s approach should not be another’s. In fact balance is idiosyncratic. Create & Cultivate keynote Rachel Zoe said that when she’s at work, she’s present and when she’s with her kids, she’s present. Which means she’s not scrolling IG at the dinner table. There is separation in her life and it’s important to her well-being and productivity as an entrepreneur.
Create a routine that’s not about work.
INCORPORATE A WEEKLY WORKOUT INTO YOUR ROUTINE
Working out is one of the best motivators, confidence boosters and is proven to increase productivity. But while we often think about pre-workout-- which is often rushing from the office to a class-- and the benefits of the workout itself, there’s also a chance to slow down, and take that post workout high time for yourself. You don’t have to sprint from the gym home. Instead take a little extra “balance” time for yourself and try the following:
Post-sweat session use Origins Shower Off™ Exfoliating Body Wash, a refreshing post-workout scrub cleanser designed to refine and deeply purify the skin by removing perspiration and dirt. Likewise, Origins Warm Down™ Warming Lava scrub, a water-activated heating lava scrub addresses three key needs after a workout – it detoxifies and exfoliates skin, while also promoting relaxation for sore muscles. Activated in the shower, it warms up on contact to help comfort sore muscles, while volcanic ash deeply purifies skin by removing dirt, sweat and perspiration.
You should also take a moment to replenish the skin. An average person sweats the equivalent of two large sports bottles per hour during rigorous exercise. Which means your skin is losing moisture too. With Origins new Hit Refresh™ Cooling Moisturizer with Hawaiian Mineral Water, you’re instantly replenishes skin’s hydration post-workout.
These products leave skin smooth and refreshingly clean, while your brain and body feel balanced and calm.
WHEN YOU GET HOME POST-WORKOUT, PUT YOUR PHONE IN A DIFFERENT ROOM
Check your email and answer anything pressing on the subway ride or walk home. Or if you commute, answer before you leave the gym.
You can make the choice to not let your work cross the threshold with you. When you arrive at home, place your phone in a different room. It’s a simple spatial barrier that will help you break a habit that is detrimental in your quest for W/L. (I.e. checking your email or Insta every five seconds while you enjoy an end of day glass of wine or cup of tea.)
You should also put your phone in a different room when you finally hit the hay, that way you’re not checking your email or putting out fires FIRST thing in the morning.
Simple adjustments allow you to be proactive about your day, instead of reactive, and aid in your desire to find balance.
Simple adjustments allow you to be proactive about your day, instead of reactive, and aid in your desire to find balance.
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And remember: you get to day 500 of balance by starting with day one.