Stress can make you Fat

Under pressure, our minds start to race, our blood pressure goes up, and we release a toxic hormone called cortisol into our blood. It takes 450 miliseconds for tension to move up our spine and into our necks and back. Our rational, logical thinking minds get muddled as blood moves into our bodies and into large muscles that will lead battle. At same time, we are re-allocating our energy. Whatever we've eaten is listening to our stress hormones and moving into storage to anticipate a sustained fight. (All this at a traffic light.) This stored energy--yes, you got it--is stored as fat. Aren't leaving your office? Eating at your desk? Chances are stress hormones are keeping those macronuitrients from doing their job and packing it into your middle. Rx--get out, take a walk, change scenery and breath, using SOS above.

Parenting Employee

Contrary to what we might think, pay, perks or benefits don't lead to employee loyalty and creative productivity. Instead, employees, in a national Gallup survey, said it all hinges on their immediate manager. Employees want same thing from them that children need from their parents---someone who values their unique contribution, cares for them, sets clear and consistent limits and encourages and supports their growth. Is it any wonder that most effective things we can do as managers is same thing we do as parents: Listen to what is being said; Label it back and lead next course of action.

How's weather?

Our culture emphasizes academic training and technical skill, often to exclusion of interpersonal effectiveness. Notice how we avoid personal disclosure or interpersonal connection. We talk about project, event, goal, schedule or weather. It's more comfortable staying impersonal. We can label people brilliant or professional, yet people remember moments. They remember when they have been moved emotionally and someone has spoken to our passion. Our first relationship is with ourselves. Knowing, understanding and managing our own emotions means engaging both our vulnerabilities and our strengths. It is only from a place of comfort with all our parts that we become whole and can connect with others.

Presents or Presence

Don't put your money where your mouth. Be there. There is no greater value than your time or attention. You know you have a deadline with too much to do and too little time. Your child, your employee or your unwanted phone call doesn't. Rather than sigh deeply and hope they figure it out, set a boundary of one minute, and for that minute, give them your undivided attention. When someone sits for thirty seconds with your undivided attention, it's as if you gave them ten minutes.

How's Your EQ?

Consider benchmarking your EQ. peoplesmith coaching offers assessments and coaching to help professionals become more effective and more successful with their life goals. For more information, contact us at http://www.peoplesmith.org or mailto Coach@peoplesmith.org of course, you may call us for a complementary coaching session at 412-362-2622.

Zig Ziglar, famous motivational speaker and author, provided several reasons why individuals are so productive day before vacation in his book “Over The Top”. First, such individuals tend to set goals for that day which than requires a high level of commitment. Next, he found that we tend to get started early this particular day on achieving these goals. He also found that we tend to work at a higher level of enthusiasm on this day before vacation, which can’t help but impact our productivity. We are also far less likely to procrastinate this day as well. Instead, we focus on finishing one task or project before leaping into next one. What a novel thought…

In his research, Ziglar also took note of fact that we tend to do “tough” jobs early on this special day. He reasons that “If you have to swallow a frog, why waste time looking at it?”

Workers on their day before vacation also tend to be extremely focused and disciplined in their efforts according to Ziglar. Rather than looking for interruptions in their work, we avoid than as much as possible. Too much stuff to get done. Too little time to waste.

What impact will your individual efforts on this day have on your employees or co-workers? It’s possible that they may wish you had left on vacation one day earlier. More likely, is that your commitment, your enthusiasm, and determination that will become contagious. It will have a multiplier effect across organization as others feel impact of your robust level of productivity.

That leaves us with one remaining question. Is it possible to “bottle” this Day Before Vacation mentality and apply it (with caution) everyday? Can we create same level of urgency, enthusiasm, and commitment five days a week, 50 weeks a year? Why not? I need some time to consider these questions. I need some time to further mull over application of my findings. I need…another vacation.