Mental Health Month is coming up in October. On October 10 – we celebrate World Mental Health Day. According to AU Mental Health: “Good mental health is when we can cope with the stressors of our daily lives, participate in loving relationships, contribute to our community, and work towards our goals. Everyone has mental health. And we can all benefit from looking after our own mental health and the mental health of our communities.”

Chronic workplace stress – otherwise known as burnout – is prevalent, especially as we gear towards the holiday season. Not everyone can separate themselves completely from the stress of the workplace. A lot of workers don’t have the option to give up a couple of days or weeks to take time off. Examples of these are healthcare workers or gig workers. So, how can we avoid burnout or workplace stress?

1. Boundaries:

Set boundaries for yourself around life and work, including defining your non-negotiables. To define your boundaries, ask yourself the following questions:

• What am I prepared to NOT compromise on?
• Where do I need extra support?
• What areas am I willing to be flexible?

Once you have the answers, you can clearly define your best work environment scenario and clearly define your non-negotiables.

2. Priorities:

There is a concept in Positive Psychology called “time affluence” defined as the sense that one has ample time available on a daily basis. It is the idea that you have enough time to do the things you want to do. Having an abundance of time for the things you need and desire to do is one of the most important factors of happiness. The inverse, which is the state of being “time poor” can lead to unhappiness. This means that we have to prioritize tasks so that work, chores, and other responsibilities don’t eat up all of our time. Learn how to prioritize. We’ve written about that here and here. Use the Eisenhower matrix to help you identify which tasks are to be prioritized and which ones to manage, delegate, limit, or avoid.

3. Social life: 

The first thing we drop when we’re stressed is socializing with other people. We turn inwardly and keep to ourselves. However, evidence of a 75 -year Harvard study suggests that building and maintaining strong relationships is the best indicator of happiness. The strength of our relationships determine our level of happiness. So call a friend, visit family, and don’t isolate yourself.

4. Me-time and Mindset 

Experts always suggest taking a break and spending some time on self-care in order to mitigate the effects of workplace stress or burnout. That works for some time, but the effects wear off as soon as you get back to work. What should change is your mindset about work. If you see it as a boring place or a terrible place, no amount of vacation time or self-care time will make you want to go to work. Make some tweaks and changes to your thinking. Focus on what’s strong instead of what’s wrong. What’s going well for you? What brings you happiness? Where do you want to be in 3 mos, 6mos, or 1 year? Celebrate your wins, all of them big and small.

What are your tips to avoid burnout? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

In an office environment, it’s easy to manage the performance of employees because of proximity. That’s not usually the case in remote work or hybrid work environments. First, it’s not easy to monitor output unless there are concurrently defined metrics. For example, it’s easier to turn in work at the end of a 9 – 5 workday versus waiting for output from teams with different start and stop times. So how do you manage the performance of distributed teams in a hybrid or remote work setting?

1. Define success – without concurrently defined metrics (e.g. 1, 1500 – word article per day vs. 5 articles per week), employees won’t even know what targets to hit much more so if they are successful at all in hitting these targets.
2. Regular check-ins – having regular check-ins mean that employees know when to expect feedback and can more easily manage their workload. Manager’s shouldn’t wait until they see a dip in performance before checking -in on their teams. More often than not, employees will only initiate a meeting when they already need help. That means they are already struggling with a task or project. Nip this problem in the bud by proactively scheduling regular check-ins. Regular doesn’t have to mean daily. Work out a schedule that won’t interfere with any of your scheduled tasks.
3. Use tools – to eliminate the need to guess the productivity of an employee, tools should be used to automate the monitoring process. Project management tools can help underperforming employees with the following:
   

• Manage their workload by laying out the requirements and deadlines of each project (checklists and deadlines can help underperforming employees to organise their tasks and manage their time)
• Provide visibility to the manager and the rest of the team who are working on the same project (for projects with dependencies, visibility for all stakeholders is a must)
• Provide shareable resources (e.g. Team A may have worked on a similar project and could provide a process outline, backgrounder information or a market scan of vendors)
• Identify bottlenecks in the task or project (e.g tasks that require more resources than usual, tasks that require skills that need to be outsourced, projects that have too many redundant processes, etc.)
• Track the tasks that the employee is struggling with (e.g. if he spends too much time on one task, identify the problem, what resources are needed and how you can help).

Eliminate the guessing game and use technology to your advantage. Project management tools can help gie direction to a distributed team as they are able to work from a central environment regardless of proximity. The importance of communication and clearly defined metrics also couldn’t be stressed enough. Make sure that you have a handle on all three when managing a distributed team. What are your tried and tested management tips for working with hybrid or remote working teams? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Do you have trouble remembering things? Do you sometimes find it difficult to focus on your work? In this day and age, there seem to be multiple things that require our attention – the news, everyday worries, social media, work, etc. At any given time, distractions abound and compel our full focus. It can feel like we’re wearing our brains out too much. 

It’s normal to forget things. It’s also normal to lose focus once in a while. But now that so much content and concerns dominate our thoughts – ‘once in a while’ feels more like ‘more often than I would care.’ 

Did you know that nutrition and hydration are two key elements to keep you focused and your memory sharp? As it turns out, there are super powered foods that can actually help us stay focused throughout the day. These foods can support brain function and health and keep our brains working better. Here are 5 foods that can help improve  focus and memory:

1. Blueberries – blueberries have a plant compound called anthocyanin that not only gives it its deep berry color, but also gives it its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. Antioxidants aren’t only good for the skin but also fights against oxidative stress and inflammation, two conditions that contribute to brain aging.
2. Nuts – the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids contained in nuts, coupled with super nutrients like copper, manganese, zinc, and selenium, make nuts a must have when it comes to improving our brain’s cognitive functions. Not only that, it helps to improve your mood, too!
3. Eggs – choline, one of the many nutrients found in eggs, reduces inflammation and helps improve cognitive functions. Eggs are also a huge mood booster as they contain serotonin and can normalize your sleep as they contain tryptophan.
4. Fatty Fish – the omega-3 fatty acids and DHA in fatty fish are great for improving focus and memory. Some examples of fatty fish are: salmon, tuna. Cod, and pollock. Make sure they have low to no mercury content and focus on getting at least two servings of fatty fish once a week. If that isn’t possible, take supplements containing omega-3 and DHA.
5. Coffee – I’ve saved the best for last. Coffee, yes coffee, helps in concentration. We already know this, but coffee helps keep us alert. But did you know that it also helps improve memory and retention as well? The caffeine and antioxidants in coffee help support cognitive functions and brain health. It is also linked to a reduced risk of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. However, don’t overdo it as it may make you jittery, disrupt your sleep patterns, or even cause multiple bathroom trips. A good rule of thumb is to refrain from consuming coffee after 12nn. 

Do you want to power up your concentration and focus? Here’s a breakfast tip to jump start your day: pair a whole grain bagel and lox (salmon), with 100% fruit juice, and a cup of coffee. What’s your go-to breakfast to start your workday? Share your power up breakfast with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Keeping tabs of everyday tasks is already a huge achievement. But what of annual must-dos? You know, those things that need attention at least once a year? I’m sure you have a lot of those, we all do. Here’s a checklist of 8 things you need to attend to at least once every trip around the sun.

• An annual physical – not sure where the saying ‘healthy as a horse’ came from, but they are known for their super vitality and stamina. You can be ‘as healthy as a horse’, but you still need to see a doctor for an annual check-up at least once a year. It’s a good way to gauge where you’re at in terms of physical health and fitness and to see if you have any health issues that need to be addressed immediately.
• Dental visits – your teeth need regular cleaning, too. Brushing for at least 2 minutes just won’t cut it – because, let’s be honest,  some of us rush through that. So, it’s best to get your teeth professionally cleaned and checked at least once a year. Dentists recommend professional cleaning every 6 months.
• Pet check-ups – your pets won’t be able to tell you what’s wrong with them or how they’re feeling. It’s best to take them to a vet for annual check-ups that include blood work. Being proactive means we get to enjoy our best friend’s company for longer.
• Carpet cleaning – when was the last time you cleaned your carpet? If you can’t remember, then it’s been too long. No. Running a vacuum cleaner over it doesn’t count. Your carpets need a deep clean to get rid of the bacteria and grime that has been hiding in it. Roll up your sleeves and purge your carpet with steamers or a soapy bucket. You can also hire a professional to do it, if that’s in your budget. While you’re in cleaning mode, have a go at your oven, gutters, and chimney as well.
• Spring cleaning – spring cleaning doesn’t have to be done in the spring. You can start anytime. So as not to get overwhelmed, choose a room or a section of a room and start there. I usually start with the lowest hanging fruit, my home office – which is easiest for me because I declutter it as a signal that the workday has ended. Then I move on to a bigger space – the living room, and work my way from there. Spring cleaning usually takes me 2 to 3 days or 1 weekend. But, a clean home makes me feel immensely better.
• Battery changing – change the batteries of your: 
  • smoke detector 
  • remote controls 
  • keyboard and mouse
  • Kitchen timer
  • Garage sensor
  • Car keys
  • Etc, you get the idea
• Digital decluttering – your digital life needs a decluttering, too. Take a look at your PC desktop and get rid of downloads you have already read or saved off, screen captured images that you can no longer recall what they were for, programs and apps that are old, outdated or have outlived their purpose. 
• Check your make-up stash – ladies, check your make-up stash and throw out anything that has already expired. Don’t risk putting on your lips, eyes, face, and skin anything that has been sticking around longer than they should lest you get an infection or a rash.

Do you have more to add to this list? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Being a ‘YES’ person isn’t always a virtue. Sure, the bosses love you, your colleagues love you – you never say ‘NO’. But if you’re neck deep in work and your manager suddenly pops her head in your office asking if you can take on some short-term, high priority task – is it really a good idea to say yes?

You say YES
This is yet another chance to prove to your manager that you are reliable and competent. It doesn’t matter that your manager does this pretty regularly to you. So you slog away at the task that is due today and put the rest of your work on the backburner. Meanwhile, your co-workers seem to have enough time to work on pet projects. A few of them shine and excel. All of those who get to choose their projects seem to be really enjoying themselves.

You say NO
You take a deep breath and muster up the courage to refuse the additional work. Your manager walks away surprised but impressed that you have set boundaries for yourself. You go back to working on your current projects and don’t feel rushed. As a matter of fact, you even feel ‘time affluent’ (the feeling of being time affluent significantly increases your happiness factor). Your projects get the attention and focus they deserve and you don’t feel so burnt out.

We say yes to everything for a number of reasons. The most common ones being:

• Having little to no set boundaries – new employees often say ‘yes’ to everything because they want to be seen as a team player. However, they underestimate the time and resources it takes to finish a task and could likely end up turning in subpar work. 
• Poor communication skills – ‘no’ is already a full sentence and shouldn’t need anything else. But pushy managers or co-workers need more information. So, some people just say ‘yes’ to avoid having to explain themselves. 
• You might be a people pleaser – saying ‘yes’ to everything is a people pleasing response that falls under the ‘fawn response’. This response is one of four stress responses adopted by our nervous system – the other three being: fight, flight, or freeze.

To address these points, you should:

1. Know your priorities.
What activities will bring the highest return on investment? Once you have identified those, keep track of your priorities so that you can determine if you legitimately are able to handle extra tasks. If you have multiple priorities – saying ‘yes’ to yet another task can easily overwhelm you.

2. Be authentic and straightforward
If you give wishy-washy reasons for refusing other tasks – your managers or colleagues might take that as a crawlspace for them to find a way to pawn off their work to you. Or worse, they could see it as being disingenuous. To avoid frustration, be candid about why you’re saying ‘no and if you’re challenged, stick to your decision and stay steady and clear about your message.

3. Learn to say ‘no’
Aim for a neutral ‘no’. This means being kind but firm – not mean, but not too nice. Be firm and watch your body language (don’t look reluctant). Don’t make the other person feel bad for asking for your help, but don’t give them false hopes either. Try saying:

• “Sorry, no. I’m really busy with my own tasks right now. If you still need help by the end of the week, please let me know. I can offer my help then.”
• “I can’t help you. I am swamped for the next few weeks.” 
• “No, I have no space for additional work at the moment.” 
• “No, I am on several deadlines.”
• “Thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, my workload does not allow for this additional task within the proposed deadline. If the deadline can be extended to next week, I might be able to accommodate. Please let me know how to proceed.” 
• “I appreciate you thinking of me for this opportunity, but this is outside of my expertise.”

We hope this helps. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp