Workaholic tendencies can be a big problem for us.  It can lead to lower quality of work, damaged relationships, and can even rob us of the joy we have for life.

If you want to change . . . here are some ideas – based on a recent article in Harvard Business Review.

First – a definition.  Being a workaholic is not just working a lot of hours.  One definition is that it is a “deleterious inability to disconnect from your job.”  If you think this may be you, here are some strategies to use.

1.  Redefine “Urgent.”  Everything is not urgent!  It might give you a rush, but “frantic multitasking” is not a healthy or productive way of working.  Prioritize and delay things that can actually wait for another day – or more.

2.  Reinvent Your To-Do List.  Check out Steven Covey’s Big Rocks video here.  List the three most important things you need to do each day and then let other “to dos” fill in as needed.

3.  Delegate! We know that you are the best at doing everything.  But guess what – everything does not need to get done to your standard – and – you do not allow your team to grow and develop if you do not delegate.  Learn more here about delegation.

4.  Reset Your Work Estimate Clock.  Start slowing down when you make your estimates of how long it will take you to get something done.  Carefully look over what it is going to really take.  Add 25% to your time estimate and start tracking how often your estimates are correct.  You may need to add even more time.

5.  Control Rumination.  It is good to be passionate about what you do, but you need to figure out how to let go.  Adopt some hobbies that will take your attention away from work.  Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises, can help.

6.  Embrace Rest and Recovery.  Here are things you know but that you may not do: get your sleep, workout, and take vacations.  And when you take a vacation, unplug.

You deserve a happy and joyful life.  Give yourself the freedom to do well at work and to be able to indulge in fun, family, and friendships.  Your work will actually benefit from this as well.  But more importantly, you will have the life you really want.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Clark, M.  “A Workaholic’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Life,” Harvard Business Review online, September 10, 2024.

What Is Stress and Its Impact

We all experience stress. It’s the feeling we get when things feel overwhelming, out of control, or too much to handle. Maybe it’s a busy day at work or school, a disagreement with a friend or co-worker, worries about the future, politics, or events around the world.  Stress isn’t just in our heads. It affects our whole bodies, making it hard to think clearly, sleep well, or even enjoy the things we usually love.

Here’s the thing: we can’t just “think” our way out of stress. When people are in a negative emotional space, their brains are focused on problems, and finding solutions is hard. This is where saboteurs—the negative voices in our heads—show up. These unruly inner critics loudly say, “You can’t handle this,” “You are not good enough,” or “Shame on you, you should do better.” These negative thoughts elevate stress, keeping us in a cycle of worry and frustration that diminishes our well-being, distracts performance, and strains relationships.

Navigate Stress By Building Mental Fitness

There is good news. You can learn to “disarm” these saboteurs and navigate stress in a healthy way for your lifetime. Here are three steps to practice today. The more you practice, the more you build your mental fitness.

1. Start with noticing when you feel stressed or stuck in negative thinking. When you notice it, celebrate it. Say to yourself with a smile, “Wow, I caught you negative thinking and I won’t let you hold me back now.” This interruption and celebration is a first step toward feeling better.
2. Next, shift your brain into its sage channel.  This is the part of the brain where calm, creativity, and problem-solving happen. One way to charge up your sage channel is to do an easy centering exercise for at least 10 seconds, the time it takes for three normal breaths. Close your eyes if you can. As you breathe, bring all of your attention to the activity of inhaling and exhaling. It is natural for your mind to wander. Gently bring it back to focusing on your breathing. The focused attention on your breath, away from thinking, gives your brain the reset it needs to recharge.
3. Now, use your creative power to design a small step you feel good (and not stressed) about taking. Ask yourself and answer these two questions: 1) What is 10% right (a little bit good) about my situation? 2) What next step could this perspective lead me to take? These questions help pivot stress to new opportunities.

Stress will always be a part of life, especially leadership. By noticing it, celebrating your awareness, and using mindset-shifting tools to build mental fitness, you can lead yourself and others to calmness, confidence, and clarity, contributing to a more satisfying and positively impactful day.

More Ideas To Disarm Saboteurs

Subscribe to the Effective Nonprofit Leadership With Less Stress Newsletter and receive a copy of Denice’s eBook Disarming Saboteurs: 6 Mindset Tools for Nonprofit and Association Leadership.  https://tinyurl.com/managance

Work-life balance issues have become increasingly important in recent years – particularly since the pandemic.  They are a big source of employee satisfaction and engagement.

Supervisors play a huge role in how well their teams navigate work-life balance issues.  Following is a sampling of a survey developed by researchers that can give you an insight on how well you are doing.  On a scale from 1 – 5, with 5 being a very positive YES, how do you think your team would rate you?

*My supervisor is willing to listen to my problems in juggling work and nonwork life

*My supervisor makes me feel comfortable talking with them about my conflicts between work and nonwork

*My supervisor is a good role model for work and nonwork balance

*My supervisor demonstrates effective behaviors in how to juggle work and nonwork balance

*My supervisor thinks about how the work in my department can be organized to jointly benefit employees and the company

*My supervisor asks for suggestions to make it easier for employees to balance work and nonwork demands

*My supervisor is creative in allocating job duties to help my department work better as a team

*My supervisor is able to manage the department as a whole team to enable everyone’s needs to be met

So how did you do?  If you are unsure, perhaps you can actually give the survey to your team and ask someone else in your organization to calculate the results so it is anonymous.

The survey is designed to give you insight on how you can do better – which all of us can do.  The more you support your team, the better they will perform.  And you would hate to lose talented employees who feels that can’t achieve their work-life goals working with you.

*Survey questions taken from Hammer, L. B., Kosseck, E. E., et. al., “Development and validation of a multidimensional measure of family supervisor supportive behaviors (FSSB),” Journal of Management, 35, 837-856.

According to various surveys, burnout is at an all-time high.  For many, it has become a new normal.

But it does not have to be this way.  A recent article from Harvard Business Review provides some suggestions.

First, we need to appreciate that stress is not necessarily bad.  In fact, a certain amount of stress is good for us.  We can think of this as our “sweet spot” – which is sometimes called “eustress.”  When we are in our “sweet spot,” we are neither “too revved up” or not challenged enough, calm yet engaged, relaxed yet fully alert, energized but not overwhelmed.

The HBR article author suggests that we need to fully understand our “sweet spot” – since it is different for everyone.  Crossing the line to an unhealthy level of stress can show up as health problems, irritation, impatience, and/or being anxious.  Here is what we can do:

*Identify the conditions that keep you in your “sweet spot.”  Again, this is different for everyone.  Think back to times when you were energized, but not overwhelmed.  What got you there and what happened that pushed you over into the negative stress zone?

*Change what you have control over.  Once you understand how to get into the “sweet spot,” then do what you can to get there – without going overboard.  Control what you can and get your boss on board with this.

*Prioritize work recovery.  When you see yourself falling into the negative stress zone, call a “time out” as soon as you can to get back to a more happy and productive place.  If this takes a while and you need to weather a storm – then so be it.  Make sure to give yourself time to recover afterwards.

*Get by with a little help from your friends.  Talk with your co-worker friends about your plan and ask for their support.  They can help you identify triggers that will make you negatively stressed and help you with recovery.

In this fast-paced workplace, it is not uncommon for high achievers to inadvertently fall into the negative stress zone.  Get to know your “sweet spot” and focus diligently to stay in that zone.  This will be a win-win for you and for your organization.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Wiens, K.  “How Burnout Became Normal – and How to Push Back Against It,” Harvard Business Review online, April 23, 2024.

Here are some tips from a recent article in Harvard Business Review on how you can sustain a high level of energy by utilizing strategic breaks during your day:

*Change Your Mindset: Breaks Are Smart.  The workday is not a tortuous marathon.  It’s more like an NBA basketball game where you need peak performance throughout the day.  This is why NBA players take breaks every quarter.  There are regular timeouts and substitutions.

*Don’t Task Switch.  Set blocks of time for various tasks and projects – don’t bounce around.  Research shows that “multi-tasking” creates stress and a loss of productivity.

*Reset Your Meeting Default.  Cut your meeting default by ten or fifteen minutes and use that time to get out of your office for a quick walk or a stretch.

*Enforce Hard Stops on Meetings.  You know the usual suspects who use too much air time in a meeting.  Respectfully ask them to summarize and make sure to finish meetings on time.

*Schedule Breaks.  Experiment with what works for you. The NBA breaks up a game into quarters and maybe you can do the same thing – with a longer “half time” break in the middle of the day.  Put these into your calendar.

Taking strategic breaks will make you more effective and resilient for the long run.  And they will set a good example for your team.  Start pacing yourself better today by utilizing some of these tips.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Zucker, R.  “Don’t Underestimate the Power of Small Breaks During A Busy Workday,” Harvard Business Review online, March 11, 2024.

It’s a culture of overwork – and it exists in many organizations.  Even worse – many leaders wear it as a badge of honor.

And while Overwork was an issue pre-pandemic, it has grown as a concern as the “always-on” expectation of many organizations has spread.

Research reported in a recent article in Harvard Business Review shows two disturbing trends that began during Covid: 1.) We became much more likely to work in the evenings, usually just before bedtime, and 2.) The number of work messages sent and received during the weekends increased by 200%.  These patterns have now become normalized.

Overwork – or “Workaholism” is the inability to disconnect from work.  This is bad for our mental health, erodes the quality of our work effort, and lowers personal as well as organizational, resilience.

If you are a leader who wants to break your Overwork Culture, here are some important steps you can take.  IMPORTANT: If Leadership is not on board with this then any change will probably not stick.  So begin there first. Then . . .

1.)  Start with an assessment.  Conduct some surveys and focus groups to find out how significant a problem you have and what attitudes exist among various employees – at different levels – about this.

2.)  Identify Incremental Change Opportunities based on what you learn in your assessment.  Put together a task force of people who are well placed in the organization and are committed to the effort.  Ask them to review the data of your assessment and identify changes that need to be made.  Look for places to start that you think will be successful.  You can’t set a new “no emails over the weekend” policy overnight.

3.)  Pilot Changes, Learn, and Expand.  Institute some small changes in a few places in the organization and learn how it goes.  Expand these efforts based on what you learn.  Changing habits takes time.  Begin rolling out small changes.  Start with changes that are relatively easy to build momentum.

You can count on resistance which is why leadership is vital to your success.  Stay persistent, reward those who get on board, and continue to build your momentum.  This will strengthen your team and lead to improved Mission Impact over time.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Clark, M.  “How To Fix Your Company’s Culture of Overwork,” Harvard Business Review online, March 18, 2024.

When we are short on patience . . .

Small setbacks start to annoy us . . .

A weekend’s rest is not enough (if you got rest on the weekend) . . .

These are possible signs that one or all of our five energy batteries are running low.

Did you even know that we have five different “energy batteries?”

Here are the “energy batteries” the authors of a recent article in Harvard Business Review suggest we have:

*Physical Battery.  Many of us think this is our only source of energy.  We know we should get good sleep, exercise, and eat healthily.  Of course that does not mean we always do it.  This is often a good place to start if your energy is running low.

*Mental Battery.  This is our intellectual agility and ability to focus.  Interestingly, exercise has been shown to impact mental acuity, so it is a two-fer.  Practicing mindfulness, avoiding multi-tasking, and taking regular breaks can help keep this battery charged.

*Emotional Battery.  This refers to emotional intelligence and our ability to self-regulate  in stressful situations.  We charge this by spending time with family and friends, taking on restorative hobbies, and just having some fun.

*Spiritual Battery.  Our sense of purpose – whether it is connected to religious practice or not – is key to this energy source.  Spending time in nature and doing volunteer work can recharge this aspect of our energy.

*Social Battery.  This represents the quality of our professional and personal relationships.  It takes an investment of our time to maintain and improve these relationships.  Deepening these relationships charges this battery.

Are you draining your batteries just thinking about all the things you should do differently?

Good news: you can actually have an impact by starting small.  The authors suggest that we begin recharging our batteries by starting with “mini-habits.”  Find one or two new habits that will help charge one of your batteries.  Once those are solid, then slowly add more – over time.

Poor energy battery maintenance can lead to burnout if we ignore this.  Take some time today to reflect on your energy batteries and make a plan for improvement.  This will build your overall resilience and provide energy to keep you going strong.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Mereu, F. G., & Jordan, J.  “The Restorative Power of Small Habits,” Harvard Business Review online, February 9, 2024.

“Do you bring your “A” game to work every day?”

Even better – “Do you bring your “A” game to your life every day?”

Since we each have just one life to live, these are important questions.

In the 1996 film, Jerry Maguire – starring Tom Cruise – Jerry has an epiphany.  He realizes that he and those in his sports agent business, are not doing their work the correctly.  They have too many clients and are not giving them the service they deserve.  He sets out to chart his own path.

Jerry was caught in a cycle of trying to do more, more, more – more clients.

He decided that less was better – better relationships, better service to clients, better life.

A lot of us get caught in the “more, more, more” cycle.  But it might just be the thing that keeps us from bringing our “A” game to work every day – and to our lives.

What if you focused on less – just the top priorities at work?  Remember that the Pareto Principle tells us we get 80% of the value out of 20% we put in.  How much value are you really getting from those last ten-fifteen hours of your 80 hour week?

What if you devoted those hours to better sleep, exercise, and spending more time with those you care about?

You don’t have to quit your job like Jerry did to make a change.  Just start at the margins.

Don’t the people in your life deserve your “A” game every day?  Don’t you?

In the popular Ted Lasso series, Coach Lasso has mental health challenges that he encounters and the show highlights his work with a therapist.  Actor Jason Sudeikis, and the other start of the series visited the White House earlier this year to help bring more awareness to the importance of mental health.

So how are you handling mental health issues in your workplace?

Following are some suggestions from a recent article in Harvard Business Review:

*Create an Employee Well-Being Statement.  Address issues of work-life balance in your statement and give specific examples of mental health benefits.  Publicize this broadly in hiring and orientation.

*Develop a Culture of Support for Mental Health Issues.  A statement only goes so far.  Culture is the set of activities and behaviors that your organization exhibits.  Create a specific list of these activities and behaviors that employees are expected to follow which is consistent with your Well-Being Statement.

*Train Leaders and Managers.  Most leaders and managers have not been trained on how to support employee well-being generally, and certainly not mental health issues.  Their education and follow-through with your Well-Being Statement is crucial to the development of a supportive culture.

*Promote Well-Being Opportunities.  Make sure to promote various employee well-being opportunities and services.  Some of these might include meditation apps, coaching, sleep tools, and gym memberships.

Coach Lasso would tell us all to BELIEVE in one another and to support each other.  Taking care of ourselves and others is a wise thing to do for your organization – and the right thing to do as well.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Wong, B., Varley, T., & Parmar, S.  “How to Support New Workers Mental Health,” Harvard Business Review online, September 14, 2023.

You are doing some things outside the work day to improve your well-being – like getting your sleep, exercising, and watching your diet.  But what can you do while you are at work to improve your well-being?

A recent article in Harvard Business Review provides six, science-based suggestions for improving your well-being at work:

1.  Check in With Yourself Daily.  You are very busy.  Call a time-out every day.  Simply ask yourself “How am I doing today?” and give yourself a chance to check in.  This increased awareness can give you more control over your day.

2.  Take Short, Quality Breaks.  The human brain needs a break every 90 to 120 minutes.  Find ways to get quick breaks.  I know one executive who schedules all meetings for 50 minutes, rather than an hour to have the chance for some breaks.

3.  Focus on What You Can Control.  Accept that there are some things that you cannot control and don’t ruminate over those.  Put your energy into those things you can influence.

4.  Prioritize Micro-Connections With Colleagues.  Before or after a meeting, take a few minutes to check in socially with co-workers.  Don’t just rush into the agenda or run away after the meeting.  We need to remember that we are working with humans and we all need social connections.

5.  Practice Gratitude.  Recent research is demonstrating the power of practicing gratitude on a daily basis.  If you can do this during the work day then it will counter your brain’s “fight or flight” negativity bias.  Learn more about the power of gratitude here.

6.  Don’t Take Work Home.  Even if you are working from home, you need to turn it OFF at some point.  Practice “active rest” outside of work.  Put time into things like reading, gardening, or starting a new hobby.

These little things at work can add up and make a real difference for your well-being.  Definitely continue to focus on important issues like exercise and diet outside of work.  But adding these practices to your work day can give you a positive boost.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Kogan, N. “6 Science-Backed Ways to Improve Your Well-Being at Work,” Harvard Business Review online, July 7, 2023.