CAUSE AND EFFECT
– a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others.
SAMPLE CAUSES OF WORK CONTROLLING US
· Report due before meeting in one hour.
· 50 emails to return.
· Last minute customer presentation changes.
· Prepare for tomorrow’s team meeting.
· Visit customers.
· Conference calls.
· Prepare daily report.
· Not enough time in the day to get it all done.
· Additional requests that don’t fall into my pay grade.
· Micro-managing Boss.
· New C-Level team. Uncertainty.
· I am so bored!
DOMINO EFFECT OF WORK CONTROLLING US
· Behind the 8-Ball.
· Can’t stand my Boss.
· Can’t shut off the constant communication.
· Try to sleep for 8 more minutes. Forget it.
· Get up before the sun, even with alarm snoozes.
· Skip workout.
· Need coffee. Need more coffee. Need coffee. Need more coffee.
· Can’t function.
· Skip lunch.
· Leave the office after dark.
· Miss dinner with friends and loved ones.
· Go to bed late.
· Sleep with phone next to bed. Sleep with phone in bed.
· Set alarm. Snooze. Set for 8 minutes later. Snooze.
· Do it all over again.
WHY DO WE LET WORK CONTROL US?
1. Fear of losing our job
2. Fear of performance
3. Fear of not getting paid
4. Fear of not being valued
5. Fear of not being better than our colleagues
6. Fear of our Boss
7. Fear of not meeting demands
What is the common theme? FEAR.
WHAT IS THE RESULT OF FEAR CONTROLLING US?
3. Reduced productivity
4. Shattered confidence
5. Weakened immunity
6. Premature aging
IS IT WORTH IT?
It’s time to take away fear and incorporate strategies that will inject relief, control, flow, productivity and happiness into our daily work. If we don’t, our health and wellbeing will most surely suffer.
According to PhD, Carol Kauffman of Harvard Medical School’s department of psychiatry, “when employees feel discounted or not listened to, they feel helpless.
Further, the Mayo Clinic points to job stress as a factor in the increase of the following conditions:
· High Blood Pressure
· Heart Disease
· Rheumatoid Arthritis
· And more…
LET’S TACKLE THE CONTROL OF WORK AND TURN IT AROUND
FIVE STRATEGIES FOR GAINING CONTROL AND HAPPINESS AT WORK
The idea of bursting is to do our work in small bite sized pieces. Rather than taking on a little bit of everything at once, burst your way through one small task, piece by piece. How?
o Set a timer and get some tea, take a walk, listen to some soothing music and begin again. Soon you will have completed the task at hand and it won’t feel like work.
o Reward yourself when the task is complete. Small rewards are just as good as big ones. How will you reward yourself several times today?
Shift your approach to your work day. How?
o Play great music, mantras, books on your way to work.
o Say nice things to yourself.
– It’s going to be a great day. Things are working out for me. I am getting better at being positive every day.
o Smile (the more you smile, the more you will invite collaboration and kindness into your experience at work)
o Look for one good thing at work today and take time to appreciate it. One good thing a day.
o Get to know your Boss. By understanding where they are coming from, you may gain a mentor and a friend. Don’t complain, just get to know them.
o Do something nice and unexpected for a colleague (especially one you don’t like or feel competitive with). It does not have to be a big thing.
– A cup of tea. A magazine article you saw that they might like because you know they like a certain activity that is highlighted in the article. A thank you or congratulation when warranted.
o Set boundaries if you are overwhelmed with demand.
o Email signature: To be even more productive for this great company, I will not be returning emails after 6pm this week.
o Ask for help when needed. Don’t be a martyr. If a report is due and you need more time based on additional demands, ask for it.
o Make time for yourself. Treasure it. Get outside for a walk. Read a totally delightful book during lunch in the park once a week. Alone. You need to recharge and not always be ‘on.’
The more you embrace change, conflict and concern, the easier work will become and the more control you will have over your work and your emotional, mental and physical reaction.
o If there is a management change, make it a point to introduce yourself and visit with new management.
o Reach out to others at work. Even saying hello is a big step forward. Ask a colleague to collaborate on a project. Ask the team to have lunch. Chat in the office kitchen with whomever is in there. Be nice.
o Seek out the outliers. Diversity leads to creativity and unique contributions. Don’t just surround yourself with people like you.
o Know you are worthy. Be confident that your contribution matters, even if you do not receive immediate feedback.
o Take on challenges as fun projects. Inject some joy into them. Play music on your headphones, draw some fun pictures, eat your favorite snack while diving into them. Do something that makes you feel good.
To control your work rather than letting your work control you, and have the result be a flourishing, fun experience, consider the following practices.
o Take breaks.
o Get enough sleep.
o Don’t skip your workout.
o Reward yourself when you complete projects
o Accompany every task with something that makes you feel good
Watch your productivity, appreciation, worth, and joy at work rise.
Work no longer controls you. You control you.