Newsletter
by Tom Terez
Some people seem wired for optimism, but most of us have to work at it.
Here are seven ways to be realistically positive no matter what comes
your way:
Appreciate and activate your strengths. You have real skills, rich life
experiences, and a reservoir of good intention. Put all of it to work
every day.
Opt for a partial solution when perfection isn't possible. It's always
better to make some progress than to endure life as a chronically
frustrated perfectionist.
Imagine success before it unfolds. Follow the lead of successful
athletes. Before you take
on a challenging situation, picture yourself dealing with it in a
winning way.
Act yourself into a new way of thinking. It sounds a bit backward, but
it works. Pretend to be positive, carry yourself with confidence,
communicate an upbeat message -- and those behaviors will start shaping
your attitude.
Talk about what's going right. Even in the most dysfunctional
environments, good things happen. Start spotting those success stories,
and make them the focus of your conversations.
Put problems in perspective. Too much thinking can drag us down,
especially when we generalize ("I'm no good with numbers"),
catastrophize ("If I don't make this next sale, I'm going to lose my
job"), or personalize ("It was all my fault"). Learn to recognize these
distorted interpretations, and replace them with a view of the situation
that's scaled down to fit reality.
Do what you can instead of dwelling on what you can't. There's so much
to be concerned about these days. Try to accept what you can't change,
but work like heck in those many situations where you can make a
difference.
By Malia Jacobson
Sleep troubles? You're not alone. Up to 40% of Americans have difficulty
sleeping. If you're stuck in the bleary haze of sleep deprivation, your
bedroom could be the source of your problem. According to Dr. Roslinde
Collins, medical director of the Sleep Center at Rutland Regional
Medical Center in Vermont, sleeping in a space that's too bright, too
warm or too stimulating can wreak havoc on healthy rest. Happily, sleep
science is pointing the way to a better bedroom that's a sanctuary for
sleep.
Bedroom blunder: Too much light. Exposure to artificial light has
drastically increased over the last 100 years, and the negative effect
on people's health and well-being is powerful.
Why it's critical: Light exposure is one of the strongest
regulators of the biological clock, says Dr. Patrick Wolcott, medical
director of the Sleep Center of Southern California. Nighttime light -
even the glow from a smart phone of alarm clock - suppresses melatonin
and disrupts circadian rhythms.
Quick fixes: Make the house as dark as possible in the hours
before bed by drawing curtains and limiting television and video games.
Tiny beams of light can affect sleep, so black out the bedroom by
installing light blocking shades, shutting off electronics and turning
bright alarm clocks toward the wall. All lights aren't equal - blue
lights (found on many gadgets) have an especially strong impact.
Something about the blue light spectrum affects sleep-wake patterns more
than regular white light.
Bedroom blunder: Too warm. When people put up with a too warm
bedroom, sleep suffers. Chilling out can improve your chances of
sleeping well.
Why it's critical: Bedroom temperature is about more than
comfort. It's an important physiological cue. First, a drop in body
temperature triggers sleep. Then the body naturally cools over the
course of the night, reaching its lowest core temperature two hours
before waking. While the ideal bedroom temperature is largely a matter
of personal preference, experts say cool rules. "Between 60 to 68
degrees is ideal," says Dr. Martin Cohn, medical director of the Sleep
Disorders Center of Southwest Florida.
Quick fixes: If air conditioning is an option, use it to cool the
bedroom before turning in. Otherwise, open windows and use fans to help
move warm air out of the bedroom. Blackout shades are also helpful,
because a room that stays darker will also stay cooler.
Bedroom blunder: Too stimulating. Modern bedrooms are home to a
host of electronics, stacks of unfinished work and an unread book or
two. It all adds up to a space that sends your brain into overdrive,
instead of into restful sleep.
Why it's critical: When it comes to sleep, our bodies crave
routine and repetition. So watching television, working and surfing the
internet in bed programs the brain to wake up and work when it should be
settling down for sleep.
Quick fixes: Make the bedroom a haven for sleep by banning
laptops, video games, television and work. If reading in bed is a
cherished habit, switch to lighter reading materials - flipping through
a magazine is less stimulating that a suspense thriller, and less likely
to keep your brain buzzing all night.
Bedroom blunder: Too messy. Turns out mom was right: a messy room
can be hazardous to your health. According to the National Sleep
Foundation, people who make their beds daily are 19% more likely to
sleep well every night. And 71% of Americans say they sleep better in a
fresh smelling bedroom.
Why it's critical: We spend a third of our lives in bed, so our
bedroom should be a peaceful retreat. Climbing into a clean, fresh bed
will help you relax and set aside your cares, while a messy, unkempt
room may provoke stress by reminding you of unfinished chores.
Quick fixes: Find time to make your bed daily, and adopt the feng
shui-inspired habit of closing closet and bedroom doors at night.
Creating a sense of calm and order in the bedroom can help pave the way
for sweeter dreams, starting tonight.
by Tom Terez
When it comes to workplace improvement, nothing holds as much
unfulfilled potential as the leadership groups that are set up to make
it happen. Maybe there's one in your organization. Perhaps you're a part
of it. They go by names like Workplace Improvement Committee, Engagement
Team, and Employee Satisfaction Task Force. These groups are always
created with good intentions. They're staffed by people who want to make
a difference. Sometimes they get things done.
But all too often, the well-intentioned Workplace Improvement Committee
becomes its own bureaucracy. The seven or so people who make up the
group attend regular (usually monthly) meetings. They talk. They produce
meeting notes. They meet again. They talk some more. What rarely occurs
is any significant action that truly changes the workplace for the
better.
So what's the solution? How can these important groups become a force
for positive change? Here are five essential actions:
1. GET SMARTER ABOUT THE WORKPLACE
Gather all available data, information, and stories that can provide
insights into the state of the workplace. Customer satisfaction surveys
and employee surveys can provide all sorts of clues -- if you dig
deeply. So can info from focus groups and meaningful exit interviews.
Even unsolicited stories and testimonials can shed important light on
the current situation. Is available information sorely lacking? Then
create a simple process to capture it.
2. BRING IN BIG IDEAS
Turn the team into an aggressive think tank that's always on the
lookout for big ideas. For starters, make the most of all that nearby
brainpower by getting input from colleagues. Then fan out and visit
other organizations that are doing great things to build their cultures.
Comb through the latest business magazine to find rich examples and case
studies. Attend conferences. Share all of this gathered intelligence at
the group's meetings, so everyone can get wiser about workplace
improvement.
3. MAKE IT EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY
Seize every opportunity to get more people involved. Hold regular
employee dialogue sessions to get input. Sponsor project-specific teams,
made up of people who do the work that's the focus of the improvement
efforts, to plan and implement specific action ideas. Hold periodic
planning sessions that involve a wide cross-section of the workforce --
like an annual gathering to reflect on progress and plan the next stage
of improvement efforts. The challenge of building a better workplace
should be everyone's responsibility, and this will happen only if
everyone has a meaningful role.
4. ENGAGE THE LEADERSHIP
Ideally, the group should include (but not be dominated by) key
leaders from the organization, or at least one top manager who can serve
as a communication conduit to the rest of the leader- ship team. A
second-best approach is to have two or three people from the group fill
this conduit role -- by engaging the leaders in periodic dialogue,
ideally at meetings when all top managers are present. Leadership
support has to be earned -- by doing work and generating results that
relate to the bottom line and the strategic goals of the organization.
So leverage the heck out of every success story as it develops.
5. TAKE THE LEAD IN TAKING ACTION
Each and every committee member should be an instigator-in-chief who
leans forward and gets things done. Have you been talking about
organizing a regular series of learning forums for employees? Make it
happen! Have you found several best practices at other organizations
that can improve your hiring process? Then get with human resources and
unload your findings. Are committee members buzzing about a new book
they've just read about workplace improvement? Pick out one or two of
the book's best action ideas and put them to work now. Won't a bias for
action get messy? Sometimes. Learn from it and keep going.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not
brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set
far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know
that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to
keep it up for a lifetime.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts
that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away
and fill it with sunshine.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what it. I will face reality. I
will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something
that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental
loafer.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I
will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not
speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not
interrupt when someone else is talking.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my
health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat
healthfully - if only just for today. And I will get off the couch and
take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and
take responsibility for my own actions.
This information was in The New York Times several Weeks ago as part of
their "Spotlight on the Home" Series that highlighted creative and
fanciful ways to solve common problems.
1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day,
just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin
B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium,
Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda
and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and
Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for
hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try
rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror. It will eliminate the fog and
provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few
slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all
season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to
give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and
make them flee the area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before
going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along
your problem area for a few minutes. The phytochemicals in the cucumber
cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer
and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few
cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache
free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to
replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in
equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?
Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European
trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize
that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut
cucumber over the shoe. Its chemicals will provide a quick and durable
shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber
slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is
gone!
10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit
to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of
water. The chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the
boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing,
relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and
college students during final exams.
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum
or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your
mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath. The
phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for
causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or
stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you
want to clean. Not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back
the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or
fingernails while you clean.
13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the
cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing. Also works great on
crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!