Give Peace a Chance
I get to work with some ridiculously smart, creative and driven executives. We talk about business strategy, the most effective forms of communication and leading high functioning teams. What’s most interesting is that within a very short period of time our conversations shift into concerns about work-life balance, burnout and fatigue. The executives complain about getting agitated too quickly and worry that their frustrations are stifling their creativity and wreaking havoc on their personal relationships.
In every case, they tell me that they’re too busy to relax and get into that “woo-woo’ stuff. 100% of the time, I convince them that there are plenty of ways to bring more peace to each day without sacrificing their precious time.
Here are some of my favorite hacks for giving peace a chance.
Change the content you’re consuming - Do not watch the news first thing in the morning - not even on your phone! Studies show that “individuals who watched just three minutes of news in the morning had a whooping 27% greater likelihood of reporting their days as unhappy 6-8 hours later compared to the positive condition.” Imagine what happens when you watch something disturbing on the news or see something upsetting in your social media feed and then jump on a conference call. Do you really think you won't be affected by what you just watched or read?
Stop the interruptions - We are not multitaskers and yet technology today has made it so that we are interrupted every 8 minutes, and therefore have the attention span of a flea. Every time we get interrupted it takes us 25 minutes to get back into flow only to get interrupted again. Do you know what that does to your peaceful mindset? Turn off ALL notifications and keep you phone on silent or vibrate all the time. Consider making a deal with your colleagues to have “no interruption zone times.” I’m also a big fan of companies being open to employees working from home occasionally. Read this awesome Inc article on the increase in productivity and job satisfaction when employees were able to work remotely.
Limit your caffeine intake - This one was hard for me in theory and surprisingly easy in practice. Caffeine speeds up your central nervous system. A little is fine, but too much can make you anxious and jittery which will totally crush your Zen. Try half-caf coffee, switch it up with some herbal tea and drink a lot more water!
Change your physical environment – Add plants and photos that make you happy. Pictures of nature are said to bring about calmness. You can also soften your lighting and play soothing music. One of my favorites is to place uplifting quotes and images around. Literally arm yourselves with good things.
Change your digital environment - Be more selective about who you follow on social media and limit the amount of time that you’re on it daily! The average person spends over 2.5 hours a day on social media! Add positive prompts/reminders on your phone - - could be an uplifting quote, affirmation or a reminder to concentrate on your breath or go outside for a five-minute walk.
Meditate – the stats on meditation are staggering! It promotes emotional health, reduces stress, enhances self-awareness and even lengthens your attention span. You can find an endless number of free meditations online – Google them or pay an incremental price for great apps like Calm, Insight Timer or Headspace. Check out this crazy fact - In a recent study men and women were asked if they’d rather sit alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes or choose an electric shock. 60% of men and 30% of women chose the electric shock. Really?? Give peace a chance!
Exercise – Not only is exercise great for the body, but studies show that it’s also a total win for the mind. Even a small amount of exercise like walking can pump up endorphins, which are feel-good neurotransmitters. Exercise also increases self-confidence, relieves stress and can be a moving meditation. Try a gentle yoga class if you’re just getting started. Namaste!
Question - When all else fails, ask yourself this simple question – does this bring me peace? You’re always either moving closer to it or farther away from it and closer feels soo much better. Do yourself a favor and give peace a chance.
