Working Resources Blog

Top Ten Tips to Overcome Insomnia…Guaranteed to Put You to Sleep!

Overcome Insomnia

Are you working in a company or law firm where employees come to work sleep deprived?  Does your company or law firm provide wellness programs that encourage employees to get a good night’s rest?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Am I getting enough sleep at night so that I am ready to go to work in the morning feeling refreshed and relaxed?” Emotionally intelligent people get proper amounts of sleep so they are able to be their best at work.

Top Ten Tips to Overcome Insomnia

The following tips can help you get a better night’s sleep feeling refreshed and relaxed and fully engaged at work.

1. Develop a regular sleep time -- even on weekends. Get up about the
    same time seven days a week. Going to bed at the same time is less
    critical.

2. Set up pre - sleep rituals. Assume a specific sleep posture. Indulge in
    a pleasant fantasy.

3.  Keep a daily sleep log.  Documenting sleep habits often shows areas for
     improvement.  

4. Sleep on a comfortable bed. Condition yourself into using your bed for                    
    sleep (sex is OK, too).

5. Set aside worry or planning time earlier in the day so you don't take your
    worries to bed.

6. Whether to nap is controversial.  A 20 minute break during the day may
     renew your energy.

7. Exercise regularly -- preferably not two or three hours before bedtime.

8. Cut down on stimulants such as coffee, tea, colas and chocolate. Drink
    only in moderation

9. Don't go to bed stuffed or starved.

10. Practice stress management and relaxation techniques regularly.

                                                                   “America’s hidden nightmare. “ -- William Dement

  
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring leader who is well rested and full of energy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

 

How to Overcome Insomnia - The Post Guaranteed to Put You to Sleep!

How to Overcome Insomnia

Are you working in a company or law firm where people come to work sleep deprived?  Does your company or law firm provide health promotion programs that encourage employees to follow proper sleep hygiene?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Am I getting enough sleep so that I am ready to go to work feeling refreshed and relaxed?” Emotionally intelligent people get adequate sleep so they are able to be their best at work.
  
When The Family Guy or Homer Simpson snore loudly and have trouble sleeping at night, it's usually pretty amusing. The antics resulting from their inability to stay awake are a ready source of humor. However, they illustrate an important problem that millions of Americans share: Sleep deprivation - - which is no laughing matter.  

Experts in sleep behavior and sleep disorders have found that a majority of us sleep at least an hour to ninety minutes less each night than we should. These experts also say that mild sleep deprivation is not terribly worrisome, although they believe that we would be more productive, good humored and satisfied with life if we were able to get a full compliment of sleep each night. The "right" amount of sleep depends on the individual. Some people can get by on three or four hours per night while others need eight or nine. The important criteria is whether you wake up the next morning feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to begin the day.

We cheat on our sleep and do not realize we are doing it. We think we can get by on six or seven hours of sleep, but we may need more to feel really vigorous. Scientists say there is virtually an epidemic of sleeplessness in our nation. Perhaps the most relentless robber of sleep is the busy schedule. When pressures from work, family and friends mount, many consider sleep to be the most expendable item on the agenda. As a result, many Americans are suffering from chronic fatigue brought on by too much anxiety, stress and worry that causes fragmented, restless sleep at night.

For some individuals, sleep deprivation may be only a minor irritant, but for others, sleep problems seriously disrupt their life. Such a disruption impairs their ability to concentrate and wreaks havoc on relationships and careers. In addition, inadequate sleep is a major cause of workplace accidents and lowered productivity, costing American business billions of dollars each year and workers extreme distress and, sometimes loss of life.

Researchers trace the beginning of the sleep-deficit crisis to the invention of the light bulb a century ago. During the 18th and19th centuries, sleep scientists have determined that the average person slept about 9.5 hours per night. In modern life however, we are driven by ambitious values. You are perceived as lacking motivation and ambition if you feel a need for eight hours of sleep.

Insomnia is the inability to achieve adequate or restful sleep. It is perhaps the second most prevalent health complaint after pain. It is twice as frequent in women as men and its incidence increases with age.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring leader who is well rested and full of energy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

Leadership Development for Mindful Leaders: Becoming a Mindful Leader

Becoming a Mindful Leader

Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders value practicing mindful meditation? Do leaders in your company or law firm have a calm presence when faced with unique challenges and uncertainty?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our company culture support leaders meditating to better handle pressure?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent leaders often meditate to manage stress and make better decisions.

Being You

To become a mindful leader, you must understand the distinction between trying to improve yourself versus experiencing who you already are:
• As a mindful leader, you acknowledge you’re already open (not trying to be more open).
• You acknowledge the wisdom and kindness you hold within (not trying to be more wise or compassionate).
• You don’t strive to achieve a better, improved you. Rather, you meditate to get in touch with who you already are and to discover your basic sanity and true qualities, as they already exist within you. You turn off the inner judge and critic.

Your goal has little to do with achieving arrogance and perfectionism (unattainable, for the uninitiated). Instead, you’re trying to find comfort with yourself as you are, rather than anxiously trying to become more or better. You’re developing a profound sense of honesty—the strongest foundation for genuine leadership, which creates authenticity in your efforts to lead others.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a leader who benefits from practicing meditation on a regular basis. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

Executive Coaching for Mindfulness Meditation: What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness Meditation

Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders meditate? Do leaders in your company or law firm have a calm presence under pressure? One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our company culture support leaders meditating to better handle pressure?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent leaders often meditate to manage stress.

What Is Meditation?
In short, mindfulness meditation is a friendly gesture toward ourselves, in which we take time to sit still for 10–15 minutes or longer.

You can meditate in your office, sitting in your chair. Here are some essential guidelines:
• Sit upright — relaxed, yet alert.
• Open your eyes and maintain a soft, relaxed, downward gaze.
• Place hands palms down, resting gently.
• Tuck in your chin.
• Breathe normally.
• Observe your thoughts gently, without judgment.
• Label your thoughts as “thinking” and dismiss them. Let them go.
• Return your focus to your being, breathing and bodily sensations.
• Be still.
• Experience being you in the moment—in the now.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a more mindful leader who meditates. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

Executive Coaching Secrets to Being More Creative – Negativity Is the Enemy of Creativity

Are you working in an organization which values releasing the creativity of leaders at all levels? Are the leaders in your organization optimistic and encouraging regarding people contributing fresh ideas?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself in the present moment is “Can I suspend judgment and allow new ideas to flow and flourish?” You need to have faith in your own creativity and encourage the fresh ideas of others at work to successfully achieve desired results.

Are you open to creative thinking or overly critical of new ideas? How effective are you at encouraging creativity? Are you passionate about creating a climate of innovation at work fueled by meaning, purpose, and a creative spirit?

Negative self-judgment is compounded when new ideas in the workplace are systematically criticized. There is often a belief in the workplace that having a sharp critical eye is preferred by managers and leaders. Such a negative bias can kill creativity.

Michael Ray is a Stanford professor who teaches creative entrepreneurs through his class “Personal Creativity in Business”.  According to Ray, there are five qualities of creativity:

1.  intuition
2.  will
3.  joy
4.  strength
5.  compassion

Those qualities are drawn out of people by four tools:

1.  faith in your own creativity
2.  absence of judgment
3.  precise observation
4.  penetrating questions

“Everything in the world already exists; whatever seems new is only something old rearranged.”                 ― Max de Pree

The paradox of success is that when things are going well there’s no need to change. Innovation needs to begin before a need is felt. Customer or client complaints when viewed objectively and not defensively can point to areas where change is needed.

Cognitive psychologists have shown that the biggest hurdle to solving problems often isn’t ignorance - it’s access to the right information at the right time. Information sharing within big organizations is not easy due to geographic distances, political squabbles, internal competition and bad incentive systems that hinder the spread of ideas.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a more innovative and creative leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and creativity, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Executive Coaching Secrets to Creativity - Meaning is the Key to Engaging Creativity

Are you working in an organization that values creativity and innovation? Are the leaders in your organization open to everyone discovering meaning in their work?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself in the present moment is “What is my core identity and how can I align who I am with being fully engaged in meaningful work?” You need to know who you are to successfully achieve desired results.

Do you know your core identity? How effective are you at encouraging creativity? Are you passionate about the work you do fueled by meaning, purpose, and a creative spirit?

Meaning Is the Key to Engaging Creativity

Whenever someone has a burst of creativity, it is because they’ve spent time thinking over some problem or situation that has meaning for them. They have become immersed and totally engaged. If we want people to be innovative, we must discover what is important to them, and we must engage them in meaningful issues.

Michael Ray is a Stanford professor who has led some of Silicon Valley’s most creative entrepreneurs through his class “Personal Creativity in Business” for the past 21 years. Underlying his teaching on creativity is a search for two fundamental questions:

1.  Who is my self?
2.  What is my work?

Ray says you can’t know what or how you want to create until you know who you are and what you hope to do with your life. He believes that creativity exists within everyone. When people can’t tap into their creativity it’s because of an internal “voice of judgment” which is often heavily influenced by society, employers and parents.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a more innovative and creative leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and creativity, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Executive Coaching Secrets to Become More Productive - Basic Requirements for Managing Commitments

Are you constantly agreeing to take on more than you can handle? Do you need to clarify exactly what your commitments entail?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself in the present moment is “What is the desired outcome and what action do I need to take right now?” You need to stay focused on being in the present moment with an empty mind.

How effective are you at managing your commitments to become more productive?

Basic Requirements for Managing Commitments

Here are some basic activities and behaviors you can implement to free up your mind and be more productive:

1.  Empty your mind. Anything you consider unfinished must be captured in a trusted external system. This “collection bucket” must be reliable, and you must return to it regularly to sort through it.

2.  Clarify exactly what your commitment entails, its desired outcome and what you have to do to make progress toward fulfilling it.

3.  Once you’ve pinpointed all of the next-action steps you need to take, keep reminders of them organized in a system you can review regularly.

Employing next-action decision-making results in clarity, productivity, accountability and empowerment. When you hold yourself to the discipline of identifying the real results you want, you will obtain them.

Things that have your attention need your intention. Here are some questions to regularly ask as you go over your list:

•  What does this mean to me?
•  Why is it here?
•  What do I want to be true about this?
•  What’s the successful outcome?
•  How do I make this happen?
•  Which resources must I allocate to make it happen?
•  What’s the next action?

Everything you experience as incomplete must have a reference point for “complete.” Your life and work are composed of outcomes and actions.

When your newly adopted behaviors help you organize everything that comes your way, a deep alignment will occur. Wondrous things will emerge. You will become highly productive, achieving your desired outcomes with minimal stress and maximum results.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a less stressed and more purposeful and productive leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and self - management, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Executive Coaching Secrets to Manage Projects - Twelve Simple Rules to Get Things Done

Are you constantly agreeing to take on more projects than you can handle? Do you need to take on something big and achieve a desired result?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself in the present moment is “What circumstances can I create that can help me navigate this project to its intended result?” You need to stay focused on being in the present moment to get things done.

How effective are you at completing projects and getting things done? In Beyond Booked Solid, Michael Port describes a simple list of rules to getting things done.

Twelve Simple Rules to Get Things Done

1. Collaborate - If you work with others you should accomplish greater things than you could alone.
2. Explore a variety of perspectives – Inquire as to how others view a situation.
3. Coordinate meticulously –A project is an ever-evolving network of commitments and critical
    conversations.
4. Listen generously – Ask questions and seek the opinions of others.
5. Build relationships – Start your projects by building relationships among team
    members.
6. Create clear intentions – Your intention is made up of your passions, talents, contributions, and
    commitments.
7. Develop habits of commitment – Progress depends on the successful
    fulfillment of promises.
8. Couple learning with action – Learn while doing.
9. Engage your talents – Talents are a person’s unique strengths.
10. Bring passion to the project – Passion is a requisite for producing remarkable projects.
11. Embrace uncertainty – Expect the unexpected.
12. Develop a compelling story for your project – Your story is about why this project matters to 
      you and others.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a less stressed and more purposeful and productive leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and self - management, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Executive Coaching Secrets to Improved Productivity - A Bottom-Up Approach

Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed with too many conflicting priorities?

Does it feel like information is just stacking up in endless piles or are you energetic and highly focused and productive?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself in the present moment is “What baby steps can I take to begin taking action right now?” You need to focus on getting started and getting something done even if it seems inconsequential.

How effective are you at taking a bottom-up approach to being more productive?

A Bottom-Up Approach

Many people think the most appropriate way to tackle productivity should be from the top down:

•    First, uncover personal and corporate missions.
•    Next, define critical objectives.
•    Finally, focus on the details of implementation.

But productivity expert David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, says otherwise:

“…The trouble is that most people are so embroiled in commitments on a day-to-day level that their ability to focus successfully on the larger horizon is seriously impaired. Consequently, a bottom-up approach is usually more effective.”

Start with the most mundane, ground-floor level of current activity and commitments. Catch up by taking control of your in-basket and your mind — right now. You will unleash creative, buoyant energy that supports your attempt to reach new heights. Your confidence will increase as you more effectively handle the spoils of your newfound creativity.

You will experience an immediate sense of freedom, release and inspiration. These rewards come naturally to those who roll up their sleeves, dig in and take care of the little things.

As your in-basket empties, you’ll find yourself better equipped to handle the big picture and higher-level thinking.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a less stressed and more purposeful and productive leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and self-management, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Executive Coaching Secrets to be More Focused - Manage Your Mind to Manage Action

Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed with the pressures of information overload? Does it feel like information is just stacking up in endless piles or are you energetic and highly focused and productive?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself in the present moment is “What is the best use of my time right now?” You need to focus on what is important based on your values and purpose.

How effective are you at managing your mind to manage action?

Manage the Mind to Manage Action

Now, for the good news: You can train like an athlete to be faster, more responsive and more focused on your work. You can learn to think more creatively and effectively, with greater ease and control. You can minimize loose ends and open loops, leading to increased productivity with decreased effort.

That said, you can’t have more time. You can’t stop the deluge of incoming information. You can’t manage priorities; you can only have them.

The answer lies in managing your actions: what you do with your time, your information, and your mind, body and focus. You must decide how to allocate your limited resources. You must answer the question: How do I make appropriate choices regarding what to do at any given point in time?

We get stuck when we fail to define our next steps. The real problems are lack of a clear vision and an inability to define what a project truly entails, as well as its corresponding future action steps.

No Defined Steps

On its face, this problem is an obvious hurdle to progress. But most people haven’t adequately determined next actions in their commitments and projects. They leave key steps undecided and vague.

Most of us think the major issue is lack of time. In reality, we haven’t adequately defined our project’s scope and specific requirements.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a less stressed and more purposeful and productive leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and self management, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.