Meditation or Yoga.

Calming Activities. If yoga or meditation isn’t your thing, that is ok and you can substitute it for something else. You can go for a run, you can read a book in an empty room, you can get together with your best friends, or you can watch a couple of favorite movies. Recognize when you need to take the time to do these things to refresh yourself so you can be more effective in other areas of your life.

Reset Your Posture. When under stress, we tend to tense up. Even mundane stresses over the course of a work day can cause us to strain. Sit up straight and move your shoulders back and down from time to time. Take a few minutes to walk around. Stand up from your desk, roll your shoulders forward and backwards, do some trunk twists and stretch out your arms. Roll your head in a circle and from side to side.

Breathe Deeply. Over the course of a work day, and especially when under stress, we tend to switch over to a shallow breathing pattern. Take slow, long deep breaths and see how this impacts you. Likely you will notice that your heart rate slows down, relaxes your muscles, and brings you calmness.

Remove Yourself. At the first hint of stress, remove yourself from the situation. Of course, this isn’t always possible. You can remove yourself from the stress without removing yourself from your physical location, however. Listen to music before you make that phone call. Imagine yourself on a beach during the intermission of a tough meeting.

Know Yourself. Learn about your stress triggers. Is there a time of day or day of the week that is most stressful for you? Do certain tasks cause more anxiety? Is your daily commute the hazard? Perhaps being around a certain person causes you stress. Look for patterns and insert coping techniques into your week strategically.

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.

Whether you are aware of it or not, the winter doldrums affect us and our productivity. For most of us, we barely notice the change since it affects us so mildly, but we may feel our energy has been zapped. But up to 20% percent of us will feel noticeable fatigue, apathy, increased appetite, sleep problems, and/or mood changes. For 5% of us, the winter blues are severe enough to be medically diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Interestingly, the incidence of SAD depends on your climate; only 1% of Floridians are affected while 10% of New Hampshire residents will suffer.

Aside from taking a week-long vacation in the tropics, what can we do about this? If the severity of your winter blues doesn’t warrant medical attention, there are a few quick and simple lifestyle changes you can make to increase your energy level this season.

Exercise Regularly

Engaging in some form of activity each day is the easiest way to manage your energy levels. Some find that exercising in the mornings can even be a good substitute for that daily coffee (although I’m not one of them!). If you can, try to squeeze in an outdoor walk during your lunch.

Rearrange Your Space

Declutter your working space so you have more room to work and declutter your home to feel fresh and organized. Consider replacing dark shades with light curtains. Another idea is to turn your desk so you face toward a window or open up those blinds once in a while.

Lighten Up

If you can’t get outside and there are no windows near your workspace, a decent alternative is an artificial blue light, or simply, switching to full-spectrum light bulbs. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last year, light from specifically the blue part of the spectrum activates the areas in our brain that play a key role in our ability to process emotions. This means that handling emotional challenges that crop up throughout our day is easier and takes less out of us. Other studies have also shown that blue light can improve alertness and mental performance.

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership blog.

The Biggest Loser

Establish a Sense of Urgency

The first episode usually involves a physical challenge, followed by medical tests. The physical challenge is something that most healthy individuals can do, such as run one mile. But carrying an excess of 100 pounds undoubtedly makes this challenge quite difficult and the contestants are faced with their first shock. This is followed by a series of medical tests that uncovers diabetes, high blood pressure, high body fat percentages, shortened life expectancy, and the general stress of the excess weight on their system. The impending crisis is staring them right in the face along with the fact that it can all be reversed if they act now.

Form a Powerful Guiding Coalition

Next, they meet their trainers, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, who act as strong and powerful leaders to guide their change effort. And they truly take that responsibility to heart. Additionally, all of the contestants live together in the same house and they work out together, forming a group that is working toward the same goal. Smaller teams of couples exist within the group (pink team, blue team, green team, etc.) who often work together during challenges and are sometimes grouped together during weigh-ins.

Creating a Vision

The change enacted by contestants of seasons past serves as proof of concept and a vision of the end goal. To make this more tangible, Biggest Loser alumni, now thin and fit, often visit the set for support and encouragement. The vision is not merely superficial; often you hear the trainers appeal to the contestant’s deeper motivations, such as “being able to play with their kids” and “being around to see their children grow up and get married.” The trainers also provide strategies for achieving that vision—teaching the contestants healthier substitutions for their usual snacks (cue Jell-O commercial) and creating habits of increasing daily activity.

Communicate the Vision

The trainers use multiple communication vehicles to reinforce their message:

• Jillian reminding contestants of their goal: “How bad do you want it?”
• Bob reappraising the situation: “I know it hurts, but I’m saving your life right now.”
• Bob’s quote on the wall: “Believe In Yourself. Trust The Process. Change Forever.”
• Jillian exclaiming when someone is ready to quit: “Puke, pass out, or die, but do not stop!”

It’s a tad dramatic, but it is reality television and it does remind them of the end goal.

Empower Others to Act on the Vision

The underlying reason the contestants have tried and failed in the past is certainly not due to lack of willpower. Clearly, because otherwise they wouldn’t last on this show. The obstacles to their success are removed one by one, week by week. It starts with providing knowledge, then attacking their limiting thought patterns, then teaching good habits, and usually progresses to deeper emotional issues that have roadblocked their progress in the past. “I can’t save you. You have to save yourself.”

Create Short-Term Wins

To say that the first few weeks of progress is dramatic is an understatement. The first weigh-in shows the female contestants losing ~20 pounds and the male contestants losing ~40 pounds. You can see the excitement and hope in their faces and it provides encouragement early on to push through and keep going.

Consolidate Improvements and Produce More Change

As the season progresses, challenges come up that reward contestants who resist temptation. The temptation challenges have a twist—on the surface it appears that giving in to temptation will earn them a reward but over the long run, those who resist are rewarded. Social pressure is strong in this aspect – those who give in to temptation are often criticized by the other contestants.

Institutionalize New Approaches

As the competition goes on, there are twists and turns that are designed to throw the contestant for a loop. As it gets down to the final four, the contestants have to finish up the challenge at home on their own. Those who learn and stick with the basic principles of adopting healthy habits are the most successful in overcoming the unexpected.

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.

I decided to go for it. If I gave into an excuse this time, what’s to say I wouldn’t create more excuses when obstacles came up later on? I put on a hooded sweatshirt and headed out. I ran down the street, my CD player skipping and my sweatshirt getting heavier and heavier with each minute I was out there. By the time I finished my small loop, I definitely hadn’t gone any longer than a mile, but it felt like a monumental accomplishment.

For years after that run, I had no excuses. Of course, the “I don’t feel like it” moments came and went, but recalling the exhilaration of that first run provided ample motivation to make it through any hesitations.

Recalling an experience like this—where you have overcome something–can bring instant confidence and motivation when you need it most. Using this technique, you can inspire yourself, you can inspire a friend, you can inspire a coworker, and you can inspire your team.

Get started now:

• Think of a time when you accomplished something extraordinary. Recall the story from start to finish. Then, next time you are stressed about finishing a project on deadline or apprehensive about delivering a speech, think about that time. If you could do that, what is stopping you now?
• Think of five people who you are closest to. They can be coworkers, family, or friends. Write down about a time when they have accomplished something that impressed you or exceeded your expectations. Then share that with them. Either now, just because, or perhaps next time they are going through a difficult time. Don’t discount the power of this; your perception matters.
• Think about your team at work. When was the last time you accomplished something great together? Keep track of these moments. Celebrate them when they occur. If difficulties should arise or a pep talk is needed, call on these experiences.

What is your inspirational story?

This post was originally posted on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.