How to Thrive at Work: Mindfulness, Motivation and Productivity

Description

An essential read for anyone experiencing low level anxiety or stress, this book pulls together the various individual strands of business logic, scientific research, self-care, spirituality and common sense to provide a one-stop guide to thriving at work. The widespread ‘more for less’ attitude is creating a dramatic rise in work-related stress and a higher ratio of staff sickness. Not only does this create a fiscal impact upon the organisation and the broader economy but it has the potential to create significant long-term mental health issues for employees. You cannot always alter the demands of your professional or personal lives but, by understanding more about how your brain functions and by actively pursuing well-being techniques, you can enhance the skills that help you manage and succeed at the challenges thrown at you and reduce the risks associated with burnout. With a focus on improving mindfulness, motivation and productivity, this book offers sound, practical advice and strategies for self-care whatever your working environment and whatever stage you are at in your career. Cover Half-title Title page Copyright information Table of contents About the Author Acknowledgments Proverb Introduction: mindfulness, motivation and productivity Life is the name of the game Control what you can Defining life You are unique The self-medication cycle Thriving References 1 Self-care: the fundamental principles The context The demands of the workplace Leadership Stress and emotions A balanced life Developing flow Self-determination theory Resilience Emotional resilience Physical resilience Practical resilience What is self-care? The key elements of self-care References 2 Rest: don’t just do something Are you sitting comfortably? Rest: A waste of time? We need to develop positive rest habits What do we mean by rest? Rest is active The default mode network The nervous system So, what’s stopping you? Only you can answer those questions Digital detox Finding the time Not making use of time scheduled for rest Making rest happen Schedule smart breaks and schedule smart Make decisions when you’re fresh and alert Schedule reflection time The four recovery factors Relaxation Control and mastery Engaging in interesting things to master them Psychological detachment fuels recovery Conclusion The autotelic self Some ideas to get your started with resting References 3 Sleep: nutrition for the mind Introduction: work, play, sleep, repeat The language of sleep What is sleep? Getting to sleep Quantity and quality Productivity impact Caffeine and alcohol The impact of good sleep Sound Advice Keep to a regular bedtime routine Sleep at regular times Don’t go to bed hyped Write ‘to-do’ lists for tomorrow Do relaxation exercises such as yoga or listen to relaxation music Your bedroom should be a relaxing environment Conclusion References 4 Nutrition: the impact of what you eat and drink Introduction: rubbish in, rubbish out Healthy gut and the vagus nerve Prebiotics and probiotics Emotions and eating Why is good nutrition important to our bodies? Protein Carbohydrates Fat Vitamins Fat-soluble vitamins Water-soluble vitamins Minerals Major minerals Trace minerals Water How much water is enough? Alcohol Caffeine Conclusion Useful links References 5 Exercise: how moving more means you do more Introduction What do we mean by exercise and how much should we do? The psychological rewards The impact of stress on motivation to exercise What does the science say? Lunch break anyone? What sort of exercise works? Cardiovascular activity Strength-building activities Stretching and balance activities Let’s get started Walk before you run – literally and metaphorically Do what you love Find an exercise buddy Pencil it in Fail to prepare, prepare to fail Conclusion References 6 Mindfulness, meditation and reflection: giving yourself space Introduction Spirituality The cognitive triangle Mindfulness Origins of mindfulness Awareness Living in the present moment Meditation Origins Mindful breathing Steps to mindful meditation Reflection – meditation on The highly sensitive person Energy What do I mean by energy? Protecting our energy Self-forgiveness Ho’oponopono So how do we do it? Conclusion Useful links References 7 Being organised to fuel productivity: how do you know what you need to do and how do you do it? Introduction: defining the problem What are the problems? The work context Overwhelm The myth of multitasking Solutions The ‘trusted system’ Keeping your trusted system up to date Single tasking Chunking Timing is everything Emails: an asset and a curse So, let’s get started: it’s Monday morning Dealing with big tasks, or, how do you eat an elephant? So, is it Monday morning yet? Eat that frog The end of the day: prioritising for tomorrow and beyond Remember these key things References 8 Finding your motivation mojo: making a start is the hardest part How to start and how to keep going Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation Self-determination theory What is getting in the way? Procrastination Our lazy brain Motivation is finite Motivation in decline The calendar effect The work–life balance myth Passion and optimism as motivational fuel Motivation is important in all aspects of our lives References 9 Maintaining the thrive state The challenge The impact of where you are The contemporary office environment Hot-desking and agile working The thrive state Visualisation The importance of routine Benjamin Franklin (American Founding Father, died 1790) Henry Miller (American writer, died 1980) Barack Obama (President of the United States 2009–17) Charles Darwin (naturalist, geologist and biologist, died 1882) Let’s go back to where we started References Index