![Don’t Stress: Making your stress levels work for your life.
L(L) staff writer Laura Donovan dishes on how stress can act as a positive force in your life with the right mindset and management tactics.
By Laura Donovan
Before moving to New York City last year, I received the best advice of my life from a senior colleague.
“The greatest way to guarantee a stress-free existence is to do nothing and avoid risks,” my coworker and mentor, Matt Lewis, said to me over a celebratory lunch after my offer from the Levo League arrived. “You won’t achieve anything big, but you’ll have no worries either.”
The thrill of scoring an amazing job in my dream city had been slightly overshadowed by the logistics the job came with: I’d have to move, break my lease, snag an apartment, cancel my electricity and cable accounts…
In a nutshell, a stress-free existence is a sterile, dull one. When you lead an exciting life, stress follows. The good news? You’re completely in control of how you handle it.
The WSJ this week carried a front-page Personal Journal story that resonated with me: that moderate stress levels can actually do you some good, according to research at UCSF [via The Wall Street Journal]. A certain level of stress can energize you and help you reach goals. Try not to always put stress in a negative light, as it can serve a valuable purpose: to help you get things done and ultimately bring a sense of fulfillment.
No matter how much you have on your plate, stress management is going to make things easier. Here are a few suggestions for keeping it in check:
Exercise!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: You’re not a polar bear, so prioritize exercise as you’d prioritize work. With all the endorphins flowing through your system, exercise will serve as a de-stresser when you feel you have too much to do.
At times, this assessment may seem incorrect. I’ve caught myself saying, “I barely have time to complete my work to-do list, let alone exercise” many a day, but working out is a staple of good health and happiness, so set aside some time each week to break a sweat. You’ll literally feel the stress leave your body as you push yourself physically, and suddenly your office-related worries won’t seem so grave.
You may spent the majority of your hours at a desk, but with some effort, you can make room for a work-out in the morning or nighttime. Pre-work grogginess or evening exhaustion might deter you from hitting the gym or going for a run, but I promise you’ll feel incredible afterward, and you’ll also see that it’s quite possible to make time for non-work activities!
Keep to-do lists
Every time I’ve been advised to make a to-do list, I’ve been tempted to make fun of the person who suggested it. I cannot, however, deny the effectiveness of to-do lists, as they are a visual reminder of all the things I need to take care of.
Anytime you feel overloaded, jot down everything you must do on a sheet of paper. Write out all your tasks —- even stuff as minor as cleaning your desk —- so nothing will fall through the cracks. You’ll probably find that there’s less for you to worry about than you initially thought.
You’ll also experience feelings of accomplishment and relief upon checking off the things on your list, and with all you have on your plate, you deserve to acknowledge your successes. It’s also wise to categorize your to-dos by category so you remember which ones to prioritize first.
Communicate with your higher-ups
It’s crucial to stay on the same page with your managers, so maintain close correspondence with each of your supervisors to understand their expectations. If you don’t know how to prioritize all your duties, ask your bosses which to-dos should be at the top of your list.
If you believe you lack the bandwidth to take on everything you’ve been tasked with, set up a meeting with the higher-ups so they can help you sort out the situation, possibly delegate some of those duties, and get in control of what’s going on. They may not be mind-readers, but bosses can tell when you’re tense, so consult them if you’re not sure how to go about tackling everything that must get done. Just be thoughtful and calm in your approach. Keep your cool, even if you feel like the world is crashing down on you, so you can discuss the circumstances rationally.
Make friends with your coworkers and turn to them for advice
Don’t underestimate the value of a close colleague. Chances are, these folks are just as swamped as you are, and the two of you can have cathartic chats about office concerns and take things off each other’s hands if necessary. Coworkers can be good friends, helpful employees, and trusted confidants, so make sure there’s at least one person at the office you trust. They’ll get you through rough times and be there for you during exciting moments as well.
Get some sleep
If anything can turn me into Grumplestiltskin, it’s lack of shut eye. Sleep deprivation has been found to affect mood and learning ability, so keep your brain, body, and mind healthy by getting at least seven hours of sleep a night. You may believe you have too much to do for this to be possible, but the more well-rested you are, the happier and more productive you’ll be at the office. Imagine working a 12-hour shift on three hours of sleep. Exhaustion could further stress you out, make you short-tempered, and decrease the quality of your work, so get a decent amount of sleep each night so you’ll be rested enough to do everything expected of you.
Remember that everyone around you is stressed
You may feel like you take on more than you can actually manage, but here’s another way of looking at your workload: your colleagues are almost certainly in the same boat. Your colleagues still have jobs because they produce quality work— so they probably have the same amount of work as you do. If you change your mindset to accommodate this reality, you’ll see you’re not the only one who is doing too much and also recognize that work gets dumped on your coworkers as well. If your workload is dragging you into a negative mindset, an easy pick-me-up is to foster compassion and empathy in your office—to remind yourself that you’re carrying the workload together.
When I found out I’d be moving to New York, my to-do list was endless. It gave me such a headache that I could barely enjoy my macaroni and cheese (side note: if I were a guy, I’d be considered a “man child”). But I was allowing my to-do list to dictate my stress level, and allowing it to produce anxiety instead of excitement. The fact of the matter, though, is that I had found an opportunity to level up in my professional life: and the excitement of my progress could have helped me power through the inane chores that came along with that move. Stress can be managed with the correct perspective and techniques.
——————————————————————————
Tell us, L(L): How do you manage your stress levels? What works? What’s the worst stress-management technique you’ve ever heard of or tried?](http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyf169Ltwf1rnojvoo1_250.jpg)
“Dare. That’s #1. #2 is educate yourself, improve your skills…and feel confident about it. There will be other women to help you.”
Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director
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L(L) is taking over Davos’ Gen Y Shapers group, as Founder Caroline (left) ran into contributor Erica at the Women’s leadership dinner! #levolove
Round and Around the Internet: January 27, 2012.
Frances Advincula, Levo Leaguer, avid programmer, and web fanatic, shares with us her top picks of the week.
1. If you’re feeling the winter blues, there’s no better cure than helping others. Get inspired with amazing women in philanthropy {Little Pink Book}, or find simple ways to spread the love {Tiny Buddha}.
2. Get motivated by The Most Influential Women in Technology for 2011 {Fast Company}. Get working, whether you are a coder (dip your toes in open source software) {Women 2.0}, an entrepreneur (attend a start-up event) {Women 2.0}, or a volunteer at heart (help out an organization for women in tech) {Mashable}.
3. Is creating a more meaningful network in your resolutions list? Try finding a mentor {We Are She Says} or even better, be a mentor, even if you can only spare an hour a week {Code For Humanity}! Plus, here are some questions to get you started for that upcoming informational interview {Classy Career Girl}. Can’t find a mentor? Here’s a Plan B {The Gloss}.
4. If you’re going to be the next fashion mogul, here are some books to get you up and running {CocoKouture}, and a list of fashion start-ups to keep your eye on {Refinery29}.
5. January is almost over, but we still have eleven months left to work on our goals for 2012. It’s time to turbo charge, Ladies! Read up on no-nonsense (and hilarious!) advice {The Grindstone}, and put the best articles of 2011 to work {Lifehack}.
6. Finally, there is now a portfolio for writers, and it’s beautiful {Contently}! And to get you started on your next published piece, here is the ultimate tool — all the journalists and their publications on Twitter {Muck Rack}.
———————————————————————-
Frances is about to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science with specialization in Software Engineering. Frances has worked as a Platform Development Intern for Accenture Software. Being in an industry that is predominantly male, she is passionate about elevating women in every aspect of their lives.
The Friday FYI: Marketers are getting wise to our apathy towards online privacy issues.
And millennials are coming up short in the battle of “Give us your e-mail address and zip code to sign up!” E-Marketer has conducted a study of Millennials vs. non-Millennials and found that Millennials are significantly more apathetic to online privacy issues.
e-Marketer shared portions of its report “The Privacy Problem: Marketers, Consumers, Government,” and they’re examining the issue of digital privacy by looking at the following questions:
- Should there be rules about consumer data collection?
- If so, who should be allowed to collect consumer data?
- Who should be responsible for how that data is used?
- How much should consumers control data collection and usage?
- How transparent should companies be about their data practices?
- How can transparency and control contribute to trust?
- How might a transparent value exchange help maintain a robust digital environment?
Check it out. You might be shocked by how much data you’re giving away. Or delighted. It remains to be seen.
2012 is the Year of the Girl.
“We can’t transform American leadership in a year, but we can transform expectations in a year. We can transform awareness in a year.
“We can set in motion a generational change, and make certain that a baby girl born in 2012 will experience her life in a new and vastly different world. Only Girl Scouts, with its scale and time-honored place in society, can launch this initiative. If not us, who? If not now, when? When girls succeed, so does society. We know that together, we can get her there.”
Girl Scouts, in partnership with the public media initiative Women and Girls Lead, is launching ToGetHerThere, a large-scale advocacy and fundraising cause campaign dedicated to girls’ and leadership issues. From releasing a research study on the State of Girls to hosting a Girls World Forum discussing the UN Millennium Development Goals, the Girl Scouts are taking action to create a sense of urgency around girls’ issues and raise awareness of ways to change the landscape for young women.
ToGetHerThere officially launches on February 1st. We at the Levo League appreciate the mission of this campaign. Sign up today to stay updated and get involved: http://www.girlscouts.org/yearofthegirl/
“We can’t transform American leadership in a year, but we can transform expectations in a year. We can transform awareness in a year.
“We can set in motion a generational change, and make certain that a baby girl born in 2012 will experience her life in a new and vastly different world. Only Girl Scouts, with its scale and time-honored place in society, can launch this initiative. If not us, who? If not now, when? When girls succeed, so does society. We know that together, we can get her there.”
– Anna Maria Chavez, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts, in partnership with the public media initiative Women and Girls Lead, is launching ToGetHerThere, a large-scale advocacy and fundraising cause campaign dedicated to girls’ and leadership issues. From releasing a research study on the State of Girls to hosting a Girls World Forum discussing the UN Millennium Development Goals, the Girl Scouts are taking action to create a sense of urgency around girls’ issues and raise awareness of ways to change the landscape for young women.
ToGetHerThere officially launches on February 1st. We at the Levo League appreciate the mission of this campaign. Sign up today to stay updated and get involved: http://www.girlscouts.org/yearofthegirl/
The Ms JD Corner:
Our friends at Ms JD are teaming up with the Levo League to bring you the best of both worlds— perspectives on business from women in law, and perspectives on law from women in business!
Here are our favorites from Ms JD’s recent publications.
1. Women Battle Law Firm Bias: As many women in the legal profession read from Vivien Chen of Careerist, female legal partners are still at dismally low levels. Read Ms. JD’s perspectives.
2. A Firm of their Own - Ever wondered what it’s like to work at a law firm founded by women? Get your fix here.
3. The Grateful Attorney - One of the many trials and tribulations brought to the legal profession by the Recession is a world of lawyers-for-hire and temporary doc review workers paid by the hour. Ms. JD’s got an unemployed lawyer as well, and she’s sharing her experiences. Read all about them.
4. Rain Check: Sowing the Seeds of Rainmaking - An introduction to a series that will be providing commentary and advice (and a few war stories) on rainmaking from a woman’s perspective.
Writer of the Week: Jessica Youngman!
Jessica Youngman is a rising star of a contributor at the Levo League. Our favorites of her shared insights include How to Explain Twitter to Your Grandmother and a Road Map to Conferences.
Jessica resides in New York City and is working on getting her masters degree in social organizational psychology at Columbia University. She hopes to work as a human resource professional upon graduation. Jessica’s past lives include time at a nonprofit organization helping people to find employment in San Francisco, where she wore many hats— from managing job search workshops and curriculum to online programming.
Jessica has her BA from UC Berkeley and enjoys yoga, social media, meeting new people, a good glass of wine, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.
![Don’t Stress: Making your stress levels work for your life.
L(L) staff writer Laura Donovan dishes on how stress can act as a positive force in your life with the right mindset and management tactics.
By Laura Donovan
Before moving to New York City last year, I received the best advice of my life from a senior colleague.
“The greatest way to guarantee a stress-free existence is to do nothing and avoid risks,” my coworker and mentor, Matt Lewis, said to me over a celebratory lunch after my offer from the Levo League arrived. “You won’t achieve anything big, but you’ll have no worries either.”
The thrill of scoring an amazing job in my dream city had been slightly overshadowed by the logistics the job came with: I’d have to move, break my lease, snag an apartment, cancel my electricity and cable accounts…
In a nutshell, a stress-free existence is a sterile, dull one. When you lead an exciting life, stress follows. The good news? You’re completely in control of how you handle it.
The WSJ this week carried a front-page Personal Journal story that resonated with me: that moderate stress levels can actually do you some good, according to research at UCSF [via The Wall Street Journal]. A certain level of stress can energize you and help you reach goals. Try not to always put stress in a negative light, as it can serve a valuable purpose: to help you get things done and ultimately bring a sense of fulfillment.
No matter how much you have on your plate, stress management is going to make things easier. Here are a few suggestions for keeping it in check:
Exercise!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: You’re not a polar bear, so prioritize exercise as you’d prioritize work. With all the endorphins flowing through your system, exercise will serve as a de-stresser when you feel you have too much to do.
At times, this assessment may seem incorrect. I’ve caught myself saying, “I barely have time to complete my work to-do list, let alone exercise” many a day, but working out is a staple of good health and happiness, so set aside some time each week to break a sweat. You’ll literally feel the stress leave your body as you push yourself physically, and suddenly your office-related worries won’t seem so grave.
You may spent the majority of your hours at a desk, but with some effort, you can make room for a work-out in the morning or nighttime. Pre-work grogginess or evening exhaustion might deter you from hitting the gym or going for a run, but I promise you’ll feel incredible afterward, and you’ll also see that it’s quite possible to make time for non-work activities!
Keep to-do lists
Every time I’ve been advised to make a to-do list, I’ve been tempted to make fun of the person who suggested it. I cannot, however, deny the effectiveness of to-do lists, as they are a visual reminder of all the things I need to take care of.
Anytime you feel overloaded, jot down everything you must do on a sheet of paper. Write out all your tasks —- even stuff as minor as cleaning your desk —- so nothing will fall through the cracks. You’ll probably find that there’s less for you to worry about than you initially thought.
You’ll also experience feelings of accomplishment and relief upon checking off the things on your list, and with all you have on your plate, you deserve to acknowledge your successes. It’s also wise to categorize your to-dos by category so you remember which ones to prioritize first.
Communicate with your higher-ups
It’s crucial to stay on the same page with your managers, so maintain close correspondence with each of your supervisors to understand their expectations. If you don’t know how to prioritize all your duties, ask your bosses which to-dos should be at the top of your list.
If you believe you lack the bandwidth to take on everything you’ve been tasked with, set up a meeting with the higher-ups so they can help you sort out the situation, possibly delegate some of those duties, and get in control of what’s going on. They may not be mind-readers, but bosses can tell when you’re tense, so consult them if you’re not sure how to go about tackling everything that must get done. Just be thoughtful and calm in your approach. Keep your cool, even if you feel like the world is crashing down on you, so you can discuss the circumstances rationally.
Make friends with your coworkers and turn to them for advice
Don’t underestimate the value of a close colleague. Chances are, these folks are just as swamped as you are, and the two of you can have cathartic chats about office concerns and take things off each other’s hands if necessary. Coworkers can be good friends, helpful employees, and trusted confidants, so make sure there’s at least one person at the office you trust. They’ll get you through rough times and be there for you during exciting moments as well.
Get some sleep
If anything can turn me into Grumplestiltskin, it’s lack of shut eye. Sleep deprivation has been found to affect mood and learning ability, so keep your brain, body, and mind healthy by getting at least seven hours of sleep a night. You may believe you have too much to do for this to be possible, but the more well-rested you are, the happier and more productive you’ll be at the office. Imagine working a 12-hour shift on three hours of sleep. Exhaustion could further stress you out, make you short-tempered, and decrease the quality of your work, so get a decent amount of sleep each night so you’ll be rested enough to do everything expected of you.
Remember that everyone around you is stressed
You may feel like you take on more than you can actually manage, but here’s another way of looking at your workload: your colleagues are almost certainly in the same boat. Your colleagues still have jobs because they produce quality work— so they probably have the same amount of work as you do. If you change your mindset to accommodate this reality, you’ll see you’re not the only one who is doing too much and also recognize that work gets dumped on your coworkers as well. If your workload is dragging you into a negative mindset, an easy pick-me-up is to foster compassion and empathy in your office—to remind yourself that you’re carrying the workload together.
When I found out I’d be moving to New York, my to-do list was endless. It gave me such a headache that I could barely enjoy my macaroni and cheese (side note: if I were a guy, I’d be considered a “man child”). But I was allowing my to-do list to dictate my stress level, and allowing it to produce anxiety instead of excitement. The fact of the matter, though, is that I had found an opportunity to level up in my professional life: and the excitement of my progress could have helped me power through the inane chores that came along with that move. Stress can be managed with the correct perspective and techniques.
——————————————————————————
Tell us, L(L): How do you manage your stress levels? What works? What’s the worst stress-management technique you’ve ever heard of or tried?](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyf169Ltwf1rnojvoo1_500.jpg)
![Don’t Stress: Making your stress levels work for your life.
L(L) staff writer Laura Donovan dishes on how stress can act as a positive force in your life with the right mindset and management tactics.
By Laura Donovan
Before moving to New York City last year, I received the best advice of my life from a senior colleague.
“The greatest way to guarantee a stress-free existence is to do nothing and avoid risks,” my coworker and mentor, Matt Lewis, said to me over a celebratory lunch after my offer from the Levo League arrived. “You won’t achieve anything big, but you’ll have no worries either.”
The thrill of scoring an amazing job in my dream city had been slightly overshadowed by the logistics the job came with: I’d have to move, break my lease, snag an apartment, cancel my electricity and cable accounts…
In a nutshell, a stress-free existence is a sterile, dull one. When you lead an exciting life, stress follows. The good news? You’re completely in control of how you handle it.
The WSJ this week carried a front-page Personal Journal story that resonated with me: that moderate stress levels can actually do you some good, according to research at UCSF [via The Wall Street Journal]. A certain level of stress can energize you and help you reach goals. Try not to always put stress in a negative light, as it can serve a valuable purpose: to help you get things done and ultimately bring a sense of fulfillment.
No matter how much you have on your plate, stress management is going to make things easier. Here are a few suggestions for keeping it in check:
Exercise!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: You’re not a polar bear, so prioritize exercise as you’d prioritize work. With all the endorphins flowing through your system, exercise will serve as a de-stresser when you feel you have too much to do.
At times, this assessment may seem incorrect. I’ve caught myself saying, “I barely have time to complete my work to-do list, let alone exercise” many a day, but working out is a staple of good health and happiness, so set aside some time each week to break a sweat. You’ll literally feel the stress leave your body as you push yourself physically, and suddenly your office-related worries won’t seem so grave.
You may spent the majority of your hours at a desk, but with some effort, you can make room for a work-out in the morning or nighttime. Pre-work grogginess or evening exhaustion might deter you from hitting the gym or going for a run, but I promise you’ll feel incredible afterward, and you’ll also see that it’s quite possible to make time for non-work activities!
Keep to-do lists
Every time I’ve been advised to make a to-do list, I’ve been tempted to make fun of the person who suggested it. I cannot, however, deny the effectiveness of to-do lists, as they are a visual reminder of all the things I need to take care of.
Anytime you feel overloaded, jot down everything you must do on a sheet of paper. Write out all your tasks —- even stuff as minor as cleaning your desk —- so nothing will fall through the cracks. You’ll probably find that there’s less for you to worry about than you initially thought.
You’ll also experience feelings of accomplishment and relief upon checking off the things on your list, and with all you have on your plate, you deserve to acknowledge your successes. It’s also wise to categorize your to-dos by category so you remember which ones to prioritize first.
Communicate with your higher-ups
It’s crucial to stay on the same page with your managers, so maintain close correspondence with each of your supervisors to understand their expectations. If you don’t know how to prioritize all your duties, ask your bosses which to-dos should be at the top of your list.
If you believe you lack the bandwidth to take on everything you’ve been tasked with, set up a meeting with the higher-ups so they can help you sort out the situation, possibly delegate some of those duties, and get in control of what’s going on. They may not be mind-readers, but bosses can tell when you’re tense, so consult them if you’re not sure how to go about tackling everything that must get done. Just be thoughtful and calm in your approach. Keep your cool, even if you feel like the world is crashing down on you, so you can discuss the circumstances rationally.
Make friends with your coworkers and turn to them for advice
Don’t underestimate the value of a close colleague. Chances are, these folks are just as swamped as you are, and the two of you can have cathartic chats about office concerns and take things off each other’s hands if necessary. Coworkers can be good friends, helpful employees, and trusted confidants, so make sure there’s at least one person at the office you trust. They’ll get you through rough times and be there for you during exciting moments as well.
Get some sleep
If anything can turn me into Grumplestiltskin, it’s lack of shut eye. Sleep deprivation has been found to affect mood and learning ability, so keep your brain, body, and mind healthy by getting at least seven hours of sleep a night. You may believe you have too much to do for this to be possible, but the more well-rested you are, the happier and more productive you’ll be at the office. Imagine working a 12-hour shift on three hours of sleep. Exhaustion could further stress you out, make you short-tempered, and decrease the quality of your work, so get a decent amount of sleep each night so you’ll be rested enough to do everything expected of you.
Remember that everyone around you is stressed
You may feel like you take on more than you can actually manage, but here’s another way of looking at your workload: your colleagues are almost certainly in the same boat. Your colleagues still have jobs because they produce quality work— so they probably have the same amount of work as you do. If you change your mindset to accommodate this reality, you’ll see you’re not the only one who is doing too much and also recognize that work gets dumped on your coworkers as well. If your workload is dragging you into a negative mindset, an easy pick-me-up is to foster compassion and empathy in your office—to remind yourself that you’re carrying the workload together.
When I found out I’d be moving to New York, my to-do list was endless. It gave me such a headache that I could barely enjoy my macaroni and cheese (side note: if I were a guy, I’d be considered a “man child”). But I was allowing my to-do list to dictate my stress level, and allowing it to produce anxiety instead of excitement. The fact of the matter, though, is that I had found an opportunity to level up in my professional life: and the excitement of my progress could have helped me power through the inane chores that came along with that move. Stress can be managed with the correct perspective and techniques.
——————————————————————————
Tell us, L(L): How do you manage your stress levels? What works? What’s the worst stress-management technique you’ve ever heard of or tried?](http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/levolove/16526476516/1/tumblr_lyf169Ltwf1rnojvo)
Don’t Stress: Making your stress levels work for your life.
L(L) staff writer Laura Donovan dishes on how stress can act as a positive force in your life with the right mindset and management tactics.
By Laura Donovan
Before moving to New York City last year, I received the best advice of my life from a senior colleague.
“The greatest way to guarantee a stress-free existence is to do nothing and avoid risks,” my coworker and mentor, Matt Lewis, said to me over a celebratory lunch after my offer from the Levo League arrived. “You won’t achieve anything big, but you’ll have no worries either.”
The thrill of scoring an amazing job in my dream city had been slightly overshadowed by the logistics the job came with: I’d have to move, break my lease, snag an apartment, cancel my electricity and cable accounts…
In a nutshell, a stress-free existence is a sterile, dull one. When you lead an exciting life, stress follows. The good news? You’re completely in control of how you handle it.
The WSJ this week carried a front-page Personal Journal story that resonated with me: that moderate stress levels can actually do you some good, according to research at UCSF [via The Wall Street Journal]. A certain level of stress can energize you and help you reach goals. Try not to always put stress in a negative light, as it can serve a valuable purpose: to help you get things done and ultimately bring a sense of fulfillment.
No matter how much you have on your plate, stress management is going to make things easier. Here are a few suggestions for keeping it in check:
Exercise!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: You’re not a polar bear, so prioritize exercise as you’d prioritize work. With all the endorphins flowing through your system, exercise will serve as a de-stresser when you feel you have too much to do.
At times, this assessment may seem incorrect. I’ve caught myself saying, “I barely have time to complete my work to-do list, let alone exercise” many a day, but working out is a staple of good health and happiness, so set aside some time each week to break a sweat. You’ll literally feel the stress leave your body as you push yourself physically, and suddenly your office-related worries won’t seem so grave.
You may spent the majority of your hours at a desk, but with some effort, you can make room for a work-out in the morning or nighttime. Pre-work grogginess or evening exhaustion might deter you from hitting the gym or going for a run, but I promise you’ll feel incredible afterward, and you’ll also see that it’s quite possible to make time for non-work activities!
Keep to-do lists
Every time I’ve been advised to make a to-do list, I’ve been tempted to make fun of the person who suggested it. I cannot, however, deny the effectiveness of to-do lists, as they are a visual reminder of all the things I need to take care of.
Anytime you feel overloaded, jot down everything you must do on a sheet of paper. Write out all your tasks —- even stuff as minor as cleaning your desk —- so nothing will fall through the cracks. You’ll probably find that there’s less for you to worry about than you initially thought.
You’ll also experience feelings of accomplishment and relief upon checking off the things on your list, and with all you have on your plate, you deserve to acknowledge your successes. It’s also wise to categorize your to-dos by category so you remember which ones to prioritize first.
Communicate with your higher-ups
It’s crucial to stay on the same page with your managers, so maintain close correspondence with each of your supervisors to understand their expectations. If you don’t know how to prioritize all your duties, ask your bosses which to-dos should be at the top of your list.
If you believe you lack the bandwidth to take on everything you’ve been tasked with, set up a meeting with the higher-ups so they can help you sort out the situation, possibly delegate some of those duties, and get in control of what’s going on. They may not be mind-readers, but bosses can tell when you’re tense, so consult them if you’re not sure how to go about tackling everything that must get done. Just be thoughtful and calm in your approach. Keep your cool, even if you feel like the world is crashing down on you, so you can discuss the circumstances rationally.
Make friends with your coworkers and turn to them for advice
Don’t underestimate the value of a close colleague. Chances are, these folks are just as swamped as you are, and the two of you can have cathartic chats about office concerns and take things off each other’s hands if necessary. Coworkers can be good friends, helpful employees, and trusted confidants, so make sure there’s at least one person at the office you trust. They’ll get you through rough times and be there for you during exciting moments as well.
Get some sleep
If anything can turn me into Grumplestiltskin, it’s lack of shut eye. Sleep deprivation has been found to affect mood and learning ability, so keep your brain, body, and mind healthy by getting at least seven hours of sleep a night. You may believe you have too much to do for this to be possible, but the more well-rested you are, the happier and more productive you’ll be at the office. Imagine working a 12-hour shift on three hours of sleep. Exhaustion could further stress you out, make you short-tempered, and decrease the quality of your work, so get a decent amount of sleep each night so you’ll be rested enough to do everything expected of you.
Remember that everyone around you is stressed
You may feel like you take on more than you can actually manage, but here’s another way of looking at your workload: your colleagues are almost certainly in the same boat. Your colleagues still have jobs because they produce quality work— so they probably have the same amount of work as you do. If you change your mindset to accommodate this reality, you’ll see you’re not the only one who is doing too much and also recognize that work gets dumped on your coworkers as well. If your workload is dragging you into a negative mindset, an easy pick-me-up is to foster compassion and empathy in your office—to remind yourself that you’re carrying the workload together.
When I found out I’d be moving to New York, my to-do list was endless. It gave me such a headache that I could barely enjoy my macaroni and cheese (side note: if I were a guy, I’d be considered a “man child”). But I was allowing my to-do list to dictate my stress level, and allowing it to produce anxiety instead of excitement. The fact of the matter, though, is that I had found an opportunity to level up in my professional life: and the excitement of my progress could have helped me power through the inane chores that came along with that move. Stress can be managed with the correct perspective and techniques.
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Tell us, L(L): How do you manage your stress levels? What works? What’s the worst stress-management technique you’ve ever heard of or tried?
The Thursday Think Positive (+) : Taking a Page from Bieber.
Justin Bieber, our favorite guilty-pleasure singer, is famous for crooning “when you smile, I smile.” While many lovely teenagers adore his romantic antics, few recognize the wisdom behind his catchy lyrics.
It might seem like a totally vapid romantic ploy to us, but strange, Bieber has a point. It’s physically harder to keep a straight face when other people around you are smiling. Back in 2000, Psychophysiologist Dr Ulf Dimberg of Uppsala University in Sweden asked study participants to smile or frown when looking at pictures of faces with various expressions. When asked to frown while looking at a picture of someone smiling, electronic equipment measured twitching in the face muscles. In other words, participants literally second-guess their frowns if they’re looking at a smile.
You’ve probably experienced it - you’ve just had a terrible afternoon, and your roommate tries to perk you up by telling you the story of that one time she tumbled down the stairs in middle school with a skirt on. She’s smiling and laughing - and it’s hard for you not to as well.
Processing interaction with fellow human beings uses different mechanisms in our brains than processing other information. In the 1990s, researchers in Italy found evidence of an interesting concept: mirror neurons, or cells in the brain which aid the process of determining other people’s intentions as well as their actions. the mirror neuron system also appears to allow us to receive and interpret facial expressions. Whether we are observing a specific expression or making it ourselves (a frown of disgust, for example) the same regions of our brain become activated.
When you see someone smile, your mirror neurons for smiling fire up, too, which creates the feeling in your own brain that is associated with smiling. You don’t have to think about, know about, or really even care about what the other person is smiling about - you experience the positive effects immediately and effortlessly!
If all of the evidence doesn’t do it for you, check out this short video by Kurt Kuenne featuring TJ Thyne and Vicki Davis:
Smile. It could make you happier
This February, psychologists at the University of Cardiff in Wales found that people whose ability to frown is compromised by cosmetic Botox injections are happier, on average, than people who can frown. The researchers administered an anxiety and depression questionnaire to 25 females, half of whom had received frown-inhibiting Botox injections. Recipients reported feeling happier and less anxious in general. Interestingly, though, they did not report feeling any more attractive. Considering that this is Botox’s sole purpose, the study’s results suggest that the emotional effects were not driven by a psychological boost. Counterintuitive.
Act happy: put a smile on your face right now, and keep smiling. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile has a positive influence on your emotions—turns out that just going through the motion of happiness brightens your mood. Smiling means seeming friendlier and more approachable— and that, in turn, makes others want to be more approachable and friendly as well.
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NEXT WEEK
Learn how happiness spreads through social networks !
Stay tuned here and on social media as Founder Caroline brings back the best of the economic discussions currently happening in Davos, Switzerland.
From the Executive Branch to the Executive Suite: Lessons from the State of the Union Address
The votes are in. Metaphorically.
The State of the Union last night was an inspiring moment for many of us—we were reminded that America is committed to clean energy, an end to the conflicts in the Middle East, corporate tax reform, and education. (The New York Times has a blow-by-blow here.)
We’ve heard all the perspectives on the State of the Union, which for many Americans this year represents a kind of populist beacon of hope for the future as much as it represents a beacon of Obama’s upcoming presidential campaign.
Whatever your political beliefs, there’s something to learn from last night’s speech: effective management tools. Obama gave a speech that had a number of aggressive callouts—that the biggest issue America has is it tumultuous and unbalanced Federal government, that the communication between the Executive and Legislative branches is dysfunctional, and that corruption and greed have divided the American people from their representatives. But the callouts were wrapped in reason and in tempering language.
In comparison, Indiana governor Mitch Daniels’ language in his response to the State of the Union said many of the same things that Obama said—for instance, Daniels spoke about taxation structure in language that, while vindictive, is actually fairly cloudy on specifics:
It’s absolutely so that everyone should contribute to our national recovery, including of course the most affluent among us. There are smart ways and dumb ways to do this: the dumb way is to raise rates in a broken, grossly complex tax system, choking off growth without bringing in the revenues we need to meet our debts. The better course is to stop sending the wealthy benefits they do not need, and stop providing them so many tax preferences that distort our economy and do little or nothing to foster growth.
Obama actually said a very similar thing in his address—but instead of using a rhetorical device that draws a comparison between the “dumb” way and the “smart” way, he laid out a tangible plan for tax reform:
Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule. If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up.
Rhetorically, Obama’s point is simple and decisive. More importantly, it’s not explicitly excluding of anyone in the room. In fact, it’s inclusive—even though Obama sits in a field of negative sentiment from what’s become a very divided Congress, he makes special efforts to include Republicans who share the underlying goals Obama has.
One of the greatest qualities in a leader is the ability to connect with an audience and mix empathy with didactics. Obama spoke last night to an audience with whom he has conflicts. He approached them by taking responsibility for some of what’s wrong in Washington. But while he owns the inefficiencies of the Executive branch, he also gently reminds the Senate that he’s taken concrete steps to fix this that have been stymied by the Senate. This is a tough criticism, and he makes it in a tactful way:
Some of what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days. A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything -– even routine business –- passed through the Senate. Neither party has been blameless in these tactics. Now both parties should put an end to it. For starters, I ask the Senate to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days. The executive branch also needs to change. Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote. That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy, so that our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.
Owning up to his responsibility is a noble character in a leader—whether a president or a CEO. Admitting failures and hammering in his drive to fix these fundamental issues is an effective device. A leader is someone who’s willing to address tough, or even seemingly insurmountable, problems and take responsibility for fixing them.
We at Levo are committed to recognizing and learning from effective communication tools, no matter their point of origin or intended effect. And it’s hard to deny that a good speech from Obama has had the effect of concisely embodying America’s somewhat-shifty-of-late Zeitgeist.
On a closing note: As with any effective speech, we are excited to see some execution to follow up this year’s State of the Union.
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Elizabeth Burke, Levo Managing Editor
Jobs Across the Pond:
Felicity Dennistoun is a Levo contributor living in London who works for the Resolution Foundation, a think tank performing research and policy to improve the lives of people on low-to-middle incomes. She is also a Trustee of Youth Action for Change International (YACI), which funds the education of orphans and vulnerable children in Benin, West Africa.
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I live next to the Arsenal stadium in London, and there’s a match on today. The regular noise of fans making their way to the Emirates is mingled with a more unusual sound: Chinese drumming. Pulsating to the rhythm, weaving its way around the crowds is a large red and yellow dragon. The dragon always forms part of Chinese new year celebrations, but this year is particularly auspicious because it’s the year of the dragon too. The dragon is the luckiest of all the animal signs and many Chinese couples are hoping to marry or have babies in 2012.
It’s really refreshing to hear something positive about things to come in 2012. On Wednesday the UK unemployment figures heralded more doom and gloom for Britain’s jobless. Unemployment has increased by 118,000— to 2.69 million— and it’s young people that are being hit hardest. There are now over 1 million young people out of work in the UK; that’s a depressing 22.3%. Boris Johnson, London’s despicable mayor (in my humble opinion), said this week that young people are unemployed because they lack an ‘appetite for work’. But it isn’t true. In the capital, there are 7 people chasing every vacancy— and in deprived boroughs this rises to 30. All the interns and students I come across are bright, enthusiastic and desperate for a job. In fact, I can only think of only one notable exception; a young man that was habitually late for work— who, when I asked him why, he said (in a flat voice, with no apology) he’d had ‘an alarm clock malfunction’!
Alarm clocks aside it’s really, really tough out there. But the brutal truth is that getting down about it won’t get you a job. Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up during my various job hunts. This isn’t a list of how to write a CV, what to wear to an interview or how to exploit your network, because I’m assuming you’ve already cracked these things. These are practical ways to help you keep your sanity and self confidence while you get your foot on the career ladder:
STRUCTURE your day. Get up at a certain time and plan to do about 6 hours of applications a day. If you treat it like a job (sit at a desk and turn off the TV) you’ll feel proud of what you’ve achieved and you won’t feel guilty when you’re not doing applications. I say 6 hours because job hunting can be much more intensive than going to work because you’re on your own, so you need to be realistic.
VOLUNTEER. There’s nothing like doing something for someone else for taking your mind off your own problems. And if you want to work in the non-profit sector it’s essential that you have volunteering experience. It will also help with structuring your day, boost your self confidence and give you something to talk about in an interview. Try and do something that’s relevant to the work you’re seeking and it could prove to be your first step on the career ladder.
ENGAGE. There’s never been a better time to engage in politics. If you’re frustrated by the employment prospects for young people, the disproportionate effect of spending cuts on women or bankers’ bonuses, do something about it. Go to the meetings of a political party, start a blog, or just promise yourself to read 3 newspaper articles a day. You’ll sound much more convincing if you’re well informed, and being politically engaged is incredibly empowering. If you’ve got time on your hands use it to nurture interests you haven’t been able to before.
BE ORGANISED. Keep a spreadsheet of every job you’ve applied for, all the ones you want to, and all the relevant deadlines. Someone said this to me half way through my search and I wish I’d done it from the very start. It allows you to be very methodical about following up with an email or phone call and seeing where you’ve had successes and which roles you’re not getting anywhere with.
APPLY FOR EVERYTHING that’s vaguely relevant that the field you want to be in. I must have sent off 100s of applications by the time I applied for my current job. I was temping in a horrible office, the deadline was a Friday night, I was exhausted and I didn’t really think I had a hope of getting the position. I so nearly didn’t apply because I thought ‘What’s the point?’ but another little voice inside of me said ‘What if?’ I skipped the pub to do the application, convinced I’d gone insane, but it paid off. Chase every tiny opportunity because you have no way of knowing which one will yield success.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO TAKE OPPORTUNITIES that come your way. Even though all of my friends have degrees, did loads of extra-curricular activities at university and are incredibly capable, like-able and generally brilliant people, mostly their first job was very boring. We had a saying though: ‘If someone else in the building has an interesting job, you’re doing ok.’ This may sound strange but if other people in your office are doing things you’re interested in doing, they’ll see this, they’ll pass extra work your way, you’ll get noticed and before you know it things will have improved. It will take time - it took me 2 years to find a full-time, permanent and interesting job that paid the bills - but patience is your best ally in a job search.
BE NICE TO YOURSELF. Searching for a job can sap at your self-confidence, be very lonely and leave you in a dark hole. In the current job market that’s even more likely. When people told me not to worry and that something would come along I wanted to slap them round the chops - and I promise, I’m not a violent person. But you have to believe them, and believe in yourself. Congratulate yourself on every application you send off, every interview you get, with a coffee and a cake, a magazine, a walk to the park… whatever it is that floats your boat.
Finally, may the luck of the 2012 dragon be with you!
It’s really refreshing to hear something positive about things to come in 2012. On Wednesday the UK unemployment figures heralded more doom and gloom for Britain’s jobless. Unemployment has increased by 118,000— to 2.69 million— and it’s young people that are being hit hardest. There are now over 1 million young people out of work in the UK; that’s a depressing 22.3%. Boris Johnson, London’s despicable mayor (in my humble opinion), said this week that young people are unemployed because they lack an ‘appetite for work’. But it isn’t true. In the capital, there are 7 people chasing every vacancy— and in deprived boroughs this rises to 30. All the interns and students I come across are bright, enthusiastic and desperate for a job. In fact, I can only think of only one notable exception; a young man that was habitually late for work— who, when I asked him why, he said (in a flat voice, with no apology) he’d had ‘an alarm clock malfunction’!
Alarm clocks aside it’s really, really tough out there. But the brutal truth is that getting down about it won’t get you a job. Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up during my various job hunts. This isn’t a list of how to write a CV, what to wear to an interview or how to exploit your network, because I’m assuming you’ve already cracked these things. These are practical ways to help you keep your sanity and self confidence while you get your foot on the career ladder:
STRUCTURE your day. Get up at a certain time and plan to do about 6 hours of applications a day. If you treat it like a job (sit at a desk and turn off the TV) you’ll feel proud of what you’ve achieved and you won’t feel guilty when you’re not doing applications. I say 6 hours because job hunting can be much more intensive than going to work because you’re on your own, so you need to be realistic.
VOLUNTEER. There’s nothing like doing something for someone else for taking your mind off your own problems. And if you want to work in the non-profit sector it’s essential that you have volunteering experience. It will also help with structuring your day, boost your self confidence and give you something to talk about in an interview. Try and do something that’s relevant to the work you’re seeking and it could prove to be your first step on the career ladder.
ENGAGE. There’s never been a better time to engage in politics. If you’re frustrated by the employment prospects for young people, the disproportionate effect of spending cuts on women or bankers’ bonuses, do something about it. Go to the meetings of a political party, start a blog, or just promise yourself to read 3 newspaper articles a day. You’ll sound much more convincing if you’re well informed, and being politically engaged is incredibly empowering. If you’ve got time on your hands use it to nurture interests you haven’t been able to before.
BE ORGANISED. Keep a spreadsheet of every job you’ve applied for, all the ones you want to, and all the relevant deadlines. Someone said this to me half way through my search and I wish I’d done it from the very start. It allows you to be very methodical about following up with an email or phone call and seeing where you’ve had successes and which roles you’re not getting anywhere with.
APPLY FOR EVERYTHING that’s vaguely relevant that the field you want to be in. I must have sent off 100s of applications by the time I applied for my current job. I was temping in a horrible office, the deadline was a Friday night, I was exhausted and I didn’t really think I had a hope of getting the position. I so nearly didn’t apply because I thought ‘What’s the point?’ but another little voice inside of me said ‘What if?’ I skipped the pub to do the application, convinced I’d gone insane, but it paid off. Chase every tiny opportunity because you have no way of knowing which one will yield success.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO TAKE OPPORTUNITIES that come your way. Even though all of my friends have degrees, did loads of extra-curricular activities at university and are incredibly capable, like-able and generally brilliant people, mostly their first job was very boring. We had a saying though: ‘If someone else in the building has an interesting job, you’re doing ok.’ This may sound strange but if other people in your office are doing things you’re interested in doing, they’ll see this, they’ll pass extra work your way, you’ll get noticed and before you know it things will have improved. It will take time - it took me 2 years to find a full-time, permanent and interesting job that paid the bills - but patience is your best ally in a job search.
BE NICE TO YOURSELF. Searching for a job can sap at your self-confidence, be very lonely and leave you in a dark hole. In the current job market that’s even more likely. When people told me not to worry and that something would come along I wanted to slap them round the chops - and I promise, I’m not a violent person. But you have to believe them, and believe in yourself. Congratulate yourself on every application you send off, every interview you get, with a coffee and a cake, a magazine, a walk to the park… whatever it is that floats your boat.
Finally, may the luck of the 2012 dragon be with you!
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