How to Boost Employee Engagement With Community Involvement

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Community involvement is more than a branding opportunity for your business. While showcasing your values is never a bad idea, there’s more to the story. 

Your employees are also members of the community. Their sense of how your company gives back to that community can affect their engagement levels at work. Companies that are heavily involved in their communities have high levels of employee engagement. 

Why is that? Because employees want their work to be aligned with the things they value. When your company makes an effort to improve where they live and work, they see that.

The good news is, there are many ways for your company — and its employees — to get involved. Take a look at the following ideas to jumpstart your company’s local involvement:

1. Institute volunteering days. 

Many local organizations need manpower just as much, if not more, than monetary donations. Volunteering takes time: That’s why employees would probably appreciate a day off centered around volunteering. 

One way to make this happen is to give employees paid time off to volunteer. Let them choose the day and organization. Link employees to local opportunities they are interested in. 

Another way to do it is to volunteer as a team. In this case, you’d get your team together to figure out what organization to serve. After reaching out to the organization, you’d all take the day off together. Not only can this scale your contribution, but it acts as an opportunity for your team members to build stronger social bonds. 

The key to company volunteering is that it’s ongoing. Continue to reach out to organizations in need. Build service into your company calendar on a monthly basis. Volunteering isn’t just an investment in the organizations you’re helping; it’s also an investment in your employees. 

2. Sign up for sponsorships.

Another great way for a company to get involved in its community is by sponsoring philanthropic events or programs. People call companies for these kinds of opportunities all the time. 

Don’t ignore them. Better yet, go the extra mile and seek out initiatives to sponsor. Common opportunities include:

 

  • A charity race, such as a marathon or triathlon
  • An annual festival that is a staple of your community
  • A local art gallery
  • A library or nonprofit bookshop
  • A local school’s theater production
  • An afterschool program for kids
  • A sporting event

Look around: The opportunities are endless. And if you’re not in a position to donate money, you could always offer to do pro bono work. You could provide free samples of your product. This way, you’ve both marketed your company and helped make an event possible. 

3. Organize your own local event.

Although other organizations would appreciate your help, why not throw your own community event? It could be something educational or artistic. It might be something purely fun, such as a block party with food vendors and performers. You could even get other companies in your network involved.

The key to event planning is to know who will attend. That knowledge allows you to tailor your event to the audience you expect. And while it might be appropriate to organize an event that directly correlates to what your company does, don’t feel limited. Planning something with a wider appeal is a great way to get attention for your company. 

Encourage employees to help you plan the event. Those who do will get to witness their community impact firsthand. 

4. Invite students for a company visit.

The students in your community can benefit from engaging with your company. Bringing them in for a field trip can be inspiring, while giving your team a sense of gratification. 

Reach out to local schools. Let them know what you could teach young people. For younger children, you could discuss what your business does and show off product concepts.

For secondary students, talk through your industry as a possible career path. You could pair employees up with students and have them discuss what they do. What does the work look like? What difference does it make? How can they follow in your team’s footsteps?

Another option is young adults. Bring college students in to talk through internship opportunities. Work with local colleges to offer course credit for the work they do. Put students who might not be a perfect fit for you in touch with other companies in your network. 

Contributing to your community boosts your company’s image within your community. Your employees will see that, and they’ll feel all the better about their role within it. 

The Perks of Being Lazy

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Laziness tends to get a bad rap. And, to be real — that’s a fair assessment. I mean it’s difficult to get things done when you’re just vegging out on the couch all day. For an entrepreneur — being lazy is almost impossible. Even thinking about being lazy doesn’t enter your mind. We may have to use a different word like “relax,” and even that word is scary. But, there are perks to being lazy.

Laziness isn’t all that bad. Let’s say that you’ve had a hectic day so far — and there’s no end in sight. Is it really the end of the world if you literally do nothing for 15-minutes?

What if you have one of those “lazy” days? As opposed to forcing yourself to work, which will probably be subpar, listen to what your body is telling, and take-off.

The point is, you can’t be “on” all of the time. Sometimes you need to kick back, relax, and be lazy. I mean if it worked for Einstein, Picasso, and Newton, then it probably will for you as well. But, if you still feel guilty about this, then here are seven perks of being lazy.

You’re less likely to burnout.

While most of us are familiar with burnout, though we may not realize how common it is. According to Clockify, seven out of ten people have really suffered with burnout. Why’s that a big deal? Well, this type of stress affects your productivity, as well as the following consequences:

  • Ill health.
  • A strain on relationships.
  • Disorganization.
  • Running behind and missing deadlines.
  • Diminished work quality.
  • A decrease in creativity.
  • Loss in business revenues.

In short, burnout is incredibly dangerous. But, you can prevent this by allowing yourself to a little lazy. For example, taking breaks regularly to catch some z’s or just let your mind wander. As noted in Psychology Today, “Burnout puts your mind and body in a weakened state, so avoid jumping from one stressful, time-consuming project to the next in order to give your mind and body a chance to recover.”

Moreover, when you take it easy, you also set boundaries, like not bringing your work home with you. And, if you don’t feel like doing something, you have no qualms saying “no.”

If you are an entrepreneur — it is especially important to watch for burnout. You have to learn how to deal with burnout and the effects on you and your whole family.

It’s beneficial to your health and well-being.

When you’re less stressed, you’re obviously in better health — physically and mentally. However, when you embrace your laziness, you’re more well-rested. That’s easy to see why if since you’re making sleep a priority — you may even be known for taking catnaps during the nap.

But, there’s an additional advantage here; you’re going to improve your workouts. I know that that may sound counterproductive. The thing is because you don’t want to spend hours exercising, you’re going to be on the lookout for shorter, more intense physical activity. Research shows that these types of exercises are better suited for staying fit and weight loss.

Laziness makes you more effective and efficient.

“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” — Bill Gates

Just like finding a shorter and less intense workout, laziness can make you more effective and efficient. Why? Because you’re going to find the fastest way to complete a task without exhuming a ton of energy.

In return, that could spark creativity or out-of-the-box thinking. Or, it could encourage you to properly delegate the things that you either aren’t strong at or just don’t want to do. The latter may sound selfish. But, if you dread doing an activity, then why would you force yourself to do it when there’s someone else willing to take it off your hands?

It encourages idleness.

“Laziness is a lost art,” writes Chris Bailey, author Hyperfocus. “I don’t mean laziness in the sense of filling each moment with mindless distraction. I mean proper idleness when we choose to do nothing.”

That’s important when living in a world full of distractions where “we rarely put our mental feet up. Instead, we spend our spare time bouncing between novel distractions — going from checking our email, to reading the news, to surfing Facebook, and so on — activities that often make us even more tired.”

Additionally, this interferes with our focus. And, this doesn’t give us a chance “to connect these swirling ideas,” adds Bailey. But, when our attention is resting, “our mind wanders to fascinating places. One study, which periodically sampled people’s thoughts while their minds were wandering, confirmed this. The places our mind wanders to include the future (48% of the time), the present (28%) and the past (12% of the time).

Moreover, an idle mind grants us to:

  • Rest. Deliberating letting your mind wander “makes the mode energy-restorative, which helps us focus more deeply later.”
  • Plan. Bailey writes, “strategic laziness allows us to set intentions and recall our goals in the first place.”
  • Unearth ideas. “Our wandering mind connects all three mental destinations: the past, the present, and the future,” explains Bailey. As a result, “this allows us to experience significantly more creative insights than when in a focused state.”

You’ll improve your emotional intelligence.

There’s another advantage to letting your mind drift, it gives you the opportunity to reflect. While that’s an asset to your creativity and problem-solving, this allows you to become more self-aware. As a result, you’ll be able to increase your emotional intelligence.

If you want to be more productive and overcome a vast amount of human frailty — work on your emotional intelligence.

Even if you don’t want to literally sit back and do nothing, it’s been found that watching TV can also improve your EI. The caveat here is that you shouldn’t make this a common occurrence. It also depends on what you watch — in this case, it’s award-winning dramas like “The West Wing” or “Mad Men.” And no one can dispute the value of Ted Talks.

Allows you to procrastinate.

Wait. Isn’t procrastination a bad thing? Sure, if it’s something that you struggle with daily. But, there are also some benefits.

Susanna Newsonen MAPP writes that procrastination can be good for you because of the following reasons:

  • Active procrastination makes you get more things done. When you’re an active procrastinator, you’re more likely to clear the items off your to-do list — even if it’s not the task you’re procrastinating on.
  • Unnecessary tasks disappear with procrastination. When you’re dragging your feet, you may stop and ask why it’s important to you.
  • Shines a light on what’s most important to you. If something doesn’t have purpose or passion, then why are wasting your time on such matters?
  • Makes you more creative. As you procrastinate, “your mind is subconsciously collecting ideas and processing things to prepare you for it,” explains Newsonen. “That means that when you actually sit down to get to it, you have a lot more ideas in your head on how to go about it.”
  • Helps you to make better decisions. Procrastinating buys you time to listen to both your rational mind and intuition.
  • Leads to better apologies. “If you’ve done something wrong and you owe someone an apology, it’s better to give them (and you) time to cool off,” writes Newsonen.

You won’t waste time or energy on the unnecessary.

Lazy people avoid unproductive things. Whether it’s monotonous work, unnecessary meetings, busy work, or hopeless ventures, they don’t waste their time and energy on these items. Instead, they focus on what’s important to them — mainly their personal and professional priorities.

What about everything else? As mentioned earlier, either delegate these tasks to someone else or drop them from your schedule. When you scratch-out the non-essential — you’ll notice that you’ll have availability to get more things done.

How to master the art of laziness.

The list here is not all that complicated. At its core, being lazy — or at least knowing how to hustle and get things done and then have fun — should come naturally. Laziness — as mentioned here doesn’t mean wasting all of your precious time on things like watching TV. The “art” is about establishing boundaries, taking breaks, and focusing more on what it’s important to you.

Being lazy is rethinking your productivity and not over-planning. For example, just because you only worked for 4-hours doesn’t mean the day is a wash. Leave a few blank slots in your calendar allowing for more flexibility and opportunities to go with the flow.

10 Strategies for Reducing Your Screen Time

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On the one hand technology has helped us become way more productive. It’s helped automate repetitive tasks and pinpoint when we’re most productive. There’s also an endless amount of information at our fingertips. And, it’s certainly enhanced how we communicate and collaborate with others.

On the other, it can be distracting and gets in the way of creative thinking. Even more worrisome, some believe that we’re straight-up addicted to technology. And, obviously, that’s not ideal for our mental and physical health.

If you think that I’m being hyperbolic here, just know that back in 2016, it was found that we devote more than 10 hours a day on screen time. Honestly, that shouldn’t be shocking since we’re glued to our computers, TVs, and phones.

Speaking of phones, RescueTime reports that on average, we spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on our phones. Additionally, we pick up our phones 58 times per day. However, because of an increase in WFH and socially distancing due to COVID-19, I would suspect that these figures are much higher.

Obviously, that’s going to disrupt our productivity. More troubling? Too much screen time can cause vision problems, impact our sleep, and encourage a more sedentary lifestyle. It can even lead to anxiety, stress, and depression. The reasons? We’re comparing ourselves to others on social media. And, we’re working too much since we’re always available.

Suffice to say, you need to reduce your screen time. And, that’s totally possible by implementing the following 10 strategies.

1. Track screen time and set time limits.

You’re probably thinking that there’s no way that you’re getting too much screen time. And, since you’re in denial, why would you want to limit your usage?

To avoid maintaining your ignorance is bliss mentality. Make the effort to track how much time you actually spend starring at that glorious blue light. Best of all? There are plenty of tools that will do this for you. And, because they run quietly in the background, you can just keep doing your normal routine.

For example, RescueTime monitors the sites and apps you frequently visit and for how long. TimeCamp, HubStaff, and Toggl are some other options you can use.

If you have an iPhone 12, just turn on the Screen Time function in the Settings app. Android users can do this through the Digital Wellbeing tools located within Settings.

Next, you can use this information and solutions to set time limits. For example, if you’ve found out that you’re spending too much time on Instagram, you can tell your phone to turn the app off after two hours of use.

You can also use this data to create a schedule. Let’s say that you don’t want to be interpreted between 8 am and 10 am since that’s when you’re most productive. You can then block apps and websites and this specific time.

2. Keep your phone out of the bedroom.

“Many of us use our phones as alarm clocks, meaning they are the last thing we see at night,” writes Alex Hern in The Guardian. It’s also “the first thing we see in the morning, perhaps even before our eyes are fully open.” That blue light exposure can impact the quality of our sleep. In fact, according to a 2017 study “social media use in the 30 minutes before bed is independently associated with disturbed sleep among young adults”.

Even if you aren’t scrolling through social media, that blue light exposure will also interfere with the quality of your sleep. Moreover, grabbing your phone when the alarm goes off means you aren’t just turning waking-up. You’re now laying there going through your inbox. As a result, you stay in bed longer than planned and get stressed out about the day.

The solution? Charge your phone in another room and avoid looking at screens at least an hour before bed. And, buy an alarm clock as well.

3. Establish tech-free zones.

You know, that last tip got me thinking. What other places should you designate as “tech-free zones?

In my opinion, the bathroom is on the top of the list. It’s unhygienic and just distracts you from doing your business and moving on. I’d also say the dining room or anywhere else you eat. Again, it’s gross and you can use this time more wisely like having quality time with your family or getting to know your team members better.

4. Leave your phone behind.

If you were to contact me during off-hours, like during the evening or weekends, it’s going to take hours for me to respond. You might not even hear from me until the next day or two.

I’m not ignoring you. It’s just that my phone isn’t by my side. For example, if decided to go on a hike my phone is probably in the car — or at least in silent mode and tucked away in my backpack. Even if I’m just kicking back and reading, the phone is nowhere near me.

For some people, this may frighten them because of FOMO. But, in all seriousness, if you gradually work your way up, you’ll notice that the world will keep spinning if you occasionally leave your phone behind.

5. Remove unnecessary apps.

When you have a couple of minutes, go through your phone and remove the unnecessary ones. For instance, if you only use social media for work, then uninstall them. The same goes for Netflix, Hulu, or any other app that tempts you into mindless usage.

6. Switch to grayscale.

Both iOS and Android allow you to turn your phone’s display grey. As a result, this will remove all the beautiful colors from your screen.

Why is this successful in curving your phone addiction? Because now they’ve lost their visual appeal.

For iPhone users, head into Settings. Next, select Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. And, finally, toggle the switch on so that the Grayscale option appears.

Android users can do this by opening up the Setting panels and going into Digital Wellbeing. Chose Wind Down and you can either turn Grayscale on now or schedule it for a later time.

7. Schedule more face-to-face meetings.

I know that Zoom and video calls are all the rage. And, while they’ve been helpful, they also cause fatigue.

Instead, set up an old fashioned phone call. Or, even better, schedule a face-to-face meeting.

“In-person meetings provide a sense of intimacy, connection and empathy that is difficult to replicate via video,” Paul Axtell, corporate trainer and author of the book “Meetings Matter.” told The Washington Post. “It’s much easier to ask for attentive listening and presence, which creates the psychological safety that people need to sense in order to engage and participate fully.”

Even more impressive? Face-to-face requests are 34x more effective than emailed ones.

8. Take a look, it’s in a book.

Back when I was a wee lad, my parents purchased a really nice Encyclopedia Britannica set. I used these books from elementary to high school whenever I needed to look up a piece of information. For more in-depth research, the local library was already an excellent resource. Or, I would ask my elders to answer questions.

Believe it not, books and libraries are still in existence. I know it’s fast and convenient to use your phone or ask your smart device to answer a question. But, instead of relying solely on technology, seek out other ways to access information.

9. Don’t take as many pictures.

For most of us, this has become second-nature. Regardless if you’re at a birthday party, sporting event, concert, or traveling you take an excessive amount of pictures. Why is that a problem? Well, three different studies have found that photo-taking interferes with making new memories.

That’s not saying that you have to be anti-picture. It’s just that you don’t have to over snap. Instead, enjoy the moment by leaving your phone elsewhere.

10. Pick-up a new hobby.

I’ve been guilty of this in the past. It’s a Saturday afternoon and the weather isn’t nice enough to go outside. I’ve already cleaned the house and did a little work. But, now I’m getting bored. What do I do? Instinctively grab my phone or laptop and just start browsing.

To combat this, pick-up a new hobby that doesn’t require much screen time. Reading a book, any type of physical activity, or crafts are tech-free hobbies to engage with during downtime.

5 Ways to Create Constructive Competition at Work

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Competition can tear people apart. Whether it’s friends fighting over their love interests or disputes over money, the wrong kind of competition can sour even the strongest relationship.

But not all competition is bad. In a business environment, it can motivate workers to perform at a higher level. Across a company, it can create camaraderie, build culture, and boost focus.

What’s the difference? The first sort is destructive; the right kind is constructive. 

How can you get the good parts of competition without risking the bad? It’s all about context. Here’s how to get your team members to butt heads in ways that build your business:

1. Be open about your expectations.

Whether it’s a sales competition or a summer fun run, it’s critical that you tell participants what you expect from them. Remind everyone that, regardless of who wins, you’re one team. That means no disparaging comments, dirty tricks, or hard feelings afterward.

There may be periods when your upfront spiel isn’t enough. When that happens, simply bring everyone together for an open dialogue. Left unchecked, excessive competition can lead employees to overwork themselves to the point where productivity actually drops. 

If you do need to have a heart-to-heart with your team, realize it doesn’t necessarily mean you failed to create the right environment. Competition can get out of control on even the closest team. What counts is whether and how the team comes back together.

2. Put employees in teams or pairs.

One danger of an overly competitive work environment is that it isolates workers from one another. In that context, even the smallest mistake or shortcoming can be demoralizing. The result can be frustration, aggression, and ultimately, employee turnover. 

To combat this, put employees in pairs or teams. Having even one other person on your side can stave off a sense that everyone is out to get you. Be sure to move people around periodically to fight the formation of cliques.

If you’re not sure how to pair people up, try personality types. Not only does it reduce the risk employees think you’re playing favorites, but different types can shore up each other’s shortcomings. 

3. Start with the fun stuff. 

Words have a way of tripping people up. The word “competition” can be upsetting or scary for some people. Words like “game” or “contest” have more positive connotations. 

But don’t just use the word “game” and think it’s enough. Before setting up things like client service competitions, get employees used to fun contests. Favorites include:

  • Fitness challenges

Get everyone moving, especially if you run a desk-based business. You’ll cut your health insurance costs while reducing absenteeism.

  • Cook-offs and potlucks

Who can cook up the tastiest chili? Do the bakers on your team have a favorite cookie? 

  • Trivia contests

Who knows the most about British rock bands of the ‘60s? What about Civil War generals?

  • Intramural sports

Is your agency or the one down the street better at baseball? Who’s got game when it comes to basketball?

Once everyone is comfortable playing games together, graduate to work competitions. The healthy competition you’ve built should translate seamlessly. 

4. Emphasize self-competition.

Constantly comparing yourself to others is anxiety-inducing. It’s much more fulfilling to compare yourself to your own accomplishments.

Encourage employees to set their own goals. Maybe your email marketer’s goal is to boost her clickthrough rate by 5% next month. Perhaps your engineers have a per-feature development time to beat.

The key is to redefine winning. Remind your team: When you’re competing against yourself, it doesn’t matter how anyone else performs. All that counts is whether or not you can post a personal best.

5. Offer the right rewards.

Rewarding employees for their growth is critical.  To figure out the right rewards, it’s important to know what your employees value.

In some contexts, bragging rights might be enough to get people going. In other situations, a bonus at the end of a quarter would make more sense. 

The good news is, rewards don’t have to break the bank. You could offer winners:

  • A physical trophy 
  • Extra time off work
  • A prime parking spot
  • Free lunch on the company
  • An office or desk location of their choice
  • Gift cards to local retailers or restaurants

The key is to align the prize with the effort required. Offer too small a prize, and people might not feel motivated to work for it. Make it too big, and the competition could become cutthroat. 

The key to office competitions boil down to one word: healthy. It’s a balancing act: You don’t want to create tension on the team, but you also don’t want people to feel like it’s OK to coast.

You know your team best. Pair people thoughtfully. Offer prizes they’ll actually appreciate. Dip your toes before diving straight into revenue- and cost-related competitions. Interteam competition is valuable, but only when it’s done right.

50 Inspiring Time Management Quotes To Live By

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There’s a lot of things you can buy in life. But, time isn’t one of them. Time management quotes yes, more time no! Once time is spent, it’s gone forever. It may help you to have some inspiring quotes in front of you to think about — live by — and keep you motivated.

Because your time is priceless, you need to make sure that you’re getting the most out of every second. That may sound challenging in today’s fast-paced world where we’re plugged-in 24/7.

However, if you don’t take the reins, those precious seconds will slip through your fingers.

To help you make the most of your time, here are 50 inspiring time management quotes to live by.

1. “Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.” – Jean de la Bruyère, “Les Caracteres” (1688).

2. “Lost time is never found again.” – Benjamin Franklin.

3. “Time waste differs from material waste in that there can be no salvage. The easiest of all wastes, and the hardest to correct, is this waste of time, because wasted time does not litter the floor like wasted material.” – Henry Ford.

4. “Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” – Rodin.

5. “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler.

6 “I like to do weird things in the shower, like drink my coffee, brush my teeth and drink a smoothie. It’s good time management.” – Michelle Williams.

7. “Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” – M. Scott Peck.

8. “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” – Stephen R. Covey.

9. “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Marthe Troly-Curtin, “Phrynette Married” (1911).

10. “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.” – Carl Sandburg.

11. “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” – William Penn.

12. “The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings.” – Thomas Sowell.

13. “You can’t make up for lost time. You can only do better in the future.” – Ashley Ormon.

14. “I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.” – Golda Meir.

15. “One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is worth half-a-hundred half-finished tasks.” – Malcolm S. Forbes.

16. “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” – Mother Teresa.

17. “The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.” – Barbara Corcoran

18. “Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.” – Charles Richards.

19. “Procrastination is the foundation of all disasters.” – Pandora Poikilos.

20. “The essence of self-discipline is to do the important thing rather than the urgent thing.” – Barry Werner.

21. “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” – Steve Jobs.

22. “Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” – Lord Chesterfield.

23. “We are time’s subjects, and time bids be gone.” – William Shakespeare.

24. “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.” – Victor Hugo.

25. “Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing.” – Thomas Jefferson.

26. “Time is money. Use it wisely.” – Folorunsho Alakija.

27. “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

28. “In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do, It is not really the time, but the will that is lacking.” – Sir John Lubbock.

29. “Don’t count every hour in the day. Make every hour in the day count.” – Alfred Binet.

30. “A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.” – Charles Darwin.

31. “Disciplined use of the time everybody else wastes can give you an edge. The now rich and famous writer of legal thrillers, Scott Turow, wrote his first novel using only his morning commutes into New York City on the train. All around him, others just killed the same time. For most people, these minutes don’t matter. But they can. So when you say to yourself ‘it’s only 10 minutes,’ you miss the entire point of time.” – Dan Kennedy.

32. “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year — and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” – Anthony Robbins.

33. “To have more peace, as well as more time, start by letting go of the notion that time can be manipulated. Then, let go of the idea that it confines you. Instead, set out to use the time that is there for its true and best purpose — as the space within which you can live your life to the fullest.” – Michelle Passoff.

34. “You can have it all. Just not all at once.” — Oprah Winfrey.

35. “Realize that now, in this moment of time, you are creating. You are creating your next moment. That is what’s real.” – Sara Paddison.

36. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee.

37. “If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.” – Lee Iacocca.

38. “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffett.

39. “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” – Zig Ziglar.

40. “Because a big portion of what I do doesn’t have a rhythm or predictable cadence to it, I’ve made it an even bigger priority to create routine where I can.” – Sara Blakely.

41. “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” – Coco Chanel.

42. “To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publius Syrus.

43. “Everything requires time. It is the one truly universal condition. All work takes place in time and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique, irreplaceable and necessary resource. Nothing else, perhaps, distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.” – Peter Drucker.

44. “Many people concentrate on what I call ‘ant stomping’ when they should concentrate on ‘elephant hunting.’ When you focus on stomping ants you confuse activity with accomplishment.” – Peter Turla.

45. “It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau.

46. “It’s very easy to get distracted by your inbox or phone. When I have a big project or when I need to get something done — and done well — I shut down my email, I turn off my phone, and I put on some of my favorite music. I just dig in and get it done.” – Koel Thomae.

47. “Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.” – Thomas Edison.

48. “It’s how we spend our time here and now, that really matters. If you are fed up with the way you have come to interact with time, change it.” – Marcia Wieder.

49. “Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started.” – David Allen.

50. “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” – H. Jackson Brown.

5 Ways to Lead Effectively as an Introvert

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We tend to think of good leaders as charismatic and extroverted. But being able to work the room doesn’t necessarily make someone a good leader.

In reality, good leadership is more about holistically solving problems than being outgoing. Introverts tend to be thoughtful, contemplative people. Thanks to those traits, they tend to be better leaders than people expect. 

Introverts enjoy low-key, solitary experiences. That enables them to make solid decisions without being unduly influenced by social pressures. 

Sound familiar? If you’re an introvert in a leadership role, use your personality to your advantage. Here’s how to do it:

1. Lead by example.

Setting the right example is important for any leader. But introverts are especially well suited to this: When you have a more reserved posture, people will be drawn to what you do more than what you say. 

Leading by example means showcasing the very characteristics that make you an introvert. Accomplish your with the same excellence you expect from your team. Model not just good quality of work, but good productivity habits. Treat others with respect and deference. 

When people see those traits in action, they gain a deeper appreciation of what introversion brings to the table. It’ll also inspire the introverts on your team to reach for leadership roles. 

2. Hold fewer meetings.

Nobody in their right mind would complain about having fewer meetings. But getting a whole team together for a meeting can be especially draining for introverts. Cutting them down can save a lot of energy. 

Yes, meetings are opportunities to display leadership, but they should be used like a spice. Some leaders hold so many meetings as a way to assert their leadership. At a certain point, it just comes across as overcompensation. 

Consider cutting out the following kinds of meetings:

  • Informal meetings without an agenda
  • Status updates that can be emailed
  • Brainstorming meetings
  • Meetings to discuss client issues 

In most cases, those meetings can be handled with a simple Slack or phone conversation. Introverted leaders know not every topic is best addressed in a meeting.

3. Delegate more.

When you’re leading a team, there’s already a fair amount of delegation happening. But if you’re an introvert, you could benefit by delegating even more than you think you should. 

Delegating isn’t just about lightening your workload; it’s also about building trust with your team members. And what better way to do that than by giving them opportunities to take charge?

Some ways to do this include:

  • Putting others in charge of team-building activities
  • Letting a new recruit lead a marketing campaign
  • Rotating speaking roles in meetings
  • Appointing a talented creative to manage brainstorming sessions

As a leader, your role is to facilitate rather than interfere. You can do more by doing less. Encourage others to take the reins in areas they excel but you struggle.

4. Take advantage of one-on-one time. 

Speaking with a group may not be your strong suit as an introvert, so be sure to make one-on-one interactions meaningful. These moments are more personal, so they deserve some extra attention.

You can make the most of both intentional and unintentional one-on-ones. If you are reviewing someone else’s performance, make the situation conversational. Play to your listening strength, and show empathy. 

Informal one-on-ones are just as valuable: Why not join someone sitting by themselves for lunch? Strike up a deep conversation whenever you give other team members rides. Simply drop by offices for coffee on occasion. 

Strong one-on-one interactions are particularly important with new team members. Not only can it help them feel like part of the team, but it builds trust. Together, those are ingredients for employee retention. 

5. Create a calm work environment.

Introverts need a calm space for focused work, but even extroverts can benefit from it. The good news is, creating one isn’t hard.

Put some potted plants around the office. Encourage people to hang a sign on their office door when they’re doing deep work. Give noise-cancelling headphones to team members as gifts. 

In a calm space, you can work around others with the same focus as when you’re alone. Rather than feeling drained after work, you’ll have enough energy to get out of your comfort zone. Isn’t that the sort of work environment you want to cultivate?

You don’t need to be someone you’re not to be a good leader. Introverts can command respect, rally team members, and plan ahead every bit as well as extroverts. If you count yourself among them, lead with your strengths. They’re more valuable to the team than you might think. 

Up Your Parenting Game With 7 Calendar Apps

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Being a parent is a full-time job. Balancing meals, budgeting, school, and extracurricular activities can be quite the handful, even without an parenting calendar apps.

To get it all done, parents have to be efficient. They need to get organized and plan ahead, all while staying on top of their own priorities.

How can you get it all done and keep it straight? By plotting everything out in a calendar app.

Top Calendar Apps for Families

Calendar apps are pocket-sized life preservers for parents. For those looking to boost their parenting game, these 7 apps are top picks:

1. Calendar

With a name that’s easy to remember, Calendar is an all-in-one scheduling tool. Also popular with business owners and teams, Calendar’s clean layout and smart tools are perfect for parents.

One of Calendar’s most powerful features is its analytics dashboard. The app tracks your time usage and gives you an in-depth look into how your time is being spent. That way, you can make sure you’re getting a good balance of work and family time.

Calendar is free for Apple, Android, and desktop users. A premium plan is available for $10 a month.

If you’re looking to create a family-wide calendar, consider a team plan. The basic team plan is free, while the Pro Team plan costs $8 per month. Plans cost $2 per month less when purchased annually.

2. Bievo

Whatever it is your family needs to stay connected, Bievo has you covered. Bievo’s features include:

  • Separate calendars for work and family
  • Task lists that include events and deadlines
  • Family Circles for connecting with extended family and planning birthdays and anniversaries
  • Caregiver access, which limits what babysitters and nannies can see while keeping them connected
  • Automated synchronization for easy importation of school and extracurricular calendars

Where Bievo shines is its customizable, family-wide access. Co-parenting, caregiving, and getting the word out to the whole family is easier with Bievo.

Bievo’s basic package is free. For $12.99 per year, Bievo Premium unlocks caregiver access and shared family lists.

3. Cozi

A three-time Mom’s Choice Award Winner, Cozi is one of the most popular family organizers around. Cozi uses a simplistic design to make organization easy for families of all sizes. Color-coding helps to distinguish between each family member’s events to avoid mix-ups and miscommunications.

In addition to storing your family events and activities, Cozi also lets you manage grocery lists and recipes from your phone. This information can be shared, so others can handle dinner when you need a break from your post as family chef.

Cozi is free for all. It’s compatible with Apple and Android phones, as well as tablets and desktop computers.

4. BusyKid

As a parent, you’re raising your children to become responsible adults. The trouble is, chore lists take you as much time to put together as they do for your kids to tackle.

BusyKid makes it easy to compile chore lists. It lets you set allowances, whether given as money or other privileges, and determine how they’re earned.

Using BusyKid’s online calendar, you can arrange tasks throughout the week for each child to complete. You can set pay days for their work, pointing them to BusyKid’s blog content about saving, investing, donating, and spending to help them use it wisely.

Best of all, BusyKid is free to use. If you want to use its financial features, however, you’ll need to connect a bank account or a credit or debit card.

5. Curago

Make family organization fun with Curago’s customizable calendars. Attach photos, select themes, and even comment on events to create a unique family scheduling system.

Curago has a sleek, modern design. To help every member of the family plan their day, it displays the weather, upcoming events, and top news stories.

Curago is free for Apple and Android devices, as well as web browsers. Good news for Apple lovers: Apple Calendar data can be imported automatically for a seamless migration.

6. WeParent

Families come in different shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common: They don’t let anything get in the way of their kids’ wellbeing.

Dedicated to helping co-parents share custody efficiently is WeParent. Planning out parenting responsibilities and weekend trips can disrupt the family dynamic, so WeParent uses reminders and task lists to minimize miscommunications.

First, WeParent has users choose their family setup: two parents, one parent, separated parents, or a blended family. Then, the app uses event scheduling, secure messaging, contact sharing, and photo storage to keep the connection strong.

You can try WeParent for free for 14 days on Apple and Android devices. After your free trial, WeParent costs $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year for the entire family.

7. FamilyWall

FamilyWall, which bills itself as “your family assistant,” has everything your family needs to run a tight ship. Shared calendars and to-do lists keep you all the same page. If certain activities are relevant only to certain members of the family, you can create groups specifically for them.

What sets FamilyWall apart is its real-time location tracking. Many parents feel anxious when their child is taking a little longer to bike home from school than normal. FamilyWall lets you keep tabs on them, with notification features to let you know when your kids arrive safely at their destination.

FamilyWall is free for Apple, Android, and desktop. Step up to FamilyWall’s premium plan for $4.99 a month or $49.99 annually. The family locator is included in the premium package, along with meal planning tools and easy syncing with Google Calendar and Outlook.

None of these calendar apps can do the hard work of parenting for you, but they can make it easier. Talk to your partner about the best online calendar for your needs. By weighing your options together, you’ll choose the best calendar app for your home team.

How Effective Leaders Solve Problems

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What separates great leaders from disastrous ones? Depending on the offending habit, you’ll find there isn’t just one answer to that question. In most cases, employees will list mistakes like failing to set goals, bullying others, trying to do everything on their own, and resisting change — and even being unkind. But, effective leaders are known to solve problems.

Do they look for a quick fix? Do they pass the buck? Or, do they pretend that they were unaware of the problem in the first place? No —  that’s not an effective leader. Instead, they tackle problems head-on and exhibit the following characteristics.

1. Is this my problem?

“The first thing I do,” former USC president Steven Sample told Bill Hybels at the 2004 Global Leadership Summit, “is to figure out if this is really my problem!” It’s a simple question to ask. But, it will definitely help you determine whether you can really solve a problem or not.

Think of it this way. You and your team are hard at work when suddenly the power goes out. The cause? A traffic accident that knocked out a transformer. You might call the electric company and still get some offline work done. However, you personally can’t resolve this issue since it’s completely out of your hands.

Sometimes, you just need to learn how to surrender. And, more importantly, admit that you aren’t always going to be able to save the day. Instead, focus on solutions that you do have control over.

2. Asks lots of questions.

“Problems are often rooted in miscommunication,” writes Peter Gasca in a previous Entrepreneur article. “Before you jump all over an issue, ask questions — many of them — and determine if you simply may have misunderstood the problem at hand.”

As an added perk, by “asking the right questions of the right people, and examining a problem objectively, there is a very good chance that the issue you have identified is more a symptom of a much more significant problem,” adds Gasca. “Dig deep and find the root problem first, then begin making a list of actions you can take to resolve it.”

Whatsmore, this strategy can give you a chance to determine the scope of the problem. As a result, this will help you allocate the appropriate time and resources to it.

3. Communicate transparently.

“Problem-solving requires transparent communication where everyone’s concerns and points of view are freely expressed,” explains Glenn Llopis, author of “Leadership in the Age of Personalization.” From his experience, Lupus has witnessed “how difficult it is to get to the root of the matter in a timely manner when people do not speak-up.”

Because “communication is a fundamental necessity,” it’s vital that those involved feel comfortable expressing themselves. “Effective communication towards problem-solving happens because of a leader’s ability to facilitate an open dialogue between people who trust her intentions and feel that they are in a safe environment to share why they believe the problem happened as well as specific solutions,” states Llopis.

“Once all voices have been heard and all points of view accounted for, the leader (with his/her team) can collectively map-out a path toward a viable and sustainable solution,” he adds. “As fundamental as communication may sound, don’t ever assume that people are comfortable sharing what they really think.” To counter this, trust your instincts and challenge your team to develop innovative and effective solutions.

Additionally, make sure that you break down silos. And, that you are always open-minded to the feedback and suggestions you receive.

4. Don’t point fingers.

“When we assign blame we are pointing the finger to who or what is responsible for a fault or for a wrong doing. We are trying to make others accountable. Blaming does not solve a problem it usually only makes people defensive.” — Catherine Pulsifer

Let’s not beat around the bush here. Bad leaders focus on blaming others. Instead, they should lead by example and own their mistakes. But, what if you aren’t responsible for the mishap? Well, use this a teachable moment. What did they learn? And, what are the solutions to fix the problem?

In short, take accountability for your actions. Encourage this trait among your team. And, as opposed to playing the blame game, work on solutions.

5. Focus on the big picture.

Here’s a reality check for you. As an entrepreneur, you don’t have the time, energy, and possibly resources to solve everything. The answer? Stop obsessing over the small things.

That doesn’t mean you should sweep these minor inconveniences under the rug. After all, they could grow into something much larger down the road — like a gnarly, unmanageable dust bunny. Instead, take a moment to think about how the situation is going to affect you and your business in the long-term.

Think of this way, you notice that there’s a tiny leak in your roof. Right now, it’s not that big of a deal. But, if left unattended, it could do serious damage to your building, equipment, and even the health of you and your team. Because of this, it should be addressed sooner than later.

As a general rule of thumb, use the 80/20 rule when solving problems. In this case, you would resolve the 20% of the issues leading to 80% of your problems. Don’t get too hung up on the exact figures here. The idea is to put out the fires that are causing the most destruction.

6. Rest, sleep, and leverage data.

“Throughout life, there are times when you must take immediate action,” writes Deanna Ritchie, Editor-in-Chief at Calendar. “For example, your child picked up a small item, which presents an obvious choking hazard, and it’s heading right towards their mouth. Or, your business just experienced a cyberattack, and all of the sensitive data you have stored is in jeopardy.”

“During times like these, you don’t have time to think,” adds Deanna. “You need to act.”

“However, with most of the decisions you must make, you usually have some time to mull things over a bit,” Deanna says. “And — thinking — is often in your best interest.” The reason? Because you’re well-rested, you have a clear head to make the best decision possible.

Furthermore, this gives you time to gather and analyze data. For instance, you could turn to analytics to help you solve your team’s time management problems or pinpoint inefficiencies in business processes. Armed with this information, you can make more informed decisions that are backed by facts.

7. Be preemptive.

“The wise warrior avoids the battle.” — Sun Tzu

I love that quote. It’s a simple way to describe the importance of being preemptive. But, what exactly does that have to do with solving problems?

I’ve already alluded to this, but it’s all about fixing something before it breaks. For instance, you could purchase all new computers for your team every couple of years before they breakdown.

I know. That seems like a lot of work. But, if you’re constantly exploring, keeping up with the latest trends, and paying attention to early warning signs, then you’ve can succeed in making preemptive changes.

8. Find the right talent and let them grow.

“Leadership becomes an intermittent activity as people with enthusiasm and expertise step up as needed, and readily step aside when, based on the needs of the project, another team member’s strengths are more central,” writes Deborah Ancona and Hal Gregersen in HBR. “Rather than being pure generalists, leaders pursue their own deep expertise, while gaining enough familiarity with other knowledge realms to make the necessary connections.”

“No one assumes that the life of a team, or even an organization, will be prolonged for its own sake,” state Ancona and Gregersen. “They expect to be involved in a series of initiatives with contributors fluidly assembling and disassembling.”

As such, knowing how to assemble the right team is a key leadership talent. “To tackle a problem, they need to find the right talent and to convince others that their project offers the chance to be part of a breakthrough,” they explain.

With your team in place, you also need to empower them. The easiest way? Grating them autonomy to solve problems how they want. If it backfires, don’t be hard on them. As mentioned above, let them learn from the experience and figure out what went wrong.

 

How to Plan a Stellar Speaking Event for Your Business

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When you hear the phrase “speaking event,” you might think of a huge conference. It sounds like something complicated that only a large organization or corporation could do. 

Think again: Any business can host a speaking event. Picture something more in line with a team-building workshop. The only difference is, engaging with the speaker is more central than the activities. 

A good speaker can make it look like a cinch, but the truth is, there’s a lot of moving parts. If you want your speaking event to be stellar, focus on these seven things:

1. Choosing the right occasion

Every event needs a “why?” Otherwise, it’s just a rambling monologue. 

You don’t want your audience to wonder “What’s the point?” Make sure to select an occasion that merits bringing in a speaker.

The good news is, there are plenty of reasons to plan a speaking event. Popular ones include:

  • Motivating employees before a busy period
  • Celebrating a job well done at the end of a busy period
  • Breaking the ice on a new team
  • Starting a discussion about company culture or team dynamics
  • Promoting productivity or wellness strategies to improve performance
  • Providing an opportunity for future leaders to learn

To be clear, that list isn’t exhaustive. As long as you can articulate your “why,” go ahead and schedule your speaking event.

2. Picking the right speaker

What would a speaking event be without a speaker? Selecting the right person is just as important as finding the right occasion. 

Relevance is key. If you’re trying to promote diversity and inclusion, for instance, why would you choose a speaker who built his or her name in sales?

Remember that your speaker doesn’t have to be a big name. Consider inviting someone with a personal connection to your company or subject, such as:

  • A close friend in your industry
  • A community member who advocates for your company
  • A client who had a exceptionally good — or exceptionally poor — experience
  • Someone from an organization that your company sponsors

You don’t have to break the bank to do a speaking engagement. Do what you can with what you have. 

3. Figuring out the number of speakers

Rather than inviting one person to speak at your company, you might consider multiple. One upside of choosing a low-cost speaker is that you might be able to afford more than one.

If so, think of your speaking event as a mini-conference. Allow team members to choose which talks they want to attend. Get everyone back in the same room to listen to your keynote speaker.

Another way to involve multiple speakers is to plan a panel discussion. Choose guests with different perspectives on your topic, and select someone to be your moderator. 

4. Finding the right location

There are pros and cons to any forum. You can hold it at your office, at an external venue, outdoors, or virtually. 

If you have the space, holding your speaking event at your office keeps things simple. With that said, it could make employees feel like it’s just another work meeting.

Doing a speaking event at a third-party location, whether indoors or out, can add excitement. However, this could cost more money depending on what space you find to do it. 

Finally, doing the event virtually might be a good option for a remote team. Particularly during COVID-19, it can also keep your team and speaker safe. But it might be harder to connect with a speaker when nonverbal cues are limited.

5. Setting up your equipment

Unless your speaking event’s audience will be small, you’ll need some sort of amplification system. And if the speaker has slides to share, he or she will need a screen and projector. 

When used well, technical equipment can enhance a speaking event. But as we all know, it can also be distracting.

Be sure to test any equipment your speaker will need beforehand. If you can afford it, hire a professional to manage the sound. Make sure any slides or clips the speaker wants to show display well.

6. Taking care of the speaker

Aside from compensating a speaker, it’s also important to be hospitable. Treat people how you’d want to be treated. 

If your speaker is coming in from out of town, assist them in finding accommodations. Allow them to mingle with your company as they please. Make sure they’ll have meals and water available throughout the day. 

When it comes to their speech itself, however, give them space to do their thing. Resist the urge to micromanage. And be sure to give them an introduction that highlights any accomplishments relevant to the topic they’ll be discussing.  

7. Planning the reception

A speaking engagement doesn’t end when the speech is over. Especially if it’s a formal event, encourage people to mingle afterward. One-on-one time with the speaker may be more valuable to attendees that the speech itself. 

Receptions don’t have to be big productions. Set out hors d’oeuvres and drinks, if appropriate. Put out materials like paper and pens, if your reception includes activities. It’s perfectly OK, though, if your speaker and audience members simply want to mingle. 

Speaking events don’t have to be stress-inducing or costly. If you have a receptive audience, an engaging speaker, and a fitting venue, you’re most of the way there. Sprinkle in some hospitality and tech-savvy team members, and you’ll be gold. 

Circadian Rhythm Hacks to Boost Your Productivity

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Have you ever experienced jetlag? Do you find yourself dragging in the afternoon? Are you finding that your workday is way too early for you in the winter?

If you’ve answered yes to any of those, there’s an answer. Your circadian rhythm is thrown off.

What exactly are circadian rhythms and why are they important?

Good question.

“Circadian Rhythm ircadian comes from the Latin and means, roughly, around (circa) the day (dian from diam which means day) and it’s a pretty special quality,” explains Tom Williams for Peak. “It helps your body understand what time of day it is and controls not just sleep but also your body temperature,” hunger, metabolic rate, “and the release of various hormones.” To put it more bluntly, it’s your body’s to-do-list.

What we know about these internally driven cycles from Nathaniel Kleitman and his research assistant Bruce Richardson from 1938. As the CDC notes, they found that “The circadian clock has an internally driven 24-hour rhythm that tends to run longer than 24 hours but resets every day by the sun’s light/dark cycle.” It’s also been discovered that not everyone has the same cycle — which explains morning larks and night owls.

“Around 40% of people are morning people,” writes Williams. “They are happy to wake early in the morning, often at dawn, and find themselves most productive in the early period of the day. Around 30% of the population are night people,” he adds. “They find themselves working best late in the evening and prefer to get up late.” As for the remaining 30 percent? They’re somewhere in the middle.

As previously stated, circadian rhythms are pretty important. So, when they’re not functioning properly it can put a number on your mental and physical health. At the minimum, this can result in exhaustion, obesity, headaches, gastrointestinal illness, poor concentration, and impaired performance.

What disrupts your circadian rhythms? It could be irregular sleep patterns, mental illness, eating at erratic times, or lack of exposure to sunlight.

The good news? You can get back on track. And, when you do, you’ll be healthier, happier, and more productive.

Establish an evening routine.

“When you look at some of the most productive people in the world, they always have some great tips and ideas about how to adjust your morning routine,” writes Choncé Maddox for Calendar. “Whether it’s avoiding checking email right when you wake up and easing into your morning, or exercising, and practicing meditation, these are all good pieces of advice.”

“However, one thing I learned a few years back that still reigns true is the importance of starting your routine at night,” adds Choncé. “While a morning routine can certainly help you get going and fueled for the day, an evening routine is likely more important.”

Why should you prioritize an evening routine? For starters, it helps you wind down so that you can get enough quality sleep. Moreover, this allows you to organize and plan for tomorrow so that you’re organized and set up for success.

What should your evening routine entail? Start by doing something that helps you help and relax. “Narrow down a few hobbies or practices that help you feel truly relaxed,” suggests Choncé. “Try to avoid checking emails at night when you’re done working for the day and pick up a book or have a chat with a loved one.”

Other options would be to read or journal. You can also review your calendar, lay out your clothes, and avoid blue light at least an hour before bed.

Practice good sleep hygiene.

Now that you’re ready for bed, here are some ways that you can stay asleep for the entire night. To begin with, go to bed and wake-up at the same time. I know that sounds like when you were a kid, but this ensures that you have a regular sleep pattern. Bonus tip, maintain this schedule even on the weekends, and try to do this naturally, aka not using your alarm to wake-up.

Some other tips to make sure that a lack of sleep isn’t’ destroying your productivity are:

  • Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Don’t go to bed feeling hungry or full. Also, avoid caffeine or foods that are spicy, fatty, or fried.
  • Exercise daily.
  • Optimize your bedroom so that it’s like a cave. That means it should be cool, dark, and quiet.
  • Keep your hands and feet warm.
  • Rethink daytime naps by only taking a 20-30 minute power nap.
  • Don’t let work interfere with your sleep schedule. For example, if you work until 8 pm and you want to go to bed an hour later, that’s not enough time to decompress.

Spend time outside.

There’s a direct link between exposure to natural sunlight and better sleep. The reason? It enhances nighttime melatonin. Additionally, spending time outside boosts your immune system and improves your mood.

When possible, get outside as much as possible. You can do this by spending your breaks going for a bike ride or scheduling a walking meeting. Another option would be to work in a park, your backyard, or balcony. If it’s cold, then at least setup shop next to a window.

And, when you need to reset your body’s clock, go camping. “Just two days of summer camping reset people’s clocks,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. It’s recommended though that when you do minimize bright artificial light at night.

Identify your sleep chronotype.

According to sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus, there are four different chronotypes or circadian rhythm personalities. He suggests that you determine which one you are so that you can mirror the sleep-wake habits that best describe you.

  • Bear. Most of us fall into this category. Their sleep-wake patterns follow the sun. They’re “ready for intense tasks smack in the middle of the morning,” but feel a dip by mid-afternoon.
  • Lion. If you’re a lion, then you’re an early riser. “These are the go-getters, the leaders, the type-A movers and shakers.” However, they also fizzle out earlier and don’t stay up late.
  • Wolf. Wolves are nocturnal. As such, they start later in the day and have two peak periods — noon to 2 pm and late afternoon/early evening. Wolves also happen to be makers and crave alone time.
  • Dolphin. Because dolphins are light sleepers, they may have an irregular sleep routine. They also tend to be perfectionists and work best from mid-morning through early afternoon.

To find out what your animal, track your time and take Dr. Breus’ sleep chronotype quiz. After that, re-organize your day so that you can align your sleep pattern and work schedule. For example, if you’re a lion, then you would want to tackle your most important work bright and early.

Eat at set times.

Research shows that we also have a food-related clock. And, it can influence wakefulness and sleepiness. Because of this, you should try to eat at the same time each day. Moreover, it’s best to consume heavier meals earlier. And, you should try to stay away from dairy and saturated fats.

When traveling, or needing to reset because of shift work, scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) recommend a fasting period.

“Modern day humans may be able to use these findings in an adaptive way. If, for example, you are traveling from the U.S. to Japan, you are forced to adjust to an 11-hour time difference,” says the study’s senior author Clifford Saper. “Because the body’s biological clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. And, by then, it’s often time to turn around and come home.”

But, if you adapt your eating schedules, you may be able to engage this second “feeding” clock. In turn, this can help you adjust more quickly to the new time zone.

“A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock,” says Saper. “So, in this case, simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then eating as soon as you land, should help you to adjust – and avoid some of the uncomfortable feelings of jet lag.”

Sync your exercise routine.

It’s been found that exercise can be just as powerful as sunlight when it comes to engaging your circadian rhythms. Primarily this is because it releases melatonin. However, when you exercise depends on if you’re a morning person or night owl. For instance, if you’re a morning person, then you should get your sweat on first thing in the AM.

Reduce psychological stress.

While not surprising, stress can throw off your circadian rhythm. As such, identify your stress triggers and eliminate them. For example, if you’re anxious about an upcoming presentation, write down why you’re so worried. Seeing your thoughts on paper can help you develop ways to resolve this problem.

Of course, eating healthy and physical activity are also proven ways to reduce stress. Other suggestions would be to staying connected with others, meditating, and planning ahead. You should also definitely prioritize yourself by adding a self-care routine to your calendar.

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