The long-standing catch phrase “have it all” is metamorphosing into “have what matters.” Halleluiah. It’s about time, because “have it all” is killing us.
Nearly 70 million Americans have high blood pressure, which triples your chances of heart disease. In the past 30 years, self-reported stress has gone up 25 percent for men and 18 percent for women.
Stress costs U.S. businesses an estimated $300 billion annually, according to the World Health Organization.
“The lack of attention to employee needs helps explain why the United States spends more on health care than other countries but gets worse outcomes,” says Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
I have written columns on bio-feedback, meditation. I’ve shown how practicing mindfulness, visualization and even playfulness in the workplace increases productivity, creativity and the bottom line. These are not abstract or entertaining theories. They are effective tools to help us think better and slow us down.
Mark Williams, a professor of clinical psychology at Oxford and author of Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World, says through neuroscience and looking at the brain scans of people who are always rushing around that multitasking without thinking shows they’re operating from the emotional part of the brain. “They’re on high alert all the time. But nobody can run fast enough to escape their own worries.”
Love that last sentence. The hamster wheel of fear keeps us running, but at what cost? Our top priority should be our well-being. How well we take care of ourselves defines how well we can take care of others — family, friends, co-workers, clients.
Are you ready to take better care of yourself at work? Simply put, it takes strength, discipline and courage to move out of an old pattern — especially if those around you are stuck in it, too. Let’s face it, when you do it differently, those around you might become a bit agitated and even jealous.
Umm, you’re now leaving the office at 5 p.m. everyday to spend quality time with your family. That’s not unreasonable considering it’s what you originally signed up for. However, the disapproving looks you receive as you leave may send ice shivers down your spine. I did mention courage is needed — right?
Tony Schwartz, the founder and CEO of The Energy Project, writes, “A new and growing body of multidisciplinary research shows that strategic renewal — including daytime workouts, short afternoon naps, longer sleep hours, more time away from the office and longer, more frequent vacations — boosts productivity, job performance and, of course, health.”
Sounds great. Now, what about the vacation time you’ve accrued — are you ever going to use it, or lose it like you did last year? And when on vacation, can you leave your work behind?
Are you willing to change your priority list? Take a good look at what’s truly important to you. Put those items at the top of the list. Now what can you drop?
How many hours of sleep do you get each night? Sleep deprivation costs U.S. businesses $63 billion a year in lost productivity. A couple of extra hours of snooze time can prevent memory lapses, depression, headaches, confusion and aching muscles, to name just a few negative health effects from losing sleep.
The collective landscape of the business world is changing. Conscious business enterprises and people are moving to the forefront with awareness of the consequences of their choices and actions.
Often referred to as conscious capitalism, this business movement implements practices that benefit both human beings and the environment. It often leads to a better bottom line and a higher purpose at the same time. You can’t beat that. But change takes place one person at a time.
Are you ready to do it differently?
— Susan Ann Darley is a creativity coach and business writer. Click here for more information, or contact her at susan@mindsetmanagement.net or 805.845.3036. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.