When humans feel stressed, the natural response is “fight or flight,” during which time we will experience a rush of adrenaline, rapid breathing and heartbeat, and a period of increased focus. This stress response can be useful when needed – for instance when running from a bear. But when daily struggles have us constantly on…
We’ve all been told that “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” and this expression has lead to more professional burnout and stress than almost any other. Whether you’re a small business owner or the leader of a team, it’s essential that you learn to let go of certain tasks…
A whopping 67% of American employees are not taking all of their eligible time off according to a study by job site Glassdoor. In fact, the average U.S. employee (of those who receive vacation/paid time off) has only taken 54% of his or her eligible vacation time/paid time off in the past 12 months. When employees finally…
I once assumed that an ER doctor faces much more stress than my mailman, however this isn’t always necessarily true. According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), the root causes of stress are highly subjective, citing the following factors as stress contributors: Personality: Different things impact people differently. You may thrive under pressure while it…
We do much more than, ‘Get by with a little help from our friends,’ as sung by the world-famous Beatles and Joe Cocker. In the spirit of gratitude for friendship, here are four scientifically proven ways these social bonds positively impact our health and happiness. 1. Squash stress levels. Spending time with friends can help decrease your…
Although technology has enabled employees’ efficiency to excel in many ways, being constantly plugged-in can equate to never officially clocking out. Here are three reasons and ways to stop overworking. Overworking makes mistakes more likely. If you tend to work through lunch, stay late most evenings and/or work from home during ‘off’ hours, the tendency…
There is hope for insomniacs and the super stressed thanks to the mental health movement called positive psychology. Proponents of this movement contend that the stress itself is not the culprit of ill effects such as insomnia, but how people think about it and their resulting reactions. Dale Carnegie said, “It isn’t what you have…
Negative stress and excessive worry lead to all the wrong things in life. Without question, stress affects what we think, which drives what we feel. This, in turn, controls our behaviors, which directly influences our outcomes and goals. When we’re stressed, it’s no wonder we make poor business decisions, sabotage our marriages, create challenges with…