| Our fast-paced culture results in people working hard, to tight deadlines, managing work relationships and staying constantly connected through mobile devices. This pace can lead to stress and burnout. How do we navigate these challenges? It requires skills and strategies. Resilience is a key strategy that helps employees tackle stress, a competitive job market, workplace conflicts, and address challenges on the job. What is resilience? It exists when we can bounce back from, and thrive upon challenges, trying your best and giving things a go even when you don’t feel like it. It is often tested when stress factors arise in everyday life and when trauma or tragedy strike. Stress can test a person’s resilience; however, how a person handles stress is a strong indicator of their ability to bounce back. The practice of gratitude supports a resilient mind-set and aids in reducing stress, bringing calm and providing clarity. What is gratitude? Dr. Alex Korb shares the following in his book, The Upward Spiral: “Gratitude is a state of mind – in fact, there’s a gratitude circuit in your brain, badly in need of a workout.” Why is this important? Dr. Korb adds: “Strengthening that circuit brings the power to elevate your physical and mental health, boost happiness, improve sleep, and help you feel more connected to other people.” Deepak Chopra has shared that when we experience positive emotions, we enhance our ability to solve problems and come up with more novel ideas. To foster creativity, we also need to foster a positive environment both professionally and at home where we are less stressed and more grounded through gratitude. Keep it simple – doodle down one thing that you are grateful for each day. Make it a practice. This upcoming weekend is Thanksgiving for our Canadian friends. It’s a time to give thanks, enjoy the company of friends and family and witness the beauty of the changing colors. It also provides a perfect opportunity to reflect and be grateful. If you want to further your resiliency through gratitude I invite you to join our 5 day Doodle Breaks Challenge this October to kickstart your gratitude. Click here to sign up HERE. |
| Helping your people Feel Better. Work Better. Live Better. Melissa Founder of Doodle Breaks |