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The Ultimate Guide to Eliminating Work Stress

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We all understand that feeling of being anxious at work, under the weather and fantasising about staying off sick all week. You may ask yourself, is this feeling wrong? Am I broken? 

No, of course you aren’t, this feeling which is known as work stress affects a large majority of people in the present and has done throughout history. 

According to Ciphr’s statistics: 1 in 14 UK Adults feel stressed every single day, whether that is at work or in general, and 79% of the UK population feel stressed at least once a month. 

There is a solution to finding your workplace stressful!

Work stress can make you feel like you are trapped at work. It might play on your mind constantly, even at home, while relaxing. We, at Ceed, would like to help you to eliminate this feeling and separate your work and home life.  

Read Now: How to Achieve the Perfect Work-Life Balance

What is Work Stress?  

Work stress, simply put, is the feeling of stress at (and caused by) work. This can stem from work related problems like conflicting demands, deadlines, overworking or a lack of passion. 

Here are a few ways to lower and ultimately eliminate your work stress levels:  

Self-Positivity 

Don’t allow the monster of work stress to drag you down further. It can eventually lead to depression, or a severe spike in health problems. Once you’re done working, take a look at the work you have completed today. Take it all in like a beautiful sunset and think to yourself: “I’ve done that.”  

Take pride in what you accomplish each day for you are valued: as a friend, colleague, and family. Recognise the value of your effort and work, as others do. Although they may not verbally acknowledge your effort, your employers understand your importance as a part of their operation and you should too.  

Take a moment to appreciate your own work!

Every day, as long as you are accomplishing something you can take pride in yourself, and this positivity can help re-ignite a passion in your work life, reducing work stress as a whole. 

Read Now: 4 Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress 

Verbal Communication 

We fully understand the anxiety in everyone’s mind when considering speaking to your manager about your problems, and even more so about something as difficult as work stress.

No-one can force you to speak to your manager, but if you have the confidence then please do. This is the easiest way for your manager to understand what you are going through and adjust the situation as needed for you.  

However, you can also speak to your friends and family about these issues, or perhaps other colleagues. There are so many people in the world going through what you are, and many have advice that helped them or wished had helped them in the past. Listen to their words, but take some with a grain of salt! 

Whatever you do, do not ignore work stress, even if its symptoms are miniscule. The more exposed you are to it, the more severe your symptoms can become.  

Relaxing and Taking it Easy 

Many people don’t understand how to deal with work stress and think it’s normal. The truth is it is and isn’t at the same time. Stress is a natural thing that happens to everyone, even animals. One of the easiest ways to get rid of work stress is to relax your body and mind. 

Whether that is by:  

  • Listening to music  
  • Playing videogames 
  • Watching TV or movies 
  • Exercising  
  • Reading 
  • Writing  
  • Or even just having a chat with friends and family.  

There are lots of different ways to relax, but try everything and find out which works best for you. Maybe if listening to music works best you could see if you can wear earphones at work to relieve stress. 

But all in all, do what you love and treat yourself; order that Chinese, stay in bed all day on your day off, take a sick day off if you feel extremely stressed. Just do whatever you need to make yourself feel happy, and stress-free.  

Read Now: How Music Can Motivate You to Stick to Your Exercise Routine 

Re-Igniting Your Passion 

Lack of passion for a job is usually a work stress issue, as it can slow your productivity down as you see no reason to carry on doing it.  

Ask yourself: is this the right job for you? 

If your answer is no, then perhaps look for a new job, maybe something that’s totally different to what you’re doing right now. This could be as drastic as going from retail to police work. It’s hard to predict how a job is going to be before working there so do some research and check reviews online. Indeed and Glassdoor have the option to check company reviews.  

If your answer is yes, then there are a couple of things you can do: 

  1. Find meaning in your work 
  1. Seek new opportunities at work. 

This could even be taking a health and safety course. A change in environment even momentarily can be great for the brain, and maybe even make you miss your current environment. The section below can also help re-ignite that passion.  

Asking for new opportunities can make work more fulfilling.

Read Now: Mindfulness At Work: How To Increase Productivity 

Setting Goals and Rewarding Yourself 

It’s easy to finish a work day on autopilot, not realising how much you have actually done. Some people feel like they haven’t done enough, and others feel like they have done too much. Set yourself goals, and choose rewards for reaching those goals.  

This can help to fulfil you mentally, and make you more focused on your work. It pushes you to motivate yourself to get those goals completed and instil pride in yourself.  

Reward yourself with a short break, or a snack or drink you like. Set realistic goals that you know you can complete.  

Don’t be unrealistic or not realistic enough. Maybe you serve 60 customers a day? Let’s make goals based on that multiple. So, maybe a reward every 20 customers. That brings you to at least 3 rewards.  

Obviously, don’t go overboard with snacks as rewards as this may affect your eating habits. For some healthy options, check out this article we made to help you with foods that can lift your mood. 

Read Now: A Happy Diet: 9 Foods Proven to Lift Your Mood 

Online Communication 

In this modern world, one of the most widely utilised inventions is the internet. The ability to communicate with anyone, anywhere is a great advantage to modern life. You are bound to find strangers online who feel the same as you: 91% of Australians feel stressed about one or more important parts of their life, and 86% of Chinese Workers also report stress.  

The fact is: you aren’t alone. There will always be people there who have experienced and felt the same as you in some way. 

Just look online to realise you’re not alone in feeling stressed!

There are mountains of websites, pages, and social media apps that allow interaction between you and like-minded people. Talking to them can help you to develop and advice can be applied to your own situation, so as to not repeat the same mistakes as others. Not everyone is correct in their advice though, so be warned! 

Here are a few websites where you can utilise to find specific pages for help: 

Use the search bar to find specific communities or subjects such as: Tesco, UK, Manchester. 

To Sum Up… 

Please remember, you are only human at the end of the day and not a corporate machine. Your feelings matter, and you matter. 

Related Articles

We hope this guide has been beneficial to you and if you think you need additional help with work stress then feel free to contact us at Ceed today.  

How to Achieve the Perfect Work-Life Balance

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Finding the perfect balance between your professional and personal life can be challenging, but it’s essential for your overall well-being. Our drive and desire to achieve professionally can often harm our own successes. 

Creating a perfect work-life balance will improve not only your physical, emotional and mental well-being but it’s also crucial for your career. If you’re struggling to achieve the perfect work-life balance, you’re not alone. Here are some useful tips to help you achieve the perfect balance! 

1. Manage Your Time 

Time management is key. This will determine the work-life balance you maintain each day. Ways of improving your time management include: 

  • Create a timeline of your activities for one week. Make sure to include family commitments 
  • Prioritise your tasks in accordance to their importance 
  • Avoid multitasking. Focus on one task at a time 
  • Learn to say “no” 

We don’t have unlimited hours in the day. Be honest and let people know if you can’t take on additional tasks at the moment. Remember, your time is valuable! 

2. Set Specific Personal and Professional Goals 

There are many benefits to setting specific personal and professional goals. When your goals are clearly articulated, you can complete tasks with a strong sense of direction and a better focus. Take your list of priorities and turn them into specific and measurable goals. These can include: 

  • Walk thirty minutes a day, five days a week. 
  • Speak to a family member for an hour once a week. 
  • Take twenty-five minutes once a week to reflect on success and achievements.  
  • Decrease a website’s bounce rate by 10% in six months. 
Setting goals for a better work-life balance is key!

Read now: How to Build Effective Short-term and Long-term goals 

3. Ignore Perfectionism 

Moving through the challenges of perfectionism is difficult. Here are some tips to help you achieve this: 

  • Practice self-awareness. Remember that you already possess some level of self-awareness to realise that perfectionism is causing issues for you.  
  • Realise that no one is perfect. 
  • Never compare yourself to others. You are on your own journey. When you compare yourself to others, you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.  
  • Set realistic goals and remember to reward yourself as you achieve them. 

4. Establish Boundaries 

Setting boundaries between work and home is important in achieving the perfect work-life balance. This can be done by: 

  • Establishing fair and realistic limits on what you will do / will not do both at work and at home. 
  • Communicate this clearly to your supervisor, coworkers, partner and family.  

For example, a boundary you could set is not checking or responding to work-related emails whilst at home.  

5. Leave Work at Work 

Disconnecting from work at home isn’t easy. To get the most of our time off and leave work at work we need to be deliberate in how we end our days. This can be done by: 

  • Writing tomorrow’s to-do list today. 
  • Remove the expectation of thinking about work outside of work hours. 
  • Make time for your interests and pursue your hobbies. 

6. Make Time for You 

Making time for yourself and doing things that you love is important. Doing so will energise and refresh you. It will also enable you to nurture your creativity which is extremely beneficial in the workplace. Remember to give yourself a relaxing break and enjoy yourself at least once a day. This can include: 

  • Going out for dinner with friends or family 
  • Catching up on your favourite show 
  • Reading a book 
  • Having a relaxing bath 
  • Going for a dog walk.
Relaxing is essential to staying energised!

7. Work Smarter Not Harder 

The skill of being able to use your time more efficiently is one that everyone could benefit from. Working smarter, not harder involves managing your time better, knowing what needs to get done and when, and making most of the tools that will keep you on track. Here are some ways to achieve this: 

  • Batch similar tasks together. 
  • Take more breaks. 
  • Turn off notifications. 
  • Track your time and review your productivity. 
  • Stop multitasking. 
  • Unload your more pressing tasks by doing them first. 
  • Trim your to-do list by removing less important tasks. 
  • Plan tasks based on your energy levels. 

We tend to ignore our energy levels when planning our work. However, being mindful of this can be extremely beneficial in regards to productivity. Everyone’s energy spikes are different. Whether you’re more productive after lunch or first thing in the morning. Determine when your energy spikes are and plan your tasks accordingly. 

8. Unplug from Technology 

Our phones and technology follow us everywhere. This means our ability to disconnect from work is increasingly difficult. However, unplugging from technology is achievable. Here are some tips to help you get started: 

  • Switch off your phone for a couple hours each day. 
  • Enjoy some tech-free activities, like switching off technology at dinnertime. 
  • Prioritise human connection. 
  • Set up a Digital-Free Zone in your home. 
  • Create non-negotiable working hours. 

Read now: The Impact of Screen Addiction on Health and Well-being

9. Take Care of Your Health 

Your health should always be your number one priority. A healthy lifestyle is fundamental to coping with stress and to achieving the perfect work-life balance. Neglecting your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing will see both your personal life and work-life suffering. Take care of your health by: 

In order to achieve balance, you need to take care of your health!

10. Rest 

There are many benefits to a good night’s sleep (internal link to Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to your Wellbeing). While you sleep, your brain works to restore your mind and body. This involves processing your emotions and what you’ve learned during the day. Receiving more sleep can improve your memory which may help you perform better at work and in your day-to-day life. The following techniques may help you achieve a good night’s sleep. 

  • Avoid screen time for an hour before bed. 
  • Reduce your caffeine intake. 
  • Avoid liquids before bed. 
  • Implement a morning and night routine. 

Read now: Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to Your Well-being

By implementing a routine in the morning and evening, you are supporting the hormones that affect sleep, manage stress levels and help you feel rested and energised throughout the day. This will help you achieve the perfect work-life balance.

Related Articles

If you need help achieving the perfect work-life balance, we’re here to help! Reach out to one of our experts here at Ceed today! 

Returning to Work after COVID: How to Manage Anxiety

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The majority of us have spent the past year more isolated than we have ever been before. With lockdown restrictions in full place from March 2020 and continuing throughout the majority of the last year, many people spent the lockdown on furlough or remote working. A complete contrast to the fast-paced British work culture we are used to. 

In 2020, remote working became a crucial tool for rescuing jobs by allowing employees to work from home. Over a year later, the government are finally beginning to ease lockdown restrictions with all restrictions set to end completely on June 21st, 2021.  

Many people are finding themselves confused about what this means for the future of jobs. Will we return to the workplace Monday – Friday? Will we continue to work from home? What happens if there is another rise in COVID-19 cases? 

Some people have also developed anxiety about returning to the workplace after so long away. In fact, Bdaily’s research found that 65% of workers are suffering with ‘return to work’ anxiety. So, if you are a little bit anxious, it’s safe to say you’re not alone in feeling that way.  

In this article we’ve highlighted some tips we think you might find some useful for coping with anxiety.

After a year of working from home, returning to the office is a daunting affair.

It’s Ok to Be Anxious 

It’s important to remind yourself that it is perfectly normal to be a little bit anxious. We’ve all been living in uncertain times so your feelings are valid and understandable. Many people are anxious about returning to work so you are not alone. You may even find that some of your colleagues feel the same. 

Your return to work will likely be a gradual process. Make sure to give yourself some time to get used to it. Why not find a routine that will help you adjust and try to stick to it as much as possible? The important thing is to know you’re not alone and feeling anxious is not something to be ashamed of. With the right mindset and support system, anxiety can give way to reassurance. 

The New Normal 

Perhaps, the best thing you can do to prepare for your return to work is to accept that things will be different! COVID has meant we have all had to adjust to sudden changes over the past year. There will likely be some small changes at your workplace but it’s important to remember that it is all for a good cause. 

You can familiarize yourself with any new policies and listen out for changes to Government guidelines. There are plenty of tips on gov.uk about working safely during COVID-19 for both employees and employers. It’s worthwhile to remind yourself that not all changes are negative. Some changes can be positive and you may find the changes to your workplace beneficial.

You’re not the only one experiencing these feelings. Talk to your boss or fellow employees about your concerns!

Speak to Your Boss 

The best thing you can do in most cases is to speak with your employer. They will likely already have prepared for people to feel a little apprehensive about returning to work. You can take the initiative to ask them about the measures in place. If you are concerned about your health and being exposed to the virus, you can ask them about the specific health measures that will be used to keep you and your colleagues safe.  

We also have an article on our blog that explains how businesses can implement digital wellbeing in the workplace. It’s valuable to remember that your employer is there to help you. They may have experienced some of the same feelings about the lockdown and will likely be eager to accommodate your return to the office. 

Hybrid working – splitting your time between your home and the office – could be an exciting new way to work.

Hybrid Working 

Hybrid working or remote working is very likely to become the norm. Hybrid working is defined by Personnel Today as ‘a form of flexible working that allows employees to split their time between attending the workplace and working remotely (typically from home)’. If you are struggling with social anxiety about returning to work, this could be an effective solution to your problem. 

You might feel worried about having to interact with your colleagues in person. Many employees have enjoyed the flexibility of working from home. Some people have even found that they are more productive than when they are at work.  

If you have the option to work remotely and have done so over the past year, speak to your employer about your options. You could use hybrid working as a temporary solution to ease yourself into being back in the workplace. 

Helpful Habits 

Your daily habits can be crucial to your overall well-being. When you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, healthy habits can help you better manage these feelings. Ensure that you get enough rest and implement habits such as healthy eating and exercise into your daily routine. 

Mindfulness is a useful technique for coping with different types of anxiety. There are tons of effective meditation practices that can help calm your nerves. You can read more about the benefits of mindfulness in the form of meditation, writing and exercise here. 

Try to foster a positive mindset by paying attention to your feelings.

In conclusion 

Many people are experiencing anxiety about ‘the new normal’. Remind yourself that you have plenty of options; you can speak to your boss, explore flexible working and maintain positive habits. After reading this article, you should hopefully find it easier to manage your anxiety about returning to work.  

If you are struggling with anxiety, you can always seek help from a professional. Get in contact with mental health services such as Mind or Samaritans for support. 

If you would like to learn more about how Ceed can help your build and strengthen your mind, you can contact us today. 

How to Take Effective Notes

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When you’re taking notes, it can be tempting to jot down everything you hear, but this makes it harder for you to make sense of your notes later down the line. 

Ideally, note-taking involves summarising core concepts and theories in your own words, so you can understand and engage with these ideas with the topics you learn about. 

But taking notes the right way can be tricky. By refining your note-taking process, you’ll have clear and concise notes that save you valuable time, energy and confusion. 

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Effective note-taking can massively improve the retention of information!

How should you take notes – Digital vs. paper notes? 

First, you need to decide whether to take notes using a laptop or a notepad. 

Each medium has its benefits and setbacks. With a laptop, more information can be recorded at a quicker rate but the tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim can disrupt learning. 

Whereas with a notebook, you can process information and reframe it in your own words, however, it can be tough to read back if your handwriting isn’t neat. 

According to a study, students who took notes by hand scored about three times higher than average on tests with conceptual questions than laptop users. 

Whichever format you decide, as long as it helps with your learning, then you’re one step closer to taking better notes.

 

What method should you use to take notes? 

  1. Cornell Note-Taking System: Developed in the 1950s as part of a university preparation program (AVID), this method divides your notes into 4 sections: 
  • Top row for the date and title 
  • Middle section with two columns – one column for your main notes, another column for additional comments and questions 
  • Bottom row for a quick summary 

The benefit of using the Cornell method is that it forces students to summarise information systematically, rather than writing notes down verbatim. 

In addition, it encourages students to review their notes so that they can fill in the final summary, which can help when it comes to highlighting the main takeaways from a lesson. 

But these notes require a lot of upkeep – the page layout needs to be prepped in advance and a summary needs to be written for every set of notes. 

  1. The Outline Method: This method organises your notes into bullet points, with information being listed under relevant topics. 

By not having to write full sentences, bullet points allow students to identify key points as a way to break down large amounts of information. 

While these notes can be looked over easily, this method can be hard to implement if your notes are predominantly made up of diagrams and formulas rather than text. 

  1. The Box Method: This method divides your notes into different boxes. Each topic is assigned a particular box, and any information related to the topic is detailed in these boxes. 

Organising your notes with boxes can help separate each topic, which can be reviewed easily after a long time. 

On the other hand, if you can’t come up with overarching topics for your notes, then you’ll be left unsure about how to categorise each box, with little information in each. 

  1. The Mapping Method: This method works like a mind map, dividing your subtopics into branches from the main topic. This could be a good way to present important ideas and concepts visually. 

Mapping allows you to make more than one connection between subtopics, which is beneficial if your points tie together. Also, creating branches allows you to add more information to your notes later on. 

But it is easy to overcomplicate your mind map, and also doesn’t follow a chronological order that can help you digest this information. 

These are just a few methods you could use to write down effective notes. Take time to experiment and modify these methods, so that you create an ideal system that strengthens your learning experience. 

What are some note-taking strategies you can use before class, during class and after class? 

Before class, it is useful to look over reading material to familiarise yourself with topics that will be discussed. This can be achieved by: 

  • Completing reading assignments 
  • Looking at the course syllabus/lecture presentation for that particular week 
  • Reviewing notes from your previous class 

During class, listen carefully to what’s being taught and write down relevant information that supports ideas being discussed. Keep your notes brief and concise by: 

  • Focusing on the main points (which tend to be emphasised/repeated often) 
  • Paraphrasing what you hear using your own words 
  • Using abbreviations and symbols 
  • Marking areas you find confusing so you can follow-up later 

After class, it is important to look over your notes to make sure you clarify key terms and fill in any missing details for any complicated concepts. Organise your notes by: 

  • Giving notes a title and date 
  • Using highlighters and colours to emphasise certain ideas 
  • Storing notes in one place 

If you’re still struggling on a particular topic, feel free to email your lecturer or talk to other students, so that you can look back on your notes and grasp ideas that were discussed in class. 

How to remember your notes? 

When it comes to exam season, many students struggle to retain and recall the information they had noted down for their classes. Even when they look back on their notes, a lot of their understanding becomes lost over time. 

The Forgetting Curve, theorised by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885, plots the relationship between memory and time remembered (in days). 

He found that memory retention, which is at 100% when the information is initially learnt, drops rapidly to 40% after the first few days. This is because the rate of memory loss is rapid within the first few days of learning, but slows down after that. 

So to retain information, repetition is key. Ideally, you would want to repeat information you have learnt within the first 24hrs to disrupt the rate of memory loss. 

From then on, checking your notes in growing intervals can help you remember what you’ve learnt – this is why it is crucial to review your notes before and after class. 

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Going back to look at your notes can really help your revision process.

Making effective notes is not something many students are taught about. But good note-taking can make a significant difference in the way you acquire and retain knowledge. 

By understanding the processes that go behind taking notes, you will be able to recall information that will help you ace any upcoming exams! 

Ceed is committed to helping students during their studies. If you would like more guidance when it comes to your learning, visit our website for more information! 

How to Manage Anxiety and Isolation During Lockdown

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Since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, many of us, even those who have not been infected by the virus, have had to quarantine in our homes.  

The stress of working from home, cancelled travel plans, indefinite isolation, and information overload could be a recipe for unchecked anxiety and deteriorating mental health.  

Here are a few pointers that could help you prevent spiralling negative thoughts during the pandemic. 

1. Maintain a positive mindset

As dismal as the world may feel right now, think of the mandated work-from-home policy as an opportunity to refocus your attention from the external to the internal. Limit your scope to focusing on yourself rather than elements out of your control. Doing one productive thing per day can lead to a more positive attitude.

Set your sights on long-avoided tasks, reorganize, or create something you’ve always wanted to. Developing new hobbies are vital to giving you a sense of purpose, and approaching this time with a mindset of feeling trapped or stuck will only cause more stress. 

Take this time to slow down and focus on yourself. 

2. Stay close to your normal routine 

Try and maintain some semblance of structure from the pre-quarantine days. For those individuals with children, sticking to a routine might be easier; however as you work from home, it could be tempting to fall into a more lethargic lifestyle, which could lead to negative thinking.

Wake up and go to bed around the same time, eat meals, shower, adapt your exercise regimen, and get out of bed at a reasonable time each day. Enabling yourself to keep to your normal routine keeps you active and less likely to focus on negative emotions, and it will be easier to readjust to the outside world when it’s time to get back to work. 

3. Avoid obsessing over endless Coronavirus coverage 

Freeing up your day from work or social obligations gives you plenty of time to obsess, and if you have a tendency to consult Google for every itch and sneeze, you may be over-researching the pandemic as well. 

If this sounds familiar, be sure to choose only certain credible websites (who.int or cdc.gov is a good start) for a limited amount of time each day to avoid the dreaded “doom scrolling” habit. 

4. A chaotic home can lead to a chaotic mind 

With all the uncertainty happening outside your home, keep the inside organized, predictable and clean. Setting up mental zones for daily activities can be helpful to organize your day. For example, try not to eat in bed or work on the sofa – just as before, eat at the kitchen table and work at your desk. 

Becoming less regimented in setting boundaries for yourself muddles your routine and can make the day feel long. Additionally, a cluttered home can cause you to become uneasy and claustrophobic in your environment- so keep it tidy for a more positive mental state. 

5. Use telehealth as an option to talk to a professional if your anxiety becomes unmanageable 

Many licensed psychologists are offering telehealth options over HIPAA-compliant video chat platforms. If you become too caught up in your head and things become to feel unmanageable, remember to reach out for help if your anxiety is reaching proportions beyond your control. 

Letting go of illusions of control and finding peace in the fact that you are doing your part to “flatten the curve” will certainly build mental strength to combat the stressful situation the whole globe is experiencing. 

In conclusion 

By following these five tips, you should begin to find that your mental health improves regarding the stress of these strange but temporary times. By investing your time in developing and learning new hobbies, staying close to your original routine, avoiding obsessing over bad news, keeping your living area clean and tidy, and always knowing that you can reach out to a professional should your mental wellbeing deteriorate to an unmanageable level, you’ll find life is more amenable in response.  

If you would like to learn more about how Ceed can help you improve your mental wellbeing, feel free to contact us today! 

Why Tracking Your Progress Is Important

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Setting aside that largest and most important assignment to the last minute, whether it be in the workplace or at school, doesn’t sound like a biggie when you are keeping yourself occupied with other small, mundane tasks. You’re still being productive with your time, right? 

Wrong. Due date looms and you’re scrambling to complete that assignment, relinquishing the fact that you clearly underestimated the time and effort needed to finish it. 

Staying committed to what matters most can be difficult when presented with a variety of tedious tasks throughout the day. 

But, how can you change this?

Small tasks that can be easily ticked off the to-do list give us that immediate but temporary buzz of satisfaction, and the pleasure of this tends to signal that we are being productive (which is not necessarily true!). 

Don’t get us wrong, small wins are certainly motivating and shouldn’t be discredited – however, completion bias – where the brain specifically seeks the hit of dopamine one gets from completing a task – can deter us from striving for the completion of larger, more important tasks. 

Smaller, quicker tasks to complete = more frequent doses of dopamine, and so the completion bias tends to nudge us towards easy-to-complete tasks, leaving the larger and more difficult tasks missing a tick off from the to-do list.  

So how do you not let the completion bias deter you from important, meaningful work? 

You should set out a method that acknowledges your progress. 

“Most of us make advances small and large every single day, but we fail to notice them because we lack a method for acknowledging our progress. This is a huge loss.”

Teresa Amabile 

Plan Your Progress To Stay Purposeful 

“It’s important to know your priorities… that may sound obvious but it’s amazing how many people don’t identify their top three to five priorities — or fail to change how they structure their workdays when priorities change”

Gino and Staats

Making plans and tracking progress is incredibly important for productivity.  

Acknowledging both what you have done (progress) and what you are doing (plan) enables you to reflect on your effort and to have more insight into the value you are creating. This naturally makes you more purposeful and mindful about the work you do.  

When you don’t set in place methods for tracking progress, you lose the ability to set meaningful, effective goals – your days instead end up being filled with meaningless work. 

Minimising context-switching of the brain with smaller tasks and being more thoughtful in what one does correlates with an increase in the completion of higher utility tasks and allows one to dive deeper in the notion of ‘quality over quantity’ – deterring us from the cons of the completion bias.  

Ways To Keep Track Of Your Progress 

  • Break up large tasks into smaller chunks: By doing this, you can reek in the frequent buzz of satisfaction achieved from completing smaller chunks which can act as massive motivators and push you towards fully completing the large task.   
  • Establish regular and consistent reviews: Installing weekly or monthly reviews to reflect on the busy work life can help ensure that “what matters most” is kept top of mind. Highs and lows of the workweek can be contemplated to ensure that improvements are made in the future.  
  • Set smaller daily quotas: Finishing the day with 80% of the work still ahead of you can be disheartening – start each day with a brand new daily quota that can be achieved as a forward motion.  
  • Use Ceed to track progress on specific goals and projects: Ceed can help you achieve your long-term goals by supporting you on a day-to-day basis. Through the app, Ceed checks up on you every day to make sure you stay focused on your personal goals and desired habits.  

Ultimately, staying committed to what matters most relies on the valuable insight of your progress, where one can plan the development of purposeful work. Without this methodology, completion bias can detain us from working on large, important tasks and instead propel us towards smaller, easy-to-complete tasks.  

Why Managers Should Move Towards The Role Of A Coach

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The COVID-19 pandemic has presented disruption and uncertainty in the workplace, and managers simply cannot be expected to have all the answers during this unforeseen crisis. 

Command-and-control practices of management seem increasingly archaic and don’t function in the modern era. A management style that bases its success principles on what worked best in the past can no longer be used as a guide to what will work best in the future.  

Therefore, managers need to adjust their leadership style to a more flexible and adaptive model that facilitates problem-solving in a constantly changing environment.  

The best way to adjust? Managers should begin to adhere to a coaching model that puts the well-being and support of employees at centre-heart.  

What Is Command-And-Control? 

Command-and-control is an authoritative style of leadership where instructions are given through a top-down approach that adhere to procedural standards of the organisation – these standards have been developed in order to reproduce the businesses’ previous successes. 

Whilst there are benefits to this approach such as standardising products and services, facilitating quality control and achieving goals quickly, the draw-backs are much more prevalent on lower level employees. 

Command-and-control management limits the autonomy of employees to come up with creative and innovative ideas, contributing to frustration and a lack of motivation in a hierarchical system. 

It also contributes to slower responses when faced with challenges, since the management style is based on rigidity and regularity that limits the ability to adapt quickly.  

Therefore, companies should no longer base their leadership style on command-and-control due to lack of creative input and motivation from employees. 

Instead, managers should move towards the role of a coach.  

A Manager As A Coach 

To cope with the ever changing realities of modern times, companies are moving towards a management style that encourages employee input and innovation – a people-centred coaching style.  

Communication and collaboration is a vital component of a coaching style of leadership, in which managers give encouragement, support and guidance rather than instructions.  

The Benefits Of A Coaching Style Of Management: 

  • More Efficient Workforce: Research shows that coaching leads to better engagement, higher productivity, and enhanced customer service. 
  • Build Morale: Abolishing a rigid system of hierarchy and instead allowing for communication and collaboration flourish throughout the company builds morale and enables every member to feel included and valued – this in turn leads to a lower turnover rate of staff. 
  • Increased Innovation: Alongside the manager’s support and guidance, control is relinquished to employees so that workers have more scope for their creative input heard and taken on board. 
  • Quicker Shared Solutions: As problems arise for the company, a collaboration of many minds of workers will result in quicker problem solving and more efficient solutions. 
  • Increased Collaboration: Employees of all levels are granted the opportunity to discuss problems and bounce ideas off of one another, building trust across departments. 

Ultimately, the pandemic has brought and will continue to bring drastic change in the way we work, and consequently companies have embarked on a major process of organisational change.  

This organisational change must adopt a continuous form of on-the-job development, and the best way they can do this is by adopting a coaching style of leadership. 

Ceed can provide the toolkit for managers to succeed in their coaching leadership, helping improve productivity and motivation within your business. 

What is a Life Coach and What Do They Do?

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We all know what a coach is: but what is life coaching and how can it help you achieve your goals? 

To put it simply, a life coach is a professionally trained individual dedicated to helping you reach and extend your full potential. A life coach helps you identify your goals, discover motivation and hold you accountable on the path to fulfilling your objectives. They provide encouragement when you need it and give you a helping hand on the path to bettering yourself. 

It’s helpful to imagine a life coach as an accumulation of many different roles – they are both a supportive, encouraging friend and a motivating, wise advisor. They give you both the helping hand and the firm push.  

In the process of becoming a life coach, they will undergo dynamic training that teaches them how to ask the right questions in pursuit of setting achievable goals. They learn how to communicate in an effective way and truly understand the root of your problems.  

How does a life coach help you? 

Life coaches are well-trained specifically to help you tackle both personal and professional problems. Generally, the life coaching process involves a similar order of events: 

  • identify a problem or goal 
  • reframe this goal into achievable steps 
  • nurture your growth and account for setbacks.  

This is a repeatable process designed to help individuals create a sustainable model for success.  

A life coach is there to hold you accountable to your designated goals and give you a helping hand when you need it. They help you keep focused on your initial goal and provide you with the tools to succeed. 

What can a life coach do for me? 

The list really is endless. A life coach’s prowess is in their ability to listen, understand and plan. A life coach isn’t merely a means to an end but a tool for fundamental change – by telling them your specific goal they can help point you in the right direction.  

Whether it’s going for a promotion at work or achieving weight loss, a life coach uses whatever information you give them to develop strategies in pursuit of your goal.  

According to the Institute of Coaching, 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, and over 70% benefit from improved work performance. Those numbers are pretty impressive.  

But it makes sense, right? If you have somebody there holding you accountable and simultaneously giving you that first helping hand, it’s no surprise that you’d see marked improvements. 

This isn’t just exclusive to individuals, either. Among the long-list of personal benefits, there are also clear benefits to businesses utilising the skills of a life coach. 86% of companies that invested in coaching reported that they recouped that investment. Many of those companies reported an increased individual performance and higher staff engagement. 

So, there you have it. Hopefully, this article helped you to understand exactly what a life coach does and how hiring one could help you and your business to maximise its potential. 

Ceed’s goal is to make life coaching accessible to everyone who needs it. For more information on our services, check us out here. 

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