Practicing Patience At Work

I’ve seen so many talented people burn out trying to meet deadlines at any cost. They work late into the night, pushing themselves beyond their limits, thinking it’s just part of the job. They think, "If I just finish this, I’ll be okay." But here's the truth: Deadlines are temporary, but burnout lasts much longer. Chasing that next deadline can cost you more than just time; it can take your well-being, your health, and your passion for the work. You don’t need to sacrifice yourself to meet every deadline. Here’s what you can do instead: • Recognize the signs of burnout before it’s too late. • Set realistic boundaries and expectations. • Take breaks—your health is more important than any task. • Speak up when the pressure feels too much—your well-being matters. Work is important, but so are you. Don’t let the pressure of deadlines steal your peace. How do you manage stress and avoid burnout? Let’s share some strategies in the comments.

Are you frequently overwhelmed by worries, even about minor things? This could be a sign of anxiety. While anxiety is a common feeling involving unease, worry, or fear - particularly during periods of uncertainty, change, or high-stress situations - if not addressed, it can evolve to be pervasive. Anxiety can make it difficult to focus on our work and impact productivity and well-being. According to a study by Champion Health in the UK, 60% of employees experience some form of anxiety. This statistic is concerning, but what's more troubling is that many people suffer in silence, unaware or unwilling to acknowledge their struggles. Throughout my journey, I've encountered numerous moments where, in retrospect, anxiety was a silent battle for me. Externally, I appeared successful, but I was wrestling with persistent worries and self-doubt internally. Thankfully, with professional help and a supportive personal network, I've learned to manage these challenges better. My experiences have underscored the need to openly discuss anxiety and educate ourselves on coping mechanisms and support options. To get some practical insights and tips on this topic, I reached out to my friend Dana Berri. Dana is a licensed psychologist with expertise in applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques. Here are 3 invaluable tips she shared on managing anxiety: 1. Befriend your anxiety and allow it to be: Contrary to the common advice we often hear telling us ‘not to worry’, a positive approach for managing anxiety involves intentionally allowing ourselves to explore these worries and letting the worry run its course. Ask yourself: ↳What am I thinking about right now? ↳On a scale of 1-10, how stressful do I feel? ↳Explore the worst-case and best-case scenarios and their probability. 2. Reframe your thoughts: Once you have identified these negative thoughts, try transforming them into more positive or constructive ones. E.g. ‘I will never be good at this’ to ‘This may be challenging now, but with practice, I can improve my skills over time.’ 3. Lean on problem-solving: Apply a problem-solving approach once you've identified and reframed negative thoughts. 1. Identify the Concern: ‘What's the specific concern that's causing anxiety?’ 2. Ask the Right Questions and focus on what’s helpful rather than what is right or wrong: Instead of dwelling on the worst-case scenario, redirect your focus. E.g. ‘What aspects of this situation are within my control?, is this thought helping me get what I want?’ 3. Set Realistic Goals: E.g. If you're anxious about an upcoming presentation, dedicate specific time to preparation. 4. Consider the Variables: Determine which variables you can influence and take action. E.g. You can’t control your manager’s mood, but you can plan to leave home early to avoid peak traffic. PS: Approach your feelings with kindness and curiosity. Image Credit: 6seconds.org

Do this to Stay on track and maintain focus. 1. Set Clear Goals - Break your larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. If your goal is to complete a project, break it into tasks like research, drafting, editing, and finalizing. Identify the most important tasks and tackle them first. 💡 TIP - Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks by urgency & importance. 2. Create a Plan - Spend 10 minutes each morning planning your tasks & estimating how long each will take. 💡 TIP - Time Blocking: Schedule specific blocks of time for different tasks and stick to the schedule. Allocate 9-11 AM for focused work, 11-12 PM for emails, and 1-3 PM for meetings. 3. Eliminate Distractions - Use apps like Freedom or StayFocusd to block distracting websites. Keep your workspace tidy and free from clutter. 💡 TIP - Spend 5 minutes each day for organizing your desk. 4. Use Productivity Tools - Use Trello, Asana, or Todoist to keep track of tasks and deadlines. 💡 TIP - Pomodoro Technique: Work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. Repeat this cycle to maintain focus and avoid burnout. 5. Practice Mindfulness - Incorporate short meditation sessions into your daily routine to improve focus and reduce stress. Use apps like Headspace or Calm for guided meditation. 💡 TIP - Mindful Breathing: Take deep breaths and focus on breathing to bring your attention back when you feel distracted. 6. Take Regular Breaks - Take regular short breaks to rest your mind and avoid fatigue. 💡 TIP - Take a 5-10 minute break every hour to stretch and move around. Physical Activity: Incorporate light exercises or stretches during breaks to rejuvenate your energy. Do a quick set of stretches or a short walk to refresh your mind. 7. Stay Organized - Keep a daily to-do list and check off completed tasks to stay motivated. Use a notebook or digital app to list your tasks for the day and enjoy the satisfaction of checking them off. 💡 TIP - Use a calendar to schedule meetings, deadlines, and important events. 8. Set Boundaries - Establish clear boundaries between work and personal time to avoid burnout. 💡 TIP - Set a specific end time for work each day and stick to it. Let others know your work hours and availability to minimize interruptions. 9. Stay Motivated - Celebrate small wins and reward yourself for completing tasks. Treat yourself to a favorite snack or activity after finishing a big task. Maintain a positive attitude and remind yourself of the reasons behind your goals. 💡 TIP - Keep a journal of your achievements and review it when you need a motivation boost. 10. Reflect and Adjust - Regularly review your progress and make adjustments to your plan as needed. Spend 15 minutes at the end of each week reviewing what worked well and what didn't. 💡 TIP - If you notice certain times of the day are less productive, adjust your schedule to match your peak performance.

Regulating your nervous system is a career builder. Our brains were originally wired for survival. When we perceive a threat, our cave-person amygdala activates a fight or flight response. This mechanism evolved to keep us alive, not to help us reason through a tough meeting. In modern work environments, critical feedback or public disagreement can be misinterpreted as a threat to status or safety. Once that alarm is triggered, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning and self-regulation, goes partially offline. The result is an emotional reaction that can feel disproportionate to the “real” situation. Withdrawing under pressure is a natural instinct. When the nervous system is flooded, shutting down can feel like a safe option. However, in an important meeting or decision, withdrawal can create more problems. It can erode trust and leave conflicts unresolved. Over time, repeated cycles of this can create feelings of chronic stress. “I don’t want to go to this meeting.” Managing reactions to feedback and conflict is about regulating your nervous system in the moment. One effective strategy is to pause before responding. Even a slow breath can reduce physiological arousal enough for the prefrontal cortex. “You got this.” Another is cognitive reframing: consciously labeling feedback as information, not a verdict. Asking a clarifying question, such as “What would good look like here?”, can shift the interaction from threat to joint solving. Staying engaged during the heat is a learned skill. Over time, practicing staying calm and engaged can retrain the brain to handle workplace friction. The goal is not to eliminate all emotional reactions, but to respond more deliberately, especially when the instinct to withdraw feels strong.

It often seems that one of our few certainties in work & life is uncertainty. Managing ambiguity is interesting to me as a neuroscientist and stress researcher because it involves 2 powerful sources of psychological stress: unpredictability and lack of control. Research tells us that we handle things a lot better if we can see them coming and feel we have some sense of control over them. If we don't, our stress hormones skyrocket and our fight/flight/freeze response kicks in. Our nerves get a little jangled. We feel nervous and on edge. And that impacts how we relate to others and how well we get our work done. Learning how to manage ambiguity is a leadership imperative. Not only does it prevent burnout and promote well-being; it enables leaders to drive innovation and lead their teams through uncertain times. If you struggle to master this skill, you are not alone. As a starting point, it may help to identify the underlying cause/s for a lack of skill in this area. Here are some of them: - Discomfort with a lack of control and unpredictability. Like I said, this is true of us all. It's normal to freak out a little when the fog of uncertainty hits. The trick is to channel your stress response in a productive direction by focusing on what you can control and making the best plans possible with the information at hand. -Change is also stressful. If you are trying to initiate change at your organization, prioritize clear communication. Convey the intent behind it and how it will benefit others. Encourage transparency and promote honest conversations, allowing team members to express their concerns freely. By fostering an environment where individuals feel comfortable discussing ambiguity, leaders can harness the collective intelligence of the team and make more informed decisions. - Negative bias. Cynicism may assume that the fog of ambiguity always contains a threat. But the truth is, ambiguity often precedes breakthroughs and new possibilities. Choose instead a healthy skepticism that remains open to potential benefits and learning. - Perfectionism. Ambiguity often calls for experimentation and iteration. Leaders should create a safe space for their teams to test ideas, take calculated risks, and learn from failures. By acknowledging the unknown and accepting uncertainty, leaders can create a culture that encourages exploration, creativity, and adaptability. - Rigidity & need for 100% information before acting. In ambiguous situations, rigid plans can quickly become obsolete. Leaders should embrace strategic flexibility by adapting and adjusting strategies as new information emerges. It also means striking a wise balance between thinking and forward action. The “ready, fire, aim” approach works well if paired with continuous reassessment of goals, reevaluating assumptions, and seeking feedback. **New infographics every week** #manageambiguity #stressmanagement #litvakexecutivesolutions

How to be less emotionally reactive Mindfulness and Self-Awareness: Practice mindfulness techniques to become more aware of your emotions and triggers. Notice when you're becoming emotionally reactive and take a moment to pause and reflect before responding. Emotion Regulation Techniques: Learn techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization to help calm your emotions in stressful situations. Cognitive Restructuring: Challenge negative or irrational thoughts that contribute to emotional reactivity. Reframe situations in a more positive or balanced light to reduce emotional intensity. Practice Empathy: Put yourself in the other person's shoes and try to understand their perspective. Developing empathy can help you respond with compassion rather than react impulsively. Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries to protect yourself from situations or people that trigger emotional reactions. Communicate your boundaries assertively and enforce them when necessary. Develop Coping Strategies: Build a toolbox of healthy coping strategies to manage stress and emotions, such as exercise, hobbies, journaling, or talking to a trusted friend or therapist. Take Breaks: If you feel overwhelmed or emotionally reactive, take a break from the situation to collect your thoughts and regain perspective. Step outside, go for a walk, or engage in a calming activity before returning to the conversation. Practice Assertive Communication: Express your thoughts and feelings assertively, but respectfully. Avoid passive or aggressive communication styles that can escalate conflict and trigger emotional reactions. Practice Patience: Cultivate patience and tolerance for uncertainty. Accept that you cannot control everything and that some situations may require time and patience to resolve. Seek Support: Reach out to friends, family, or a mental health professional for support and guidance in managing your emotions and becoming less emotionally reactive. Remember that becoming less emotionally reactive is a gradual process that takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way. Dr.Shivani Sharma #emotionalintelligence

Managing Emotions Under Pressure "Leadership is About Staying Calm When the Storm Hits" In today’s fast-paced world, leaders are often faced with situations where pressure, stress, and crises arise without warning. It's easy to get caught up in the chaos and let emotions take over, but as a leader, it's crucial to stay calm when the storm hits. This is where the art of self-regulation becomes key. Self-regulation is the ability to manage our emotions, behaviors, and thoughts in the face of challenging situations. It allows us to think clearly, make sound decisions, and lead by example, especially when things seem out of control. As leaders, we set the tone for our teams, and our ability to stay composed can be the difference between chaos and clarity. Some techniques that can help in managing emotions during high-pressure situations include: Breathing Exercises: Deep, slow breaths can calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and improve focus. Try the 4-7-8 technique—inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness helps you stay in the present moment, reducing the mental chatter that often fuels stress. Taking a few minutes each day to center yourself can build emotional resilience over time. Reframing Negative Thoughts: In times of crisis, our minds often default to worst-case scenarios. Challenge these thoughts by looking for silver linings or focusing on possible solutions instead of problems. Taking Breaks: Stepping away, even briefly, can provide a fresh perspective and prevent burnout. It can be as simple as a short walk or a few minutes of stretching. Maintaining Perspective: Remind yourself of the bigger picture. What seems like a crisis today may not be as impactful in the long run. Keeping a level head helps in making decisions that are aligned with long-term goals. Leadership during challenging times is about showing up for your team with a sense of calm and composure. It’s not about having all the answers, but rather about maintaining a clear mind so you can navigate through the storm together. I’d love to hear from you—what are your strategies for staying composed during high-pressure situations? How do you keep your emotions in check when everything seems to be falling apart? #Leadership #SelfRegulation #EmotionalIntelligence #StayCalm #CrisisManagement #Mindfulness #BreathingExercises #StressManagement #Resilience #Leaders #Composure #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalResilience #LeadByExample #MindfulLeadership #LeadershipSkills #StayFocused #Pressure #LeadershipMatters #LeadingUnderPressure

Some of your Daily Habits are Sabotaging your Career What if you could reclaim those lost moments and transform them into career momentum: We've all been there — drifting through our workdays on autopilot, wondering why our careers feel stagnant. I remember sitting in my cubicle three years ago, scrolling mindlessly through social media, realizing I'd burned an hour of my morning without accomplishing anything meaningful. The game-changer? Intentional daily habits that compound over time. It's not about radical overhauls or superhuman discipline. Instead, it's about creating micro-systems that gradually reshape your professional trajectory. A 1% change per day can lead to a productivity improvement of 38x in a year! That is the power of compounding. Think of your career like a garden. You don't grow spectacular results overnight. You cultivate them through consistent, small actions—daily watering, smart pruning, patient nurturing. For instance, set aside just three strategic 15-minute blocks each day. You can systematically upgrade your skills, expand your network, and create opportunities that seemed impossible before. These habits protect you from the real enemy: professional inertia. The slow, silent drift that keeps talented people stuck. Start today. Choose one 15-minute block and dedicate it to deliberate professional growth — whether that's targeted learning, strategic networking, or skill refinement. Extend the time slot gradually. Your future self will thank you for the momentum you're building right now. Share your practices for professional growth in the comments. #LifeCoach #CareerCoach #Leadership #Productivity

Work can empower you—or it can erode your self-esteem. Some of my #coaching clients struggle with impostor syndrome and/or the self-doubt that can arise from the lack of recognition that prevails in some workplaces. If you face this challenge, read on. To stay confident in challenging professional environments, shift from seeking validation from others to nurturing your internal self-worth. Here are some tips for doing so from Dina Denham Smith.   🤔 Normalize insecurity. Doubting yourself isn’t a flaw; it’s often a rational response to unclear expectations, bias, or workplace pressures. Instead of criticizing your insecurities, acknowledge them as natural and reframe your self-talk to focus on your commitment to growth.   💪 Focus on your strengths. Redirect energy from fixing weaknesses to amplifying strengths. Identify your natural talents by seeking feedback from trusted colleagues and keeping a file of your wins and positive attributes. Review it when self-doubt creeps in.   🎯 Redefine #success. Move beyond societal and workplace metrics. Define success on your terms, balancing professional and personal goals that reflect your values. This ensures your achievements align with what truly matters to you.   🫶 Audit your relationships. Surround yourself with colleagues who uplift and inspire you. Minimize interactions with those who drain your energy or undermine your confidence. Supportive connections are vital for #resilience and well-being.

When the stakes are high, your mindset can make or break your performance. Be the duck on the water: calm on the surface, powerful underneath. After 20+ years in government procurement, I’ve navigated retirement waves that drain institutional knowledge, hiring freezes that leave teams understaffed, and salary constraints that make competing for talent nearly impossible. Add in million-dollar contracts, compliance pressures, and public scrutiny, and the pressure never lets up. I’ve learned that the best performers don’t focus on outcomes or opinions. They focus on what they can control. Here are three strategies that separate pros from everyone else: 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 External feedback, whether praise or criticism, can be equally distracting. Stay grounded in your preparation and process. I visualize a mental “bubble” to block out unhelpful noise, especially during high-stakes negotiations or when stakeholders are watching every move. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 Shift from worrying about results to executing your steps. Ask yourself: “Did I follow what I practiced?” This allows you to reset quickly after mistakes. Build habits around preparation: gathering facts, weighing options, making deliberate choices, so unpredictable outcomes don’t derail you. 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 When stress hits, lean on structure. Use interruptions as moments to reflect and refocus. Deep breaths, consistent rituals, and small physical resets keep your performance steady when the environment isn’t. The best part? These aren’t innate talents. They’re trainable skills. Like that duck, you can develop the ability to stay composed while doing the hard work beneath the surface. What’s your go-to strategy for performing under pressure? #GovernmentProcurement #PublicSector #Leadership #Procurement #ProfessionalDevelopment