Toxic people make you feel like you’re holding a grudge.
No, dude, That’s a boundary.
— Unknown
My favourite therapist talks a lot about boundaries. He says if we’ve grown up without boundaries or with our boundaries being disrespected/crossed, we’re probably not even aware of the issue. But we are well within our rights to take care of ourselves, which means saying no sometimes, and maybe making requests for different behaviour. Just sayin’ :) Hugs, XO.
Blessings,
Chatgirl
For some of us, 2020 has removed what little boundaries remained between our professional and personal life. Which is code for having less personal life than we use to have. For some people, it’s Zoom, Eat, Sleep, Repeat. We look at our Fitbit at the end of the day and it reads 300 steps. Literally. We feel guilty if we’re aren’t being productive on email, in meetings, researching something online. Even if we take a bath to relax, we sneakily bring out phones with us so not much has actually changed. To kill it (without being killed by our current work environment) we need to make this our new mantra: Relaxing is a responsibility.
— Greg McKeown (New York Times bestseller of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. McKeown is one of the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review. He is an accomplished speaker who has spoken at companies including Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Twitter, Stanford University and the World Economic Forum. He speaks about innovation, focus, leadership, discipline, simplicity, execution, and of course living and leading as an Essentialist).
I don’t know about you, but this article/notion really resonates with me. Just sayin’ ;) Hugs XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
“Imagination is fundamental for the development of people and for societies. It brings us to strive, and history to unfold. Physical walls cannot confine us.”
— Tania Zittoun
Imagination is vital and precious. We should nourish it: exploring the world through films and documentaries, visiting the past through novels, discovering fantastic realities when transported by music or cartoons, visiting some of our favourite places through online maps or sharing memories with others. Physical walls cannot confine us, we can roam beyond them, to wherever our imagination takes us.
— Scott Olser, Editor at LinkedIn News
I don’t know about you, but I rely on a couple of warm getaways to survive the winter blues. I’ll definitely need to get creative, especially with all the restrictions at home (limited movies/movie times, minimal coffee shop/restaurant access, get together restrictions). I just may try some of the suggestions above. Just sayin’ ;) Hugs. XO
Blesssings,
Chatgirl
Some benefits of commuting... or separating work from life in these Covid times:
Time for “Prospection” - three years ago, a team of researchers led by Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gina found that people who use their commuting time to think through their plans for the day—something the team called “prospection”— were more productive once they arrived at the office than those who did other mental tasks or looked for distractions.
Do something physical - can help expend more calories during the week without actually having to work out
Social connection - add in some friendly banter in short exchanges, grabbing coffee from your local coffee shop, or a on a short walk around the neighbourhood
Time for transition - creates a psychic barrier and opportunity to get in the right frame of mind for work/home
A break from being “on” - a moment elude all roles and expectations and not be an employee, manager, executive, parent, roommate, spouse
A chance to daydream - allowing for creative breakthroughs. (Also called the “incubation effect” in which unconscious mechanisms unlock connections that were not obvious to your directed thoughts).
— Lila MacLellan (Quartz at Work reporter, from the article Separate work from life wth a “virtual commute” that energizes you)
Great advice! I feel more relaxed just thinking about it. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
Change your language to “what if it does work.” Believe in possibilities. Think of the best case scenario. Retraining your mind will lift you higher out of the overthinking, stress, and worry of negative habitual thoughts. Change starts with your mindset. Shift it. Switch it.
— averstu.com
I like it! Think of the best case scenario! Great reminder that I will strive to remember in fearful moments. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
A dream written down with a date becomes a goal.
A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan.
I plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.
— Unknown
Thing is, it can take time. In my experience anyway. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
I changed my thinking.
It changed my life.
— Unknown
The biggest paradigm shift I’ve ever had is around money. I survived the financial crisis post 2008, but it took years to recover from the lost wages. There was a silver lining however. I had to go suuuuch a long time without spending money that I had to tell myself a new story. The story was about enjoying simple pleasures; swimming/yoga, spending time with animals, writing at my favourite coffee shop (that I could afford luckily), watching movies from my home library, visiting with friends. I never went back to my pre-crash spending and now enjoy saving, watching my money grow and knowing I can support myself if that rainy day comes again. Game changer. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
