How To Manage Your Nervous System

Time to read: 55 seconds

One of my doctor friends says, "Mental health is physical health." What she means is managing your physical body is key to managing your brain and stress. So, to our reader last week who asked about how to manage her nervous system, here are some tips:

• Pay attention to your body and the effect of stress on you. Learn to read your body's cues.
• Take care of yourself physically. Move. Eat. Drink water. Sleep. These strategies are basic yet vital to your ability to cope.
• Each of you will respond to different techniques for managing your nervousness. Find the strategies that work for you. Here are some possibilities:
• Breathe. A simple sigh, deep breath, box breathing, and other fancy breathing techniques can quickly ground you in your body.
• Rub your fingers together, draw circles on your leg, or use some other physical sensation to distract the stress and bring you into your body.
• Get up and move around if you start to feel overwhelmed. Walk and take calls.
• Get outside.

Things like yoga and meditation are excellent practices for managing your nervous system, and you don't have to go to a studio or buy special equipment to find the strategies that work for you.

I hope this helps!

Finally! Something From Me To You!

Time to read: 48 seconds

I'm excited to announce a FREE live experience for you! (If you already know you want to sign up for Hope in the Everyday do so here.)

Early in the pandemic, back when we all had oodles of energy, I offered free classes, a daily check in on Zoom, and written resources about working from home. Then we got tired. And busy. Then, frankly, exhausted. You (and I) did not have one tiny shred of energy for anything else, even if that thing was good.

We're back! We're not back to 100% yet, and I've noticed recently that my clients and students have more mental bandwidth to reflect, ask big questions, and make conscious decisions. I also have more energy to create.

Many of you have reached out to ask when I'll offer free resources again. The answer is NOW!

You are invited to a 3-part live experience called Hope in the Everyday.

In three 60-minute live events (August 25, September 8 and 22), we'll assess the current state of your work and life, build skills for hope and well-being, and create an action plan to bring all that learning into your real life and career. If you've ever attended one of my events in the past, you know they are lively and relevant. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. Get more info and sign up to join Hope in the Everyday.

Do This Tiny Thing #5

Time To Read: 26 seconds

The days are short. It's dark at 5:00 where I live. The holidays are coming. The tiny thing #5 is perfect for this time of year.

Mindfulness.

You might also call it focus.

The point is to bring yourself into the present moment. Pause. Rest your brain. Clear your thoughts. Tap into energy and awareness that is bigger than your day-to-day. From that place, you gain surprising insights, clarity, calm and sometimes even clear direction forward.

Add a tiny mindfulness practice into your day without any expectations. Here are some ways to do this:

• Start your day with a pause. Even if it's only 5 minutes.
• Stop a few times during your work day and simply sit quietly.
• Try out a meditation app. Deepak Chopra has a good one. I use 10% Happier. Others like Calm or Headspace.
• When you do things (cook dinner, write an email, talk to your parents on the phone), do only that thing. Give it your full attention.

This tiny thing is like a balm for your brain.

Share your creative ideas in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

Do This Tiny Thing #4

Time to read: 26 seconds

Hiking in the snow

This week's tiny thing is really fun.

Novelty.

Your brain thrives when you do new things. That doesn't mean that everything in your daily life needs to be new. It simply means give your brain new challenges.

Here are some ideas to jog your thinking:

• Play a game.
• Drive a new route home from work.
• Explore an unfamiliar area of town.
• Cook something you've never made.
• Read a book in a genre you don't usually choose.
• Rearrange your furniture.

Novelty exposes you to new ideas. It helps you make connections you might not otherwise make. It keeps your brain stimulated, fresh and creative.

Share your creative ideas in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

Have a great weekend.

Do This Tiny Thing #3

Time to read: 26 seconds

Have fun moving

Today's tiny thing is move your body. I find when you use the "e" word (shhh….exercise), many people get all gummed up with joining a gym or how many years it has been since they did or how out of shape they are. A blanket of self-judgment gets layered on the lack of movement, and you have a recipe for doing nothing.

Lift the judgment, find the fun and simply choose a tiny way to move your body.

Here are some easy ways to get started:

• Take the stairs. This one is so easy it's a cliche. Because it works.
• Go for a walk at lunch.
• Clean your house.
• Get out in your garden.
• Dance around the living room to your favorite song.

When you feel the physical and mental benefits of moving your body, you'll want to do it more. When that happens, keep going!

Share your creative ideas in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

Have a great weekend.

Do One Tiny Thing #2

Time to read: so short. Time to do the thing: 7-9 hours

My favorite!

Welcome to tiny change #2. Sleep.

Sleep is a crowd pleaser. You love it, right? Research shows that we are chronically sleep-deprived as you squeeze one more hour of productivity out of the day or stress keeps you awake at night.

You can easily make one tiny change to your sleep routine to promote longer and more satisfying sleep. You already know how much better you feel after a good night's rest so the ROI on sleep is obvious.

Here are some ideas:

• Go to bed one hour earlier. Or 30-minutes earlier. Or 15 if that's all you can manage.
• Try a sleep meditation. I like the 10% Happier App. Calm is another good one.
• Spray your pillow with lavender oil.
• Try a weighted blanket.
• Experiment with time to wind down in the evening. Put down your phone an hour before bed. Read. Do quiet things.

In terms of bang for your buck, getting enough sleep does wonders for your mood, focus and ability to get things done.

Tell us all about your tiny sleep action in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

You know what you'll be doing this weekend! Have fun.

Do This One Tiny Thing #1

Time to read: 32 seconds. Time to do the tiny thing: 0

Breakfast!

Hey!

Here at the Corporate Rebel, we prioritize ease. My clients's lives are full so their coaching efforts must deliver the biggest bang for their buck. For the next 5 weeks, I'm going to share 5 fundamental strategies to help you get big results from small changes.

I invite you to make one tiny change each week in each of five areas. When you do, your efforts will add up and lead to more calm, energy and clarity.

Here's the first area: Nutrition.

Food = fuel. You already know everything there is to know about nutrition. Now it's time to make one small change in your eating habits to support your energy-level, focus and productivity. (Think about how hard it is to get stuff done when you're hungry.)

Here are some suggestions:

• I used to "forget" to eat lunch. A couple of years ago, I committed to eating lunch every day.
• Drop one cup of coffee.
• If you're not a breakfast eater, try eating a little breakfast.
• Add a salad to your dinner menu.
• Add a piece of fruit to your afternoon snack.
• Think of the next five weeks as a little mini-challenge (with a break for Thanksgiving). Make one small change each week. Easy peasy.

You'll get a big bang for your buck.

If you have a minute, post your action to The Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment (or join) here. The simple act of sharing your commitment with others ensures your accountability and success.

Have a great weekend!