Sharon M Weinstein

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November 24, 2020 By Sharon Weinstein

Take a Break…you deserve it!

We want to do the best job possible. We want to perform at the highest level. We want to succeed. Sometimes the environment itself impairs our ability to do so. When I worked in Eastern Europe, my nurse colleagues did not have healthy work environments. At the time, they worked without electricity, without an emergency generator, without adequate food for patients and staff, and in less-than-desirable conditions. I still recall seeing a full-term infant pass away because it wasn’t possible to control the baby’s body temperature in a nursery that was as cold inside as it was outside. But the nurses, with conviction, did what needed to be done; they performed at their best.

Providing a Wellness Environment

There is no doubt that a healthy, healing work environment is conducive to staff satisfaction, optimum performance, and good results. By embracing a workplace of wellness replete with circles of wellness in which staff may relax, rejuvenate, and rejoice, we take the first step toward total wellness. Staff feels appreciated, valued, and recognized in a meaningful way.

Performance levels drop as work periods become longer and sleep loss increases. Staying awake for 17 hours has the same effect on performance as having a blood alcohol content of 0.05%. The most common effects associated with fatigue are:

  • Sleepiness
  • Lack of concentration
  • Impaired recall
  • Irritability
  • Poor judgment
  • Reduced ability to communicate with others
  • Reduced fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
  • Reduced visual perception
  • Slower response times

What can you do, here and now, to enhance your performance and be a better version of yourself? It’s simple… take a break!  Ongoing breaks are critical to our performance and to our health. Where can you start? Start Maintain a personal and professional environment that sustains, rather than drains, you, by following these tips:

  1. Intentionally build breaks into your day; schedule them on your calendar or in your diary
  2. Start the day, your calls, and your meetings with mindfulness
  3. Keep those appointments with yourself

I was inspired by my nurse colleagues in Eastern Europe. They performed at their best, and so can you. That said, you must take a break! Remember, in the words of Mohandas K. Gandhi, “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

 

Filed Under: Coaching, Consulting, Coronavirus, Environment, Health & Wellness, Intention, Strength, Success, Sustains, Take a Break Tagged With: balance, BisforBalance, break, empower, Fatigue, long hours, Mindfulness, performance, Relaxation, Stress

May 19, 2020 By Sharon Weinstein

Keep your Distance…but stay close!

What a change a pandemic can  make!  Covid-19 has wreaked havoc in our daily lives, disrupted business and the economy, and taken its toll on human lives. What more can we expect, and how can we keep our distance, yet remain close?

I think about a colleague whose dad is quite ill; she needs to be at his bedside, and she is unable to be there, to have a presence, to provide support. I think about how that makes her feel, and I am saddened by her inability to be physically close. I think about my career as a nurse and how how the opportunity to hold a hand, to wipe a forehead, and to smile beyond a mask brought joy to those for whom I provided care, as well as to me.

I think about today’s students at all levels of their education who are having a transformational experience…whose connection is across networks, and who are learning as much about life as they are about required core curriculum.  I think about the Class of 2020: the 3.7 million high school seniors for whom natural trauma has been a constant. Born right after 9/11; they were fifth graders during Sandy Hook, and they were sophomores when a gunman attacked Marjorie Stoneman High School in Parkland, FL.  Our country has been at war since they were born, and the current war, the Coronavirus Pandemic, has reinforced life’s lessons that change happens.

I think about those on the frontlines, the healthcare workers, first responders and all of those who are working in “essential industries,” who risk their lives and those of their loved ones each and every day so that we may remain safe.

As controls are lifted, and as some communities venture out into a new type of normal, please consider these best practices for distancing: 

  • Limit your time in public; schedule your outings carefully 
  • Keep your distance
  • Bring hand sanitizer; continue to wear gloves 
  • Wash your hands
  • Cover your mouth; wear a mask to protect others

Remain close with phone calls to friends and loved ones, video chats, virtual game night (bring out those board games and decks of cards), virtual movie night, exercise videos and workouts online, mindfulness activities, and video games that connect you locally and globally. Use your devices to connect, to see others, to celebrate birthdays and milestones, and to stay connected. Keep your distance…but stay close! 

Filed Under: CEO, Coronavirus, Environment, Havoc, Human Resources, ManagingCrisis, Strength, Work-Life Balance Tagged With: balance, Distancing, Havoc, Health, pandemic, SharonMWeinstein

March 20, 2020 By Sharon Weinstein

Life as a Balancing Act…working/schooling at home

Coronavirus has given us a new appreciation for our “spaces.” While many of us are fortunate to have a designated home office, others are not. While some have a designated play space for kids that can be converted in to a mini-schoolroom, others do not. What can you do to keep the balance while confined during this pandemic?

Tips from B is for Balance, 2nd edition offers this advice:  

  • Create a Designated Work Area at Home

When you are in your home “office,” that’s the time to work, to respond to calls, complete electronic banking, update social media, and reply to electronic mail. When you are finished, walk away from the office and computer. Set aside specific times for checking messages.  Then, reward yourself with personal time.

  • Master Efficiency

Many of us are teleworking; keep in mind that many professionals find it difficult to adjust to working from home, even those who have done it forever. The freedom of working in casual clothing (or not getting out of your pajamas), of not reporting for work at a specific time, and of not being directly supervised by others creates an environment that may become lax. You must be responsible for your own efficiency, effectiveness, and efforts. Is your work environment efficient and ergonomically correct? Does it lend itself to a high level of productivity in a short time span? Are you a morning person—someone who works best in the early hours of the day? Set a schedule to plan your work at home, and then work according to your plan.

  • Manage your Time Wisely

You schedule appointments with other people in your personal planner, so why not schedule time with yourself? Make appointments for regular exercise or meditation (even more now than ever before).  Regardless of whom we are and what we do, we still have the same 24 hours in each day.  Do you delegate, or you the one who must do it all to get it right? 

  • Know What Is Important and Why

In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey showed that for many of us, the day is filled with tasks that attract our attention and seem urgent, but they may never need to be done. Weed those out and make time for the important tasks. The important duties that are also urgent require our immediate attention.  Learn to prioritize.  Know which of the things you must complete today, or this week, are most important and engage in systems that can help you to stick to your schedule. This is a great time to master prioritization; you may be “in” for quite some time.

  • Identify homeschool space

Perhaps your peers have homeschooled for years; suddenly, you find yourselves in the same situation, and by chance, rather than choice. Identify a dedicated space where your child or children can work on class assignments with good lighting, connectivity, and a sense of ownership. Encourage downtime, and recess; for yourselves and your kids.

And, for those of you out of work, again not by choice, and struggling with what to do to maintain a sense of calm, I offer these tips:

  • No one knows you better than you; work that to your advantage
  • Become a master of efficiency
  • Identify those areas of life most important for your well-being and balance and integrate them within your lifestyle
  • Know your limits
  • Treat yourself with kindness

What matters most is, do your best! There is no playlist…hundreds of thousands of moms, dads, and grandparents will be forced to balance homeschooling with their day-to-day work responsibilities. Life is a balancing act─ now more than ever before. All of us need downtime…be sure that you take the time in your day to appreciate life, be grateful, and be kind.

 

Filed Under: Consulting, Coronavirus, Environment, Health & Wellness, ManagingCrisis, Parenting, Work-Life Balance Tagged With: balance, BisforBalance, commitment, goal-setting, homeschool, SharonMWeinstein, Stress, time management, work

December 14, 2019 By Sharon Weinstein

Is it the end of just the beginning?

With just two weeks remaining in 2019, the time has never been better than to address your stress-relief goals.  You have the chance to finish this year and begin 2020 with a new mindset and new results.

What are your three greatest stress triggers? After a few relaxing days off, are you eager to get back to your job, or anxious because of that job? Think about it! You’ve had a great vacation, or even a great weekend. Now, it’s time to get back to reality—to whatever stressed you in the first place and necessitated that important respite. There is so much to do and no time to get it done. The first few days are hectic until you settle back into your routine. Emails and snail mail remain unanswered. Your voice-mailbox is full. What you thought would be an easy transition has become a life challenge, and you wonder how you will get through each day with your mind intact.

Sleep, man, student.

Life can be challenging and stressful. Creating work/life balance is critical to success and survival. Living the dream, and overcoming the pain is something else.

In today’s economy, stress may be attributed as much to having a job as to not having one. Layoffs around the country impact workers in all settings. If you fear the loss of your job—even a job you don’t like—you experience stress. How will you feed your family? How will you pay your bills? Will you have to think twice before making routine purchases? We all have different stress triggers, but work tops the list.

Causes of work-related stress include being unhappy in your job, a heavy workload, long hours, unclear expectations of your work, bullying and toxic work settings. Is that what you want to return to? Vacations and holidays come and go, but stress is ongoing. This is reality!

“Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it.”

– Lily Tomlin

How will you cope now and in 2020?

Apply these simple strategies for finding life balance, and begin to deal with the challenges you would otherwise face:

  • Create realistic goals.
  • Manage your time wisely.
  • Eat healthy.
  • Learn when to say no and when to let go!

Minimize the pain by choosing one to two strategies to tackle; this process will put you on-track—starting now! Enjoy the holiday season and say hello to being stress-free!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Celebrations, CEO, CIO, Consulting, Environment, Health & Wellness, Holidays, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Stress Tagged With: balance, commitment, goal-setting, personal development, Wellness

March 1, 2019 By Sharon Weinstein

It’s time to get SMART and detox!

You have a plethora of SMART devices and apps that facilitate your life’s work, keep you on track and on time, turn on the lights and TV, and shut them down.  Wouldn’t it be great if you had an app or device that allowed you to master self-care the smart way? 

As a business owner, you work long hours and probably take little time for yourself. The time is now to get SMART, and start by forming a digital detox (yes from those amazing devices and apps that you cannot live without).  Try these five easy steps to regaining your time and energy, while getting SMART about self-care:

  • Think about the communication tools you use and select one!  Then, request your clients to use that one to communicate with you.
  • Set parameters for time online; you do it for your kids, and you should do it for yourself.
  • Schedule breaks for yourself- even 15 minutes per day will make a huge difference in how you feel and your performance.
  • Add mindfulness to your walking and eating routines.
  • Make a gratitude list- think about people, places, and things that bring you joy.

SMART devices and apps do not ensure smart use of your time. It’s time to get smart by identifying those things that must be done and those that can wait. Identify the groups to which you must belong, and those for which you must volunteer your time and efforts. Complete your work and take a break! Even though there is so much to do and so little time, take time for yourself and make being SMART and in balance a part of your daily routine! You will thank yourself, and those around you will thank you too.

Filed Under: Advisory, C-Suite, CEO, CFO, CIO, Consulting, Environment, Health & Wellness, Success, Work-Life Balance Tagged With: balance, commitment, digital detox, goal-setting, self-care, SMART DEVICES, Stress

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