Tweet

3 Tips for Healthy Change at Work

Guest post by: Sylvia Lafair

Article Overview: The only constant at work is change. So why do we spend so much energy clinging to doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. Below you will find 3 tips for healthy change in the workplace.

3 Tips for Healthy Change at Work

The only constant at work is change. So why do we spend so much energy clinging to doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.

It's a brain thing!

Let me explain. We are all, and that means all of us, programmed for survival. That is our basic reason for being. That, and oh, I almost forget, continuing to procreate. Unfortunately, I think with our exploding population we may have to rethink some kind of control there.

Back to survival; deep in the older parts of the brain is the amygdala. It is the fight, flight or freeze mechanism that had our ancestors run from the tiger or fight the man from another cave, or do the deer in the headlights stare and fall into the background so we would not be taken, or eaten, or beaten.

When we were kids in our original organization, the family, we learned what to do so we would not get in trouble, given a time out, or punished.

These survival patterns are taken to work and if we think there is danger we revert back to fight, flight, or freeze automatically.

Here is what you can do if you feel those old behavior patterns start to surface:

1.STOP: Don't react. Take a minute, yes, that is sixty seconds, and stand still. That is called a pattern interrupt. It helps you begin to take charge of your actions rather than to respond in a knee-jerk fashion.

2. BREATHE: Deep breathing from the abdomen, maybe five or six breaths in through the nose and out from the mouth will give more oxygen to the brain so your thinking can become clearer.

3. REMEMBER: Ask yourself (I promise this happens in the blink of an eye) if the present situation reminds you of a situation from past encounters. Usually a memory will jump up and you can quickly assess if the way you handled the past moved you forward in a positive or negative way.

You can train yourself to do this simple three step exercise so that when workplace conflict begins and the situation at hand rather than to the memory of a parent or sibling from the past who you thought was going to "get you".

Entrepreneurs move quickly, yet, taking a few minutes to tame the amygdala responses will give you better methods of tackling present moments of workplace conflict. We are all prone to respond in ways that were survival skills when we were three or seven or twelve. What worked then won't work now.

Stop, breathe, remember; it's worth the time.

Related Articles
  Can We Really Get Salespeople to Change?
  A Series of Strategic PR Tips and Prescriptions, Part 3 From The PR Doctor
  Create an Outrageously Healthy Environment at Home
  Feeding Your Mind Outrageously Healthy Thoughts
  What's Getting in Your way to feeling outrageously healthy Today?
  A Series of Strategic PR Tips and Prescriptions, Part 1 From The PR Doctor
  Small Steps add up to many Kilometres
  The Chocolate Love Affair
  A Series of Strategic PR Tips and Prescriptions, Part 2 From The PR Doctor
  The Keys to Outrageous Healthiness
  Bookkeeping Tips on Tips
  Forget Monday's Start Feeling Outrageously Healthy TODAY!
  New Year Resolutions - Who Do You Want to Be?
  Eating Healthy Can Save Your Life and Money
  Gaining and Maintaining Healthy and Rewarding Relationships
  3 Websites That Can Help You Manage ADHD
  How to create lasting change and success
  Dealing with Business Change
  Jenny Craig Recipes
  Healthy Fear

Article Tags: Collarboration, Communication, Conflict, Entrepreneurs, Leadership, Relationships, Workplace Conflict



Related Forum Posts
Business Tips - How about: Tips for managers to handle employees more effectively? Tips on how to deal with difficult customers? Tips on how to deal more effectively with suppliers? The only three I have in mind right now, but will try to come up with something else. Chris
Re: How does an entrepreneur stay energized? - Hi there, This subject is not only for entrepreneurs. Everybody can benefit from this, that is the reason why 'Healthy Living and Eating' is a multi billion Dollar business. Often I smile, because so much is written about it. So many different business are blooming and doing well. Whilst there is so much knowledge and opportunity to be healthy and well, the need is still growing. There is so much that could be said. The cheapest form of energy is gained by a good sleep.
Re: What's your top tip for balancing your business and taking t - Proper Work management meeting your all deadlines....
Re: Spellcheck? - [quote="TheAnonymousMan":2f894q6j]When discussing the majority of people I would definitely say that most people hit the "Change" or "Ignore" button without thinking too much about the correct spelling of a word. All bosses are concerned about is getting the report to the Directors meeting on time.[/quote:2f894q6j] That probably depends on what the "majority" are trying to accomplish. I have word set to alert me about misspellings and grammatical problems, so I fix most as I go. But I also add names etc to the dictionary because I get tired of seeing the red and green squiggles when I know the info is right. If you're only going to click "Change" or "Ignore" then why bother to take the time to use spell check????? Business people that I work for want the info compiled in a timely manner and they want it right - which is fine because that's the way I strive to do any project. Sending out a memo, letter, report etc with obvious spelling and grammatical mistakes makes the person and the company look bad as far as I'm concerned. Shri
Re: Five Personality Traits of Successful Business Owners - 1. Focus 2. Ability to Adapt 3. Hard Work 4. Good planning 5. People Skills


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What should your free giveaway be?

How to Improve Your Time Management

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.