Category: Wellbeing

Dealing with toxic work environments

Linda

A passing conversation with an acquaintance in the days before Christmas made me realise, once again, how pervasive and damaging a toxic work culture can be.

My acquaintance, in recounting her experiences, said sadly “When I set off for work each morning, I feel heavy.”  The pleasure she got from going to work and doing her job well has been sucked out of her life.  She finds this in turn impacts on the enjoyment she gets from interests outside of work.

In this case, the presence of one badly behaved and poorly managed individual has also taken its toll on the team.  People have left and the team is much reduced.  This has increased the workload on those who remain and adds to an already stressful situation.

via GIPHY

This article from Fast Company notes: If you are in a toxic workplace, chances are you will feel drained at the end of the day, so setting aside a little time to reset can help you not carry your toxic workplace into your home life. Then, it’s time to update your résumé and know what red flags to avoid at your next job.

The subjects of toxic work cultures and dealing with difficult people, be they employees, co-workers or customers/clients, have been addressed previously in these blogs. If you find yourself in a position where an individual is making you “feel heavy” – whether it’s a work, home or in a social situation, then we’ve listed some some resources that might help build your resilience.

From LinkedIn Learning
(Access to full courses are available with library registration)

Prevent Toxic Work Cultures as a Manager
The importance of a toxic-free workplace
According to recent studies, a toxic work culture is ten times more likely to cause employee attrition than other factors like compensation, job insecurity, and reorganisation. In this course, Francesca Gino teaches you how to identify and address the factors that contribute to toxic cultures and the specific actions you can take as a manager to build and sustain a healthy workplace. Learn how to tell if your workplace is toxic, the steps you can take to build a healthy work culture, and what you can do to ensure the sustainability of the culture you’ve built.

How to Handle Conflict and Toxicity for Happier Workdays
Respond with compassion, not contempt
In this audio-only course, communication expert Sam Horn explains how to adjust your language to deal with difficult people more effectively. Sam identifies three choices you can always make in a conflict and shows you how quickly agreeing, apologizing, and taking action lets you get straight to what’s important. Sam discusses how finding solutions will get you a lot farther than finding fault and points out the advantages of redirecting accusations. She discusses how being a coach, rather than a critic, and adopting a can-do attitude goes a long way toward making things right. Sam encourages you to remember that no one can make you angry without your consent, to focus on what you want to do to keep a level head, and to find strength in numbers and documented evidence. She also highlights the importance of standing up to bullies and knowing when to leave a toxic situation.

From the book collection

Wait, I’m working with who?!? : the essential guide to dealing with difficult coworkers, annoying managers, and other toxic personalities / Economy, Peter
“Who hasn’t had to deal with a jerk at work? Whether it’s a toxic team member who loves nothing better than to suck the life and excitement out of her colleagues or a bad boss who causes his employees to constantly dream of telling him to “Take this job and shove it!” or the difficult co-worker who isn’t happy unless the office is filled with mayhem and drama, we’ve all had to deal with people on the job we would rather not. Based on proven approaches and the latest research and advice of workplace experts, this book will provide readers with detailed and unambiguous advice on how to deal with and neutralize the negative people in their work lives”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Jerks at work : toxic coworkers and what to do about them / West, Tessa V.
“For anyone pulling their hair out over an irritating colleague who’s not technically breaking any rules, a hilarious guide to getting difficult people off your back from NYU psychology professor Tessa West. Ever watched a coworker charm the pants off management while showing a competitive, Machiavellian side to the lower ranks? The Kiss-Up/Kick-Down coworker doesn’t hesitate to throw peers under the bus, but their boss is oblivious to their bad behavior. What to do? In Jerks at Work, West draws on a decade of original research to profile classic workplace archetypes, including the Gaslighter, the Bulldozer, the Credit-Stealer, the Neglector, and the Micromanager, and gives advice to anyone who’s ever cried in a bathroom stall at the office. West digs deep into the inner workings of each bad apple, exploring their motivations and insecurities … and offers clever strategies for stopping each type of jerk in their tracks …Jerks at Work is the playbook that you wish you didn’t need but you’ll always turn to–and the answer to your endless “how to deal with a terrible boss” Google searches”– Provided by publisher.(Adapted from Catalogue)

Toxic : a guide to rebuilding respect and tolerance in a hostile workplace / Lewis, Clive
“An incisive insight into the prominence of ‘toxic’ workplaces, detailing the dramatic effect they have upon the workforce and productivity, before exploring applicable and adaptable solutions to this widespread crisis” (Catalogue)

 

 

You can’t talk to me that way! : stopping toxic language in the workplace / Bell, Arthur H.
“For anyone who is discouraged, withdrawn and isolated at work due to verbal attacks–or, just as often, has been provoked into shouting matches and verbal confrontations with his or her attacker–this book shows exactly what to say and do to end the humiliation and torment.” (Catalogue)

 

How to deal with toxic people : clever ways to handle manipulative, difficult, & sensitive people using emotional intelligence / Scott, Bob
“Toxic people are common in the workplace and even within family members. You might be in love with this person or be absolutely attached their personal deeds, but still be suffering from the infliction caused by their toxicity. These people are like virus and may destroy your sense of inspiration, leaving you feeling empty and powerless. It is unfortunate that we have to work with this people, and sometimes the only choice we have is to find subtle ways to deal with their toxicity.  This book has brought to light several ways of dealing with difficult, immature and toxic people. Social intelligence strategies revealed in this book will help you to deal with several traits accompanied with social toxicity. You will begin to manage your emotions and responses around toxic behaviors. You will thrive in your workspace and home without the need to be constantly on guard.” (Catalogue) (Ebook Libby format)

Toxic emotions at work : how compassionate managers handle pain and conflict / Frost, Peter J
“No matter where we work or volunteer our time, emotional pain is an unavoidable consequence of doing business. While the sources vary – abusive bosses, combative customers, heavy workloads, impossible deadlines, unexpected tragedies – the result is often the same: We disconnect from work, morale sinks, and performance drops.” “Peter Frost argues that what causes this potentially crippling scenario is not pain itself, but the ways in which organizations respond to pain. When pain is acknowledged and effectively managed, he says, it can be a constructive force for organizational change. But when ignored, pain can poison the workplace – resulting in everything from missed deadlines to an exodus of key staff to a battered bottom line.” “Based on an in-depth study of this pervasive phenomenon, Toxic Emotions at Work explores how organizations and their leaders cause emotional pain, how it affects performance, and what can be done to alleviate pain before it becomes toxic. Frost reveals the “behind-the-scenes” work performed by “toxin handlers” – self-appointed pain managers who help assuage the suffering of colleagues and enable them to refocus on their work. He illuminates the toll this work is taking on toxin handlers’ emotional and physical health, and argues that leaders must recognize and share this critical role if their organizations are to remain productive and vital.”–BOOK JACKET.” (Catalogue)

Toxic people : dealing with dysfunctional relationships / Cantopher, Tim
“Some people are so stressful, they can actually make us ill. Gameplayers, bullies, users and abusers – all pose a risk to our health and welfare if we don’t take action. This book presents the tools we need to deal with the toxic people in our lives who drain our energy. It explains how to make healthy relationship choices, set proper boundaries and recognize the red flags that should alert us to avoid certain people. Whether you are struggling with a narcissistic partner, or dealing with a bullying boss or a sociopathic colleague, there is practical advice that will help you not only to protect your mental wellbeing but also to thrive. You will understand the nature of the toxic workplace – how to avoid it and if necessary survive within it. If you’re surrounded by the takers of this world, read this book and gain the freedom to make your own choices and live your own life.” (Catalogue)

Toxic people : 10 ways of dealing with people who make your life miserable / Glass, Lillian
“”In Toxic People, Dr. Lillian Glass, a nationally known communications skills and self-image expert, explains how these toxic people operate in your life to harm your self-esteem. Using examples from her own practice, she illustrates the problems toxic people cause – physical, emotional, and mental. And she includes informative quizzes to help you identify the toxic people in your own life and the causes of this toxicity. The “Thirty Toxic Types” are included with their characteristics. And because not everyone finds the same people toxic to his or her well-being, Dr. Glass includes a quiz to determine what is toxic to you so you can avoid those types.”–BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved” (Catalogue)

Rising above a toxic workplace : taking care of yourself in an unhealthy environment / Chapman, Gary D.
“Offers accounts of workers in emotionally unhealthy work environments and how they coped with the situation or left it behind, with practical advice for readers who find themselves in toxic workplaces.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Difficult people made easy : your guide to solving people problems at work / Shakiba, Eleanor
“You’re a competent professional. You excel at the technical side of your work. But so far no-one has taught you how to handle difficult people or toxic team dynamics. That’s where this book comes in. Difficult People Made Easy explains how you need to think and speak when faced with a difficult colleague. Then it reveals specific words and actions you can use.” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

 

Beating burnout

Linda

via GIPHY

Have you returned to work after the holiday period and feel a bit like this kid?  You’ve had a break yet you don’t feel rested and rejuvenated?  You certainly haven’t relished going back to work.  It feels like you’re on a merry-go-round you can’t get off.  It’s possible you could be at risk of burnout.

In a recent interview psychoanalyst Dr Josh Cohen explained “…that with burnout, the body collapses, so it is an involuntary rest…You feel you can’t move or do anything anymore but actually it’s accompanied by … a kind of overstimulation of the nervous system.”

Concerningly, the International SOS Risk Outlook Report 2024 published at the end of last year noted that “80% of surveyed global senior risk professionals predict burnout will have a significant impact on businesses in the next year. But only 41% of them feel that their organisations are equipped to deal with it.”

In the first few days of the new year media reported on a case where the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in favour of an employee who claimed work-induced burnout.  The employer, a large retail chain, was ordered to compensate the employee over $30,000.

Burnout, its causes and consequences have been covered in previous blogs.  You can read them and access the resources collated within them through these links:

Burnout, unfortunately, remains an ongoing workplace issue.  It has significant costs to a business as well as to individuals and society.  So as another year begins we have collated some updated library resources for you.

Whether you are self-employed, an employer or an employee there’s something below to help you balance work and life, and build resilience to ongoing work/life stresses.  Read on…


via GIPHY

Your Burnout Is Trying to Tell You Something
Kandi Wiens, HBR Online, January 16, 2024
Research has established that burnout is primarily the result of psychologically hazardous factors that occur at your workplace. Not being given the resources or time you need to manage your workload, for example, or working in an environment where you have insufficient control and autonomy, are known burnout triggers. No two experiences of burnout are exactly alike, and recovery requires that you pinpoint the unique workplace conditions that are contributing to your stress. One way to do this is to use your self-awareness skills to tune in and discover what your experience of burnout is trying to tell you — indeed, what it’s been trying to tell you all along. Here are some of the vital and lesser-known messages that burnout can reveal, and what to do about them.

From LinkedIn
(Access to full courses are available with library registration)

Managing Burnout
Hope in the face of burnout
For many professionals, remaining constantly connected and on task can feel like a requirement for success. Long hours and chronic exhaustion are normalized—if not celebrated—in many workplaces. A lack of boundaries between work and life can cause workers who previously felt fulfilled to feel resentful and unhappy. In this course, Melody Wilding teaches you how to spot the signs of burnout, complete an inventory to determine if you are burned out, and how to recognize the distinction between internal and external causes of burnout. Melody explains ways you can address behaviors, conditions, and mindsets that lead to burnout—including overworking, unproductive responses to stress, and negative thought patterns. Finally, she shows you how to craft a strategy to prevent burnout, focusing on creating more sustainable goals, setting boundaries, finding support, and understanding what self-care is and is not.

How to Beat Burnout, Exhaustion, and Stress
Burnout is often assumed to be the consequence of overwork. But this is only partially true—exhaustion is merely one facet of burnout. In this audio-only course, learn about the factors that cause these overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency; how you can prevent burnout from happening; and what you can do to recover from it. Dr. Jacinta M. Jiménez breaks down the key mismatches that usually cause burnout, as well as how to use the PULSE framework to guide your recovery. She also shares a few easy habits to help you build resilience, how helping others can help you heal your mind, and how to beat negative thinking with curiosity.

Burnout / Selhub, Eva M
“Chronic, unmanaged stress–at work, at home, or in other areas of life–can lead to burnout. Burnout For Dummies shows you the way toward understanding and overcoming this all-to-common condition of modern life. Many of us find ourselves living in a state of constant resignation, which sucks the joy out of life and can be detrimental to our physical health. The tips and exercises in this book can help you minimize stress, become more resilient and create a happier, healthier, and more satisfying life. Mindfulness and resilience guru Dr. Eva Selhub offers a science-based plan that you can use to destress, build inner resources and coping skills, and start enjoying life (and work) again.” (Catalogue)

All the gold stars : reimagining ambition and the ways we strive / Stauffer, Rainesford
“All the Gold Stars looks at how the cultural, personal, and societal expectations around ambition are driving the burnout epidemic by funnelling our worth into productivity, limiting our imaginations, and pushing us further apart. Through the devastating personal narrative of her own ambition crisis, Stauffer discovers the common factors driving us all, peeling back layers of family expectations, capitalism, and self-esteem that dangerously tie up our worth in our output”– Provided by publisher” (Catalogue)  Also available as EAudiobook Libby

Slow Productivity : The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout / Newport, Cal
“… Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers … Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative. From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The book of burnout : what it is, why it happens, who gets it, and how to stop it before it stops you / Aisbett, Bev
“Australia’s bestselling anxiety and mental health author, Bev Aisbett, tackles a growing mental health emergency: burnout. Burnout happens when we take on too much, when we think we can do the impossible, at the cost of our wellbeing, our health and even our quality of life. Although the term is often casually tossed about, burnout is no joke – it can impact every area of your life and leave you depleted in every way. After two years of the pandemic and lockdowns, working from home, homeschooling, widespread stress and being on our computers and devices 24/7 and constantly available, the danger of burnout for so many of us is all too real. It can happen to anyone. Using humour, straightforward language and her signature illustrations, Bev clearly explains what burnout is, who is at risk, how to recognise the danger signs and, finally, how to step back from the brink, providing insight and techniques to ease burnout and stop yourself going up in smoke”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)  Also available as EAudiobook Borrowbox, EBook Borrowbox, EBook Libby

Dear work : something has to change / Ross, Sara
“… Do you find yourself striving for big goals but running on fumes? Are you ever stuck in the frustrating cycle of overworking and under-living? Do you love the work you do–or at least used to–but feel overwhelmed by it?
When it comes to work and our relationship with it, something has to change. This doesn’t mean you need to bound out of bed every day in love with your work, nor do you need to settle for dragging yourself out of bed surviving your way through it, but you can feel a greater sense of aliveness engaging in it. Dear Work transforms traditional advice by using the power of brain science to show you how to boost your Work Vitality Quotient so you stand out, bringing your best, most energized self–without burning out.
Sara Ross, chief vitality officer and leadership expert, will show you how to: Identify the four “success traps” that limit your potential by luring you into thinking you’re doing what it takes when really what you’re doing is taking from you. Adopt a “yes, and” mindset to work better with stress and feel fueled and fulfilled in the process. Expand your approach to self-care to strategically identify when slowing down is needed and when accelerating in a different direction is even better.
In a world that refuses to let up, reigniting your take-on-the-day vitality will be your competitive advantage at work and your path to pursuing a fully lived life outside of it as well.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Balance your life and work : how to get the best from your job and still have a life
“There’s so much pressure to succeed at work that sometimes ‘real life’ tends to take a back seat. With the rise in flexible working and increased options to work from home, the boundaries have become even more blurred, and your relationships with friends, family, and children can all suffer as you try to cram everything into a ‘normal’ day. Whether you want to re-evaluate and improve your current situation, or opt for a complete change of scene with a career break, this book helps you figure out your own priorities and take positive action to make your life easier. It features:
Step-by-step guidance and actions plans;
Common mistakes and advice on how to avoid them;
Advice on how to identify flexible options in your life;
Ways to avoid stress and burnout;
Top tips and ideas to bear in mind for the future”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

6 things leaders need to master to see their team thrive: guest author, Lauren Parsons

Linda
Visual provided by author

Today’s blog piece is an excerpt from ‘Thriving Leaders Thriving Teams; a new book from  Manawatu-based workplace wellness coach, Lauren Parsons.

It has been reprinted with Lauren’s generous permission and her book is available from Wellington City Libraries.

Image reproduced courtesy of Lauren Parsons Wellbeing

Whether you like it or not, as a leader you have a key role to play to help your team thrive. 

I’ve never met a leader who wanted demotivated, burnt-out staff who were struggling personally or professionally. Fortunately, there are so many ways you can influence your team’s wellbeing – both by the way you show up and the way you shape the environment. 

Just as a master gardener cultivates the ideal environment for their plants to flourish, so too, you can cultivate the ideal workplace environment where your people will thrive.

My Wellbeing-Focused Leadership Model shows you how to do this. 

Image reproduced courtesy of Lauren Parsons Wellbeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the six things great leaders do well:

1. Lead self 

Demonstrate a commitment to your own and others’ wellbeing in your day-to-day habits and rituals. Influence by example.

2. Build trust and belonging

Foster a highly connected and supportive team environment where people feel safe, included and motivated, where they can speak with candour, have a deep sense of belonging, and feel inspired and purpose-driven.

3. Boost energy and effectiveness

Create an environment that boosts vitality, helping people perform at their best, work in sync with each other and manage their time, energy and attention well. Establish clear rules and rituals that prevent technology from hindering wellbeing, while also leveraging its potential.

4. Address stress and prevent burnout

Identify and manage psychosocial risks and design good work that prevents undue harm. Equip staff to remain in eustress (good stress) and know how to spot the signs of mental distress and respond effectively, using exceptional communication skills and providing the right support. 

5. Leverage recognition

Encourage the behaviours you want from your team. Create a culture of praise and appreciation throughout your organisation that increases motivation, wellbeing and performance.

6. Measure and evolve

Measure what matters, monitor what works and constantly adapt, evolve and improve over time.

These six things all interrelate. Rather than relying solely on bottom-of-the-cliff approaches, by focusing on these keys proactively you can build a robust, wellbeing-focused culture that helps staff deal with stress, boosts resilience and maximises performance.

The place you’ll start will depend on you and your organisation. The second half of my book Thriving Leaders Thriving Teams outlines each of these in detail and includes a handy action checklist to highlight which areas your organisation has the opportunity to enhance, helping you identify a start point.

About Lauren:

Lauren is an award-winning Wellbeing Specialist with over 20 years’ experience in the health and wellbeing profession. A  TEDx speaker, Author of Real food, less fuss, founder of the Snack on Exercise movement and host of the THRIVE TV Show, Lauren believes that everyone deserves to thrive. 

 Previously a senior lecturer at the New Zealand College of Fitness, a qualified Life Coach and with a business degree and post-grad specialising in HR, Lauren is a sought-after international speaker, coach and consultant who integrates her wellness and business background to help organisations create a peak-performance team culture, where people thrive.

Thriving leaders thriving teams / Parsons, Lauren
“Feeling flat, tired or overwhelmed? Concerned you or your colleagues are headed for burnout? Poor health and mental distress are on the rise globally. People are suffering in silence. The talent shortage makes it critical workplaces set themselves apart as desirable employers, to attract and retain great people. Not enough leaders understand how to create true workplace wellbeing. Unfortunately, too many organisations – often inadvertently – treat people as ‘assets’ or ‘resources’ to be used rather than human beings to be nurtured, motivated and celebrated. This needs to change. A complete guide, packed with the latest research, inspiring stories, and practical tools to help you boost your wellbeing, energy and vitality, even if you’re busy and “don’t have time”; be a better leader and help others thrive, no matter what your role; cultivate a positive, energised workplace culture. Thriving Leaders, Thriving Teams is for anyone, from aspiring leaders through to CEOs. Just as master gardeners create the right environment for plants to thrive, leaders must cultivate the ideal environment for their people to flourish. This book shows you how.” Publisher.” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

The importance of sleep

Linda

Sleep plays an important, and necessary, part of our wellbeing.  Ask anyone who is sleep deprived for some reason.  It may be the parent of a newborn, a shiftworker, or someone suffering from insomnia.  Without enough sleep you not only feel tired and rundown, but your body, and brain, struggles to cope with daily tasks and this affects the ability to concentrate.  In turn, work may be impacted particularly if you drive, or operate machinery or technology as part of your daily routine.

Numerous health conditions such as obesity, coronary disease and stroke have been associated with lack of sleep.

While the amount of sleep required to remain healthy varies throughout the lifespan, in general, adults require 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night to assist the restoration of the body

When you sleep, your body rests, conserving energy and decreasing blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and body temperature. At the same time, your brain remains active, laying down memory, restoring daytime mental functioning and carrying out processes that lead to physical growth.
(Health navigator)

If sleep is proving elusive for you, for whatever reason, try some of the suggestions outlined in these library resources.

Health Navigator has a brochure, Sleep, for downloading.  This kete will help you to learn about sleep and make a plan to improve it.

Linkedin Learning offers Sleep Is Your Superpower : Your sleep improvement journey and Winding Down: Get a Better Night’s Sleep

In the first course … The Sleep Ambassador®, Nancy Rothstein, shares tips for optimizing sleep and performing at your best in work and life. Learn how to prioritize sleep, assess your sleep, create the right sleep environment, and adopt strategies to fall asleep and stay asleep. Nancy offers concrete, practical advice based on research and science—so you can master sleep as your superpower.

Winding Down is … designed to help you get a better night’s sleep, so that you can be your very best each day. 

From the book collection there is :

The sleep fix : practical, proven, and surprising solutions for insomnia, snoring, shift work, and more / Macedo, Diane
“Roughly thirty percent of the population is estimated to be living with insomnia, while many more unknowingly suffer from other sleep disorders. Macedo learned the hard way how valuable sleep is, and how it affects everything from our heart to our brain to our immune system. She had tried sleep tip after sleep tip, but nothing worked. Attacking the problem as a journalist, she got to the bottom of what really keeps us from sleeping–and the various ways to fix it. Here she helps readers understand sleep biology, identify sleep obstacles, and shift their mindset–and maybe find a good night’s sleep. — adapted from jacket” (Catalogue)
Also available as EBook Libby and EAudiobook Libby

The art of sleeping / Hobson, Rob
“The Art of Sleeping takes the reader on a journey that starts with finding your sleep base and identifies the issues that are contributing to their lack of slumber. Using the author’s personal experience, the latest scientific research, and expert advice, The Art of Sleeping will work through the three key pillars of a good night’s sleep: behaviour, environment and diet (BED). By the end of the book, readers will be equipped with greater knowledge and techniques to aid sleep and relaxation and live a happier, calmer and more successful life.” (Catalogue)
Also available as  EAudiobook Libby 

The sleep book : how to sleep well every night / Meadows, Guy
“A third of the population sleep badly, but now The Sleep Book’s revolutionary five-week plan means that you don’t have to be one of them. Using a blend of mindfulness and new ACT therapy techniques, Dr Guy shares his unique five-week plan to cure your sleep problem whether it’s a few restless nights or a lifetime of insomnia. … The Sleep Book is the sum of a doctorate degree in sleep and well over 12,000 hours spent working with more than 2,000 insomniacs in one-to-one clinics, workshops and retreat environments. Say goodbye to the vicious cycle of sleepless nights. Sleep well, maintain a positive outlook and restore the quality of life you deserve – for good.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Also available as EBook Libby

The doctor’s guide to sleep solutions for stress & anxiety : combat stress and sleep easier every night / Rosenberg, Robert S.
“…. Author Robert Rosenberg, is a leading expert on sleep disorders and is board certified in sleep medicine. In this book, he offers targeted solutions to help you identify the stressors that deter sleep and reduce stress and anxiety. Removing the obstacles that stand between you and restful sleep is the goal, and this book is the first step. Increasingly, insufficient sleep is considered a public health epidemic. In this book, you’ll find essential tools for a good night’s sleep…”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Snooze : the lost art of sleep / McGirr, Michael
“From bestselling author Michael McGirr comes Snooze, a revised edition of the entertaining and enlightening The Lost Art of Sleep (2009). Michael always had trouble sleeping, but the arrival of twins made him realise he’d never known true exhaustion. While he celebrated these small children who brought him so much joy, he also found himself desperately searching for a few extra winks a night. In Snooze, McGirr delves into the mysterious world of sleep: its many benefits, its stubborn elusiveness and what our brains get up to while we’re in bed. He takes readers on a tour through the odd sleep patterns of some of history’s greatest figures, including Plato and Homer, Shakespeare and Dickens, Florence Nightingale (who slept a great deal) and Thomas Edison (who hardly slept at all). He looks at the demise of sleep in our ever more fragmented world, and what that means for everyone from average sleepers to those with serious sleep disorders. And he describes his own family’s quest to master the ancient art of getting a decent kip. A profound and humorous exploration of the precious resource of sleep-and the causes and consequences of getting too little of it-Snooze is the perfect book for sleepless nights.” (Catalogue)

Sleep : a natural guide / Viagas, Belinda Grant
“Sleep is an essential human need yet at least one third of the population are trying to make do with around six hours sleep a night instead of 8-9 hours. This text provides a guide to the problems and solutions looking at the effects of what we eat, when we exercise and the environment we live in.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Sleep : harness the power of sleep for optimal health and well-being / Hawker, Petra
“Make excellent sleep a life-changing reality for you – now. New science has revealed the importance of sleep as one of the key foundation stones of good health. Take control of your sleep with over 40 proven strategies, based on a 360 degree approach to achieving excellent sleep. Find targeted meditation, movement and breathing exercises; discover how light, colour, and sound could hold the key to healthy sleep; and find out how to get to the root of the underlying causes of chronic sleep problems. Reset your sleep patterns to suit your lifestyle and draw on practical techniques to overcome common sleep disruptors, including stress, jet-lag, and shift-work. Let the dream of better sleep become a life-changing reality.” (Catalogue)

Sleep : the mysteries, the problems, and the solutions / Schenck, Carlos
“Schenck, one of the most prominent sleep doctors in the country, explains and offers solutions for the most common sleep disorders–insomnia, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea–as well as the more extreme sleep disorders including sleep terrors and dream enactment.” (Catalogue)

 

Restful insomnia : how to get the benefits of sleep even when you can’t / Kornblatt, Sondra
“Insomnia has meant nights of frustration-until now. A new program, Restful Insomnia, helps insomniacs mimic the benefits of sleep so they can greet the mornings refreshed. If you are among the 70 million sleep-deprived Americans who do battle every night, take heart! This book will show you how to use your waking night hours to quiet your mind, replenish your creativity, and relax deeply. You’ll come to accept your insomnia and discover how to derive enough of the benefits of sleep to be able to get up in the morning feeling refreshed.” (Catalogue)

If you would like more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

The Upstander Movement : why now? – by guest author Jessica Hickman

Linda

Today’s blog is written by Jessica Hickman and republished with permission of the author.
Jessica is an Australian leadership coach, speaker, educator, and author with a core focus on empowering others to own their ability with authentic confidence driving change and innovation. As the founder of Bullyology, Jessica leads the Upstander Movement creating cultural change in workplaces and communities. 
Jessica recently published The Upstander Leader : How to develop a speak-up culture 

Bullying is a serious epidemic that has left so many millions across the globe traumatised. It is behaviour that is encountered as early on in life as childhood– in childcare centres, in kindergarten, in prep school, and so on.

But bullying isn’t behaviour that’s only confined to school yard. It isn’t only seen in deliberately tripping the new kid as they walk past with their lunch tray, and it often isn’t as blatantly obvious as a bunch of school thugs emptying out the victim’s bag to look for lunch money.

Bullying doesn’t just end in school.

As children grow and enter the workforce, they continue to encounter bullies who will use subtler but no less humiliating tactics to destroy their targets. Workplace bullying can look like constant targeted belittlement, escalating to threats and intimidation. It can lead the victim to experience stress, anxiety, panic attacks, disrupted sleeping patterns, high blood pressure, ulcers, and a plethora of other health problems. The victim is plagued with self-doubt, their productivity suffers, their passion for their job is replaced with the fear and disgust they associate with their workplace bully.

Sadly, this is an issue that is extremely prevalent in Australia, which has been ranked 6th in workplace bullying, when compared to 34 other European countries.

Workplace bullying isn’t just a personal problem, though; it isn’t something that only affects the bully and his victim. It also costs companies in terms of time, resources, revenue, and productivity. In fact, it has been estimated that workplace bullying costs the Australian economy between $6 billion to $36 billion dollars, every year.

While bullying statistics do showcase the extent of bullying, I’ve come to understand that there’s more to the whole bullying epidemic than just numbers and percentages; behind every statistic is a real person, and respect.

Behind every statistic is a story that needs rectifying, and it needs to be rectified now.


That’s why the Upstander Movement matters.

It aims at helping us all grow into the part of ourselves that will call out injustice and abuse, the part of ourselves that rejects passivity and embraces purpose-driven change making.

That’s why the Upstander Movement is the Now.

Who is an Upstander, and Why Should You Be One?
An upstander, as the word suggests, is someone who stands up for something, against something they feel is morally wrong. An upstander is someone whose impact makes a positive difference.

Upstanders are in all of the great heroes we read about and remember. From Nelson Mandela, to Malala Yousafzai, an upstander is someone with the steely determination to always do what they believe is right, regardless of any extraneous factors standing in their way.

In the context of workplace bullying, an upstander is someone who stands up for the target of the bullying. An upstander is someone who notices the situation, speaks up against it, and is gracious in doing so.

The Upstander Effect means everyone comes to work and goes home safe. It leaves everyone feeling like they can do their best work, like they’re supported, seen, heard, and valued in the Workplace. It is a workplace where, ultimately, everyone can thrive.

It is all the more important to be an upstander now– when everyone is still silently battling the after-effects of a pandemic that has caused increased levels of isolation, loneliness, anxiety, suffering, and depression. It is all the more important to be the Upstander who can be the catalyst for collective support in the workplace, to eliminate bullying, discrimination, injustice and racism.


The Bystander Effect
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

A bystander is essentially the opposite of an Upstander.

A Bystander is someone who will see an injustice happening, and look the other way. The Bystander Effect is when people will content themselves with just standing by and diffuse responsibility, because they “don’t want to get involved”.

As someone who experienced severe workplace bullying, I know the difference it might have made to me and my situation, had the business leaders chosen to be an Upstander and speak up against my perpetrator. Instead, they chose to be bystanders to my situation.

To be a passive bystander to bullying, is to be complicit in the bullying itself. This is why it is important to take action, to take initiative, to speak up.

As long as there is a single upstander, there will be a difference. As long as we have people who are willing to take that one step to make the difference, as long as we have people who are not afraid to “get involved”, workplace bullying can be fought.

Changing the world doesn’t have to be done in leaps and bounds, or from pedestals and podiums; sometimes, all it takes is speaking out against an unkind word to a colleague.

Why now?

As Charles Dickens wrote in the opening lines to what became one of his most celebrated works, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

Although Mr Dickens was describing the last quarter of the 18th century, this statement holds true still for the times we live now.

We live in times where injustice is widespread. There are a plethora of issues we hear about in the news on the daily, from racism, to discrimination, to murder, to harassment. But as much as we hear about all these unethical and illegal activities, biases, and incidents, we also hear—and experience—revolutions that are organised to counter them. From the Black Lives Matter movement to the MeToo movement, people everywhere are coming together to share their experiences and stories, and to push back against archaic stereotypes and biases.

With all the technology that is available at out fingertips, with all the connections that are only one click away, we are being challenged every day to learn something new in someone else’s perspective; we are in the middle of an ideas revolution.

We are living in a day and age when perpetrators are finding it harder to hide their injustices, when perpetrators are called out and people are willing to rally around the victim to help make a difference. We are living in a day and age when upstanders are more in the making than ever before.   

So, the question is “If not now, then when?”

Because there has never been a better time than right now. 

The upstander leader : how to develop a speak-up culture / Hickman, Jessica
“An inspiring and informative guide for a new generation of leaders who are ready to speak up against toxic behaviour and bullying in the workplace. We’ve all heard of the Bystander Effect, where people see bad behaviour and they walk on by. Bystanders have been called out by the #MeToo Movement, Black Lives Matter and March4Justice, to name just three. It’s not OK to ignore bad behaviour and it never has been. In the workplace (even in the highest levels of Government) bullying and bad behaviour take place, causing toxic cultures and awful places to work. But with 35% of the workforce now from the Millennial generation, it is essential that workplaces change. The Millennials are the Upstander generation – and they are the ones who are driving the future of business – you need them on your team. It’s time to empower our leaders to be Upstander Leaders to attract the best talent and make their working lives safe and enjoyable places where they can thrive. This practical book offers a 5-step model to help them do just that. Award-winning thought leader Jessica Hickman was a victim of workplace bullying over a three-year period when she saw first-hand the Bystander Effect. It motivated her to write The Upstander Leader to encourage leaders to develop a speak-up culture in their organisations. The strategies explained in this book have been road-tested in a number of organisations where bullying is not tolerated, and it’s not just OK to call it out – it is encouraged”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
 
Worksafe’s Bullying pages offers Tools and resources for businesses and workers to help guide you in preventing bullying in the workplace.

Other material on workplace bullying may be found in the Wellington City Library collection and includes :

Workplace bullying : a costly business phenomenon / Needham, Andrea W
“In this revitalised edition of Workplace Bullying by ground-breaking New Zealand human resource expert Andrea W. Needham, we take a hard look at a very dubious workplace practice. Corporate abuse. Mobbing. Workplace bullying. Call it what you will, the outcome is still the same – staff who become demoralised, and lose trust and confidence in your organisation; staff who leave.” (Catalogue)
 
 

Bullying in the workplace : causes, symptoms, and remedies
“Bullying in the workplace is a phenomenon that has recently intrigued researchers studying management and organizational issues, leading to such questions as why it occurs and what causes such harassment.” (Catalogue)

 
 
 
 

Bully blocking at work : a self-help guide for employees and managers / Field, Evelyn M
“No one goes to work to be humiliated, abused, ostracised, subjected to rumours, or assaulted. Yet this is the reality of a working day for more than one in six workers. Bullying causes billions of dollars in lost productivity, expensive mistakes, employee replacement costs, and health and welfare rehabilitation expenses. Most workplaces currently have few resources and systems to deal with the problem, leaving the victims to sink or swim, and the bullies to remain professionally incompetent. Few understand that bullying is not tough management or an aggressive personality trait to be suffered. Severe and unremitting bullying catapults the victim into such a damaging emotional state that it can lead to the breakdown of their very survival mechanisms. Bully Blocking at Work reveals for the first time the true evil nature of workplace bullying, helping the reader to understand its toxic, destructive impact on all employees – whether they are targets, bullies or onlookers – and provides advice for coping and confronting bullying, from both a personal and organisational perspective. The author has worked as a psychologist for over thirty years and has spent many hours listening to clients, conducting interviews, reading, speaking and writing about workplace bullying. Sprinkled liberally throughout the pages are quotes from the many sufferers of bullying that the author has personally worked with over many years.” (Catalogue)

Workplace bullying and harassment : a toolbox for managers and supervisors / Olsen, Hadyn
“Workplace bullying, harassment and occupational violence are not simple issues to deal with. If ignored or dealt with poorly, they can create a toxic workplace where high staff turnover, complaints and ongoing conflict are the norm. The second edition of this popular book provides information, advice, step-by-step processes and practical tips for managers and supervisors dealing with workplace bullying and harassment problems.” (Catalogue)

The well-spoken woman speaks out : how to use your voice to drive change / Jahnke, Christine K.
“Practical and inspiring, this book is a valuable asset for women seeking to drive change with #MeToo, March for our Lives, Time’s Up, Black Women Lead, Climate Action, She Should Run, Power to the Polls, and women’s marches. In her successful book The Well-Spoken Woman, top speech coach Christine K. Jahnke shared techniques to help women present their ideas effectively in any setting. This new follow-up is for women who are persisting, resisting, advocating, or running for office–and gives them the tools to be effective, persuasive, and powerful communicators. The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out will guide any woman who wants to state her case in the most compelling way, ensure that she is truly heard and understood, and seeks to impact and inspire others. It takes Jahnke’s direct experience working with women like Michelle Obama and the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and pairs it with the recent surge of women nationwide who are speaking up to drive social and political change. Jahnke, who has spent twenty-five years helping women leaders, provides guidance and best practices so you can: rally support for a cause, make a persuasive pitch, campaign for public office, be a successful advocate, and motivate people to make positive change. She applies her expertise to many facets of communicating publicly, including using your voice in social media; participating in panels, meetings, and discussions; giving presentations; and speaking to the media”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Permission to speak : how to change what power sounds like, starting with you / Bay, Samara
“Find your voice and use it to lead us to a better future, with this game-changing blueprint for redefining what power and authority sound like–from a Hollywood communication expert. Anyone who has ever been told “You should speak up!” during a meeting at the office, a group project at school, or even a conversation among friends can attest to the misunderstanding at the heart of that demand. For those of us–including women, people of color, immigrants, and queer folks–who find it hard to speak up, the issue is not just about willpower. Many of us have internalized the same messages since birth: that because of the pitch of our voice, the accent we possess, or the slang we use, we will not be taken seriously. Power, we’re told, sounds like the mostly white, straight, wealthy men who wield it. Samara Bay–one of the most in-demand speech and dialect coaches in Hollywood–has made it her mission to change that, and with Permission to Speak she presents a fun and practical road map for making big cultural change while embracing our natural strengths. Drawing on her experience plus the latest research in public speaking, linguistics, and social science, she identifies tools for unlocking the potential in each of our voices–whether you’re an entrepreneur, a new political candidate, a creative type with a bold vision, or a mom going back to work. Giving yourself permission means more than landing your message–it’s about showing up when you show up and finding joy in speaking to your public. With simple tools, big ideas, and a whole lot of heart, Permission to Speak offers a revolutionary take on public speaking and a new definition of what power sounds like. Namely, you”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Jerks at work : toxic coworkers and what to do about them / West, Tessa V.
Ever watched a coworker charm the pants off management while showing a competitive, Machiavellian side to the lower ranks? West profiles classic workplace archetypes, and gives advice to anyone who has ever cried in a bathroom stall at the office. Digging into the inner workings of each bad apple, she explores their motivations and insecurities, and offers clever strategies for stopping each type of jerk in their tracks. This is the playbook that you wish you didn’t need! — adapted from publisher info” (Adapted from Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Happiness at work

Linda

The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of 12 July 2012 proclaimed 20 March the International Day of Happiness recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.

The annual World Happiness Report released this week shows that New Zealand rates 10th in the world for national happiness.

The measuring, and celebration, of happiness might sound a little Pollyanna-ish to a business minded person.  However there is plenty being written about the importance of happiness to our mental health and general wellbeing, including in the workplace.

Think about it – whether we are an employee or an employer – we spend a lot of time at work in the course of our lives.  It helps to be happy at work because the alternative of being miserable for eight hours a day doesn’t have a lot to recommend it.

Studies have shown that a happy worker is engaged, productive, and very importantly in this time of labour shortages, more likely to be retained. 

Let’s look at some of the research to support making being at work one of your happy places.

Robert Waldinger is an American psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.  He also oversees the one of the world’s longest running studies of adult development and therefore has had the opportunity to study what provides individuals with a sense of wellbeing, fulfillment and  ultimately, happiness.

In this TED talk Waldinger  shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.

Another psychologist, Shawn Achor, has also written a lot on happiness and a couple of his books are listed below.  In this fast-moving and very funny TED talk, psychologist Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.

Database: Business Source Elite – available with library registration and login

Golnaz Sadri, in Happiness and its impact on workplace behavior (Industrial Management) 
discusses how : Happier workplaces report less turnover, lower healthcare costs, fewer mistakes and accidents, more efficiency, greater shareholder value and quicker rebounds in the wake of failures. This article describes a number of strategies that individuals can adopt to create happier lives for themselves as well as strategies that organizations can adopt to create happier, healthier, more productive workplaces.
Database: MasterFILE Complete – available with library registration and login
 

In recent years some businesses have begun to take employee happiness seriously and role titles such as  chief happiness officer or happiness commander have begun appearing.  It would seem that the concept of “happy employees make happy workplaces” is starting to cotton on. But why?

An article in The Guardian describes this trend as a ‘Commercial no-brainer’: why the role of happiness officer is taking off’  

So what have we learned from all that?

In the last couple of years New Zealand has dropped two points in the World Happiness ratings.  

As an employer is it in your interest to ensure staff happiness?  Yes, the indications are it makes for a more stable and productive workplace. 

Does your business need a Happiness Officer?  Probably not.  

If you are an employee and unhappy with your work situation there are strategies you can put in place to ensure you have a more resilient mindset.  

Let some of the resources Wellington City Libraries has help guide you to a better state of mind, improving your wellbeing, longevity and productivity.

Unlocking happiness at work : how a data-driven happiness strategy fuels purpose, passion and performance / Moss, Jennifer
“Unlocking Happiness at Work takes you on a journey into why and how leaders should become compassionate capitalists and ensure that their teams thrive. This book debunks the myth that happiness at work is a waste of time and demonstrates how it can deliver a more productive and engaged workforce, which can have real impact on the bottom line. Based on two decades of scientific research, real-time data, interviews and case studies, this book proves that happiness fuels higher performance, provides a greater sense of purpose and spreads passion throughout organizations. With insightful practical guidance throughout, Unlocking Happiness at Work is a lively and persuasive exploration of how to be more happy and make others more happy through the power of habits, emotional intelligence and an innovative approach to work/life flow. This is an essential resource for leaders who want to increase sustainability, attract new talent, improve their brand and boost profitability – in a way that is life-enhancing for them and their people.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)

Designing your work life : how to thrive and change and find happiness at work / Burnett, William
“A book that shows how to find meaning and satisfaction in your work life”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue) Also available as Ebook Overdrive

 

 

Make the most of your workday : be more productive, engaged, and satisfied as you conquer the chaos at work / Camuto, Mary A.
“Even if you don’t have your dream job, every day is precious and filled with opportunities. Make the Most of Your Workday challenges you to actively manage and make the most of workday possibilities and problems. With drive, determination, and optimism, it offers solutions to workday predicaments. You can take control; you don’t have to wait for leaders, people, or circumstances to change. No matter your level, situation, or dilemma, Mary shows you how to regroup, reframe, and bounce back.” (Catalogue) 
                                         Also available as E-Audiobook 

Whatever works : the small cues that make a surprising difference in our success at work–and how to create a happier office / Lobel, Thalma
“Thalma Lobel, one of the world’s leading experts on human behavior, explores ground-breaking psychological research on job performance, satisfaction, and creativity, revealing the hidden factors-often unrecognized, counterintuitive, or invisible-that have profound effects on how well we can do our jobs and how happy we are at work”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Beyond happiness : how authentic leaders prioritize purpose and people for growth and impact / Lim, Jenn
“Jenn Lim has dedicated her career to helping organizations from name-brand industry leaders to innovative governments build workplace cultures that benefit both their employees and their bottom line, with less employee turnover, greater engagement, and higher profits. Her culture consultancy, Delivering Happiness, demonstrates the profound impact happiness can have on businesses’ ability to thrive in our ever-changing times. In this book, she clearly and concretely shows the way the model works in a hyper-connected fast-paced world, beginning with each individual defining their sense of values and purpose (the ME), and rippling through the organization ecosystem (the WE and the COMMUNITY) in waves of impact.” (Catalogue)

Connect first : 52 simple ways to ignite success, meaning, and joy at work / Katzman, Melanie
“A renowned business psychologist, advisor, and consultant to the world’s leading companies reveals the key to greater success, meaning, and joy at work,”–Amazon.com.” (Catalogue)

 

 

The happiness advantage : the seven principles of positive psychology that fuel success and performance at work / Achor, Shawn
“‘… Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe. In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard and others at companies like UBS and KPMG to fix this broken formula. Using stories and case studies from his work with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in 42 countries, Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work. Isolating seven practical, actionable principles that have been tried and tested everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms … he shows us how we can capitalize on the Happiness Advantage to improve our performance and maximize our potential.”–Publisher description.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Available in EAudiobook Borrowbox

 

Before happiness : 5 actionable strategies to create a positive path to success / Achor, Shawn
“Shawn Achor introduces a groundbreaking new theory about success and human potential. He shows how a positive mindset is the best predictor of motivation, engagement and performance in the workplace and in your personal life and offers five practical, actionable strategies for creating this mindset that will make us more successful at work and at home.” (Catalogue)
Also available in EAudiobook Borrowbox

 

A great place to work for all : better for business, better for people, better for the world / Bush, Michael C.
“From Great Place to Work, … comes a new definition of what it takes to make an organization great FOR ALL–for the business, for people and for the world. For 20 years Great Place to Work has published their gold-standard list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. But their latest research shows that what was good enough to be a “great” workplace 10 or 20 years ago is not good enough now. Even at the best workplaces, leaders can–and must–do better. CEO Michael C. Bush and his team connect the dots to show how the emerging economy is about developing every ounce of human potential. Today’s business climate is defined by speed, social technologies and people expecting “values” besides value. As a result, leaders have to create an outstanding culture for everyone, no matter who they are or what they do for the organization. They have to build a Great Place to Work For All. The authors share new research on how Great Places to Work For All outperform in the stock market and grow revenue 3x faster than less-inclusive rivals. Bush and his team tell surprising, inspiring stories about how closing gaps in the work experience between groups of employees pays off for everyone. They document the ways Great Places to Work For All benefit the individuals working there and contribute to a better global society. And they introduce a new leadership framework, showing the advantages of what the authors define as Level 5 “For All” leaders. In effect, the times demand executives who not only are business-savvy but also are devoted to fairness, have deep faith in people, and empower all individuals to reach their full human potential. This is a call to lead so that organizations bring out the best in everyone”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Friends at work : do we need them?

Linda

Friends. 
 
Plenty of songs have been written about them; buddy movies are a popular genre and in the 90s a long running sitcom immortalised a group of them. 

As kids we probably had a gaggle of them.  As adults we are possibly more discerning, with a core of close friends and a wider network of acquaintances. 

But is it important to have friends at work? 

via GIPHY

In recent years concerns have been raised about people in society generally, but specifically in workplaces, feeling lonely and isolated.  Over the last few months as a result of research, a number of articles have been published that indicate there are benefits to having work friends for both the individual and the workplace.

As an employee, having a collegial relationship with workmates provides you with support and encourages happiness. For the employer the benefits of a happy, stable employee include employee retention, increased profitability and productivity along with improved safety adherence. 
 
In an article for the Telegraph, drawing on research for her recently published book  BFF? : the truth about female friendship (2022) author Claire Cohen provides a female perspective to business friends.   (Full article available via  Gale In Context: Global Issues,) 

BFF? : the truth about female friendship / Cohen, Claire
“From the time we start school, we are fed a diet of ‘Best Friends Forever’ – the idea that you should have a female soulmate to whom you tell all your secrets and who always has your back. It’s the stuff of Hollywood films, but for most of us it isn’t achievable. We spend years striving for a vision of female friendship that isn’t realistic instead of searching for what suits us best or appreciating what we’ve already got. BFF? is an agenda-setting, personal and humorous book that pulls back the cover on the most underappreciated relationships in our lives to interrogate what modern friendship means, why we need it and what we can do to get the most from it.” (Catalogue)  Available in hard copy, e-book and e-audiobook formats

via GIPHY

Meanwhile in the New York Times writer Emma Goldberg celebrates The Magic of your first work friends  and examines the benefits of these relationships.  (Full article available via  Gale In Context: Global Issues,) .  In the article Goldberg references Mollie West Duffy and Liz Fosslien’s recent publication, Big feelings : how to be okay when things are not okay.

Big feelings : how to be okay when things are not okay / Fosslien, Liz
“From the duo behind the bestselling book No Hard Feelings and the wildly popular LizandMollie Instagram, an insightful and approachable illustrated guide to handling our most difficult emotions. We all experience unwieldy feelings. But between our emotion-phobic society and the debilitating uncertainty of modern times, we usually don’t know how to talk about what we’re going through, much less handle it. Over the past year, Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy’s online community has laughed and cried about productivity guilt, pandemic anxiety, and Zoom fatigue. Now, Big Feelings addresses anyone intimidated by oversized feelings they can’t predict or control, offering the tools to understand what’s really going on, find comfort, and face the future with a sense of newfound agency. Weaving surprising science with personal stories and original illustrations, each chapter examines one uncomfortable feeling-like envy, burnout, and anxiety-and lays out strategies for turning big emotions into manageable ones. You’ll learn: How to end the cycle of intrusive thoughts brought on by regret, and instead use this feeling as a compass for making decisions How to identify what’s behind your anger and communicate it productively, without putting people on the defensive Why we might be suffering from perfectionism even if we feel far from perfect, and how to detach your self-worth from what you do Big Feelings helps us understand that difficult emotions are not abnormal, and that we can emerge from them with a deeper sense of meaning. We can’t stop emotions from bubbling up, but we can learn how to make peace with them”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 Writing for MIT Sloan Management Review author Lynda Gratton also drew on research for her recently published book Redesigning work in her article Why you should make friends at work

“Friendships at work matter. When so many hours are spent working, having someone who understands our situation — the players involved, the office dynamics, and the general organizational culture — can help buffer routine stress. When we share our experiences, it often reminds us that others have gone through similar ones”.

Redesigning work : how to transform your organization and make hybrid work for everyone / Gratton, Lynda
“How companies can use the recent shifts in business norms and culture to reset work for the coming decade and beyond”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 

 

In October the Harvard Business Review posted The Power of Work Friends giving some tips on how a manager can “… create and maintain a friendship-friendly workplace”. 

Also newly published and an interesting read is Marisa Franco’s Platonic.

Platonic : how the science of attachment can help you make–and keep–friends / Franco, Marisa G.
“How do we make and keep friends in an era of distraction, burnout, and chaos, especially in a society that often prizes romantic love at the expense of other relationships? In Platonic, Dr. Marisa G. Franco unpacks the latest, often counterintuitive findings about the bonds between us–for example, why your friends aren’t texting you back (it’s not because they hate you!), and the myth of “friendships happening organically” (making friends, like cultivating any relationship, requires effort!). As Dr. Franco explains, to make and keep friends you must understand your attachment style–secure, anxious, or avoidant: it is the key to unlocking what’s working (and what’s failing) in your friendships. Making new friends, and deepening longstanding relationships, is possible at any age–in fact, it’s essential. The good news: there are specific, research-based ways to improve the number and quality of your connections using the insights of attachment theory and the latest scientific research on friendship. Platonic provides a clear and actionable blueprint for forging strong, lasting connections with others–and for becoming our happiest, most fulfilled selves in the process.” (Catalogue)

via GIPHY

For a look inside the power a work friendship can unleash check out :

The undoing project : a friendship that changed our minds / Lewis, Michael
“Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original studies undoing our assumptions about the decision-making process. Their papers showed the ways in which the human mind erred, systematically, when forced to make judgments in uncertain situations. Their work created the field of behavioral economics, revolutionized Big Data studies, advanced evidence-based medicine, led to a new approach to government regulation, and made much of Michael Lewis’s own work possible. Kahneman and Tversky are more responsible than anybody for the powerful trend to mistrust human intuition and defer to algorithms.The Undoing Project is about a compelling collaboration between two men who have the dimensions of great literary figures. They became heroes in the university and on the battlefield–both had important careers in the Israeli military–and their research was deeply linked to their extraordinary life experiences. Amos Tversky was a brilliant, self-confident warrior and extrovert, the center of rapt attention in any room; Kahneman, a fugitive from the Nazis in his childhood, was an introvert whose questing self-doubt was the seedbed of his ideas. They became one of the greatest partnerships in the history of science, working together so closely that they couldn’t remember whose brain originated which ideas, or who should claim credit. They flipped a coin to decide the lead authorship on the first paper they wrote, and simply alternated thereafter.This story about the workings of the human mind is explored through the personalities of two fascinating individuals so fundamentally different from each other that they seem unlikely friends or colleagues. In the process they may well have changed, for good, mankind’s view of its own mind.” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Burnout

Linda

It’s getting to the time of year when, on top of an already stressful few years, demands and pressures increase.  A continued level of stress can lead to burnout.  Burnout, if not addressed, can lead to reduced workplace and personal productivity and long term health issues.

Back in July we featured a guest author post on the Stages of Burnout by Jess Stuart
In this post we build on Jess’s article and look at some of the other resources the Wellington City Libraries collections offer on recognising, addressing and recovering from burnout.  Different aspects can contribute to burnout – work stresses, lifestyle, individual personality traits or a combination of any of these.

In her recent article How to come back from burnout: 7 offbeat ways to recharge your life, clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo, lists burnout’s symptom’s as “… similar to mild to moderate depression. There’ll be sleep problems, low motivation/energy, persistent low mood, lethargy, irritability, exaggerated emotional responses, disinterest in favourite activities and people, a general heaviness”.  She then lists some small tweaks you can make to your life if you feel you are approaching or have reached burnout.  (Note the recommendation that you “Read a whole book“). 

The Mayo Clinic also provides a checklist of symptoms if you feel you may be suffering job related burnout and suggests some actions you can take to improve the situation.

Other websites with more information include The HelpGuide’s Burnout Prevention and Treatment, while Health Navigator NZ offers Tips to Avoid Work Stress and Burnout.
The Harvard Business review offers a more indepth article with Beating Burnout (available via Business Source Premier database on the library website).

As an employer however, is investing in resources for employee mental health the right answer to the question?  In a recent article McKinsey asked if you are solving the right problem?  Their research found that many employers focus on individual-level interventions that remediate symptoms, rather than resolve the causes of employee burnout.

 If you want to understand more about burnout, the causes, process and ways to deal with it, try these recent publications, all held in our collection.

Burnout to brilliance : redefining peak performance / Stuart, Jess
“Learn how to achieve peak performance without burning out in the process. We live in a constant state of overwhelm and exhaustion whilst simultaneously striving for high performance. It’s not sustainable and it’s why burnout has become so prevalent. That was before the global pandemic which exacerbates the level of change and uncertainty leaving peak performance even harder to achieve. Busyness is fashionable, we wear it like a badge of honour but it doesn’t lead to high performance. Quantity does not always mean quality and being busy does not mean we’re productive, in fact the opposite is often true. Understand the difference between busy and productive. Work smarter not harder and master the habits of high performance. Understand the neuroscience behind thinking patterns and how to access a flow state. Learn strategies to cultivate a more focused, clear mind. Be your best without burning out in the process. Overcome overwhelm, reenergise and build resilience. Improve productivity and effectiveness”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Beyond burnout : how to spot it, stop it and stamp it out : a New Zealand guide / McAlpine, Suzi
“Following her own first-hand experience, as well as the countless similar scenarios she’s seen in her role as an executive coach, Suzi McAlpine has created a book about burnout to help create environments and organisational cultures that reduce its occurrence…As well as actionable tools and key takeouts, each chapter/section will include information about how to recognise the signs of burnout, and practical how-tos for leaders to reduce its presence in organisations. She also explains how to treat and address burnout when it is present”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)  Also available in ebook format

The burnout epidemic : the rise of chronic stress and how we can fix it / Moss, Jennifer
“Workplace well-being expert Jennifer Moss helps leaders and individuals prevent burnout and create healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces. We tend to think that burnout is a problem we can solve with more yoga, better breathing techniques, and more resilience. Moss lays bare the real causes of burnout, and shows that self-care is not a cure-all for burnout. She offers actionable advice that will empower readers to feel healthier and happier at work. — adapted from jacket” (Catalogue)

Burnout : a guide to identifying burnout and pathways to recovery / Parker, Gordon
“Are you always exhausted? Unable to feel for others or for life’s pleasures? Find it hard to concentrate and take in what you read? You may have burnout. Burnout is widespread among high achievers in the workplace, in business and in caring professions like health and teaching. Parents with new babies and those caring for the elderly and people with disabilities are also at risk. Although burnout is so common, it’s often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed – most commonly as depression. Drawing on groundbreaking new research, this book hands you the tools to work out whether you have burnout – or not. The good news? It is possible to recover from even severe burnout. The authors show you how to recognise your own burnout pattern, how far you have travelled into burnout territory, and provide a broad-based management approach to help you regain your spark and build your resilience. With fascinating new insights into the biology of burnout, and stories from people who have brought themselves back from the brink, Burnout is a complete guide for anyone who suspects they may have burnout, for their families, for health professionals and employers.” (Catalogue) (Ebook format)

The burnout challenge : managing people’s relationships with their jobs / Maslach, Christina
“Solutions to workplace burnout often involve victim-blaming: Stressed? Try therapy-or a new job. But burnout is a sign of defective workplaces, not workers. Drawing on decades of research, Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter show managers how to recognize burnout and fix problems cost-effectively, improving employees’ productivity and health”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 

Change makers : a woman’s guide to stepping up without burning out at work / Murray, Katy
“We’ve come some way in the fight to get women into the workplace and delivering impactful valued work. But as the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected women’s progression, many of us are close to burnout and considering scaling back our work faced with other responsibilities. We cannot let that happen. Your work matters. It’s ok to want an impactful career and to demand it do more than bring home a pay check every month. But can you re-awaken your change making power with the spectre of burnout looming? In ‘Change Makers,‘ expert women’s leadership coach Katy Murray devises an actionable plan for you to create the space to grow as a change maker and change the world for the better. This book shares the powerful habits, that allow you to step into a more expansive version of yourself at work. These habits are small but mighty. They reshape your brain, shift your behaviors, and create ease-filled change in your leadership, activism, work, and life. As you integrate these strategies into your every-day, you will eliminate burnout. You will find clarity in your purpose again. You will feel more joy, more energy, more momentum. You will expand your relationships eco-system, and see fresh ways to navigate and even disrupt the systems you find yourself in. You will have a bigger impact in your work and you will co-create a more equitable world. ‘Change Makers‘ leads you through a personalized journey of self-discovery, with practical templates, inspirational real-life examples of change-making women, exercises, and coaching prompts that make a difference. Join the collective of women finding a powerful new way to lead. It’s time to step up”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The end of burnout : why work drains us and how to build better lives / Malesic, Jonathan
“Burnout has become our go-to term for talking about the pressure and dissatisfaction we experience at work. But because we don’t really understand what burnout means, the discourse does little to help workers who are suffering from exhaustion and despair. Jonathan Malesic was one of those workers, and to escape he quit his job as a tenured professor. In The End of Burnout, he dives into the history and psychology of burnout, traces the origin of the high ideals we bring to our dismal jobs, and profiles the individuals and communities who are already resisting our cultural commitment to constant work. In The End of Burnout, Malesic traces his own history as someone who burned out of a tenured job to frame this rigorous investigation of how and why so many of us feel worn out, alienated, and useless in our work. Through research on the science, culture, and philosophy of burnout, Malesic explores the gap between our vocation and our jobs, between the ideals we have for work and the reality of what we have to do. He eschews the usual prevailing wisdom in confronting burnout (“Learn to say no!” “Practice mindfulness!”) to examine how our jobs have been constructed as a symbol of our value and our total identity. And beyond looking at what drives burnout–unfairness, a lack of autonomy, a breakdown of community, mismatches of values–this book highlights groups that are addressing these failures of ethics. We can look to communities of monks, employees of a Dallas nonprofit, intense hobbyists, and artists with disabilities to see the possibilities for resisting a “total work” environment and the paths to recognizing the dignity of workers and nonworkers alike. In this critical yet deeply humane book, Malesic offers the vocabulary we need to recognize burnout, overcome burnout culture, and find moral significance in our lives beyond work”– Provided by publisher” (Catalogue) Also available in e-book format

The Book of Boundaries : End Resentment, Burnout, and Anxiety– and Reclaim Your Time, Energy, Health, and Relationships / Urban, Melissa
“…Do your relationships often feel one-sided or unbalanced? Are you always giving in just so things will go smoothly? Do you wish you could learn to say no–but, like, nicely? Are you depleted, overwhelmed, and tired of putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to establish some boundaries… Melissa Urban has taught millions of people how to establish healthy habits and successfully navigate pushback and peer pressure… in The Book of Boundaries, she shows you how boundaries are the key to better mental health, increased energy, improved productivity, and more fulfilling relationships. In her famously direct and compassionate style, Urban offers:
* 130+ scripts with language you can use to instantly establish boundaries with bosses and co-workers, romantic partners, parents and in-laws, co-parents, friends, family, neighbors, strangers–and yourself
* actionable advice to help you communicate your needs with clarity and compassion
* tips for successfully navigating boundary guilt, pushback, pressure, and oversteps
* techniques to create healthy habits around food, drink, technology, and more User-friendly and approachable, The Book of Boundaries will give you the tools you need to stop justifying, minimizing, and apologizing, leading you to more rewarding relationships and a life that feels bigger, healthier, and freer.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Stop telling me to calm down : a guest blog by Dr Sarb Johal

Linda

“Stop telling me to be calm!”

And anyway, why’s it so important? You’ve had the experience of people – me included – telling you that being calm is important, right? Often, telling us to be calm produces the exact opposite effect.

For example, remember being told, ‘don’t jump on the bed’? What did you do? We jump on the bed and then we may lie about it so not to get into trouble. And for adults, just like kids,the same can also be true. It provokes the opposite reaction to what we intended. One of the most common phrases that seems to evoke the complete opposite reaction is when someone tells us to “Calm down” or “Relax!” We may become flooded with more arousal or even anger than before they said these words.

So, we know that just saying ‘calm down, doesn’t work

If we think about why, then we might be able to figure out what we can do to help instead. ‘Calm down’ might be a red flag because it fails to recognise our feelings, and invalidates the emotions we may be experiencing, like fear, anxiety, or anger. Hearing ‘Calm down’ may actually be received as a message that we are not being taken seriously. And the problem is that once this reaction of feeling dismissed is triggered, we have a window in which we can soothe ourselves, or risk an escalation of the situation, making it even more difficult to find calm. We know that the neurochemical that triggers the initial bout of stress hormone is used up in about 90 secs. So, yes, the situation may cause your flare up for those 90 secs. After that, continuing to think angry thoughts like, ‘how dare they!’ only triggers more stress hormone.

So how do you step away from the thought that your experience is being dismissed, or that you are being belittled?

First, you can try distraction. This is where your phone can be handy – not to rant about it on social media, but to access your photo library to look at pictures of things that make you happy. Venting your rage won’t make you feel better – it only escalates your rage. Second, use belly-breathing techniques: When you feel your anger or anxiety revving up, simply hit the brakes with some focused belly-breathing. Set a timer for 60 seconds and breathe in and out through your nose, counting each breath. Take good full breaths — not too fast and not too slow. Just breathe at a normal pace, whatever that is for you, inflating and deflating your belly in each breath. Close your eyes or look down at the floor while breathing.

Now try it

How many breaths did you manage in 60 seconds?

There is no right answer, but once you know how many breaths you take in 60 seconds, you won’t even need a timer. You can use this technique any time you feel you need to slow down a bit or when you want to feel less shaky and anxious. The beauty of this is that it only takes 60 seconds to change what is happening in your body and shift from revving up to slowing down.

This is why my new book is called ‘Finding Calm‘. Calm is something you learn to do, you choose to do, rather than an instruction or invalidation.

This blog was republished from the author’s website with permission.  

Dr Sarb Johal is a clinical psychologist, consultant and commentator who brings a psychological lens to the light, the dark and the intriguing aspects of the human experience. His videos, blogs and podcasts turn complex psychological theory into simple tools for solving everyday problems, helping people and organisations navigate tough times with greater wellbeing and equilibrium.  He lives in Wellington.

You can find copies of Sarb’s books in the Wellington City Libraries collection.

Finding calm : managing fear and anxiety in an uncertain world : advice that works from a leading New Zealand psychologist / Johal, S. S.
“We live in a troubled world – so many changes, so many uncertainties. This book gives a range of practical skills to help anyone come to terms with feelings of anxiety and learn to thrive.”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)
Available also as an e-book

 

Steady : a guide to better mental health through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic / Johal, S. S.
“How do you deal with uncertainty and anxiety when your world is upended by the coronavirus pandemic? Dr Sarb Johal, an expert in emergency management and disaster psychology, had to answer that question for an entire country as he helped develop the world-leading response that saw Covid-19 stamped out by the ‘team of five million’ in his home country of New Zealand … Steady is for anyone wanting to strengthen their capacity to ride the possible coming waves of Covid-19 – as well as life’s general ups and downs – with more calm, ease and a sense of groundedness”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)
Available in both e-book and audiobook format

 

Stages of burnout, triggers and warning signs by guest author Jess Stuart

Linda

Since 2020 workplaces have seen a rapid rise in burnt out managers, business owners and employees and the warnings are there is more to follow. 

This occupational phenomena was included for the first time in 2019’s 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) which defines Burnout as: 

“… a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”

In today’s blog, our guest author, Jess Stuart, has written of her personal experience with and recovery from, burnout and pulls together her research on the topic.

Of her latest book, Burnout to brilliance, she says:

“This book isn’t really about burnout … it’s more about redefining peak performance and developing a roadmap for getting there”. (p.8)

The blog piece below has been reproduced from the author’s website with her permission.  

Research out of AUT suggests 11 per cent of New Zealand workers might be experiencing burnout: physical or mental problems due to stress or overwork.  That’s more than one in every ten new Zealanders.

 We use the term burnout to describe physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.

The World Health Organisation predicts burnout will be a global pandemic in less than a decade and The  World Economic Forum estimates an annual burnout cost of GBP 225B to the global economy.  We know there’s an organisational cost of burnout too with increased turnover, absenteeism and of course the obvious impact on performance. 

 The most common indicators burnout is at play are; exhaustion, a feeling of lack of control, disengaging, trouble focusing, a sense of dread about work and frequent feelings of cynicism or irritability.

Burnout is not just about quantity but the quality of what we’re doing not just how much of it we’re doing.  According to Psychology today; “Burnout is not simply a result of working long hours or juggling too many tasks, though those both play a role”. 

The cynicism, depression, and lethargy that are characteristic of burnout most often occur when a person is not in control of how a job is carried out, or is asked to complete tasks that conflict with their sense of self.

5 Stage of Burnout with symptoms

 In my experience, it’s not poor performers who burnout, we don’t burn out because we’re not capable, in fact it’s the opposite.  The more capable we are the more likely we are to burnout, it’s the drive of the high achiever that leads us down this path. 

High achievers are given more work because of their competence and track record which puts them at higher risk of overworking , having too much on their plate and ultimately burning out.

And of course we can’t say no, for fear of not been seen as up to the job, for looking weak or like we’re not coping. Our cultures and societal norms around this stuff keep us pushing until we hit a wall, saying yes until we collapse under the weight of all the commitments we’ve just made – then we feel like a failure. 

So how do we avoid burnout? What triggers should we look out for?

Well, if you’re tired all the time, despite getting plenty of sleep; if you’re constantly fighting off coughs and colds – always being on the verge of sickness; if you’re struggling to motivate yourself, and not finding joy in the things you used to love or don’t have the motivation to do these things … you’re on notice burnout is close.

In this state, we become less tolerant of those around us. We reach for the wrong food or increase our alcohol intake as a coping mechanism. When we’re exhausted, we tend to choose TV over exercise, or takeaways over cooking, or we skip meals completely because of a loss of appetite – these are all potential burnout signs.

And, of course, the most obvious sign is when we truly hit burnout, and end up in bed, completely devoid of energy and interest in life. This was certainly my experience – but we’re all different.

Most of us know what it’s like to be at our best; we’ve been there before. Likewise, we know what it’s like when we’re about to hit a wall and get sick: when we’ve overdone it, left it too late or burned the candle at both ends.

I like to think of this in terms of a traffic light. We all have green and red zones, and they look different for us all.

The red light stops us completely; it’s our ground zero. The green light is when we’re all go and at our best. The amber light, in between, is important: it’s our warning system. When we slip from green, before we hit red, the amber light gives us an opportunity to act and pre-empt hitting the wall and slipping into that red zone: burnout.

For me, that amber light is a twitch in the corner of my eye, a sore throat and a constant tiredness. It’s noticing I’m less tolerant and a bit snappy with loved ones. This is my amber light; my warning to back off, take a rest and pre-empt the approaching red zone.

Another way to think about this is in terms of the petrol warning light in the car. When you know your tank is nearing empty, stop and refuel, to avoid being left on the side of the road.

So what do these traffic lights look like for you? What do you notice about yourself when you’re at your best, on green? What about when you’re at your worst and close to burnout, on red? And what about that bit in between: what are the early warning signs you get at the amber light? What rating would you give yourself right now and what can you do about it?


Jess Stuart is a coach, speaker and author of five personal development books specialising in mindset, performance and women in leadership.  A well known expert with a background in Senior Human Resources roles and a decade working in leadership development find out more about Jess via her website www.jessstuart.co.nz  Until recently, she lived in Wellington.

Burnout to brilliance : redefining peak performance / Stuart, Jess
“Learn how to achieve peak performance without burning out in the process. We live in a constant state of overwhelm and exhaustion whilst simultaneously striving for high performance. It’s not sustainable and it’s why burnout has become so prevalent. That was before the global pandemic which exacerbates the level of change and uncertainty leaving peak performance even harder to achieve. Busyness is fashionable, we wear it like a badge of honour but it doesn’t lead to high performance. Quantity does not always mean quality and being busy does not mean we’re productive, in fact the opposite is often true. Understand the difference between busy and productive. Work smarter not harder and master the habits of high performance. Understand the neuroscience behind thinking patterns and how to access a flow state. Learn strategies to cultivate a more focused, clear mind. Be your best without burning out in the process. Overcome overwhelm, reenergise and build resilience. Improve productivity and effectiveness”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

I love Mondays : a guide to finding joy in your work / Stuart, Jess
“Out of the world’s one billion full time workers only 15% are engaged in our work. That means a massive 85% of us are unhappy in our jobs. Is it possible to do work we love and get paid for it? Why do so many of us dislike our job and what’s the impact on our health and happiness? Society models a version of career success that revolves around status, titles and salary not passion, purpose and happiness. This book uncovers the secret to finding work you love and if that’s not your current job, how to find a new one. Including 20 case studies from everyday people who’ve done just that. Master the art of work-life balance and get the job you’ve dreamed of. Discover the joy of finding meaning and purpose in the work that you do, working for a company that aligns with your values, with people you trust, where you get to use your skills and learn. Experience what it feels like to jump out of bed every Monday morning knowing you make a difference and sustain high performance to continue to grow in a career you love.” (Catalogue)

The superwoman survival guide : a book for busy women / Stuart, Jess
“The superwoman survival guide is a guide to surviving your own expectations. Learning to overcome, balance our busy lives, believe in our own abilities and understand how to be amazing, just as you are. This book is not about changing who you are it’s about changing the way you think about who you are. Freeing yourself from the pursuit of a superwoman ideal that’s unrealistic and is making so many of us unhappy. This sense of not measuring up, the need to be more and do more keeps us constantly striving for something that’ll always be out of reach – it exists only in the movies. It’s what I refer to as the superwoman complex”–(Catalogue)

Like a girl : a guide to unlocking your potential / Stuart, Jess
“Do you have a busy, over committed schedule, struggle to find enough hours in the day? Are you busy doing everything in an attempt to please everyone? Longing for a time you can enjoy life, not feel so overwhelmed, to draw breath and contemplate the things that matter? How do we find balance in a world that places so much expectation on us, a life in which we are exhausted yet still busy striving for perfection? How do we navigate the unique challenges we face, overcome fear and self-doubt? Learn how to embrace your authenticity and leverage the strengths we have as women. Discover the empowerment of what being like a girl means. Understand how we build resilience and overcome self-doubt to achieve our goals. With practical advice to help you uncover your brilliance and thrive at life.” (Catalogue)

A rough guide to a smooth life / Stuart, Jess
“Does it feel like you’re always striving but never arriving? What would it be like if life wasn’t so hard, if you had more time and energy? Its the question were all trying to find the answer to; where is happiness and how do we get it? This is a practical self-improvement guide on surviving modern life. Rediscover the art of happiness, find meaning and purpose, and create a life you love. It seems like we live on fast forward. As a result, were living a fast life not a good life, in which we can do more things in less hours of the day but spend less time doing the things that really matter. Over the past few years I have transformed my own life. This involved overcoming challenges, discovering my true self and finding the courage to leave everything I know to walk my own path and make my dreams a reality. I learned a lot about myself and even more about life and happiness along the way. This book doesn’t create happiness for you; its already there inside. It will empower you to realise your potential, improve your life, and achieve your dreams. Jess uncovers the key to creating a happier life and leads by example. Her perspective shines a bright light at a much needed time. Let her guide you, this book will help.” (Catalogue) (E-book format only)