Identitype

It’s Friday. While you might be looking forward to your busy weekend plans, be sure to also make time to rest—and I mean truly rest your mind and your body.

We spend most of the work week in deep focus mode.

However, this mental state is quite taxing.

We sleep during the night to rest the body for the next day.

The mind needs rest, too.

Sooner or later you need to relax your mind again.

Here are some tips for allowing your brain time to rest and relax this weekend:

✅ Go for a walk, or spend time in nature
✅ Read a book
✅ Write in a journal
✅ Draw or paint
✅ Do something fun

Rest allows you to be more effective the next day, work week, or project that requires deep focus. It also has the power to boost creativity and motivation levels, both of which come from a source of energy that you can only use if you truly rest.

Resting also allows your mind to make connections that you might have missed.

Are you struggling to focus today? If so, you aren’t alone…

As stress levels increase, the ability to stay and remain focused decreases.

So, what’s the cure?

Check out the article below to learn more about what contributes to the average individual’s motivation and energy levels and some effective solutions to help boost motivation and focus for teams.

How to Improve Motivation and Focus for Teams Are you struggling to focus today? If so, you aren’t alone… According to an article published by The Washington Post, the majority of workers feel distracted while working from home. Between smartphones and social media usage, emails, and seemingly endless notifications—not to mention a lack o...

Many factors play a role in motivation.

Exercise, focus, rest, and relaxation are just some examples.

However, one element that is often left out is values.

Our level of motivation has everything to do with values clarity.

In short, that formula looks like this: Values Clarity + Direction = Motivation

So, take some time to ask yourself some important qualifying questions:

❓ What are my values?
❓ What matters most to me?
❓ What am I passionate about?
❓ What can I do to work toward those values and bring them front and center?
❓ What do I need to do to make those values a reality?

By clarifying and having a solid handle on our values, we are able to let go of negative mental and emotional patterns, and also seek direction, which in turn boosts motivation.

Last week we talked a little about the role of emotional intelligence, its importance, and its role in boosting motivation and focus for teams.

But what about emotional fitness?

The truth is emotional intelligence isn’t enough; you also need emotional fitness.

Emotional fitness is turning emotional intelligence into actions, and developing habits and practices.

Here are some tips and ideas for how to do this:

✅ Develop a positive and healthy mental script - how you talk to yourself matters! Give yourself compliments and praise.
✅ Get out of the worry spiral - this only increases anxiety, which robs you of your energy and kills motivation.
✅ Exercise - your emotional and physical self is connected. Your mind and everything in it depends on your body’s physical state and health. Remember, a healthy body is a healthy mind.
✅ Rest - We don’t function well when we are physically and emotionally exhausted. Recognize these moments and take the time to rest and refresh.

If you want to turn emotional intelligence into action, then commit to an emotional fitness regimen.

Remember, the secret behind motivation is energy.

By building good routines with energy-boosting habits, you are also building motivation.

So, what motivates you?

If you aren't sure, take some time to reflect and ask yourself these questions:

✅ What were your biggest achievements last week?
✅ What actions did you take to achieve them?
✅ What actions can you repeat to achieve more in the future?
✅ What are your top 3 interruptions every day?
✅ What were the intentions you set last week?
✅ Which of them did you get done, and why?

Once you have discovered repeating patterns of interruptions, distractions, and “focus” periods in your work, you can begin to make some changes, and build better habits that boost motivation rather than burn it.

Okay, moment of truth: How many of you use "to do" lists to keep track of your work? I know I do...

The problem with a "to do" list is that everything seems to be on it. Then, that "to do" list that starts to help you becomes the bane of your existence...

Here's a tip to try today: Make your "to do" list, but only write down the top 3 to 5 priorities that you must get done today.

Then, make a "to do later" list, which is comprised of all the other tasks that are still important but a lower priority. Save those tasks for later or delegate them to others.

The reason this works is you are shortening your "to do" list and making it more achievable.

This not only boosts your motivation levels but it also allows you to conquer it that much easier.

🗓 October is Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month, how are you celebrating?

Emotional intelligence matters for motivation, and, of course, motivation matters for success.

There are four primary categories of emotional intelligence:

1️⃣ Self-Awareness
2️⃣ Self-Management
3️⃣ Social Awareness
4️⃣ Effective Relationship Management

Here are some steps you can take to become a more emotionally-intelligent leader or team member:

✔️ Be empathetic
✔️ Be an active listener
✔️ Ask questions
✔️ Pay attention to body language

Whether it’s in relation to work, personal goals or health, the emotionally-intelligent leader or team member understands the deeper meaning of their aspirations and the self-motivation skills required to achieve them.

Got the ? Here’s how to apply the 5 steps of the scientific method to your own life to solve problems, increase motivation, and stop burn out.

1. Observe your situation: Try to remove yourself from the situation and look at it objectively. What are the key factors that are involved?

2. Separate the facts from your emotions: While it’s easy to get caught up in emotion when analyzing a situation you’re in the middle of, try talking it over with someone or even writing down everything on paper. This can help you separate your emotions from reality.

3. Brainstorm ideas to improve your situation: No idea is a bad idea! Come up with a variety of creative solutions, no matter how far-fetched, and start to narrow down your list until you have a few viable options.

4. Test your solutions: After choosing a few different solutions, test them out one at a time. Make sure you don’t change too many “variables” at once and track your results!

5. Draw conclusions: Analyze how your problem-solving process went. Was it entirely effective? What did you learn that you can apply to future situations?

Give this process a try the next time you're feeling stuck and let us know how it goes!

Want to improve your leadership skills in a time of crisis?

We're discussing the five core behaviors that are necessary to help leaders navigate the pandemic and business recovery over on our LinkedIn.

Check it out and let us know how the pandemic has effected your business in the comments below.

http://ow.ly/EiIt50BNuqg

Identitype Leadership And Branding posted on LinkedIn What are you feeling? In theory, it is such a simple question yet it is one that has emotionally overwhelmed many over the course of the year. Studies...

What’s the underlying theme of perfectionism, a constant need to be busy and an inability to delegate work to others?

The desire for control.

Giving up control means learning the art of surrender.

When you are in a constant state of worry, this robs your brain of its energy to focus.

Much like a cluttered room takes up space, worrying takes up space in our brains, which doesn't allow enough room for us to focus and THINK.

To relinquish control, focus on being present in the moment and give your mind a break.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, or find yourself constantly worrying about things that are out of your control, try:

✔ taking a deep breath
✔ changing your scenery
✔ taking a short break from work

After a few minutes, you'll return to your work re-focused and ready to dive back in.