Welcome to my infographic collection! These are a collection of various posts I've made on social media about all things related to psychology, mental well-being, social connection, and sustainable success. Scroll down to view them all!
Burnout occurs anywhere there is a mismatch between the job environment and the individual performing the job. A major mismatch is created anytime there is significant conflict between the nature of the person and the nature of their work.
Below are the 6 specific person-job mismatches that research has identified in contributing to burnout.
Psychological Safety exists when you find yourself in an environment in which you're not afraid to:
-Be yourself
-Take risks
-Disagree
-Raise problems
-Make mistakes
-Ask questions
These conditions can lead to an upward spiral of openness and innovation.
Locus of control is a concept developed by Julian Rotter in 1954. It stands for the degree to which you believe that you (as opposed to external forces) have control over the outcome of events in your life.
When you develop a higher internal locus of control, you’re enabling higher levels of confidence and calm in the face of change. So the next time you feel helpless in a situation, see if you have the choice to change or influence things under your control, even slightly.
In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk is a condition of sudden fatigue and loss of energy which is caused by the depletion of energy reserves.
Similarly, the six-month mark in any sustained crisis is always difficult. We have all adjusted to this “new normal,” but many of us now feel like we're running out of steam.
I want to remind you that this is a VERY normal time to struggle or feel as though you’re hitting the wall. You are not alone in feeling exhausted, burned out, and overwhelmed. You are human.
--> Do’s and Don’ts at this time:
Instead of trying to ram your head against the wall, I encourage you to give yourself an extra dose of self-compassion and double down on pro-resilience behaviors.
Think of this as a “coping coaster” phase of sorts. If you ride it out, you’ll enter into the next phase of adaptation.
A great way to increase our sense of control while also reducing stress (especially during this unprecedented time in the world) is by setting boundaries. Healthy boundaries at work and in life can make the difference between sustained success or burnout.
We're seeing the word "well-being" used more and more. But how often do you think of the subtleties of what it is made up of?
Two views on well-being include:
*Hedonistic: Focuses on happiness and positive affect.
*Eudaimonic: Focuses on living life in a full and satisfying way.
Hedonic and Eudaimonic viewpoints of well-being are not mutually exclusive.
While some cultures tend to over-emphasize hedonic happiness, cultivating eudaimonic well-being (in addition to hedonic happiness) is a worthwhile investment. Especially now.
As Aristotle said: eudaemonia is not only about making the right choices but choosing to act virtuously.
Having feelings of fear and anxiety is what it means to be a human. These emotions reflect our capacity to care, love, and be connected.
Instead of trying to deny these feelings through ‘thinking positive’, work to find the dialectic—holding two states of mind together at once. This is the middle path.
Psychologist Marsha Linehan has developed this ‘States of Mind’ framework for emotion regulation. This evidence-based approach to balancing our emotions with logic, and our logic with emotion, allows us to honor all parts of us as thinking and feeling beings.
I wanted to share this is because I'm using this to manage the range of emotions I've been having around this pandemic. Many times a day I find myself needing to pause, notice what state of mind I'm in, and then consciously and compassionately bring myself back to a wise mind. I hope this helps you all as well!
Psychological Flexibility is a process of taking action to move towards what matters and what we value, in the presence of our experience.
The key to psychological flexibility is noticing the difference between your outer and inner experience as well as noticing the difference between moving toward what is important (versus moving away from unwanted experiences).
This includes:
“Showing up” -Being present in your life
“Letting Go” - Holding experiences lightly
“Get Moving” - Doing what takes you toward what matters
Today, we communicate in more diverse ways than ever before:
-In-person communication
-Email communication
-Slack
-Networking platforms
-Messaging platforms
And more!
How often do you take the time to pause and think about the timing, tone, and technique you approach your conversations given the context in which they're happening?
Although they don't cover all the complexities that come with effective communication, the 3 T's are a good place to start.
It’s difficult to sustain relationships if you’re running on empty.
It’s challenging to show up as the person you want to be around others if you’re not making space for your own needs.
It’s hard to feel accepting of yourself if you’re compromising your values.
Boundaries function to preserve your energy and your relationships--especially the relationship you have with yourself.
Research shows us that optimism can be learned, you just need to work at it.
Leaning into the 3 P’s of Optimism can ultimately help you persist in the face of difficulty.
*Permanence*
Optimistic people believe bad events are more temporary than permanent and that good things happen for reasons that are permanent rather than transient.
*Pervasiveness*
Optimistic people compartmentalize helplessness and allow good events to impact many areas of their lives rather than just the area in which the event occurred.
*Personalization*
Optimists blame bad events on causes outside themselves and are quick to internalize positive events.
If left unchecked, the mental models we anchor on to make sense of the world can result in bias, stereotypes, and microaggressions. Self-awareness work is critical to avoid succumbing to these drivers of disconnection.
As humans, we are wired to connect. Our interdependence is what has allowed us to survive and thrive as a species. Resilience in trying times comes down to interpersonal connection. We are stronger together. Here are three core drivers of connection in the workplace and beyond.
In the midst of all the suffering that is going on right now, compassion is needed more than ever. Compassion is more than simply feeling for someone, it involves taking action to help relieve another's suffering.
Empathy in action creates connection, takes us away from our self-focus, and ultimately fosters trust.
Let's do the work!
Did you know that people who learn how to manage their need to be satisfied in the moment thrive more in their careers, relationships, health, and finances?
In our technology-driven modern world, we often are able to receive instant gratification on many levels.
Here are some ways to avoid the instant gratification trap.
3 science-backed ways to help cope with uncertainty in uncertain times.
With RBG’s passing, the subject of dissent has been on my mind in a big way.
One of my favorite quotes of all time from RBG was "Dissents speak to a future age. It's not simply to say, 'My colleagues are wrong and I would do it this way. ' But the greatest dissents do become court opinions and gradually over time their views become the dominant view.”
Dissents (not criticism), "speaks to a future age" <--this is so powerful to me.
This takes courage, thoughtfulness, and care, but the tradeoffs are beyond worth it, especially in today’s world, when we need to be thinking about our future.
I hope RBG can inspire us all to learn the art of productive dissent and make that our default over criticism.
Here are some ideas of how dissent differs from criticism.
Ways men can be allies to women at work.
4 science-backed ways to combat stress during this time of uncertainty.
Questions to help foster cohesion in newly remote teams.
In the face of tremendous uncertainty, it is easy for a fixed mindset to get triggered. When we face challenges or fare poorly compared with others (let's face it, many of us struggling right now), we can easily fall into insecurity or defensiveness, a response that inhibits growth.
On the flip side, identifying those triggers can help you catch yourself and ultimately remain in a growth zone.
Although this requires a bit of extra effort in a time when we’re all fatigued by uncertainty, fostering a growth mindset (especially now) is more than worth it. Research links the growth mindset with many benefits:
-Higher motivation
-Lower stress, anxiety, and depression
-Better work relationships
-Higher performance levels
Enduring a long-haul global pandemic with lots of restrictions, changes to our ‘normal’ way of being in the world, and more, can bring up a massive sense of lack of control.
This is a gentle reminder that rather than trying to create a sense of control by attempting to be perfect, you can instead focus on psychological replenishment, coping, authenticity, and being human.
As the Zen proverb states, "Let go or be dragged."
And while there is no right way for how this should look, one place to start to address the pull to be a superhuman right now is to pay close attention to:
-Your thoughts
-Your expectations of others
-And the messages you're receiving from the dominant culture.
