Have you ever felt as your responsibilities are tying you down like the mooring ropes of a boat that keeps the vessel from recklessly floating out to sea? I have. Even if I proudly built…
Browsing CategoryLife
Times are uncertain and ambiguous – How can we cope with a constantly changing reality that is mostly out of our control?
The most popular podcast episode of my podcast Leading and Living Well- with Kat during 2022 was the March 2022 episode Living and Leading during VUCA Times- Pandemic Flux Syndrome and much more… So I…
Working Virtually – The Hyperawareness Trap
Living during a pandemic (and now also during very uncertain and volatile times) is a high stress situation. Our health and physical wellbeing and that of our loved ones’ is threatened. Living under social distancing and isolation are also stressful situations, as are experiencing a threat to global safety and stability. We need human togetherness to thrive.
Yikes! I’ve Lost the Ability to Interact in-person at Work
Anecdotal information from my network is telling me that we have grown comfortable with zoom and teams’ meetings while live in-person interactions now feel stressful, and even odd. We are experts at expressing and reading emotions with our eyes and foreheads only. Smiling with our eyes as we wear a facemask. How to transition back to in-person work?
Pandemic Flux – A Life in the Extended Liminal Lane
Living on ‘surge capacity’ for a long time can result in exhaustion, loss of motivation, and anxiety – the Pandemic Flux Syndrome. How to cope with a constantly changing reality that is mostly out of our control? How do we stay motivated and positive?
September 11 Reflections on Life and Leadership
There is enormous power in the human spirit and in community. We say that we should never forget 9/11. True. What we chose to remember is what matters. Let’s remember the togetherness and friendship we shared with strangers in our neighborhood and across the world those days and months….
A Mindful Mountain Moment
The part of Finland where I grew up had no mountains. It was flat. With a hill popping up here and there. We would drive six hours north beyond the arctic circle to find a…
The Seascape Escape
My favorite Disney movie is Moana. Set in the giant Pacific Ocean on an island. Why do I love Moana? It is not just the music, which I do enjoy, or the diverse characters. It is the splendid, friendly, dangerous, luring call of the sea that I love. And Moana, of course, a sensitive, strong and stubborn girl who listens to her inner voice telling her to ride the waves and save her community in the process of her own self discovery.
What does Moana have to do with wellbeing at work?
The Power or Perspective – Changing your Scenic View
Creating some mental and emotional distance to what your are experiencing or to your past can help your find new opportunities, creative solutions and reframe a painful past.
Think about what a frame is. It is something we place around a painting. The picture stays the same, but the frame can be changed. Different styles of frames bring out different aspects of the painting, or perhaps completely overwhelms it?
Difficult Conversations made Easy – Part 2 During the Meeting
In episode 11 we looked at the six steps to take to prepare for a challenging conversation, they included among others, to have a clear goal, to check your assumptions, and to try to understand and anticipate the other’s goals and needs.
Let us imagine that you are now having that so called difficult conversation. Perhaps you are connected virtually by video conference. How do you start?
First focus on creating trust. How do we create trust? By communicating positive intentions, being honest and transparent in our messaging and my listening.