Tag Archive for Stress

| October 15, 2023
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Coffee is the Project Managers Secret Weapon

Coffee is the Project Managers Secret WeaponResearch has found that drinking coffee is just as good as exercise on your job performance. One cup of coffee improves your working memory as much as spending 20 minutes on a treadmill. Coffee can contribute to enhanced cognitive function, including working memory.

caffeine is a natural stimulantThe primary active compound in coffee, caffeine, is a natural stimulant. When consumed, caffeine blocks the action of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, which promotes relaxation and drowsiness. By inhibiting adenosine, caffeine promotes wakefulness and alertness, including enhanced cognitive functions like working memory.

Coffee Improves Working Memory

Working memoryWorking memory is key to our ability to function as a curious human being. It helps the learning process and makes it possible to store information, such as phone numbers or a shopping list, in the short term. Working memory has a significant impact on a project manager’s job performance. Working memory plays a crucial role in many cognitive tasks required to be a successful PM. Here are some ways in which coffee-enhanced working memory can affect your job performance:

Communications

Effective communication is at the core of being a project manager. Effective communication relies on listening, comprehending, and responding to information. A strong working memory capacity enables you to follow conversations, retain key details, and formulate thoughtful responses.

Problem-Solving

Problem Solving

Project managers are always solving problems and making decisions. Working memory is essential for holding and manipulating relevant information when analyzing problems and considering potential solutions.

Information Processing

Working memory is responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information. As PMs, we need to process and remember information, such as instructions, data, and task sequences.

Learning and Adaptation

Learning new information and skills is a continuous process for PM’s. A good working memory facilitates the acquisition and retention of new knowledge, as it allows individuals to process, connect, and store information for future use.

Time Management

Time Management Time management involves planning and organizing tasks. Working memory helps in keeping track of deadlines, schedules, and task priorities, which is crucial for meeting project-related goals.

Creativity and Innovation

Project managers utilize creative problem-solving to keep projects moving forward.  Creative problem-solving and innovation require holding multiple ideas or concepts in mind, manipulating them, and exploring new connections. Working memory supports these processes, allowing for more innovative solutions.

Task Execution

Project managers must complete tasks efficiently. Completing tasks often involves holding intermediate goals or steps in memory while working toward a larger objective. Working memory assists in task execution and reduces the risk of errors.

Accuracy and Error Reduction

When individuals can hold and manipulate information more effectively, they are less likely to make mistakes or overlook critical details.

Stress Management

Project managers with strong working memory abilities may better manage stress and high-pressure situations by staying organized and focused during challenging times.

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Coffee can improve working memory by increasing alertness, focus, and concentration, promoting faster information processing, and reducing mental fatigue. These effects make coffee the project manager’s secret weapon to boost job performance.

 

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| June 28, 2021
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6 Steps to Safely Return to the Office

6 Actions to Return to the Office SafelyIn the back of our minds, we had to know that it would end. After a year of working from home, employers have decided that the Covid-19 pandemic is over. Despite the increased productivity WFH has created, the bosses want us to return to the office. Many employees do not want to return to the office. Being forced to return to the office is creating stress and anxiety among employees.

uncomfortable with in-person interactionMany employees have lingering worries about the virus. A survey released by the American Psychological Association found that 48% of vaccinated workers are uncomfortable with in-person interaction. Another return to the office concern is anti-vaxxer co-workers. After all, only 45% of U.S. residents have completed their vaccination  A Harvard Business School survey found that 71% of workers would prefer to wait until everyone is fully vaccinated before returning to the office. More than half of those surveyed also still expect to social distance inside the office. 

Return to the office angst 

For many, the return to the office angst is the result of potential pandemic-induced changes to our brains. Normally, the amygdala region of the brain – that processes emotions, signals when a potential threat is present. Usually, the signal is tied to a negative emotion such as fear or anger, explained Crystal Reeck, an assistant professor at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. That triggers a fight-or-flight response. “Think about it as an alarm system,” she said. “It helps draw your attention to a threat in the environment.”

During the lockdown the amygdala may have gotten rewiredMs. Reeck warns, that during the lockdown, the amygdala may have gotten rewired. Your brain may classify events like a co-worker coughing, or standing closer than six feet, or not wearing a mask as a threat. She explained, “That’s helped keep us safe when we were supposed to quarantine and maintain a social distance.”

Return to work steps

To reduce your return to work angst, here are five tips to help you prepare physically and mentally for that psychologically jarring first week back at the office.

1 -Adjust your sleep schedule

Three weeks before returning to work, gradually adjust your sleep schedule. During the lockdown, many of us stayed up later to binge-watch the latest thing. No more binging, Go to bed earlier, so you can wake up earlier. We had the flexibility to roll out of bed five minutes before start time … no pants or shoes needed. Most workers have at least a 20-minute commute, plus a more appropriate grooming schedule, so leave yourself at least 40 minutes plus your commute time.

adjust your sleep scheduleWhy three weeks? Experts say that a new habit takes a minimum of three weeks to form. So go to bed a few minutes earlier in the evening. Then get out of bed a couple of minutes earlier in the morning. Increase the time every few days until you are back on the office schedule.

2 – Re-start your exercise routine

Many people gained the infamous 19 pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restart your exercise routine at least three weeks you return to work. Don’t head back to the gym the first week back to the office. Week one is going to be traumatic enough. Healthcare professionals emphasize starting off slowly with moderate walking, swimming, or biking.

3 – Pajamas aren’t appropriate for the office, and you know it.

Freshen up your business appropriate wardrobe before you return to work. Business appropriate attire matters for two reasons: First, one team member’s sense of what’s appropriate can be far from others’ perception of the same. Second, studies over the years have demonstrated that wearing business-appropriate clothing reminds you to work in a business-like manner 

Wear your work shoes around the houseIn the coming weeks, put on your work shoes. Many of us have been living in Chuckie T’s or Crocs – no more. Wear your work shoes around the house to get used to them. Give then a good polish. 

Get a haircut. Feel like you’re starting a new job.

4 – Take control of your health. Don’t expect your employer to care. Here’s a short list of things to do:

  • Wash your hands.
  • Bring a personal bottle of hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes for your work area. Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched objects and surfaces such as workstations, keyboards, telephones, handrails, and doorknobs.
  • Practice routine cleaning and disinfectionBring your own water bottle and coffee mug. Wash them yourself to be sure it is clean.
  • Get a clean, new, well-fitting three-ply cloth mask exclusively for work that doesn’t have any logos or words. Even if you don’t need to wear a mask at work.
  • Consider investing in an air purifier for your cube. Look for one that has;
    • A five-speed model (quieter),
    • A HEPA H13 activated carbon filter,
    • UV LED light and Ion generator,
    • AHAM Verified Clean Air Delivery Rate.

5 – Avoid Sharing Materials and Supplies

  • Avoid using other employees’ phones, desks, offices.
  • Avoid sharing work tools and equipment.
  • Develop a protocol to clean and disinfect shared items.

6 – Get vaccinated!

The vaccine protects everyone, including those who already got it and those who can’t get it due to medical reasons. 

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Others believe bosses are just eager to regain tight control of their minions. The C-levels are setting deadlines to return to the office and threatening those that don’t feel comfortable going back into the office.

Only 5% of decision-makers surveyed believe remote workers are more productive, and 70% said employees in the office are more trustworthy. 

Stay safe out there!

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| March 17, 2021
Comments Off on 8 Ways to Fight Zoom Anxiety

8 Ways to Fight Zoom Anxiety

8 Ways to fight Zoom AnxietyAfter a year of the COVID-19 pandemic and  working from home until September 2021, video conferencing has become a fundamental part of everyday life. However, not everyone has overcome Zoom anxiety. Zoom anxiety is defined as “a feeling of panic when asked to jump on a video call.” For some people, the prospect of a video call can bring up a deep feeling of dread, especially if required to present. Combined with other stressors linked with the pandemic, lockdown and job insecurity, Zoom anxiety can prove debilitating to some people.

Zoom anxietyAccording to a study from presentation specialist Buffalo 87, “Zoom anxiety” has become a serious problem for many.  Zoom anxiety afflicts people, for many reasons. James Robinson, Marketing Manager at Buffalo 7 says 73% of respondents reported struggles with Zoom anxiety, “…it’s clear that for many video calls bring their own set of challenges.”

Who has Zoom anxiety?

The study published at TechRadar identified a number of reasons for Zoom anxiety. 83% of Zoom anxiety sufferers worried that a potential technical glitch that cannot be easily fixed might occur. They expressed concerns about holding up clients and colleagues, as well as revealing their incompetence. In addition:

  • 67% worried about the inability to read body language effectively.
  • 56% were concerned they haven’t been heard.
  • 41% fretted about insufficient time to prepare an appearance.
  • 34% stressed about the unprofessional nature of the background.

A study out of Stanford University identified four reasons why so many people suffer from Zoom anxiety.

1- Too Much Eye Contact

Emma Russell, a senior lecturer in occupational and organizational psychology at the University of Sussex explained. “We are attending to a number of faces staring right at us, and our face is also on-screen for all to see.” 

faces staring right at usGéraldine Fauville, a researcher at Stanford explains, “During video conferences, you have this impression that everyone on the screen is staring directly at you, so you have this feeling of being constantly the center of attention and that is just stressful in general, especially for long periods of time.”

The size of other participants’ faces is often large on our screen. Professor Fauville says,  “ … Generally, if people are very close to each other, that’s a very intense situation that could lead, for example, to mating or conflict.”

2- Self-Evaluation

being able to see ourselves causes Zoom anxietyCharlotte Armitage, a media and business psychologist, reports that being able to see ourselves causes Zoom anxiety.  Being able to see ourselves causes Zoom anxiety because our reflection on-screen provides an added level of focus we wouldn’t have in real life. “The additional psychological processing involved in attending to one’s own behavior and actions … adds an additional level of stimuli that you wouldn’t have had in a face-to-face meeting.” 

Professor Russell says, “It can be very draining to be paying attention to how people see us and how they view our reactions.“

3- Lack of Movement

During in-person meetings, people move around. Professor Fauville says that is not true during a Zoom meeting and it impacts outcomes. “Studies have shown that motion and movement are very important for creativity … for performance in general, so suddenly with video conferences, you are stuck in this box in view of the camera.”

4 – No Nonverbal Cues

Zoom meetings increase the “cognitive load” on participants. Video conferences require people to interpret virtual gestures and other nonverbal clues. Ms. Fauville says.

During face-to-face meetings, … we have a lot of ways to communicate … the intonation we use, the pauses we use in our sentences… information that most of us understand naturally … With video conferences, the only information I have about your body language is your head and your shoulder, so suddenly I have to second guess what you mean behind your words.

the only information I have about your body language is your head and your shoulder

How to calm Zoom anxiety

Here are some tips for Zoom users that feel awkward when asked to speak on camera, to reduce Zoom anxiety.

Limit calls
Video calls may not always be the most efficient option. Ask if this call is really necessary. It may be easier to add notes onto a shared doc, for example. 

Cancel cameras
Cameras cause stressAfter starting the camera, use the “hide self” function. Bosses should be open to turning off cameras because of the stresses it can cause. Stanford’s Fauville suggests,  “… using cameras only when it really adds something.”  If your boss insists cameras are required on every call, try putting your camera on a side angle not face-on. You will focus less on yourself.

Allow recharge time
Limit the number of Zoom calls. If that won’t work for the boss try to get a break between calls to recharge. Failing those accommodations, Professor Fauville recommends shrinking the size of your video conferencing window so it’s not taking up your full screen. It can also be a good idea to periodically focus on something other than your screen. This way, she says, “You focus on what you hear, you don’t have to think about the body movement and so on.”

Give notice
Never drop anyone on a call without telling them in advance. If people have time to prepare, they’ll be more organised and less anxious. 

Communicate concerns
Communicate! Talk to bosses, talk to teams – if there’s an issue, you never know who else is facing it too. Encourage conversations. Ask your boss for a private chat. 

Move

Get up from your chairGet up from your chair, stretch, water your plants, pet your dog or cat. Give your brain a chance to switch gears between meetings. Set up your camera further away from you. It will capture more of the room so you can stand, pace, or stretch without fear of going off frame.

An external keyboard can help you sit further away from the camera. Being further away can encourage movement as fidget during the call. It also puts more distance between you and your screen. This will decrease the intensity of the eye contact your brain perceives from other participants.

Focus on Physical Health
Dr. Hallie Zwibel, the director of NYIT’s Center for Sports Medicine recommends,  “… an ergonomic chair, making sure your keyboard is ergonomically designed. We also recommend taking a standing break at least every 45 minutes.“

Limit glareIn addition, Dr. Zwibel recommends “Make sure you’re limiting glare, that your screen is eye level, with a certain amount of distance between you and your screen.”

Staring at a screen for hours on end can cause “pseudo-myopia,” meaning nearsightedness. It’s easy enough to avoid. Every 20 minutes, look away from the screen for 20 seconds at an object 20 feet away. (There’s are several apps for that.)

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For many of us, video calls are like standing up in front of the classroom. It’s just going to feel uncomfortable for that reason alone.

Stay safe out there!

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| February 11, 2021
Comments Off on Most Hated Business Buzzwords

Most Hated Business Buzzwords

Even after a year of working from home – some things never change. One of them is buzzwords. Merriam-Webster defines a buzzword an as important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen. And it seems people hate business buzzwords

The word-smiths at GetResponse, surveyed over 1000 people to identify the most hated business buzzwords. GetResponse asked respondents to tell them their most hated jargon terms. Here are the top five most hated business buzzwords….

thinking outside the box is a cliché

5. Thinking outside the box

Wikipedia writes that thinking outside the box is a metaphor, which has become a cliché. It means to think unconventionally or from a new perspective. The term is widely used in business environments, especially by management consultants and executive coaches starting in the 1970s challenging their clients to solve the “nine dots” puzzle, whose solution requires some lateral thinking.

4. Raising the bar

bosses are continually setting new goals

The phrase originates in athletic terminology from around the turn of the century. It is from the track and field events of pole vault and high jump, where it is necessary to raise the bar after each jump to reach a new height record and increase the competition. In the workplace, bosses are continually setting new targets or goals for the workers to achieve, hence raising the bar there too.

3. Touch base

hated business buzzwordMerriam-Webster says this hated business buzzword comes from baseball where both runner and fielders have to “touch base” in order to be safe or record an out. Perhaps the idea of the “base” became associated with “home base” or place of meeting, before becoming the idiom we know today.

2. Teamwork

Teamwork is 2nd most Hated Business BuzzwordsThe origin of the word “team” goes as far back as the year 825. Grammarphobia reports it originally meant a set of draft animals. it’s derived from old Germanic sources having to do with drawing or pulling. In the early 1500s, the noun was first used to refer to people, either working together or associated in some joint endeavor. In 1886 this gave us the sports uses, such as “team player.” 

The blog claims the verb “team” also showed up in the 1500s. The Oxford English Dictionary says It originally meant to harness or yoke, as a farmer might “team” horses or oxen. We still use the verb more or less this way, but with things instead of animals.

1. Synergy

Synergy is a trendy buzzwordSynergy is the most hated business buzzword. In the business world the term implies that, when the right two companies merge, they’ll produce a profitable synergy. Synergy became a trendy buzzword in the 1980s after it appeared in an Economist article (even though it’s actually been around since 1632). The idea of synergy was one factor in what became a “merger mania;” unfortunately, business synergy often turned out to be harder to achieve than to imagine.

Here is the entire list from GetResponse

 

2020's Most Hated Business Buzzwords

RankJargon Term% who hate it
1Synergy4.29
2Teamwork3.43
3Touch base2.08
4Raising the bar1.96
5Think outside the box1.72
6Work harder1.72
7Best practice1.47
8Paradigm shift1.47
9The next time you feel the need to reach out1.35
10Empower0.98
11Keep up the good work0.98
12At the end of the day0.86
GetResponse, surveyed over 1000 people to identify the most hated business buzzwords.

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I don’t use these hated business buzzwords at home. It’s not weekend talk. Buzzwords and jargon are generally the domain of “office speak.” 

Why do we have jargon overload in the business environment? There are many possible reasons. People want to fit in and belong, be seen as an insider, or mimic their bosses so it seems like it’s the right thing to use hated business buzzword.

 

Stay safe out there !

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him at LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Project Management | Tags: , , , ,
| November 21, 2020
Comments Off on 5 Ways Taking Notes Can Improve Your Life

5 Ways Taking Notes Can Improve Your Life

5 Ways Taking Notes Can Improve Your LifeJotting down everything that happens at your daily meetings can boost your productivity and make your workday better. Handwritten notes are a powerful tool for creating the neurocircuitry through the hand-brain complex supporting the brain’s capacity to retrieve information. Here are a few examples of how taking notes with a pen and paper can make your life better.

million dollar idea1. Make a Million

How often has a million-dollar idea flashed through your brain and then it’s gone? They can come to you in the shower, at the gym at lunch and if you don’t write them down, you will forget them as soon as you enter the office or sit down at your desk. Carrying a notebook with you can change that. Just scribble your million-dollar idea down and carry on. 

2. Be Better

Taking notes will help you improve the quality of your work (work and personal). Your notes are your personal external memory storage. Your notebook can be a “refresher course” on all the things you have picked up through life. 

Taking notes can make you look good – to your boss. If you’re in a meeting and are seen to be writing all the key factors and ideas down, this is a subtle hint about your character. It shows you have determination, can self-motivate, and are efficient.

To Do list3. Check It Off

 Notes can help you keep your To-Do list up to date. Studies have shown that as soon as you walk out of the room – your brain will automatically forget what was discussed. Writing things down can stop this from happening. So when the inevitable change comes thru you have a base to build your new day (or week). 

4. Be Your Own Master

You have a plan. You need to stick to it. But it is all too easy to get sucked into a whole host of conversations, “busy” activities, and, of course, the ever-addicting world of social media. Taking notes can help you stay on track and do the things you need to do rather than put them off for “tomorrow” (or get sidetracked by the never-ending flow of emails, text messages, and phone calls).

thinks their request is the most important thing you’ve heard all dayJotting down as and when you get more requests piling in helps you prioritize them. This allows you to focus on the activities that are really urgent, rather than those you feel are urgent. You don’t have to constantly derail your day because someone thinks their request is the most important thing you’ve heard all day. The world doesn’t work like that, and you shouldn’t either.

5. Taking Notes Reduce Stress

After a meeting (or any activity at work) your brain will be cluttered with loose ends, ideas, and just a boatload of information. This isn’t good for your stress levels – having a cluttered mind can feel unsettled. Taking notes is a sure-fire way to regain control of your thoughts. 

This isn’t good for your stress levelsStudies have shown that stress-free minds are more productive. Being stress-free physically increases your brain’s density in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for much of our conscious thought and reasoning, and the ability to focus through emotional turmoil.

Controlling stress is extra critical during the COVID pandemic lockdowns. The U.S. Institute of Mental Health says that long-term stress may lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other illnesses, including mental disorders such as depression or anxiety.

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pen and paper notebook

For note-taking – I use a pen and paper notebook. I can take it pretty much everywhere to capture those million-dollar ideas. I know that many like to take their notes on a laptop or tablet because they think it’s easier to edit and organize their notes and tasks. But research (PDF) says using a laptop or tablet may be slowing you down and cluttering your notes with irrelevant information.

Stay safe out there!

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Project Management | Tags: , , , , ,
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