3 Ways to Feel Happier in 60 Seconds or Less

 

 

 

 

 

Leader's Digest Quick Tips

Why is it important to be happy? Well, for one thing, by definition you will feel better. However, there is more to it than that. Happiness doesn't just make you enjoy life more, it actually affects how successful and fulfilled you are in both your personal and professional life.

Given the emotional and tangible benefits of happiness, it's not surprising that everyone wants a slice of the pie.

The good news is that social-psychological researchers have shown that there is a host of simple, easy-peasy happy behaviors that can be quickly incorporated into your everyday life. Right now!

1.    Smile More.

Most important of all, smile more. This shouldn’t be a brief, unfelt smile that finishes in the blink of an eye. Instead, you should try to maintain the expression for between 15 and 30 seconds. To make the grin as convincing as possible, try to imagine a situation that would elicit a genuine smile. Perhaps you have just met a good friend, heard a hilarious joke or found out that your “X” isn’t coming to visit after all. Consider creating a signal to remind you to smile regularly. Set you watch, computer or Smart Phone to beep on the hour, or use a more random cue such as your telephone ringing. Studies reveal that a sincere smile releases endorphins--the "happy chemical."  
 
A smile not only reflects how you feel--it determines how you feel.

2.    Sit Up Straighter.

Your posture is equally important. In a study conducted by Tomi-Ann Roberts and Colorado College, participants were randomly split into two groups and asked to spend 3  minutes either sitting up straight or slumping down in their chair. Everyone was given a math test and asked to assess their mood.

Those who had sat upright were much happier than those who had slouched down, and even obtained higher scores on the math test.

3.    Act Positive.

Research by Peter Borkenay from Bielefeld University and others has revealed that happy people move in a very different way to unhappy people. You can use this information to increase your sense of happiness by acting like a happy person. Try walking in a more relaxed way, swinging your arms slightly more, putting more of a spring in your step. Also, try making more expressive hand gestures during conversations, nod your head more when others are speaking, wear more colorful clothing, use a greater frequency of positively charged emotional words (especially “love”, “like”, and “fond”), show a lower frequency of self-references (“me”, “myself”, and “I”), have a larger variation in the pitch of your voice, speak slightly faster and have a significantly firmer handshake.

Incorporating these behaviors into your everyday actions will help enhance your energy and happiness!
 
Click here to read a related post: How to Transform Your Life During Uncertain Times (5 min read)

"We can create happiness or sadness, the amount of work is the same."
                                            --Carlos Castaneda

To your greater happiness,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step...
Interested in learning how to develop your organization's leadership capability, culture, and employee engagement ? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please

contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713
Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, energy storage, facility services & maintenance, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

3 Ways to Feel Happier in 60 Seconds or Less

 Leader's Digest Quick Tips

 

 

 

Why is it important to be happy? Well, for one thing, by definition you will feel better. However, there is more to it than that. Happiness doesn't just make you enjoy life more, it actually affects how successful and fulfilled you are in both your personal and professional life.

Given the emotional and tangible benefits of happiness, it's not surprising that everyone wants a slice of the pie.

The good news is that social-psychological researchers have shown that there is a host of simple, easy-peasy happy behaviors that can be quickly incorporated into your everyday life--right now!

1.    Smile More.

Most important of all, smile more. This shouldn’t be a brief, unfelt smile that finishes in the blink of an eye. Instead, you should try to maintain the expression for between 15 and 30 seconds. To make the grin as convincing as possible, try to imagine a situation that would elicit a genuine smile. Perhaps you have just met a good friend, heard a hilarious joke or found out that your “X” isn’t coming to visit after all. Consider creating a signal to remind you to smile regularly. Set you watch, computer or Smart Phone to beep on the hour, or use a more random cue such as your telephone ringing. Studies reveal that a sincere smile releases endorphins--the "happy chemical."  

 

A smile not only reflects how you feel--it determines how you feel.

2.    Sit Up Straighter.

Your posture is equally important. In a study conducted by Tomi-Ann Roberts and Colorado College, participants were randomly split into two groups and asked to spend 3  minutes either sitting up straight or slumping down in their chair. Everyone was given a math test and asked to assess their mood.

Those who had sat upright were much happier than those who had slouched down, and even obtained higher scores on the math test.

3.    Act Positive.

Research by Peter Borkenay from Bielefeld University and others has revealed that happy people move in a very different way to unhappy people. You can use this information to increase your sense of happiness by acting like a happy person. Try walking in a more relaxed way, swinging your arms slightly more, putting more of a spring in your step. Also, try making more expressive hand gestures during conversations, nod your head more when others are speaking, wear more colorful clothing, use a greater frequency of positively charged emotional words (especially “love”, “like”, and “fond”), show a lower frequency of self-references (“me”, “myself”, and “I”), have a larger variation in the pitch of your voice, speak slightly faster and have a significantly firmer handshake.

Incorporating these behaviors into your everyday actions will help enhance your energy and happiness!

 

Click here to read a related post: How to Transform Your Life During Uncertain Times (5 min read)

"We can create happiness or sadness, the amount of work is the same."
                                            --Carlos Castaneda

 

To your greater happiness,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step...
Interested in learning how to develop your organization's leadership capability, culture, and employee engagement ? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please 

contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, energy storage, facility services & maintenance, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

Cultivate Laughter at Work to Boost Well-Being and Performance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any time you walk through the halls of an elementary school or frequent a playground all you hear are giggles and laughter, but when you walk the maze of cubicles at work, aisles in a store or warehouse or along the hallways in your office, you rarely hear those same sounds of glee. It's not that we have outgrown laughter as we have entered adulthood, but work is generally viewed as a place to be serious so that lots of work can get done. Now research tells us that a little humor and laughter at work can go a long way.

In the fast-paced world of work, we often overlook the value of humor. Maybe it's because we tend to laugh less as we get older. According to Gallup, while a 4-year-old laughs around 300 times daily, by the time we reach 40, we only laugh about three times a day.

What's even more telling is that we laugh less on workdays compared to weekends. This underscores a sad truth: Work is a serious environment where laughter is not encouraged.

A lack of levity can be detrimental to your team. When there is no humor, aspects like productivity, well-being, and creativity plummet.

Often referred to as the "best medicine," laughter at work is gaining ground as an easy way to brighten the workday and boost the overall health of your workplace or organization. Because there is a growing amount of research that supports the benefits of laughter at work, humor is now getting the professional respect it deserves.

The benefits of laughter at work:

·        Laughter increases productivity.

·        Those who laugh out loud are more creative at problem solving.

·        Those who laugh have better memory retention.

·        Those who laugh experience less stress.

·        Laughter is a major coping mechanism.

·        Those who laugh together may work more effectively together.

Victor Borge remarked, “Laughter is the closet distance between two people.”

A study conducted at Canadian financial institutions found that managers who most frequently used humor also had the highest level of employee performance. Dr. William Fry of Stanford University found that laughing 200 times can burn as many calories as rowing intensely for 10 minutes, boosting your energy and giving you that alive feeling.

David Sloan Wilson, an evolutionary biologist at Bingham University, discusses laughter at work in his book, 'Evolution For Everyone.' Wilson finds laughter to be a good thing for any workplace. "When it is appropriate, laughter puts everyone in a merry mood. Mechanistically, the brain releases a cocktail of chemicals similar to those that we take artificially to give ourselves a good time such as opium or morphine. So besides feeling good, we also act good."

Humor at Work

Take What You Do Seriously; Yourself Lightly

This does not necessarily mean learning to tell a good joke. It’s more about reconnecting with something you already have inside you—a sense of humor and playfulness. Human beings have the natural ability to see the funny or absurd side. We have the innate ability to be playful in a fun and kind way with others and ourselves. A wise person said, “he who can laugh at themselves will never cease to be entertained.” So true!

Embrace Humor to Recover and Learn from Mistakes

Humor can be a valuable asset in helping us move on from mistakes. To build a culture of innovation, it is vital not to take ourselves too seriously. Diffusing the tension often associated with mistakes helps us learn.

When a coaching client was searching for a flight on Skyscanner, he found a glitch suggesting a 47-year layover. He humorously asked on social media, "What should I do during the 47-year layover your website suggested?"

The response from Skyscanner's employee was equally witty. Instead of simply apologizing for the mistake, she suggested, "Unless you're a huge fan of the Terminal, I'd probably recommend spending those years outside of the airport."

Use Humor to Encourage Open Communication

Humor encourages people to voice their opinions without fear of judgment. It creates an environment where ideas can flow freely and innovation can thrive. Pixar uses humor in their "Braintrust" – collective feedback meetings – to ensure honesty.

Pixar's Braintrust meetings are designed to review and critique ongoing projects. While the directors welcome critiques from everyone, they particularly value them from fellow storytellers. Humor plays a crucial role in ensuring a relaxed and open environment. As Ed Catmul reflected on one of the sessions, "They were funny, focused, smart, and relentlessly candid when arguing with each other."

Utilize Humor to Navigate Through Difficult Times

During challenging periods, humor can be a vital tool for teams to build resilience and momentum. It acts as a coping mechanism, helping teams navigate challenges with a lighter heart. Humor provides a much-needed reprieve from stress, according to research.

Trevor Smith, Certified Laughter Leader of the World Laughter Tour, emphasizes the power of humor in difficult times, "Humor is a great tool to use in a crisis that helps us look at that situation in a positive way that will us deal with the crisis. Humor lightens one's burdens, inspires hopes, and keeps you grounded, focused and alert."

Leigh Anne Jasheway, M.P.H. and comedian, says that you don't want to encourage pranks or have everyone at work turn into the court jester, but recommends these methods for using laughter at work:

·        Include humorous quotes in communications.

·        Use improv games as icebreakers and stress busters.

·        Organize group activities outside of work that include community service and fun.

It’s worth the effort to foster the work/fun fusion.  Now there is scientific research that proves it is. A little laughter at work is just what people need in this time of change and challenge. If laughter is also proven to make us happier, more effective workers, then bring on the whoopee cushion!

On the other hand...

 

 

 

 

 

To your greater levity and merriment!

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step...
Interested in learning how to develop your organization's leadership capability, culture, and employee engagement ? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please 

contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, energy storage, facility services & maintenance, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

 

 

Leadership Lessons from the Head Coaches in Today's Superbowl LVIII

 

 

 

 

 

If you missed it, there is a big football game today. I’ve learned there are three types of people in the world. People who can’t wait for the Big Game, those who can’t wait for it to be over (no more football for a while!), and those who just don’t care. This article is about the two Super Bowl coaches. But it is written for you regardless of how you feel about the game.

Kyle Shanahan (head coach of the San Francisco 49ers) is 44 years old and grew up in football. His dad was a successful head coach. Today, Kyle is seen as one of the more innovative offensive minds in the game. 65-year-old Andy Reid (head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs) is the fifth most winningest coach in NFL history. He’s the only NFL coach to win 100 games and appear in four consecutive conference championships with two different franchises.

In other words, they are both very good at what they do.

Lessons From Both

Now that we have gotten the football background out of the way, what can we learn about them as coaches.

They thought beyond their current role. While both played college football, neither were stars. They both worked hard to learn broader knowledge of the game, beyond their specific role. Too often, we promote the best contributor to a leader or coach role. That shouldn’t be the only (and perhaps not the best) predictor of coaching success.

Perhaps because of that, they both progressed quickly. Shanahan became the youngest Offensive Coordinator in the league. Reid was the first to move from position coach to head coach. Watch for desire and talent, not just ego, when looking to promote people.

They are students of the game. Both are recognized as innovators and masters of their craft. Both have been able to be successful with different types of teams and situations – and have been flexible in their approach as needed. Are you looking for students/learners to promote?

Those similarities give us food for thought as we consider who we see as our rising coaching stars. Each of those criteria is worth thought and consideration in your organizations – and in the expectations you set for everyone.

Now let’s look at a couple of specific lessons we can learn from each of these coaches.

Andy Reid
Andy Reid values trust and works to build it with his players. Early in his career with the Chiefs, he created a “player’s leadership committee.” One player from each position group could bring concerns forward from their group. According to this CNBC article,  “At the meetings, players could complain about anything: the length or intensity of practices, the food in the cafeteria or whatever else was on their minds. It was an open forum for team members to air their concerns.” Further, many of the suggestions were immediately implemented by Reid. There are at least three repeatable, trust-building components to this short example:

+ Create the feedback loop.
+ Listen to the feedback.
+ Take action.

Reid’s goals as a coach are instructive too. According to this article in The Athletic,  “He has always coached because of a love for the game and its challenges. He also coaches because he loves teaching and positioning players for success. Those pure and humble intentions are probably why Reid has had so much success with two franchises.”

The best coaches have the dual focus – on the bigger picture and the success of the individuals they coach.

Kyle Shanahan
It is clear that Shanahan believes everyone can improve. Look at these quotes from two of his players (from this article, also in The Athletic)

From Kyle Juszczyk - “I think that’s part of our culture, that nobody’s too big for coaching. Kind of keeps everyone humble and motivated and grounded.”

From Jimmie Ward – “You’ve gotta point out the players who get paid the most, the players who are supposedly the superstars. Because if you’re only getting on (certain) players and you’re not getting on (stars), you’re going to lose respect. It’s all about being a good coach.”

The best coaches coach everyone as needed - not ignoring or bypassing the stars.

And our feedback needs to be honest. In this podcast from Chris Simms Unbuttoned, from about 4:45- 50:00, you will hear nuggets from Shanahan like:

“It would be so much harder if I wasn’t that way (be honest.).”

“It is easy to talk when you tell people how you feel.” “It is easy to be yourself ... even when we have arguments and stuff … it’s so easy when you have like-minded people, who’s intentions are the same.”

“It might be hard, but you might be the only person telling them the truth.”

These guys are well paid under lots of pressure and the spotlight. And if you watch The Super Bowl, not only will you see world-class athletes, but world-class coaches too. One on each sideline.

I hope you have a super dad gum duper time watching the game!

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step...
Interested in learning how to develop your organization's leadership capability, culture, and employee engagement ? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please 

contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, energy storage, facility services & maintenance, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

Leadership Lessons from the Two Head Coaches in Superbowl LVIII

 

 

 

 

 

If you missed it, there is a big football game this Sunday. I’ve learned there are three types of people in the world. People who can’t wait for the Big Game, those who can’t wait for it to be over (no more football for a while!), and those who just don’t care. This article is about the two Super Bowl coaches. But it is written for you regardless of how you feel about the game.

Kyle Shanahan (head coach of the San Francisco 49ers) is 44 years old and grew up in football. His dad was a successful head coach. Today, Kyle is seen as one of the more innovative offensive minds in the game. 65-year-old Andy Reid (head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs) is the fifth most winningest coach in NFL history. He’s the only NFL coach to win 100 games and appear in four consecutive conference championships with two different franchises.

In other words, they are both very good at what they do.

Lessons From Both

Now that we have gotten the football background out of the way, what can we learn about them as coaches.

They thought beyond their current role. While both played college football, neither were stars. They both worked hard to learn broader knowledge of the game, beyond their specific role. Too often, we promote the best contributor to a leader or coach role. That shouldn’t be the only (and perhaps not the best) predictor of coaching success.

Perhaps because of that, they both progressed quickly. Shanahan became the youngest Offensive Coordinator in the league. Reid was the first to move from position coach to head coach. Watch for desire and talent, not just ego, when looking to promote people.

They are students of the game. Both are recognized as innovators and masters of their craft. Both have been able to be successful with different types of teams and situations – and have been flexible in their approach as needed. Are you looking for students/learners to promote?

Those similarities give us food for thought as we consider who we see as our rising coaching stars. Each of those criteria is worth thought and consideration in your organizations – and in the expectations you set for everyone.

Now let’s look at a couple of specific lessons we can learn from each of these coaches.

Andy Reid
Andy Reid values trust and works to build it with his players. Early in his career with the Chiefs, he created a “player’s leadership committee.” One player from each position group could bring concerns forward from their group. According to this CNBC article,  “At the meetings, players could complain about anything: the length or intensity of practices, the food in the cafeteria or whatever else was on their minds. It was an open forum for team members to air their concerns.” Further, many of the suggestions were immediately implemented by Reid. There are at least three repeatable, trust-building components to this short example:

+ Create the feedback loop.
+ Listen to the feedback.
+ Take action.

Reid’s goals as a coach are instructive too. According to this article in The Athletic,  “He has always coached because of a love for the game and its challenges. He also coaches because he loves teaching and positioning players for success. Those pure and humble intentions are probably why Reid has had so much success with two franchises.”

The best coaches have the dual focus – on the bigger picture and the success of the individuals they coach.

Kyle Shanahan
It is clear that Shanahan believes everyone can improve. Look at these quotes from two of his players (from this article, also in The Athletic)

From Kyle Juszczyk - “I think that’s part of our culture, that nobody’s too big for coaching. Kind of keeps everyone humble and motivated and grounded.”

From Jimmie Ward – “You’ve gotta point out the players who get paid the most, the players who are supposedly the superstars. Because if you’re only getting on (certain) players and you’re not getting on (stars), you’re going to lose respect. It’s all about being a good coach.”

The best coaches coach everyone as needed - not ignoring or bypassing the stars.

And our feedback needs to be honest. In this podcast from Chris Simms Unbuttoned, from about 4:45- 50:00, you will hear nuggets from Shanahan like:

“It would be so much harder if I wasn’t that way (be honest.).”

“It is easy to talk when you tell people how you feel.” “It is easy to be yourself ... even when we have arguments and stuff … it’s so easy when you have like-minded people, who’s intentions are the same.”

“It might be hard, but you might be the only person telling them the truth.”

These guys are well paid under lots of pressure and the spotlight. And if you watch The Super Bowl, not only will you see world-class athletes, but world-class coaches too. One on each sideline.

I hope you have a super dad gum duper time watching the game!

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step...
Interested in learning how to develop your organization's leadership capability, culture, and employee engagement ? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please 

contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, energy storage, facility services & maintenance, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.