Huwork

Category: Healthy Habits

  • Manage your sticky situations

    Business management pioneer Peter Drucker’s philosophy was “before you can manage anyone else, you have to manage yourself first.” I come across this so often in leadership coaching sessions, that I refer to it as a person’s “sticky situations.” Sticky situations are ones where you are not showing up as your best self, ones where you feel stuck, and ones that unfortunately repeat themselves. 

    Some sticky situations I have heard from Clients recently include: getting stuck when pitching an idea to senior leadership, not stepping up to make a decision when the boss isn’t in the room, and keeping emotions in check when being asked hard questions about the team’s performance.  

    These sticky situations hold my Clients back from being the leader, team member, and human they have the potential to be. Here’s one process I utilize in Client sessions to get to the other side of these sticky situations:

    1. Identify your most prominent sticky situation 

    2. Identify the opposite situation, where you are “flowing” and able to show up as your best self

    3. Understand the parameters that allow you be your best self

    4.  Recreate those parameters for your sticky situations

    For example, if a sticky situation for you is pitching an idea to senior leadership, think of times when you are able to pitch your idea with full confidence and charisma. For one client, he realized he was able to show up as his best self when he had a prior relationship with the people in the room. He began to reach out to people who were going to be in the meeting ahead of time. A virtual coffee, asking a question on Slack, looking them up on LinkedIn to see if they had common interests or backgrounds. This eased my Client’s tension and freeze response once the meeting came around.

    Learning how to manage your “sticky situations” can have ripple effects, allowing you to be your best self both professionally and personally.

    Warmly, 

    Bijal

    The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.

    Click here if you were forwarded this email and would like to sign up to receive my emails. You may unsubscribe at any time.

    Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC

    bijal@huworkteam.com

    Follow HuWork on LinkedIn

  • Soph-what?

    My older son is a sophomore in high school, but I had never heard of the term sophrology until recently. The word sophrology comes from the Greek words sos (harmonious and serene), phren (consciousness), and logos (the science of or to study). Essentially, sophrology is the science of consciousness in harmony. In practical terms, sophrology includes some mental and physical exercises, like a guided visualization meditation and gentle movement. 

    Even before the pandemic, 83% of Americans stressed over at least one work-related issue. That equates to 8 out of 10 of your coworkers stressing about work! Layer on the pandemic, and it’s no wonder people are experiencing mental health strains. 

    Below is a 2-3 minute visualization exercise that can change your state of mind dramatically. If you want someone to guide you through a meditation, I teach a free 25-minute guided meditation on the first Wednesday of every month that includes a similar visualization. Sign up here.

    Visualizing Happiness Exercise: 

    1. Close your eyes and think of a place, real or imagined, that brings you happiness.

    2. Visualize the sounds, smells, look, and feel of this place.

    3. Inhale and imagine breathing in calm waves of serenity.

    4. Exhale and allow the good feelings to wash over your body.

    Scheduling in sophrology-type practices can mitigate a stress response, attain the calm needed to respond skillfully to others, and help prevent burnout. BUT you must PLAN to do it. It is experiential, so you must participate in the practices, not just read about them! I suggest putting a recurring appointment on your calendar right now to “RECHARGE”. You won’t be sorry.

    Warmly, 

    Bijal

    The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.

    Click here if you were forwarded this email and would like to sign up to receive my emails. You may unsubscribe at any time.

    Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC

    bijal@huworkteam.com

    Follow HuWork on LinkedIn

  • Cultivate your habit garden

    Even with over a foot of snow this week in Denver, I have SPRING on the mind. Thoughts of spring cleaning and renewal are bubbling to the surface. Spring is a time of rebirth, not only for all the plant life around us, but for our thought processes, systems, and habits. It’s the perfect time of year to clear out anything that isn’t working for us and bring in something new.

    When it comes to HABITS, there are two flavors: 

    • NEGATIVE habit: something you want to STOP doing

    • POSITIVE habit: something you want to START doing

    An image I’ve found helpful for habits is that of a garden in the spring. Old negative habits are the weeds you need to remove to allow the new growth to take hold. Smoking, nail biting, overindulging, too much social media, really any behavior you want to decrease or eliminate can all be thought of as weeds that need to be pulled regularly. 

    New positive habits can be thought of as seeds to be planted. Once the seed is in the soil, it needs to be tended to and nourished until it is established and blossoms. Chewing gum over reaching for a cigarette, filing and painting your nails regularly to keep from chewing on them, and setting screen time limits can all be thought of as new seeds to be planted.

    It is the same with habits. First, identify and stop negative habits (pull the weeds). Next, set an intention for a positive habit (plant the seed). Finally, nurture and track the habit until it is established as part of your routine. 

    Culling the negative habits and planting new habits will lead to a beautiful spring habit garden.

    Warmly, 

    Bijal

    The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.

    Click here if you were forwarded this email and would like to sign up to receive my emails. You may unsubscribe at any time.

    Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC

    bijal@huworkteam.com

    Follow HuWork on LinkedIn

  • Overcome weakness with the 3 D’s

    Our culture emphasizes perfection, but everyone has WEAKNESSES. I define weakness as any activity that is draining (e.g., back-to-back zoom calls for some people) or where you don’t feel strong (e.g., networking or public speaking for some people).

    Some of my many weaknesses include: getting distracted by the shiny new project or idea, focusing on the task more than the relationship when facing a deadline, letting go of control, completing the administrative tasks of running a business, and doing the last 10% of a project so it is fully complete.

    Here is my key message on weaknesses: think about how much TIME you are spending on your weaknesses. If it’s more than 50% of your day, then you are probably feeling incredibly drained and not super successful. This week, try incorporating the 3 D’s: 

    1. Dump it

      • Do you really need to do the task? Can you skip the meeting and get an update afterwards? 

    2. Delegate it

      • Can someone else do the task? What’s a weakness for you, may be a strength for someone else.  You may just be helping the career of someone who reports to you by allowing them to take on new tasks. 

    3. Do it differently

      • Is there another way? We all get stuck in our habitual ways of getting work done. Notably, when  shifting from a “doer” role to a leadership role, it’s hard to envision anyone doing it differently than your way.  Instead, try outsourcing, hiring more people, stacking tasks, or even using one of your strengths to get the task done with more joy and perhaps more efficiently.

    It’s okay to admit what you’re not great at – your weaknesses do NOT define who you are. Intentionally doing fewer tasks in your weakness categories can, in fact, help you. So the next time you feel your energy or motivation get zapped at the mere thought of doing a task that is a weakness of yours, try one of the 3 D’s: Dump it, delegate it, do it differently.

    Warmly, 

    Bijal

    The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.

    Click here if you were forwarded this email and would like to sign up to receive my emails. You may unsubscribe at any time.

    Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC

    bijal@huworkteam.com

    Follow HuWork on LinkedIn

  • The resilient human

    I’m curious – has your week gone exactly as planned? If you said yes, then I would guess that you are not truly planning out your day or are in denial. The ability to be ready to effectively respond to life’s challenges, whether minor ones such as not having an ingredient for a meal, or more serious ones like a loved one’s illness, is referred to as one’s resilience.

    Are you easily kicked off balance by unexpected things? Do you struggle to be present in interactions, or find it challenging to keep emotions under control? If so, you could likely use a booster in resiliency skills.

    Reut Schwartz-Hebron, a former Army Lieutenant turned author and trainer, teaches people the neuroscience of resilience, which is a fancy way of saying she uses science-backed methods to show people how to build resilience. Her approach aligns with mine, in that she teaches both quick fixes when in the moment of stress, as well as the longer term habits to build a foundation of resilience.

    Some highlights include:

    • In the moment resiliency: See things as they are. Park your expectations and bring a non-judgemental sense of curiosity to the situation. Accepting things as they are without resenting that the situation isn’t different is a great first step. Simple, but not easy.

    • Long term resiliency foundation:

      • Build fungible vs. domain-specific skills: fungible skills can be applied in a variety of situations whereas domain-specific skills are not transferable easily as they specify “if x happens, do Y”. For example, when you are feeling triggered, noticing where you feel the discomfort in your body is a fungible skill.

      • Practice accepting that more than one “truth” is possible. How might “A” and “B” be possible? Can the seemingly contradicting truths co-exist? Practice seeing the full complexity of an issue, building your tolerance for uncertainty, and responding in a flexible way.

    Like a muscle, the more you practice these resiliency skills, the stronger you will get at them. Eventually, your brain will literally rewire the way it responds to life’s challenges. If you are interested in learning more, join the Neuroscience & Difficult Change group on LinkedIn that Reut and I are part of: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13725904/

    Warmly, 

    Bijal

    The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.

    Click here if you were forwarded this email and would like to sign up to receive my emails. You may unsubscribe at any time.

    Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC

    bijal@huworkteam.com

    Follow HuWork on LinkedIn

  • Do you need to zoom out?

    Most professions have multiple frameworks to help their clients. Coaching is no exception. Here is a deceptively simple concept that can be invaluable for someone stuck in indecision, frustrated with a lack of progress, or unsure of how to move forward.

    The concept is called “Zoom out, zoom in”. The basic premise involves shifting your perspective from narrow to broad to gain insights on how to move forward.

    Here’s how it works:

    1.     Step 1: Think of an area of your life where you are stuck. At work, with your children, with your projects. You get the idea.

    2.     Step 2: “Zoom out”. Take a bird’s eye view of your situation. To get into this perspective, ask yourself: What kind of person do I want to be remembered as? What values are important to me? What’s my vision about this area of my life 5 years from now? I encourage you to write your insights down on paper.

    3.     Step 3: “Zoom in”. Using the new awareness gained from zooming out, now you can start getting more granular by asking yourself: What is the next step I can take to move this forward? What will I say? How will I prepare? What do I need to do to get to that vision? Notes can really help here as well.

    This “Zoom out, zoom in” framework can help you get unstuck if you feel like you are spinning your wheels unproductively. Don’t let its surface simplicity deceive you into thinking it is an effortless process. Digging deep is never easy. But always worth the effort. 

    Take good care,

    Bijal

    November 2020 offer: Get a link to take the StandOut strengths assessment + 2-hour debrief on your results and coaching on a topic for $150. Reply to this email if interested.

    The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.

    Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC

    bijal@huworkteam.com

    Let’s chat! Schedule a brainstorming session with me here

    Follow HuWork on LinkedIn

  • Biohacking yourself

    On a recent Saturday, I attended an 8-hour biohacking conference organized by Dave Asprey, the guy who coined the term “biohacking”. My working definition of BIOHACKING is “The act of taking intentional steps to positively influence one’s biology or psychology.” At the conference, all 1700 attendees learned a TON of different ways to better our bodies and how we show up in life.

     Biohacks range in price points and time commitment. The good news is that some biohacks are completely free, like choosing a specific breathing technique depending on how you want to feel. And some biohacks take no time at all – you just have to remember to do them, like wearing blue-light blocking glasses when using your devices after sunset.

    I walked out of the conference feeling so uplifted and optimistic about how much influence we can have on our body and mind…if we choose to use that power.

    If I reflect back, I think I was a biohacker before it was a “thing”. My parents are both physicians trained in eastern and western approaches to health, so starting when I was a child, we would often discuss supplements, food, and other ways to positively impact our mind and body. Even though my dad is no longer part of this world, I think he would be really proud that I’ve recently joined the faculty of Human Potential Institute, a rare coach training organization that includes biohacking as a coaching skill.

     If you are interested in this topic, below are some highlights from the biohacking conference, as well as my personal take on the topics. Want to learn more? I invite you to book a 20-minute call with me to do a quick biohacking run down as it would apply to your life.

     1.     Biohack your STATE OF MIND: I’ve often said, “We still have prehistoric brains living in our modern-day society.” The survival instinct worked really well to keep us physically safe when we were avoiding a predator centuries ago. But this instinct ignores our emotional well-being. So it’s not that helpful in our current world to feel as if you want to flee from a customer or fight with your boss. But you can use different breathing techniques to tame this survival instinct and change your state of mind.

    ·       Exhale > inhale: When you make your exhale longer than your inhale, you send a signal to yourself that you are not under threat. Think about how you take a long exhale when you sit on your couch at the end of long day.

    ·       Alternate nostril breathing: When I learned this from my dad I scoffed at it, but now when I measure my nervous system and heart rate variability using the InnerBalance biofeedback tool, I see how this breathing technique changes my state of mind and body within 1 minute. Here’s a video if you want to try it out.

    ·       Wim Hof Meditation: a slightly more complicated breathing method that can optionally include training in the cold to change your energy and temperature.

    2.     Biohacking your EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: You can take small steps to influence your health by adjusting your environment.

    ·       JUNK LIGHT: I don’t wear prescription lenses, but you’ll often see me wearing glasses on video calls with clients or students to block the excessive unnatural blue light from all the screens. You can buy glasses now with clear lenses, so no one will even know. If I feel a headache or eye strain in the afternoon, I immediately grab a pair and it’s pretty magical how I instantly feel better. Here are the glasses I use.

    ·       The AIR we breathe: With all of us inside more than ever, it’s important to make sure the air you breathe is good quality. You don’t want fumes, mold, chemicals making their way into your lungs and eventually blood and organs. Get a good air filter for your office and bedroom, the two places you spend the most time. Reach out if you want recommendations.

    3.     Biohacking your INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: FASTING. Our ancestors often had to go hours if not days without a meal. Have you ever tried intermittent fasting? I personally saw my blood markers improve when I started skipping my typical breakfast, or at least delaying it. If you are interested in learning more about intermittent fasting, schedule time here.

    I hope you are inspired to experiment with biohacking as a way to influence your mind and body. And if you are already a biohacker, what are your favorite health hacks? I’d love to learn from you.

    November offer: Get a link to take the StandOut strengths assessment + 2-hour debrief on your results and coaching on a topic for $150. Reply to this email if interested.

    Take good care,

    Bijal

    The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.

    Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC

    bijal@huworkteam.com

    Let’s chat! Schedule a brainstorming session with me here

    Follow HuWork on LinkedIn

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