Showing posts with label development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label development. Show all posts
Friday, 19 January 2018
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Impacts of Stress
Impacts of Stress
Every living being in the world often experiences stress. It
is basically a physical response of the brain and the body to any potential
threat or demand.
When your body feels the potential of stress it releases a
complex mix of hormones and chemicals causing a number of reactions in the
body. These reactions could be your knees and hands getting shaky; your palms
get sweaty, and your heartbeat and breathing getting faster. These reactions
are caused due to the release of a hormone called adrenaline which temporarily
affects your nervous system. Some people can recover from stressful events more
quickly than others. A stress reaction may be a one-time event, for short
period of time or can frequently be happening over a long period of time. You
might experience stress from day to day activities, like the pressure of work,
school, family, divorce, illness, events like an accident, natural disaster
etc.
However, stress can be life-saving in some situations:
- Stressful situations lead to the release of chemicals which can give you a boost of energy, which also enables you to focus your attention so you can react quickly to the situation.
- The quickness of pulse, faster breathing, use of more oxygen and increased activity in your brain are all aimed at your body to prepare to face a threat.
- The stress response can help you perform well under pressure. It can help you mount to a challenge; focus and can boost your energy. It is a part of learning and growing up.
- It can also motivate you while preparing or performing certain tasks like take a test or an interview for a new job.
Everyone is exposed to stressful situations in their lifetime. How an individual copes with it can lead to a wide variety of health problems.
- If the stress response goes on for a long period of time it is called chronic stress which can hamper your health. During chronic stress, the mixed hormones and chemicals get released rapidly. These can suppress the immune system, sleep, digestion and reproductive system.
- A longer period of stress can release chemicals which can leave a person to feeling tired or overwhelmed.
- People who suffer from stress for long durations of time can become sick, unable to concentrate or think and even suffer from mental breakdowns.
- Chronic stress can cause one to drink too much alcohol or intake of nicotine which can increase your blood pressure and may damage the artery walls.
The continued strain of stress in your body can cause mental
disorders like depression or anxiety.
Conclusion
We should all take steps to manage stress so that it does not impact our health. There are different methods such as Yoga, meditation, etc. which help to alleviate stress.
Modern lifestyle has seen a rise in stress levels among
people. One of the most common causes of stress for parents is the poor
academic performance of their kids.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9862312
Saturday, 23 December 2017
Smart Work Precedes Hard Work
Smart Work Precedes Hard Work: Top 5 Tips for Increasing Efficiency
A famous proverb says, "Industry is the key to
success." However, working very hard, but without effective smartness, can
move success even further. Sister Mary Lauretta says, "To be successful,
the first thing to do is fall in love with your work." By falling in love,
you started feeling passionate and aroused towards your work, and thus you
start making effective plans for better results. Therefore, the ability of
planning, organizing and executing tasks smartly is a prerequisite for success.
Following are top 5 tips for increasing efficiency in your work and getting
closer to success:
1. Never multitask:
Though people usually refer to multitasking a lot, no such
thing exists in reality. According to Devora Zack, multitasking is an illusion,
as the human brain cannot be at two different places at the same time. So, what
people refer to as "multitasking" is actually switching between
tasks, while not completing any of them perfectly. Yes, sometimes we grow
muscle memories, and those allow us to do two tasks at the same time, e.g.,
eating and watching TV. However, these are not really "multitasking,"
as we cannot divide our concentration equally among two tasks. We either need
to focus on eating, while almost forgetting what we're watching; or we need to
focus on watching TV, while accidentally eating a chili instead of a bean.
Therefore, you should instead focus on one single task at once and do not move
to another work until the job is finished. To get help with this, follow tip #
2.
2. Let Zeigarnik Effect Help you:
Zeigarnik effect refers to the theory which claims that
people remember tasks that are left incomplete, instead of completed tasks.
Therefore, if you start a job, your mind will continuously remind you of
completing the work. So, instead of sitting and planning for a lot of time,
just start a task and then make plans in between; as your brain will help you
complete the task once you start it.
Let this tendency help you to work around psychological
situations like writer's block. When you can't work, just start working, the
brain will help you overcome the rest of the issues.
3. Sleep in Cycles:
It is mandatory to be in perfect awareness of your mind
during your work; and without sleeping perfectly, it is impossible to do so.
Researchers claim that our body sleeps in 90 minutes' cycles on an average. Try
to wake up after a complete 90 minutes' cycle. This will make sure a refreshing
condition of your mind and body every morning. So, instead of sleeping for 7
hours, sleep for 6 hours or 7 and a half; whichever is more suitable for you.
However, the cycle varies a bit from person to person. So, find your sleeping
cycle and try not to wake up in the middle of a cycle. There are several apps
for helping you to find out your own sleep cycle.
4. Use Every Morning Most Efficiently:
Surveys and researches debate that human body is generally
at the peak of its performance during the first few hours at work, as our body
remains most energetic and enthusiastic in the morning. So, try to complete
most crucial day tasks in the first couple of hours of your day. If there are
different types of tasks that you have to do regularly, schedule the hardest or
the most critical tasks for the morning. Though many companies schedule
meetings in the mornings, try to avoid the practice. Morning is for being most
productive, not for lengthy discussions. Never spend early morning hours in
checking emails (unless that's the most important task for your job), checking
out Facebook or Twitter pages, replying to messengers, etc.
unproductive/less-productive tasks.
5. Never Miss Your Breakfast:
Though we popularly tend to miss our breakfast mostly and
eat a lot during our lunch, it is a very harmful practice, according to
experts. Even if you're getting late for office or an important meeting, do not
miss your breakfast. Breakfasts make sure that you can work perfectly in the
first few hours, and get the best out of yourself for your most productive
works.
Therefore, though it is emphasized that you should
"work hard in silence and let your success be the noise" for you, you
should be following smart work techniques for becoming successful.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9823527
Thursday, 14 December 2017
What does your Job Description Means to you?
Successful People Have Little Interest In Their Job Description
When
working as an IT Staff Analyst for a major insurance and investment company one
of my duties included collecting budget data from several managers. The
managers were often busy with meetings, which meant that I would approach leads
to see if they could supply the information. The numbers I needed were
operational in nature, which meant that most people in the department had
access to them. However, when I asked the non-managers for assistance, in most
cases I was told that I had to wait for the manager to provide it. They made it
clear that since this item was not in their job description, they weren't going
to help me.
I
understand that people are busy, and they have the right to tell me to go fly a
kite. However, I know that top performers are going to do what is possible to
provide the assistance that I need. In the example noted above, the information
would take about 10 minutes to secure. Unfortunately, when the manager was
busy, no one was available to help me.
Focus on Solving Problems
I once
attended a professional development seminar, and the speaker made a comment
that has stuck with me. He said, "The reason we're hired to work in any
company is to solve problems. If you want to increase the amount of money you
earn, figure out a way to solve bigger problems." While this advice is
simple, it makes a ton of sense. In my first job out of college, I was hired at
Shell Oil Company as a Revenue Accountant. I spent most of my data updating oil
and gas lease accounts. The work was straightforward, and once I learned the
process, I could do it in my sleep. Given that the problems I was solving could
be handled by any other entry level worker, the pay was average.
My goal was
to become a meaningful participant for the organizations where I worked. I knew
that becoming a subject matter expert (SME) was going to make a big difference
in the hourly rate I could charge. As I improved my skills, and solved higher
level problems for my clients, the compensation improved. Of course, it's
important to know that big problems require a significant investment in time,
and they carry more risk. By taking the lead in these situations, the person is
going to be on the radar. It's imperative that we find the best possible
solution given the factors that are present.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Jimmie_Flores/1035070
Wednesday, 13 December 2017
The Importance of Personal Development
Personal Development & Growth
It is not uncommon, for the terms, personal development and
growth, to be met with a certain amount of sighing and an expression of 'been
there done that'! We've been learning about the idea since we were in school
and we've been working on it since forever. So, what is going to be different
about this one?
Well, for starters I am not going to be talking about the
conventional idea. Secondly, I am a believer of skill development. If it isn't
taking you ahead, it doesn't matter. Whatever the subject, it needs to add
value. Otherwise, it belongs in the bin. So let's familiarise ourselves with
what actually goes into the whole process of personal development and growth.
Understanding Personal Development and Growth
1. It refers to the accumulation of life skills that help a
person to live a productive and satisfying life.
2. PERSONAL Development and PERSONALITY Development are two
very different things!3. When we talk about personal development, we are essentially talking about achieving success. It could be professional or personal.
4. It involves setting attainable goals and using problem solving strategies that will help you attain growth.
A very crucial point is, Personal development, unlike
personality development, cannot be inculcated. It cannot be given to you in a
beautifully wrapped gift basket or as a 4 week program! You are your only hope
as far as personal development is concerned.
This is because it is a lifelong process. With every new
hurdle, you will pick up a new skill and that skill will lead to more growth
and development. Although there is no set path on how to achieve personal
development (since it is subjective), I will point out the activities that it
entails.
Markers for Personal Development & Growth
1. Improved self-awareness
You gain a better understanding of yourself. Your strength, weakness, abilities and also what is beyond your capabilities.2. Greater self-knowledge
It is one thing to be aware and a totally different thing to
know. When we undertake personal development, we have the opportunity to get to
know ourselves better. Because the truth is, we know practically nothing about
ourselves. Others know more than we do! So it is important that we find out
more about ourselves.
3. Learning new skills
You will pick up new skills, related to your work or even to your personal life. There is an enhancement of our skill set and we become proficient in more ways.4. Improving existing skills
It is not always about learning new things. Every now and then, the armour which is already in the arsenal needs to be sharpened. You already learnt so much over the years. Now, get on to making them better.5. Setting better targets
99% of the times, we fail to achieve our targets because we set unrealistic ones. There is no shame in failing, but it is stupid to set a bar that is beyond one's imagination to reach. So in order to develop, we must make it a habit to set short term, achievable goals.6. Identifying potential
I am talking about those hidden talents. Maybe even suppressed talents. All of us have a truckload of those. It is essential to bring them out of the closet.
Remember, we can never be the best version of ourselves,
until and unless we are doing what we love to do. You may also have some skills
that you didn't know about! We"ll be even better! Time to bring those to
the forefront.
7. Improving Social Skills
This is not only for the socially awkward. If you are someone who gets uncomfortable in social situations, then no doubt, personal development will help you to become more open and comfortable.
But also people who are absolutely comfortable in social
situations, the question is, "Are you interesting enough to spend time
with?" Find out. Get to know everything about the person you are and
compare it with the person you think you are. The results may just astound you!
8. Personal Autonomy
In simple words, making a decision and executing it, without outside influence. You are the captain of your ship and nobody knows how to sail it better than you. There is a sense of independence that comes from personal development. The rule is simple. Eye on the prize.
Personal development and growth are not something you can
measure in quantifiable units always. But the measurement in my view is simple.
Ask yourself, "Am I better than I was yesterday? Or am
I still the same old?" The answer will determine the outcome of your
decisions. So keep that on. Don't always consider success as the only marker.
Success is a great marker, but definitely not the only one. You are much more
than your last success and your next failure.
Be your own champion.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles
