Today I’d like to share with you two stories of some of my dearest clients. Their names have been changed to protect their privacy, but read their stories and see whether they resonate with you.Banking Burnout The first story is about Steve, Managing Director of Sales in the Sydney office of a global investment bank. Late 40s, 2 kids, over 15 years married to his college sweetheart, and a quite brilliant banking career covering 3 continents, Steven was struggling with stress so much that he was experiencing anxiety attacks, both at the home and in the office. During the weekend he [...]
When the pressure of stress is too hard to handle, our body and unconscious mind are desperately looking for a way out. Coping mechanisms help us to make it through a long day or a rough period. But when we’re sucked into a spiral of anxiety and stress it can be tough to create healthy behaviours. We’re all human, and sometimes the easiest way looks the most appealing, so don’t judge yourself if you recognise some of your coping mechanisms in the list below. Acknowledge and accept the problem, I have a solution for you! What are the most common but unhealthy ways to cope with[...]
More than half of the world population live in cities and urbanisation shows no sign of slowing. City living can be tremendously exciting and full of stimulus - art exhibitions, restaurants and global cuisines, theatre openings, you name it! And needless to say, career opportunities are greater, shopping is greater and transportation is easier too. I’ve lived in cities for more than 90% of my life, and I’d also highlight that urban life is not all fun and games. In fact, City slickers are 21% more likely to have anxiety disorders and 39% more likely to have mood disorders [...]
Stress is the natural response of the body to danger and has been a critical factor in the survival of our human species. Yet today, stress has become one of the worst plagues of our times. The World Health Organization claims stress has become a “World Wide Epidemic.” In 2017, 75% of Americans experienced at least one symptom of stress (American Psychology Association, 2017). So, if you’ve been feeling extremely tense and preoccupied lately, know that you’re not alone. How does stress work? During a perceived threat our Amygdala - located in the back brain and [...]
Great leaders – in politics or business – have one common trait: they inspire people to exert extraordinary effort and passion in doing anything. And the most extraordinary part is that people who follow leaders embrace their mission like it was self-conceived! To be a true inspiration you’ll need to lead by example and establish great standards for your team. Here are some of my favourite tricks in the Leadership toolbox. Let’s see if you have all the cards to win your team’s esteem!1. Strategic Vision Be the captain of your ship! Give your team a clear [...]
Leaders will be those who empower others – Bill Gates Bill Gates’ life hasn’t been all fun and games: he dropped out of Harvard University, his first company went out bust, his search engine Bing was a total flop and – well – we all remember the pain of using Microsoft Vista and Internet Explorer 6!! But none of these little rocks in the road ever stopped him. He’s one of the most successful humans of our time and a brilliant example of inspiring leadership. Let’s take a look at what qualities provide genuine motivation for all of us.1. Dream & Do [...]
Millennials have been blamed for all kinds of workplace sins: from being lazy, unreliable and irreverent to ungrateful, job-hoppers who, for sure, are way more interested in their social media than anything else! The truth? Millennials are often workaholics whose potential has been constantly misinterpreted and underestimated, who actually feel guilty when they need to take time off (Harvard Business Review, 2017). So, how do we go about motivating the future asset of our organisations and make them bloom into great managers? Here I’ll show you 7 KEY ways to motivate millennials!1. Share[...]
Motivation is way more than willpower. It’s a terrific force – internal or external - that controls, stimulates and maximizes our behaviour in order to achieve a goal, aspiration, job or role. Whether you’re a manager, a freelancer, an entrepreneur, or if you just want to achieve your latest goal, it’s essential to feel driven and inspired. Motivation isn’t an abstract concept, it’s actually in your brain: science shows that motivation produces Dopamine, which regulates the capability of learning (Hamid et al., 2015) so we can use it as our inner secret [...]
Meditation has become more popular than ever over the last 5 years. Forget the 60’s and 70’s when meditating was just for hippies. Forget the 80’s and 90’s, when it was for New Age weirdos. Nowadays meditation is for everyone, from CEOs to kindergarten children. In the US the number of adults who are meditating regularly rose almost 350% from 2012 to 2017. with 14.2% of adults in 2017 having a regular practice. What are the reasons for this massive increase in meditation practices? 1. Stress Reduction 21st Century stress and busy-ness has led [...]
Gratitude is one of the most important tools we can use to change our lives and those of others for the better. Some say its vibration is more powerful even than love. So, it’s therefore a critical practice for our daily prescription of stress-reduction. We all have something to feel grateful for, even in tough times! Don’t let everyday life and stress kill your appreciation towards what life has gifted you. Start a gratitude journal and write down every day at least 5 things you are thankful for and when you really feel in a low mood or overwhelmed, read it out loud. The practice [...]
