Family – Page 17 – MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors

How Heat Waves and Record Breaking Temperatures Can Affect Your Health

Five takeaways:

June 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, and heat waves continue to batter the country. To understand the health risks this poses, we must first understand what extreme heat is. Extreme heat is defined as a period of high heat and humidity with temps above 90 degrees for two to three days. /li>

The body responds to excess heat by releasing it through sweating and increased blood flow to the skin’s surface. Excessive sweating can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Extreme heat can also strain the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks, and has been linked to various health issues such as pulmonary and kidney-related problems, as well as mental-health concerns. In severe cases, when the body cannot cool itself properly, it may lead to organ damage or failure and potential death.

Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke are two different things. Heat exhaustion symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, irritability, thirst, and decreased urine output and eventually vomiting. The symptoms of heat stroke may resemble and then surpass those of heat exhaustion. Patients might suffer from altered mental states or confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness. Without immediate attention, heat stroke can lead to death or permanent organ damage.

Everyone’s tolerance for heat is different. Infants, older adults, or people with pre-existing health conditions are at risk. Everyone is at risk when exposed for long periods; people who experience heat-related illnesses are at higher risk of chronic heart and kidney disease.

In a heat wave, listen to your body. Drink plenty of fluids, avoid alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, and limit outdoor activities.

From Dominique Mosbergen at The Wall Street Journal:

Read the whole story.

Note: At the time of this posting The Wall Street Journal requires a subscription to read this article.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Managing Anxiety When There’s No Room for Error

Nine takeaways:

In the workplace, perfection can feel like the only option. The fear of making a mistake can lead to crippling anxiety that only adds to the risk of an error and can have hugely negative impacts outside of work.

Distinguish between big and small mistakes: Focusing on every possible mistake can distract you from the most significant or costly ones. Speak to colleagues and study your role to gain full comprehension of the most common and most costly errors. It will give you the feeling of having your feet beneath you when assessing the risk of error.

Adopt risk-reducing systems and habits: perfection is impossible. You can implement risk-reducing systems and habits, like checklists or standard protocols (think about the way pilots have a list of checks they do before takeoff) and cultivate a culture that encourages reporting near-misses and sharing diverse viewpoints. Such approaches focus on learning rather than blaming, and they reward the identification of unknown risks.

Get support to address your weaknesses: Acknowledge the areas of your job in which you’re most prone to error, and address them through the assistance of a mentor, consultant, therapist, or friend. Self-improvement, more often than not, involves many besides just the self.

Play on your strengths: Use your strengths to mitigate your weaknesses. For instance- if you are a visual person, set visual reminders for yourself that assist you in safeguarding against your weaknesses.

Address self-sabotaging behaviors: When we’re very anxious about something, we often self-sabotage in ways that increase the chances of the feared thing happening. Spend the extra money on the tools you need, ask for extra time on tasks if needed. Believe in your own ability to overcome your shortcomings.

Collaborate with others focused on the same issues: Seek out solutions in group environments and find groups that share your fears or deal with similar challenges. Consider getting involved in larger efforts to reduce mistakes in your field or role.

Reduce small-threat distraction by taking simple actions to mitigate those risks: Take simple actions that help reduce the frequency of minor problems- the “low hanging fruit.” Address minor potential mistakes to the extent that they free up your mental capacity to think about and prevent larger ones.

Consider a hobby that allows you to make mistakes: Take up an activity in which mistakes and false starts aren’t at all costly. The author cites a CEO who alleviates the pressure of his work environment by going surfing- a relaxing hobby in which mistakes are not frowned upon but expected and celebrated.

From Alice Boyes for The Harvard Business Review
Read the whole story.

Note: At the time of this posting Harvard Business Review offers two free article views per month. Four if you register for a free account.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

5 Habits for Crafting the Perfect Remote Work Day

Five takeaways:

Despite endless statistics about how remote work increases productivity, working from home is a relatively new concept that takes a lot of trial and error before finding a routine that works. Productivity isn’t an innate skill (for most people anyway). It’s not even a skill really – it’s a series of habits that take consistent patience to build.

The writer then lists five habits to making your WFH day as productive and pleasant as possible, noting how often we are confronted by the difference between expectation and reality. The tips are:

Getting an Early Start: Oftentimes, we can wake up and jump into problem-solving mode (which, as referenced in the first article today, can derail an entire workday). Instead, plan to handle your biggest tasks as early as possible and stick to that plan. Save smaller, less urgent tasks for later on if possible.

Deciding Where to Work: Working from home can be isolating, but working from cafes or coworking spaces can be expensive and distracting. One must invest in their home office space to … splurge a bit on a desk or chair or other decor that keeps you inspired to get the job done. Don’t be afraid to experiment as you find the balance that works for you.

Prioritizing Tasks: Everything feels like the most important thing, so be intentional about what needs to get done first. Research concepts such as the Eisenhower Matrix or Eat That Frog that can assist with prioritization. Remember, the process of prioritizing tasks can take its toll on your mental bandwidth as well. Be decisive quickly, then work to tune other tasks out as you attack your most important goals for the day.

Scheduling Uninterrupted Deep Work: There are a plethora of tools available to us that assist in minimizing distraction. Multiple apps (look into Forest and Zero Willpower) are good places to start. It is an important mental habit; by allowing ourselves to be distracted, we’re actually weakening our brains’ ability to focus on “deep work” in the long term. Distractions are unavoidable, but our reaction to them is something we can control.

Maintaining Work-Life Balance: Set firm boundaries and do not waver on them. Incorporate a scheduled time off and build activities into that time off that service the human need for adventure, connection, creativity, and relaxation. Every individual has a different balance they must strike, but we all must be deliberate in pursuing full understanding of that balance. Doing so will guarantee a more refreshed mental approach to your work.

From Sarah Aboulhosn for Todoist
Read the whole story.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

7 Mindless Habits That Are Making You Unproductive At Work

Seven takeaways:

Focus is valuable, and difficult to regain. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that workers who are interrupted by phone calls and emails need an average of about 23 minutes to get back on task and end up feeling more stress and frustration than their peers.

The article then lists seven common habits that push workers into distraction:

Constantly checking your phone during lulls: Time management coach Anna Dearmon Kornick suggests scheduling specific “scroll time” in your day to indulge in social media without impeding your productivity. By allocating dedicated time for phone usage, you are less likely to impulsively reach for your phone and fall into the trap of mindlessly scrolling through apps.

Doing unrelated tasks that will “only take a second”: Stepping away from the day’s most important tasks can disrupt your workflow and derail your focus. To combat this, create a “shiny thing list” of off-work tasks that might pop into your head and set aside specific intervals to address them. Career coach Anyelis Cordero recommends working in distraction-free intervals to enhance productivity. Focused work sprints of 90 minutes often yield better results than hours of scattered multitasking.

You open too many tabs on your web browser: Hoarding browser tabs can cause stress and distraction, but using tab organizers or background managers can help declutter and focus your browsing experience. Research tools like OneTab which converts all your open tabs into a convenient list.

You impulsively check Slack and other work chat platforms: Chat windows can interrupt focus and create more work for yourself, so setting boundaries with teammates and utilizing status updates and calendar blocking can help manage interruptions. Immediately responding to notifications can create an expectation that you will always be available, which further inhibits your ability to retain necessary focus.

You start solving problems right away, before determining if they’re actually your problems to solve: It is natural, when you encounter a new problem at work, to want to jump directly into problem-solving mode. But it can be a safeguard of your time and attention to take a moment to assess the situation; be sure that the problem is your responsibility to fix and that it is fully understood by you and your team.

You assume you are right: One of the most dangerously wasteful mindsets is to believe you have mastered your job. This mindset can lead you to resist change that may make your processes more efficient. Listen to others, research new technologies and techniques; embrace the need to adapt and change in the workplace– viewing it as an ever-shifting quest to find the most pragmatic, direct solutions available to you when presented with problems new or familiar.

You schedule unnecessary meetings: Forty-seven percent of workers surveyed by Salary.com in 2012 said “too many meetings” was their top workplace distraction. Streamline meetings and eliminate them when you can. This will safeguard your own time and give others a chance to extend their periods of deep focus as well.

From Monica Torres for The Huffington Post
Read the whole story.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Archives

Five takeaways:

Nine takeaways:

Five takeaways:

Seven takeaways: