1326: 4 Ways to Stop Work Stress From Following You Home by Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan with Live Happy

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Work Daily, Episode 1326.

[00:00:03] Four Ways to Stop Work Stress from Following You Home by Sean Acor and Michelle Gielin with

[00:00:09] LiveHappy.com.

[00:00:11] And I am your narrator Dan.

[00:00:13] Welcome to this Saturday edition and we're going to get right to the post now and start

[00:00:16] optimizing your life.

[00:00:22] Four Ways to Stop Work Stress from Following You Home by Sean Acor and Michelle Gielin

[00:00:27] with LiveHappy.com.

[00:00:30] While work stress might start at work, let's admit that it never stays there.

[00:00:35] Companies demand more from employees not only in terms of tasks but also time and technology

[00:00:41] makes work not only omnipresent but omnipossible.

[00:00:45] This increased demand has negative consequences even for those not on the company payroll

[00:00:50] as work stress seeps into home life.

[00:00:53] Since we are married happiness researchers, this topic is not only professionally interesting

[00:00:57] but personally important to us.

[00:01:00] We have both fallen into the trap of getting stressed at work outside of the house and

[00:01:04] then bringing that stress home to inflict on the other, even when we know better.

[00:01:09] Based on our work with nearly half the Fortune 100 companies, we believe that the solution

[00:01:13] to helping ourselves and our loved ones deal with the stress of work comes, ironically,

[00:01:19] from the very companies that give it to us.

[00:01:21] The problem is not merely that work is too powerful of a demand, it is that we fail to

[00:01:26] create a strong enough protective culture at home.

[00:01:29] Only by understanding how the best companies create positive cultures can we replicate

[00:01:34] those successes at home to create a family culture that rejuvenates and restores us.

[00:01:39] It's imperative we stop letting a toxic company culture dictate our family culture.

[00:01:45] Positive cultures are based on often unspoken rules that encourage habits that support high

[00:01:49] levels of well-being and success.

[00:01:52] Just as a car gets regular maintenance, forward-thinking organizations set up a culture that encourages

[00:01:57] routines that help recharge and renew employees, such as taking vacation days, meditating

[00:02:03] as a mid-morning break, and regularly receiving meaningful praise.

[00:02:07] These positive behaviors are good for the individual and the company.

[00:02:11] Our research has found that if you take 11 or more of your vacation days, you're 30%

[00:02:16] more likely to receive a raise.

[00:02:18] And that positive outcome is not simply because people missed you.

[00:02:22] The break from work relaxes your mind and body and puts you back in the performance zone,

[00:02:26] which leads to better quality work.

[00:02:29] Aetna made time for meditation during the workday and subsequently decreased employee

[00:02:33] health care costs and increased work satisfaction.

[00:02:37] We have been experimenting with strengthening our family culture at home so that work doesn't

[00:02:41] take over.

[00:02:42] Try these research-based practices to help set up and maintain a positive family culture.

[00:02:48] 1.

[00:02:49] Hold a stakeholders meeting.

[00:02:51] Too often we live life as it unfolds, without intention.

[00:02:57] We invite all members of the family old enough to meaningfully contribute to a meeting to

[00:03:00] discuss family values.

[00:03:02] What kind of environment do you want to create inside your home?

[00:03:05] How do you want to spend your time?

[00:03:07] What are the rules around the use of electronics?

[00:03:10] By identifying your values and setting your collective plan of how you'll support that

[00:03:14] vision, you can start to craft a life that follows it.

[00:03:18] Set up an environment that is nurturing and relaxing so you get a mental break.

[00:03:22] 2.

[00:03:23] Start culture at the door.

[00:03:26] When we walked through the door to address senior leaders at Kimbell International, it

[00:03:29] was clear what the organization stands for, because its mission statement and values are

[00:03:34] posted at the door.

[00:03:35] A similar physical reminder of culture at home can refocus family members as they walk

[00:03:40] through the door after a long day at the office.

[00:03:43] Post loving messages, a list of values, or even pictures of you as a family living those

[00:03:48] values.

[00:03:49] Think of this as a visual reset button so you start your time at home with a renewed

[00:03:53] mindset.

[00:03:55] 3.

[00:03:56] Bag up tech.

[00:03:58] Social connection is one of the greatest predictors of long-term happiness, but we can't create

[00:04:02] that with phones in our faces.

[00:04:04] A study published in the Psychology of Popular Media Culture found that of the women surveyed

[00:04:09] who were in a romantic relationship, 25% said their loved ones sent text messages or emails

[00:04:14] to other people while they were having a face-to-face conversation.

[00:04:18] Move your phone out of your physical space so it's not easy to absentmindedly use it.

[00:04:23] We've experimented with putting our phones in a zip-top bag with a rubber band around

[00:04:27] it as a reminder.

[00:04:28] Consider leaving at least one person's phone at home for the day to get a chance to detox.

[00:04:33] And 4.

[00:04:34] Sleep your way to the top.

[00:04:37] Research shows we make more positive memories if we get more sleep.

[00:04:40] In a study from the University of California, Berkeley, in which people were asked to memorize

[00:04:45] two lists of words, one positive and one negative, those with five hours of sleep remembered

[00:04:50] the same number of negative words, about 80%, but significantly fewer positive words

[00:04:56] than those who got eight hours of sleep.

[00:04:58] Write positive memories with your spouse by hitting the hay together early.

[00:05:02] You can help your spouse support this positive habit by brushing your teeth in plain sight

[00:05:06] or turning off the lights in the bedroom to remind him or her that the day is over.

[00:05:15] You just listened to the post titled, 4 Ways to Stop Work Stress from Following You Home

[00:05:20] by Sean Acor and Michelle Gielin with LiveHappy.com.

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[00:06:24] And thank you so much to Sean, Michelle, and the whole team at livehappy.com.

[00:06:28] They take you on a journey to find your authentic happiness in life, at work, and at home through

[00:06:33] inspiring stories and hands-on tips rooted in the science of positive psychology.

[00:06:39] Live Happy is a national magazine, website, podcast, line of gifts, and apparel.

[00:06:44] Their award-winning content offers in-depth features and the latest news on mindfulness,

[00:06:49] health and wellness, gratitude, and resilience, all delivered through fascinating stories

[00:06:54] about people, whether they be celebrities, authors, or ordinary people with extraordinary

[00:06:58] lives.

[00:06:59] Their work is also regularly featured over on Optimal Living Daily.

[00:07:03] So if you like this kind of content, I would recommend checking out that podcast as well.

[00:07:07] But that's going to do it for today here on Optimal Work Daily.

[00:07:10] I do hope you have a great start to your weekend if you're listening to me in real time.

[00:07:14] And I'll see you once again tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.