26 Weekly Challenges for Happier, More Productive

Transcription

26 Weekly Challenges
for Happier, More
Productive Employees
Six months of team-building and self-development challenges
to boost employee productivity, confidence, collaboration,
engagement, and wellbeing. BROUGHT TO YOU BY
www.mazlo.me
Introduction
A company’s lifeblood is its workforce. While revenue is the nourishment a business needs to
thrive and grow, an engaged staff is the beating heart that keeps the brand alive.
How can you develop your team so they contribute their best selves to your company’s
success? Show your employees you care about their personal growth by providing them
the life skills they need to lead happier, healthier, more productive lives, both at home and at
work. They’ll love you for it, and you’ll love seeing a boost in their energy and engagement.
In collaboration with subject matter experts in mindfulness, nutrition, fitness, and social skills,
Mazlo has developed this e-book to provide you with 6 months of creative ideas to get your
employees practicing new self-improvement techniques. Whether Denise in HR needs to
lose weight to control her diabetes, or Harold in Accounting wants to relieve his stress after a
divorce, or Laura in Sales could use better communication skills with prospects, you and your
employees will find real, measurable benefits by implementing the changes in this e-book.
How To Use This E-Book
Behavior change can be daunting. That’s why this e-book presents fun, simple, bite-sized
challenges that will energize your team rather than deplete them. You will be presented with
one new challenge per week, with instructions and examples to share with your staff. After 6
months, you and your team will have practiced and discussed 26 new powerful behaviors –
some of which may stick for a lifetime.
These practices will introduce concepts beyond the same old “get more steps” challenges
and “biggest loser” contests your employees have likely done already. Instead, they will learn
new skills they’ve never tried before, by actually doing them.
Promote these weekly challenges with your staff as a competition or team-building activity to
foster a culture of growth and togetherness. After you’ve completed every challenge, repeat
the ones your team responded to best, and scrap the ones that didn’t resonate.
With small changes, your workforce can become a vital, more focused community, one
employee at a time.
Let’s get started.
Copyright © 2016 by Mazlo. All rights reserved.
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This Week’s Challenge:
Each day take one tiny step toward completing a task you’ve
been avoiding and report your progress to a friend.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Procrastination is human nature, but so is the compulsion to
finish what you start, known as the Zeigarnik effect.
“Most of us procrastinate because we feel overwhelmed, so setting tiny goals is a trick
to shift your mind into problem-solving mode,” says Tamara Myles, Mazlo’s productivity
expert. “You may just get in your groove and do more.”
With a friend holding you accountable, you’ll have extra incentive to complete that first
step, setting your dominoes in motion.
How to Do It:
Monday morning, choose your task and write down the small step you’ll take
toward completing it. Each subsequent morning, note the new step you’ll be
taking, based on what you accomplished the day before.
Keep your daily steps small — really small. Have a report hanging over your
head? Bang out a draft of the first paragraph or note three main points. Have a
mountain of unopened mail? Open the first three envelopes or start by tossing
the junk mail.
Find your accountability partner. Yes, it’s hard to admit you’ve been slacking, but
a friend will surely relate and gladly help. Choose someone who will truly hold
you accountable, not a softie who will let you off the hook!
Tell your partner how to hold you accountable. Will you text a progress report at
3 p.m. daily? If your friend hasn’t heard from you by 3:15, will she give you a call?
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Become fully present before each meeting.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: When the whole table tunes in — without IMing, checking
email, or otherwise zoning out — meetings are more fun and productive, and creativity
surges.
“We can’t multitask, even though we think we can,” says Samara Serotkin, Psy.D.,
designer of Mazlo’s Mindfulness Meditation program. “When a group becomes present,
people listen more and think before they speak, and conversation moves forward
instead of covering the same ground."
How to Do It:
Write down three words describing how you feel, and then close your eyes
and take two mindful breaths.
Consider: How does it feel in this moment to breathe? Feel your chest rising
and falling. Notice the whir of the air conditioner or the gurgle of the coffee
maker. Place your hand on the table and notice whether it feels cool or warm.
Notice the places on your body that are in contact with the chair.
Then write down three words describing how you feel, and compare them to
the words you wrote prior to taking your mindful breaths.
If you have more time, do the same “three words” exercise described above
but instead of taking two mindful breaths, follow a guided, mindful-meditation
audio lasting 2 to 5 minutes. Click here for an example from Samara herself.
Before the meeting, answer two questions in writing: What do I want to get
out of this meeting, and what do I want to contribute to it?
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To maintain focus during the meeting, take notes; a list of key points can
help you track your way back if you drift. You’ll retain the information better,
research shows, especially if you use a pen and paper instead of typing on your
computer.
If you lose focus, bring yourself back to the room. Think of a quality you
appreciate about one person in the room. Or, sip your beverage mindfully,
noticing how each sip feels as it passes through your lips and down into your
body.
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Smile authentically at everyone you pass in the building today.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Smiling is the number one way to boost your likeability.
“Smiling puts folks around you at ease, inviting them to interact with you,” says Rachel
Kjack, Mazlo’s body language expert. A genuine smile conveys warmth, trustworthiness,
passion, and interest. When smiling becomes second nature, you’re better able to
connect with coworkers and customers.
How to Do It:
Smile with your eyes, not just your mouth.
“You have two sets of muscles that control your smile, and they operate
independently,” says Rachel. “If you only smile with your mouth, your smile will
look forced or fake.”
You’re probably used to activating the muscles that run down the sides of your
face and connect to the corners of your mouth; these are the muscles that reveal
your teeth and enlarge your cheeks. But it takes practice to activate your other
smiling muscles, the ones that narrow your eyes and trigger those crow’s feet
wrinkles.
In the bathroom when no one’s looking, practice smiling with both your eyes
and mouth five times in the mirror. Compare this with five smiles just using your
mouth.
Hold your smiles for 3 to 6 seconds — that’s how long it takes the recipient’s
brain to register that your smile is genuine. But then relax your expression so you
don’t appear to be straining.
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At lunch each day, observe your level of hunger, in all
its manifestations.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: “Hunger” comes in many varieties: You can be physically
hungry, with your stomach grumbling, or emotionally hungry, craving food out of stress
or boredom. You can also experience “sensory hunger,” feeling drawn by the aroma of a
stew’s earthy spices or the crunchy texture of chips.
Tuning into your hunger, in all its varieties, will help you slow down, enjoy the food
you eat, and become satisfied with less. “When we eat mindfully and bring a curious,
nonjudgmental attitude to the act of eating, we can better respond to external or
emotional triggers and make more empowered choices,” says Meredith Milton, MS, CN,
Mazlo’s mindful eating expert.
How to Do It:
Monday: Before you take a bite, rate your physical hunger on a 1-to-10 scale (1 =
famished, 10 = stuffed). Rate your hunger again halfway through your meal and
then when you finish. What signals, if any, is your body giving you that you are
hungry or full?
Tuesday: Notice your sensory hunger. How hungry are your eyes for this specific
food; in other words, how appealing does the meal look to you? How good does
the food smell to you? What about your “mouth hunger”: are you salivating in
anticipation of the crunchiness or creaminess?
Wednesday: Before and after you eat, rate your thirst on a scale from 1 to 10.
Often we confuse physical hunger with thirst, so make a point of separating the
two sensations.
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Thursday: Before and after you eat, close your eyes, and identify your emotions.
Are you tired? Irritable? Happy? Calm? As you do this, let go of judging whatever
you’re feeling and simply allow it to be there.
Friday: Twenty minutes after you eat, notice the physical effect that eating has
on your body. Use descriptive words such as satisfied, energetic, fueled, vital,
heavy, or sluggish. Bring curiosity, rather than judgment, to this awareness
practice.
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Find 10 minutes during the workday to take a walk.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: “A walking break in the middle of the day will give you a boost
of energy at a time when people are typically reaching for coffee or snacks,” says James
Kilgallon, CSCS, Mazlo’s fitness expert.
A 10-minute stroll can help you bust through a creative block or ease the stiffness and
muscle tension triggered by chronic sitting. Even in short bouts, walking regularly has
been shown to drop blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, and lower cholesterol.
How to Do It:
Brainstorm ways to fit in 10 minutes of walking. For example:
At lunchtime walk to a restaurant at least 5 minutes away.
Walk the stairs on your afternoon break.
Walk during a scheduled phone call.
Hold a walk-and-talk meeting with a coworker.
On your morning break, walk outside instead of sitting in the break room.
Park at least 5 minutes from your office.
If you commute to work by bus, get off a stop early and walk the extra
distance.
At the end of each workday, plan your 10-minute walks for the next day.
Remind yourself to take your daily walks. Schedule them on your calendar, or
post a sticky note at your workstation.
Keep sneakers at your desk if walking for 10 minutes in your work shoes will be
uncomfortable.
To boost accountability, enlist a coworker to walk with you each day.
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Each day unplug for one hour when you’d normally carry your
phone or have online access.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Being tethered to our devices sucks away our time — time we
claim not to have — and, more worrisome, compromises authentic human connection.
“When you run through your Facebook feed, you trick yourself into thinking you’re
actually relating to people,” says Samara Serotkin, PsyD., designer of Mazlo’s Mindfulness
Meditation program, “but it’s all surface. We’re feeding ourselves empty calories of
attention, and we’re not feeling or processing things deeply.”
Scheduling a short period each day to disconnect from technology will help you
reconnect with those who matter to you while giving you more time to enjoy the world
around you.
How to Do It:
On Monday, simply observe your digital habits. Do you go to bed an hour late
because you get sucked down the internet rabbit hole? Do you check your phone
every 3 minutes? Try apps such as Checky or BreakFree to monitor your usage.
Based on your observations, decide which hour each day you will unplug and
how you will keep yourself accountable.
For example:
Leave your tablet and phone in the kitchen an hour before bedtime.
Use the Freedom app to block your Internet access for one hour each day.
Leave your phone and laptop behind when you attend meetings. Take notes
with a pen and paper.
Notice how your behavior changes when you’re unplugged. Maybe creative
ideas bubble up, and you contribute more at meetings. Maybe you strike up a
great conversation with a coworker and feel more camaraderie in the office.
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Before leaving work, list “must do” tasks for the next day.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: The old adage is true: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Listing
tomorrow’s top three must-dos is a critical form of planning and is best done at day’s end,
when tasks are fresh on your mind, rather than first thing in the morning.
“The next morning you can attack your day instead of wasting time thinking, Where did I
leave off? Where should I start?” says Tamara Myles, Mazlo’s productivity expert.
Setting three priorities will help keep you focused and end the day with a strong sense of
accomplishment.
How to Do It:
Focus on tasks that are important but are not necessarily urgent.
“Urgent tasks are usually requests for help and are someone else’s priority,”
notes Tamara. “We all want to be helpful, but we need to learn to focus less
on crisis situations and more on the big picture, like strategic planning and
professional development.”
Limit your list to three items.
Keeping the list short will force you to make choices about handling your other
tasks and new requests that come in. Will you delay them? Say no? Delegate?
Integrate your must-do list into your calendar.
Whether you use a paper or electronic planner, keep your must-do list alongside
your appointments. Otherwise, on a day when you have few appointments, you
may think, I have a free day — and be tempted to make other plans or waste
time on social media.
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Practice generating small talk with a client or coworker
you barely know.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Chatting about the weather or the ballgame may seem
pointless — why bother with trivial matters when there’s work to be done? — but small
talk is how we establish rapport.
“It’s true people don’t remember what you say — they remember how you made them
feel,” says Rachel Kjack, Mazlo’s body language expert. “Small talk is a way of showing
that you’re interesting and you’re interested in them, and they’ll remember that. From
there you can establish a more substantial relationship.”
How to Do It:
Avoid interrogation. When you fire off questions — What did you do this
weekend? Who’d you go with? What was it like? — you put the other person in
the spotlight, and they may feel the heat.
Mix self-disclosure with open-ended questions.
For example: “I had such an exhausting weekend with my nutty mother-in-law.
What did you do over the weekend?” Your companion can decide how light or
heavy to go with the conversation, whether it’s “Oh, man, let me tell you about
my mother-in-law!” or “I went on a great hike with my family.”
Listen for a conversational thread you can pull out and riff on.
When you ask open-ended questions, train your ear to pull a word or phrase
from the answer. For example: “Oh, wow, that must have been annoying!
Speaking of annoying…”
Pick a topic of interest to you. Don’t say, “How ‘bout those Seahawks?” if you
don’t follow the Seahawks. When you’re genuinely interested in a topic, your
voice conveys your passion.
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Three times a day do a posture check by standing, stretching,
or adjusting your seated position.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Chronic sitting triggers back pain and neck tension, contributes
to stress, and saps energy and productivity. While a yoga practice can help counteract all
that, what affects your posture most is how you hold your body throughout the day.
“Doing periodic posture realignments at your desk will help counteract the damage we do
by sitting hunched for 8 hours a day,” says James Kilgallon, CSCS, Mazlo’s fitness expert.
“Our body is going to take the shape we hold over long periods of time.”
How to Do It:
Sit toward the edge of your chair with your chest open and shoulders back,
down, and relaxed. Or, sit on a hard surface like a bench so you get more
feedback from your body.
Try sitting on a swiss ball rather than a desk chair if you have access to one. If
you find that you tire quickly and lose your posture, go back to a regular chair.
Sit in a variety of positions throughout the day — both feet on the floor, legs
crossed at the ankle, legs crossed knee to ankle, and so on.
Stand frequently, for at least 5 minutes per hour, noticing your posture. Imagine
yourself as a puppet with strings lifting your head, spine, and lower back.
To relieve lower
back soreness,
stretch your hips.
If you notice your
neck is tight,
stretch your midback.
Mid-Back Stretch
Hip Stretch
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Practice mindfulness meditation for 2 minutes a day at work.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Mindfulness meditation is the practice of observing the present
moment through your senses, while doing your best to let your thoughts float away.
Practiced daily, mindfulness meditation can rewire your brain, relieving stress and helping
you become more patient, compassionate, and productive.
“Mindfulness meditation helps you slow down and become more aware of your thoughts,
so you can make more conscious choices about how to respond to them," says Samara
Serotkin, PsyD., designer of Mazlo’s Mindfulness Meditation program.
Given that we’re neurologically and culturally wired to stay in motion, meditating for even
2 minutes can be challenging. “It’s like resistance training for your attention,” Samara says.
How to Do It:
Set a timer for 2 minutes or, better yet, use a guided meditation audio track.
Sit in a comfortable chair with your back straight and eyes either closed or open
with a soft gaze. You needn’t meditate alone in the dark; this practice can be
done even in a busy office or coffee house, though you may prefer a quieter
location. Your team can even try meditating together at the start of a meeting.
Direct your senses to your breathing. Feel the cool air enter your nose and
mouth. Notice your chest rising and falling. Notice the sound of each inhale and
exhale.
When thoughts drift into your head, imagine them flying off into the universe
or floating down a river. Tell yourself: "I’m thinking. I don’t need to be thinking
right now. At this moment, my job is to experience this moment as fully as I can.
Everything else can wait." Mindfulness meditation is essentially repeated cycles
of focusing and refocusing your attention.
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Make eye contact with everyone you pass in the building.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Eye contact is the primary way we connect with and gain trust
in each other. “Direct eye contact is the hallmark of vulnerability, and making yourself
vulnerable shows confidence,” says Rachel Kjack, Mazlo’s body language expert.
Looking someone in the eye even changes the sound of your voice, boosting the sense
of integrity and authority you project. “You speak at a lower pitch and with a fullness and
energy in your voice,” notes Rachel.
How to Do It:
Look away briefly every 5 seconds or so, to relieve the intensity that direct,
constant eye contact conveys.
When you’re with multiple people, make quality eye contact with each person
rather than scan the group. Focus intentionally on one person for each
sentence or thought, and then move on to the next person.
When giving a presentation, draw an imaginary star in the audience, and lock
eyes with one person at each point of the star. Folks in their vicinity will feel like
you’re making eye contact with them, too.
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Use the Pomodoro Technique®, alternating 25 minutes of
focused work with a 5-minute break.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: In a world where we’re tethered to our smartphones and
easily sucked into social media, maintaining concentration and productivity is a constant
challenge. Working in 25-minute chunks, known as “pomodoros,” with the promise of
5-minutes to check Facebook or chat with a coworker, gives you something to look
forward to.
“It’s kind of a mind trick,” says Tamara Myles, Mazlo’s productivity expert. We’re used to
breaking things up by 30 minutes, but something about 25 minutes makes you think: "I
can do this."
You may find, when 25 minutes is up, that you’re in a groove and don’t even want to stop
working. “The Pomodoro Technique gets you over that starting hump,” says Tamara.
How to Do It:
Use a timer. Francesco Cirillo, the Italian who invented the Pomodoro Technique
back in the 1980s, used a simple tomato-shaped kitchen timer. Your phone or a
computer alarm will do.
Use Internet-blocking software during your “pomodoros.” The Pomodoro
technique was invented before the Internet era, so temptations were fewer.
You can block temptation with apps such as Freedom. If your work requires you
to have Internet access all day, block all social media and websites you’d be
tempted to check.
After four pomodoros, take a 20- to 30-minute break.
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Use a different mindful eating strategy at lunch each day.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Mindful eating is the opposite of eating on autopilot: you direct
your full attention to what you’re sensing as you take each bite, noticing the temperature,
colors, flavors, textures, and aromas.
Over time, you’ll find you’re satisfied with less food, enjoy improved digestion, and
develop a preference for healthy, whole foods over highly processed “food products.”
“Mindful eating primes your brain to make wiser and more deliberate food choices,” says
Meredith Milton, MS, CN, Mazlo’s mindful eating expert. “You feel empowered by your
eating choices rather than guilty about them.”
How to Do It:
Monday: Notice flavors as you chew the first few bites. Then notice if flavors
change as you chew. After 7 or 8 bites, is your food more or less flavorful?
Tuesday: Use your non-dominant hand to cut your food and bring each bite to
your mouth. Do you find this exercise fun? Challenging? Annoying? Whatever
your experience, simply observe it without judging it.
Wednesday: Use chopsticks, and chew each bite at least 15 times before
swallowing. Be aware of your hands and fingers as you use the chopsticks.
Thursday: Handle your utensils mindfully, observing your hands as you cut your
food and bring it to your mouth. Pierce your food rather than scooping it up. Put
your utensils down between each bite.
Friday: Note your hunger level as you eat, and when you reach 7 (1 = ravenous,
10 = full), signal you’re done: push your plate away, cross your silverware, or
place a napkin on your plate. Notice what being at a 7 feels like.
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For every hour you sit, stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Standing hourly helps counteract “sitting disease,” a whole
mess of chronic diseases that plague the modern-day workforce.
“The human body, equipped with powerful gluteal muscles and mobile hips, was
designed for movement, not epic stretches slumped at a desk,” says James Kilgallon,
CSCS, Mazlo’s fitness expert.
Yet most of us spend 50 to 70 percent of our waking hours — 9.3 hours a day on
average — parked on our behinds.
In addition to lowering your risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic
conditions, regular standing breaks will boost your energy and productivity while
relieving back pain and neck tension.
How to Do It:
Plan a reminder or trigger. Use a free break-reminder tool like Breaker (for
Windows) or Time Out (for Macs) to buzz every hour. Or link standing to
behaviors you already perform multiple times a day. For example, every time you
answer the phone, stand — and remain standing during the call.
Plan what you’ll do when you get out of your chair. Will you talk on the phone?
Walk up and down three flights of stairs? Walk down the hall to chat with a
coworker?
Rearrange your surroundings to make standing necessary. Keep your phone 5
feet away rather than within reach, and keep snacks in another room.
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Keep a gratitude journal.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Taking the time to note what you’re grateful for — not just in a
birthday or anniversary card but on a notepad during any old work day — can profoundly
change how you experience the world.
“When you’re in the habit of expressing gratitude, you feel more alive and awake,” says
Samara Serotkin, PsyD., designer of Mazlo’s Mindfulness Meditation program. “You get
more pleasure out of life and feel more optimistic and connected to others.”
If you count your blessings, daily and on paper, you may even enjoy better health;
research has linked gratitude journaling to lower blood pressure, fewer aches and pains,
and better sleep, among other health benefits.
How to Do It:
Pick a convenient time of day to regularly express your gratitude in writing,
whether it’s with your morning coffee, after work, or before bedtime.
Write or type three things you are grateful for, three things that went well
today, or a combination of both. For example:
I’m grateful my parents are in good health.
Wow, the whole family ate breakfast together!
I’m lucky to have supportive coworkers.
If expressing gratitude in writing comes easily to you, challenge yourself to
express thanks directly to someone in your life you appreciate. For example,
send a thank-you email to your child’s soccer coach for all the volunteer hours,
or thank a coworker for backing up your ideas at a meeting.
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In one work meeting or interaction a day, deliberately
take an open stance and upright posture.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: When you “take up more space” in the room, you feel more
confident and convey that self-assurance and positive energy to others.
“Changing how we use our body can deeply impact how we think and feel, improving
how we come across to others,” says Rachel Kjack, M.A., Mazlo’s body language expert.
How to Do It:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, back tall, shoulders back and down, arms at
your sides, palms slightly open. Avoid crossing your arms or putting your hands
in your pockets.
At home in the mirror practice an exaggerated version of your open stance —
feet wider, hands on hips, chest pushed out, head held extra high — and notice
how it feels. Breathe deeply, letting your chest really expand, and say a positive
mantra such as, “I am capable and present in all that I do” or “I am strong and
can handle anything that comes my way.”
As you stand tall, picture you’re pushing a bubble of bright color out from your
core to encompass anyone directly in your space. “Sense the aliveness in your
body, and harness your energy to embody a positive and charismatic force,”
says Rachel.
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Start a “to-be” list, focusing on one item daily. Reserve 30 minutes in
total this week for an activity that supports the intentions on your list.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: “Setting intentions with a ‘to-be’ list reminds us of our deepest
values and how we can live in alignment with them, right now,” says Alexandra Gobeille,
Mazlo’s mindfulness coach.
So this week, shift away from the “to-do list” mentality and focus on the sort of person
you want to be. For example: loving, present, calm, creative, grateful, generous, a good
listener, a more patient parent or partner.
“When we race through our days under the pressure of others’ expectations and our
own 'shoulds,' we merely skim the surface of life,” says Alexandra. “It takes intention and
reminders, but we can choose to live more fully, more freely, and more true to ourselves.”
How to Do It:
Before starting your list, reflect on your core values. Close your eyes and ask:
When I feel my best, what am I feeling internally? What are the inner qualities
I am embodying and expressing? What do I most value? Perhaps you will list
kindness, peace, or joy.
As you sense these qualities ask yourself: What in my life cultivates these
qualities? What activities bring me joy? What makes me happy to be alive?
Examples include being in nature, listening to music, dancing, being with
certain loved ones, gardening, cooking, baking, playing sports, practicing yoga,
painting, and reading poetry.
Each day, set an intention to remember one quality on your list. In the morning,
close your eyes and sense what following through on that intention might mean
for you.
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Create a reminder on your phone or sticky note that you will see throughout the
day. Examples: “May I be positive” or “Be kind to yourself and others.”
For the week, set aside a total of 30 minutes for doing something you love,
an activity that fosters the qualities you value. This can be broken up into two
15-minute sessions or one 30-minute session.
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Hold at least one walk-and-talk meeting each day.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Any time not spent parked on your behind is a bonus for your
posture and health, but walk-and-talk meetings have the added benefit of adding ease,
geniality, and mental sharpness to your interaction.
“Walking side by side rather than sitting face to face makes for a more comfortable,
productive conversation,” says James Kilgallon, CSCS, Mazlo’s fitness expert. “When
you’re walking outside in the fresh air, your brain releases different chemicals than when
you’re sitting inside at a desk, helping you think more clearly.”
How to Do It:
Each day hold a 5- to 10-minute conversation while walking outside rather than
sitting at your desk or someone else’s. Limit the meeting to three people.
Choose an interaction that doesn’t require a computer. It could be a catch-up
meeting or a brainstorming session. A walk-and-talk is ideal when you’ve hit a
wall creatively.
Ideally, hold your walk-and-talk around 3 p.m., the time of day when most of us
start dragging. The walk is a great alternative to coffee, or worse, the vending
machine, as a physical and mental boost!
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Each day choose one beverage (other than water)
to sip mindfully.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Most of us mindlessly gulp our beverages without noticing the
satisfying flavors and aromas, often drinking more than we need.
Summoning your senses for each sip “can help you be satisfied with less,” says Meredith
Milton, MS, CN, Mazlo’s mindful eating expert. When you drink, say, sparkling water with
a twist of lime, mindful sipping can boost your enjoyment without turning to sweetened,
high-calorie beverages.
If you habitually drink soda, energy drinks, or sweetened tea, mindful sipping may
prompt you to notice a chemical taste that you don’t actually like.
How to Do It:
As you sip, inhale deeply, fully taking in the aroma. Then let the liquid roll over
your tongue. Notice the temperature and how thick or thin the beverage feels.
Notice whether a beverage is satisfying or leaves you wanting more. Does a
sweet tea spark a craving for more sugar? Did that latte hit the spot?
“Chew” your smoothies so your mouth releases digestive enzymes.
As you sip the beverage, consider why you’ve chosen this drink at this time. Is
your body craving the flavor, or the bubbles? Are you drinking out of boredom,
stress, or habit? Do you feel low on energy?
Notice how the beverage leaves you feeling. Focused? Jittery? Bloated?
Try a beverage you don’t normally drink, whether that’s kombucha, coconut
water, or a new flavor of herbal tea. Explore the drinking experience with
curiosity and notice whether you’re more satisfied or less so.
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Practice deliberate listening with one coworker each day.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Deliberate listening takes “active listening” to the next level.
Instead of just paraphrasing back what someone just said (“It sounds like you feel
overloaded with work”), you make eye contact and listen between the lines to understand
what that person values.
For example: “It sounds like your workload is really competing with your family time, and
family is important to you. How frustrating.”
When you listen deliberately, you show that you care, which is the primary way of building
rapport. “When people know you care about them, they’re more likely to care about you,”
says Rachel Kjack, Mazlo’s body language expert. “When you need a favor from someone,
you won’t have to weave in any fluff — they’ll be glad to do it.”
How to Do It:
Rather than dive into a transactional interaction with a coworker — “Today’s the
deadline, I need you to do this” — start with an open-ended question.
Ask questions that will reveal why something in particular is important to your
coworker. But phrase it as a “what” question rather than a more confrontational
“why” question. For example, if a coworker mentions skiing with his kids, you
might ask, “What is it about skiing with your family that you enjoy so much?” or
“What other activities is your family passionate about?”
Once you have a sense of what the other person values, shine a light on it, and
appreciate that person. People feel most seen and heard when you recognize
what they really care about. For example, if a coworker expresses frustration
with a work project, and you see the project is important to her, you could say, “It
seems like you really care about doing a good job. I admire that.”
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21
Practice one random act of kindness toward a coworker each day.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: “Happiness at work comes from a sense of meaning — feeling
there’s a purpose to what we’re doing that’s larger than ourself — and that meaning comes
from feeling appreciated,” says Alexandra Gobeille, Mazlo’s mindfulness coach.
Showing appreciation has a domino effect: when your coworkers feel they matter, they’re
inspired to do their best work. “Communion within the team fosters a sense of belonging,”
says Alexandra. “When this support is there, people can relax and focus on their tasks
without being afraid of personal failure.”
How to Do It:
Tell one person on your team something specific you appreciate or admire
about them. For example, write in an email, “I appreciate the amazing effort
you’re putting in on the such-and-such project.” Or, when you see the person
in the hallway, say, “Your positivity and humor in yesterday’s meeting were
contagious! They really brighten up our meetings!”
Ask, “How are you doing today?" and listen for a full minute before speaking;
simply offer your presence, fully receiving what he or she is saying.
Ask a coworker, “What can I do to support you today? How can I make your
day easier?"
Compliment a coworker to his or her boss.
When you head out to lunch or go on a break, ask those around you if you can
pick up anything they need.
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22
Each day use a self-massage tool for 3 minutes.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Using a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, foam roller, or other tool to
massage points of muscle tightness and pressure will help relieve tension, improve your
mobility, and increase your range of motion.
"If you have a tight shoulder and it's keeping you from activities like tennis or
weightlifting, using a self-massage technique could help you overcome that limitation by
releasing the muscles that are locking your shoulder down,” says James Kilgallon, CSCS,
Mazlo’s fitness expert.
How to Do It:
Click here for a demonstration by James.
Spend a minute or so using your hands to massage obvious points of pressure
and tightness, such as your shoulders or neck.
Move on to using self-massage tools, starting with a foam roller on Monday and
graduating to smaller tools by Friday. A foam roller is helpful for larger areas,
such as the lower body, while smaller tools are best for targeting the smaller
muscles of the upper body:
Tennis ball
Lacrosse ball
Softball (great for targeting a specific muscle because it’s smaller
than a foam roller yet still hard)
Foam roller
5-inch foam massage ball
Peanut tool (two balls bound together with electrical tape or a
ready-made, peanut-shaped foam tool)
Think of self-massage as similar to rolling out dough: Start with short
massaging rolls and progressively move further and further in one direction.
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Near your spine, use softer tools like a tennis ball or a foam peanut. A hard tool
such as a lacrosse ball near your spine may exacerbate your pain and put you
at risk for spinal fractures.
Note that the surface you roll on will affect how much pressure you feel while
rolling. If you use a soft foam roller on carpet, you will feel less pressure than if
you use a lacrosse ball on a wood floor.
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23
Each day designate a bedtime and and wake-up time for your
devices — phone, computer, or tablet.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: If your use of digital devices is out of control — and whose
isn’t? — “putting a framework on your digital use will put you back in control,” says Samara
Serotkin, PsyD., designer of Mazlo’s Mindfulness Meditation program. “You’re making
conscious choices rather than letting yourself get swept up in the vortex.”
By giving your devices limited “waking hours,” you’ll find yourself with more time to sleep,
chill out, be productive, and/or connect with the people you care about.
You might use that extra half hour or hour at night to talk about the day with your partner,
read that book-club book you’ve been putting off, or to get a jump on your kids’ school
lunches. In the morning you might find yourself with extra time to eat a less hurried
breakfast, go for a short walk, or do some food prep for dinner.
How to Do It:
Choose a consistent bedtime for your devices that’s at least a half hour earlier
than your own bedtime, so you give your mind and body time to wind down
before bed. Choose a wake time that’s at least a half-hour later than your own
wake time.
To enforce the bedtime and wake time, set an alarm on your phone or use
software like TimeLock that will shut off your device access at a designated time.
Or, use a low-tech reminder, such as posting a sticky note on your bedroom
mirror or writing it into a paper calendar.
For extra enforcement, keep your devices in another room overnight.
For accountability, enlist a family member or coworker to join you in your minidigital detox or at least ask you daily whether you’re following your own rules.
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24
In one meeting each day, practice slowing down your
speech and projecting more.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: What you say matters less than how you say it! Even brilliantly
reasoned arguments won’t have maximum impact or credibility with clients or coworkers
if your speech patterns don’t project confidence.
How to Do It:
When you’re speaking in a meeting, giving a presentation, or speaking to an audience,
do the following:
Slow your speech. Talking a mile a minute can be a physiological response to
the fear of rejection and may give the impression that you lack confidence or
don’t want to be speaking in that moment.
Pause between points for 2 or 3 seconds. Pauses let your audience process and
become more comfortable with what you said, and can be used for dramatic
effect in speeches and presentations. Exhibit A — Bill Clinton: “Listen to me
now. [pause] No president, [pause] not me, [pause] not any of my predecessors,
[pause] no one could have fully repaired all the damage…”
Project your voice. Soft talking, like speed talking, conveys a lack of confidence.
To project full volume, take a full, deep breath before you speak, as if you’re
about to wail on a tuba.
We tend not to speak as loudly as we think we’re speaking, so if your normal
volume is a 2 or 3 (out of 10), shoot for a 7 or 8; you’ll end up at a 5 or 6.
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Pause work at 3 p.m. each afternoon and do three
exercises with coworkers.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: Performing three quick exercises at work won’t get you fit, but
this movement break isn’t about exercising; it’s about getting off your butt and taking a
mental break.
“Around 3 o’clock is typically when people get antsy at their desk and head over to get a
snack or coffee or to socialize,” says James Kilgallon, CSCS, Mazlo’s fitness expert. Using
this time to do a few exercises, especially in a group setting, accomplishes all this, without
the sugar high and subsequent crash.
How to Do It:
Designate one person to choose the day’s music and turn it on at 3 p.m. —
that’s the trigger. Let everyone know that when the music plays, the whole
team will convene at a designated spot.
The exercises you choose don’t really matter. Each person can choose
stretching, strengthening, or cardio moves that suit their personality and fitness
goals. Here are a few ideas:
Push-ups
Squats
Planks
Shoulder rollout with a lacrosse ball
Foam roll your hips
Kneeling hip-flexor stretch
Glute bridge
Down dog
If it seems fun, hold a contest with a coworker or two. See who can hold the plank
position the longest or who can crank out the most push-ups using stellar form.
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Pick an affirmation and say it three times a day.
Why It’s a Powerful Habit: In the clutter of our daily routines, we often lose sight of bigger
aspirations and are stymied by negative beliefs about ourselves. Maybe you think, “I’m not
the kind of person who can lose weight,” or “I’ll never be able to advance in my career.”
Deliberately repeating positive affirmations can remind us of our big-picture aspirations and
motivations, or even shift our attitudes and behavior.
“If you believe in the back of your head that you’re going to advance in your career, you’re
more likely to put behavior change into action,” says Samara Serotkin, PsyD., designer of
Mazlo’s Mindfulness Meditation program.
How to Do It:
Choose an affirmation that links your daily actions to your long-term aspirations.
For instance: I’m setting a good example for my kids by eating healthier.
Plant your affirmation squarely in your growth zone — beyond where you are
now, yet achievable. For example, "I’m going to make healthy choices today" is
more reasonable than, "I will lose 5 pounds this week."
Make sure your affirmation feels authentic and meaningful to you.
Place your affirmation somewhere you’ll see it three times a day. Set your phone
to remind you to look at it. If you like, say your affirmation aloud.
Take a few moments to reflect on your affirmation. Simply repeating it by rote
won’t have any effect.
At the end of each day, assess whether your affirmation got you closer to your
best self. If it didn’t, tweak the affirmation.
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Congratulations!
You have reached the end of our 26 Weekly Challenges E-book. We hope you enjoyed this
journey with your team and that everyone who participated felt the positive impact of the
powerful habits contained in this book.
But This Isn’t The End.
Did some of these challenges work particularly well for your staff? Try them again! Take the
challenges that got results among your team, expound upon them, and turn them into regular
group activities. Personalize them so they fit the unique characteristics of your organization or
team.
If you’re ready to take the powerful habits contained in this book to the next level, consider
offering your team one-on-one coaching for the skills they most want (and need) to work on.
Mazlo’s online, personalized coaching programs require just 10 minutes a day over two
weeks, yet deliver impressive results:
67% complete the 14 day program
Average engagement rate is 9.7 days
91% intend to continue practicing the skills they learn
Average coach quality rating is 4.9 out of 5
Learn More About Mazlo For Teams
You can also click here to follow our weekly blog on topics related to self-improvement and
personal growth.
Thank you for your interest in Mazlo. Keep leading your team to greatness!
mazlo.me
33

26 Weekly Challenges for Happier, More Productive

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