Archive for Self-Management

Here are some ideas in addition to those I have given in other Tips on how to regain our focus once we have lost it. When we respond to a stressful situation, we sometimes lose self-control as our amygdala takes over. The amygdala is a primitive part of the brain that recognizes threats and instantly [...]

How can we regain our focus once we have lost it? The problem in some stressful situations is that our amygdala, a primitive part of the brain, hijacks the reasoning part of the brain and throws us into a fight or flight response. In the office this usually means being overly aggressive or withdrawing. We [...]

Once we know what we really want in a given situation, the trick is to keep our focus when we encounter difficulties. If our goal is difficult and complex, we will encounter difficulties and need to handle them through crucial conversations. If we don’t handle them well, they may throw us off track so that [...]

What happens when we lose our focus and how can we regain it? Brain neurological studies now give us a clearer picture of what happens when we lose our normal self control. A primitive part of human brains, called the amygdala, is the equivalent of the lizard’s brain. Its main function is to insure our [...]

Emotional intelligence is crucial in times of economic decline and layoffs. Managers need emotional intelligence to cope with the dissatisfaction of employees. Employees need emotional intelligence to cope with their stresses of increased workloads, sad feelings for those forced to leave, and fear for their own future. Everyone needs emotional intelligence to cope with all [...]

In my neighbor’s yard is a dog that used to jump over their fence and roam. Then they put an electric fence around the inside of their wood fence. I watched the dog learn about this electric fence. Whenever he went over the electric invisible line, he got shocked and jumped back with a whimper. [...]

A baby eagle became orphaned when something happened to his parents. He glided down to the ground from his nest but was not yet able to fly. A man picked him up. The man took him to a farmer and said, “This is a special kind of barnyard chicken that will grow up big.”� The [...]

I was driving on a country road when I suddenly came upon a turtle crossing the road. I swerved to miss it and looked in the rear view mirror to make sure it was OK. It had pulled its head and legs into its shell and was sitting in the road. It was a sitting [...]

Have you ever been told that you were being judgmental? Most of us have heard that from a spouse, teenager or co-worker. How can you work on this? The first step may well be to become less judgmental toward yourself. Then you can more easily improve how you handle others too. Do you have self-judging [...]

I have described in a prior Tip how fast reacting often spells trouble. Now in this Tip I tell you what you can do about this reaction problem. When stress has made you reactive, here is a recovery process: 1. Train yourself to notice your physical symptoms of being upset, such as: tense muscles, shallow [...]