Category: Coaching

Physical and Mental Health During Times Of Uncertainty

Life has few guarantees, but one thing you can count on is change. And for so many of us, the past few months have really put that to the test. Living with uncertainty for a prolonged period can feel like it’s taking a toll and often in ways that we don’t even realize. Last month, we looked at why we’re so resistant to change and how it challenges our sense of control and fear of the unknown. But what does dealing with uncertainty do to our bodies, both physically and mentally? Let’s take a look:

Common Symptoms in the Body

Everyone is different, but here are 3 common ways that uncertainty manifests in the body:

  • Muscle tension: Muscle tension is one of the most common physical symptoms since dealing with uncertainty causes the body to be in a continuous state of alertness. This stress can cause headaches, neck and back pain and overall achiness.
  • Digestive issues: Digestive problems are another common symptom. Many people experience stomachaches, nausea or changes in appetite when dealing with uncertainty. The stomach is extremely sensitive to stress and anxiety, making it more vulnerable.
  • Sleep issues: Sleep disruptions are also common. The constant worry and overthinking that accompany uncertainty can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. A lack of restful sleep often increases feelings of fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

Common Mental Impacts

Again, dealing with uncertainty has different impacts on everyone, but here are some common ways that it can affect mental health:

  • Increased anxiety and depression: Prolonged periods of uncertainty can lead to increased levels of worry, feelings of frustration and difficulty managing emotions
  • Lack of motivation: When you’re faced with so much change and so many questions, it can leave you feeling stuck and like nothing you do will really have an impact. This can make it challenging to start or finish tasks.
  • Racing Thoughts: Your mind may race with “what-if” scenarios and potential negative outcomes.
  • Irritability and Frustration: Living under a cloud of uncertainty can make you more short tempered, perhaps lashing out at co-workers, your partner or children.
  • Restlessness: You might find it difficult to sit still or it may be hard to relax.
  • Indecisiveness: You may have difficulty making decisions or feel paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice.

Perhaps you read the list and said, “yes, that’s me right now!” Your big question is: what do I do about it? Change and uncertainty aren’t going away, but how you react to it and take care of yourself is within your control. Some options to consider: seek outside resources such as counseling, a community support group, or  talking with a good friend or church member.  Another option is working with a coach, someone who is trained to help people manage uncertainty.

Leah M Joppy and Associates have coaches that can help you manage many situations. We can provide a fresh perspective, goal setting and accountability to help you achieve sustainable results. We are currently offering 20-minute complimentary exploratory sessions.  It’s an ideal time to book an appointment and talk to us about how you can work through uncertainty in your life. You don’t have to go it alone. We have also added 2 new courses. To learn more, call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com.

Feeling Lost Lately?

Change and uncertainty have been constant in our professional lives for the past few months. We’re living in a VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) and it can be incredibly difficult for people to deal with day-in and day-out. It can also make us feel very isolated and alone. We may feel shame, a loss in self-confidence and elevated levels of anxiety. Asking for help or even knowing where to start can feel daunting.

When we face uncertainty, our sense of control is challenged and our minds can start to imagine all sorts of possible outcomes, often negative. One of the most important things we must remember during times of uncertainty is that we don’t have to go it alone. Leaning on community and finding resources, like working with a coach, to help feel less “stuck” are invaluable. Learning how to face change and uncertainty head-on with an attitude of opportunity can bring significant benefits. Here’s a look at a just a few:

  • Personal growth: When you’re faced with uncertainty, you’re usually pushed outside your comfort zone. While this is challenging, it’s also an opportunity for personal growth. You might discover new ways to build resilience, discover a strength you didn’t know you had or learn new ways to solve problems.
  • Increased confidence: Overcoming the challenges that come with uncertainty can really be a confidence booster. It reinforces your belief in your ability to handle life’s challenges. It’s empowering and encourages you to take on new challenges with a positive outlook.
  • Better problem-solving skills: Uncertainty can make you think more creatively and come up with fresh solutions. This helps in all areas of your life, both professionally and personally.
  • Opportunities for new experiences and learning: Uncertain times often bring the chance to try and to learn new things. Whether it’s a new job, a new skill or a new hobby, these experiences can enrich your life, offer fulfillment and possibly set you on a new path.
  • A fresh start: Uncertainty often leads to change, and change can mean an opportunity to reset and have a fresh start. Who knows? It may lead to new and exciting paths that you never considered.

Change and uncertainty in our lives can cause a roller coaster of emotions: fear, anger and sadness, just to name a few. We can’t stop life’s ebbs and flows, but we can learn how to accept change. It’s all about how we frame it. Building resilience can be your secret weapon for success and helps you thrive in the face of adversity. Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help you enhance your resiliency skills and face change with confidence. Our newest courses may help.  We’re currently offering 20-minute complimentary exploratory sessions. It’s an ideal time to book an appointment and learn more! Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com.

The Impact Of Change On Our Personalities

Change and uncertainty. These two words have been constants in our professional lives for the past few months. Everyday seems to bring new questions, messages and expectations. It’s stressful, to say the least, when it feels like our world is being turned upside down. Change, at its core, is difficult for people to deal with, particularly when it’s not by choice. It challenges our sense of control, awakens our fear of the unknown and can compromise our values and principles.

Why is change and uncertainty so hard for us? The short answer is that it’s the way our brains are hardwired. We crave what feels comfortable and a shake up to our routine can leave us feeling rattled. It’s all perfectly normal. Let’s take a closer look at why we’re resistant to change on a neurological and psychological level. Think about each of these factors and how change is causing stress in your life. By acknowledging them and observing them carefully, you can help to reduce their impact.

The impact of change on our neurological needs:

  • The need for certainty (for example, “I don’t know what to expect.”) Our brains respond to information and react to a lack of information as a threat.
  • The need for processing our thoughts (for example, “I haven’t had chance to think about what’s going on.”) When presented with surprising or shocking information, our fight-or-flight instinct narrows our focus onto that information and excludes other things going on in our lives.
  • The need for routine (for example, “This is how I’ve always done things.”) We’re creatures of habit and we’re comfortable with routines. Change rocks our sense of security and makes us feel vulnerable and out of control.

The impact of change on our psychological needs:

  • The need for self-esteem (for example, “Am I good enough?”) Our past successes play a big role in our self-esteem. When we’re forced to deal with change, it can sometimes feel like these successes are being undermined.
  • The need for confidence (for example, “I’m afraid I’ll fail.”) We want to feel certain that we’ll be able to achieve success no matter what the future holds. Our uncertainty can cause us to feel isolated and withdrawn in a time when we need support and community the most.
  • The need for control (for example, “Do I have a choice?”) This is a big one right now. We want to make decisions on our terms and feel like we’re in control of our choices. Change is particularly hard when it’s not according to our design.

Change is always going to happen, but how we deal with it is crucial. Our level of resilience (the ability to “bounce back”) is a crucial component for both physical and emotional wellbeing. Fortunately, resilience is a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time. That’s where coaching comes in! Working with a coach, like Leah M Joppy and Associates, provides a fresh perspective, goal setting and accountability to achieve powerful results. Our course, Building Resilience In Times Of Uncertainty, includes a resilience assessment and provides feedback about resiliency levels in 3 key areas: Challenge, Control and Commitment. Participants learn how to better prepare and manage uncertainty in life. And in a professional world filled with change, it can mean the difference between surviving and thriving. Our second course, What’s Next? Purposeful Planning for Post Retirement,will assist you in developing a proactive plan for a meaningful post-retirement life, grounded in your values, strengths, and experiences.

To learn more, call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com.

Dealing With Change. Calling On Our Resilience.

“Change is the only constant in life.” You may not have known that this quote originated from Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, but we bet you’ve heard it a time or two! With the start of a New Year, a change in administration and so many other upcoming events, many of us are feeling the uncertainty  (and stress!) of change in our professional and personal life.

Change is always going to happen, but how we deal with it is crucial. It’s about our level of resilience, otherwise known as the ability to tolerate difficult or stressful situations while still remaining positive and productive. Some call it the ability to “bounce back.” According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology: ‘Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to both external and internal demands.’ It’s a crucial component for your physical and emotional wellbeing and can mean the difference between surviving and thriving.

Embrace the 7 C’s. Understanding and embodying the 7 C’s of resilience can transform how you approach both your professional and personal life. It enables you to navigate obstacles with strength and confidence. Although initially directed at childhood development, Dr. Kenneth Ginsberg’s 7 Cs of resilience are vital in today’s ever-changing workplace. Let’s break it down:

  1. Competence: Develop the skills and knowledge to handle workplace situations effectively.
  2. Confidence: Build the self-confidence to trust your abilities and judgment in challenging situations.
  3. Connection: Foster strong relationships with team members to creative a supportive, collaborative environment.
  4. Character: Cultivate your personal values and integrity to guide your behavior and decision-making process.
  5. Contribution: Feeling that your contributions matter in order to build a sense of purpose and value.
  6. Coping: Develop effective ways to manage stress and adversity. This includes building problem solving and emotional regulation skills.
  7. Control: Focus on the parts of work you can control (i.e., your decisions and reactions) and let the rest go.

We can help. It sounds like a lot, especially when you feel like you’re just trying to stay afloat and manage your day-to-day tasks. But you don’t have to go it alone. Our new course, Building Resilience In Times Of Uncertainty, focuses on how to manage the stress, anxiety and uncertainty of “what’s next.” This course includes a resilience assessment and provides feedback about resiliency levels in 3 key areas: Challenge, Control and Commitment. Participants learn how to increase their resiliency and better prepare and manage uncertainty in their career and personal life. And who doesn’t want that, especially in today’s world?

Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com for more information. 

Effective Strategies For Building Your Resilience

Many of us work in constantly connected, ‘always-on’, highly demanding positions where stress and the risk of burnout are common. Add to that the changes of an upcoming administration and it can seem like it’s almost too much to deal with. Since the pace and intensity of our work culture aren’t likely to change anytime soon, it’s more important than ever to build resilience skills to navigate work life. As we discussed in our previous article, resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ from challenges and adversity. It can have a major impact on your stress level, mental well-being and overall job satisfaction.

The good news: resilience is a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time. The key is to get started! Here are 7 effective strategies to help foster a positive mindset, manage stress and ultimately develop more resilience:

  • A study from NIH found that people are 3.5 times more likely to be resilient when in good physical health. Prioritizing sleep, exercise and proper nutrition is essential, particularly during times of change. Physical health supports resilience and resilience also leads to better physical recovery.
  • Develop a daily routine. Developing consistent habits, no matter how small, can help you make meaningful progress. Build some coping mechanism exercises into your routine, such as breathing and relaxation exercises and a mindfulness practice to better deal with stressful situations.
  • Focus on what you can control: Discerning what you can and can’t control keeps you positive and motivated. It’s also important to not ruminate on the past and focus on what lies ahead.
  • Don’t focus on your weaknesses. Focusing on your strengths helps you grow much faster than trying to improve your weaknesses. As hard as it is, try to see failure as an opportunity. With the right mindset, it can actually be a catalyst for growth.
  • Build a support network. Connect with co-workers, mentors or friends who can offer encouragement and advice during challenging times.
  • Don’t dwell in self-pity. We all know firsthand that life can be hard, but dwelling on our circumstances keeps us from emerging from them and moving forward.
  • Don’t compare yourself to others. Define your own version of success that has nothing to do with others’ strengths and accomplishments. 

Resilience is not just about surviving, but thriving in the face of adversity. And it can be your secret weapon for success. Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to make 2025 the year you enhance your resiliency skills and face changes and challenges with confidence. Our course, Building Resiliency In Times Of Uncertainty, includes a resilience assessment and offers feedback about resiliency levels in 3 key areas: Challenge, Control and Commitment. This course will help participants identify strategies to increase their resilience and help manage the uncertainty of what’s next.

Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com for more information.  Learning to manage workplace change – a critical strategy for the new year!

Recognizing A Strong Leader

If someone asked you, “what are the critical components of strong leadership”, what answer comes to mind? Maybe good listening skills or excellent communication would top the list. Or perhaps the ability to delegate and not micromanage. While all of those answers are spot-on, you may be surprised by one crucial component that’s often overlooked: self-reflection.

If you’re in a leadership role, when was the last time you made an effort to focus on self-reflection? Or have you ever really done it or even figured out what it means? Self-reflection is taking some time to think about your thoughts, behavior, motivation and actions. The concept seems simple, but it can be surprisingly difficult to do. We’re always moving on to the next project, meeting or crisis without pausing to reflect on what happened earlier that day or that week. On the flipside, self-reflection is NOT about beating yourself up and getting stuck in the past. We can’t turn back time or erase a negative outcome, but we can learn from those experiences and change our behavior or leadership tactics moving forward.

So, why is self-reflection a key practice for leaders? It’s all about the 3 A’s: Awareness, Adaptability and Action. Let’s take a closer look:

  • Awareness: Self-reflection helps leaders become aware of their strengths and weaknesses. That kind of awareness helps them better understand how they lead, teaches them to capitalize on their strengths and work on improving weaknesses.
  • Adaptability: The practice of self-reflection enables leaders to gain insights from past projects, interactions and team dynamics. They’re better able to adapt, grow and respond to changes, conflicts and whatever else is thrown at them.
  • Action: By practicing self-reflection, leaders learn to look at situations from a neutral perspective and set their own egos aside. This helps them see the big picture and take action where needed.

A consistent self-reflection practice pays off in so many ways for leaders and helps them:

  • Set priorities and make better decisions
  • Learn to use feedback for growth rather than taking it personally
  • Maintain better relationships
  • Communicate effectively by understanding how they come across to others
  • Create a more honest and productive work environment

Taking the time to reflect has big benefits for both leaders and organizations. Yet many don’t recognize the value or know how to put it into action. That’s where working with a coach, like Leah M Joppy and Associates, can help leaders build a regular, ongoing self-reflection process. Leaders will learn how to ask effective types of reflection questions, receive personalized feedback and help set and achieve their goals. Ready to learn more? Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.

 

 

 

The Bests Ways To Practice Self-Reflection

For such a useful practice, the self-reflection process is not something we know how to do intuitively. It’s not something we learn about in school and it isn’t part of most job training. Our work environments tend to focus on what to do next or how to do more. We’re shaped by “always moving forward” work cultures and we believe there’s no time to pause and reflect. Most of us don’t learn about the power of self-reflection until someone else, often a coach or mentor, guides us through the process.

Self-reflection enables leaders to identify their strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. But how do you begin a self-reflection practice if it’s not something that you typically take the time to do? Here are a few suggestions: 

Reflect regularly

Schedule 10 to 20 minutes a week for self-reflection. This should be blocked out in your calendar, so it’s a set time for you to quietly think and self-reflection becomes a regular habit. A quiet and calm place without distractions is ideal. For some, leaving the office environment helps clear the mind. Others may choose to arrive at the office 30 minutes earlier when it’s quiet, to reflect on the day or week ahead.

Develop a structure for reflection

Self-reflection can be overwhelming to begin with and particularly without a set focus. You may want to start with a single question or topic, such as the following areas:

  • Week in review: What went well? What did you learn? What could you do differently?
  • Highlights: What did you do well as a leader this day and/or week?
  • Leadership: What type of leader do you want to be? Which leaders do you look up to? How does your team view you as a leader?
  • Values: What are your core values? Do they align with your organization’s values?
  • Team: What type of leader does your team need? Are there ways you could better meet their needs?
  • Goals: What are the current goals of your organization? What needs to be done and are you on track? What do you need to do as a leader to meet these goals?

Write down your thoughts

Writing down thoughts and ideas down during self-reflection frees up space in your mind and gives you the opportunity to organize your thoughts. Plus, having a record of your self-reflective thoughts means that you can check back regularly and see your progress.

Encourage your team members to practice self-reflection

While self-reflection is important for leaders, your team can also find a lot of value in it. Encourage your team to regularly reflect on their own performance, as well as yours and make them feel comfortable sharing their insights with you.

Self-reflection is a humbling, but powerful technique that helps leaders (and team members) improve their performance. But it can be a tough process that makes you take an honest look at yourself: your strengths, your weaknesses, areas for improvement and how you should work to grow and develop. Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help you make self-reflection an important component of your leadership process. We can help you set goals and provide support and accountability. Contact us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.

Why Some Managers Are Resistant To Work Schedule Flexibility

For many organizations, work schedule flexibility is a new part of their compensation package. It’s a powerful tool in terms of employee engagement, retention and recruiting. Remote and flexible schedules have shown to not only provide employees with higher job satisfaction, but better health, less absenteeism, increased work-life balance and less stress. This is all well and good for workers, but what do managers really think about remote work? While many understand the appeal and benefits, it’s still difficult to embrace change and work through the challenges of managing a remote and/or hybrid team.

Here’s a look at 7 reasons why managers may be resistant to remote work:

  • Lack of accountability and supervision: Sure, some team members work well (and in some cases better) working remotely. Then there are those that struggle with time management, distractions and other challenges. Managers may feel that it’s more challenging to supervise employees and keep them accountable when they’re not physically present in the office.
  • Loss of collaboration: Face-to-face interaction is often believed to foster a more cohesive work environment. Some managers worry that remote work can make it harder for team members to truly feel like a team. This is of particular concern for new team members and younger workers who are just starting out in their career.
  • Lack of company culture: Strong in-office culture can be a key component for an organization’s retention and recruitment. Managers may worry that remote work could be a hinderance towards building this culture.
  • Increase in security concerns: There may be concerns about the security of data when employees are working outside the office.
  • Decrease in productivity: Some managers may feel that team members are more productive in a controlled office environment. Working from home can potentially have more distractions and chances to break from a traditional work schedule.
  • Concerns about equity: In some settings, not all roles can be performed remotely or on a hybrid schedule. Allowing some employees to work from home might create perceived (or actual) inequities among team members.
  • Holding onto a traditional mindset: Some managers may still have a traditional view of work that involves all team members being present at a common workplace. Change is hard and personal experiences and beliefs take time to overcome, particularly when it comes to management practices.

As we discussed last month, an annual government-wide survey conducted by the Office of Personnel Management found that more than two-thirds of federal employees are still teleworking at least occasionally. Remote and hybrid work isn’t going anywhere, but neither are the management challenges if your organization doesn’t face them head on. Leah M Joppy and Associates can help you figure out your primary challenges and work with you and your team to make remote/hybrid working a more efficient, productive and collaborative experience!

 

Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.

Insights Into Working With Or Hiring Gen Z For Your Organization

Gen Z can seem like a mystery to many of us, whether you have one at home, you’re trying to hire a recent college graduate to work for your organization or you have a few on your team. Their attitude towards a traditional 9-5 schedule, desire for flexibility in order to create work/life balance and general frustration with “hustle culture” has made them question workplace norms. In most cases, they are not interested in continuing down the same path as older generations. And Gen Z is not afraid to voice their feelings and shake up the professional world – particularly on TikTok.

There’s no doubt Gen Z has seen their fair share of upheaval in the workplace. They’ve witnessed or been a part of the rise in remote work during the pandemic and the increasing abandonment of it throughout the last several months, as well as waves of layoffs as the economy slowed. They’re asking tough questions, like “does life have to be like this?” and they’re concerned about how to prioritize their health and wellness in a system they feel is unsympathetic to work/life balance.

If you’re interested in gaining some insight into the way Gen Z views today’s workplace, look no farther than TikTok. Here’s a look at a few of the top TikTok work trends that went viral over the last year:

  • Quiet Quitting: Essentially this is “phoning it in”. Quiet quitting is characterized by employees putting in the bare minimum effort to keep their jobs, but not devoting any extra time or energy to their roles. Popularized on TikTok in 2022, quiet quitting refers to employees doing their jobs, but not “going the extra mile” or doing anything that falls outside of their job descriptions.
  • Lazy Girl Jobs: This viral trend racked up millions of views after 26-year-old TikToker Gabrielle Judge shared it with her followers in May. Judge defines a “lazy girl job” as a flexible, remote position that’s non-technical, high-paying and doesn’t require extreme effort or difficult performance goals. She used examples of job titles like “customer success manager” and “marketing associate” that fit the “lazy” job category.
  • Bare Minimum Mondays: “Bare Minimum Mondays” are another example of Gen Zers placing a priority on their health and wellbeing instead of the notion of being an “ideal employee”. Digital content creator and startup founder Marisa Jo Mayes went viral on TikTok when she shared her version of Bare Minimum Monday, essentially doing as little work as possible that day to minimize stress.

Whether you’re sympathetic to the views of Gen Z or feel these beliefs are self-entitled and out of touch, they still need to be considered in order to hire and retain a younger generation of workers. In fact, it’s one of the top challenges Leah M Joppy and Associates hears about from clients. How do we attract younger workers? And how do we keep them after they’ve started in a new position? We’ll examine what Gen Z is looking for in the workplace in our next article, but the first step towards recruitment and retention is learning and understanding more about this rapidly growing pool of workers. That’s where we can help by taking a look at your current hiring strategies and how to best tailor them to appeal to the younger generation of employees.

Ready to learn more? Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com.

 

How To Attract Gen Z Workers

“She’s quiet quitting and rage applying to lazy-girl jobs.” That sentence may cause many of us to scratch our heads in bewilderment, but to Gen Z workers, it makes perfect sense. And with workplace hashtags like these going viral among Gen Z on TikTok, it makes managers wonder if it’s even possible to make younger workers happy.

So, who exactly is Gen Z? Often defined as people born between 1997-2012, they are more diverse, tolerant, educated and socially conscious than past generations, yet they also report higher levels of stress and mental illness. They’re also one of the largest generations, making up one-fourth of the U.S. population. In fact, they’re about to surpass millennials as the most populous generation on earth and have the potential to transform not just the job recruitment process, but also the industries they’re entering.

The big question is: What is Gen Z looking for in the workplace? Forget the massage chairs and ping pong tables. Gen Z is more focused on meaningful work with an emphasis on work/life balance. Our previous article about workplace TikTok trends is proof of that. Here’s a look at 5 of the top things younger job seekers are looking for at work:

  • A competitive salary, but meaningful work is key: With rent, groceries and other essentials at all-time highs, Gen Z places a premium on a good salary. However, while salary is the most important factor in deciding on a job, Gen Z values salary less than every other generation. If given the choice of accepting a better-paying, but boring job versus work that was more interesting but didn’t pay as well, Gen Z was fairly evenly split over the choice.
  • A strong benefits package: Along with salary, this is another key to keeping Gen Z employees satisfied at work. Health insurance should be just the start – you should also offer employee retirement plans, commuter benefits, and more. Throw in some free meals or snacks in the workplace and you’re really going to get their attention!
  • Reasonable working hours: Gen Z is less willing than millennials to sacrifice work/life balance. Frequently asking this group to work more than their usual hours can be a real motivation killer and lead to workplace burnout. You don’t want a group of “quiet quitters” on your team.
  • No micromanagement and toxic work environments: A study by Glassdoor showed Gen Z isn’t too enthusiastic about upper management. That means if you micromanage these workers, you’re likely to chase them out the door. They’re also very conscious of toxic work environments (ie- employees who are too afraid to ask questions, dismissive managers, etc.)
  • A flexible work schedule: Even if you can’t keep your team remote all the time, it’s important to give Gen Z the option. For example, you could implement a policy that allows employees to work from home any time they don’t have in-person meetings. That flexibility can go a long way to keep them engaged at work.

Understanding the needs and wants of Gen Z can seem like a big learning curve. However, ignoring their workplace preferences can really put your organization at a disadvantage. As we pointed out, they’re poised to become a large block of the workforce in the coming years. Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help you hone your Gen Z recruitment strategy and will look at your current workplace environment, culture and more to make suggestions as to how you can attract younger team members. Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.