Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: health

  • Strategies To Help You Cope With Negative Feelings

    Strategies To Help You Cope With Negative Feelings

    Daily writing prompt
    What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?
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    Negative feelings are a natural part of life, but managing them can make all the difference in our mental and emotional well-being. We need to make a conscious effort and employ the right strategies to prevent them from overwhelming us. Here are some unconventional yet effective ways to deal with negativity.

    1. Write a Letter You’ll Never Send

    Sometimes, we bottle up emotions because we feel unsafe expressing them. Writing a letter to someone (or even to yourself) without intending to send it can be a therapeutic way to release frustration, disappointment, or sadness. This process provides emotional clarity without the fear of judgment.

    2. Engage in Safe Destruction

    Find a safe, non-harmful way to release pent-up frustration. This could be throwing rocks in the water, smashing a piece of junk you planned to throw out anyway, or popping balloons. The physical release can be surprisingly satisfying and help channel emotions productively.

    3. Try Music or Singing

    Music has a profound impact on our emotions. Channeling your emotions into music or singing can change your mood, particularly if it’s loud music or angry song lyrics. These activities can release tension, change your focus, and instantly improve mood.

    4. Have a “Worst-Case Scenario” Brainstorming Session

    Instead of suppressing worries or replaying negative thoughts over and over, fully explore the worst-case scenario in a structured way. Write down what could go wrong, how you would handle it, and the most likely outcome. This method helps put things into perspective and often reduces anxiety.

    5. Create a “Letting Go” Ritual

    Develop a personal ritual that symbolizes releasing negative emotions. This could be writing worries on a piece of paper and setting the paper on fire (in a safe place) or taking a symbolic shower to “wash away” stress. Associating emotions with actions can make it easier to move on.

    6. Make Small Changes to Your Environment

    Our surroundings can influence our emotions. Instead of a drastic change, make a small shift—rearrange your furniture, remove objects you associate with bad memories, or change your routine by going to a different room. These subtle changes can refresh your mindset and break negative thought patterns.

    By incorporating these unique strategies, you can find creative and effective ways to manage negative feelings while maintaining a healthy emotional balance.

    Thanks for reading!

  • How Food Can Inspire You While You’re Working

    Eating and working at a desk job seems like an odd combination, but some of us do it, so let’s talk about it! When you’re hard at work and need a burst of creativity, your food choices could be the secret sauce to creativity. Food is fuel, and what we eat can impact our mood and spark inspiration. Let’s explore how the right snacks and meals can bring some joy and excitement to your workday.

    First, do you have a stash of snacks in your desk drawer? For example, chocolates or nuts. If you’ve got writer’s block, a quick bite of your favorite snack might get your creativity going. Eating something delicious can be an instant reward, making mundane tasks more enjoyable. For example, one bite after each task is completed. I find the day goes so much faster when I can have a bite of a delicious snack after completing a grueling work task.

    Food is also a great opportunity to be creative and have some fun. Packing yourself some tasty leftovers from last night’s dinner or trying out a new lunch recipe can be your exciting reward for getting halfway through the workday. Some of the tastiest creations include putting together a lunch with a variation in colors and flavors, such as a salad. I also enjoy leftovers from a tasty dinner – a reminder of home.

    Additionally, food that feels like a reward is very motivating. I’ve made it through a long and dull day by marking out the hours with delicious items. For example, dessert such as a cookie. Or your favorite tea at mid-morning to break up the day. It feels almost like being a kid again, to be motivated with food and not just a paycheck! The best part is enjoying every bite after finishing a dreary work task. 

    Next time you’re looking to be inspired while working, take a moment to savor what you eat. Your choice of food can be just the thing to fuel both your body and your creativity and get you through a workday. (Especially on a Monday!)

    What are your favorite snacks?

  • Do You Stand Out in a Crowd?

    Do You Stand Out in a Crowd?

    What part of my routine would I always skip if I can? I would say it’s my face. Yeah, I can tell by your reaction that you weren’t expecting an answer like that when you asked for this interview. But, like I said over the phone, I’m not like other people that you know.

    So while you’re checking your interview notes to see what detail you missed about me, let me explain.

    Every day, I go to work, I take the transit like hundreds of other people in this city. I check my phone for the latest news during my ride and then I grab my coffee on the way to the office. I enter data and write reports all day. I say hello to my coworkers on the way to my desk, and goodbye on my way home. Yeah, it sounds boring, but I’m as pleasant and polite as can be.

    So what’s this got to do with my face?

    Well, everything. No one really knows anyone. No one really knows me.

    My coworkers and my boss call me reliable and hardworking. But they couldn’t tell you a darn thing about my favorite hobby or favorite food. They think it’s pizza and beer, but that’s because they all have pizza and beer after work when we gather at the pub.

    My parents say I’m a good son. I visit them on the weekends. I play with their dog and their cat so they think I like animals. They like going to Europe in the summer and I’m always intrigued by their adventures so they think my dream is to visit Europe.

    The reality is, I don’t know what I want. I try so hard to be a people pleaser, that over time, I’ve lost myself. Every day, I put on my face before I walk out that door. That face is the face of the person everyone thinks is me, you know?

    But who am I? If I didn’t put on my face, who would they see? 

    For once, I wish I had the courage to be late for work because I slept in, so yeah, fire me. Wouldn’t that feel good! I wish I could board the train and start belting out a song and hope everyone joins my impromptu concert. For once, I wish I could say to my parents, I want to go hiking in the mountains, even though I could get lost, and it’s a little dangerous. But I’m not brave enough.

    I guess I’m too scared to see the faces of the people around me go from acceptance to shock. So I guess the answer to your question, “What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?” would be, “not putting on my face.” I always try to go out as the real me, to skip that step of putting on my fake face, but I always run back. No one will ever see who I really am. I’d rather just be another face in the crowd.

    Thanks for reading this post!

    Daily writing prompt
    What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?
    View all responses

  • 3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

    3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

    Repost

    Working when it’s a holiday is tough. (Canada Day was July 1 and Independence Day is July 4) Your family and friends have invited you to join their plans but you must spend a few hours at the computer to meet an urgent deadline. Work can be fun if you enjoy it; a real pain if you don’t. 

    If you’re working from home and trying to ignore distractions, (and if you’re not working and just attempting to be productive at your personal goals), try these tips to stay productive, regardless of the day of the week.

    1 Set Goals

    Before you begin your workday, set your goals. Ask yourself what must be done today and what could be done today if you have the time. 

    Work backward, calculating the number of hours you plan to work and estimating the number of hours you need for the critical tasks. If you still have time left, add the tasks that would be nice to complete. 

    For example, if you plan to work X hours, estimate how long it will take you to complete the mandatory tasks. Then decide what tasks you could work on if you still have some time left.

    After prioritizing these tasks, complete the most urgent or difficult one first. Make a checklist of your tasks for the day, and cross off each task as you complete it. It’s a great feeling to see your list shrink as your day progresses.

    If you’re a freelancer or business owner, your goal for Saturday or Sunday might be to catch up on less important tasks. It’s a peaceful time to clear out some paperwork or catch up on the accounting you didn’t have time for during the week.

    2 Time Blocking

    Okay, you’ve decided on a list of what you want to complete by the end of your work day. Next, you want to block time for working productively.

    Estimate how much time it takes to complete a task. Then focus on working in short spurts. You might want to set a timer to mark when 15 to 30 minutes have passed. Or, you might want to work in long time blocks of one hour, although shorter periods are better for focused concentration.

    After a short block of time has passed, take a brief break. Stretch, walk around or sip on your favorite work beverage. If you work in long time blocks, take a longer break.

    Set boundaries for communication and socialization, especially if you live with others. Have a way to signal to family or roommates when it’s your office hours. For example, close your home office door. When it’s break time, open the door so they know that’s their time to speak with you or spend time with you.

    If you have coworkers who also work, even on the weekends, you can also time block. If answering messages and emails distracts you from your task, wait until your task is complete before answering messages. If you don’t have time to complete a work request, tell your coworker when you will be completing the task.

    Most importantly, when it is time to work, use that block of time productively. Focus on your work and turn off all distractions. Listen to music if it helps to keep you focused. Tell your furry coworker friend they can work next to you as long as they don’t sit on the keyboard (which cats sometimes do).   

    3 Prioritize Health

    Time blocking can greatly increase your productivity. Just as important to your productivity is including habits to improve your mental and physical health.

    Working on a stat or national holiday can already be challenging if everyone you know has time off. This type of work schedule can affect your mental health if you want to break free and join whatever your family is doing.

    But since you’re committed to the work day, commit yourself to setting boundaries. Decide on blocks of time when you can have a quick chat with your family during a work break. Make plans for later in the day so you’ll have something to look forward to.

    If you live alone, chat with your friends during your work breaks. Take advantage of support systems that you find on social media. 

    People who freelance or run a business reach out to online communities so they can share their challenges and struggles. This network is especially important if your friends aren’t business owners and constantly ask why you’re working on the weekend or a stat/national holiday.

    In addition to social support, look after your body. When you work from home, it’s easy to hunch over a computer and stare at a screen for hours. It’s not healthy for your back or eyes. 

    During a break, stretch, get a cup of tea or coffee, and walk around. Take in your surroundings. Chat with your plant, cat, bird, or dog about what you’re working on. Sometimes you’ll have a breakthrough while you brainstorm, and you’ll work out what was stumping you about your work task.

    Key Takeaways

    If you’re working from home this weekend, you can improve your focus and productivity with careful planning. First, set your goals, then use time blocking to ensure that you achieve them. Third, remember to take breaks and rest to keep your body and mind healthy.

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  • Self Care Tips Based on Your Personality Type

    Self Care Tips Based on Your Personality Type

    These days, more people are not just working from home – they’re working longer hours. Home and work life are blurring together, affecting mental and physical health. This trend is not a positive one and needs to change. You deserve a break, so here are self care tips by personality type to help you avoid burnout.

    Why self care by personality type? Some people by nature work harder out of a need for competition, while others find it more difficult to maintain focus. My business mentors told me about the four basic personality types, which I describe here but with different names (to avoid copyright issues).  Which personality type are you, and what will you do for self care?

    Self-Driven Hard Worker

    The self-driven hard worker runs on never-ending batteries. They will forget to eat while they pursue a goal for the day. This personality type are often leaders and like to get straight to the point because they don’t like to waste time. They enjoy the finer things in life, desiring a lifestyle of luxury and wealth as an ultimate goal. If they are on vacation, or playing a game, they tend to be competitive and need an objective for the activity. They can be extremely focused.

    Taking a moment for self care is most challenging for the self driven, hard worker. They will ask questions such as, “Why take the night off to watch a movie when I can keep going and hit my next milestone?” Achievement after achievement is its own reward.

    Unfortunately, these hard workers could burn out and suffer from health problems. They need to take a much-needed break to eat a proper meal and enjoy some fresh air with friends or family! Having a little fun will not result in disaster or an episode of laziness, and this is hard fact for them to accept.

    Detail-Oriented Analyst

    People who fall under this personality type tend to over analyze and be very critical of many aspects of their life. Unlike the hard worker, who will take risks, the analyst needs to know all the facts up front before making a decision. They love details and keep meticulous records. They can be very tidy and organized, and they feel safest when they can anticipate what their future holds.

    A detail-oriented analyst will take the time to pamper themselves or take a vacation if they know that everything is under control and carefully planned out. They will take the night off after they have planned out their day for tomorrow. They will try out a new spa treatment or yoga class if they have researched it first.

    You can count on the analyst to thoroughly research your vacation destination, to plan out activities, schedules, and prices. It may intimidate them a bit at first but encourage an analyst to leap into something without knowing what they are getting into. Ask them to join you for a night about town and tell them your destination will be a pleasant surprise. A little adventure can be fun!

    Devoted Humanitarian

    The humanitarian puts friends and family first. Their objectives in life and career tend to revolve around what they can do for the people they care about, as well as humankind in general. They tend to be shy and quiet in personality (but not all of them are introverts), and they like to play it safe. They will work hard if it means their paycheck will cover the cost of hockey practice and uniforms for their child, or ensure that their parents have a nicer place to live. They tend to be selfless.

    Self care can be a challenge for these humanitarians. They are so focused in giving and caring for others that they will sacrifice their own time, well being, or finances for another person. They need to try to put themselves first occasionally to avoid burn out.

    Instead of giving their spouse a day off, for example, they should take the day off themselves and not feel guilty about it. Even if family members don’t show appreciation for what a humanitarian personality does, these personality types can give themselves a well-deserved time off.

    Big-Picture Enthusiast

    The big picture enthusiast is social and gets along with people. They can be the life of the party and the team member that coworkers consider most amicable. If there is a project at work, they tend to focus on the bigger goals and encourage people to become involved. However, they are sloppy with details and find it difficult to stay focused, especially if a task isn’t fun. Their biggest motivator is fun. If they like an idea, they will jump in and try it out, often without weighing the consequences.

    For a personality type that likes to enjoy life, they too need some time for self care. They need to set goals and check in to make sure that these goals are achieved. Did they reach their income goal for the month? Did they complete all the mundane paperwork?

    Taking the time to ground themselves in these less exciting aspects of life is important. Otherwise, they may find themselves missing out on important deadlines or stressed out and dealing with the aftermath of bad decisions because they didn’t do enough research. Enjoying life is good, but everything needs balance.

    Summary

    No one is exactly 100 percent one of these personality types. You could be predominately one of these types when you’re working and another when you aren’t. You could be a combination of any of these types, like a combination pizza of multiple flavors. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each type will help you focus on what you can do for your own health and well being. What self care will you work on this week?

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