Project: Workload Unloading

It could be a hostile work environment. Creative differences. Financial burdens. Promotions. Humiliating demotions. Onboarding. Firing. A once in a lifetime risk. The situations and predicaments we find ourselves in as employers, employees and colleagues occur to all of us in a variety of forms and throughout different seasons. As we punch in our virtual clocks, time begins to sucker punch our life with stress and anxiety. Knowing how to overcome these frustrations before they overcome us is essential to healing ourselves, interoffice relationships and even those beyond our cubicles.

Taking proactive steps or being conscious and aware when noticing you begin to feel your workload is preoccupying too much brain space is the first step to unloading.

Here are a few ways to relieve stress:

Chew gum: Researchers have conducted studies that indicate chewing gum for more than 10 minutes is highly effective in reducing stress. Note - excessive gum chewing can cause adverse side effects and to those listening may annoy their senses should you smack your lips or pop bubbles.

Step away from your screen: Not only should you ensure you feet, back, chair, keyboard and screen are always at optimal levels when sitting at your desk, but every hour working, try to prevent eyestrain by taking a five-minute break. Get a cup of coffee or take a restroom break. Whatever you do, don’t check your phone or trade one screen for another.

Listen to your favorite playlist: Research shows that listening to soothing music like nature sounds or melodic tunes can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Not quite your genre? Statistics also prove up-beat, fast-paced music can help you blow off your steam. Time to plug in and meet some deadlines!

Eat up, keep up: In the long run, skipping food because you think you don’t have time decreases your ability to focus and ultimately slows down your productively. Whether it’s healthy snacks between meals or indulging in a large breakfast, lunch and dinner, ensure you stay hydrated as well.

Be grateful: You have a job. It may not be a career. It may not be where you want to be in five years. But you have what not everyone has. You have accomplished a lot to get where you are and you will continue to accomplish more if you keep overcoming stress before it overcomes you.

 -The Green Couch

Project: 6 Ways to Condition Your Clients

When you are in a creative field, you want to give your all to your clients. You want to say “Yes!” because you want to showcase your skills and market their services and products to the best of your ability. But there comes a time when they begin to bulldoze your kindness and take advantage of your willingness to serve.

It can be a risk to start saying “No.” To being upfront from the beginning to being transparent, to not negotiating. To not being a doormat when your clients walk into your studio even though they could be an ideal creative canvas.

There are more canvases out there and you have to protect both them and yourselves. Here’s a good guideline to abide by:

1.    If your hours are between 9 and 5, don’t answer before 9 or after 5.

2.    If you add surcharges, enforce those surcharges.

3.    If you say that is something your company does not offer, do not offer it.

4.    If you say it will be ready in two days, do not provide them with a rush service benefits.

5.    If they challenge your expertise, be assertive in your work integrity.

6.    If your client signed a contract, refer and uphold them to the contract.

-The Green Couch

Project: Humility In the Workplace

There is a millionaire dollar word missing from the workplace. It is not “deal” or “sold.”  It is “sorry.”

Many minor misunderstandings have halted even stopped mergers, partnerships and other proposals because the million-dollar word is exempt from a company’s vocabulary.

Too often your pride or naiveté hinders you from seeing the error in your work or lack of work.

It can be simple as missing a deadline, but over time these “infringements” adds up and will discredit your word. If you say sorry and don not mean it or don not change your word, your million-dollar words will also depreciate until they are in the negative.

One of the ways you can be proactive within your company is to know how to say and be sorry.

Thanks to Dr. Gary Chapman and his BA and MA degrees in anthropology, he has a passion for understanding social interactions. With the help of other doctors, he has created The Five Languages of Apology.

After taking this test, you will have a better understanding of the importance of humility, apology and how you should appreciate others that interact with you when issuing apologizing. After the completion, it is a great idea to hold an open, informal meeting at work where everyone can share their results. Maybe this will even lead to "sorry sessions"!

Furthermore, as a leader, taking a step-down, letting employees have a voice, giving a statement to the press before the fault is found out - this is why the word sorry is so valuable.

This word may cause pause for thought, but once reflection is over, once forgiveness is extended, whether ways are parted or not, you will find internal success. And that’s the first step towards a true millionaire’s success.

-The Green Couch

Project: Talk To The Hand

The ‘90s. 

Is the fashion worth recycling? No. Do we have a Pandora station dedicated to ‘90s Hip hop? Yes. Do we revert ‘90s vernacular? Duh.

A most memorable catchphrase the youth used (and overused) when encountering topics, conversations, peoples or obstacles they did not want to face the circumstances:

Talk to the hand!!!

However, it gets better - because this colloquialism was not just uttered. The hand was lifted, and the head was dramatically turned away, “Talk to the hand…because the face just can’t understand.”

While this catchphrase may have died and become obsolete and extinct one thing has held on steadfast.

So that is the body language. It may not be so overt. It may not be so dramatic. But it gets the best of us when we clock in and we work alongside co-workers who far too often we see as the opposing force. Co-workers are team members but when every encounter provokes topics and conversations that seem like insurmountable obstacles our body language soon assumes a talk to the hand pose.

We become stiff. We avoid meeting their eyes; we roll our eyes. We avoid them in the halls. We give them our back.

Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end. Perhaps you’ve been the generous benefactor.

What causes this alienation?

It stems from unsolicited advice. We all know the type: The person who is too eager to offer advice.

Here are a few quick questions to ask yourself when you think you have something wise and witty to say. This guideline that will help you know when people are more likely to be receptive to information. It might take you awhile to redeem yourself, but it is time for your team to pull together. Here’s a good place to start:

• Is there a problem or is it just an opportunity for you to express your opinion?

• Will it inspire your people?

• Will it enhance the work culture?

• Will it build your team’s relationship?

• Will it open the doors for creative collaboration?

• Will it encourage your team’s strengths?

• Will it be a wise use of your time?

• Will it utilize the tools your company provides?

• Will it benefit your community?

• Will it give an opportunity for a teammate to play devil’s advocate?

• Will it be okay if it fails?

• Will it encourage people to step up to be leaders?

Are you ready to lead your team to a new formula of FAQ's?

If you have any questions for us, we are always eager to encourage and inspire!

-The Green Couch