ACTing in line with your values

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT, is a mindfulness based behaviour therapy, which has been shown to be successful in both treating mental health disorders, as well as in coaching people to reach their goals and live a more meaningful life.  In a nutshell, anyone from executives, athletes, performers, people suffering from depression or anxiety, people wanting to improve their relationships etc, can benefit from the principles of ACT.

Russ Harris is an internationally renowned trainer and coach in ACT.   Harris (2009), states that "the aim of ACT, in lay terms, is to create a rich, full and meaningful life while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it."

In order to live a rich and meaningful life, we need to understand our core values and what matters to us in the greater scheme of things.

How often do you think about your core values?  If someone were to write a biography about you, how would you like to be portrayed?

I created my own worksheet based on the guiding principles of ACT to help you to identify your core values and  if you're currently behaving in line with those values.

Would anyone like to have a go?  Download it HERE

If you'd like some help or some examples, please send me an email or comment.

Baking Therapy!

Do you have a "flow" activity, that helps you to disconnect from the drudgery of everyday life and get caught up doing something fun?

Today my flow activity was....
Baking!!

I decided to make Tollhouse cookies!!  It was my first attempt, but they turned out pretty darn good!!

I followed this recipe, but added chopped and whole hazelnuts and crushed walnuts.  

Here are the results!!

Yellow tapas bowl from Country Road Home

Yellow picnic tin from Country Road Home

and here's how I enjoyed the splendour of my work... 

Cake Stand by Donna Hay
Flippy Skirt by Country Road
Lipstick - Impassioned, by Mac

Thanks to Lachy Doley for the wonderful photos!!

Amazing Workspaces

Do you find you're more productive when you're in a more desirable work environment?

Customising your workspace can be just the inspiration you need!!  

Here are a few of my favourite inspirations.

What tips can you share to add some spark to your work area?

Office of Camille Styles, blogger - see the full article at Apartment Therapy

Another design by Camille Styles

The fabulous workspace of Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere

Taken from digsdigs.com

Small changes in your workplace can make you more productive!!

Feeling the afternoon slump?  A study by Muench (2012) examined two groups of workers - one group spent a six hours day working inside an environment with artificial lighting (Fluorescent lights) and the other group worked for six hours in an environment with natural light exposure.

Low and behold, the workers in the artificial light work environment displayed more dramatic feelings of sleepiness in the evening than the group in the natural light work environment.  Participants who worked in the natural light group also performed better than the artificial light group at a cognitive task in the evening.

Why the difference?  The fluorescent lights may possibly disturb our natural circadian rhythms.

Can you increase your exposure to natural light throughout the working day?  This is more reason than ever to take a lunchtime walk!!

Turn off those fluros and open those curtains!!

Weekly Roundup

Weekly roundup will feature some of my favourite posts and finds from around the web over the past week!!

Enjoy!!

Some fantastic parenting from some very creative parents!!

Mindfulness for new years resolutions

An amazing cake that I NEED to attempt to bake!!

Is a treadmill desk the answer!?

Best IKEA Hacks of 2013

Dogs too can recognise familiar human faces!!

Most Accurate Psychopaths from Cinema

Back to Work Blues

Is anyone else feeling a bit down in the dumps about returning to work after the Christmas holidays.

I for one, sure am!!!

I have two blissful days of holidays left, but those awful anxious thoughts are starting to creep back in....my brain is telling me to "avoid avoid avoid!!"  Even a sneaky peek at my emails this afternoon left me feeling in a bit of a spin.  

Here are some tips to help you avoid emailing in your resignation so you can sleep in on Monday!!

Reflect on the positive aspects of your role

It might seem bleak now, but what satisfaction does your job bring you?  What are the perks of your job?

What does being employed and having a wage enable you to do in your spare time?

What social benefits do you enjoy at work?  

Did your job allow you to have the holiday you just went on?  

Ease yourself back into the swing of things

Try and allow yourself a day or two to settle back in - return calls and emails, schedule appointments and meetings for the following week and to catch up on anything you're behind on.   Give yourself time to re-adjust -  I suggest that you have two cappuccinos on your first morning back - just to help the transition!!!  Push back non-essential meetings to later in the week if you can.  

Remember you can't change the past, but you can change the future!!

A holiday might have been a well deserved break from overdue reports and deadlines, but if they weren't completed before your break, they'll still be there, lingering!  Make time to catch up on anything that's overdue and confront your outstanding work head on - the more we avoid those dreaded tasks, the worst they will be!! You can't fix mistakes you made in December, but it's a new year!  Focus on ongoing good quality work.

Be mindful of healthy habits

Whilst you might feel a shock to the system when waking up at 6:30am on Monday, resist the urge to sleep in and grab a croissant or calorie laden takeaway breakfast on your way in.

Try and be prepared by starting the day with a healthy breakfast, and even try packing a healthy lunch the night before.

Diarise your exercise schedule for the week - it might be tough, but getting back on track with your usual exercise routine will help you to feel calmer and happier throughout the week.  Make sure you plan ahead by packing your gym clothes/yoga mat etc in the car, so you have no excuses not to get out there and exercise.  

Make your horrid workday more pleasant with small rituals that make you feel good!!

A nice coffee in the morning, scented hand cream on your desk, going for a walk on your lunch break, a new work outfit, some delicious leftovers packed for lunch.... a glass of wine catch up with your favourite co-worker-drone after work hours - whatever it is, try and pack as many small pleasures into your working day as possible!!

Good luck fellow worker drones!!  After all, it could be worse!!

The Halo Effect - looks truly can help you to succeed!

The "Halo" effect is a distortion of thinking that leads us to judge a person's particular characteristics based on our overall impression of that person.  For example, people rated as attractive are also more likely to be perceived as trustworthy and friendly. 

The role of attractiveness in our judgement of other characteristics such as warmth, trustworthiness and intelligence has been greatly researched....here are a few examples!!

How smart is Miranda!?

Attractive Students get Higher Grades!!

A study by Gordon, Crosnoe and Wang (2014) looked followed a sample of 9000 American students from high school through to their 30s and showed that students who were rated as above average in attractiveness received better grades by teachers and were more likely to go on to university studies.

Jurors may be Biased by Physical Attractiveness!!

A study by Efran (1974) showed that participants in a simulated jury task were more lenient in sentencing attractive individuals than unattractive ones even when the same crime was committed. This has been attributed to people with a high level of attractiveness being seen as more likely to have brighter futures in society thanks to socially desirable traits they are believed to possess.

Good Looking People Earn Higher Salaries....but hold on, intelligence also helps! *Phew*

A study by Judge (2009)  interviewed 191 men and women between the ages of 25 and 75.  Each participant was interviewed three times, six months apart, commencing in 1995.  

The participants were asked to answer questions about their income, education and job and achievement satisfaction.  They then completed several intelligence tests and had photographs taken to assess their physical attractiveness.  

Findings of the study showed that physical attractiveness had a significant impact on how much people got paid, as well as their education level and how they evaluated themselves....good news is though...a person's intelligence affected their income more so than looks!!!