Wellness Wednesday Issue #58

The excitement of a new year often fades fast come February.

Short, dark days devoid of holidays drag on with frigid temps keeping us bundled up indoors for weeks longer. No wonder many people suffer from the winter blues or full blown seasonal affective disorder (SAD) this time of year!

Symptoms like fatigue, moodiness, oversleeping and carb cravings make it hard to stick to healthy routines. But fighting back against SAD is critical to stay mentally and physically strong this last stretch before spring.

Here are powerful ways to lift your seasonal gloom this month:

Hang in there, spring is around the corner! In the meantime, be intentional about your mindset and environment – relief from SAD is possible this February if you take action.

 

If you’re old school and keep a notebook and pen handy to write down your to-dos, or use a handful of apps to stay on top of projects, monday.com can either supplement your workflow or become your sole solution to get things done.

The really cool thing about it is that you can manage all your team’s work in one place (oh, and you can get it free if you’re strapped for cash).

No more endless e-mail threads or long meetings. With monday.com you can keep track of everything your team’s working on, communicate in context, and get started in minutes with a super easy set-up.

Signing up for free won’t just help you become more productive, you’ll also be supporting The Assist 😊.

Winter can zap anyone’s motivation to exercise in February.

But skipping workouts for weeks on end due to bad weather can damper your fitness level and mood.

The solution?

Take your routine inside your warm, comfy home with these creative ideas for active play and sweat sessions while sheltered from cold snaps.

Turn Up the Tunes
Crank your favorite upbeat playlist and make up your own dance workout. Let your body boogie freely. Or try YouTube dance videos from Zumba to hip hop with choreographed routines to follow.

Jump On It
Break out your childhood pogo stick, jump rope or mini trampoline for a seriously fun burn. Challenge yourself to hit a personal record for most consecutive jumps or try trick maneuvers.

Make a Mini Golf Course
Bring out your inner-child and transform household items like broomsticks, books, empty paper towel rolls and pillows into an indoor mini golf course. Add as many silly obstacles as you like!

Box It Out
Wrap your hands and go a few rounds with a punching bag or the air. Look up proper technique online so you don’t hurt those wrists! Add some plyometric squat jumps, lunges and shuttle runs between punches.

Namaste Indoors
Roll out your mat for soothing yoga flows, whether following Youtube classes or going through your own sequence of poses. Deep stretches counter all the contraction of cold weather.

Don’t let the weather be an excuse to move your body. The goal is to get creative and keep active, so use what you’ve got at home for creative cardio dance parties, jump rope contests, living room mini golf, or boxing and yoga sessions. Keep your fitness fire stoked no matter the forecast!

 

😳 Ever lie awake, mind buzzing with thoughts? Same.

But Headspace Sleepcasts are a game-changer.

Instead of staring at the ceiling, get whisked away to dreamland with soothing voices and scenes.

Plus, it’s just $6 a month for better sleep – less than a couple of lattes you buy to keep you awake!

You can even try it free before you commit.

💤 Sleep tighter with Headspace.

Approaching a leader who seems unresponsive can be intimidating.

Whether you’re addressing workplace concerns, presenting new ideas, or offering feedback, it’s crucial to be heard. But when faced with a leader who doesn’t listen, effective communication becomes a challenge.

Here’s how to navigate these tough conversations with confidence and strategy:

Prepare Your Points: Before the meeting, clearly define your main concerns or ideas.

For instance, “I’ve noticed a pattern in our team meetings where some voices, including mine, are not fully heard. I have some thoughts on this I’d like to share.”

Choose the Right Moment: Request a specific time to talk.

Try saying, “Do you have 15 minutes today or tomorrow? There’s something important I’d like to discuss with you.”

Use “I” Statements: To express your perspective without sounding confrontational, use “I” statements.

For example, “I feel my contributions could be more impactful if I had more opportunities to present my ideas in our strategy meetings.”

Propose Solutions: Leaders appreciate actionable solutions.

Suggest practical steps, like, “One idea I have is implementing a rotating speaking order in meetings to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.”

Be Direct and Concise: Get straight to the point.

For instance, “I want to talk about how we can improve communication in our team. I believe there are ways we can enhance our meeting structure for better collaboration.”

Follow Up: After your conversation, send a brief email to summarize and confirm any agreed actions.

You might write, “Thank you for the discussion today. As agreed, I’ll prepare a short presentation for the next meeting to outline my ideas on improving team communication.”

Effective communication with a non-responsive leader is about being clear, strategic, and empathetic. With these tips, you can increase your chances of having a productive conversation.

You’ve mastered your role, taken on more responsibilities and contributed immense value over time to your employer.

Now it’s time to negotiate fairly getting paid what you’re worth (pssst…here’s a free template we made to help you with that!).

Use these tips to have a productive raise conversation with confidence:

First, catalog your wins and document metrics proving that value.
Did you drive sales 25% above target last quarter?
Did you automate processes saving over 40 admin hours a week?
Quantify achievements.

Do market research on current salary ranges for your position and experience level via sites like PayScale and Glassdoor. Make sure to factor in cost of living increases.

Set up a special meeting just for this discussion. Express genuine enthusiasm for your job and team. Then walk through your proven contributions and growth. Use some of these key phrases:

“I’m extremely passionate about my role here and the work I produce. I’m truly grateful for all of the opportunities for growth you’ve provided me.”

“As outlined in my last review, this year I streamlined the X process which saved our team dozens of hours per week. I also onboarded 15 new clients exceeding my revenue goal by 25%.”

Be direct about the number, presenting it as an expected progression given results delivered.

“Based on the immense value I know I’m producing here, which those results demonstrate, I am requesting an increase in my salary from $X to $Y, effective on X date. Does this compensation revision make sense in light of everything we’ve discussed?”

If budget concerns arise, explore secondary options like future guaranteed raises, extra PTO, work from home flexibility or professional development funds. Try saying:

“I completely understand if an immediate direct salary increase doesn’t align with current budget constraints. In that case, I’d propose we explore alternative options that still provide me with fair compensation for the value I bring. I have a few ideas that could accomplish that:

1. We implement a guaranteed future raise of X% to take effect on X date. This locks in an increment down the road when finances may allow more flexibility.
2. You provide me with additional PTO of X extra days per year. This tradeoff grants me time off I could utilize for self-care or focus on professional development.
3. The company allots $X on an annual basis for me to use on leadership courses, skill-building seminars, or conferences relevant to my role. Investing in my growth aligns perfectly with your talent development goals.”

With preparation and courage, remember your value and request the compensation that genuinely reflects it. You owe it to yourself and career to advocate boldly!

🎁 Employee Appreciation Day is in less than a month (Fri March 1st) — check out some gift ideas we’ve wrangled together.

📚 If you are questioning your relationship with alcohol even a little bit, interested in reducing your intake, or quitting altogether, Sober On A Drunk Planet is an easy and inspirational read that will motivate you to take action.

📄 Quit wasting time in meetings and swipe this free Agenda Template to keep things focused and effective.

💸 If you’ve changed jobs recently (or ever), chances are you may have multiple 401Ks set up — Capitalize will help you find them all and roll them into one account for free.