Getting off the Grid- You can save yourself

When the sun shines on you, you have a got a good day.

We are so busy and overwhelmed with work and life that we are always running around trying to sort out our to-do's. We have stopped smelling the roses.

And we pay the price for it.

Coping up to keep ourselves in the current workforce leads to around 56% with musculoskeletal symptoms. 22% newly diagnosed hypertension,10% had diabetes, 36% had dyslipidemia, 54% had depression, anxiety and insomnia, 40% had obesity. The stress score was higher in employees who developed diabetes, hypertension and depression. (Source)

Did you know that work stress has been categorized through a series of  stages.

1. The honeymoon stage: Euphoric feeling if excitement, enthusiasm, challenges and pride on getting a new job. Dysfunctional processes include the depletion of energy reserves in coping and adapting to the new environment.
2. The full throttle stage: Going full swing leads to a depletion of resources. Other symptoms include dissatisfaction, sleep disturbances, overeating, drinking or smoking.
3. The chronic symptom stage: Development of chronic symptoms like physical illness, anger and depression.
4. The crisis stage: Persistence of symptoms leads to disease, chronic backache, headache, high BP, insomnia, etc., would develop.
5. Hitting the wall stage: No person can continue under strain for too long and one may reach the end of one's professional career. Burnout stress syndrome takes over.
6. The opposite: Rust our stress syndrome occurs under extreme hypo stress. This is likely to occur when the gap between one’ capabilities and environmental demands becomes too wide.

We don’t realize the stress we are putting our bodies through until something goes wrong and we are spending our time more at the doctor’s lobby than in office or home.

According to the American Optometric Association, people who use computers daily at work or at home could suffer from computer vision syndrome  , which leaves them vulnerable to problems like dry eye, eyestrain, neck and backaches, light sensitivity and fatigue.

We are all aware of what happens. Rarely do we take the time to sit down and plan to change our lifestyle. I know it firsthand. I have moved between countries, thought myself as a go-getter, done well for myself with a full time job and a blog and hosting meet up group because networking is a good, right? I ate mostly healthy, exercised rarely and wondered if I would ever have the time to sit down with a cup of tea and read a novel? I didn’t and with motherhood, my workload went crazy. I had the help, however no one can take the stress of the mind to trying to juggling so many things. I felt guilty that I couldn’t write the blog, I was so exhausted by the end of the day. Small things piled up over the years till I was sitting in a doctors lobby recently did I realize there’s no meaning for all the ambition if I can’t balance my health along with it.

So, here are 5 steps you can consider:

1. Move- there’s no alternative to moving your body and keeping it healthy. Don’t worry if you don’t have  a gym or a park nearby- just walk during lunch. If you can’t take longer breaks form life or work, try in small increments. I started using my office gym because once I landed home, I never had the time. I try walking around in office, taking stairs and a quick walk during lunch for like 10 minutes. They all add up and it helps- your mood and health 
   
2. Meals- Try limiting takeout food, eating cookies or chips for lunch isn’t a good idea. Plan ahead, make a salad or a stir fry and just take it with you. Try a smoothie. What you put in your body matters, instead of a fizzy drink try coconut water. And this isn’t some words just typed in because I liked my burgers and fizzy drinks- it de-stressed me... till I figured out how much sugar I was putting in my body and zero nutrition for nothing. Eat healthy and once in a while indulge in your fav food.
3. Take Breaks- don’t sit at a stretch for hours at work, I am guilty of it too, I am trying to change. Use a reminder, apps, alarm- anything that works for you, but take a break. Your eyes and body will thank you for it. Take breaks as in vacation, even if it means you are just sitting at home reading a good book.
4. Stop Being Guilty- prioritize yourself. It’s okay to not finish that painting by the weekend, your well being matters the most. Instead just go out and play, the weathers on your side now.
5. Create a Routine to Relax- unwind every day, end of day. When you work around the same routine every day, it gives the cue to your brain, it’s time to get to bed now or sleep. So, the first step of your routine will often get you relaxed like getting in your pj’s.

The most important of all, stop saying I don’t have time. It’s not about time it’s about priority. Nothing beats your health because if that’s not on your side, your career and ambition is in for a steep fall.

So, when overwhelmed GET OFF THE GRID. It's okay to postpone sometimes, its allright to say I will take care of myself first, it better to prevent, it's logical to switch of your digital belongings and accounts couple of times a week, try being a minimal and natural as possible and then go out and conquer the world. 

(Pic courtesy: Image 1, Image 2)

What I have been reading and why it matters to you

I wanted to share with you some random links that makes sense when you look at it from your personal development point of view.

For success, life not only has to be organized, you have to be in a very stable mental space and none of them just happen to happen. I hope you find something in these stories that helps you find that zone. 

• Does it matter where you sit in office, find out here.   
• Being comfortable and confident is important, find out why 
• Books on Behavioral changes 
• Ways to style your work desk as you progress through the years.
• Minimal distraction writing tool 
• Ways to declutter, here's how 

And looking for a real pick me up, don't miss this. Malcolm Gladwell being interviewed by Tim Ferris.

"For one hour of writing, there's three hours of thinking". 

This is how I work

When do you wake up every day? What’s your alarm set to?

Right now somewhere between 7.30 am-8.00 am. I try to wake up naturally, I leave the curtains open for the sunlight to stream in. 

Tea or Coffee?

Recently switched to tea. I am usually a coffee person for that first cup in the morning.

Any rituals to set the tone for the day in the morning?

Water my plants and soak up the morning sun for a couple of minutes and some days write in my gratitude journal may be a line or two.

When do you feel most productive?

I have always been a night owl, recently I am trying to make some lifestyle changes and have been trying to feel inspired in the morning. Some days mornings work for me, sometimes old habits die hard.

Where do you work?

I have my dark wood compact desk set up in the bedroom by the window, I like the natural light and the corner of the room. The desk has enough space to keep my knick knacks on and storage for files. the window sill has few plants. My desk is pic 2, of course its a partial pic of the desk. I pair it up with a light brown leather swivel big chair that's comfortable enough to nap in :)

However, sometimes I will just work out of the couch while watching TV (at night) or at the dining table if I am trying to keep my laptop out of my 2 year old's reach. 

What are you reading currently?

The last book I read was Magical Thinking by Elizabeth Gilbert and that was a week ago. Right now, nothing specific. However every night I will browse through articles or blogs or anything that inspires me. Since I am trying to make my lifestyle much more positive and inspiring, I read on heath, food and being inspired and how it affects our well being and work style. 

As for work reading it really depends, it's is mostly on Agile or management. Last book I read was Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge. 

How do you keep things organized?

I carry a notepad and pen with me all the time. I like the feel of pen and paper, so sometimes I will use the notepad, sometimes just jot things down in my phone. I also use sticky notes a lot for my to do list for the day.

Any hack you prefer for work?

When I read books, I will usually use post it notes and mark the important things or pages, so years later if I have to refer it’s just easy than having to read the whole book again.

What are your favorite gadgets?

An old DELL laptop, Mac book air and an Iphone.

What apps can you not live without?

I have reduced my times spent on apps, however once in a while I will still pop in whatsapp to catch up with my friends. Evernote. Instagram. Twitter. Pinterest. That’s it. I do have more than required apps on my phone, I have been trying to reduce my time on them and focus more on myself. So far, it’s been a positive change. It was the most difficult of changes to make to not check phone every five minutes. 

Any new addition to your routines?

I get bored very easily, so I try to change my routines once a in a while. Recently it has been trying to work out (I use the office gym) on a regular basis. I think my best when I am working out or just out a for a walk alone. I have also been trying out inspiration boards and gardening J

How do you recharge?

Mostly by reading  (book or just browsing through interesting reads over the web, sometimes just Pinterest) or watching a good movie and ordering in and if possible a mini vacation. 

This post is inspired by Lifehacker posts on the same topic. Click here to know more.

(Pic courtesy: pic 1- Pinterest. Pic 2- my desk)

5 Years- that’s how long it took

I like having the constraint in my flow, to ensure I also deliver.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to creative as my next door neighbor, however working within certain limits also ensure I actually do something about it. 

I don’t know about you, I always function better when I am very busy. I know what I have to do next and I just get it done.

Except that I have always struggled with certain parts of my life- like exercising. It’s been a constant goal in my life for the longest time and I have often fallen off the wagon and had difficulties getting on to it. I read articles where sharing with friends and creating accountability helps and where not sharing helps- tried both and failed. I always don’t do things to please others, so when I stopped- I stopped.

I wasn’t also creating excuses, I was busy and I just didn’t know how to fit it all. So, I failed. It didn't top my priority.

This year, I didn’t include getting back in shape or exercising in my new year resolution. I wasn’t doing it anyways. Instead, I decided to make smaller changes to my lifestyle. Nope, they are not the same- because I never committed to get on the treadmill. I just ate more at home, tried to get in a fruit everyday and created a routine around it. And gave up sugar. Well not completely, I still have a cake once in a while; however I just don’t buy it for the sake of having it. I drink my tea without sugar and I have learned to enjoy the taste.

And yeah, I did get up on the treadmill and found a way to incorporate it within the routine. I tried the elimination trick. I eliminated ways that would ensure I fail.

This is my second month and I do get through the office gym door 5 times a week every day for 45- 60 minutes.  Not sure if this is too early to elaborate and celebrate, I will feel great. I like that I haven’t fallen off the wagon and I did make the small changes. Oh yes and I do have a burger to celebrate :)

• Every week I add something new to my routine
• I have friends now in the gym
• I do eat home cooked meal the entire weekday
• I eat more fruits and veggies
• I juice veggies once a in a while
• I create motivation cards
• I don’t focus on loosing weight, so I don’t use a weighing machine.
• I just work out everyday

And this took me 5 years to get to.

Okay, so why dish out my personal story? So if you have been struggling to keep up with your goals, don’t GIVE UP yet. Just find out why you have been giving up- what’s the emotion you go through just before you give up? And then find a way to ensure you don’t go through the same emotions and that might just keep you in the wagon forever. 

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

Reinvent You

Have you woken up to boredom? To wake up, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat.

Sometimes, you need to detox and look within yourself what you want. Our goal changes with life. 

My reinvention has been about doing something new, finding ways to have some time for me and being happy. In order to do that, I have added things in my regular schedules and things have been working.

I made some major changes too, like I wanted to stop travelling between the two cities every week. I had to make that call.  And I am happy I took it.

Reinvention is always not about revamping the wardrobe or going for a haircut, sometimes it goes way deeper. It is an effort to rethink and align your goals and life to the new thought.

I am not sure if reinvention makes you happier, but it does work sometimes. May be it’s I have wanted to do for a long time. I will share my morning routine with you soon, perhaps it might strike a chord with you or inspire to create one for you.

I think with the blog, while I keep at the original theme, I also want to bring in something new. I would like to connect with you more as a person than just a project manager or a consultant. So, may be once a week we talk about the lifestyle that we have as consultants or the changes you have to go through to sustain the pace. Go back to doing one vlog a month and see how we can reinvent the feel to the blog. It’s not changing the design, but smaller changes that will add up hopefully.

By the way, there are couple of project managers on Pinterest and its fun following them there in the visual board. I am more a visual person than an audio person and I have found it amazing to see the interest of the project managers. I am there too, but I really don’t do anything project management wise there.  

However, what I have recently started as an experiment is Instagram as a way to look at my life- work and a little bit of personal mixed in. So, if you want to look into my work life once in a while, you can connect me at http://instagram.com/steppingintopm/

Let me know what you are doing to reinvent yourself.

(Pic courtesy: google images)

Top Hacks when on the move, Pt 2

This post is more about the products I use/carry with me that serve more than one purpose. I have figured the best way to keep your sanity when you are travelling way too often is to keep things around you that you are familiar with. Since I also want to travel light, I emphasize on the things I absolutely need and use on a regular basis to carry with me.

• Sunglass- Apart from the obvious because I am anyways carrying it, it’s a great way to sleep in flights specially when taking morning flights. 
• YouTube offline- I download videos I want to watch in offline mode using the app, and use the time in airports watching what I want. I do carry a power bank with me most of the times.
• Utility box- it’s an old sun-glass box, which is packed with my travel essentials like a pen, pen drive, phone cleaner, a lip balm, band aid and ear phones. It’s compact and easy to travel with.
• Aloe Vera- I carry it for its multipurpose use. You can use it on your sensitive skin, as well as for sun burns and mild cuts.
• Ziplocs- instead of carrying small pouches, stuff it in Ziploc’s, lesser space and easy to see. Discard when done whether to carry snacks, makeup or
• Powder- This works as a great dry shampoo and I carry my son’s regular Johnson and Johnson travel size powder with me.
• Personal touch- carry your own shampoo and moisturizer in travel size bottles. Clips and safety pins. To ensure I don’t lose them, I put them in empty tic tac containers, keep them in socks or use a hair band to keep them together.

Whats your travel secret? 

Pic courtesy: google images 

Top 15 Efficiency Hacks When on Move- Pt 1

If you have been reading the blog you know that I have been travelling every week for the last 5 months. I split my time between 2 cities and I am constantly on the move. Juggling travelling with my life honestly hasn't been easy. Here's couple of things I have been using/trying out to keep me going:

1. Travel light- Over the months I have learned to pack light and keep pieces that multitask and stick to basics and not overload with items I will barely use.

2. Laptop free- I sometimes travel without laptop. I just copy the essential folders in the pen drive or upload in Google Drive and access it from my home laptop. Meanwhile I use my time in the airport to take some time off and read instead of mindless browsing.

3. Happiness- I am my happiest when my life is organized and there;s meaning to what I do.  So, I carry my red diary which I just write happy thoughts in. I will write in it after work when I return to my apartment in Mumbai. I sometimes will just read through it while sipping my cup of peach tea.

4. Clutter free- I recently got a purse organizer, which allows me to pack things that can be easily found. it saves me time and irritation. 

5. Health- I installed the Pacer app in my phone, while its just a pedometer; I enjoy seeing the steps I cover on a regular basis. Highest number of steps I take is mostly Monday's and Wednesdays. I also recently got a hand blender that is easy to carry so I can whip up smoothies or juices.

6. Music- I have 3 different apps that I use in my phone for music, my latest installed one is Saavn. At night when I am on my own, I will just put it on and continue working or reading. 

7. Communication- I keep 2 cell phones to ensure I am always connected  and mostly do all transactions via apps. I also use Skype, whatsapp and viber on a regular basis.

8. Cabs- I use Ola on a regular basis and it has mostly been a positive experience. 

9. Relax- when I am not browsing through blogs listed in my blog, I go through lifestyle blogs. current fav is Chalkboard

10. Mindful- I try to keep a schedule when away from Home that allows me to feel much more sane. I have always had problem disconnecting from work; these days I will do one thing that triggers the mindlessness. 

11. Make myself @Home- It isn't easy to live month after month out of suitcase, so I always have books, magazines and sometimes even candles with me. My current ones are from Ikea.

12. Tea time- I carry my own tea and coffee in office as well as while travelling. My current favorites- Peach tea, Green tea and Earl Breakfast Tea. Coffee is always Nescafe instant.

13. Grocery- From Diapers to grocery to household items; I use apps to keep things going and get them delivered at home at my convenient time whereever I or my family needs them. Current favorites:

• amazon
• flipkart
• bigbasket
• ola store
• peppertap

14. Trick of the trade- I carry a sample size perfume dispenser, which I can always refill and carry even on flights. 

15. To write- I started using Zenpen. Simple and less of distraction. 

What do you do when travelling for work or pleasure? 

Life- as it is

Most days are a mix of good and bad, some make you happy and content and confident and some are just bad decisions, moments that make you doubt your confidence.

My effort to re-organize my life- personal and professional often turn out futile. I plan and re-plan and then suddenly something needs my attention and the plans out of the window.

The buzz has rekindled itself. Suddenly there has been activities mostly positive round me. I am not sure if I have anything to do with them, may be I am just trying to be me again and trying to organize better and that’s probably the way to know that I am on the right direction.

So, in trying to juggle my role of professional who is trying for the next jump, a blogger who wants to get back to the regular routine, a community member who wants the connect site to connect more people and bring help to their careers and a mom who tries to spend some quality time with her 6 month son- organization is the key.

So, here are some tips to bring them in your life no matter how complex your life has become:

• Prioritize your list- I use Trello and I timebox it. It’s usually open in a tab in front of me while I work, so I know the goals if I want to just check on them once in a while. Oh and I have the app downloaded as well.
• Visualize- every morning I start my work life with somnote. I simply click on it and list down to-dos for the day.  And then work around it for the rest of the day.
• Focus- its difficult midst meetings, calls, emails and lots more happening. So sometimes I will simply use coffitivity or noisli with a headphone. I work better with a noise and rhythm in background. 
• Efficiency- time is sparse and I try to make the most of it. When I have difficulty focusing, I will use the pomodoro app and try to get something done. It works great for me.
• Remember and refer - I use Evernote to remember things I read and categorize them. I also try to maintain a physical diary where I will jot down points or theories or new concepts that I liked or am thinking about, so I can refer to them quickly.
• Connect- I barely get time to have a day out with friends, so I keep in touch mostly with whatsapp, viber and skype. 
• Relax- I panic with so much going on or loose my cool. So sometimes at night, I will unwind by listening to some good music with tea and reading a good book or carelessly browse through pinterest even if its for a few minutes.
• I forgive- I try not to be too strict on myself when I know there’s a lot happening. I try to be grateful for what I have. Close my eyes and hear me breathe. 

That pretty much sums my life right now.

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

Wrapping up 2014

It’s been a wonderful year for me personally. Like all others it had its ups and downs, life became more complex, sometimes fun, sometimes tiring and most of all just another day I had to go through.

There have been some major changes though in addition of having my son.

In the last 365 days I have realized that in just going through the days and checklists and meetings and the stress, I was sometimes missing out on the fun.
  

Now I am just running after tomorrow instead of enjoying the today I have.

  

I made a couple of small changes in my life experimenting with my own self to see if I could change. Sometimes these smaller tiny changes made a huge impact, there weren't small change anymore.

If there’s one book you would like to read next year or may be today- pick up the Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It’s not just helpful in your professional life, it’s also a major help in your personal as well. Have time for a second read try, the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Want a book that helps you professionally, read Jurgen Appelo’s Management 3.0   

Want to start your new year with difference, you can try out simple ways to organize your life, declutter  and may be thinking about Mindfulness .

I thought this video (60 minutes with Anderson Cooper)  will allow us to rethink our lives and start living!

Before the final wrap up, here's my article on Scrum Alliance  and you can read by clicking here 

A very Happy New Year to you and thank you for all your support, encouragement and inspiration. 

Creating the Space

We have so many things to think, plan and execute and as busy bees we barely get the time to get to all of these.

To take up more we should also create more space in our life. Here are simple tips that I have been doing for the last 1 month-

Pic Courtesy: Google Images 

• Delegate- I delegated my grocery and regular market trips to the online way of shopping. Saves me a lot of time and gives me the added benefit of quickly comparing prices if I want to and make better choices. This is also a great way to reduce impulsive shopping and pile up more junk than you need (I have been trying to create a minimalist lifestyle, more on this coming up next year) .
• Keep a list and Prioritize work – I use trello to keep a track and a backlog. Moving a card to the done stage is a great sense of accomplishment to take up the next.
• Organize- keep things organized to find things easily, last week I kept couple of hours free and just worked on cleaning up the piled up paperwork and put them in labelled files.
• Keeping time for yourself- this is crucial to keep yourself creative. I plan out things however will sometimes just change up things and do what I like. This helps me not feel strapped to my plans.
• Have good friends- have positive people around you and have good friends to talk to. Make time for them and you will back to your planned work in a better frame of mind.

·What do you do to create space in your life?