In this third episode exploring the benefits of reflection, I take a look at how reflection can exist on a continuum of time and complexity. From a few moments in between meetings through to taking the time to review the week, month or even year gone by! It needn't be an enormously time-consuming activity, or one that requires us to maintain a complex and all-consuming diary of thoughts, feelings and events.

Don't forget, I'll be facilitating a masterclass on how to make reflection a habit on April 29th, and you can find out more and reserve your place via the link in the resources below.

Thanks for listening!

Resources for this episode

• Find out more and register for this month's masterclass on reflection: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1986208577322?aff=oddtdtcreator
• Join WorkLifeSpark, our online personal development community: https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up
• Ep 207 - Tackling your procrastination habit: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/207/
• Beating your procrastination: A psychological approach that actually works - https://www.worklifepsych.com/beating-your-procrastination-a-psychological-approach-that-actually-works/

In this second part of our focus on reflection and self-awareness, we take a look at the role of feedback. While it's not always comfortable to ask for - or receive! - feedback from our colleagues can make a valuable contribution to self-awareness and personal development. Others' perspectives can round out the view we hold about our own skills, behaviour and performance.

In this episode, we look at how to request feedback from others, how to deal with the emotions we feel when we receive it, and how to make sense of what we receive.

As always, thanks for listening!

Resources for this episode

You can join our personal development community WorkLifeSpark here: https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up

You can find out more about this month's Masterclass all about personal reflection and self-awareness here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1986208577322?aff=oddtdtcreator

Check out the last episode, where we set the scene for reflection and self-awareness: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/209

Find out more about our Coach on Tap solution here: https://www.worklifepsych.com/coachontap/

While so many of us feel we're too busy to engage in reflection, or worry that it's too time-consuming, this episode illustrates that we can start with tiny steps and grow from there. But it's not just thinking about our experiences. It's about sense-making and identifying ways that we can turn our insights into action.

And don't forget about this month's masterclass on reflection, where you'll learn how to structure your reflection, ensure you have a accessible record of your experiences, and know how to turn your experiences into helpful, workable actions. You can sign up via the link below.

In the next episode, we'll look at how to use feedback to support our reflection and growth - especially when the feedback isn't exactly what we'd like to hear!

For now, thanks for listening!

• Register for this month's masterclass on developing a reflective practice
• Join our online personal development community: https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up
• Find out more about the Kolb Learning Cycle

Joe explains the different ways we can be proactive, while also sharing the fundamentals that need to be in place to facilitate proactive behaviours.

Joe is the author of 'Powering workplace productivity: How to create future-focused, change-oriented culture' and simply illustrates the ingredients of proactivity and its benefits for employees and employers.

Let us know what you think about the concept and how to bring it to life. Email us at 'podcast at worklifepsych dot com' or come and joi the online conversation over at WorkLifeSpark.

Thanks for listening!

• Ep 206 - Your secret procrastination habit: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/206/
• Ep 207 - Tackling your procrastination habit: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/207/
• Discover more about Joe's work and explore resources to build a more proactive, high-performing workplace at poweringproactivity.com or connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joannegray-theprogresslab/
• Join WorkLifeSpark here: https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up

Last time, we explored procrastination, its origins and how it impacts our wellbeing, productivity and relationships. In this second part of our three-part review of procrastination, we look at how much psychological discomfort can lead us to delay taking helpful action. We look at some of the sources of this discomfort, how it can show up and how we can effectively reframe it to side-step procrastination.

In the next episode, we'll be joined by Dr. Joe Gray for a conversation all about how to turn our procrastination into proactivity at work, and in life more generally.

Resources for this episode

• Joined WorkLifeSpark, our online personal development community: https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up
• Learn more about procrastination in our previous episode: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/206
• Explore some of the 'advantages' of procrastination: https://www.worklifepsych.com/the-advantages-of-procrastination/

In this first episode of a three-part series, we take a look at the origins of procrastination, how it can show up, and the impact it can have on our wellbeing, relationships and performance at work.

Rather than being some kind of moral failing, procrastination is essentially part of being a human with a mind! And rather than being a permanent fixture or part of our identity, we can view it as a habit to change.

We are more likely to procrastinate when our work systems fail to give us clarity on what needs to be done, or when we focus on avoiding the psychological discomfort associated with the task. Or a combination of the two!

In the next episode, we'll look at how to beat our procrastination habit.

Resources for this episode

Video: Procrastination - the stories we tell ourselves: https://youtu.be/oxiuc4Po8kE

The 'advantages' of procrastination: https://www.worklifepsych.com/the-advantages-of-procrastination/

Ep 154: Navigating deadlines - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/154/

Building on our last episode, when we looked at how organisations can misinterpret resilience at work, this time we look at how individuals can expand their perspective on resilience.

There are so many misconceptions when it comes to resilience. That it's just about keeping going, persistence, bouncing back. When over-simplified like this, it can lead to disappointment, unhelpful behavioural responses and interpersonal difficulties.

Instead. we can benefit from viewing resilience as something inherently flexible, a way of responding to dificculty that is based on our context, and one that allows us to pause or even give up completely - if that's what's helpful.

Let us know what you think about resilience and how you maintain a helpful focus on your own resilience. Email your thoughts to 'podcast at worklifepsych dot com' or join WorkLifeSpark and join the conversation there!

Thanks for listening!

Resources for this episode

Ep 204: Resilience: it's not the answer to everything - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/204/

Ep 198: Self-care for leaders (and everyone else!) - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/198/

Ep 199: Coping for leaders - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/199/

Resilience - when all you have is a hammer: https://www.worklifepsych.com/resilience-when-all-you-have-is-a-hammer/

The topic of the month over on WorkLifeSpark, our online personal development community, is resilience. So for the next couple of episodes, we're going to take a look at this concept. In particular, why it's not the panacea or answer to all organisational problems.

In this first episode, we look at resilience from the organisational perspective, and how it often gets over-emphasised and how. If "you need to be resilient to work here" is the pervading message, what does this do to employee behaviour, performance and wellbeing? What message does it send out to prospective employees? And what behaviours will be accepted in the name of 'resilience'?

In the next episode, we'll look at the employee perspective and explain why often, resilience just isn't enough.

Thanks for listening!

Resources for this episode

• Self-care: what is it and why does it matter? https://www.worklifepsych.com/self-care-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter/
• Resilience: when all you have is a hammer https://www.worklifepsych.com/resilience-when-all-you-have-is-a-hammer/
• Resilience: prevention is better than cure https://www.worklifepsych.com/resilience-prevention-is-better-than-cure/
• Ep 043: You don't have to be resilient to work here - but it helps! https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-043-you-dont-have-to-be-resilient-to-work-here-but-it-helps/
• Our working definition of resilience comes from Michael Neenan's book, which you can find here: https://www.routledge.com/Developing-Resilience-A-Cognitive-Behavioural-Approach/Neenan/p/book/9780415792912

Don't forget, you can continue the conversation on WorkLifeSpark and join for free today: https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up