Stressed? You’re Not the Only One!

For the last few years, research study after study has cited that an increasing number of Canadians lead stressful lives, with 76% of Canadians citing high stress levels, putting us only behind South Korea and Australia for the world’s highest stress levels.

As a backlash to the chaos of modern life, many people are now turning inward and retreating from stress by getting back to the basics and setting precious time aside to reconnect with themselves.  A few weeks ago, famous local yogi and lifestyle crusader Eoin Finn, and his band of cohorts hosted a protest of sorts with the Hammocks in the City event in downtown Vancouver.  In this pop-up art event, hammocks were strung up among the trees outside the busy Vancouver Art Gallery and passers-by were encouraged to take a few minutes to scramble into a hammock and just… be.

The Zen Moment

It was a gorgeously sunny day and if you cared to notice, the sky was full of the type of fluffy clouds that bring to mind visions of cotton candy and childhood afternoons running in grassy fields.  However, many of the busy pedestrians and impatient drives were too busy to notice, something that event founder Eoin Finn laments.  The first Hammock in the City event took place 3 years ago, but Finn vows that the events will continue more regularly.  In his quest to help others “find the best lifestyle for [themselves],” Finn strives to fight against the dominating Western drive for conquest and competition, by advocating a return to valuing relaxation and the concept of “taking in nature.”  This return to nature is one part of Finn’s top 3 tips for leading less stressful lives, which he promises will lead to a more fulfilling and satisfying life

1. Listen to your bodily feedback: take a moment to concentrate on how your body feels – does it ache here, or hold tension there?  What makes your body feel good?

2. Appreciate nature: take time to notice your surroundings and to appreciate the beauty in small things, such as the way the sun shines on water, or the cool breeze on your skin
3. Activity: exercise is important, but avoid the desire to compete with others and even yourself.  Exercise to feel good, not to achieve some end goal.

Yoga is one way that Finn says you can reconnect with yourself and is a good step to incorporating his three tips into your daily life.  Spending an afternoon in a hammock is another.

Rather than trying to create the culture of your business, try creating an environment. If you create the right environment, eventually it will create the culture.

Asking someone to change their personality in order to fit a particular defined culture is as effective as asking a leopard to change its spots.

If you provide your employees with a great environment, then the energy in the room will get the best out of your staff.

Remember, you can teach skills, not personality.

By building an environment, it will naturally evolve into a culture, creating a more enjoyable and productive workplace.

Naturally, the first solution is to hire someone to help you. The trouble is, how do you know if you’re going to hire someone who’s going to do a good job?

You want someone who will require little training and that you are comfortable trusting them to do a good job.

As a business owner, you want to be remarkable. You shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than that when you’re looking to hire new employees.

You’ve worked hard to get where you are, so make wise decisions. Keep your business lean, hiring the wrong person is just adding fat. So before you go and hire someone, stop, and do it yourself.

By knowing exactly what you want done, what skills and requirements you need in your employee, you will be able to hire the best person.

For example, if you’re looking for someone to maintain the social media for your business, you need to narrow it down to what exactly you want them to do, since there are so many facets of social media.

Do you want them to create brand awareness? Convert your online followers to customers? Or just help you market your product or service?

When we think of social media, we don’t think about specifics, about what exactly social media encompasses.

Once you’ve struggled, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for – someone who will excel where you’ve had problems.

Hire right, hire less.