“Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to.”

– Author David Foster Wallace in his incredible speech, This Is Water

Wellness Tip:

Ask For Help

We all need help sometimes, whether it’s a shoulder to cry on or someone to carry our groceries. And yet, we often keep our problems to ourselves.

So here’s what to do: Remind yourself it’s okay to ask for help. It won’t hurt anyone. In fact, research shows that helping others actually makes people feel good!

Some ways of approaching it are better than others. You want the other person to agree to help you – and to get a happiness boost from doing it. 

For TED, social psychologist Heidi Grant lists four things not to do when asking for help. Read it here – and don’t be afraid to reach out for support any time you need it.

Productivity Tip:

Boost Your Work-From-Home Focus

Working from home getting you all fuzzy-brained? Here are some tips for staying focused:

• Take it one day at a time. Ask yourself, “What do I absolutely need to accomplish today?” and set your daily goals (you can use your Panda Planner for this!).

• Create new rituals. Small rituals help break up our day and give it structure.

• Set boundaries. Both physical (e.g. dedicated workspace) and tech (e.g. app limits). 

• Be intentional about self-care. Define what it means for you and prioritize it.

• Harness the power of others. Check in with friends or colleagues as a way to stay motivated. And, of course, ask for help when you need it!

Read more here. And if you’re working from home today, why not try some of these tips?

Routine Breakdown

Caryn Prime, Vanity Fair’s Director of Editorial Operations

Caryn Prime lives on Carriacou island and rises with the rooster’s crow (4:45 am!). She:

• Scrolls through emails, headlines, Slack and Twitter – but avoids Instagram.
• Watches the sunrise while she has coffee and journals. “Highly recommend. You don’t have to write long sentences or be eloquent; it’s the releasing of your thoughts, however you can, that’s so powerful.”
• Does some exercise (like a long walk or swim) with her mom.
• Has some fresh fruit, showers, and starts work.

Why it works:

• Checking phones first is bad for our brains, but not all of us can avoid it. What Prime does right is setting limits and avoiding apps that don’t serve her at that time.
• The benefits of journaling are well established – e.g., it’s great for mental health. 
• Working out with a buddy is motivating and keeps us accountable. Double points for building stronger family relationships at the same time (those are important!).

As we said above, setting boundaries is crucial – especially when working from home. Do you have limits around which apps you use and when?