“If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.”

– Dorothee Sölle

Wellness Tip:

Become a Master at Conflict Repair

Conflict in relationships isn’t fun – but it is healthy. What matters? How you choose to repair it. 

Let’s look at some things you do to patch up a rupture:

• Acknowledge the rupture and make the decision to repair it.
• If you’re too upset to talk calmly, take a breather and come back later.
• Start sentences with “I” instead of “you” (avoiding accusations).
• Speak slowly and actively listen to the other person.
• Acknowledge any wrongdoing and offer a sincere apology. 

Also check out this video for advice on developing conflict repair skills. 

Relationships are important (like really) to our well-being. So, by learning to repair them, you’ll be doing both yourself and your loved ones a favor!

Productivity Tip:

Find Your Optimal Stress Level

Stress is bad. Right? 🤔 As with many things, the annoying answer is that it depends. When it comes to productivity, it actually turns out that a little bit of stress is good. 

Take a look at this graph, known as the Yerkes–Dodson Law. If our arousal (or stress level) is too low, performance suffers. Too high – performance suffers!

The optimal amount of arousal depends on the task, so assess for yourself. If a task seems too easy, find a way to make it more challenging. If it’s stressing you out to the max, reduce the stress using one of the strategies detailed here.

By increasing or decreasing your stress levels, you can get into that optimal zone. See if you can try it today.

Routine Breakdown

Kyle Bardouche, Founder & CEO of Jack Henry

“I really believe your first 60 minutes will set the tone for your entire day,” says Kyle Bardouche, who avoids his phone for the first hour after waking. He:

• Starts the day with about 3 mins of breathwork before getting out of bed.
• Meditates.
• Does yoga or a Peloton bike workout. “It not only provides the physical activity I need, but it gives me mental clarity and calmness.”
• Sets his intentions and three main goals for the day.

Why it works:

• Breathwork can relieve stress, boost focus, and more. Here are some exercises to try.
• Meditation is similarly awesome and there are many types you can experiment with.
• Exercise really is good for mental health.
• Intention setting helps us achieve our goals.

“I used to be into weight lifting and CrossFit because I wanted to look good, but in the past couple of years, I care more about how I feel,” says Bardouche. Can you relate? When we focus on how we feel, the rest usually follows! What’s your fitness routine?