Long working hours increase risk of stroke and death by heart disease; study by World Health Organisation and International Labour Organisation finds
“Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard. It’s time that we all, governments, employers, and employees wake up to the fact that long working hours can lead to premature death.” Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization This study, released yesterday, has found […]
Mental Health is not an individual matter | #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
If the air that we breathe is toxic,not even the most advanced breathing exercise will help us live better. Mental health is not just a matter of therapy, medication and emotional intelligence. It is NOT a matter of resilience.It is a matter of living in society. It is a matter of the stimuli we are […]
You can’t handle everything. And that’s okay.
Just accept it.You won’t be able to meet all of your deadlines.To reach all of your goals. You can’t be everything for everyone.You can’t handle everything. It’s a fact. I’m not saying this to bring you down.On the contrary:I want to save you from impending frustrations. I would love it if the motivational bullshit out […]
Before you use the word “deadline” at work again, read this:
When working on a project, it is common to use “deadline” as the desired date that something must be accomplished. But why? Why use something that starts with “dead” as such a vital part of our work terminology?
Yes, you are burned out: burnout denial & accepting that you are not well
Why is it so difficult to accept we are burned out, how can you know if you are at risk and what to do next.
Procrastination is a messenger
I’m sitting in my office, staring at the blank screen of Microsoft Word. I’ve been roaming around, thinking, scrolling, turning my music on and off. I have a book to edit. The whole thing is already written. I “just” need to finish it. It seems like such an easy job, so why the hell am […]
I don’t believe we are limitless.
I don’t buy into the, “if you miss your bus, be your own bus”, story. This probably doesn’t translate well, but I found this quote often in Brazil recently. It’s as a way of mocking an almost delusional optimism that a few people who work with coaching and motivation tend to apply sometimes. I’m quite […]
What does it mean to be a “Better Achiever” anyway?
It took me six months to share this picture. Earlier this year, I pitched a 5-minute talk to be one of the speakers in the first ever edition of#TEDxTilburg. I talked about overachievement, fear and shame, how they are fostered in our world and workplaces, and how they led to my burnout. I didn’t use […]
Morning Pages: The Joy of Writing Upon Awakening
In the early stages recovery from my second burnout, I came across a book called The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. She created a 12-week program aimed at helping people get their creative energy unstuck and use their own voice. I confess I didn’t follow through the entire program – at least not yet. But […]
An Ode to Hope
Good morning – I’m writing this to myself. To you. I was ranking the most fantastic moments of my life last night, while trying to fall asleep (not exactly the best strategy), and I saw hope written there, someway, in every single one of them. These memorable moments fan the spark into the flames of […]