About Agni Skafidas
Last week, a member of the project team had a crisis. Everything was becoming too much for and she had to step out to regain her cool. It’s an all too common situation for a lot of teams and individuals these days. Deadlines are shorter, workloads are increasing and with smart phones, we’re constantly connected. Recharging our batteries becomes more challenging.
Here are 15 top tips to stay cool when you’re experiencing stress:
“Remember that what you want is not always what you need.” (The Dalai Lama)
Every day, we’re making hundreds and thousands of decisions. To get out of bed or lie in? What to have for breakfast? Who do I call first? Do I need to attend that meeting? Gym or TV after work?
While we may not always realise it, these decisions are actually choices. Think back of the film “Dangerous Minds” from the mid-90s. The teacher is having a discussion with her students about their choices. They don’t see any of them in their desperate situations. And there you have a teacher who made the choice to care about her students. If you haven’t seen the film, read the full passage here.
We always have a choice. Just how do we choose? Follow our heart? Our mind?
It’s often only after a few years within the region that expats are thinking about putting some money aside. Working in a tax-free environment is very appealing and folks are thinking of how much they can save while here. After all, most employers don’t provide a pension or provident fund and employees need to save for their retirement themselves. Yet, with the great opportunities we have here after work, thinking of savings is put on the back burner. After all, who wants to think about saving money when enjoying a day at the beach, regular visits to the mall or eating out with friends?
There are various possibilities to increase your savings. You just have to make a small start. Take the first step with these top tips:
“I don’t say no because I am so busy. I say no because I don’t want to be so busy.”
For the 16th time, the Emirates Literature Festival took place again last week. What a great event it was this year! Filled with exciting and insightful presentations from John Torode, Julie Lewis to Michel Bussi, workshops and masterclasses and plenty of activities for kids, it was such a wonderful way of spending some time in an almost different world, the literary world.
One of my absolute favourites is Ian Rankin, the Scottish crime writer who created Inspector Rebus. While having heard Rankin speak before, this time was very special to me. He captured my attention for his entire presentation. Listening to his stories was so amazing that I forgot the exhaustion from my overnight flight and I was truly in the present. I was mindful!
Isn’t it ironic to write about national procrastination week a week after it took place? It amuses me as, like most of us, I can also procrastinate certain tasks and am actually quite good at that at times. Even now, I’m procrastinating. Being home alone, I can watch “The Peanuts Movie”. Yes, I hear you. I should either watch the film or write the post. Focusing on one thing is quicker than working on 2 activities at the same time. Sometime, I too have to revert to doing two things at once. And so procrastination starts.
Why do we procrastinate?
“Life can only be fulfilling when we see the material world in a spiritual light.” (Andreas Moritz)
A number of my friends and neighbours welcomed a tiny bundle of joy into their life. The cute little boys and girls are growing by the minute and with them, their parents are adjusting to their new responsibilities. Despite having seen many kids grow up over the years, one question which always seems to be on my mind is “What do you the parents when visiting their baby for the first time?”
Speaking with other new parents, I’ve started collecting some of their biggest challenges and how any visitor can help the new parent. Here are my top tips for you to give parents some peace of mind:
I’m super excited to write this post in Tokyo, Japan. A project is taking me to this fantastic country and what a great way it is to learn more about organising in small spaces. For us in the Middle East, space is often not an issue. Villas and apartments are substantially larger than in Europe or even in Japan, where the average apartment is a mere 59.7 sqm (642.6 sq ft).
It’s not surprising that the Japanese have taken residential organising to a whole new level.