For almost 20 years I did political consulting. Have you ever tried to make a politician look natural on camera and smile in the process? So, trust me, follow these tips, and maybe even you can enjoy the experience of working from home and video conferences.
Smiles, oxytocin, and first impressions
Studies show that a handshake makes for 26% of first impressions. So how do you manage this on video? Well, OXYTOCIN is your solution. Oxytocin happens during sex, also when you are hugged by a loved one, when you get a like on Facebook, or watch puppies and cats online. But guess what? Oxytocin also happens during a SMILE. Always start a video with a smile, it is contagious, and it will boost oxytocin in all the people on the video.
Cats, pets and funny videos.
We talked about your personality type and how you need to respect your natural tendency. But you cannot manage to do this all the time. So if your day is full of video meetings and you don’t feel like it, watch videos and avoid the news. The videos highest rated on developing Dopamine and Serotonin (the happy chemicals) are the cat, pet, and blooper videos. Do this for 3 to 5 minutes between meetings. Dopamine in your brain is responsible for helping you with: Pain processing, mood, learning attention, motivation, heart rate, and even weight loss. Serotonin helps you avoid: being sad, depressing moods, low energy, negative thoughts, feelings of tension, irritability, sweet craving, and a reduced interest in sex. Yes, watch cat videos!
Walk with your phone
If you are not on a video call but an old-fashioned phone call, grab the headphones and walk around the house, which generates Adrenaline that boosts your energy. Mix video meetings and calls to keep your levels high. Avoid walking on a carpet to avoid generating friction and walk bare-foot, my mediation coach sure on this and after trying, it works.
Don’t work in dark places
Working with artificial light or in a dark space “may actually change the brain’s structure and hurt one’s ability to remember and learn” indicates groundbreaking research by Michigan State University neuroscientists. People living in places that have a dark winter show symptoms of “Seasonal Affective Disorder“. Some of them need antidepressants during this time of the year. So work near a window as much as possible, boost your vitamin E, and energy as well. Another option is to get a day-light lamp pointing to your face or body.
Happy land
“What am I doing here?” Have you ever asked yourself in a meeting? Well, get to a happy place. Lamaze is a practice pregnant women do to control their pain during labor (in this case the pain of being in a video conference). What they do is that they have an object that helps them take their mind out of the pain, they focus on that object and not in the pain. For you it could be your next vacation, those shoes you’re waiting to get and run after isolation, that sports car you have been saving for. It’s your happy place, nobody needs to know, so choose whatever makes you happy.
Learning something new
Couples that learn something new together establish a strong connection during this time. If you are alone or your partner doesn’t want to be part of this, have lunch and learn something new, getting out of your comfort zone will give you the feeling of “I can’t wait to test this!” You can find a study-buddy and practice together.
Wake up your brain
We know exercise helps you to be happier and lose weight, but do you know what it does to your brain?
Endorphins are released, this hormone is called the “feel-good chemical”, it fights stress and blocks pain. People who walk, run, or ride a bike every day have expressed to become addicted to the feel-good, the rush, the experience with just 20 minutes of activity.
If your body hurts, go for a walk, take the stairs or just walk while talking on the phone; this lubricates your joints that get stiff from spending too much time on a chair or a sitting position.
A twenty-minute walk is the best exercise you can do for both your body and mind.
We can’t change reality, but we can make it better. Hormones and things are happening to our bodies and our brains when you apply any of these tips.
Be safe, and let me know what happens after 1 week of waking up your hormones!!!
Love-Susan XoXo