Claudia's Blog

A lot of people are talking about self-care at the moment. 

No wonder - the world has gone crazy in a lot of areas. Many things are getting more extreme - the middle ground seems to get smaller and smaller - and with prices rising and war around the corner many people worry a lot.

The antidote: self-care to not burn out and to make sure that you can be your best self. 

BUT - what IS self-care really?

A lot of advice goes in the direction of

• Doing something for yourself - like a bubble bath or a hike in the mountains
• Exercise to work through the stress
• Sleep
• Meditation
• Take more time off

All good ideas.

Today I'd like to suggest something else. 

Something that goes deeper and has the potential to eliminate sources of stress.

Setting boundaries - a perfect way of self-care. 

That, of course, requires you to KNOW what you are available for and what not, how I tend to phrase it - I found that easier to answer than "what my boundaries are" - the result is the...

Last week a rather frustrated and utterly exhausted client was getting  exasperated about their "super difficult" situation: "I have to do all these things NOW as there is only a certain time window and on top of that I have to prepare a presentation - which came around the corner very short notice."

I cautiously asked: "What could you say no to?".

"Nothing," was the answer - "If I don't do it - nobody will. I can't possibly let anyone down."

Phew - no wonder did my client feel overwhelmed and even helpless. In other words - stuck - unable to change the situation nor the feeling.

Sounds familiar? The I-have-so-much-to-do-and-can't-do-anything-about-it-scenario?

With the same feelings coming along?  

Well, it was definitely VERY familiar to me years ago running my own business as a single mum.

Now the million-dollar question is; HOW the heck can you get out of that?

Well, the short answer is: TAKING RADICAL RESPONSIBILITY for your life.

The...

Feeling safe is crucial for productivity & creativity (and joy) & the 2 reasons why it can be absent.

How safe do you feel these days? A topic that tends to come up again and again with people I talk to and is being addressed in quite a few companies right now (#psychologicalsafety).

For me, safety is mainly the absence of fear. 

 And let's face it: there are lots of things, situations and people to be afraid of or to worry about. For some people more - for some less. 

Here's my Monday thought where I talk about WHY emotional safety is so crucial, the surprising truth where it starts and comes from (and where not), and the two things that are in the way of creating it sustainably.

 Let me know what you think and if that is something you have experienced (just hit [email protected] and send me your thoughts).

#mondaythoughts #personalleadership #empowerment

What? I can't be serious, right?

Who the hell likes adversities?

Well, listen in to learn why and how they can be extremely useful and what kind of human superpower you can develop and practice while experiencing adversities. Extremely powerful how I find. And one that helped me in even seemingly catastrophic situations. 

Enjoy and let me know what other topics you'd like to hear about - just drop me an e-mail to [email protected]. 

I like starting my weeks with an intention. Or an idea. One that helps me grow or learn, help me feeling better or serves me and my business to progress. 

And the mornings are always the best and most creative time for me. And with morning, I really mean the time after I wake up or do my morning yoga. 

So, I've decided to share those thoughts once a week - or maybe more often, let's see - maybe it supports you too! 

So here we go - the VERY FIRST Monday thought: 

This morning I read a quote on FB which triggered my thoughts:

"The only people who see the big picture....are the ones who get out of the frame".

Huh, that is quite right. Being a "big-picture-person" myself I totally get that. And with that thought came the next.

When in the middle of a conflict, drama, difficult situation it helps to take a step back and look at the big picture.

I promise your perspective will shift immediately! And so does the feeling and the subsequent action about the...

Last week I practised letting go. BIG TIME. And it took me a LONG time to get to it. But before I tell you about that let me take a step back and start the story a tad earlier.

Being loyal - or letting go?

If I learned one thing during my childhood, it was loyalty. And as a woman to be the one who lives it, triggers it, makes sure it happens.

* Regardless of how bad the situation. 

* Regardless of how much people crossed boundaries.

* Regardless of how tough a situation might be.

* Regardless of how useless things were.

 Don't get me wrong: Loyalty is a great trait. 

It helps in relationships - not dropping the person at the first sign of difficulty or non-alignment. 

It helps in the career to fighting through issues and uncomfortable situations. And can result in more confidence in self and a more conscious career path.

It's environmentally friendly as it means holding on to things longer and not fall into the mindless consumption trap.  

But like...

Superficial small talk does not build relationships. That is valid for the business world too. 

You might believe deeper relationships are unnecessary in business - after all colleagues might not be your friends.

They might not be - that's not the point here.

Deeper relationships WILL create different results (more of that at the end of the post) - for ALL parties involved! So, worth giving it a go.

Many leaders are guilty of asking those dreaded, one-dimensional questions that lead nowhere beyond the small talk instead of asking intriguing questions that trigger deeper conversations. 

How can you do that?

Focus on the other person. 

Everyone wants to be seen and heard. 

Even the ones who consider themselves humble, self-less, or give themselves the label of being introverts. 

So, here's a suggestion for 9 very different questions to knock your next business meeting out of the park.

Some are really BIG.

Don't be afraid or shy though to ask them.

Most people LOVE to...

In a relationship - be it in business or privately, we often take the eyes off this "we're building a future together that we're both enjoy" - even if it sucks today. 
 
While we're busy being angry, frustrated, or annoyed at someone, particularly in business - despite striving for collaboration and progress - it's actually easy to forget (or not even define) what success means for all participants and the organisation.  
 
Or we start blaming someone for the unwanted situation!
 
The antidote: 
 
1. Stop judging the other person-  
THE FASTER WE JUDGE THE OTHER PERSON, THE QUICKER THE RELATIONSHIP GOES INTO DESPAIR.

I know, I know, easier said than done. If we pay attention to our own desire or habit to judge we can stop it. And become curious. Might not work all the time - but it's a great start to be aware and give it a go. With practice, it will work more regularly - promised.
 
2. Remember that the energy in a...

Why can't they get it - it's so easy?...you might think.

Here are two surprising and probably rather counterintuitive tips on how to change this quickly and effectively.