>Start moving. Choose an activity you enjoy and will stick with for at least 30 days. It can be anything from running, walking, gardening, swimming, even vacuuming-just move. Move regularly, a least 4-5 times a week. Movement influences our health, our energy, our mood, and our productivity. If you make it part of your life it will, believe it or not, make you happier. 

>Let’s make February “Enjoy Your Lunch” month! When was the last time you actually sat in a comfortable space and enjoyed your lunch without multi-tasking? Find a place that you will enjoy and take pleasure in your noon time meal. This brief respite will help energize you for the afternoons activities. Try to do this two times this month. If you can do this more then twice, great. The ritual of creating a space where you savor your lunch will begin to create a sense of balance and happiness and actually renew your energy. You’ll find yourself much more able to sustain your energy for the rest of your day.

Every 60-90 minutes take an Energy Break. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. You don’t have to force it-just breathe normally. You might say to yourself, “Breathing in. Breathing out.” When thoughts or feelings enter your mind, just watch them go by. You don’t need to do anything with them-fix them, change them, suppress them. Just watch them pass and bring your focus back to your breathing. “Breathe in. Breathe out.” Just a few minutes of focused breathing to allow your energy to build back up will increase your ability to sustain your productivity. You’ll find yourself much more able to sustain your energy throughout your day.

>When you talk with another person, give them your undivided attention. Listen without interrupting. Listen non-judgmentally. Listen to hear. This builds trust, empathy and enriches the relationship.

>At the close of your day, write down three things that went right. Reflect. Then, write three things you’re grateful for. Reflect. Do this every day for a month. You may want to keep these in a notebook. I like the Moleskin Notebooks which come in varying sizes and colors.

Think of aspects of your job that you enjoy; areas in which you can apply your strengths; facets of your job you find meaningful.What can you do to engage in these activities more often? List specific steps you will take to spend more time in these areas.

>We can’t change the past and we can’t change what’s happening in our external world right now, but we can change how we respond. How are you interpreting your external world? Challenge the story you’re telling yourself when something happens that hurts you or makes you feel bad. Create a story that is more positive and empowering without denying the facts. Feed that story.

>What are your interests? Make a list of activities that you enjoy and bring a smile to your face. For example, take a bike ride with family, play cards, go to a concert or play, take a photography class, make a special dessert and have friends over to share. Intentionally schedule one thing in your life that makes you feel really good each week. Activities that we enjoy create energy and also are a good way to renew our energy.

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to daydream?  When you take a walk, doodle, or daydream, you access your right hemisphere-the part of your bran geared for creativity and innovation. Schedule a work development hour-once a week slate time to brainstorm or strategize around an issue at work that calls for a solution beyond the tactical.

>Be kind to yourself. A lot is expected of us, and measuring up to expectations puts pressure on us to perform. “Be kind to yourself” suggests that we lighten up, that we slow down and treat ourselves decently. The basics of being kind to yourself is simply “having a cup of tea.” We can do so quite literally – taking a break and enjoying a cup of tea, savoring the flavors and aroma, perhaps with a cookie or cracker and cheese. We slow down and give ourselves an open moment where we can appreciate the world around us with no agenda.

>Engage mindful living. Two times each day, stop and listen to your body. Focus on your breathing. Simply observe what’s coming up for you and let it pass. You may become aware of physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts. What ever you notice, see it as a passing event without doing anything with it. Learning to observe yourself is the first step to becoming your self-coach. Simple observation frees you from the compulsion to act on every emotion or thought that arises. It gives you choices.

Do you feel a vocation to be fully human? Pema Chodron said “we don’t set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people’s hearts.” Throughout your interactions today ask yourself how you affected other people’s hearts. Did you inspire them? Did you ennoble them? When you did, how did you feel? What does it feel like to be fully human?