Motivation Archives - Enlightenment Blog

What you can learn from elite athletes

Posted on September 16, 2020 October 7, 2020 by Emma Jansen

Elite athletes use a lot more than natural born talent to achieve personal bests. The best part is many of the strategies they rely on for success are just as useful for amateur athletes.

Even though elite athletes may make winning performances look easy, there’s a lot more to success on the field, track or court than pure talent. From strict training regimes to controlled diets and an obsession with statistics, elite athletes use a heap of scientific strategies to help them improve performance. You may not aspire to win an Olympic gold medal, but many of the practices that aid elite athletes can also help amateurs do better at the gym, on the field or during a fun run.

How employers can help workers become more dedicated and engaged — new research

Posted on September 2, 2020 April 8, 2021 by Emma Jansen

Whatever your occupation, you may have noticed that some of your colleagues are energetic and passionate about their job, while others appear bored and disinterested. The difference between them is known as “employee engagement” and can be seen in everyone from a passionate lecturer to an enthusiastic flight attendant.

Work engagement has been described as a “positive motivational state of mind characterised by vigour, dedication and absorption”. During this state, employees are said to be physically and mentally resilient, enthusiastic, and happily immersed in their activity. They may also feel tired, but even this comes with a satisfactory feeling of accomplishment.

Is freelancing the future of employment?

Posted on August 28, 2020 April 8, 2021 by Emma Jansen

Today, freelancers represent 35% of the United States workforce. In the European Union, the rate is 16.1%. Both figures demonstrate the same global trend: from creative entrepreneurs to those paid by the task, freelancing is on the rise worldwide.

So, too, are analyses of this phenomenon, as journalists, sociologists, human resources specialists, life coaches, even freelancers themselves try to uncover “the truth” about freelancing.

That’s because of the “gig economy”, as it is sometimes called, is a Janus-faced – and relentlessly evolving – phenomenon. Freelancing is often portrayed as liberating, empowering, and even glamorous, but the reality is far more complex.

Here’s why ‘cool’ offices don’t always make for a happier workforce

Posted on August 27, 2020 April 8, 2021 by Emma Jansen

Who are Britain’s happiest workers? The people who staff the London office of US travel tech firm Expedia, according to Glassdoor’s annual workplace satisfaction survey. In both 2016 and 2017, Expedia rated highest for employee satisfaction, according to anonymous reviews from current and past workers.

Reading this Business Insider profile of the “happiest office in London” might make you believe that Expedia’s high level of employee satisfaction is down almost entirely to the office itself and the various on-site perks – which includes table tennis, football, gaming consoles and a cocktail bar. There’s no doubt that this is a very attractive office.

But the survey of the employees shows that Expedia’s people like working there because of the business, not the fancy office. The most positive ratings cite “culture” and “career opportunities”. The physical surroundings barely merit a mention.

Introverts think they won’t like being leaders but they are capable

Posted on August 24, 2020 April 8, 2021 by Emma Jansen

Introverts often don’t think they will enjoy leadership roles and so are less likely to go for the top job, new research finds. In fact, introverts in our study thought they would be worried and distressed in leadership situations.

Whether or not someone is an introvert is usually measured by how much they exhibit the personality trait called “extraversion” – being outgoing and social. Compared to extraverts, introverts tend to be relatively passive, quiet and reserved.

Not surprisingly, someone’s level of introversion or extraversion is related to a range of important personal and professional outcomes. For example, research has found that extraverts are more likely than introverts to perform well in sales jobs. Introverts, on the other hand, are more likely to be honest or humble and are less likely to risk their own health and safety.

Cat lovers rejoice: watching online videos lowers stress and makes you happy

Posted on August 23, 2020 October 7, 2020 by Emma Jansen

Watching cute cat videos and looking at their online pictures may not be a waste of time. A new study has found doing so could boost energy levels and increase feelings of happiness.

Published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior the study even suggests that watching internet cats could be used as a form of digital pet therapy or stress relief.

Internet data shows two million cat videos were posted on YouTube as of 2014, totalling nearly 26 billion views. Celebrity cats – such as Grumpy Cat and and Lil BUB – have also sprung up on social media, garnering mass followings.

Not just nice to have: nature in the workplace makes employees happier and healthier

Posted on August 14, 2020 April 8, 2021 by Emma Jansen

Bringing nature into the workplace can help reduce stress and increase creativity and focus, research shows.

Some researchers suggest humans have an innate need to be connected with nature. This is called biophilia. But as housing density, commute times, and office hours increase, we are spending less and less time in natural environments.

Workplace stress costs American businesses up to US$190 billion every year in healthcare costs alone. This is why bringing nature into the office can have such a big impact on employee wellbeing.

Running a mile a day can make children healthier – here’s how schools can make it more fun

Posted on August 9, 2020 October 8, 2020 by Emma Jansen

Children today spend more time sitting than ever before. And research shows that as they grow up, children tend to become more sedentary and less active.

This is where The Daily Mile, a teacher-led running programme for primary school children, aims to make a difference. Designed by a headteacher in Scotland in 2012 in a bid to get children more active, the concept involves children running laps of the playground or school playing fields for 15 minutes everyday. Its simple design combined with political, public health and celebrity endorsement has seen it expand to over 10,000 schools in 78 countries worldwide.

Modern Workforce Expectations and How Socially Aware Businesses Can Win the War for Talent

Posted on July 25, 2020 April 8, 2021 by Emma Jansen

Not since the industrial revolution has there been such a seismic shift in the way we are viewing the world of work. Debates about the modern workforce and their expectations happen far more regularly as businesses get to grips with how our towns, cities, and workplaces will look entirely different in the future.

This evolution of the working world is exciting; it has felt like we have been trapped in the archaic constructs of corporate apathy for so long that to see the green shoots of new thinking cement themselves on a larger scale is refreshing, liberating and nerve-wracking all at the same time.

What is evolving is not the slightly tired and repeated debate about Millennials. I don’t believe they are the first generation to want purpose from their work and they certainly won’t be the last. We all crave to be part of something bigger than ourselves, I for one never charged into my working life with an enthusiasm which was based on anything other than the strong sense of purpose I shared with my colleagues.