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Clare Kumar | Inclusive & Sustainable Performance

Clare Kumar

Powering Up Productivity & Pleasure

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Compass

5 Reasons We Hang on to Things

How good are you at letting things go? You’ve probably noticed quite a continuum between those who almost compulsively get rid of things and many who have trouble letting go.

I have a confession to make – one you may not expect to hear. I tend to keep things. It may be because I moved a lot growing up – ten schools in all, or cultural influences, perhaps my personality, I’m not sure why. I sometimes have to have the conversations with myself that I have with my clients!

When does not letting go matter? Our ability to hang onto possessions is really limited by the space we have to store them and by the time and energy it takes to maintain them. If your things are getting in the way of the life you desire to live, if you’re finding that you can’t use your space the way you would like to, then you will want to explore ways to help you let go.

In this article we’ll look at some reasons why we feel compelled to keep things. Often people keep items because of:

Sentimental Value

Objects engage our emotions through all our senses. They can bring back memories which we’re afraid will slip from mind if we don’t keep the trigger. They may be things we put a lot of time and effort in and we want to honour that. Or they may be things that belonged to a loved one that really remind us of them.

Potential Value

These are the items that we see future worth in. The “I could” factor comes into play. I could make a quilt with these scraps of fabric. I could take these postcards and tickets and make a scrapbook. My grandkids could play with these toys.

Current Value

Items that were expensive to purchase and that still have life in them are sometimes difficult to part with even if we are no longer using them. This occurs regularly when people move from one place to another. Furniture from one place may simply not fit in the next, but since it is valuable or seemingly expensive to replace, it stays.

Guilt Value

These are all the things that you are given that you feel compelled to keep. You may even feel you must display them so you don’t hurt someone else’s feelings when they drop by for a visit.

Identity Value

Items related to activities you used to do can bring back the past. If they take up too much space there is a danger that they will keep you from embracing who you are today and who you can be tomorrow.


PRODUCTIVITY TRUTH: If your things are getting in the way of the life you desire to live, explore ways to help you let go.

Filed Under: Awareness

Put Down the Phone! How Not to Answer Email on Your Vacation

If you’ve got a vacation planned, I’ll bet you’re looking forward to a break from your regular routine. But will you get one?

Put Down the Phone! How Not to Answer Email on Your Vacation
Photo credit: Eric J. Smith – used with permission

Or will you be like this gentleman, so engrossed in his phone, he misses the whale emerging from the ocean right beside him?

According to a 2015 study by Randstad, an HR firm, 40% of Canadians read their email while on vacation. If you’re like the average person who checks email 15 times per day, according to a study from the University of British Columbia, or one of the 75% of people who responds within an hour, you’ve probably wired your brain to repeatedly check for messages and receive a feel good hit of neurotransmitter dopamine, all the while increasing stress levels.

What can you do to counter your now natural inclination to check email? Invited by CBC Radio to share strategies across Canada, I crafted these tips:

Set Intentions for your Vacation

Taking a break is essential to rest, replenish and recharge, to refresh the mind and broaden perspectives. When thinking of your next vacation, write down what you are hoping to achieve. Articulate your vacation objectives. Is it to explore a new place, is it to nurture relationships with family or friends, to volunteer and contribute to others, or simply to stop thinking so much? Whatever you choose, commit to it. Write it down and post it somewhere visible to keep it top of mind. Give yourself permission to focus. It is in the dedication to a priority that we find strength to decline other requests for our time, energy and attention.

For a short video on the value creating memorable moments, check out this clip (5 minutes) from Tony Robbins.

Dedicate Time to Process Email on Your Return

Schedule time to process your inbox when you get back. The time to engage with email is often dismissed as a side activity, and not part of our ‘real work’ when in fact it takes considerable time to handle, often more than an hour per day. Read email from the current date and go backwards. You may find a number of issues have been taken care of in your absence.

Define and Communicate Boundaries

  • Prior to your vacation, add a note to your email signature letting contacts know of your planned absence, including additional time to process email upon your return. This will give the opportunity for people to contact you before you leave if necessary.
  • Craft an “out of office” alert to share your intentions. Let people know you that not only will you be away, but while you’re away, you will not be checking messages.
  • Include contact information for those who may be able to assist while you’re away.

If You’re Feeling Pressured to Respond

While 60% of employees in the Randstad study reported that their bosses don’t expect them to be available when on holidays, 40% do. It can be extra challenging when your workplace culture or leadership doesn’t seem to support taking time off.

Consider the following positive support:

  • An Ernst & Young study from 2006 found that for each additional ten hours of vacation the employees took, year-end performance ratings improved by 8%.
  • France passed a set of labour laws early in 2017 supporting the “right to disconnect” which protects employees from having to respond to emails after hours or on weekends. The move was driven in recognition of increasing stress levels related to the continual demands of work and the blurring of office hours.
  • Daimler goes further and deletes employee emails while on vacation
  • In 2012, Volkswagen stopped all emails to employees’ phones after office hours.

Legislation is a drastic step but must be noted for it reflects the depth of the challenge. It is my hope that conversation and appreciation of the positive benefits will be all you need to craft a truly replenishing time off.

If You Absolutely Have to Check Email, Set Limits

If you choose to engage in work correspondence while on vacation, schedule a time which will interfere least with your vacation objectives. Set limits to avoid spending more time than you intend. Engage the support of your vacation partners to keep you on track!

But, my Phone is Always with Me

If you don’t have the luxury of having a separate phone for work, and especially if you have one inbox to check for all messages like I do, you’ll have to be more determined than ever not to engage in work email.

  • Turn off notifications. This is recommended daily practice, not just on vacation. Notifications are for urgent items or things you will forget to do. I haven’t found one client afraid of forgetting to check their inbox.
  • If you do have to scroll through your inbox you may choose to simply flag work emails for attention later. Do not open and read them.
  • Cycle back to number one. Reread your vacation objectives. Compare how you feel after a restful versus a disrupted sleep? A yoga class in which you focus on your breathing or let your mind race. Tap back into the value of your vacation.

PRODUCTIVITY TRUTH: It is in the dedication to a priority that we find strength to decline other requests for our time, energy and attention.

Filed Under: Intention

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Productivity catalyst, highly sensitive executive coach, and speaker, Clare Kumar cultivates sustainable performance in busy professionals so they can keep making rich contributions in all areas of life and achieve greater fulfillment.

She inspires leaders, professionals, employees and entrepreneurs to respect humanity and boost performance through marrying productivity and pleasure. After all, why shouldn’t you have fun while getting things done?

 

From the Blog

LG Home Office Makeover Contest

How to Work with Highly Sensitive People

The ABCs of Behavior Change (TM) – for habits that stick

my dear darling dad i don't see your smiling fac my dear darling dad 

i don't see your smiling face but i feel your caring heart

i don't hear your thoughtful words but i carry your wisdom

i don't hear your laughter but i still make all the wordplays you would have loved

i don't feel your hugs but i feel your love

thirty years is a long time to miss you

you live on for me in every flower i photograph

in every moment of compassion i witness

in every moment i strive to be more like you at your best

i will always miss you even though you are with me

love, your eldest daughter
pretty but poisonous. toxic wild parsnip. grows to pretty but poisonous. toxic wild parsnip. grows to human height. 

don’t touch!
alert - toxic wild parsnip just popped up again in alert - toxic wild parsnip just popped up again in toronto. 

i’ll post a pic next. 

don’t touch it!

#hsp #notice #activate
Free on July 5th at noon EDT? If you're an HSP or Free on July 5th at noon EDT? If you're an HSP or want to learn more about the trait, join me for an open chat about the Happy Space movement to inspire a more inclusive, tender world. 

everyone deserves a happy space!

Register here: https://cutt.ly/eAaOmOi

#hsp #inclusivity #Neurodivergent
foreboding. frightening. it’s not about the babi foreboding. frightening. it’s not about the babies. 
#roevswade
Tune in as @melodywilding and i talk about highly Tune in as @melodywilding and i talk about highly sensitive people, organization, and productivity. 

#hsp #highlysensitiveperson #organized #organizer #productive #productivity

Posted @withregram • @napo_natl How to Stop Overthinking and Trust Yourself - The latest episode of the NAPO Stand Out Podcast featuring Host @clarekumar and guest @melodywilding, executive coach to sensitive high-achievers. Download and listen today at NAPOpodcast.com, our YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
autonomy means… topping up on vitamind in the m autonomy means…

topping up on vitamind in the middle of the day. 

what does autonomy mean to you?

#sustainableperformance #productivity #boostmood #boostimmunesystem
dive in… dive in…
may you find a small joy that inspires a smile tod may you find a small joy that inspires a smile today
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You're blessed with superb filters and have no trouble handling a chaotic environment. Not a lot bothers you. HSPs dream of feeling like this!


You believe “done is better than perfect”. With your focused action, there’s a chance you can be perceived as being a bit of a bull in a china shop. You may quickly jump to conclusions and be too casual with others’ feelings. 

 

You may benefit from taking more time to assess a situation before taking action, something that comes naturally to HSPs.

 

Engaging with HSPs may invite you to notice nuances in a situation that can help smooth your journey.

 

With about 20% of people being highly sensitive, it makes good sense to learn more about the trait.

 

You’re invited to join the Happy Space Pod Online Community, a positive place for HSPs and also for non-HSPs like you who want to better understand and more fully support the valuable HSPs in their lives. 



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You notice a mix of emotions each day, in yourself and others. Sometimes this is easy to accommodate. Other times, it can be overwhelming.

 

You are sometimes bothered by disorganization and chaos around you and notice what could be improved. 

 

Other times, you miss nuance and subtleties that can better guide your actions. You can be creative in the right environment.

 

You are sometimes able to reprioritize efficiently when necessary. Other times, you might find yourself needing to think deeply before making a decision.

 

With 1 in 5 people having the trait of high sensitivity, it is quite possible that you are one of them. 

 

If you shared your email address with us, you should have already received an email with your custom results and more detailed information.

Meanwhile, I invite you to explore the trait of high sensitivity by joining the Happy Space Pod Online Community, a positive place for HSPs and also for non-HSPs who want to better understand and more fully support the valuable HSPs in their lives. 

I hope to see you there.


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Hello, fellow HSP!


You believe perfect is worth striving for and you are proud of your conscientiousness. Being so thoughtful with your work often leaves you frustrated at just how long it takes to get something done. 


Your ability to notice what’s going on around you provides helpful cues which guide your path forward. While blurting out what’s on your mind has sometimes ruffled feathers, you are generally perceived as a thoughtful team player who cares for others. 


You will benefit greatly from setting boundaries, improving self-regulation,  and self-advocating to preserve your energy. 

Join the supportive Happy Space Pod Online Community for more strategies that will help you thrive as an HSP.


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