Category Archives: teams

Juggling Jellyfish: The Delicate Dance of Leading a Multi-Talented, Multidisciplinary Team

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In the vibrant, colorful ocean of our business journeys, we often find ourselves amidst an intriguing spectacle of diversity – our multi-talented, multidisciplinary teams. Just like a mesmerizing school of jellyfish, our teams are graceful yet formidable, seeming to perform a synchronized dance despite their distinct individuality. The delicate art and challenge of leadership lie in ‘juggling these jellyfish’ – aligning these distinctive talents towards a unified goal.

A multidisciplinary team is a treasure trove of varied skills, perspectives, and ideas. It’s comparable to a jellyfish using its array of diverse tentacles to explore and survive. Your team’s array of talents is your superpower. Here at Kashbox Coaching, we underscore the need to acknowledge and appreciate this diversity. Each team member brings their unique flair to the table – be it the innovator, the planner, the executor, or the mediator. As leaders, our mission is to identify these strengths, ensuring they are fully harnessed and celebrated.

However, akin to a jellyfish balancing its movements to stay buoyant, we too must strike a harmonious balance among our team’s varied talents and roles. This task may seem as precarious as juggling jellyfish! But, with open communication, mutual respect, and a shared vision, it’s a feat well within our grasp. Foster an environment where your team feels encouraged to share their ideas, listen to each other’s perspectives, and work collaboratively towards your collective goals. Remember, a team is not merely a group of people working together, but a group of people trusting one another.

The jellyfish also imparts an invaluable lesson about adaptability. Just as it seamlessly adapts to the ocean currents, we too should maintain flexibility in our leadership style. Different situations may warrant different approaches, and different team members may require varied types of guidance and support. As we frequently emphasize at Kashbox Coaching, an exceptional leader is not rigid but adaptable and responsive to the team’s needs and the ever-evolving business landscape.

And let’s not overlook the transparency of a jellyfish. As leaders, transparent communication and actions forge trust, a cornerstone of any successful team. When team members understand the ‘why’ behind decisions and plans, they are more likely to feel valued, engaged, and committed to the collective vision.

Here at Kashbox Coaching, we acknowledge that ‘juggling jellyfish’ – leading a multi-talented, multidisciplinary team – can be daunting, but it’s also an exhilarating adventure. With the right blend of appreciation, communication, adaptability, and transparency, you can cultivate a team environment where everyone flourishes, and the whole truly becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

We’re here to support you in this intricate dance of leadership. As you embark on this journey with us, let’s acknowledge the diverse talents that make your teams unique, and together, we’ll master the delicate art of juggling jellyfish.

Space Odyssey Leadership: Stellar Management Techniques Inspired by Interstellar Exploration

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As humanity reaches for the stars, the vast realm of interstellar exploration offers a wealth of inspiration for leaders seeking to guide their teams to new heights of success. The pioneering spirit, ingenuity, and adaptability required to navigate the uncharted expanses of space are qualities that can be harnessed to transform leadership styles on Earth. In this fascinating exploration, we delve into the world of space odyssey leadership and discover stellar management techniques inspired by the boundless frontier of the cosmos.

Lesson 1: Embrace the Pioneer Spirit

The pioneers of interstellar exploration possess an unquenchable thirst for discovery, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and capability. In leadership, adopting a pioneer spirit means being unafraid to challenge the status quo, question conventional wisdom, and chart a bold course toward new horizons. Foster a culture of curiosity and experimentation within your team, encouraging them to explore new ideas and embrace innovative approaches to problem-solving.

Lesson 2: Cultivate Resilience and Adaptability

The unforgiving environment of space demands that explorers be resourceful, resilient, and adaptable in the face of adversity. Similarly, effective leaders must be able to weather the storms of the business world and adapt their strategies to navigate shifting landscapes. Cultivate resilience in your team by promoting a growth mindset, embracing setbacks as opportunities for learning, and fostering a supportive atmosphere that encourages adaptability.

Lesson 3: Foster Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Interstellar exploration requires the collaboration of experts from diverse fields, united by a common goal. In leadership, embracing interdisciplinary collaboration can drive innovation and breakthroughs by bringing together unique perspectives and skill sets. Encourage cross-functional teamwork and open communication within your organization, breaking down silos and fostering a collaborative culture that empowers individuals to contribute their unique strengths to collective success.

Lesson 4: Maintain a Long-term Vision and Strategy

The vast distances and timescales involved in interstellar exploration demand a long-term vision and strategic planning. As a leader, it’s crucial to maintain a clear vision of your organization’s goals and devise a comprehensive strategy to achieve them. Communicate this vision to your team, inspiring them to align their efforts with the organization’s objectives, and regularly review and adjust your strategy to ensure it remains relevant and effective.

Lesson 5: Prioritize Safety and Well-being

The inherent risks of space travel require meticulous attention to the safety and well-being of astronauts. Similarly, leaders must prioritize the physical and mental well-being of their team members, ensuring they have the support and resources needed to thrive. Implement measures to promote a healthy work-life balance, provide access to mental health resources, and cultivate a supportive environment that values the well-being of each individual.

Lesson 6: Embrace Technological Innovation

Interstellar exploration is fueled by cutting-edge technology and a relentless drive for innovation. As a leader, staying abreast of technological advancements and integrating them into your organization’s processes and strategies can propel your team to new levels of productivity and success. Encourage a culture of continuous learning, providing opportunities for your team to develop their skills and stay current with emerging technologies.

Conclusion: Soaring to New Heights with Space Odyssey Leadership

Drawing inspiration from the daring spirit and ingenuity of interstellar exploration, space odyssey leadership presents a transformative approach to guiding teams toward unprecedented success. By embracing the lessons gleaned from humanity’s quest to conquer the cosmos, leaders can cultivate a pioneering spirit, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and maintain a long-term vision that propels their organizations to stellar heights. Embark on your own leadership odyssey and discover the untapped potential that lies within the stars.

The Art of Alpaca Shepherding: Unconventional Lessons in Leadership from South American Herders

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Leadership lessons can come from unexpected sources, and the ancient art of alpaca shepherding in South America is one such treasure trove of wisdom. These gentle, curious creatures, prized for their luxurious fiber, have been tended by Andean herders for centuries. Delving into the world of alpaca shepherding, we unveil unconventional leadership lessons that can be applied to modern management practices, providing insight into how to guide diverse teams to success.

Lesson 1: Adaptability in the Face of Adversity

Alpacas are well-adapted to thrive in the harsh environments of the Andes, with their thick coats and ability to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations. Likewise, Andean herders have learned to adapt their shepherding techniques to the challenging terrain and weather conditions.

Leaders can learn from this adaptability by being open to change and agile in the face of adversity. Embrace challenges as opportunities to innovate and grow, adapting your leadership style and strategies to suit the ever-evolving business landscape.

Lesson 2: The Power of Observation and Patience

Alpaca herders spend countless hours observing their flock, carefully monitoring each animal’s well-being and identifying any signs of distress. They understand that a watchful eye and patience are critical to ensuring the health and prosperity of the herd.

In leadership, the importance of observation and patience cannot be overstated. By attentively monitoring your team members, you can better understand their strengths and weaknesses, recognize potential issues, and provide timely support when needed. Cultivating patience allows you to make informed decisions and fosters a nurturing environment in which your team can flourish.

Lesson 3: The Value of Strong Relationships and Trust

The bond between alpaca herders and their animals is one of mutual trust and respect. This connection is built over time through consistent, gentle guidance, and a deep understanding of the alpacas’ needs and behaviors.

Effective leadership hinges on the ability to establish strong relationships and trust with your team. By genuinely investing in understanding your team members and their needs, you can create an atmosphere of mutual respect and loyalty. Trust empowers your team to take risks, contribute ideas, and work collaboratively to achieve common goals.

Lesson 4: Sustainability and Long-Term Vision

Andean herders recognize that the sustainability of their livelihood depends on the careful management of resources, such as the land and the alpaca population. They practice responsible shepherding by allowing the landscape to regenerate and ensuring the well-being of their animals.

Leaders can take a page from the herders’ book by adopting a long-term, sustainable approach to their organization’s growth. Prioritize the well-being of your team, foster a culture of continuous learning and development, and make strategic decisions that benefit both the immediate and future success of your organization.

Conclusion: Embracing the Wisdom of Alpaca Shepherding in Modern Leadership

The art of alpaca shepherding offers unique and unconventional lessons in leadership that transcend time and geography. By embracing the adaptability, observational skills, relationship-building, and long-term vision of Andean herders, modern leaders can guide their teams to unparalleled success. In a world where conventional leadership tactics may fall short, the wisdom of alpaca herders offers a fresh, innovative perspective that can inspire and inform the leaders of today and tomorrow.

What Is the “Growth Mindset” and Why It’s Important for Leaders

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“Growth mindset” is a term coined by psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck who discovered in a study that neurological activity changes when people focus on the learning process, not just the outcome.

What this means is that the process of acquiring new skills or even knowledge genuinely needs a different mindset. Here’s why this is important for leaders to understand:

What Is a Growth Mindset?

Having a growth mindset essentially means you believe your skills and abilities can grow over time. At first glance, you may assume that’s what everyone believes, but actually, people with a growth mindset are different from the rest.

Specifically, these are the people more likely to accept the learning process and even the mistakes that may occur during it. Moreover, people with a growth mindset are more likely to learn from their mistakes, rather than view them as personal or professional failures.

Because for them, the “reward” of the learning process isn’t ultimately what motivates them. They are driven by the entirely new experience.

Other traits of having a growth mindset can include:

  • Viewing effort as part of the learning process
  • Leading teams with an explicit goal of personal development
  • Not refraining from taking risks
  • Embracing challenges head-on

By comparison, those without a growth mindset (have a “fixed mindset”):

  • Are less likely to take risks
  • May refuse to take on a challenge
  • Believes they are or aren’t good at something right off the bat
  • Tend to blame themselves when things go wrong
  • Feel the need to constantly prove themselves

What Happens When Leaders Shift to a Growth Mindset?

Moving towards a growth mindset can provide leaders with:

  • More confidence and self-esteem
  • More resilience
  • Ability to improve their relationships with staff and executives
  • Even make their daily tasks more enjoyable

How Can Leaders Shift to a Growth Mindset?

Changing the way you think isn’t exactly easy. But like everything, you can learn how to shift your mindset and focus more on growth.

Some strategies that can help include:

Work with a leadership coach – If you don’t have this mindset yet, a leadership coach can help you build it by providing their support and expertise. In a sense, coaches can be that “growth mindset” voice you need to shift your way of thinking;

    • Identify areas for improvement – Accepting your weakness can provide a lot of value since you can see those areas that essentially require growth and learning. It may also help reduce the risk of flat-out dismissing a learning opportunity straight away;
    • Let go of the idea of “perfect” – We all strive for perfectionism, but a lot of times it may hold leaders back. The desire for things to come out perfect can keep you from taking risks and even enjoying your position as a leader.

Transitioning to a growth mindset won’t happen overnight, but with a bit of effort and a lot of patience, you can let go of your limiting fixed mindset.

And once you do, your abilities as a leader may just improve tremendously!

3 Major Challenges Healthcare Executives Will Face in 2023

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The healthcare industry is currently going through some changes that can affect health institutions big and small.

These changes can put a lot of pressure on healthcare executives who may struggle with effectively preparing for the changes in the healthcare landscape.

Let’s quickly examine 5 major changes that healthcare executives will need to face in 2023 and beyond:

1) Price Transparency 

Lack of price transparency in the healthcare system has historically imposed great burdens on a patient’s ability to choose their provider (by analyzing costs) and especially paying off their medical bills.

Now the CMS has imposed new regulations to make hospital pricing more transparent and clearly publish the prices they negotiate with insurers for various medical treatments, medications, and even devices.

2) Patient Experience

People expect a higher level of satisfaction from their healthcare providers, fueled in part because of the high costs often associated with even basic health services.

Healthcare organizations will likely face a tougher time retaining patients if they do not increase patient satisfaction levels. Growing competition in the industry means the hospital can quickly lose even its long-term patients, especially if prices become more transparent and people can research providers’ different rates.

3) Introducing New Payment Models

New payment models are becoming more and more present in the healthcare industry. Systems such as bundled payments, shared savings, or even medical subscriptions are slowly becoming a necessity for every hospital to introduce at some point.

Of course, adding a new payment model comes with a lot of challenges, as executives have to balance current systems, integrate new ones, and effectively monitor their performance to determine whether this new model yields the desired results.

4) Staffing

Staffing will unfortunately remain one of the biggest roadblocks hospital managers and executives will face in 2023. Finding qualified individuals is made even harder for smaller practices that may not be able to offer the same incentives that bigger healthcare institutions have.

And the issue isn’t just about finding doctors. Hiring nurses, medical assistants, and auxiliary personnel can also pose some difficulties for managers.

5) Staff Satisfaction

Apart from patient satisfaction, managers need to care for the happiness of their staff, a lot of whom are still feeling the burnout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ignoring these issues can, unfortunately, underline the staffing issues as current staff may leave or retire early due to the unaddressed pressures of their work environment.

How Can Hospital Executives Prepare for These Changes?

Many hospitals are finding themselves in the midst of a much-needed transition. Apart from the 3 new trends discussed, many healthcare executives are also facing increasing pressure to respond to various consumer demands, such as more accessible eHealth services.

This is a time for transformation, and to effectively navigate all these changes, executives may want to collaborate with healthcare coaches that are trained to guide these institutions through new waters.

A healthcare coach’s role may be instrumental in helping hospital leaders effectively plan for these new trends and take their health institution further.

Helping Employees Get Through the Loneliness Epidemic

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The world is going through a loneliness epidemic that started even before the COVID-19 pandemic distanced people even further from each other. Around 43% of people reported struggling with loneliness, and the effects can be felt across the board:

  • Social life
  • Happiness levels
  • Job performance
  • Even physical health

Loneliness can have severe impacts on an individual’s mental health especially. Companies looking to provide better wellness support to their employees may want to start with ways to combat this epidemic.

Should Companies Help Employees Feel Less Lonely?

For starters, let’s answer the question: is it the company’s job to fight against employee loneliness rates?

It’s well established that companies who offer their employees solid resources designed to support their wellness benefit from higher employee retention rates and manage to attract better-qualified people for new positions.

And in 2022 and going forward, helping combat loneliness is one of the pillars of wellness, as loneliness is known to be even worse for a person’s health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day or obesity.

Not just that, but being lonely can increase the risk for:

  • Heart disease
  • Strokes
  • High blood pressure
  • Depression
  • Early mortality
  • Even cognitive decline

Loneliness affects a person’s outlook on life, their motivation, and can even slash job performance. Companies who want to invest in wellness programs for their employees must ensure that at least part of their efforts goes into countering the loneliness epidemic their teams already face.

How Can Companies Combat Employee Loneliness?

Creating opportunities where employees can connect and engage is one of the best ways for companies to tackle the loneliness epidemic. But because this issue can result in negative effects on many levels, a more comprehensive approach should cover a few key areas:

  • Physical health – Helping employees take care of their physical health, either through company-created programs or facilitated access to certain medical services is one of the major components of an employee wellness program, even one designed to combat loneliness specifically;
  • Mental health – Awareness regarding mental health is increasing, yet access to such services is still low. Companies who want to help employees combat loneliness can invest in mental health services;
  • Physical activity – Sports and an active lifestyle can improve both physical and mental health. Companies can offer discounts or paid memberships to sports centers, and gyms, or even conduct their own sporting activities and encourage company-wide participation;
  • Socialization – Be it through game nights, team buildings, or office parties, such informal activities can help employees connect with each other, build stronger relationships, and even feel less isolated from their peers;
  • Mentorship and coaching – Some employees could benefit from coaching programs designed to help them connect with their peers, teams, and even collaborators. These types of programs can assist the employee in learning essential life skills and growing confidence in their own abilities.

Loneliness doesn’t have a simple cure, nor can it be fixed rapidly.

However, if companies become aware of the problem, they can build a solid framework and help their employees navigate this new reality.

Wellness Programs: Are They Now Mandatory for an Organization?

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Society is forever changed after 2 years of being held in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. While people, companies, and industries are still figuring things out, we can already see some massive changes when it comes to the workplace.

Specifically, changes to how companies are starting to measure, retain, and even entice their employees.

Say what you want about the pandemic, but it has underlined the need for comprehensive wellness programs that can take care of a person from a holistic standpoint. Companies are also realizing they are not just the main factor that could influence a person’s financial life. They also play a huge role in their employee’s wellness.

The Stats on Corporate Wellness Programs

A Gartner Survey of 52 HR executives found that companies are doubling down on their wellness programs:

  • 94% invested extra in their wellness programs
  • 85% increased support for mental health
  • 50% increased support for physical health
  • 38% increased support for financial health

Wellness isn’t just the responsibility of the employee anymore. Companies are realizing that through comprehensive wellness programs, they can better predict and improve employee performance, and even increase employee retention.

Because it’s not just companies warming up to these programs: individuals are seeking services to improve their well-being in different ways.

What Should a Wellness Program Include?

If your organization is now looking to establish its first wellness program, the very first step to take is assessing the current well-being of your employees.

Wellness programs work best when they can directly speak to the needs, expectations, and individual circumstances of employees. For example, a company with many young adults may need family planning services. Notoriously competitive industries and high stress should strengthen their mental health services.

By asking your employees, you can effectively learn what they need from a wellness program. In general, such programs will take a holistic approach to help employees lead a balanced life, such as:

  • Physical health services – Such as adding health and fitness services to the program, providing tools and resources of education, or binding on a health coach to help employees improve their physical health;
  • Mental health services – Implementing stress-reduction protocols, educating employees about their mental health, improving their access to mental health services, etc.
  • Financial health – Helping employees plan their financial future, save money, invest, and even create safety nets in case of emergencies.

Of course, the wellness program can have many additional layers, depending on the needs and expectations of your employees.

Do Wellness Programs Work?

Helping someone improve their well-being isn’t a one-sided task: it takes 2 to tango.

But what wellness programs do is offer employees an easy, accessible way to take care of their health and well-being.

Whether at an individual level it will work or not, generally depends on the person. Some thrive better with 1-on-1 wellness coaching than with broad coaching programs.

But even so, wellness programs work towards improving the company-employee relationship and offer people all the resources they need to care for themselves and their well-being.

The “Human” Side Of Coaching

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Coaches can have vastly different approaches to helping their clients achieve their goals, be they on a professional, personal, or niche level.

However, what should never change in terms of how coaching ensues is the idea that the client’s needs always come first, before the books, the strategies, and the formats.

Call it the recipe for success in coaching, but when you don’t put the person’s needs at the forefront of your work, you miss out on the “human” component of coaching. And this component can often determine the success of the coaching.

What Is the “Human” Component of Coaching?

The human component simply refers to the fact that the coaching strategy should answer the specific needs of the client in need of help.

Let’s take two scenarios to help you see the human component in action:

1.  The General Approach

A person looking for coaching and support certainly has many options in 2022. In fact, you may even be inclined to sign up for a masterclass or course that can help you work on some of your issues to reach your goals.

These types of classes have a “general” approach. They tackle certain subjects in a way that a large group of people can have something to learn and gain from them.

The coach will likely prepare a set of videos, booklets, checklists, and other materials to offer their clients, and help them move through the course.

And you can learn a lot from this type of approach, especially if you’ve never worked with a professional to improve your skills and mindset to overcome challenges and reach your goals. But, with this approach, you are missing out on essential interactions with your coach.

2.  The “Human” Approach

The human approach to coaching essentially means your coach will build an actual relationship with you, instead of just sharing tips and tricks. For starters, the human approach involves identifying your unique needs and expectations.

You will meet with your coach and get support for your circumstances, instead of an overall approach to becoming more successful or socially open. The human approach puts you, as an individual, at the frontline of the entire process, and not a potential group of people.

Which One Is Better?

It should be said that both approaches have their time and place. The general approach, be it in the form of a class or a course can certainly help people achieve meaningful results and even clarify some questions they may have about their future.

But in most cases, people respond better to the “human” approach, simply because it is tailored to their individual circumstances.

So when you choose a course, a program, or a coach, always let your individual needs guide you. Ask yourself:

“Can this really help me? Is it appropriate for my goals?”

Once you do that, you’ll be able to effectively navigate the world of coaching and find the tips, tricks, and the people who can genuinely help you achieve what you want.

Virtual Coaching: The Good, The Bad, And the Disclaimer

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By: David Herdlinger

We’re living in an increasingly virtual world. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many industries were forced to embrace the remote or hybrid workplace a lot sooner than expected, or even regardless if they’d ever made such plans.

But like it or not, we now have countless digital opportunities at our fingertips, including professional coaching.

But does it work? Does video-calling your coach yield the same benefits as face-to-face meetings?

Let’s unpack the issue.

The Good of Virtual Coaching

Professional or personal coaching can be incredibly powerful for a lot of people in need of a little help reaching their goals.

But depending on where you live, you might not have access to the best coaches, or even not have one in your area at all.

Virtual coaching, therefore, allows many more people to access these types of services, from anywhere, and even at any time.

This leads to some compelling advantages:

  • Easily fit the coaching sessions into your busy schedule
  • Find more opportunities to get coaching even for niche matters
  • Get the chance to find a coach who can truly help your specific situation, etc.

The Bad of Virtual Coaching

There are two things I want to mention here:

First, you need to be careful who you trust. Since virtual coaching is on the rise, naturally many people may try to take advantage of them. It’s important to fully vet the coach and be sure you’re going to work with someone who’s experienced and can genuinely guide you to the success you look for.

That’s the biggest downside of virtual coaching.

But, there’s also a matter of what style you may respond best to. Simply put, some people still need face-to-face experience. The message resonates much clearer with them when they receive it live, as opposed to a video call.

The Disclaimer

I don’t think it’s necessarily productive to claim one style of coaching is better than the other. Both virtual and in-person coaching can provide you with a great experience.

Instead, be very careful how you select your coach, no matter if the meetings will occur in real life or through a digital platform.

There are some things you should always be looking for in a coach:

  • Compatibility – Like any relationship, you have to be compatible with your coach at least on some level;
  • Experience – If you’re going to learn from that person and take their advice, then they need to have the right experience to genuinely help you reach your goals;
  • Expertise – The coach is an expert in their niche, but is their niche right for what you need? Always be sure to check;
  • Trust – This is the foundation of any collaboration or relationship. If the coach isn’t the type of person you can trust to open up to, then your coaching experience will suffer because of it;

If you find someone compatible with you, has the right expertise and experience, and you feel you can trust them, then you don’t need to concern yourself with the virtual vs. real-life coaching debate.

Show Up for Your Best Self

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How do you show up for your best self?

Let’s face it: the past 20 months have not been easy. Remaining open, yet vigilant; positive, yet cautious; and resilient, yet flexible has been no easy task. For many, taking care of our loved ones has taken precedence over care for our self. Yet, if we don’t show up for our best self, how do we fully recover and care for others? How do we live our best life?

Demonstrating care (and affection) for ourselves begins with self-compassion. To some degree, everyone suffers. It is part of being human. Unfortunately, denying our suffering may make us more prone to self-sabotage.

Practicing self-compassion means acknowledging that we may be self-handicapping: we anticipate a real or imagined obstacle to living our best life and use it as an excuse for inaction. We practice self-compassion when we recognize this as an ineffective mechanism against suffering, and begin to notice this behavior.

As clinical psychologist and author Alice Boyes, PhD, writes for Harvard Business Review, practicing self-compassion has four components:

  • Practicing a kind tone (and language) that appeals to you.
  • Accepting pain and suffering are part of being human.
  • Allowing and recognizing all feelings (without attachment).
  • Anticipating that you can and will do the best you can at any point in time.

Unfortunately, our self-handicapping can be very subtle. It’s also one of the ways we get and stay stuck, trapped in the familiar, or worse, bad habit loop.

Recognize Self-Sabotage

Self-sabotage can be cunning, especially for highly intelligent and successful people. For example, resting on past accomplishments (too much positive thinking) can sabotage future success. Here are nine other ways we self-handicap:

  • Negative thinking (“I’m not good enough.”)
  • Withholding/silence (Not contributing/responding/offering ideas.)
  • Delaying action (Failing to act.)
  • Excuse making (“I don’t have the time/resources.”)
  • Failure to accept responsibility (Similar to excuse making, we may point to others or circumstances outside of our control.)
  • Adopting a “good-enough” attitude to avoid failure/rejection. (Becoming too risk averse.)
  • Imbalance of focus: too small picture
  • Focusing more on feelings, rather than facts.
  • Allowing (or encouraging) distractions to derail us.

Understand Why We Self-Sabotage

Self-sabotage just might be another part of being human. Fortunately, our brains can help us thrive in the face of adversity, practice self-compassion, and become our best self. We know this through the study of positive neuroscience—the study of positive psychology using neuroimaging techniques to explain the neurobiology.

To some degree or other, we are inundated with information or situations that can evoke an emotion. Whether it is happiness, gratitude, sadness, sympathy or any other emotion, we vary in how we respond. One study leads researchers to conclude that happier people are better able to see opportunities without missing threats.

The Research

Happier people—persons with high positive affectivity—are typically characterized as open-minded, sociable, and helpful. They have high energy and enthusiasm, are alert and active, and have confidence in their ability to achieve—if not now, then later. Persons with high negative affectivity are typically characterized as having a poor self-concept. Nervousness, guilt, fear, disgust, contempt and/or anger are common experiences in persons with high negative affect. 

With the use of fMRI studies, researchers find that our amygdala responds to emotional stimuli according to our affective style. If we have a more positive affect style we are less reactive to stimuli, are better able to regulate our emotions, and our disposition is more positive. If we have a more negative affect style we are more reactive, less able to regulate emotions, and our disposition tends to be more negative. (This is not all bad news: negative affectivity does have benefits.)

According to researchers, our affective style is the result of our genes, attachment style, adversity in early life, and mental disorders. While there is nothing we can do to go back in time to change our genetics or early life influences, we can change our style, specifically, how our brains respond to emotional stimuli or situations.

Self-Sabotage Alternatives

When taking action to counter self-sabotage, especially self-compassion, it’s helpful to understand how emotion regulation can change the brain. While it’s important to recognize the feeling, name it, and allow it to happen, regulating emotions has a bit more nuance.

Emotion regulation is an attempt to influence what, when, and how an emotion is experienced. According to Stanford Professor of Psychology James J. Gross, PhD, and the November 2021 research paper, Assessing Emotion Regulation Ability for Negative and Positive Emotions: Psychometrics of the Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory in United States Adults, we can, and do, regulate both negative and positive emotions. Gross, and his fellow researchers, posit that this ability is “a cornerstone of adaptive psychological functioning.” And they are not alone.

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, emotion regulation techniques are a way to show up for your best self: emotion regulation can change our brain. First, let’s look at some of the conscious techniques:

  • Avoidance: avoiding a situation
  • Focus: noticing breath or other repetitive pattern
  • Seeking support: contacting a friend or support person
  • Smiling: forcing a smile, even by clamping a pen or pencil in your mouth, can stimulate the amygdala, releasing “feel good” neurotransmitters  
  • Exercise

Researchers find that two techniques, cognitive reappraisal and meditation, have lasting impact on our affective style

Cognitive Reappraisal

The technique of cognitive reappraisal can alter the emotional impact of a situation by changing how you think about the situation. Not only can you use this strategy to lessen negative emotions, reappraisal can increase positive emotions. This is important because it allows you to experience your feelings, including unavoidable and constructive negative feelings, and increase the psychological benefits of positive feelings.

You see, when we reframe our thoughts about a situation, experience, or stimulus, we can experience change in our emotional response. Research finds that using cognitive reappraisal correlates with activity changes in specific parts of the brain. We can change the intensity and duration of the emotion, depending on the tactics and frequency.

Meditation

Mindfulness meditation—such as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)—which focuses on the experience of thoughts, sensations, and emotions by simple observance—has been used in many neuroscientific studies of emotion regulation. Researches find that:

  • Long-term meditators are better able to accept their emotions.
  • Short-term (8-week) MBSR training increased the functional connectivity between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the ability to regulate emotions.  

There are other strategies to counter self-sabotage and show up for your best self, including spotting the warning signs, stating your goals, and working toward mastering a domain that you value. A qualified coach can help you develop strategies and techniques that work best for you.