Mental Health – Page 2 – Building Bridges Leadership

How to be a Lighthouse Manager

The base of a lighthouse is surrounded by huge waves buffeting it from behind. Inside the open doorway, facing the camera, is a small figure - the lighthouse keeper.

Are you familiar with the idea of helicopter parenting? The stereotype is that Helicopter Parents hover around their child, checking up on them and regularly swooping in to solve their problems. If you’re a parent, perhaps you even recognize this in yourself – especially with your first child, this is a very common trait. But,Continue reading “How to be a Lighthouse Manager”

What are Matching & Mirroring?

How often have you been with a close friend or family member and noticed after a while that you are sitting with the same posture, and matching each other’s tone as you talk? Do you notice this in others when you see best friends getting coffee together? Such behavior is often simply thought of asContinue reading “What are Matching & Mirroring?”

How to Work with a Difficult Colleague

Many things can contribute to work being challenging, but most of us have had at least one experience where the people you work with make or break your experience. Sometimes a coworker or manager can really add to your experience and you’re grateful to be working with them – if so, great! Other times youContinue reading “How to Work with a Difficult Colleague”

A Moment of Rudeness

Passengers blocking the aisle as they wait to exit an airplane.

There’s a moment I think about almost every day, which I’ve never told anyone. In some ways it’s a small everyday moment, and I don’t like to think about it much – but it comes to mind often as I’m interacting with other people, and I find it both confronting and helpful, personally and professionally.Continue reading “A Moment of Rudeness”

The Sound of Silence: The Value of a Simple Pause

grayscale image of a woman holding her finger up to her mouth as a sign of silence.

“And in the naked light I saw / Ten thousand people, maybe more / People talking without speaking / People hearing without listening / People writing songs that voices never share / No one dared disturb the sound of silence” – The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon In turbulentContinue reading “The Sound of Silence: The Value of a Simple Pause”

Reclaiming Rest

In 1910, President William Howard Taft proposed that every American worker should receive two to three months of vacation time each year “in order to continue [their] work next year with the energy and effectiveness that it ought to have.” Sounds wonderful, right? Of course, captains of industry – and U.S. legislators – disagreed, andContinue reading “Reclaiming Rest”

When You’re Stuck with Curmudgeons and Critics

Bring to mind a time when you were on a team or in a meeting with one or two people who – either literally or metaphorically – sat there with arms crossed, only speaking up to criticize the work of others. Perhaps you can recall many experiences like this. If so, I wonder how youContinue reading “When You’re Stuck with Curmudgeons and Critics”

Napping… at Work? How a Short Siesta Can Boost Productivity

When you have a few free moments during the work day, what do you do? Do you get fresh air? Text a friend? Close your eyes and meditate? Stretch your muscles? In the past we’ve posted about the Pomodoro Technique, which suggests that after each 25 minute stretch of focused work, you would be wellContinue reading “Napping… at Work? How a Short Siesta Can Boost Productivity”

Five Years On: Honoring Covid “Anniversary Reactions”

Have you found yourself reflecting on “five years ago…” this week? I have been part of several conversations about this, and overheard others. Coronavirus cases first appeared around the world in late 2019. For many readers in the Western world, however, the most direct impacts began in March 2020 – with lockdowns and other sweepingContinue reading “Five Years On: Honoring Covid “Anniversary Reactions””

What is Ethical Fading?

Ethical fading is the social phenomenon in which people or organizations gradually lose sight of – or subconsciously self-deceive themselves out of seeing – their inherent moral framework, and take actions increasingly inconsistent with their values. Over the course of your career, how many times have you found yourself uncomfortable with the way your employersContinue reading “What is Ethical Fading?”