reduce stress | List Producer

Productivity Tidbits I Picked Up on Vacation

December 7, 2015/0 Comments/in Holidays, Reduce Stress, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Paula & Jay in Puerto Rico

I have a tendency to always feel like I should be doing something…at all times.

“Isn’t there an email I can write back to?”

“I must have an article I’ve been meaning to read around here somewhere.”

“Oh I’ll just straighten up my desk a bit — I have a few minutes.”

This is the ongoing dialogue in my head most days.

Even on vacation.

I recently went to Puerto Rico with my hubby for some much-needed rest and relaxation. I’d been having a bit of an overload beforehand and feeling like I needed to cut myself off from networking and being a social butterfly. So it came at the perfect time. We visited the resort where we got married almost 7 years ago so it was nice to be back in a place we hold so close to our hearts.

Typically I’d be in a bit of an anxious mode thinking I’m wasting time laying on the beach (I know, it’s kind of crazy) and not writing blog posts, guest posts for websites or brainstorming something! Read more

Why I’m Being Anti-Social This December

November 23, 2015/1 Comment/in Happiness, Holidays, People, Reduce Stress, Relationships/by Paula Rizzo

I’m always up for going to networking events, but recently I’ve found myself going to a lot of them and I’m getting burned out. I’m tired, cranky and forgetting things. It’s not my style.

Just last week I went to see The Color Purple on Broadway (with Jennifer Hudson!) with friends from a networking group. There was a problem with the seating and I ended up sitting away from everyone. I was a bit bummed at first to be isolated from the group but the most unexpected thing happened. After spending two hours on my own, I realized how little time I’ve spent by myself lately and I loved it! Read more

Tested Strategies to Get More Done

November 18, 2015/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, People, Reduce Stress, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I don’t have ADHD or ADD, but I know a lot about it. That’s because I cover health news for a living. Although having this blog has taught me a lot about it too. Turns out a lot of the tips that I’ve given through the years are particularly useful to people with ADHD and other attention issues and they’ve reached out to me about it. It’s true — I struggle with distractions too and have systems to cope.

Recently I listened to Peter Shankman’s webinar on how to be productive when you have ADD. If you don’t know of him, Shankman is a public relations and marketing expert who has written three books including “Nice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management Is Over–and Collaboration Is In.” He also created HARO (Help a Reporter Out) which is a journalism tool I use daily. And he also has ADHD and travels all over the world regularly. So there are a lot of amazing sights that catch his eye throughout the day! Read more

How To Change Your Luck And Live A Happier Life

November 11, 2015/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Happiness, Reduce Stress, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Do you ever just feel unlucky?

Always getting caught in a traffic jam when you’re running late, or the printer runs out of ink five minutes before you’re due to give a presentation?

Does everyone else around you seem to be getting their dream job, but you never seem to be in the right place at the right time?

So what is the key difference separating them from you?

They believe they’re lucky.

No really, that’s it. Read more

The Productivity Hangup You Probably Have Too

October 12, 2015/1 Comment/in Children, Decision Making, Happiness, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, People, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tea/by Paula Rizzo

A few weeks ago I was invited to a dinner party to celebrate my book Listful Thinking. My friend and colleague Joya Dass runs a women’s networking group called LadyDrinks and hosted the event.

So I was thrilled when she asked me to recreate the magic with an afternoon tea theme in Princeton, NJ. (You know how much I love tea if you read this blog regularly! So I was all in on this.)

Most of the women at the tea were professional moms who juggle careers in industries ranging from technology to medicine. They all had one question – “How can you balance everything?”

It’s not easy, I struggle with this too and it’s only me and my husband at this point!

One of the pitfalls and mindset issues I noticed coming up time and time again as we went around the room chatting was the idea of setting boundaries. I think mothers who work outside of the home tend to feel guilty about not spending enough time with their families. And then they feel guilty about not working enough when they are with their families. That’s a recipe for overwhelm and disaster.

Taking time for yourself is super important for your productivity and for your sanity. Here’s the fix: boundaries. Read more

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