[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":610},["ShallowReactive",2],{"cms:/api/categories?fields[0]=name&fields[1]=slug&pagination[pageSize]=100&sort=documentId":3,"cms:/api/authors?populate=*&filters[slug]=mariana":45,"cms:/api/homepage?fields[0]=updatedAt&populate[navigation][fields][0]=name&populate[navigation][fields][1]=slug":81,"cms:/api/articles?populate=*&filters[author][id]=22&pagination[limit]=9&pagination[start]=45&sort[0]=bylineDate:DESC&sort[1]=createdAt:DESC":86},{"data":4,"meta":40},[5,10,15,20,25,30,35],{"id":6,"documentId":7,"name":8,"slug":9},8,"agm3bwiivq9ytkopje139uoj","Voices","voices",{"id":11,"documentId":12,"name":13,"slug":14},6,"fxhrufaspnwq0yurrk98sas3","Wellness","wellness",{"id":16,"documentId":17,"name":18,"slug":19},14,"gj8d0n6sxxe1mqfb0ticcamv","Style","style",{"id":21,"documentId":22,"name":23,"slug":24},12,"pra84h71qx5yo2kq8g18uy9h","After Hours","after-hours",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29},2,"pregl64gjxpa6tec7l94j5fb","Career & Finance","career-and-finance",{"id":31,"documentId":32,"name":33,"slug":34},10,"vf2luiz1aic436stak4yr339","Nourish","food",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39},4,"y4wuht99krufymt1c62zqtk1","Mindset","mindset",{"pagination":41},{"page":42,"pageSize":43,"pageCount":42,"total":44},1,100,7,{"data":46,"meta":78},[47],{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":56,"avatarImg":75},22,"wyt3u257aw7uw0dwu7iyp43t","Mariana","mariana",null,"Mariana is our amazing psychologist. She is generally shy, but she has the answers to all questions. She is calm but can be pretty sarcastic if she wants to! She is working with women who are struggling in their jobs. She also loves knitting. She helps our Working Gal Team with her valuable insights and tips for a balanced work life.","2026-09-06T10:31:24.439Z","2026-09-06T10:31:24.476Z",{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":62,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},11,"fheiaa5f5erfp90gy58ro2z5","1-4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp","",250,{"thumbnail":63},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},".webp","https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp","4b4c936585b7dd1c23ef309e30c37e86","thumbnail_1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7","image/webp","thumbnail_1-4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp",4.15,156,4148,"1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7",8.36,"https://assets.workingal.com/1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp","@strapi/provider-upload-aws-s3","2026-09-06T10:31:24.366Z",{"pagination":79},{"page":42,"pageSize":80,"pageCount":42,"total":42},25,{"data":82,"meta":85},{"id":42,"documentId":83,"updatedAt":84},"nhhccnp3ibbyv1cn1er78o9h","2026-09-06T10:40:24.841Z",{},{"data":87,"meta":605},[88,157,217,271,328,384,440,494,552],{"id":89,"documentId":90,"title":91,"content":92,"slug":93,"coffees":94,"seo_title":91,"keywords":95,"seo_desc":96,"bylineDate":97,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":99,"updatedAt":100,"publishedAt":101,"featuredImage":102,"category":150,"author":153,"img":148},282,"znzr2tjzlrr1wn6rve4nwf0e","The Intelligence Architecture: 9 Habits That Sharpen Strategic Thinking (And the Science Behind Each One)","Intelligence is not a fixed quantity. This is not motivational framing. It is a well-supported finding in cognitive neuroscience: the brain demonstrates neuroplasticity throughout adulthood, meaning its structure and function continue to change in response to behavior, environment, and deliberate practice.\n\nWhat this means practically is that the cognitive capacity you are operating with today is not the ceiling. The habits you maintain around information, sleep, movement, nutrition, and mental challenge directly influence the quality of your thinking, your [decision-making speed](https://www.workingal.com/articles/decision-fatigue) and accuracy, your ability to hold complexity, and your resilience under sustained cognitive load.\n\nThe 9 habits below are not assembled from the generic 'be smarter' advice that populates the Internet. Each one maps to a specific cognitive mechanism. Understanding the mechanism is what separates people who apply these habits strategically from people who apply them occasionally and wonder why nothing changes.\n\nThe Three-Layer Framework: How These 9 Habits Work Together\n-----------------------------------------------------------\n\nBefore the individual habits, the architecture matters. Cognitive performance is not improved by any single behavior in isolation. It depends on three layers operating in parallel: what you put into your brain (input quality), how you train your brain to process information (processing habits), and how you allow your brain to recover and consolidate (recovery practices). Most advice focuses on one layer. All three are required.\n\n![how to be smarter 2026](https://assets.workingal.com/how_to_be_smarter_d695bb7a9a.webp)\n\nThe 9 habits below are distributed across these three layers. Applying habits from only one layer produces partial results. The complete architecture is what produces durable cognitive performance improvement.\n\nLayer 1: Input Quality\n----------------------\n\nThe brain does not distinguish between high-quality and low-quality information in terms of processing load. It processes both. What changes is the output quality of the thinking that follows. Garbage in, garbage out applies to cognitive systems as directly as it applies to data pipelines.\n\n### 1. Curated Information Consumption: The Filter Before the Feed\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  The prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive function and strategic thinking, does not have unlimited processing capacity. Every piece of information it evaluates and decides whether to engage with consumes cognitive resources. Doomscrolling and [passive social media consumption](https://www.workingal.com/articles/psychology-social-media-women) do not rest the brain. They occupy it with low-value processing that depletes the same resources needed for high-quality thinking.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Build a deliberate information diet. Identify three to five sources you trust in the domains relevant to your work, and check them intentionally rather than reactively. Remove social media apps from your home screen. Replace passive scroll time with [one long-form article](https://www.workingal.com/articles/expensive-mistakes-building-business-founder-lessons) or a chapter of a book. The goal is not to read more. It is to raise the average quality of what you are processing.\n\n### 2. Nutritional Support for Cognitive Focus: What You Eat Is What You Think\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  The brain consumes approximately 20% of the body's total energy despite accounting for only 2% of body weight. The primary fuel is glucose, but the source and consistency of that glucose supply significantly affect cognitive function. Ultra-processed foods and [refined sugar](https://www.workingal.com/articles/yes-you-can-deal-with-sugar-craving) produce rapid blood glucose spikes followed by crashes that directly impair concentration, working memory, and decision quality. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, walnuts, and flaxseed, are structural components of neuronal membranes and are associated with improved cognitive performance in peer-reviewed research.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Remove the processing tax before you start work: [no high-sugar breakfast](https://www.workingal.com/articles/busy-mornings-20-healthy-breakfast-ideas-if-you-don-t-have-time), no ultra-processed food during working hours. The cognitive crash that follows these inputs is not discipline failure. It is a predictable physiological response. Replace with protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates at meals. Hydration is the most underrated variable: a 2% decline in hydration is associated with measurable impairment in attention and short-term memory.\n\n### 3.High-Quality Intellectual Environment: The People Around You Shape Your Thinking\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  Cognitive challenge is one of the primary drivers of neural adaptation. Sustained exposure to people who think at a higher level than your current default forces your brain to operate at the edge of its capacity, which is the stimulus required for growth. This is not a motivation principle. It is the same mechanism that governs physical training: progressive overload applied to cognitive rather than muscular systems.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Audit your intellectual environment deliberately. Which [conversations in your week](https://www.workingal.com/articles/7-minute-rule-networking) require you to think harder than you normally would? Which ones operate well below your cognitive level? Increase the proportion of the former. This applies to the content you consume as much as the people you spend time with: a podcast that challenges your assumptions is a different cognitive input than one that confirms them.\n\nLayer 2: Processing Habits\n--------------------------\n\nInput quality determines the raw material. Processing habits determine what you do with it. The two most significant cognitive processing habits for high-performing professionals are how they manage decision fatigue and how they transfer and retain what they learn.\n\n### 4. Decision Fatigue Management: Protecting Your Best Thinking for What Matters\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  The brain's executive function operates like a finite daily budget. Every decision made depletes it, regardless of the decision's importance. A trivial choice made in the afternoon costs the same cognitive currency as a significant one, which is why decision quality degrades over the course of the day for most people. The research on decision fatigue, including studies of judicial decisions and medical choices, consistently shows that choice quality declines as the day progresses without deliberate management.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Reduce low-stakes decisions through systematization. Meal planning, [capsule wardrobes](https://www.workingal.com/articles/confidence-capsule-wardrobe), scheduled blocks for routine tasks, and standardized templates for recurring communications. The goal is to remove cognitive load from decisions that do not require your best thinking so that your best thinking is available for decisions that do. Schedule your highest-stakes cognitive work for the first two to three hours of your working day, before the depletion accumulates.\n\n### 5. Output-Based Knowledge Transfer: Teaching as the Highest Form of Retention\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  The retention rate for passively received information (reading, listening) sits at approximately 10 to 20% after 24 hours. The retention rate for information you have taught or explained to someone else exceeds 90%. This is the principle behind the [Feynman Technique](https://www.colorado.edu/artssciences-advising/resource-library/life-skills/the-feynman-technique-in-academic-coaching), named after physicist Richard Feynman, whose learning method was based on explaining concepts in simple language as a test of genuine understanding. The act of producing output forces the brain to identify gaps, resolve contradictions, and reorganize information into a coherent structure.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Implement a weekly knowledge transfer practice. Write a brief note on the most significant thing you learned this week, and write it as if explaining it to someone who does not share your professional context. The writing is not the point. The process of producing clear, simple language is the point. It surfaces what you actually understand versus what you assumed you understood.\n\n### 6. Cognitive Flexibility Training: Disrupting Automatic Patterns\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  The brain is an efficiency machine. It builds neural shortcuts, called heuristics, for every repeated process. This is useful for speed and reduces cognitive load. It is counterproductive for creative problem-solving and strategic thinking, where the most valuable insights often come from approaches that fall outside established patterns. Research on cognitive flexibility, the capacity to switch between thinking modes and adapt to new information, consistently identifies it as a stronger predictor of [professional success](https://www.workingal.com/articles/the-art-of-failure-how-to-turn-mistakes-into-actual-success) than general intelligence. The working gal already has a piece on this worth reading.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Introduce deliberate pattern disruption into your week. Take a different route to a familiar place. Approach a recurring problem from a constraint you would not normally apply. Read a discipline-adjacent publication outside your field. The specific disruption matters less than the regularity. The goal is to keep the brain from defaulting entirely to efficiency mode, which closes off the lateral thinking pathways that strategic problems require.\n\nLayer 3: Recovery Practices\n---------------------------\n\n![9 habits to become smarter.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/9_habits_to_become_smarter_bedc334e30.webp)\n\nThe recovery layer is where the most consistently underinvested cognitive capacity sits. High-performing professionals tend to treat recovery as a reward for completed work rather than as a prerequisite for it. The neurological reality is the opposite: recovery is when the brain consolidates learning, clears metabolic waste, and restores the executive function depleted during the day. Skipping recovery does not produce more cognitive output. It produces the illusion of more output while quietly degrading quality.\n\n### 7. Sleep as Cognitive Maintenance: The Non-Negotiable Architecture\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  Sleep is not passive rest. It is active neurological maintenance. During slow-wave sleep, the glymphatic system clears metabolic waste products, including amyloid beta proteins associated with cognitive decline, from the brain. During REM sleep, the brain consolidates memories, integrates new information with existing knowledge structures, and processes emotional experiences from the day. A single night of less than six hours of sleep produces measurable impairment in attention, working memory, and emotional regulation equivalent to 24 hours of total sleep deprivation.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Seven to eight hours is the evidence-based target for sustained cognitive performance. The timing matters: the 90-minute sleep cycles that produce deep slow-wave sleep and REM sleep in the appropriate proportions are most effectively accessed in the hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If sleep quality is a current problem, the [brain dump practice](https://www.workingal.com/articles/brain-dump-before-sleep) before bed reduces the cognitive activation that delays sleep onset. \n\n### 8. Movement as Neurological Reset: Exercise Is Not About the Body\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  Aerobic exercise produces BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that supports the growth and maintenance of neurons and has been described by neuroscientist John Ratey as 'Miracle-Gro for the brain.' A 2024 [study from the International Neuropsychological Society](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11021864/) found that aerobic exercise improves cognitive function, particularly in domains of executive function, memory, and processing speed. The mechanism is direct: exercise increases cerebral blood flow, reduces cortisol, and stimulates neurogenesis in the hippocampus, the brain region most directly involved in learning and memory.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  Three sessions of moderate aerobic exercise per week is the minimum effective dose for cognitive benefit, based on current research. The timing that produces the most immediate cognitive benefit is morning exercise before knowledge work, as the BDNF and cortisol-reduction effects peak in the two to four hours following exercise. This is not about fitness goals. It is about creating the optimal neurological state for the cognitive work that follows.\n\n### 9. Deliberate Language Acquisition: The Cognitive Cross-Training\n\n**THE MECHANISM:**  Learning a new language is one of the most comprehensively studied cognitive interventions in neuroscience. The process requires the brain to maintain two competing linguistic systems, suppress automatic responses in one language while activating the other, and manage switching between them. This sustained executive function demand produces measurable structural changes in the brain: increased gray matter density in areas associated with executive function, working memory, and attentional control. [Research published by Alzheimer's Research UK](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7089902/) found that bilingual individuals show a delayed onset of cognitive decline by an average of four to five years.\n\n**THE APPLICATION:**  You do not need to achieve fluency for cognitive benefit. The research indicates that the benefit accrues from the active effort of learning and maintaining a second language, not from reaching proficiency. Fifteen to twenty minutes of deliberate practice four to five times per week in any language you are genuinely motivated by is sufficient to produce the executive function training effect over time.\n\nFrequently Asked Questions: Cognitive Performance for Working Women\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n### How long before these habits produce measurable results?\n\nThe timeline varies by habit and by how consistently it is applied. Sleep quality improvements are typically felt within one week of consistent behavior change. Nutritional changes affecting cognitive clarity are usually noticeable within two to three weeks. Exercise benefits for cognitive function compound over six to eight weeks of regular practice. Cognitive flexibility and language acquisition produce measurable effects over three to six months. The architecture is designed for cumulative, compounding benefit rather than rapid transformation.\n\n### Which habit produces the fastest cognitive improvement?\n\nSleep optimization and hydration produce the fastest measurable cognitive improvement because they address the most immediate physiological constraints on brain function. If sleep quality is compromised or chronic dehydration is present, no other cognitive habit will perform at its potential. These are the foundation. Everything else builds on them.\n\n### Is decision fatigue real, or is it just tiredness?\n\nDecision fatigue is a distinct phenomenon from general tiredness, though they share some neurological overlap. The research that established it, including [Shai Danziger's study of Israeli parole board decisions](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID3741635_code1282794.pdf?abstractid=3741635), showed that choice quality declined predictably across the day regardless of the importance of the decision, and recovered after breaks. It is not a motivational problem. It is a resource depletion problem with a structural solution.\n\n### How does this connect to burnout?\n\nBurnout and cognitive performance degradation share the same root cause: sustained depletion of executive function resources without adequate recovery. The habits in the recovery layer of this architecture are the primary [protection against burnout](https://www.workingal.com/articles/quiet-burnout-symptoms), because they are the behaviors that restore the resources that burnout depletes. Applying input and processing habits while neglecting recovery accelerates burnout rather than preventing it.\n\nThe Architecture Is Cumulative\n------------------------------\n\nNone of these habits works in isolation. The brain is an integrated system, and cognitive performance reflects the quality of the entire architecture rather than the presence of any single practice. A founder who optimizes her sleep and movement but maintains a high-volume, low-quality information diet is running a partially optimized system. The goal is coherence across all three layers.\n\nStart with the recovery layer if you are currently depleted. Start with the input layer if sleep and movement are already in place, but thinking quality still feels compromised. Start with the processing layer if you are consuming high-quality information but not retaining or applying it.\n\nThe ceiling is higher than you are currently operating at. The architecture is how you reach it.\n\n_Disclaimer: This article provides general psychological and nutritional information for educational purposes. It does not constitute clinical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making significant changes to your diet, sleep, or exercise routine._\n","want-to-be-smarter-these-are-the-9-habits-that-will-boost-your-intelligence",3,"habits that make you smarter, cognitive habits for entrepreneurs, how to increase mental clarity, strategic thinking habits, habits to boost intelligence, decision fatigue management, cognitive performance founders","Intelligence is not a fixed quantity. These 9 habits are the cognitive architecture that high-performing founders use to sharpen strategic thinking and protect mental clarity.","2024-08-22","Europe/Berlin","2024-08-22T20:18:52.624Z","2026-04-12T20:18:31.891Z","2024-08-22T20:28:30.690Z",{"id":103,"documentId":104,"name":105,"alternativeText":60,"caption":106,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":108,"formats":109,"hash":146,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":147,"url":148,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":149,"updatedAt":149,"publishedAt":149},157,"m7qglbypbsir6msny89w7zwk","9 habits to become smarter-0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp","9 habits to become smarter",1600,900,{"large":110,"small":119,"medium":128,"thumbnail":137},{"ext":64,"url":111,"etag":112,"hash":113,"mime":68,"name":114,"path":52,"size":115,"width":116,"height":117,"sizeInBytes":118},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp","79403223bc13c4e3fcb0837ae5863e5d","large_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9","large_9 habits to become smarter-0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp",20.74,1000,562,20736,{"ext":64,"url":120,"etag":121,"hash":122,"mime":68,"name":123,"path":52,"size":124,"width":125,"height":126,"sizeInBytes":127},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp","9090661d379dc96f8a2d5b3cb331325a","small_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9","small_9 habits to become smarter-0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp",9.22,500,281,9224,{"ext":64,"url":129,"etag":130,"hash":131,"mime":68,"name":132,"path":52,"size":133,"width":134,"height":135,"sizeInBytes":136},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp","d5fb35590b8b6629821ee81866ea70eb","medium_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9","medium_9 habits to become smarter-0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp",15.06,750,422,15062,{"ext":64,"url":138,"etag":139,"hash":140,"mime":68,"name":141,"path":52,"size":142,"width":143,"height":144,"sizeInBytes":145},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp","018ecf536a02e40d73651a44532b30bb","thumbnail_9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9","thumbnail_9 habits to become smarter-0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp",4.03,245,138,4030,"9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9",38.8,"https://assets.workingal.com/9_habits_to_become_smarter_0d3b7756ddd2ae4cf86f6ec1c9defa040efac6e0e7e8195ad241204d1114a5d9.webp","2026-09-06T10:33:37.871Z",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":151,"publishedAt":152},"2026-09-06T10:31:16.716Z","2026-09-06T10:31:16.780Z",{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":154},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":155,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":156},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":158,"documentId":159,"title":160,"content":161,"slug":162,"coffees":94,"seo_title":160,"keywords":163,"seo_desc":164,"bylineDate":165,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":166,"updatedAt":167,"publishedAt":168,"featuredImage":169,"category":210,"author":213,"img":208},278,"faknbweyhct777mqew3tsnpd","5 Toxic Phrases Used By Colleagues With A Huge Ego -And How To Deal With Them","Egoism, the belief in prioritizing one's own self-interest, is a pervasive force in life. While often associated with negative connotations like selfishness and greed, a healthy dose of egoism can be a driving factor for individual success and organizational growth.\n\n### The truth is that we are all inherently selfish to some degree\n\nThe real challenge, however, is to achieve a balance of **\"healthy selfishness\"** that allows us to focus on our goals without selfishness getting in the way. Apart from the negative impact egoism can have in our lives, here are arguments in favor:\n\n**Individual happiness:** Egoism, when balanced, can help us achieve personal **fulfillment** and happiness. When we focus on our own needs and goals, we can attain a greater sense of satisfaction in our lives.\n\n**Economic efficiency:** [Some](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9729783/) claim that egoism can drive economic growth and innovation. When individuals are motivated by self-interest, they may be more likely to take risks, create new businesses, and develop new products or ideas.\n\n**Motivation:** A healthy dose of self-interest can drive us to work hard and achieve our goals, even if this motivation derives from self-focus and the intent to do something good for ourselves.\n\n**Self-preservation:** Egoism can be seen as an instinct for self-preservation. By prioritizing our own needs, we may be better equipped to survive in a challenging and demanding world when our attention is always somewhere and the need for [concrete boundaries](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-set-and-preserve-boundaries) is more important than ever.\n\nThat said, egoism also has negative consequences. It can lead to social problems, such as inequality, conflict, and a lack of cooperation. In multiple situations, it is important to consider the needs of others and to act in a way that benefits the **community** as a whole, which egotists tend to ignore.\n\nWhether egoism is good or bad depends on each situation and each individual's values. There may be times when it is appropriate to prioritize one's own needs, but it is also essential to be mindful of the impact of one's actions on others.\n\n****\n\nHowever, things can get tricky when it comes to the workplace and egotist people. It doesn’t matter whether the egotist is your team member or your manager; a person's arrogance and know-it-all attitude can harm morale and team spirit. People who show extreme egoism in the workplace tend to create a hostile and [toxic work environment](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-recover-from-a-toxic-workplace), making people feel incompetent or reluctant to share their thoughts and end up showing decreased performance. According to experts, it’s not that challenging to notice selfish and egotistical behaviors, and egocentric people can’t help but show where they stand.\n\nHere are 5 toxic phrases that experts say are often used by egocentric people and those who generally feel entitled that _\"the world owes them\"_ in a professional environment.\n\n![blog-900x550-_8_ (1).webp](https://assets.workingal.com/blog_900x550_8_1_a3bd5c1c2e.webp)\n\n## \"This comment offends me\"\n\nEgotists interpret any constructive criticism of feedback as a personal attack. They refuse to accept the reality: _there is always room for improvement and growth_. They believe they can make no mistakes, which makes them hypersensitive and touchy to any suggestion that their work may be open to improvement. If you are a manager and try to give some constructive feedback to a team member and they find it offensive, then you probably have an egotist in front of you. On the other hand, if you express your opinion to your boss/manager/supervisor and they immediately shut you down, stating that this is offensive, then you hit the [narcissistic boss](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-a-passive-aggressive-manager) jackpot.\n\n## \"My ideas are valuable and worthy of serious consideration\"\n\nNo matter how **mediocre** they actually are, egotists tend to assume that they always deliver excellent work. They show complete ignorance of the fact that most ideas, opinions, and proposals are flawed, regardless of the effort we invest in them, and they are incredibly **competitive** towards anyone who dares to challenge that. They also tend to impose their ideas and modus operandi on the rest of the team members, expecting them to be adopted immediately.\n\n## \"Their success comes at the expense of mine\"\n\nA very selfish person tends to be less successful than someone who channels his self-centered tendencies to help others. Since they cannot see the value of support, they believe that others' victories are unfair and the result of special treatment. If you are about to get a promotion or be praised for a successful project you carried out, beware of the selfish colleague who is waiting in the corner: they will try and undermine your efforts because they simply think that when someone succeeds, they have lost something.\n\n## \"Why are you always trying to control me?\"\n\nToxic egotists dislike bosses who give instructions or have clear expectations from their team. To them, a manager's instructions are, at best, merely suggestions or, at worst, an attempt to mistreat them. They believe they are above all, and any guidance is not well-received. If you are a manager and you have to give instructions or advice on any project, or if you work with an egotist colleague on a project, then good luck with providing instructions -it’s doubtful if they will even hear.\n\n## \"You are disrespectful because you don't agree with me\"\n\nYet another toxic phrase that truly selfish people may use at work. Expecting total recognition and respect for their expertise and ideas often leads them to show little interest in learning from others. So, when someone may have a different viewpoint, they don't see it as an opportunity to learn but as a sign of disrespect. Egotists don’t actually have any sense of what respect is, and most importantly, they cannot even perceive that someone may know something better than them. Let alone disagree.\n\n# How to deal with selfish people at work\n\n![blog-900x550-_7_ (1).webp](https://assets.workingal.com/blog_900x550_7_1_39491189c9.webp)\n\nSelfish people and egotistical people can be a substantial challenge in the workplace. While in your personal life, you can always stop communication and let them go, in a **professional** environment, things are not that simple. However, there are some tricks to take a break from them.\n\n## Avoid them if and when possible\n\nDealing with toxic people, in or out of the workplace, is a recipe for **failure**. Unfortunately, however, they are among us. Therefore, choose your battles wisely and avoid getting caught up in unnecessary conflicts and arguments. On the other hand, if something offends you as a person and a professional, communicate it without straying from your values. Sometimes, you need to **speak up**, if only for your own peace of mind.\n\n## Set clear boundaries\n\nThe importance of setting **boundaries** is indispensable, whether it involves our personal and our professional life. In case you are dealing with an **egotist** in the workplace, even when their behavior goes off the rails, make sure to call them to order. At the very least, you can make it clear that their behavior is unacceptable and harmful to your working relationship.\n\n## Talk to them about the risks they face\n\nSelfishness has many adverse effects in a work environment, which you can highlight to the egotist directly. For example, you could try saying, _\"If you only focus on what suits your needs, you're not seeing the big picture. This affects everything and, in the long run, can hinder your development.\"_ or, _\"If you see everything as a personal insult, you will constantly feel frustrated and be burdened by negative thoughts about others. Isn't that exhausting?\"_.\n\nRemember to be prepared that you may not get the response you're hoping for in either case, but, at least, you will give them some food for thought, and they may back off a bit.\n\nIf the workplace is becoming too toxic for you, maybe it’s time you started looking for another job.","5-toxic-phrases-used-by-colleagues-with-a-huge-ego","selfish people at work, egotist phrases, egoist phrases at work, egoism in the workplace, ego in the workplace, challenges in the workplace","If you are dealing with a colleague who is an egotist, you need to recognize the signs and be prepared. Read the article and beware of the ego.","2024-08-20","2024-08-19T23:42:38.066Z","2024-08-19T23:49:00.508Z","2024-08-19T23:49:00.505Z",{"id":170,"documentId":171,"name":172,"alternativeText":60,"caption":173,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":108,"formats":174,"hash":206,"ext":176,"mime":180,"size":207,"url":208,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":209,"updatedAt":209,"publishedAt":209},155,"gio75d7zuveh8yocl0wceuqt","egoist colleague in the workplace-a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg","egoist colleague in the workplace",{"large":175,"small":185,"medium":192,"thumbnail":199},{"ext":176,"url":177,"etag":178,"hash":179,"mime":180,"name":181,"path":52,"size":182,"width":116,"height":183,"sizeInBytes":184},".jpg","https://assets.workingal.com/large_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg","15184acbcaddf4222b70daa34b9b5204","large_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5","image/jpeg","large_egoist colleague in the workplace-a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg",48.32,563,48322,{"ext":176,"url":186,"etag":187,"hash":188,"mime":180,"name":189,"path":52,"size":190,"width":125,"height":126,"sizeInBytes":191},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg","1b67294b7c30b9833255ffe57fa04ad6","small_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5","small_egoist colleague in the workplace-a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg",15.96,15964,{"ext":176,"url":193,"etag":194,"hash":195,"mime":180,"name":196,"path":52,"size":197,"width":134,"height":135,"sizeInBytes":198},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg","1d285009b73130d1d535fd0f3e0e08fe","medium_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5","medium_egoist colleague in the workplace-a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg",30.35,30351,{"ext":176,"url":200,"etag":201,"hash":202,"mime":180,"name":203,"path":52,"size":204,"width":143,"height":144,"sizeInBytes":205},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg","4de018ca5bfc7e7ed492b98a209bc260","thumbnail_egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5","thumbnail_egoist colleague in the workplace-a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg",5.21,5205,"egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5",103.93,"https://assets.workingal.com/egoist_colleague_in_the_workplace_a63337c9b1b2ee0c05ffc340cd1f2edf35995a9afd908f5e99f8471e1462fae5.jpg","2026-09-06T10:33:35.870Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":211,"updatedAt":211,"publishedAt":212},"2026-09-06T10:31:16.599Z","2026-09-06T10:31:16.613Z",{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":214},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":215,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":216},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":218,"documentId":219,"title":220,"content":221,"slug":222,"coffees":26,"seo_title":220,"keywords":223,"seo_desc":224,"bylineDate":225,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":226,"updatedAt":227,"publishedAt":228,"featuredImage":229,"category":266,"author":267,"img":264},244,"pmt5cr6eof7zikhjqq3j1t2u","Stress Management: These 5 Techniques From Experts Will Calm You Down Instantly!","****\n\nStress is one of the biggest enemies of our modern everyday life and affects the health and psychology of millions of people worldwide. Balancing life, a career, our relationships with our loved ones, and taking some time for self-care is considered a feat.\n\nWhat we can say for sure is that everyone **undergoes** stress at various times in their lives. [Stress](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-reduce-stress-naturally) is a normal reaction that occurs when you experience changes or challenges, and your body responds physically and mentally to stress.\n\nWhen you feel stressed, you may experience anxiety, depression or panic attacks, chest pain or racing heart rate, fatigue or insomnia, headache, high blood pressure, and upset stomach (indigestion).\n\nIf you feel that stress overwhelms you and makes your daily life difficult, it is important to address the problem and take up some effective stress management techniques.\n\nStress management involves using techniques to improve how you respond to life **stressors**. These techniques, recommended by experts, can prevent or ease stress-induced symptoms, calm you down immediately, and improve your quality of life.\n\n# Deep Breathing\n\nDeep breathing is a simple but extremely effective technique for _immediate stress reduction_. When you are under stress, your breathing becomes fast and shallow, which increases tension. Deep breathing reverses this process, promoting calm and relaxation.\n\n## How to do it right:\n\n- Find a quiet place and sit comfortably.\n- Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath from your nose, completely filling your lungs.\n- Hold your breath for a few seconds, and then exhale through your mouth.\n- Repeat this process for a few minutes, focusing on your breath and letting go of your thoughts.\n\n# Meditation\n\nMeditation is one of the oldest techniques of relaxation and concentration. It helps reduce stress, enhances concentration, and provides a sense of peace and balance. It may feel awkward in the beginning and may need practice, but if you keep practicing it daily, then you will benefit more and more.\n\n## How to do it right:\n\n![stress management techniques.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/stress_management_techniques_c32d6d9ae1.webp)\n\n- Find a quiet place without distractions.\n- Sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes.\n- Focus on your breath or a word/phrase that calms you down.\n- Let your thoughts come and go without criticism.\n- Start with 5-10 minutes a day and increase the time as you get familiarized.\n\n# Physical Exercise\n\nExercise is a natural way to release tension and improve your mood. Apart from the benefits in our overall well-being and health, exercise is good for our mental health as well. During exercise, the body releases endorphins, the hormones that boost our mood directly.\n\n## How to do it right:\n\n- Find a form of exercise that you enjoy, such as walking, running, yoga, pilates, or dancing.\n- Try to workout for at least 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week, to meet the weekly recommendation of 150 minutes/week that is recommended by experts.\n- Integrate exercise into your daily routine, by adding your workout session to your calendar.\n\n# Nature Therapy\n\nNature has a magical ability to calm the mind and reduce stress. Research has shown that contact with nature can lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Even if you are a big city resident, fortunately, there are many places where you can find a little oasis.\n\n## How to do it right:\n\n- Go for a walk in the park, forest or near the sea.\n- Focus on the sounds, smells, and images around you, staying away from your phone.\n- If possible, dedicate at least 20-30 minutes a day to getting in touch with nature.\n\n# Social Connection\n\nOur immediate social environment plays a decisive role in managing stress. Friends, family, and all our loved ones can provide emotional support, understanding, and security. Don’t underestimate the power of social connection; afterall, we are all social creatures!\n\n## How to do it right:\n\n- Spend time with people who make you feel comfortable and enjoyable.\n- Share your thoughts and feelings with people you trust.\n- Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.\n\nWhat you should always remember is that stress is inevitable in life; the key is to be able to manage it without letting it overwhelm you. Following small but effective techniques to help you calm down and enjoy a more balanced life is the ultimate stress management tool.\n\n### Sources:\n\n**_Mayo Clinic:_** [**_Deep Breathing for Stress Relief_**](https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/deep-breathing/expert-answers/deep-breathing/faq-20057923)\n\n**_Harvard Health:_** [**_Relaxation Techniques: Breath Control Helps Quell Errant Stress Response_**](https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response)\n\n**_National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH):_** [**_Meditation: In depth_**](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth)\n\n**_Harvard Health:_** [**_The Exercise Effect_**](https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-exercise-effect)\n\n**_American Psychological Association (APA):_** [**_Nurtured by Nature_**](https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/04/nature)\n\n**_American Psychological Association (APA):_** [**_The Power of Social Support_**](https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/emotional-support)","stress-management-these-5-techniques","stress reduction management, stress mgt, stress management, stress treatments, stress management techniques","Feeling overwhelmed by stress? We asked the experts and they relieved the most effective stress management techniques.","2024-08-06","2024-08-06T19:25:45.497Z","2024-08-06T19:33:05.925Z","2024-08-06T19:33:05.922Z",{"id":144,"documentId":230,"name":231,"alternativeText":60,"caption":232,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":108,"formats":233,"hash":262,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":263,"url":264,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":265,"updatedAt":265,"publishedAt":265},"jcu8cmfr6wsy8fvdyxbmsecr","stress management techniques-9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp","stress management techniques",{"large":234,"small":241,"medium":248,"thumbnail":255},{"ext":64,"url":235,"etag":236,"hash":237,"mime":68,"name":238,"path":52,"size":239,"width":116,"height":117,"sizeInBytes":240},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp","f6a29b1e2d810864ad513e8c02aab03d","large_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b","large_stress management techniques-9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp",32.75,32754,{"ext":64,"url":242,"etag":243,"hash":244,"mime":68,"name":245,"path":52,"size":246,"width":125,"height":126,"sizeInBytes":247},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp","7b5fe7d661add77e6b888bd2ee5b627d","small_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b","small_stress management techniques-9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp",13.44,13442,{"ext":64,"url":249,"etag":250,"hash":251,"mime":68,"name":252,"path":52,"size":253,"width":134,"height":135,"sizeInBytes":254},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp","20591ec34b535370cc4e6d76272138a3","medium_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b","medium_stress management techniques-9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp",22.5,22502,{"ext":64,"url":256,"etag":257,"hash":258,"mime":68,"name":259,"path":52,"size":260,"width":143,"height":144,"sizeInBytes":261},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp","9a11d60032c2d31407c2c07990af1456","thumbnail_stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b","thumbnail_stress management techniques-9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp",4.85,4850,"stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b",63.86,"https://assets.workingal.com/stress_management_techniques_9fd4bd4d0d71c94d5b6aa272068659021aa16a4d8926c64141e0342ba450673b.webp","2026-09-06T10:33:18.925Z",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":151,"publishedAt":152},{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":268},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":269,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":270},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":272,"documentId":273,"title":274,"content":275,"slug":276,"coffees":26,"seo_title":277,"keywords":278,"seo_desc":279,"bylineDate":280,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":281,"updatedAt":282,"publishedAt":283,"featuredImage":284,"category":323,"author":324,"img":321},222,"sk19kd112wa922drf12cyp23","10 Habits That Ruin Your Self-Confidence","Let’s all agree that not everyone is full of **self-confidence**, no matter how much we want it. We may want to blame our parents, genes, society, or the role models around us.\n\nHowever, self-confidence is the key to living our lives to the fullest, being happy and balanced, and achieving our personal and professional goals. According to research, highly self-confident people tend to have a positive outlook on life and themselves.\n\nNow, you will think, _“Easy said than done.”_ Yes, words are easy, but actions bring results.\n\nIt’s not always easy to understand and identify lower self-confidence. People spend hours in therapy to realize that their actions are caused by their inability to believe in themselves. There are no magic solutions to attain self-confidence within 8 hours of sleep, but you can identify some **habits** that show you need to work on your self-confidence and start living your life the way you want!\n\n## 1. Keeping up with the Joneses\n\nAka, comparing yourself to others. One of the biggest confidence killers is benchmarking yourself and evaluating your life, actions, and accomplishments based on others. Unfortunately, [social media](https://www.workingal.com/articles/psychology-social-media-women) often makes it worse; all this glam around the world, with [digital nomads](https://www.workingal.com/articles/the-rise-of-digital-nomads-exploring-the-trend) and influencers going around the world and living their lives to the fullest, can be mentally painful. However, when you scroll down your Instagram feed, keep in the back of your head that people usually show a **curated version of their lives** that seems perfect. No single person in the world doesn’t deal with struggles; they don’t want to **expose** them on social media!\n\nWhen you keep comparing yourself to others, you nurture feelings of inadequacy and jealousy —usually for no apparent reason. It’s important to remember that everyone has their own timeline and distinctive experiences.\n\n## 2\\. Talk Negative To Me\n\nIf you find yourself in front of the mirror, preaching about how you don’t have this or you can’t do that, it is a sign of negative self-talk. The way you talk to yourself matters. Negative self-talk can be incredibly damaging, reinforcing feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth. Phrases like _“I’m not good enough”_ or _“I can’t do this”_ can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Also, downplaying your intelligence and skill set through all this negative talk can sink your self-confidence for good.\n\n## 3\\. Who Is Around You\n\nShow me your friend, they say… That means that our **social environment** and our close people can significantly impact our self-confidence. If you surround yourself with toxic or negative people, then it’s given that they will drag you down and **drain your energy**. Toxic and negative people usually make us doubt ourselves and feel inadequate and insufficient. Check if such people surround you and take a distance from them.\n\nIt’s ok to put some distance in order to reevaluate the situation and learn how to not get into this vicious cycle with them.\n\n## 4\\. Seal of approval\n\n![blog-900x550-_3_ (1).webp](https://assets.workingal.com/blog_900x550_3_1_45e66e9170.webp)\n\nThis is a classic habit of people who lack self-confidence. If you rely on other people’s approval in order to feel good about yourself and your actions, your thoughts, and your decisions, then you definitely need to stop that. The only person you need **validation** from is yourself and nobody else. Constantly seeking validation and approval will end up leaving you without self-confidence and will increase feelings of emptiness and insufficiency. Nobody is in your shoes, so you don’t need anyone’s approval.\n\nRelying on others’ approval to feel good about yourself is a slippery slope. It’s important to recognize that you can’t please everyone, and constantly seeking validation can leave you empty. Also, taking all [criticism](https://www.workingal.com/articles/criticism-at-the-workplace-can-you-handle-it) to heart, especially when it’s groundless or harsh, can erode your self-confidence. Let’s accept that not all feedback is constructive, and it’s important to distinguish when someone is helpful or just harmful.\n\n## 5\\. Rock Bottom? No, Thanks\n\nDo you feel like you are not trying new things because of your fear of **failing**? This may be your sign to work on your self-confidence. Fear of failure can prevent us from trying new things and reaching our full potential, personally and professionally. Perfectionism can also cause this fear, paralyzing and stopping us from taking risks. Staying in your comfort zone might feel safe and **comforting**, but it can prevent you from growing. Avoiding challenges means missing out on opportunities to prove to yourself what you’re capable of and enjoying all the perks life offers.\n\n## 6\\. Self-Neglect\n\nOne of the main characteristics of people with self-confidence is that they prioritize their self-care. What is very common among women, especially, is that they **put others before** themselves and tend to neglect their self-care in order to take care of the people around them. However, this trait shows that you put yourself second, and it can severely impact your self-esteem and, therefore, your self-confidence. Being confident on the inside and on the outside means that you **spend time** with yourself and take care of your needs and your mental and physical health. Not only will you feel better, but your self-confidence will grow immediately!\n\n## 7\\. Cry Over Spilled Milk\n\nDwelling in the past and on past mistakes can destroy your confidence. The past is the past and cannot be changed. However, it’s always ok to reflect on the past and learn from it. The key here is not to **focus** on adverse experiences like failures, regrets, or missed opportunities but to acknowledge that things are not going great every time and accept the lessons learned. The ongoing replay of negativity breeds self-doubt and erodes our belief in ourselves, so it’s important to learn from the **past** but not let it define you. Everyone makes mistakes, and it’s how you move forward that counts.\n\n## 8\\. Disregarding Your Accomplishments\n\n![blog-900x550-_2_ (1).webp](https://assets.workingal.com/blog_900x550_2_1_ee9b020209.webp)\n\nWomen tend to downplay their achievements, attributing **success** to luck rather than their own efforts and talents. Are you sure that this is how you want to play it? Luck sometimes matters, but do not look down on you so much. This can diminish your sense of **accomplishment** and confidence. Everyone has things to be proud of, and celebrating our victories in life, both personal and professional, is more than okay as long as it doesn’t get arrogant.\n\n## 9\\. Over-Apologizing\n\nUnfortunately, women tend to apologize excessively; this nasty habit signals that you’re unsure of yourself and leads to **diminishing** your sense of authority. Not apologizing is wrong: when we make a mistake that affects others, it’s important to apologize. But that’s it. Over-apologizing may seem like you are not as confident as you should be and, frankly, can tire people. Say “I’m sorry” genuinely and sincerely and move forward.\n\n## 10\\. Avoiding Conflict\n\nWe sometimes believe [avoiding conflict](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-avoid-conflicts-at-work-1) is a way to keep the peace, but constantly avoiding it can prevent you from standing up for yourself and your needs. Conflicts are normal situations among people, and sometimes, we shouldn’t prevent them. If you keep avoiding conflicts, it can lead to resentment and a diminished sense of self-worth. Nobody told you to start **screaming** around to prove your point. Conflicts can be addressed calmly and assertively, especially when they have to do with your boundaries.\n\nRecognizing these habits is the first and most important step in building self-confidence. It doesn’t happen overnight; however, trying to break unhealthy habits and set clearer and stricter boundaries will eventually help you achieve greater things and grow more confident and stronger.\n\nChallenge yourself to break one habit at a time. Keep a journal of your accomplishments, and watch your self-confidence build up!","habits-than-ruin-your-self-confidence","10 Habits Than Ruin Your Self-Confidence","self confidence, self-confidence, psychology, habits that destroy your confidence, ","Did you know that there are habits that destroy your self-confidence? Read the article and identify them!","2024-07-06","2024-07-06T20:52:33.616Z","2026-08-19T01:10:00.133Z","2024-07-06T21:00:45.400Z",{"id":285,"documentId":286,"name":287,"alternativeText":288,"caption":289,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":108,"formats":290,"hash":319,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":320,"url":321,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":322,"updatedAt":322,"publishedAt":322},127,"cdi3ejjdatv30yegbcplpv3x","Habits that ruin your self-confidence-526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp","woman drawing heart in the mirror","Habits that ruin your self-confidence",{"large":291,"small":298,"medium":305,"thumbnail":312},{"ext":64,"url":292,"etag":293,"hash":294,"mime":68,"name":295,"path":52,"size":296,"width":116,"height":117,"sizeInBytes":297},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp","0b6af00dab406e662dd655a16b5c8a73","large_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9","large_Habits that ruin your self-confidence-526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp",14.39,14386,{"ext":64,"url":299,"etag":300,"hash":301,"mime":68,"name":302,"path":52,"size":303,"width":125,"height":126,"sizeInBytes":304},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp","e5c8da0ced13e461b37759e7f46b179c","small_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9","small_Habits that ruin your self-confidence-526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp",6.26,6262,{"ext":64,"url":306,"etag":307,"hash":308,"mime":68,"name":309,"path":52,"size":310,"width":134,"height":135,"sizeInBytes":311},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp","1f7185cb6d4940d7579ee92d068e5866","medium_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9","medium_Habits that ruin your self-confidence-526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp",10.11,10110,{"ext":64,"url":313,"etag":314,"hash":315,"mime":68,"name":316,"path":52,"size":317,"width":143,"height":144,"sizeInBytes":318},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp","44a85a2d82985d59018418961ac8f4ab","thumbnail_Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9","thumbnail_Habits that ruin your self-confidence-526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp",2.78,2780,"Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9",26.4,"https://assets.workingal.com/Habits_that_ruin_your_self_confidence_526c3177ce3b1fe0a8e58584c6663df0a01381e0af2e7f3888b2af98d50428b9.webp","2026-09-06T10:33:08.384Z",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":151,"publishedAt":152},{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":325},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":326,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":327},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":329,"documentId":330,"title":331,"content":332,"slug":333,"coffees":94,"seo_title":331,"keywords":334,"seo_desc":335,"bylineDate":336,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":337,"updatedAt":338,"publishedAt":339,"featuredImage":340,"category":379,"author":380,"img":377},214,"sjao0trkvvc3a762cip6neu5","Decision Fatigue: What Is It And How To Cope With It","\nDo you ever feel like your brain is overloaded? Like every decision, from what to eat for breakfast to which email to answer next, is a battle, and you end up **overthinking** without ending up in a concrete decision.\n\nThis could be decision fatigue. This phenomenon describes the mental drain caused by excessive decision-making—that can lead to brain fog.\n\nThe number of decisions we have to make day in and day out—whether they are as easy as picking a route home from work or what to make for dinner—can be exhausting and cause many of us to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed.\n\n# What is Decision Fatigue\n\nDecision fatigue is the mental drain caused by **excessive decision-making**. If you compare your willpower to a muscle, the more decisions you make, the weaker this muscle gets, leading to poorer choices later. Decision fatigue affects big and small decisions, from what to wear to what career path to choose.\n\nOur ability to analyze options and make well-reasoned choices weakens in this exhausting state leading to poor decisions. This means that we become more susceptible to **impulsive decisions**, like grabbing unhealthy snacks from the grocery store or defaulting to familiar choices to avoid deciding properly. These can have consequences for our health, finances, and overall well-being.\n\nDecision fatigue is _“the idea that after making many decisions, your ability to make more and more decisions over the course of a day becomes worse,”_ said Dr. MacLean, a psychiatrist. _“The more decisions you have to make, the more fatigue you develop and the more difficult it can become.”_\n\nWhile decision fatigue is not a new **phenomenon**, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused life to become _“more complicated, and we have to make more and more decisions in an ever-increasing complex healthcare environment,”_ said Dr. MacLean.\n\n# What are the Causes\n\nThe constant barrage of choices in our daily lives depletes our **mental resources**. From what to eat for breakfast to responding to emails and choosing a restaurant, every decision uses up a bit of energy. Besides, **overwhelming** situations with too many options can overload our brains, making it harder to focus and choose effectively.\n\n# Decision Fatigue and Burnout\n\nDecision fatigue can be a major contributor to **burnout**, since it impacts our mental energy causing severe mental exchaustion. When faced with constant decision-making, especially in high-stress environments, individuals can become emotionally exhausted and negative. This can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and difficulty managing challenges.\n\n\n![blog-900x550-_8_.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/blog_900x550_8_34a8e33431.webp)\n\n# Decision Fatigue and Paralysis\n\nDecision fatigue, the mental strain from excessive choices, can lead to a more debilitating cousin: decision paralysis. While decision fatigue drains your **willpower** to make good choices, decision paralysis freezes you altogether. You're hesitant to decide, fearing you'll pick the wrong one and deplete your remaining willpower.\n\nConsequently, you [end up overthinking](https://www.workingal.com/articles/why-are-you-overthinking) even simple choices. The analysis paralysis kicks in, trapping you in a cycle of weighing every option without ever taking action.\n\n# How to Cope With Decision Fatigue\n\nIf you are experiencing decision fatigue _(take the test below to find out)_, you are on the right track to dealing with it, keeping your mental energy in higher levels.\n\n## Simplify Your Choices\n\nReduce the number of decisions you face daily. Create [routines for meals](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-tips-for-meal-prep), outfits, and even errands. This frees up mental space for important choices.\n\n## Batch Similar Decisions\n\nTackle similar decisions together. Schedule email response times or dedicate a block on your calendar to making phone calls. This minimizes the back-and-forth mental strain.\n\n## Delegate and Automate\n\nCan someone else make that decision? We bet they can. Delegate tasks or automate repetitive choices, like bill payments or grocery orders, and then you will free your mind of such decisions.\n\n## Prioritize away\n\nNot all choices are created equal and sometimes we tend to spend time and energy to not-so-important things. Identify the most important decisions and focus your energy on them. Let smaller choices slide—they probably won’t matter at the end of the day.\n\n## Schedule Decision-Making\n\nDon't let decisions linger. Allocate specific times for complex decisions and stick to them. Research shows that _“the best time to make decisions is in the morning,”_ said Dr. MacLean, emphasizing that “the morning is when we make the most accurate and thoughtful decisions, and we tend to be more cautious and meticulous.\n\n_“We hit a plateau in the afternoon, and by evening, our decisions may be more impulsive,”_ she added. _“So, definitely don’t make big decisions when you’re tired or hungry.”_\n\n## Embrace \"Good Enough\"\n\nDon't get caught in the **\"perfect choice\"** trap. Sometimes, a \"good enough\" decision is all you need. Perfectionism is the enemy of decision-making and rarely does it help.\n\n# Do you Suffer from Decision Fatigue?\n\nBy identifying the symptoms of decision fatigue, you can take steps to manage your decision-making and combat fatigue.\n\nThis is a quick quiz to estimate your potential for decision fatigue. Answer yes or no to each question. The more \"yes\" you answer to the questions, the higher your chance of experiencing decision fatigue.\n\n- Do you find yourself dreading small choices, like what to wear or eat for breakfast?\n- Are you more likely to procrastinate on decisions, even minor ones?\n- Do you feel easily overwhelmed by options, especially in stores or on menus?\n- Has your ability to focus and concentrate decreased lately?\n- Have you noticed yourself making more impulsive decisions lately?\n- Do you find yourself feeling irritable or frustrated more easily than usual?\n- Are you relying more on routines or defaults to avoid making decisions?\n- Do you have trouble saying no to requests, even when you're feeling overloaded?\n- Is it harder to complete tasks that require sustained decision-making?\n- Do you feel mentally exhausted by the end of the day, even if you haven't done anything physically strenuous?\n\nHowever, this test is just a **starting point**. Consider consulting a mental health professional if you're concerned about decision fatigue impacting your daily life and your\n\n### To write this article, we consulted:\n\n##### What doctors wish patients knew about decision fatigue | American Medical Association. \u003Chttps://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-decision-fatigue?ref=dsebastien.net>\n\n##### What are the consequences of poor ergonomics in the workplace?. \u003Chttps://www.bliink.ai/knowledge/item/view/question/what-are-the-consequences-of-poor-ergonomics-in-the-workplace/>","decision-fatigue","have decision fatigue, reducing decision fatigue, decision fatigue how to overcome, decision fatigue help ","Do you suffer from decision fatigue? Maybe this article is for you. Check out the symptoms of decision fatigue, as well as a test to find out your decision fatigue state.","2024-06-21","2024-06-21T14:42:13.958Z","2025-02-22T20:06:49.381Z","2024-06-21T14:43:57.253Z",{"id":341,"documentId":342,"name":343,"alternativeText":344,"caption":345,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":108,"formats":346,"hash":375,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":376,"url":377,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":378,"updatedAt":378,"publishedAt":378},123,"oqzy11ty81jydr9skvlawkyd","Decision fatigue-da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp","Hand with low level battery","Decision fatigue ",{"large":347,"small":354,"medium":361,"thumbnail":368},{"ext":64,"url":348,"etag":349,"hash":350,"mime":68,"name":351,"path":52,"size":352,"width":116,"height":117,"sizeInBytes":353},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp","1d7f1918953796c5ffddf3373bd2961d","large_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5","large_Decision fatigue-da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp",27.62,27620,{"ext":64,"url":355,"etag":356,"hash":357,"mime":68,"name":358,"path":52,"size":359,"width":125,"height":126,"sizeInBytes":360},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp","0c53a2070b72a1d0e716072ec19ac767","small_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5","small_Decision fatigue-da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp",12.05,12054,{"ext":64,"url":362,"etag":363,"hash":364,"mime":68,"name":365,"path":52,"size":366,"width":134,"height":135,"sizeInBytes":367},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp","21b0a55601769032e40025850e0918e8","medium_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5","medium_Decision fatigue-da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp",19.22,19216,{"ext":64,"url":369,"etag":370,"hash":371,"mime":68,"name":372,"path":52,"size":373,"width":143,"height":144,"sizeInBytes":374},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp","3857ca3ad4ad0952373b260e62279579","thumbnail_Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5","thumbnail_Decision fatigue-da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp",4.89,4892,"Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5",55.33,"https://assets.workingal.com/Decision_fatigue_da9bb251ee6aa4b0941521f3b95d5f186ca22908bf6919757e6b1024394aeef5.webp","2026-09-06T10:33:04.825Z",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":151,"publishedAt":152},{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":381},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":382,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":383},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":385,"documentId":386,"title":387,"content":388,"slug":389,"coffees":26,"seo_title":387,"keywords":390,"seo_desc":391,"bylineDate":392,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":393,"updatedAt":394,"publishedAt":395,"featuredImage":396,"category":435,"author":436,"img":433},208,"u1hghrcr7f0j89hzgqciioqt","Do You Suffer From Imposter Syndrome? Take Our Test and Find Out","Have you ever achieved something amazing, only to downplay your accomplishment or worry it was just a fluke? Do you compare yourself to others and feel like you come up short, even when you're successful? If these experiences sound familiar, you might be experiencing Imposter Syndrome.\n\n[Imposter Syndrome](https://www.workingal.com/articles/are-you-suffering-from-impostor-syndrome) is a psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a \"fraud.\" However, it is not an official psychiatric diagnosis. People with imposter syndrome may struggle with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression, but an individual couldn’t be diagnosed as having imposter syndrome.\n\nAn interesting observation also is that Imposter syndrome was first reported in [high-achieving women in the 1970](https://www.paulineroseclance.com/pdf/ip_high_achieving_women.pdf)s. While imposter syndrome is still more prevalent among women, specifically women of color, men are also susceptible to developing this mindset.\n\nIt’s not always easy to spot the signs. Research shows that **about 25 to 30 percent of high achievers** could suffer from imposter syndrome, while 70 percent of adults may experience impostorism at least once in their lifetime. Thus, it’s more common than we think.\n\nIf you feel you may be a good candidate for impostor syndrome, take the following test and learn.\n\nThis self-assessment is designed to help you explore the feelings of impostorism. Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers, so be honest with yourself as you reflect on your recent experiences.\n\nThis test will give guidance on better understanding your feelings and then decide the strategies that can work for you to overcome self-doubt and be proud of your achievements!\n\n# The Test\n\nBelow you will find 20 statements, and for each one, you need to select the answer that best describes you. Then, you sum up the points and check the results.\n\n### Rarely (1 point)\n\n### Sometimes (2 points)\n\n### Often (3 points)\n\n### Almost always (4 points)\n\n1. I worry that I will be exposed as a fraud or that people will discover I'm not as competent as they think.\n2. I feel stressed before presentations or important meetings.\n3. I downplay my accomplishments or dismiss the compliments I receive.\n4. I have to work much harder than others to achieve the same results.\n5. I compare myself to others and often feel like I fall short.\n6. I find it difficult to accept praise or recognition for my work.\n7. I doubt my intelligence or abilities, even when I have evidence of success.\n8. I hesitate to take on new challenges for fear of failing.\n9. I struggle to accept positive feedback and often expect negative criticism instead.\n10. After completing a successful task, I experience relief rather than satisfaction.\n11. I downplay my contributions to team projects.\n\n![Woman seating in desk in front of a typewriter](https://assets.workingal.com/imposter_syndrome_test_244c36bb6d.webp) \n\n12. I attribute my successes to luck rather than my abilities.\n13. I downplay my knowledge or expertise, even in areas where I am qualified.\n14. I celebrate the achievements of others more readily than my own.\n15. I worry about being laid off or fired, even when there seems to be no reason for concern.\n16. I avoid taking on leadership roles or public speaking opportunities.\n17. I'm afraid to ask questions for fear of appearing incompetent.\n18. I'm constantly on the verge of being \"found out\" as a fake.\n19. I have a hard time believing in myself, even when others do.\n20. I feel like a fraud in my own career or field.\n\n# Results\n\n## 20-30 points: \nYou may experience occasional feelings associated with Imposter Syndrome, but they may not significantly impact your life.\n\n## 31-50 points:\nYou frequently experience feelings commonly associated with Imposter Syndrome. It might be beneficial to explore these feelings further and consider seeking strategies to manage them.\n\n## 51-80 points:\nImposter Syndrome could affect your self-esteem and potentially hinder your success.\n\nIn case you are struggling with **impostorism**, focus on your mental health condition and talk to a therapist that will help you understand the reasons of behind imposter syndrome and how to overcome it.\n\nNow that you know your score, read our [Strategic Guide on Reframing Impostor Syndrome](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-impostor-syndrome)\n\n","impostor-syndrome-test","impostor syndrome, imposter syndrome, impostor syndrome test, imposter test, phychology, test","Have you ever achieved something amazing, only to downplay your accomplishment or worry it was just a fluke? Do you compare yourself to others and feel like you come up short, even when you're successful? If these experiences sound familiar, you might be experiencing Imposter Syndrome.","2024-06-09","2024-06-08T22:19:10.691Z","2026-04-11T06:19:18.937Z","2024-06-08T22:26:48.157Z",{"id":397,"documentId":398,"name":399,"alternativeText":400,"caption":401,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":108,"formats":402,"hash":431,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":432,"url":433,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":434,"updatedAt":434,"publishedAt":434},120,"zs5mzck03xcy6agsqq6u8mxa","impostor synderome test-9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp","Woman in yellow tshirt wearing a mask","Impostor syndrome and a test to find it our",{"large":403,"small":410,"medium":417,"thumbnail":424},{"ext":64,"url":404,"etag":405,"hash":406,"mime":68,"name":407,"path":52,"size":408,"width":116,"height":117,"sizeInBytes":409},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp","1f2d3b353bdf06def3a12cffa067c662","large_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2","large_impostor synderome test-9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp",13.78,13782,{"ext":64,"url":411,"etag":412,"hash":413,"mime":68,"name":414,"path":52,"size":415,"width":125,"height":126,"sizeInBytes":416},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp","62a8fc085293fe60a5db5cba2d179715","small_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2","small_impostor synderome test-9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp",5.58,5578,{"ext":64,"url":418,"etag":419,"hash":420,"mime":68,"name":421,"path":52,"size":422,"width":134,"height":135,"sizeInBytes":423},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp","d7672f1b105ddcd6550833381ae58ad1","medium_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2","medium_impostor synderome test-9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp",9.17,9168,{"ext":64,"url":425,"etag":426,"hash":427,"mime":68,"name":428,"path":52,"size":429,"width":143,"height":144,"sizeInBytes":430},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp","03f66657f59a85bf3eb8c428d435560b","thumbnail_impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2","thumbnail_impostor synderome test-9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp",2.26,2264,"impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2",26.99,"https://assets.workingal.com/impostor_synderome_test_9c0340eaaab91f75566367dc55cfe5b58290c55a5032c142f47db6df3d783ae2.webp","2026-09-06T10:33:01.538Z",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":151,"publishedAt":152},{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":437},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":438,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":439},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":441,"documentId":442,"title":443,"content":444,"slug":445,"coffees":26,"seo_title":443,"keywords":446,"seo_desc":447,"bylineDate":448,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":449,"updatedAt":450,"publishedAt":451,"featuredImage":452,"category":489,"author":490,"img":487},196,"q32wnotya1fw36z5mg025lss","How To Simplify Your Life And Feel Better And More Focused","Even though the fast pace of our busy everyday life is overwhelming and can be challenging from time to time (or every time), less is more is one of our strongest mottos here at The Working Gal.\n\nTherefore, between juggling work, personal commitments, and the constant barrage of information, a simpler life is the solution to this overwhelming state. \n\nThe movement for embracing a more simple life is not something new. Minimal is the new black and has been evolving since it was invented. \n\nHowever, this \"simplification\" is not just not [buying a lot](https://www.workingal.com/articles/is-no-buy-challenge-the-solution-to-saving-money); it’s more than our purchasing power, and it usually involves all aspects of our lives.\n\n## Benefits of Simplifying Your Life\nMaking your life simpler can lead to a more carefree and less stressful life.\nTherefore, simplifying your life can increase your productivity levels and boost your focus on important things. A simple life:\n\n### A Simple Life Reduces Stress and Anxiety\nSimplifying your life can create a sense of calm and control, reducing stress and anxiety. Studies have shown a correlation between clutter and higher cortisol levels, the stress hormone. According to Psychology Today, clutter, of any form, is responsible for lessening our ability to focus, limiting our brain’s capacity to process information. That means that the more complicated your life is, the less you focus and the more you get stressed. \n\n### A Simple Life Gives You More Time and Freedom\nYou can free up valuable time and energy by eliminating unnecessary commitments and streamlining your routines. This newfound freedom allows you to pursue your passions, spend time with loved ones, or simply relax and recharge. A study from the [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-pspp0000391.pdf) found that people who **prioritize** fewer goals report having more free time for leisure activities and, therefore more quality time that is beneficial to their overall well-being.\n\n### A Simple Life Improves Your Financial Health\nLiving a simple life, can lead to improved [finances](https://www.workingal.com/articles/tight-budget-savings) since you spend less money and mainly on the important things and, at the same time, you can save money for future plans, goals, or an [amazing trip](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-must-visit-places-for-women-solo-travelers) that you would like to organize. Research showed that individuals who practice mindful spending tend to have higher levels of financial well-being.\n\n![6.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/6_ed29404d75.webp)\n\n### A Simple Life Improves Our Relationships With Others\nWhen you simplify your life, you free up your time, therefore, you can invest more energy into meaningful relationships with your loved ones and build deeper connections and a stronger sense of belonging. Sociologists around the world would tell you how important are our social connections for our overall well-being and happiness. Think about how full and accomplished you feel after sometime with your friends and family.\n\n## Simplifying Your Life: The Method\nThe path to simplifying our lives, given the attention span of our society, need some time an focus. It can’t be done within a day but if you are consistent and start with small steps, then your will be amazed how awesome the results can be.\n\n## Follow the tips below and see your life changing for the better!\n\n### Declutter Your Space \nClutter, both physical and mental, can be a major source of **stress** and anxiety. In order to be able to start simplifying things, start by decluttering your physical space. This can mean tossing things you no longer need, organizing your belongings, and simplifying your **living space**. Are you sure you need 5 lamps in your living room, or 2 would work equally well? Don’t forget to declutter your home and work office. Those colorful sticky notes are good, but to be honest, how much time do you spend away from your laptop?\n\n### Limit Your Commitments\nOne of the biggest pitfalls we can fall into is to keep a balanced life and be pleasant to everyone. This attitude may sound tempting and makes us feel like supergirls but in reality, it’s a pile full of stress and unnecessary [decision fatigue](https://www.workingal.com/articles/decision-fatigue). For this reason, say no to activities and commitments that are not essential or that do not bring you joy. It’s ok if you skip the colleagues dinner once and decide not to attend this gallery opening when you feel completely wiped out when you get back from work. Focus on the activities that are most important to you and prioritize them according to your [mood](https://www.workingal.com/articles/laughter-good-mood), your energy levels and your schedule.\n\n### Streamline Your Schedule\nTalking about the schedule, lately, there is a myth that if you have a busy calendar then you are productive. This myth can be an extreme **burden** in your life and it doesn’t always match the desired productivity levels. Stop overbooking your schedule and save time for rest and relaxation at least 3 times a week. Try to streamline your schedule by grouping similar activities together or [delegating tasks](https://www.workingal.com/articles/strategic-productivity-how-to-work-smart-not-hard) to others, either at work or at home.\n \n### Reduce Screen Time\nWe are sure that your Instagram feed is amazing and that TikTok is an indefinite source of new trends and fun videos, but all these distractions can severely make your life more complicated. When it’s not necessary (aka at work or when you are with your loved ones) minimize the time you spend on your phone or iPad. A cool technique that actually works is setting a daily limit for the use of social media to a specific duration per day. Or, if you feel it, try a [digital detox](https://www.workingal.com/articles/digital-detox) for a while. \n\n![7.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/7_bc48062591.webp)\n\n### Simplify Your Wardrobe \nOur closet can be our paradise or our hell if we are not careful with it. As human beings, it is statistically proven that the more options we have, the more difficult it is for us to make a decision. That said, having 3 **pairs of jeans** in the exact same color can only bring stress to you. In order to declutter your closet, donate clothes you no longer wear, that do not fit properly or you have since high school (!). Stick to a basic wardrobe that is versatile and easy to mix and match.\n\n### Simplify Your Finances\nAs we mentioned above, your finances should be as simple as they can be in order to not be a source of stress for you. By [creating a budget](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-manage-your-finances-as-a-freelancer), automating bill payments, and reducing unnecessary **expenses** you will take your finances to the next level and you will feel better and more organized. Also, if you are struggling with a **loan**, think about seeking advice from a professional on how to consolidate debt.\n\n### Simplify Your Relationships\nWhether you are a party animal or a couch potato, your relationships with your people are important. However, it is important to keep in mind that the people who should be around you should make your life simple. Reflect on the people you spend time with and evaluate whether they create unnecessary **drama** or whether they support you and value you. Do the same with your colleagues. Then, remove them from your life or keep them at a distance. Toxic relationships are a source of stress and are for sure not a sign of a simple and **balanced** life. \n\nA simpler life isn't about **depriving** yourself or chasing a minimalist dream. A simple life is mainly identifying what truly matters in your life, what are your goals and priorities and then making a life that aligns with your values and aspirations. \n\nBy making your life simpler you can open a path towards greater balance, focus, and fulfillment. However, it’s worth mentioning that simplification is an **ongoing** process, not a final goal to be achieved. As your priorities evolve, so too can your approach to living a simpler life and focus on what truly matters.","how-to-simplify-your-life-and-feel-better","simple life, declutter, declutter your life, simplify your life, clutter, budget, simplicity","A simple life is a balanced and fulfilled life. By decluttering our mental and physical space, we engage in a quality life with less stress and more focus. Read how to do that.","2024-02-27","2024-02-27T06:11:45.534Z","2026-08-19T01:12:52.936Z","2024-02-27T06:19:55.893Z",{"id":453,"documentId":454,"name":455,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":108,"formats":456,"hash":485,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":486,"url":487,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":488,"updatedAt":488,"publishedAt":488},114,"yumz7wlwoied2vrebt3x7k53","Blog-1600x900-_4_-9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp",{"large":457,"small":464,"medium":471,"thumbnail":478},{"ext":64,"url":458,"etag":459,"hash":460,"mime":68,"name":461,"path":52,"size":462,"width":116,"height":117,"sizeInBytes":463},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp","9c95b5c19dcdbe20557c3e4ec7b36c24","large_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859","large_Blog-1600x900-_4_-9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp",27.5,27504,{"ext":64,"url":465,"etag":466,"hash":467,"mime":68,"name":468,"path":52,"size":469,"width":125,"height":126,"sizeInBytes":470},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp","1948e17514923c818c2b661c69df5659","small_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859","small_Blog-1600x900-_4_-9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp",12.5,12496,{"ext":64,"url":472,"etag":473,"hash":474,"mime":68,"name":475,"path":52,"size":476,"width":134,"height":135,"sizeInBytes":477},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp","85bdc51587beeed36bf8849e0106a842","medium_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859","medium_Blog-1600x900-_4_-9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp",19.46,19456,{"ext":64,"url":479,"etag":480,"hash":481,"mime":68,"name":482,"path":52,"size":483,"width":143,"height":144,"sizeInBytes":484},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp","e5548b2947ca21e6d35490076fc3eed2","thumbnail_Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859","thumbnail_Blog-1600x900-_4_-9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp",5.39,5394,"Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859",47.83,"https://assets.workingal.com/Blog_1600x900_4_9a16346cffe36cb3194b67b5e8952ed9afba435b4d34e695a98155443d1b7859.webp","2026-09-06T10:32:56.037Z",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":151,"publishedAt":152},{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":491},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":492,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":493},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":495,"documentId":496,"title":497,"content":498,"slug":499,"coffees":26,"seo_title":497,"keywords":500,"seo_desc":501,"bylineDate":502,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":503,"updatedAt":504,"publishedAt":505,"featuredImage":506,"category":547,"author":548,"img":545},178,"aj396dgy4e82uxig6cd908bt","Stress-Relief Techniques for Working Women During the Holidays","The holiday season is literally here, and these days are traditionally filled with joy, a “spread the love” vibe, and moments with our loved ones.\n\nRegardless of this cozy and warm ambiance, for many of us who are full of professional responsibilities, family obligations, and personal commitments, it can also bring forth a whirlwind of stress and overwhelming demands. \n\nAmidst this bustling time, we may end up being more stressed out and dazed than ever. However much we like all these festivities and happy people everywhere, these days can be really exhausting and make some of us want to hide in bed until the new year. \n\nIf you think you are alone, take a step back and read carefully: According to the [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2006/12/holiday-stress.pdf)’s survey, 38% of people interviewed said their stress increased during the holiday season, which can eventually lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. \nThe reasons why holidays are so stressful, according to the survey, can include lack of time, financial pressure, gift-giving, and family gatherings.\n\nStress during the holiday season has been a common phenomenon for many years. While for some, it is the most popular and favorite holiday of the year, for others, it can be a living nightmare.\n\nFor working women especially, holidays can easily turn into a roller coaster, with the amount of stress increasing significantly.\n\n# How can we battle stress during the holiday season?\n\nRelieving stress during the holiday season can be achieved, and we can breathe and let the warmth of the season get into us.\n\nThe following are the most proven to work techniques for this period, especially if you are working those days and you can not neglect your social obligations as well.\n\n## Set [Boundaries](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-set-and-preserve-boundaries) and Manage Expectations\n\nIt’s almost certain that during these days, you will have a lot of invitations to RSVP. This is now the time to practice your skills in saying no when necessary. We know it can be difficult to say no to family and friends, particularly this time of the year, but [balancing](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-maintain-your-work-life-balance-this-season-1) your working hours with your social obligations is essential. \nIt's okay to decline additional commitments and it is also ok if you don’t go to every party you were invited. \n\n![how to manage your stress during holidays 2.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_2_b631e17699.webp)\n\n**The same applies to work:** Don’t overload yourself these days or try to delegate tasks during this busy time. If you are firm in managing people’s expectations, then it will be easier to alleviate the pressure. \n\n## Create a Realistic Holiday Schedule\nHere, you need to accept that the days are not becoming bigger during the holiday season. That said, you still have the same free time as you have every day. If you are lucky not to be working during Christmas or New Year’s, then some of this time will be dedicated to social gatherings. \nPrioritize which of those gatherings you need or wish to attend and plan accordingly for the rest of your [time](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-manage-your-time-effectively). Do not overbook your days, and set a realistic schedule for yourself. This way, you will actually do what you really want to without going from one place to another like there is no tomorrow.\n\n## Don’t overstress about gifts\nGifts are an essential part of the holiday season, and people tend to blow up their budgets every single year in order to conform to the holiday norms. If you are on a tight budget, then don’t try to impress everyone with a fancy gift. Instead, try to be more personal and even create something yourself. Also, if you are in the hustle all day, time management cannot be your friend here since shops are extremely busy and time-consuming these days. If you take a look at Pinterest, you can find unique, low-cost ideas that will keep everyone happy. Also, remember that your loved ones won’t mind the gift but the gesture! \n\n![how to manage your stress during holidays 3.jpg](https://assets.workingal.com/how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_3_53f74937a4.jpg)\n\n## Disconnect and Unwind\n\nSocial media can make us feel overwhelmed and increase our FOMO emotions. Don’t feel bad watching the stories from the party you missed because, really, how much fun was it if people were posting so much? Social media and stress can be interconnected sometimes, but you should not let that define your stress levels. Take some time to pause from scrolling on Instagram and TikTok, and try to better connect with your favorite people. Let alone it’s kind of rude to be on your phone while with others. \nSet specific times when you want to dedicate yourself to your phone and relax and unwind alone or with your friends and family.\n\n## Breathe and reboot\nIf you really feel overwhelmed and cannot manage your stress levels, add to your everyday routine 10 minutes alone to breathe deeply and exhale all the negative emotions and frustrations you may have. Sometimes, all we need is to sit and breathe. Managing your breath can help you reduce your stress levels and release all the negative energy from your body. Meditate, listen to your favorite music, and focus on your breathing. This is the most instant way to battle [stress attacks](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-reduce-stress-naturally). \n\nDon’t forget that the spirit of holidays is not to make us feel stressed and overwhelmed. It is to connect with our loved ones, with ourselves, to enjoy our moments, and to prioritize what is important for us and what should be for the following year.\n\n\n### Wish you a joyful, stress-free period!\n\n\n\n\n","stress-relief-techniques-for-working-women-during-the-holidays","stress, stress relief, holidays, how to manage stress on holidays, financial stress, stress techniques, women stress, how to manage stress as a woman","Learn how to manage your stress level during the holiday season and enjoy your days without feeling overwhelmed!","2023-12-20","2023-12-20T03:27:42.980Z","2024-06-21T20:39:50.196Z","2023-12-20T03:34:44.049Z",{"id":507,"documentId":508,"name":509,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":107,"height":510,"formats":511,"hash":543,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":544,"url":545,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":546,"updatedAt":546,"publishedAt":546},105,"j3baym1jht42gpj8iqy5c80j","how to manage your stress during holidays 1-54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp",1067,{"large":512,"small":520,"medium":528,"thumbnail":535},{"ext":64,"url":513,"etag":514,"hash":515,"mime":68,"name":516,"path":52,"size":517,"width":116,"height":518,"sizeInBytes":519},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp","340c3655f4cf11574926b621bb86c943","large_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7","large_how to manage your stress during holidays 1-54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp",43.53,667,43534,{"ext":64,"url":521,"etag":522,"hash":523,"mime":68,"name":524,"path":52,"size":525,"width":125,"height":526,"sizeInBytes":527},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp","8172393af8e684fbc3cf287fc06f5bac","small_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7","small_how to manage your stress during holidays 1-54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp",18.19,333,18194,{"ext":64,"url":529,"etag":530,"hash":531,"mime":68,"name":532,"path":52,"size":533,"width":134,"height":125,"sizeInBytes":534},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp","e4fd1e84ca5d606e0791420535c12fc7","medium_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7","medium_how to manage your stress during holidays 1-54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp",30.7,30700,{"ext":64,"url":536,"etag":537,"hash":538,"mime":68,"name":539,"path":52,"size":540,"width":541,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":542},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp","334b6e9b40d4d1f7c0e01aa18cb2eff9","thumbnail_how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7","thumbnail_how to manage your stress during holidays 1-54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp",6.78,234,6780,"how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7",107.58,"https://assets.workingal.com/how_to_manage_your_stress_during_holidays_1_54a1543da63ebaba53510c5b7fead6ec15aa90ad8eac2829a001f3654939a7b7.webp","2026-09-06T10:32:46.810Z",{"id":36,"documentId":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":151,"publishedAt":152},{"id":48,"documentId":49,"name":50,"slug":51,"instagram":52,"facebook":52,"bio":53,"linkedIn":52,"createdAt":54,"updatedAt":54,"publishedAt":55,"avatar":549},{"id":57,"documentId":58,"name":59,"alternativeText":60,"caption":60,"focalPoint":52,"width":61,"height":61,"formats":550,"hash":73,"ext":64,"mime":68,"size":74,"url":75,"previewUrl":52,"provider":76,"provider_metadata":52,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"publishedAt":77},{"thumbnail":551},{"ext":64,"url":65,"etag":66,"hash":67,"mime":68,"name":69,"path":52,"size":70,"width":71,"height":71,"sizeInBytes":72},{"id":553,"documentId":554,"title":555,"content":556,"slug":557,"coffees":94,"seo_title":558,"keywords":559,"seo_desc":560,"bylineDate":561,"bylineTimezone":98,"createdAt":562,"updatedAt":563,"publishedAt":564,"featuredImage":565,"category":600,"author":601,"img":598},176,"d6qrbvbkxrnydzc24lc4bxaw","15 Natural Ways to Reduce Stress, According to Research","# 15 Natural Ways to Reduce Stress (That Actually Work), According to Research\n\nYou know that feeling—the racing thoughts at 2 AM, the tension headache that won't quit, the knot in your stomach before a big presentation. Stress has a way of making itself impossible to ignore, showing up in your body even when you're trying your hardest to push through.\n\nIf you've been searching for how to reduce stress naturally, you're not alone—and you're asking the right question. While some stress is inevitable (and even helpful in small doses), chronic stress is a different story. Research consistently links prolonged stress to serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function, anxiety, depression, and digestive problems.\n\nThe good news? You don't need [expensive supplements](https://www.workingal.com/articles/supplements-for-fall) or a complete lifestyle overhaul to manage stress effectively. Science-backed techniques can help you activate your body's natural relaxation response—often in just a few minutes. This guide covers 15 research-supported strategies for natural stress relief that you can start using today.\n\n# Understanding Stress: Why Your Body Reacts This Way\n\nBefore we get into solutions, it helps to understand what's actually happening when you feel stressed. Stress is essentially your body's \"fight or flight\" response—a powerful reflex that evolved to help humans survive genuine threats. When you perceive danger (whether it's a predator or a looming deadline), your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, increasing your heart rate, tensing your muscles, and sharpening your focus.\n\nThis response is incredibly useful when you need to react quickly to actual danger. The problem is that modern life triggers this same response for non-life-threatening situations—work pressure, financial concerns, [relationship conflict](https://www.workingal.com/articles/mistakes-new-relationships), even traffic. When your stress response stays activated without adequate recovery time, it takes a real toll on your physical and mental health.\n\nThe key to managing stress naturally is learning to activate the opposite response: the relaxation response. Defined by Harvard Medical School professor [Dr. Herbert Benson](https://www.brighamandwomensfaulkner.org/assets/Faulkner/headache-center/documents/relaxation-response.pdf), the relaxation response slows your breathing, reduces your heart rate, and lowers stress hormones. The techniques below are all designed to help you access this state more easily.\n\n# 15 Natural Ways to Reduce Stress\n\n## 1. Practice Deep Breathing Techniques\n\nBreathing is one of the most accessible stress-relief tools because you can do it anywhere, anytime—and research shows it works. Slow, deep breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms your body's stress response and can lower both blood pressure and heart rate.\n\n**Try diaphragmatic breathing:** Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Breathe slowly through your nose, letting your stomach (not your chest) expand. Exhale slowly through your mouth. The hand on your belly should move while the hand on your chest stays relatively still. Even five minutes of intentional breathing can shift your nervous system toward calm.\n\nAnother popular technique is the 4-7-8 method: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, exhale for 8 counts. This pattern helps interrupt the stress cycle and can be particularly helpful before sleep or high-pressure situations.\n\n## 2. Move Your Body (Even Briefly)\n\nExercise is one of the most effective natural interventions for stress. Physical activity releases endorphins, improves mood, and helps \"burn off\" excess stress hormones. [According to a study of university students](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257), participating in aerobic exercise just twice per week significantly reduced both overall perceived stress and stress related to uncertainty.\n\nYou don't need an hour at the gym—even a 10-minute brisk walk can make a meaningful difference. The key is consistency rather than intensity. Consider non-competitive options like walking, swimming, [yoga](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-yoga-poses-for-immediate-stress-relief), or dancing in your living room. Movement that you actually enjoy is movement you'll stick with.\n\n## 3. Spend Time in Nature\n\nThere's a reason \"forest bathing\" has become a wellness trend—research consistently supports the mental health benefits of time outdoors. A review of studies found that spending as little as 10 minutes in a natural setting can improve psychological markers of wellbeing, including perceived stress.\n\nNature exposure has been linked to stress relief, [better concentration](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-simplify-your-life-and-feel-better), lower inflammation levels, and improved mental energy. Even if you can't access a forest, a walk in a local park, time in your garden, or simply sitting near trees can provide benefits. During winter months, try to get outside during daylight hours when possible—the combination of natural light and fresh air is particularly restorative.\n\n## 4. Practice Mindfulness Meditation\n\nMindfulness—the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment—has substantial research backing its stress-reducing effects. Studies show mindfulness meditation can reduce [cortisol levels](https://www.workingal.com/articles/what-is-cortisol-detox-and-how-to-do-it), calm the stress response, and even change brain structure over time with consistent practice.\n\nYou don't need to meditate for hours to see benefits. Starting with just 5-10 minutes daily can make a difference. Apps like [Headspace](https://tr.ee/QcRFwZU5K_), Calm, or Insight Timer offer guided meditations specifically designed for stress relief. The key is consistency—like any skill, mindfulness becomes more effective with regular practice.\n\n## 5. Prioritize Quality Sleep\n\nSleep and stress have a bidirectional relationship—stress disrupts sleep, and poor sleep increases stress. Breaking this cycle is essential for natural stress management. Adults need 7 or more hours of sleep per night, and sleep deprivation can cause cloudy thinking, irritability, and significantly hamper your ability to cope with everyday challenges.\n\n[Improve your sleep](https://www.workingal.com/articles/brain-dump-before-sleep) by maintaining consistent sleep and wake times (even on weekends), limiting screen exposure before bed, keeping your bedroom cool and dark, and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon. If racing thoughts keep you awake, try the breathing techniques mentioned earlier or keep a notepad by your bed to \"download\" worries before sleep.\n\n## 6. Connect With People You Trust\n\nSocial connection is a powerful stress buffer. [Research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10915202/) has found that lower levels of support from friends, family, and partners is associated with higher perceived stress. Talking through problems with someone you trust can help you process emotions and often leads to new perspectives or solutions.\n\nThis doesn't mean you need a large social circle—quality matters more than quantity. Even a [brief phone call with a supportive friend](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-maintain-friendships-when-busy) or family member can help reduce stress hormones. If you don't have close relationships to lean on, consider joining a club, volunteer organization, or community group where you can build connections over time.\n\n## 7. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol\n\nWhile that extra cup of coffee might feel necessary when you're stressed, [caffeine](https://www.workingal.com/articles/is-caffeine-good-for-our-health) can actually amplify anxiety symptoms and interfere with sleep—both of which worsen stress over time. Pay attention to how caffeine affects you personally, and consider cutting back if you notice increased jitteriness or sleep problems.\n\nSimilarly, while alcohol may seem to provide temporary relaxation, it's ultimately a depressant that can worsen anxiety and depression, disrupt sleep quality, and create additional health problems. When you're stressed, it's especially important to be mindful of alcohol consumption rather than using it as a coping mechanism.\n\n## 8. Set Boundaries and [Learn to Say No](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-things-you-need-to-say-no-to-to-be-more-productive)\n\nOne of the most effective ways to reduce stress is to reduce the number of stressors you're taking on. This often means [setting boundaries](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-set-and-preserve-boundaries)—with work, with relationships, with your own expectations. Being selective about commitments and saying no to things that unnecessarily add to your load is a healthy way to protect your wellbeing.\n\nThis might look like declining social invitations when you're overwhelmed, setting limits on work hours, or asking family members not to drop by unannounced. Boundaries aren't selfish—they're essential maintenance for sustainable productivity and mental health.\n\n## 9. Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation\n\nWhen you're stressed, your muscles tense—often without you even noticing. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique where you systematically tense and then release different muscle groups throughout your body. This practice helps you become more aware of physical tension and teaches your body to relax.\n\n**To practice:** Start with your feet. Tense the muscles for 5-10 seconds, then release and notice the sensation of relaxation for 15-20 seconds. Move up through your calves, thighs, abdomen, chest, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and face. The whole process takes about 10-15 minutes and can be particularly helpful before sleep.\n\n## 10. Use Positive Self-Talk\n\nThe way you talk to yourself matters. Negative [self-talk](https://www.workingal.com/articles/science-of-self-talk) (\"I can't handle this,\" \"I'm going to fail\") increases stress, while positive self-talk can help you calm down and manage challenges more effectively. This isn't about toxic positivity—it's about shifting unhelpful thought patterns to more realistic, empowering ones.\n\n![how to reduce stress naturally 2.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/how_to_reduce_stress_naturally_2_7d06e24059.webp)\n\nTry reframing: Instead of \"I can't do this,\" try \"I'll do the best I can.\" Instead of \"Everything is going wrong,\" try \"This is challenging, but I've handled hard things before.\" With practice, you can train yourself to catch negative thoughts and shift them toward more constructive alternatives.\n\n## 11. Practice Gratitude\n\n[Gratitude practice](https://www.workingal.com/articles/gratitude-trend) may be one of the most underrated stress management tools. Research suggests that regularly focusing on what you're grateful for can improve both physical and emotional wellbeing. It shifts your attention away from stressors and toward positive aspects of your life.\n\nTry keeping a gratitude journal—write down three things you're grateful for each day, no matter how small. Or simply take a moment each morning or evening to mentally note what's going well. Over time, this practice can rewire your brain toward noticing the positive rather than fixating on problems.\n\n## 12. Take Strategic Breaks from Screens\n\nConstant connectivity—email notifications, social media, 24/7 news cycles—keeps your nervous system in a state of low-level alertness that contributes to chronic stress. While staying informed is important, the endless stream of information (especially [negative news](https://www.workingal.com/articles/negativity-bias)) can be overwhelming.\n\nSet intentional boundaries with technology: designate phone-free times (like the first hour after waking or during meals), turn off non-essential notifications, and consider limiting social media to specific time windows. Even short breaks from screens can help your nervous system recalibrate.\n\n## 13. Eat a Balanced Diet\n\n[What you eat affects how you feel](https://www.workingal.com/articles/stress-and-eating-habits). A diet rich in whole foods—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins—supports stable blood sugar and provides nutrients essential for stress management. On the other hand, highly processed foods, excessive sugar, and irregular eating patterns can contribute to mood swings and increased stress.\n\nCertain foods may be particularly helpful for stress: dark leafy greens, fatty fish rich in omega-3s, nuts and seeds, and foods high in magnesium (like avocados and dark chocolate in moderation). [Stay hydrated](https://www.workingal.com/articles/water-is-a-beauty-elixir), and try to eat regular meals rather than skipping them when stressed—your brain needs fuel to function well.\n\n## 14. Try Yoga or Stretching\n\nYoga combines several stress-relief elements—physical movement, breathing practices, and mindfulness—into one activity. Even simple stretching can help release muscle tension and interrupt the stress response. You don't need an hour-long class to benefit; even 10-15 minutes of gentle stretching can help your body shift out of stress mode.\n\nIf you're new to yoga, start with beginner-friendly videos online or look for gentle or restorative yoga classes in your area. Focus on how your body feels rather than achieving perfect poses. The goal is relaxation, not performance.\n\n## 15. Address the Source When Possible\n\nWhile coping strategies are essential, sometimes the most effective stress management is tackling the underlying problem. If a specific situation is causing ongoing stress, ask yourself: Is there anything I can actually do about this?\n\n**Try this approach:** Set aside 10-15 minutes to write down the problem and brainstorm possible solutions. Evaluate your options and choose one action you can take—even a small step counts. Inaction often causes more stress than imperfect action. Remember that you can't control everything, but taking control where you can is empowering and reduces the feeling of helplessness that amplifies stress.\n\n# Quick Stress Relief: What to Do When You Need Help Now\n\nSometimes you need immediate relief—before a presentation, during a difficult conversation, or when stress suddenly spikes. Here are evidence-based techniques that work in minutes:\n\nCount to 10 (or backward from 10\\) before speaking or reacting. Take several slow, deep breaths until you feel your body begin to relax. Splash cold water on your wrists—major arteries run close to the surface there, and cooling them can help calm your whole body. Step outside briefly, even just for a minute or two. Stretch your shoulders and neck. Call or text someone you trust. Put on music that makes you feel good. If possible, step away from the stressful situation temporarily and return when you're calmer.\n\n# Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Stress Relief\n\n### How long does it take to reduce stress naturally?\n\nSome techniques provide immediate relief—deep breathing and physical activity can shift your nervous system within minutes. However, building lasting stress resilience typically requires consistent practice over weeks or months. Think of stress management like fitness: single workouts help, but regular exercise creates lasting change.\n\n### Can natural stress relief replace medication?\n\nFor everyday stress, natural techniques are often sufficient and preferred. However, if you're experiencing severe anxiety, depression, or stress that significantly impairs your daily functioning, professional help is important. Natural strategies can complement medical treatment, but they shouldn't replace it when medication is warranted. Always consult with a healthcare provider about what's right for your situation.\n\n### What's the single most effective way to reduce stress?\n\nResearch suggests that physical activity is one of the most consistently effective stress interventions—it benefits both body and mind simultaneously. However, the \"best\" technique is the one you'll actually do consistently. Experiment with several approaches from this list and notice which ones resonate with you and fit into your lifestyle.\n\n### When should I seek professional help for stress?\n\nConsider reaching out to a healthcare provider or mental health professional if stress is significantly impacting your daily functioning, relationships, or work performance; if you're experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression; if you're using alcohol, food, or other substances to cope; or if self-help strategies aren't providing adequate relief after several weeks of consistent effort.\n\n# Building Your Personal Stress Management Toolkit\n\nManaging stress naturally isn't about finding one perfect solution—it's about building a toolkit of strategies that work for you in different situations. What helps during a work crisis might be different from what helps you wind down before sleep or what supports you through a difficult personal situation.\n\nStart by choosing two or three techniques from this list that appeal to you and commit to practicing them consistently for a few weeks. Notice what works, what doesn't, and adjust accordingly. Over time, you'll develop an intuitive sense of what your body and mind need in different moments.\n\nRemember: some stress is a normal part of life, and learning to manage it is an ongoing practice rather than a one-time fix. Be patient with yourself, celebrate small wins, and know that every step toward better stress management is a step toward better overall health.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","how-to-reduce-stress-naturally","15 Natural Ways to Reduce Stress (That Actually Work), According to Research","how to reduce stress naturally, natural stress relief, stress management techniques, reduce stress without medication, stress relief tips, how to manage stress","Feeling overwhelmed? Discover 15 science-backed, natural ways to reduce stress without medication—from breathing techniques to movement strategies that fit into your workday. 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