“I was a little excited but mostly blorft. 'Blorft' is an adjective I just made up that means 'Completely overwhelmed but proceeding as if everything is fine and reacting to the stress with the torpor of a possum.' I have been blorft every day for the past seven years.”    ~Tina Fey, Bossypants

Stress has become the new status quo for many people and even entire populations.

Handling daily fatigue is naturally a huge concern. The skyrocketing number of prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications like Xanax is a strong indicator; so is the massive spike in cases of anti-anxiety prescription abuse [...]

Are your shoulders and necks getting tense? This stress is especially true for those who spend a lot of time on the computer. Many of us get tense in the shoulders, neck, and jaw—nine-to-fivers and mom entrepreneurs alike. Whether you are in an office at a desk or running errands, everyday activities like texting, driving, or even sleeping can contribute to a stiff neck. When was the last time you really stretched your fingers and forearms?

Related reading time: 4 minutes

Evaluating employees is a workplace standard that has been used for decades. At this point, it’s routine; unfortunately, it's a practice that has become rote. Business is drastically changing, and the old way of doing employee evaluations is outdated! Just look at the prevalence of startups, unconventional office spaces, and even workplace yoga.

Mindfulness is one of the fastest-growing interests in the business sphere. Now it is changing employee evaluations and feedback, too. When that inevitable, and admittedly often awkward, time of year comes around for discussing employees' [...]

Emotional Intelligence is like a theory on the brink of stardom. Over the past two and a half decades, the social theory has become one of the biggest buzzwords in fields like psychology, children’s education and business. From McDonald’s to the Dalai Lama and Harvard Business Review, organizations across the political and economic spectrum are diving into Emotional Intelligence (aka Emotional Intelligence Quotient; EQ for short). The history of emotional intelligence is less known but nonetheless fascinating.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Not every couple will struggle with glitchy Skype connections during months apart, the U.S. Government interrupting dinner, or the strain Top Secret secrets place on two people in love. Military relationships are subject to a laundry list of struggles—and joys—that others don’t have. But at the heart of military relationship challenges are the same human issues that every couple navigates.

These seven tips for strengthening a military relationship are based on the principles of Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Hopefully they will help with deployment, reunion and the everyday challenges of [...]

The benefits of creativity are easy to identify but difficult to harness. We all want to feel engaged in our work, inspired to innovate and grow, and satisfied with our jobs. Tapping into creativity can give you and your company those things and much more.

The trick? Like most secret ingredients in every successful endeavor—creativity is hidden in plain sight but overlooked.

Estimated reading: 4 minutes

The way we move our bodies has a profound impact on our brains—our moods, sleep, interpersonal communication, and emotional intelligence. MRI scans show that yoga in particular can make your brain more calm and self-aware.

Out of the hundreds of yoga poses, some are naturally calming for the parasympathetic nervous system more than others, which take the body from fight-or-flight mode into rest-and-digest. Especially in stressful times, grounding and centering ourselves are vital! See what poses will help the most.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes ♥ A yoga practice: a lifetime endeavor

Remember how EQ is the new IQ? It is becoming increasingly more acceptable to think, and thrive, outside the box. Gone are the days where productivity was ranked only by earnings spreadsheets or boxes checked...or at least those days are becoming fewer and further between.

Objective measures of success are important for businesses, but honoring the diverse and unique work styles of workers often means looking beyond the usual standards. In most cases, allowing individuals’ unique business talents to thrive actually creates more success for everyone in the end.

Willpower is an unruly topic, to say the least. Whether some people are inherently “better” at self-control is still a topic of debate. What’s more important is how you exercise your willpower.

Over the past two weeks, we’ve shown you how to “spring clean” old habits from your brain. Using four achievable steps, we’ve presented mindfulness and neuroscience research to for re-patterning your thoughts, reaching your goals and freeing your mind from old habits that were impeding your success. First, we focused on a goal. Then we visualized a plan. Third, we explained the neuroscience behind [...]