You're probably wondering what on earth this is... can you be Emotionally Smart? Emotional intelligence is less about academics and more about street smarts in the business world. It is split into 4 sections: - Self Awareness - Self Management - Social Awareness/ Empathy - Relationship Management/ Social Skills Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand your own emotions and understand the emotions of those around you. Self Awareness is simply being able to understand what emotions you are having right now, and whether you are leading with emotions or with reason. Sometimes in business, and with people, emotions can take over our actions and make things worse... checking yourself at the door means you can choose to handle things more effectively by removing the emotion in the situation and use this to solve a problem, diffuse tension or to look at issues objectively rather than taking it personally. As a Leader, Self Awareness is important because your emotional state can affect the team's emotions and reactions. If you walk in positive and purposeful, it is easy to raise the motivation within your team to get the work done with smiles and joy. If you let the blown tire on the way into work cloud your mind and you walk in angry, your team will not know about the blown tire etc and will be walking on egg shells the rest of the day. Left unchecked, your emotions could lead to snappy comments and you may say or do something that harms your relationship with your team. Self Management/ regulation is the ability to understand you are angry at the tire... but choosing to take an extra minute or 2 to compose yourself and choose to push on and have a good day despite the not-so-good start. It is the ability to receive bad news or top-down stress and choosing NOT to pass the stress on to the team, however, you choose to turn it into a constructive mission to things resolved. Social Skills (sounds like a simple one) - It is picking up on other people's emotions and choosing how to respond. Some people need a word of encouragement, others a space to vent and be heard...

The weekend’s almost here! What’s everyone up to? I’ll be working most of it, but I’ll squeeze in some family time with a little nature getaway to escape the work stress.

Warm-Up (3-5 mins) March in place – 1 minute Arm swings – 1 minute (swing arms forward and back) Leg stretches – 1 minute each leg (gently stretch your quads and hamstrings) Main Workout (15-20 mins) 1. Chair Squats – 2 sets of 10 reps Stand in front of a chair, lower your hips like you're about to sit, then stand back up. 2. Wall Push-Ups – 2 sets of 8-10 reps Stand facing a wall, place hands on the wall, and lower your body towards it, then push back. 3. Step-Back Lunges – 2 sets of 10 reps (5 each leg) Step one leg back, lower your body slightly, and return to standing. 4. Knee Plank – Hold for 20-30 seconds Start in a plank position but with your knees on the ground for extra support. 5. Glute Bridges – 2 sets of 12 reps Lie on your back, knees bent, and lift your hips towards the ceiling, then lower them back down. Cool-Down (5 mins) Light stretches for arms and legs Hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds Breathe deeply and relax

I sometimes get stuck in cycles of instant gratification, going for quick rewards instead of focusing on long-term goals. This leads to feeling like I’m not reaching my full potential, whether it's in work, health, or how I handle money. My ideal self would be more disciplined and make choices that help me grow. To bridge the gap, I can start by setting small goals and focusing on habits that lead to long-term success. How about you? What’s one habit you’d change today to get closer to your ideal self?

I've been struggling to get in my daily workouts lately and it has started telling on my general physical well-being. I am well aware that ranting without action is simply a fool's errand that gets you nowhere, so today I decided to jump on the treadmill immediately I came in from school run, determined to run for 20 mins exactly, (micro win) to enable me get ready in time for work. Now why was this difficult for me before now? I had formed a habit of spending extra time in bed doing practically nothing but scroll through social media or have endless conversations with my husband until I find myself in a hurry to get ready for work. I consciously ended this bad habit today and I'm making this post hoping that someone else commits to ending one bad habit they've previously indulged in by tomorrow morning. This is accountability, let's walk the talk! Who's with me?