On our trip to Sweden this past month, we came across the concept of Fika, which is considered something of a social institution in that Scandinavian country. Americans might think of it as a coffee break but it is much more to the Swedes. In a country that is considered to have a low stress level and high productivity level, some experts suggest that Fika may be part of that equation. The Fika (it is both a noun and verb)...

While on holiday in Stockholm, we visited the Nobel Museum just off the main street in the Old District of town. It is a small museum filled with stories and artifacts from the greatest minds of the past 111 years. In one room ran a constant stream of videos from different Nobel winners describing their work and their award. While there were many similarities to what many of them said such as having a visionary ideal, or being dedicated and...

We’re on our summer holiday that includes a weeklong cruise along the Norwegian Fjords. Our first day, which was a “sea day” meant that we would be going from port to port without any stops and the only activities to engage in were those on the ship. For me, that meant a day of ease. I knew I was in the right place when the notice to hang on the door didn’t say “Do Not Disturb” but instead stated “Still...

I like to say that when we are resilient, we move through life with more grace and ease. One of the tools that help us achieve that quality is ritual and we use them to help us with everything from our morning habits to our mourning customs. My friend Lynn retired from the University and is moving into a new work setting for herself. She asked for help in creating a ritual to solidify that transition and my wife and...

A friend of mine recently left her sales position with a Fortune 500 company after spending 15 years with them. When I asked her why she left, she told me it was all the stress she was under. I inquired further whether it was the challenge of dealing with customers, the difficulties of closing deals, or having to constantly learn about new products. None of that, she told me. In fact, she loved that part of her work. The real...

On my flight home from 3 days with my coach Alan Weiss in beautiful Newport RI, I wound up sitting next to a woman who was a professor of nursing and an expert in health care policy. She shared with me that her husband had taken a new position in Pittsburgh and they would be moving here soon. She was facing many of the challenges of relocation and I could hear the fatigue in her voice and the expression of...