Dr. Alan Chu shared some really good strategies with us:

• Keep a “happy habit tracking“ form for ourselves.

• Keep a gratitude journal.

• Engage in things we are good at, and delegate those we are not good at.

• Adjust our priorities and routines based on our sleep pattern and our energy patterns.

• Find new exercise activities that we are able to do.

• Adjust our overall physical and mental health status.

• Practice mindfulness techniques.

3 things we can try to focus on, in order to improve our work productivity:

• competence

• autonomy

• relatedness

We can use this short questionnaire to assess which area needs to be worked on.

We will have to remember, don’t expect we will be as productive as before!

So, be accepting of and compassionate towards ourselves if we are less productive under the pandemic!

For college students, Dr. Chu recommended students to evaluate our own situations, and consider whether to use this time to reduce some course load, in order to increase autonomy and a sense of competence.

Dr. Chu shared some resources for us to read more about this topic:

• Some strategies to stay focused at work where Dr. Chu shared information about satisfying autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

• Tips for students taking online classes.

• How relaxation can improve remote employee productivity.

• Habit tracker Dr. Chu used (printable).

You can read more about Dr. Alan Chu’s work here:

• Dr. Chu’s faculty profile.

• Dr. Chu’s research profile.

Speaker: Dr. Alan Chu

Dr. Alan Chu is an Assistant Professor and the Chair of the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Master’s Program at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant working with athletes and coaches across high school, college, and professional levels on psychological skills training. In addition, he’s a Self-Determination Theory International Scholar who conducts research on motivation, particularly in the sport and exercise domains.

This article is brought to you by Mind & Body Garden Psychology —- Psychological services available in multiple languages (English, Mandarin, Cantonese): 650-434-2563 (Voicemail only); admin@mindbodygarden.com. We are out-of-network providers, HSA/FSA accepted. Send us a text message on the phone, or call us and leave a voicemail.

• Dr. Yishan Xu’s CBT-I insomnia courses in Chinese and English.

• Psychological Evaluation Services (Diagnoses of IQ, ADHD, ASD, etc.)

• Dr. Yishan’s Sleep Newsletters, Podcast and YouTube

Appointment & Office Locations:

Office 1 (SF Bay Area)

885 N. San Antonio Rd., Suite O, Los Altos, CA 94022

Office 2 (San Diego)

9920 Pacific Heights Blvd, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92121

Office 3 (New York)

303 Fifth Avenue, Suite 901, New York, NY 10016

admin@mindbodygarden.com

650-434-2563