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The Pandemic Helped Me Battle Test My Habits. These Are the Ones That Stood Out

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If you’d like to learn how to develop strong habits so you can improve all aspects of your life, sign up for the free 90-Day Master Class hosted by the founder of Addicted2Success.com, Joel Brown.


Our habits can destroy us. Habits are a big part of who you are. Do something enough times and that is who you become. Smoke frequently and you are a smoker. Drink often and you become known as an alcoholic. Pray daily and you are known as religious. Study a lot and they call you nerdy.

The opposite of destructive isn’t constructive. The opposite of destructive is creative. And you can choose to adopt habits which help you create and build. Habits that make your mental, physical and spiritual muscles stronger.

Here are the ones that are helping me stay strong and avoid binging on bowls of ice-cream during this crisis:

1. Seeking Clarity

I have this habit of journaling about my thoughts, questioning why I feel a certain way, and peeling back the layers to get to the real problem. This helps me distil my thoughts to transparency. And just like peeling an onion, it makes me cry. 

Journaling also leaves me with a lighter conscious and a happier heart. It lets me tap into the oasis of compassion residing within me. In this crisis, it has allowed me to deal with my lack of personal space and my dwindling mental peace.

Journaling has enabled me to understand how I can create more happiness for myself and others, what my strengths and struggles are, and what I really need.

There is always a good reason and a real reason for doing something. Journaling helped me get to the real reason. I came out with a better understanding of myself, more compassion and more self love.

2. Investing In Myself

I love to learn. I read, watch, and listen to more things than I can remember but if I could get paid to learn, I would gleefully do it all my life! Learning, though believed to be a very good thing, gets in the way for me. It distracts me from what really matters. But this distraction has served me well in the last 6 weeks.

Since the time this quarantine started, I have finished reading ‘The How of Happiness’ by Sonja Lyubomirsky, ‘The Happiness Project’ by Gretchen Rubin, One Jack Reacher novel, and Things No One Can Teach Us by Humble The Poet. I have watched Liz Gilbert’s TED talk and finished over 7 previously ‘In progress’ courses on LinkedIn Learning.

This has helped me stay occupied, kill time outside of work, and kept my mind away from all the negativity and guilt which usually follows a netflix binge!

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” – Henry David Thoreau

3. Eating Healthy & Tracking My Food Intake

I come from a family of diabetics and also have family members who have died from cancer. Two of the deadliest diseases are in my genes so I need to be very careful about what I put in my body!

Working in an office that provides sumptuous food for free helped me build my mental muscle. Despite having access to some of the best food around daily, I choose healthy over delicious and in the last 45 days, it has made all the difference. Staying home, it is hard to resist the munchies but my practice for the last year and a half made resisting the nearest pack of chips a walk in the park. 

4. Meditation (AKA Writing)

Writing is my way to meditate. Like meditation, writing helps me reduce stress by taking my mind away from all the panic. It helps me control my anxiety because it slows me down and makes me think. In reducing my stress and controlling my anxiety, it makes me emotionally healthier and stronger.

At a time when I find it hard to focus for the majority of my day, writing lengthens my attention span, keeps me in the zone, and helps me stay focused! 

Most importantly, it quiets all the buzz in my brain and helps me get a good night’s sleep! I know this one because I track my sleep and for the last few weeks, the days I have slept the best, are the days where I have written — until I couldn’t write anymore.

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” – Martin Luther

5. Working Out

The house I live in is small. Put four people in it and it becomes tiny! Plus by working from home, all I do is sit and work. Because of this, workouts became non-negotiable.

I have now been working out consistently for over 3 years. Just like brushing or showering, it now comes natural to me, and I don’t have to spend energy thinking about it.

And boy has that kept my waistline in check! If I am sleepy, stressed, or feeling lazy, I go work out. Workouts have helped me stay energized and at the same time tire me out enough to get a good quality sleep at night.

Which of your habits are helping you during this time? Share them with us in the comments!

Tuseet Jha is an ordinary boy next door who is trying to deconstruct and demystify life one thought at a time. He writes a weekly newsletter on happiness and in addition to it, writes about productivity, minimalism and success on his blog.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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leadership tips for new CEO
Image Credit: Midjourney

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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