Vacations are great, but they usually have to end at some point! How do we cope with those post-vacation blues when we return? Here are a few tips: 1. Make The Most Of Your Vacation Before you even return, make sure you make the most of your vacation time while you have it. Try to completely switch off from work and make sure you do something enjoyable and rejuvenating, whether that is at home or away. If you find it hard to switch off, it is worth looking at why that is and finding a way to get more of a balance in your life. 2. Ease Your Way In How can you make your first week back at work easier? Can you arrange for the first day back to be a catch up day, where you get a chance to find your feet again? Of course, this isn’t always possible but there is usually something you can do to make your re-entry to work easier. 3. Plan Your Next Break Having something exciting to look forward to can be motivating and help things seem more manageable. If you are feeling blue at … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Survive Returning to Work After Vacation
Search Results for: jen smith
Creating Real Work-Life Balance
Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from. Seth Godin Most people enjoy their holidays from work, but what about life in between? As the quote above indicates, if we are grinning and bearing our lives till the next holiday, we may need to make some changes to the way we are living. Work-life balance is a term that is used a lot these days, but how do we create real balance in our lives? How do we create a life we don’t need to escape from? Spend Less Whatever your job and pay is, I recommend good money management and saving some of your income. So many people fritter away their money on unnecessary things, which are in fact keeping them trapped in a life they don’t really enjoy. Of course, what is unnecessary is different from one person to the next, but what is necessary, is usually quite flexible. When you know exactly where all your money is going, you will feel more empowered. Not living paycheck to … [Read more...] about Creating Real Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Balance (& How To Achieve It)
Work-life balance is a phrase that we hear a lot these days. In times gone by, if you had a job, it was the most important thing and that was usually the end of the story. Although this may still be true for some people, these days a lot of people want to strike that balance so that their work isn’t all consuming. There is an old adage: "Nobody says on their deathbed 'I wish I had spent more time at the office'" So, how do we strike that all important work-life balance? Disconnect One big reason that work–life balance can be hard to achieve, is if we have an inability to switch off from work. Advances in technology makes our lives easier in a lot of ways but it can also make it easier to stay “plugged in” to our work which can lead to imbalance. It is worth making it a habit to disconnect from work, in whatever way you need to, including via technology. Boundaries You could create some empowering rules for yourself and turn off your work phone, laptop etc … [Read more...] about Work-Life Balance (& How To Achieve It)
First Day On The Job? How To Survive
So, the first day of your new job is finally here. You’re nervous. You want to make a good impression, but you don’t want to come across as trying too hard or make any first day blunders. How do you strike that all important balance and more importantly, survive your first day? Be Prepared Preparation will help you feel more in control of your first day. Choose your clothes the night before, bearing in mind the impression that you want to make. If you don’t know what the ‘dress code’ is, I’d suggest erring on the side of caution and going smarter, rather than too casual. You can always adjust your attire after that all important first day. Have a good night sleep and set your alarm in plenty of time for the next day. Even if you feel nervous, try to have some breakfast as this will help you feel more comfortable when you arrive… there is nothing worst than a grumbling stomach! Stay Relaxed Your new company have hired you to be you. Of course … [Read more...] about First Day On The Job? How To Survive
The Basics Of Good Time Management
How are your time management skills? Do you find yourself getting most of the things done that you plan to each day or does it always feel like time is slipping away from you? Most people could do with enhancing their time management skills to some degree, so if you want to polish up your time management techniques, here are some ideas for you: 1. Have A Simple Plan Planning is vital for good time management. Planning doesn’t have to mean that you spend hours making a detailed inventory of what you want to do – in fact, the simpler the better. Each day write down the two or three most important tasks that you need to do, and work on them first. Five minutes deciding on your key tasks is time well spent and will help you have a focus for your day. 2. Use An Alarm Clock When you have talks to get done, using an alarm clock is a great way to stop you procrastinating and get you focussed. If you have been putting off writing that report, set your alarm for half an … [Read more...] about The Basics Of Good Time Management
How To Look Forward To Monday Mornings
Monday mornings are a source of contention for a lot of people, especially if it means going back to a job they don’t like. So, whatever our work situation, how can we make the best of Mondays and even (gasp) start to look forward to them? 1. Do A Job You Love Do you enjoy your job? Does it feel like work or play? No job will be fun all the time, but if the thought of going back to the office on Monday fills you with dread, then it is a good sign that something needs to change. You may decide to change jobs, go part time or it might be a change of perspective about your current job that makes the difference. 2. Make The Most Of Your Weekends Working through the weekend or slobbing out on the couch because you are so tired every weekend won’t rejuvenate you. The odd weekend working or being lazy is no bad thing but if your weekends constantly feel like work time or recovery time, it is inevitable that Mondays will start to feel like hard work. Plan your … [Read more...] about How To Look Forward To Monday Mornings
Finding Work You Love
You’ve got to find what you love… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don’t settle. ~ Steve Jobs No job is going to be perfect all of the time, but if you find yourself continually dreading going into work, or with the strong feeling that there is something else you should be doing, it is time to take the leap and find a job you really love! Here are a few suggestions to get you started down the road of finding work you really do love: Don’t Stop Searching As Steve Jobs says above “keep looking and don’t settle”. I think that is one of the best pieces of advice any of us can follow when trying to find our … [Read more...] about Finding Work You Love
5 Ways To Reduce Your Stress Levels
Stress is a word we hear a lot these days. For many people stress and work are closely linked. Whether it is about dealing with the boss from hell or managing a work load, there are many opportunities for stress to present itself in the workplace. Here are some suggestions to help you deal with and reduce your stress levels: 1. Clarity What is making you stressed? Rather than just thinking it is “everything about your job”, narrow it down and try to get to the bottom of what is causing you anxiety. Being clear about what is the problem is the first step to being able to do something about it (and there is usually something that can be done about most problems, despite what we might first think). 2. Relax Create a relaxation habit! It really is possible but it is something that often needs to be worked at if you are not used to it. There are lots of ways we can relax; you could look into … [Read more...] about 5 Ways To Reduce Your Stress Levels
5 Ways To Make Yourself Unpopular At Work
Obviously, no one wants to be unpopular at work so I have put together a list of common pitfalls that could make you unpopular at work, so we can all avoid them! 1. Gossiping A little harmless gossip doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, but be careful about talking about your colleagues behind their backs (especially being negative) and getting the reputation as the office gossip. Being seen as a gossip could mean people are less likely to trust you and makes it easier to become embroiled in office politics! Keeping things simple means you can stay out of any drama and stay professional. 2. Sucking Up Be yourself with your colleagues and boss without sucking up. Being authentic is an admirable quality; no one likes to be around people who are trying to be nice to people based on their status or what they think they can get out of them. Treating everyone you come into contact with … [Read more...] about 5 Ways To Make Yourself Unpopular At Work
Questions to Ask the Employer If You Don't Get the Job
You have completed your application and are delighted to be invited for an interview and think it has gone really well. Everything is looking good, and then you find out… you didn’t get the job! If you are not successful at an interview it is worth asking for feedback from the employer. Turn a failed interview into a learning experience and plan for your next interview. This will increase your chances of a successful interview and getting the job you want. Rather than trying to guess the reasons why you didn’t get the job, being proactive and asking could give you valuable information that could make all the difference to your job search. Why Didn’t I Get The Job? Contact the employer and let them know that you would like to improve your interviewing skills and would appreciate their feedback. Keep it short and to the point and explain the reason you are asking for their feedback. Explaining that you want to learn from this experience will ward … [Read more...] about Questions to Ask the Employer If You Don't Get the Job