Health & Wellness

Aug

2022

How to Find Meaning in Your Work

Although there is no such thing as a meaningless job, there can be times when one’s job appears to have lost that spark. Why is your job not as fulfilling as the beginning? There is much more to it than just the nature of the job. Job hunters look for new opportunities for different reasons. Some candidates are ready for a new career move, some are always looking for a challenge and others are looking for a meaningful change.

If you are starting a role or feel like you lack a sense of purpose at work, here are some prompts to find meaning in what you do.

Keep your brain active

When our job duties are predictable and repetitive, our brains receive little stimulation. For those who are always looking for a challenge, once they have mastered a job, they might feel stuck. There may be a sense that they aren’t learning anymore, or just not growing professionally.

You must keep your brain active and be open to learning new techniques and learning from others. A good way to do this is to try reframing your job. Find potential improvements in current processes. Help others who started just like you. Try to expand your knowledge by talking to others in the industry. Look beyond your job duties.

Communicate your concerns

If your job is not what you expected, you are not alone. It is common for a job to mismatch your expectations over time. An open conversation with your recruiter or your supervisor can help you find ways to make you feel comfortable again. Communication is key. Your input is valuable, and it might not only help you find meaning in what you do, but help others as well.

Think bigger

Consider where a job might take you in the long term. Instant rewards tend to be easily forgotten, but good things take time.

It is also important to celebrate small wins, such as the projects you have completed. Think about that time when you helped a colleague, the deadlines you manage to meet, and how much you have grown. Give yourself the recognition you deserve.

Explore a full career change

It is important to identify what is making you feel like you are missing something. Is it the workplace? The job itself or personal matters? Take your time to explore your interest, core values, skills, and the work environments you enjoy.

Don’t be afraid to look for a new job if you’re lacking meaning in your career. Send out resumes, get in touch with recruiters, and reach out to your network. These actions can help you find potential jobs that can match your skills while giving you a fresh start or the opportunity to work in a company you’ve always dreamed of. How do you find meaning in your work? Let us know on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Jul

2022

Balancing Your Work & Personal Life

Everyone desires a good balance between their work and personal lives. But there are only so many hours in a day to accomplish the things you want to, and between working hard, spending time caring for children or family members, tending to your responsibilities, leisure time, or whatever else is on your plate, it can be easy to lose sight of the fundamentals of wellness in your day-to-day life. With remote and hybrid jobs on the rise it’s more important than ever to take control of you life in a way that allows you to accomplish all the things you need, while still having the capacity to take on everything else. Continue reading to discover how you can incorporate healthy wellness habits into your life and strike a work-life balance.

1. Step Back from Being #1

No one is capable of being number one in everything that they do, and that’s why learning to prioritize and balance the things in your life is so important. The pressure to be the best can take a toll, and recognizing when to go all-out, and when to take a step back, can save you from burnout in the long run. Spending energy perfecting things that are already good will leave you depleted when it’s time to work on the things that DO require extra effort.

3. Take Breaks

When you’re working on a particularly challenging project at work, or going through a serious matter in your personal life, it can be tempting to go full steam ahead. And while there are certainly instances that require hard work and perseverance, wearing yourself out in the process is only going to make the next challenge harder on yourself. If you have trouble taking breaks, or have time management issues in general, try timing your breaks, or even utilize a method such as the Pomodoro Technique to both hold yourself accountable and ensure you’re getting the rest time that you need.

3. Have a Plan B (Or no plan at all!)

Not everything will go right the first time around, and to limit stress it’s absolutely essential to have a backup plan (or three) in place. Going into your day with a couple of workarounds for things like timing issues, communication problems, and general life stuff, will have your better prepared to tackle problems when they do arise. Even more important than having a plan B is to have the capability to go with the flow. While it’s not possible in every situation, understanding that things won’t always go your way and might require some flexibility is critical in managing all aspects of a busy life. To help with this, you can try incorporating things like meditation or mindfulness into your daily routine.

4. Get Enough Sleep

We’ve all heard this one time and time again, but there’s a reason for it – getting enough sleep is critical to striking balance in all areas of your life. Not only do you perform better when you’re well rested, you also have the capacity to do things like spend meaningful time with friends and family, focus on hobbies, and enjoy your leisure time without feeling exhausted. While it may be tempting to stay up late after a long night of work so you have a few hours to do the things you enjoy, it can actually be detrimental to your free time when you have to spend things like weekends and days off catching up on a lack of sleep or recovering from exhaustion. Instead, focus on finding a balance, and start paying attention to your body to know when it’s time to work, play, and rest.

5. Separate Work From Life

Especially during a time when so many of us are working remote or hybrid jobs, it’s critical to be able to switch off from work, and separate the two aspects of your life. A fixed work schedule may be the solution for some, or if that doesn’t work, you can try working longer days when you need to, and shorter days when you don’t. Another strategy to try is turning off work laptops or phones and not checking emails after a certain time. Or, if you prefer to tackle things as they come up, find a quiet place such as a home office to answer work emails and calls. Take a walk when it’s time for an after-hours call instead of answering it in your living room or bedroom. No matter how you strike the balance, the most important part is being able to separate your work from your life in a manageable way.

Did we miss anything? Join the conversation this month as we tackle health and wellness by sharing your best work-life balance tips with us on our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.