Jobs can look oh so wonderful in a company’s job listing. “Wow! That job description is exactly what I’m looking for.” But then, if you actually get an offer and accept, reality begins. Have I made a mistake? Is this a good job or bad job?

And just like Dorothy in Oz, it’s pretty much all about things you can’t see behind the curtain or know about in advance. For some unlucky jobseekers the truth is revealed on day one. But for most of us, it takes a while for the curtain to be pulled open.

The role of workplace culture

Workplace culture plays a key role. As much as you  (hopefully) did your best to research what your new company is really like [Read more…]

It’s natural to focus on things that hurt us. Physical problems. People who disappoint us. Things that don’t turn out the way we wanted. But hurtful things that happen at work can be especially hard to let go. And you can’t just walk out the door and leave them behind … not if you want to keep getting paid.

Obviously we do need to keep our eyes on what’s not going right. And fix or as much as possible improve what we can. But what’s also natural is for those wrong things to begin to grow in size — at least in our minds. To the point where all else starts to shrink in importance. And the feeling of being wronged just sits on our shoulders, adding dark color to everything else.

Hurtful Work Things

So what kinds of hurtful things at work can take control of our feelings and in effect run the show … or at least become the background setting that colors all else? Although the list can be endless, here are some hurt-makers that might feel familiar: [Read more…]

Ah … holiday time. A time when we’re all supposed to be excited and happy and filled with good ole holiday spirit … whatever our respective holidays may be. But we know that’s not so easy. In fact, I’m betting even the most spirit-filled of you have moments where joy-full is replaced by stress-full. Or just not feeling it the way you think you should.

Holiday spirit: Just grin & bear it?

I’m not a therapist, so I’m not going to try to tell you what to do if your own holiday spirit feel more grrr than cheer. Holiday parties you don’t always want to attend. Incessant music greeting you wherever you go. [Read more…]

I’ve never written about my chronic fatigue before today. But I know anyone who has it knows that working with chronic fatigue is a constant balancing act. And on some days trying to find the balance between what you can and can’t control can leave you feeling even more tired than the condition itself.

It’s hard enough on days when you’re at home and at least have control over your environment. But what about those days when you need to head into the office — or even if you’re working remote and need to stay on zoom much of the day? And you struggle not to show any of this to your coworkers.

How working with chronic fatigue feels

[Read more…]

My neck hurts as I type this. Not majorly, but just enough to remind me that I have put it through years of torture and disrespect. And perhaps my poor neck would be best served if I never wrote again, since that often makes things worse. But that’s pretty unlikely.

Oh, I thought about it. Giving up writing completely so there is less stress of the kind that got me here in the first place. But not writing at all would be even more painful to me. So I write less and treasure the moments.

But hopefully YOU don’t need to go through this. So I’m offering this as a tale of caution — so that you don’t do to yourself what I did to myself. If your neck hurts or back or any part of your body hurts while you are working on an electronic device, this is for YOU.

“Sit up straight!”

I used to hear those words from a man I dated. Unfortunately, I took it as criticism [Read more…]

“Your sensitivity is a gift to the world,

but (sometimes) it takes a bit of fine-tuning,”  

~ Dave Markowitz

There are some days when you have inhaled so many negative workplace emotions — anger, frustration, hurt, fear, jealousy, etc. — you feel like there is no room left for anything else. And on those days, we need to remember to give ourselves a little extra care and “fine-tuning”.

The quote above comes from Dave Markowitz, a medical intuitive by profession. But he is also someone who I have personally known to be a keen observer of people and loaded with common sense.

Sometimes we just have to make time

to breathe it all out!

We absorb from world around us

Something he taught me, that I want to share with you, is that we can absorb a lot of emotions from the world around us. And then we carry them around. Often making them our own. But they aren’t.

And even the ones that are ours can grow way out of proportion, as we hold them in (just as we hold our breath in) and continue to feed them with more and more feelings. As if they were ours to keep caged & protected inside.

But as Dave tells us, you can also let them go. You can imagine a small opening (keyhole he calls it) in the back of you. And you can imagine all those feelings, one by one, floating out and leaving forever. They were never yours to keep caged up to begin with.

See your negative workplace emotions leaving your body, one by one, as you breathe them out. Imagine them floating up and away from you. Let them fly free!

More posts you may enjoy

How YOU Can Make a Difference at Work Today

How Changing Your Attitude Can Change Your Job!

What To Do If Your Job Makes You Miserable

Career Success? All I Do Is Work!

Are You Tired of Being Judged By Your Job?

My Job Sucks and Now I’m Stuck!

Approval Seeking:  Who Are You Really Trying To Impress?

Career Goals: Put Small Steps to Work on Big Goals!

The Non-Linear Path to Happiness at Work

What Makes a Job Good?

What If You Never Find Your Dream Job?

Daring To Imagine a Different Life!

⇒  EXTRA:  6 Healthy Things You Can Do At Work (In a Few Minutes)

For many of us, the stress of work eats at us on a daily basis. And far too often, we simply have to suck it up as best we can. But there are some healthy things you can do at work for yourself. If you can find the time.

Since we probably can only squeeze a few minutes out of a work day to take care of ourselves, this post is going to give you some quick & and simple fixes. Things you can do every single day and feel good in the process.

Quick & easy healthy things at work

[Read more…]