Are You Depressed Because of Workplace Stress?

If you're reading this article, chances are you are experiencing workplace stress, right?  There's also a good chance that your workplace stress have reached a certain level where you sometimes (if not all the time) feel depressed.

You are not alone.  All of us, at one time or another, have experienced workplace stress.  But how do you know that you are stressed?  More importantly, how do you know that you are depressed?


Aft.org have listed down physical and psychological signs that workplace stress (and other stressors) are getting to you:

Physical warning signs are:

• "headaches
• stomach problems
• over/undereating
• sleep disturbances
• muscle aches and pains
• skin rashes
• teeth grinding"*

Sound familiar?  Here's more:

Psychological warning signs include:

• "forgetfulness
• anger
• frustration
• anxiety
• depression
• irritability
• feeling powerless"*

Are you starting to see...you?

 Well, now let's see how serious your workplace stress is.  Is your workplace stress serious enough to cause depression?  How do you know that you are already a candidate for depression?

• Are you demotivated?  Do you hate waking up in the morning to go to work?  Do you have to force yourself, push yourself to get dressed and go to the office?  Are you losing interest on things you used to enjoy?
• Have you lost energy?  Are you tired most of the time?  Do you feel weak as if fatigue have taken over you? Don't you have energy, even if you just woke up?
• Have you become unproductive?  Is your to-do list getting longer and longer and you feel you have not accomplished anything at the end of each day?
• Do you procrastinate?  Do you find yourself putting off important tasks at an increasing rate?
• Are you feeling less and less confident about yourself?  Even feeling worthless at times?
• Do you withdraw from people?  Do you avoid relationships, wanting to be "alone" most of the time?

Workplace stress is one of life's realities.  Everyone get's stressed, especially at work.  It's either the demands are too much or your expectations are not being met.  Either way, if left unchecked, workplace stress can cause depression.  Start managing your workplace stress by acknowledging how stressed you are.  Then, start doing something about it before you get really depressed.
   
Sources:
* http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1137195340877175320#editor/target=post;postID=3832277600063123055
**http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/mental_health/articles/how_to_keep_depression_from_wrecking_work.aspx

Workplace Stress: Is it time to Quit?

I used to complain a lot about workplace stress.  And then I realized - what part of life is not susceptible to stress?  Even children get stressed!  Dogs, too.  So, why not you?

Workplace stress is, therefore, inevitable.  And you shouldn't expect somebody else to deal with workplace stress for you.  It's your stress, deal with it.

But that's not the issue right now.  The issue is that you've tried overcoming workplace stress and yet the signals to "throw-in the towel" are getting way beyond workplace stress management.

What are the signals?  The article, "Is it Time to Quit Your Job?", got some points to a "T": your health is at stake, your "boss" wants to get rid of you, it's a dead-end job, everything else has risen except your salary, you have a better option and your workplace stress is also taking its toll on your family.

Let's talk about your health.  Are you absolutely sure that your aches and pains are caused by work? Are you eating the right kind of food?  Do you have some form of exercise? Is your posture correct?  Is your bedroom conducive for sleeping?  While I agree that workplace stress can reach such heights that you will experience perennial headaches and suffer from insomnia, this is not always the case.  Is your work making you sick?  Or are you sick that's why your work suffers?

The "boss", of course, is a different matter altogether.  Although I believe that there are ways to manage your "boss", there are, indeed, situations where no amount of managing can help.  If you're part of the management team, this is workplace stress in its ultimate form.  Everyone in the office may want to get rid of you.  So what? If you're "boss" is backing you up? But when you're being left out, not given any assignments, treated like a non-entity, then it's probably time to look for other options.

A dead-end job and no pay increase are two issues you must learn to accept.  Unemployment is on the rise.  People who have jobs are lucky to still have one.  What's a dead-end job anyway.? For now, at least, while the economy is on a slump, just consider yourself blessed that you have some work to rush to in the morning and a paycheck to look forward to once or twice a month.  

If you feel you're not growing in your job, well, "grow" yourself.  Go back to school.  Take short courses.  Read books. Use the internet to update yourself.  Make your job more challenging by giving yourself higher expectations about the quality of your work.  When you get into a dead-end street, you don't leave your car do you?

People are losing jobs or getting pay cuts. If money is not expanding, it's time to look into lifestyle.  How are you spending your money?  What expenses can be reduced?  What things can you let go of? When you're having workplace stress that seems to be taking over your life, having savings is very important.  You never know if workplace stress will eventually turn out to be no-work stress. 

If you've been offered another job, good for you.  But I'd be careful.  Of course you've heard of the proverbial "from the frying pan into the fire". No one will guarantee that moving from one office to another will free you from workplace stress.  The only guarantee you'll have is, for sure, there will also be workplace stress.  And always remember, you meet the same kind of people, encounter the same kind of problems, until you've learned to deal with them.

Remember, you have a family to think about.  And when work is interfering with family, what then?  Ever heard of time management? Of prioritizing?  Of making sure you do your work right so you don't have to spend any time at the office anymore than you should?  Ever heard of vacation leaves?  And of making sure that when you're with family, you are with them and not half-way with work?

It's probably obvious by now I am not encouraging anyone to quit.  When workplace stress hits, find time to take a break, think things through and pray for God's guidance.  It's also time to look for other options.  

If workplace stress is getting the better of you, you don't really need to get boxed in your office cubicle.  You can get a job, working at home.  If you're thinking of quitting, don't quit yet.  Explore the idea of working at home.  Here are some links to help you get started:

How To Become a Virtual Assistant : http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268349

Virtual Assistant Online Workshop: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268351
On-line mentoring club: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272657
Social Mentoring Club: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4278581
Online Wealth Breaktrough Seminar: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4274270

MANAGING STRESS AT THE WORKPLACE

Managing stress at the workplace
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express
Updated Jun 04, 2011 at 08:03am IST

We all need some pressure in our working lives --- it makes our work satisfying and helps us to meet deadlines. But too much pressure, without the chance to recover, causes stress.

In a 2006 Health and Safety Executive survey, one in six working people in the UK reported that their job was very or extremely stressful. Work-related stress is one of the biggest causes of sick leave. Workplace stress is different for everyone --- what is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. It can depend on your personality type and how you have learned to respond to pressure.

Often there is no single cause of work-related stress. Although it can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it’s often the result of a combination of stressful factors that build up over time.

Symptoms

Work-related stress can cause both physical and emotional health problems. In addition to the obvious emotional symptoms, it can cause you to be more prone to physical symptoms like headaches, muscular tension, backache or neckache, tiredness and sleep problems, digestive problems, a raised heart rate, skin rashes, sweating and blurred vision. Chronic (long-term) stress can also contribute to anxiety and depression, and can even increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Sort things out

Prioritise tasks, delegate where you can and make sure you don’t take on more work than you can handle. Take regular breaks at work and try to finish one task before starting another. Make sure your work environment is comfortable. If it isn’t, ask for help from your organisation’s health and safety officer. If possible, don’t work long hours --- sometimes projects need extra time, but working long hours over many weeks or months doesn’t generally lead to more or better results at work. Take a look at your relationships with your colleagues --- do you treat each other with respect and consideration? If not, try to find a way to improve relationships with your colleagues.

Talk to your manager

It’s important to talk directly to your manager about work-related stress. He or she has a duty to take reasonable steps to try to resolve the problem. If you find talking about your concerns difficult, it may help to make notes during your discussion. Ask your human resources department how to challenge these policies and make sure you know what support there is for you if you decide to do this.

At home

There are things you can do outside of work to help reduce your stress levels. Try to exercise every day if possible. Exercise helps to use up the stress hormones that cause your symptoms, giving you a sense of well-being and helping your muscles to relax. Even a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day will combat stress.

MY THOUGHTS

In most cases, we are the ones who cause our workplace stress.  Stress triggers will always be there-at home and at work.  The difference between stressed people and people who seem to be always relaxed is the ability to manage the stressors.

BE COOL UNDER PRESSURE

How to Train Yourself to Be Cool Under Pressure
By Jessica Stillman | May 10, 2011

Last weekend after giving the okay for special forces soldiers to raid a compound where the world’s most wanted man was believed to be hiding, President Obama straightened his bow tie and went off to roast Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Funny and unruffled, the President gave no indication he was feeling the strain of his momentous decision. He was, in short, a pretty cool customer.

It was an impressive display of calm under pressure and inspires the question — how does he do it? Is the ability to handle stress an innate characteristic like height or eye color, or is it something us mere mortals can learn to do too? According to Justin Menkes, the author of new book Better Under Pressure, the answer is very much the latter. “Attributes have a range of genetic influence and the ability to deal with pressure is on the far side of the continuum in terms of preparation versus genetics. Your ability to deal with stress is overwhelmingly about preparation,” he told Entry-Level Rebel in an interview.

Obama-level coolness is within all of our reach, says Menkes, who reminds young people not to be overawed by cool performances from those in senior positions: “It is indisputable that they can do those highly pressured, extraordinary things that they see the masters do. The masters have been preparing for 40-45 years. Excellent, expert preparation got them there. They weren’t born a star.”

So how do you go about building up nerves of steel? Very much like you would go about building up abs of steel, says Menkes, who recommends a progressive increase in strain for those who want to toughen up. But be warned, like with physical exercise, strengthening your nerve isn’t necessarily comfortable:

    There’s no simple A, B, C. You can’t just read books — it’s not like that. It’s not ‘OK, I put a little post-it on my desk for a daily mantra “Remember you’re terrific!”‘ That’s useless. You have to build inside your brain, your consciousness and your stomach a knowing that you can handle it.

    You have to put yourself in situations that elevate your sense of stretch, whether it’s a presentation, public speaking or a task that causes you fear like taking lead in a Monday morning meeting. Take initiative on something, but not something that is over your head because what is essential is that your experiences along the way are positive.

    If you put yourself in situations that are just so extreme, then the probabilities are you aren’t ready and it can go badly. Then your memory attaches negative experiences to pressure and that doesn’t help. We want you to associate elevated pressure with a confidence that you can handle it, and you do that by elevating the situations of stress where there’s a risk of failure but you’re well enough prepared for it that odds are it’s going to go well. You put yourself in several of those and then you have that internal memory of ‘I can handle pressure.’ And then you keep elevating it.

It may sound like a less than pleasant process, but Menkes insists that becoming a cool customer is key for business leaders of the future. “The biggest distinction in the 21st century is an ongoing elevation of pressure and complexity,” he warns. “That’s not going to go away, so you have to find a way to find it invigorating. The people that will thrive it are those who understand it, accept it and take advantage of it.” Better get practicing then.

MY THOUGHTS

Love.  If you want to stretch your patience to limits you cannot even imagine just love.  Love your job.  Love your boss.  Love the people you work with and for.  Love Jesus and pray that He will help you love like He did.  You can't love this way without Jesus.  Your love os self wirll always fight its way into your desire to be calm under pressure.

THE TRUTH ABOUT EMPLOYEE FUN DAY

THE TRUTH ABOUT EMPLOYEE FUN DAY

from the article “Employee Fun Day” Won’t Create Job Satisfaction
By Kelly Goldsmith and Marshall Goldsmith | August 25, 2010

http://www.bnet.com/blog/marshall-goldsmith/-8220employee-fun-day-8221-won-8217t-create-job-satisfaction/131?tag=content;drawer-container

"Over the last year, we surveyed thousands of respondents on their experience of happiness and meaning — both at work and outside of work.  While many of our findings were consistent with our expectations, one was a surprise.

We asked respondents to note the percentage of time they spent on activities that produced high amounts of short-term gratification (or happiness) but low amounts of long-term benefit (or meaning). We classified these activities — things like gossiping and watching TV — under the category “stimulating.” Then we conducted an analysis, comparing the number of hours respondents spent on the “stimulating” activities to their overall satisfaction with life at work and at home.

Companies that invest in activities that are supposed to be “fun” but are also meaningless are probably squandering their money and their employees’ time. “Employee fun day” may well be a waste — it only leads to increased cynicism. Most professionals are extremely busy. They don’t need to go to work to be entertained. They can do that at home."

"While a little fun time is great, a lot of it can do more harm than good. Rather than watching another TV show, it might be good if we challenged ourselves by finding ways to help other people in need. Finding meaning can be more important than finding amusement.

As always, we would love to get your thoughts on this topic.  What is meaningful for you?  How does your own search for meaning lead to higher overall satisfaction with your life?"

MY THOUGHTS

Yes, a little fun won't hurt.  A day away from work can do some wonders.  Short term.  If the bigger issues are not handled, employee fun day becomes meaningless.

SPOT A DYSFUNCTIONAL MANAGER

How to Spot a Dysfunctional Manager
By Steve Tobak | December 28, 2009

Does your boss act out and throw tantrums like a spoiled child? Are you afraid to bring up certain hot-button issues in meetings for fear of being humiliated? Does your company’s strategy change weekly? Daily?

These are all signs of a dysfunctional workplace, but you know what? Workplaces don’t become dysfunctional by themselves. People make them that way. More specifically, management people: CEOs, VPs, middle managers, your boss. Know how to spot them? Here’s a handy guide, but there’s a surprise at the end.

20 Ways to Spot a Dysfunctional Manager

1.Rants like a raving lunatic.

2.Tells you to do something you don’t want to do, blames you when it goes south.

3.Freaks out over nothing, but when disaster strikes, becomes eerily calm.

4.Says she wants you to take responsibility, then publicly overrides your decisions.

5.Intimidates with aggressive words and posture, backs down like a wimp when confronted by a bigger bully.

6.Spends more time covering his ass than he does sitting on it.

7.Verbally approves new requisitions, later denies doing it, aka selective memory.

8.Laughs uncomfortably at inappropriate times.

9.Makes hallway decisions that affect your group … when you’re not there.

10.A single data point sends him off in a completely new direction.

11.Gives in when pushed into a corner, then does what she wants anyway, aka passive aggressive.

12.Swoops into meetings and takes over.

13.Revels in the invention of creative curses for just the right occasion.

14.Gets way, way too personal.

15.Sticks you right in the middle of feuds with his peers.

16.Rides you mercilessly while pet employees can do no wrong.

17.Fanatically obsessive about minutia.

18.Always right: when confronted with mistakes, blames them on someone else.

19.Fiercely protective of dumb pet projects.

20.At the first sign of trouble throws allies under the bus.

Well, those are my 20, but I’m sure you’ve got a lot more of your own. Let’s hear ‘em.

Almost forgot, I promised you a surprise at the end. Well, you know how I know all this about dysfunctional managers? Well, not only have I observed all this behavior in others, but I’ve done half of this stuff myself! Top that for honesty.

MY THOUGHTS

Same here.  Same here.  Who hasn't done 1 or 2. Maybe 3.  But if you're doing all of them, time to make a turn - 90, 180, 360. 

Are you in danger of "Karo-shi"

Fight stress, stay healthy
By Lisa Hansen
Posted: 03/23/2011 11:30:46 AM PDT

http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/business/ci_17682522

The Japanese concept of "Karo-shi" can almost literally be translated as "death from overwork." The term first came into common usage in Japan during the 1980s after rising concern following the sudden death of several high-ranking business men who showed no signs of previous health issues. "Karo¯shi" has been attributed to a wide variety of stress-related medical issues, such as high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke, to name a few.

There have been extensive studies on the effects of stress on a workforce's overall health and well being. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 54% of workers are concerned about health problems due to stress. And, Express Employment Professionals' recent Hiring Trends survey showed that 88% of company leaders say their current work stress is as high or higher than last year. It's a serious problem that companies and their employees are being forced to address.

So, how do you reduce workplace stress? There are a wide variety of techniques and countless books about eliminating stress in your life. But, the first and most important step is to know the warning signs of stress, which can vary between individuals. In a recent APA study, some of the most common indicators of excessive stress included fatigue, irritability, lack of interest or motivation, head and stomach aches, and insomnia. So it's important to find a stress reducing activity that best fits your symptoms and lifestyle to help eliminate tension and keep you healthy and happy.

Take short breaks

The human body wasn't made to sit in one position and stare at a computer screen for eight hours a day. Make it a point to stand up and take a quick walk around the office every hour or two. Go grab a small, healthy snack. Say hello to a coworker. Or simply just stand up at your desk and stretch. Find a quick and simple activity you can do throughout the day to get your body moving and break up the monotony. Make simple lifestyle changes

Get some exercise

Exercise can do wonders for your stress and anxiety levels. Just a half-hour a day a few times a week can make a huge difference in your stress level. The important part is finding an activity you enjoy so you don't think of it as something you have to do. Whether it's as simple as a walk through a local park, swimming laps at the gym, or taking a yoga class, a little bit of activity can go a long way.

Use your vacation time

If you have vacation time, don't be afraid to use it. Taking a few days here and there to escape the daily grind of the work week is one of the best ways to recharge your mind and body. If you're a leader at your company, it's also important to keep a close eye on the overall stress levels of your employees. When you do notice a spike in stress, act quickly. There are a variety of tactics you can use to help ease some of the tension. You just need to be aware and understand what causes the build up in stress and then act accordingly.

Some examples of changes you can make on an organizational level to reduce stress could include:

- Redistribute employee workloads or hire new full-time or temporary workers to help take some of the burden off your current employees' shoulders.

- Provide opportunities for fun and bonding outside of work.

- Open the lines of communication to be sure your employees understand their jobs and why they are important.

- Allow your employees to participate in discussions and decision making that affect the business.

- Help your employees define development goals to help guide their careers in the right direction.

The impact of stress on health and well being can be profound and indiscriminate. Employees at all levels are prone to developing stress-related illnesses, and those who choose to deal with the issue head on are the ones who stand the best chance of overcoming it.

---------

Lisa Hansen is the owner of Express Employment Professionals, 243 S. Main St. in Red Bluff. The Red Bluff office, at 243 S. Main St., is taking applications. Businesses seeking employees may call 527-0727 or visit the Express website at www.expresspros.com.
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MY THOUGHTS

The trick is in recognizing the early signs of work stress and doing something about it immediately.  Work stress becomes harder and harder to deal with as it becomes more serious. 

CRYING AT WORK?

The delicate rules of the crying game

Tears at the office are growing more acceptable — for certain reasons and at certain times.
By Joe Castaldo

When Anne Kreamer answered a phone call from media mogul Sumner Redstone a few years ago, she was not expecting to end up in tears. Kreamer, then senior vice-president of consumer products at a subsidiary of Redstone's Viacom, was in her office celebrating with colleagues a recent business deal. Redstone wasn't calling to congratulate them, but rather to berate Kreamer for failing to move the company's share price. She quickly brought the gathering to an end, shooed her co-workers away, and cried.

Reflecting on the incident, Kreamer, who has just completed a book about emotion in the workplace, says she wouldn't be so quick to dismiss her colleagues today. "I probably would allow people to see that I was upset, and figure out a way to share a little bit," she says. That's because she's come to believe that crying at work, one of the great office taboos, should not be considered the personal and professional failing many believe it to be. Not only do those who have wept in the office report feeling shame afterward, but the general perception of people who cry is that they are unreliable and ill-equipped to handle stress. Some surveys indicate workers believe criers to be manipulative. Clearly, blubbering in front of colleagues could hurt your career prospects.

The issue is particularly relevant for women, who cry more often than men. In a survey of 700 Americans conducted by Kreamer and advertising firm J. Walter Thompson for her book, It's Always Personal (out next month), 41% of women admitted to shedding tears at work at least once over the previous 12 months, compared to just 9% of men. But women were just as quick as men to denounce weepers. In the poll, 43% of women said criers are "unstable."

There are sociological and biological reasons why women become teary-eyed more often than men. Women produce more prolactin, a hormone believed to play a role in crying. Women's tear ducts and even the viscosity of their tears are also more conducive to crying. Some researchers posit that women tend to shed tears in response to anger, whereas men will scream and yell. Yet neither response — tears or anger — is considered appropriate for women in the workplace, according to a study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. Study participants said men who show anger can make decent leaders, but deemed women who display anger or sadness to have less leadership potential.

The underpinnings of crying and our responses to it make the stigma weigh more heavily on women than men. But awareness of these factors, says Kreamer, can lead to a more compassionate environment. "Women are now 50% of the workforce, so this gives us an opportunity to step back and ask if we can bring more of our authentic selves to the workplace."

Still, changing attitudes is tough. In a soon-to-be-published study, Kimberly Elsbach, a professor in the Graduate School of Management at University of California–Davis, found through interviews with 65 professionals that there are "right" and "wrong" ways to cry at work, and knowing the difference can be essential to a successful career.

Colleagues are most tolerant of a co-worker who is upset about a personal issue, such as a death in the family, Elsbach has found. Surprisingly, crying in response to critical feedback will not damage your reputation so long as it appears the feedback is getting through. A sobfest caused by workplace stress also doesn't seriously hurt your stature — but only if the episode does not affect the work of others and is done in relative privacy. But crying during a meeting — especially if you're the one in charge or your tears become disruptive — is a major no-no, causing a big blow to your credibility. In short, shedding a few tears is tolerated if no one else is inconvenienced.

That said, there may be times when it's not possible to hold back tears in front of colleagues. When that happens, damage control becomes necessary, says Lois Frankel, an executive coach in California. Frankel suggests e-mailing or talking directly to the witnesses to apologize for causing any discomfort, and simply admit your emotions got the better of you. "That's what people want to know: that you recognize what happened, and that you're working on it," she says.

Frankel, like Kreamer, believes that more tolerance in these situations can ultimately lead to a better work environment, but she is a business owner herself. An episode of public crying is acceptable — once. But repeated breakdowns are distracting and might indicate larger personal or professional problems. "There comes a point where I say, this needs to be fixed, or this person has to leave," says Frankel. "If the tears keep coming, maybe it's the wrong workplace for you."

MY THOUGHTS

I guess it depends on why the person is crying.  And where and with whom.  And how often.  You certainly don't want to work with a cry baby.

WAYS TO RELAX AT WORK

Stress Management: 5 Ways to Relax at Work
By Amy Levin-Epstein | Mar 31, 2011

Almost by definition, work is stressful — that’s why God (and/or HR) created vacation days. And these days, workplace anxiety is being felt at record high rates. “People, no matter what income levels, are feeling pinched,” says relaxation expert Darren Zeer, who has worked with companies like Maidenform and Del Monte Foods to ease employee stress. “Between the bad economy, smaller staffs and employment insecurity, it’s a brutal combination.”

From crazy clients to time-consuming conference calls, it’s easy to get worked up at work.  Here are some great tips that will help you instantly feel better on the job, so you’ll be healthier and more productive:

Sip Chamomile Tea

A coffee break might put a pep in your step, but herbal tea will keep you calmer - and chamomile extract, in particular, has been shown to reduce anxiety. Bonus points if you take a quick walk to the corner deli to pick it up while getting some fresh air.

Clear Out Clutter

How clean is your desk? An organized workspace can keep you focused. “Having a clutter-free workspace means there’s no stress hunting down needed items, so time is spent more productively,” says professional organizer Sally Allen, CEO of A Place for Everything. Her advice: Keep the things you work on daily on top of your desk, the things you work on weekly in your desk, and the things you work on monthly around your desk. Everything else? Toss it.

Do a Desk Stretch

You can treat tension instantly with office yoga — but no need to go straight into Downward-Facing Dog. Zeer says a client favorite is his “Kick-back Log-on Pose.” To try:  Interlace your fingers behind your head. Relax your elbows and shoulders. Smile, breathe, and stretch your elbows back.  Let the tightness release slowly, and repeat throughout the day.

Feng Shui Your Bag or Briefcase

At a meeting and looking for your notes? If your bag is filled with old receipts, wrappers and other refuse, you are more likely to get distracted and make mistakes — and that’s certainly stressful. It’s time to start thinking of your purse or briefcase as a field bag, says Zeer: “Make sure you are well equipped for your meetings, and have your briefcase fully stocked with extra cell-phone batteries, a snack, and water. Empty out old material that is not needed,” he says. Another way to stay relaxed and motivated? “On the inside of your briefcase you can tape a picture of loved ones or an inspiring message for reassurance on the road,” he says.

Watch a Silly YouTube Video

Remember when The Office’s Michael Scott called himself the “King of Forwards”? That might actually have been good business sense, say some experts. Laughter — like the kind that comes after watching a dog skateboarding on YouTube — can improve mood and immune function and even lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to researchers from Loma Linda University. “Go online and look up jokes for a minute or two. This allows for a change in your physiology,” says study author Lee Berk, DrPH.

Have any other suggestions on lowering office stress? Please sign in below and share. And for more career advice, follow @MWOnTheJob on Twitter.

MY THOUGHTS

I am vouching for all these tips. They all work.  A quick coffee break can help me relax but I agree that chamomile tea is a better choice.  Walking around the block also does the trick for me.  Knowing where everything is (almost everything, anyway) is a great time management tool.  And the more successful you are in managing your time, the less stressed you would be.  The best de-stressor, of course, is having a good laugh.  Alone or with others-it really doesn't matter.  What's important is you laugh your problems off without forgetting that the problems need to be dealt with. 

SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN SOLUTIONS

The Computer Hunch: Shoulder and Neck Pain Solutions
By Gretchen Reynolds
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the April 2010 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

Have long hours spent slumped over your computer turned you into the office hunchback? Here's how to work out the kinks.

Amy Markham was once an endurance athlete, running marathons and cycling long distances. Then, at the age of 37, she took a new job as director of admissions at a small liberal arts college in Massachusetts. Her new sport was hunching over her keyboard. At first the pain barely registered, but the tension in her neck and shoulders eventually became so severe that it was sometimes impossible to turn her head, shrug on clothes, or even type. While Markham's pain was extreme, the circumstances that led to it are not uncommon.

As many as 63 percent of all office workers will suffer from neck pain sometime this year, with women at particular risk, according to a recent comprehensive review of neck pain studies. Poor posture is partly to blame; the ever-increasing dependence on computers doesn't help, either. Happily, some relatively simple exercises can help.

5 moves that reduce neck pain and increase neck strength

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that the five moves below dramatically reduced neck pain and increased neck strength in female office workers. For the best results, complete at least three sessions a week. (A session consists of three sets of three of the moves listed here; for each set, repeat the exercise ten to 12 times.)

1. Shoulder Shrug
Stand, holding a pair of two-pound dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your neck straight, slowly lift up your shoulders toward your ears and lower them again. Repeat.

2. One-Arm Row
With a dumbbell in your left hand, stand at the left side of a knee-high workout bench. Set your right knee on the bench and bend at the waist, setting your right palm on the front of the bench for balance. Your left arm should be straight, palm facing in, with the weight hanging toward the ground. Slowly pull up the weight toward your chest, then gently lower and repeat. Switch sides and repeat with the opposite arm.

3. Upright Row
Stand holding a weight in each hand, resting the weights on your thighs, palms facing your body. Bending at the elbows, slowly lift up the dumbbells to chest height (your elbows should point slightly up, not straight out to either side). Keep the weights close to your body and your neck relaxed and straight. Lower gently and repeat.

4. Reverse Fly
Reposition your bench so it's at a 45-degree angle to the floor. With a weight in each hand, straddle the seat and press your chest against the raised end of the bench. Extend your arms toward the floor, palms facing in. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, extend the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor. Slowly lower and repeat.

5. Shoulder Abduction
Stand holding the weights at your sides, pressed against your thighs. With your elbows slightly bent, extend the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor, palms down. Keep your neck straight and relaxed. In a smooth motion, lower and repeat.

Create a perfect workstation for mind and body.

MY THOUGHTS

something to plan for. i have the perennial neck and back problems because of working 8-12 hours a day. meaning,i have the computer hunch syndrome. massage works short term. you start working and in a day or two the pain's back. hope this exercises help.

HOW TO DEAL WITH A NARCISSIST

How to Deal with the Office Narcissist
By Jessica Stillman | March 2, 2010

Poets might be known for their higher than average incidence of depression, but the world of business is famous for attracting those with another sort of psychological disorder; “psychologists have studied narcissistic traits in actors, chief executives and politicians, where such tendencies are all but built into the job description,” reports the NY Times.

What exactly is narcissism? According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, the diagnosis involves, “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration and lack of empathy… a grandiose sense of self-importance.”

Of course, most cubicle dwellers are normal, empathetic people, but your chances of running into a narcissist is probably higher among high achieving business leaders than, say, at a convention of dentists or pre-school teachers. So how do you handle a narcissistic colleague or client when you meet one? A blog post by Karen Leland on Web Worker Daily offers five tips from Connie Dieken, author of the book Talk Less, Say More:

* Give them options. Beneath their bluster, narcissistic people fear being left out of the loop. They crave control. It’s far better to offer them options to choose from, rather than feeding them ready-made decisions. They’ll tear other people’s decisions to shreds. Giving them options helps them feel respected and in control. It also prevents nasty hissy fits.

* Focus on solutions, not problems. When you explain a problem or a challenge to a narcissist, direct their attention to the solution. Don’t allow them to dissect the problem over and over again. Narcissists love drama and revel in the chaos. They’re easily agitated when frustrated. Define problems and present possible solutions, so they don’t smell blood in the water and tear you apart.

* Make them the hero. Narcissists are preoccupied with power and truly believe they are special and unique. They live for attention and admiration. Want them to do something? Tell them how great they are at it and watch them perform. Better yet, praise their performance in front of others. Just keep it real, please.

* Let them think it’s their idea. Narcissists often steal the credit for ideas that aren’t theirs. Why do they do that? Strangely, they truly believe that hijacked results are their own. Grabbing credit is a driving force for them. If this gets things done, I say learn to live with it. Over time, everyone will catch on — wink, wink. Meantime, graciously transferring credit for ideas to them makes things happen.

* Manage their emotional blind spot. Egomaniacs lack empathy. They’re so caught up in their own world that it doesn’t occur to them to consider your feelings or viewpoints. It’s a huge blind spot. You must put your own feelings on the table, if you choose to do so. Just be smart about sharing feelings with a narcissist. Brace yourself for the guilt trips and disparaging criticism that narcissists often dole out when others explain how they feel.

MY THOUGHTS

so, do you have this constant need to be admired? do you have this feeling of self-importance that's way beyond normal? do you lack the capacity to feel for others, understand their situation and actually feel what they are feeling? then you really should be reading about 'how not to be a narcissist".

but if you are on the end of the spectrum and you find yourself dealing with an 'egomaniac', read over the tips very carefully.remember, being honest is still necessary but you can't win with a narcissist if you fight them off.

SIGNS THAT YOUR JOB IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU

7 Signs You're in Over Your Head
By Steve Tobak | January 21, 2011

Nobody wants to believe they’re the problem. Why that is, I don’t know. But it’s far and away the stickiest issue that plagues organizations big and small. That’s why it keeps coming up again and again here.

In last year’s most clicked post - 7 Signs You May Be a Bad Manager - we talked about how most bad managers aren’t consciously aware that they are bad managers. That was news to a lot of people.

It seems that, while we talk about denial all the time, we don’t really understand what it means: that, on some level, we are aware of our behavior and our issues; we’re just not consciously aware. That requires a measure of self-awareness few of us possess.

As I alluded to at the time, this phenomenon isn’t at all limited to bosses, but applies to executives, managers, employees too. What that means is that, no matter who you are or what you do, you can be in over your head and not realize it.

As we all know, realizing a problem is the first step to resolving it. But, for those of you who still aren’t convinced that knowing the truth about your level of competency is a good thing, here’s a different way to say it: If you bury your head in the sand, you’ll likely suffocate. How’s that for motivation?

So pay attention to these 7 Signs You’re in Over Your Head

1. You’re more anxious and stressed-out than usual. Why is that a sign? Because, on some level, you’re aware that you’re in over your head and the disconnect between that awareness and the lie you keep consciously telling yourself - and others, in all likelihood - is causing you great anxiety and stress.

2. Goals you thought were reasonable now seem insurmountable. Congratulations, you’ve fallen victim to one of the most common pitfalls in the working world: pedestal thinking. Don’t feel too bad, it’s just god’s sick little gift to overachievers. Just remember that the next time your ego wants to write a check that your capability can’t cash.

3. You’re feeling depressed when you should be feeling fine. You’ve been given a chance, an opportunity to prove yourself, maybe even a promotion. You should be on top of the world … but you’re not. Again, that’s the disconnect talking. And maybe, just maybe, you can’t help but wonder if you haven’t been given just enough rope to hang yourself with.

4. Your schedule is constantly slipping. Maybe your budget, headcount, and capital requirements, too. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. And management’s starting to get really tired of it. Every time they ask, “Is that going to do it,” you say “Absolutely.” But you have no idea if that’s true or not. Dangerous game to play.

5. I can do this has turned into I’m going to do this if it kills me. Well, it probably won’t kill you, but it might set your career back a bit or even get you fired. The point is that there are diminishing returns when it comes to being so driven that you push yourself to do things you’re either not ready for or are not capable of doing. And frankly, nobody wins when you do that. Nobody.

6. You find yourself working even when you’re not … and shouldn’t be. You find yourself thinking about work at all times of the day and night? While you’re eating, sleeping, on weekends, even during sex? Working longer and longer hours but coming home with less and less accomplished? Yup, that’s a sign alright. Been there many times.

7. You’re screwing up … and you’re not a screw up. I know it sounds sort of obvious, but I can remember times when I made excuses for errors in judgment that I probably wouldn’t have made if I wasn’t stretched so thin or pushing the envelope. Why did I do that? I guess I’m not the sort of guy who gives up easily. But again, there comes a point when that can actually work against you.

Once you’ve recognized that you’re in over your head, what do you do about it? In a nutshell, it’s always a good idea to be honest with yourself and face the fact that maybe you need to get some help, i.e. fess up to your boss, ask for more time and resources, that sort of thing.

If you’re a young up-and-comer who’s just pushing the envelope, i.e. no pain no gain, I’d give you a pass for sticking your neck out and taking risks, as long as you learn from the experience and don’t make it a regular thing.

If this is chronic with you, then there’s a distinct possibility that you’ve risen to your level of incompetence, i.e. the Peter Principle. In that case, you might want to read What’s the One Thing Limiting Your Success? and deal with it.

MY THOUGHTS

this can happen. absolutely. you're not good. you're very,very good. in fact, you're excellent. all you past performances can back that up. so, here you are. in a new post. a new assignment. and you just can't hack it. believe, the signs outlined in this article? these are killers. and the more you postpone getting help, the risk that you're setting yourself up for failure gets higher and higher.

Win Over Your Boss

How to Win Over Your Boss
By Steve Tobak | January 20, 2011

In Getting a New Boss? Interview Again for Your Job, career coach Priscilla Claman outlines three steps to get yourself “rehired,” as she calls it. Since BNET blogger Sean Silverthorne called her advice “absolutely brilliant,” I thought I’d check out the three steps:

1. Update your resume.
2. Set up a meeting.
3. Present yourself.

Now, I happen to think that this sort of “me-centric” approach can easily backfire. But, the original post does have some decent points and Claman herself has a disclaimer at the end, “I find that the higher up you are, the less successful the “rehiring” method is.”

In any case, if your boss isn’t behind you 100 percent, it can make your life miserable. Believe it or not, you can win him over just by asking a few questions that show him you “get it” and are management or senior management material. Whether he’s newly promoted, newly hired, the result of a merger or acquisition, or has been your boss forever, here are:

10 Simple Questions That Will Win Over Your Boss

1. Ask what he thinks you can do to be more effective.
2. Ask what her top three priorities or goals are.
3. Ask what you can do to make him more effective.
4. Ask what you can do to make the team more effective.
5. Ask if he’s interested in knowing what will make your job easier.
6. Ask what her take is on the company’s top priorities and goals.
7. Ask what he thinks you should do differently or improve upon to be more effective.
8. Ask if she’d like to meet periodically, one-on-one, and if so, how frequently and what format would she like the meeting to take. Then set it up.
9. Ask what his philosophy is on your shared functional responsibility, whatever that is, i.e. marketing, HR, IT, engineering, finance.
10. And, if the meeting’s open-form and you feel it’s appropriate, ask about her background. Most people like to talk about themselves and how they got there, as long as they don’t feel like they’re being grilled, pumped for information, or played in some way.

In case it isn’t obvious, you don’t just plop down in your boss’s office with a notepad and start an inquisition. Ask for a one-on-one meeting because you’d like to know what you can do to be more effective and help him be more effective, wherein you ask a few questions, as appropriate, etc.

And, contrary to the aforementioned HBR advice, do not tell her about your role and your team. Instead, ask if she’d like to hear your perspective on your and your team’s role. If she says, “absolutely,” then set it up. But I still say it’s better to ask for her perspective on your and your team’s role. Get the difference?

And whatever you do, don’t present yourself, your resume, or your achievements either. Frankly, your boss, new or old, isn’t primarily interested in any of that stuff. He’s primarily interested in meeting his objectives and helping his boss meet hers.

The closer you come to demonstrating that that’s your priority as well, the sooner you’ll win him over because you “get it.” And the sooner you’ll be viewed as management or senior management material.

MY THOUGHTS

hmmm. food for thought. calls for some heavy thinking. i remember asking a new boss what my job description was. he said - "NONE". i wanted to resign right then and there. i stayed. wise decision. he said he didn't want to limit what i can do by having a list of tasks. i figured, from where he's from, the term "perform other tasks that may be assigned" does not appear in JDs. demanding as he was, he was also very wise. true enough, my stint with him proved to be very rewarding. there was no limit to what he wanted to achieve. i worked along side him. in other words, i won him over. and he won me over,too.

Things We Wish We Could Tell the Boss

7 Things We All Wish We Could Tell the Boss
http://www.bnet.com/photos/7-things-we-all-wish-we-could-tell-the-boss/490886?tag=trunk

By Dave Logan

I’ve visited dozens of companies in 2010 and keep hearing the same message: the person at the top is clueless and unwilling to change. As a result, employees spend absurd amounts of time managing around him (it’s usually a him). It’s not just the Emperor Has No Clothes. It’s that the Emperor Has No Clothes and Looks Funny Naked. But if you had the courage to have these conversations with the man in charge, you could transform the lackluster leader into a great one, and boost the company's bottom line in the process.

1. You're nothing like Lincoln, Churchill or Clinton.
Nothing is funnier, or more tragic, than a mediocre leader who thinks he’s Lincoln, or Churchill or Clinton. And nothing is a greater waste of time than when an “idiot boss” (thanks, Scott Adams) tries to fine-tune his style by reading about the Greats.

A much better use of time would be for someone with credibility to sit down with the CEO and say, “You’re like none of those people, but if you work really hard, you could become a great leader in your own right.”

The great leaders are all originals. Although many were amateur historians (or in Churchill’s case, professional), they didn’t become the people they were by copying behaviors from people in the past. They became great by finding a way to serve people in their time, and in the process, became leaders.

2. Guess what? YOU are the problem.

Imagine this conversation.

Him: Why isn't the company more innovative?

You : Because you, the CEO, drown us in initiatives, metrics, and plans, and so we don’t have any time.

Him: Why isn't the organization more successful?

You: Because the strategy you want us to pursue is inept, compared to what we could do if you got out of the way.

Him: Why isn't the company a great place to work?

You: Because you’re creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

The single question I’m asked more than any other is: “Can we use the principles of Tribal Leadership when the top person doesn’t get it but thinks he does?” The short-term answer is to create a pocket of tribal greatness, and let the results show that a new way of leading makes everyone win. The long-term answer is that the person at the top needs to get it, or get out.

3. You put a new thing on my 'to do' list. What are you taking off?

I often repeat a story from the darkest days of the U.S. automotive industry, when a major subcontractor to the Big Three held its managers accountable for well over 100 metrics. That story used to make people laugh. Over the last few years, the reaction has turned into, “so what do we do about that?”

Drucker was a fan of the idea of “purposeful abandonment”—determining which activities will be stopped. My friend David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, likes to say that a person’s success can be measured by looking at how long their “stop doing list” is. The same holds for companies. Most people, and most companies, don’t have a “stop doing list” at all.

CEOs should know that their followers measure them, in large part, by how many metrics and initiatives they purposefully abandon. In most cases, that’s zero.

4. If the employees don't understand the strategy, it's your fault.

Often in executive seminars I’ll go through the “must have” list for corporate competence, and then ask people which item on the list they are most concerned about. (One of the better lists is Jay Galbraith’s STAR model.) Almost always, number one is “strategy,” as in “do we have one?” and “ask 100 people and you’ll get 100 answers of what our strategy is.” I also hear, “the CEO thinks our strategy is the tag line from our ads.”

A strategy, by the way, is “the creation of a unique and valuable proposition” to the market, according to Michael Porter. If employees can’t say what that the unique value proposition is, the CEO has failed.

In most cases, the CEO would retort, “we have a strategy, they just aren’t listening to what it is.”

What’s the problem here?

It’s not about how the strategy is communicated, it’s about the listening that creates the strategy in first place. Anne Mulcahy tells the story of what happened when she assumed the role of president and COO of Xerox. It came down to listening to everyone: employees, customers, and suppliers. She didn’t check her brain at the door and merely combine what they said into the strategy. She checked it against everything she knew about the markets, and she also listened to advice from experts. The result from that long process was a strategy that was clear, concise, and that made people around Xerox say, “yes, that’s right!” If your company doesn’t have that kind of a strategy, the blame rests at the top.

5. You don't build loyalty by blaming employees.

Many CEOs try to send the message “you and I have a special relationship” by bad-mouthing other executives. The result? The message people hear is “I’ll throw anyone under the bus. The minute you’re out of favor, I’ll do the same to you.”

Great leaders throw themselves under the bus by taking responsibility for any failure in the company. When the company succeeds, it’s due to others.

6. Your staff will regard your tenure as the bad old days.

Most large companies remember a time when they had boundless energy and felt the potential of greatness knocking at the door. That was before the bullies, brats, and bureaucrats took over.

Most CEOs talk a lot about problems that they’ve solved. But the reality is that the overall vibrancy and vitality of the company is collapsing. People hunger for a leader who will really do things the right way. And until you learn that, you’re just another person steering the ship into the sand.

I should add that most CEOs are good people, wanting the best for their companies. So why does the Emperor Have No Clothes and Look Funny Naked?
It’s due to a variety of factors, including that organizations, by their design, limit or stop upward feedback. Most CEOs become increasingly isolated and cut off from the real issues and so their decisions become increasingly out of touch. Another reason is “CEO shuffle”—hiring from outside the company, based on competency and not shared values, so that the new person comes in with an agenda to change everything. Most successful CEOs in our study were home-grown and promoted from within.

7. Great leaders listen and you don’t.

Any questions?

Ever wanted to have this conversation and didn’t? I hope you’ll let me know, by email or in the comments below.

MY THOUGHTS

bosses! who is not having (or did not have) problems with a boss? one way or the other,at some point in time, we have whined and complained (and probably moved jobs) because we have an incompetent, dictatorial, unfeeling, inhuman, *&#$% boss. don't you get it? the problem is not the boss. it's you. first of all, if "the boss" is that insufferable what are you still doing there? if you have nowhere else to go, then don't you think you owe the hateful boss? he hasn't fired you, has he? even if no one else will hire you!!!

we dream (and probably having nightmares) about that time when we can tell our boss exactly what kind of boss he is. you think that's not possible? think again. it can happen. you can do it. but you have to play your cards right.

i once worked for a man, a brilliant, frustrating man that everyone hated. just the sound of his name made people want to crawl under the desk and never come out. he pushed and he pushed. with ideas that went completely way over your head.it was so frustrating the first thing i do when i get to work is print out a resignation letter with a new date.

guess what? if you ask me, the highlights of my career were those years i worked with the man. i did things i never thought possible. he inspired me to accomplish things that no one else can accomplish for him. he made me forget about titles and job descriptions. he showed me that i am limited only by what i think i can do.

how did it happen? i let him be my boss! obedience is the first key. he was the boss, not me. as soon as i accepted that, i saw him for what he is. a hard, no non-sense, whirlwind boss whose motivations are never questionable. someone to be respected. that allowed me to focus on my work(instead of wasting time thinking of ways to oust him).

that showed him i can be respected, too.as a professional and as a person. i didn't have to dream of telling him exactly what kind of boss he was. he asked. and he always valued my opinion.

Turn Enemy to a Friend to Lessen Workplace Stress

How to Turn Your Office Enemy into an Ally
By Margaret Heffernan | August 26, 2010

Being professional at work implies not letting personal likes and dislikes enter into our relationships with co-workers. It’s a high ideal that can be hard to achieve, especially when you encounter the colleague who, quite simply, just doesn’t like you.

That’s the situation a fine executive at GE encountered some years ago. For obvious reasons, she will remain anonymous -– but you can trust me, it’s a true story.

Carol, let’s call her, joined a new division and, being smart and experienced, dared to make a comment at her first meeting. “I disagreed with a comment one of my colleagues made about a strategic issue,” she told me. “After the meeting was over, he said, ‘Carol, don’t you know you’re just the cunt at the table? No one cares what you think.’”

What’s impressive is the way Carol responded. “I wanted to scream, but I didn’t. And I didn’t run around telling everyone what he said, even though I really wanted to. I knew he would use every opportunity he could to disparage me, sabotage me and hurt my credibility. Instead, when he made good suggestions in other meetings, I endorsed them. If my department was doing something that helped his, I let him know. And if I disagreed with him, I let him know that, too. Gradually he saw I was really good at what I did. He saw that my department could make him look good. He became an ally.”

“A few years later, he left to become president of another company. He called to ask me to be his COO. And no, I didn’t consider it for a moment.”

What’s impressive about Carol’s story is that she was able to see that the wasn’t about her; it was about her colleague. And while he might not always be professional, she always was. In other words, she seized the moral high ground and held it.

This is very tough to do. But it’s essential. You will, at some point in your , encounter someone who just doesn’t like you -– because you’re male, female, short, tall, fat, skinny or because you remind them of a former failed relationship. You won’t be able to change whatever history has formed their impression. What you can do is determine the level of your response.

“It’s really important to recognize that insulting, degrading, ridiculous comments aren’t about you -– they’re about the person saying them,” Carol explains. “Don’t take the remarks personally but do take them seriously, because you need to know what’s really going on.”

Encounters like Carol’s occur at every level in an organization, from the print room to the C suite. You can’t stop them happening; all you can influence is your own response.

MY THOUGHTS

if the workplace is full of machines and not people,i doubt there would be a term as 'workplace stress. but the minute you enter into an office, you encounter a guard, a receptionist, HR people who will provide you with orientation. there won't be a day in your work life when you will just sit in front of your laptop and not deal with people. you're in front of your laptop because you're dealing with email. and your emailing people. so, this article is such a welcome reminder. when i encounter difficult co-workers. the real ____holes. i pray.i pray for guidance.i pray that God will help me turn this enemy into a teammate. better yet,a friend.my best friends are still those i have formed bonds with while at work. some of these friendships started out badly. and i don't mind having more friends. even if you don't even want to hear this person's name in the beginning.

Want to Avoid Workplace stressand be more productive? Stop Working

How to Be Productive: Stop Working
By Margaret Heffernan | August 10, 2010

Industrial companies put a lot of effort into “asset integrity” — which really just means protecting critical plants and machinery from damage and wear and tear. At companies like BP, it’s clearly more of an aspiration than a reality, but anyone trained in a manufacturing environment learns that asset integrity is a top priority. But what about service industries — companies where the only assets are the brains of the people who work there? Shouldn’t they worry about asset integrity, too? Astonishingly, most of them don’t. Instead, financial services, consulting, the law and even the medical profession perpetuate working hours where all-nighters are heroic, driving with jet lag is the norm and anyone who actually has lunch risks becoming lunch.

But, they argue, we’re in the midst of an economic downturn, the worst recession in our lifetimes. Shouldn’t we all be working as hard as we can? Who has the luxury of time? What do you mean weekends aren’t for working?

Well, for the last 100 years, every productivity study in every industry has come to the same conclusion: after about 40 hours in a week, the quality of your work starts to degrade. You make mistakes. That’s why working 60 hours may not save you time or money: you’ll spend too much of that time fixing the mistakes you shouldn’t have made in the meantime. That’s why software companies that limit work to 35 hours a week need to employ fewer QA engineers: there isn’t as much mess to clean up.

In a knowledge economy, where thinking and creativity are the raw materials from which products and profit flow, brains are assets. They need to be cherished, nurtured and protected, not abused. Leaders need to take seriously a century’s evidence that 1) overwork doesn’t make us productive, it makes us stupid, 2) looking away from a problem is often the best way to solve it, and 3) burnout is what happens when people are asked to work in ways that obliterate all other parts of their lives.

Also: we need to hammer the last nail into the coffin of multi-tasking. No, you can’t safely drive and hold conference calls, nor can you text while driving. And checking emails while in meetings means you may as well not be there. What modern businesses need isn’t distracted Blackberry addicts but human beings who haven’t forgotten the gifts of focus, concentration and mindfulness.

When the cognitive scientist Dan Simons looked at the vast mountain of evidence that demonstrates the futility of multitasking, he was inevitably asked whether there were anything we could do to enlarge the capacity of our minds. The answer was an emphatic “no.” There are hard limits to what our brains will do, and no amount of Baby Mozarts or Brain Trainers will alter that. Practice, Simons says, will improve specific skills but not general abilities. Doing Sudoko will make you better at Sudoko; it won’t raise your GMAT scores.

Is there anything that truly enhances cognition? Yes, says Simons: exercise. Experiments by his colleague Arthur Kramer showed that walking for a few hours a week led to large improvements on cognitive tasks. Stretching and toning exercises had no cognitive benefits, but aerobic exercise, which increases blood flow to the brain, did. Seniors who walked for just 45 minutes a day for three days a week showed better preservation of their brains in MRI scans. Exercise, Simons concludes, improves cognition broadly by increasing the fitness of your brain.

Care about asset integrity? Get out of the office and go for a walk. And make sure the people who work for you do, too.

MY THOUGHTS

the short but brisk walking helps. i walk around the block sometimes if i need to work well into the night. clears the brain, relaxes the muscles and makes me more productive.

workplace stress? find out if you have a good job

Do you have a good job? Take the test

Today's job market favors employees. The attitude of most workers is that they should have a job that makes them happy. So it's no surprise that at any given time 70 percent of the workforce is job hunting, according to the Wall St. Journal.

Everyone is looking for the right position. But what exactly does that mean?

Here is something it's probably not: Prestigious. People who chase fame and prestige are generally not as happy as other people. If you're after fame, you are setting goals that are dependent on other peoples' approval. Conversely, goals about self-acceptance and friendship make you happy because you have more control over them.

You might think you're different – that you have a legitimate shot at fame. Ninety percent of young workers think they are in the top 10 percent of all workers, according to Business Week. Also, 40 percent think they will become famous. The reality is 1 or 2 percent ever achieve a modicum of fame.

A good rule of thumb when choosing a job to make you happy is to pick one that is based on the following list of attributes.

To test a job to see if it's good, give the job points for each attribute it has:

1. A short, predictable commute – 1 point
The problem with a long commute is that it is long in a different way each day. Sometimes it's the rain, sometimes there's an accident. Sometimes traffic is backed up for no apparent reason. Humans can acclimate themselves to a lot of traumatic stuff – even being a paraplegic, according to Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness. But you cannot acclimate yourself to something that is bad in a different way every day.

2. Workflow you can manage – 1 point
This is not about doing work. This is about managing your personal life, which you cannot do if you have no control over your workflow. You need to be able to predict when things will be difficult and when it's safe to focus more on your personal life. This is why management consultants are generally happy – they oversee their own schedule. But those who hold client-heavy jobs, such as lawyers or financial analysts, have to jump at a clients' whim.

3. Clear goals that are challenging – 1 point
Goals that are not challenging result in boredom, not happiness. But challenging work without a clear goal is a bad job waiting to happen because people want to know how they're doing. But you can't get feedback from a boss who does not set clear goals to manage your progress.

It is worth noting that the primary cause of workplace burnout is not the amount of time spent working, but whether the work you did can make a difference. For example, nurses on the pediatric burn unit have high turnover because it is exhausting to be taking care of children without being able to stop their suffering. Conversely, entrepreneurs are typically happy because they have so much control over workflow and goals.

4. Two co-workers you're close friend with – 3 points
If you have two good friends at work, you are almost guaranteed to like your job, according to Tom Rath, the author of Vital Friends. This is, in part, because you can process the bad parts of a job more productively with friends by your side to help you.

So finding a job you like or turning a bad job in to a good job might actually be totally under your control; you can decide you are going to be likable and make friends, or not.

Test results:

0-2 points, probably not a good job

3 points, probably a good job

4 – 6 points, probably a really good job

MY THOUGHTS

so, do you have a good job or not? remember,happiness is a state of mind. if you're ready to be happy, then you will be. don't make a mistake of leaving your job because it sucks. you'll find the next job sucks,too. why? the problem is not out there.

Everything You Know About Productivity is Wrong

Everything You Know About Productivity is Wrong
By Jessica Stillman | February 17, 20

Want to get more done at work? You need to buckle down, work consistently and hard for longer hours and quit procrastinating, right? Only if you work on a factory floor, counters blog Chief Happiness Officer from author and consultant Alexander Kjerulf. And as you’re reading a blog right now, you probably don’t work in an industrial job.

“For knowledge workers,” asserts Kjerulf, the old ideas about productivity “are not only wrong, they’re actively harmful.”

Instead, he suggests five new rules of productivity:

Your productivity will vary wildly from day to day. This is normal. In an industrial setting, you know that if the plant operates for X hours tomorrow you’ll produce Y widgets. For knowledge workers, you can’t possibly know in advance whether tomorrow will be a day where you reach a brilliant insight that saves you and your team weeks of work, or the day where you spend eight hours gazing dejectedly into your screen. This variation is normal -– if a little frustrating. You shouldn’t judge
your productivity by the output on any given day but rather by your average productivity over many days.

Working more hours means getting less done. A client asked me to conduct a study on the effects of work hours on productivity and errors, my findings were quite simply that… productivity decreased by half after the eighth hour of work. This may be counter-intuitive but it’s important to grasp: for knowledge workers there is no simple relationship between hours worked and output!

Working harder means getting less done. In an industrial environment, you can most often work harder and get more done. For knowledge workers, the opposite is true. You can’t force creativity, eloquence, good writing, clear thinking or fast learning -– in fact, working harder tends to create the opposite effect and you achieve much less.

Procrastination can be good for you. Sometimes you’re in the mood for task X and doing X is ridiculously easy and a lot of fun. Sometimes doing X feels worse than walking barefoot over burning-hot, acid-covered, broken glass and forcing yourself to do it anyway is a frustrating exercise in futility. Sometimes procrastinating is exactly the right thing to do at a particular moment.

Happiness is the ultimate productivity enhancer. The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work.

For me, selling accomplishment without sweat and pain is a bit like selling snake oil. Writing, creativity and learning sometimes do involve beating your head (metaphorically) against the screen for hours, and every burst of inspiration is backed up by hours of donkey work. Still, I agree with Kjerulf’s point that outright misery is counter-productive and that allowing for humans to actually be human (quirky, variable, susceptible to exhaustion and inspiration) is essentially productive. It’s all a matter of balance. Do you agree?

MY THOUGHTS

"it's all a matter of balance". and this balance has to flow from the top. how can people below balance things when the demands given to top management are unrealistic. naturally, the domino effect would be unrealistic demands (and work hours) for people way down below. this is the biggest challenge for middle-management though. you don't really have control (not very much) on the supposedly strategic goals. you can influence it. but at the end of the day, your job is to implement what has been decided upon. so, if the the demands are unrealistic from way up, middle managers task is to ensure that demands are less unrealistic for the staff. otherwise, you're bound to lose people. and then top management will get your hide. and so, the unrealistic demand will be on your shoulders. and dno't say you don;t have a choice. you do.

7 Signs You're Creating Your Own Workplace Stress

7 Signs You're Creating Your Own Workplace Stress
By Steve Tobak | July 2, 2009


Quick, by a show of hands, how many of you have workplace stress? Almost everybody, great. Now, how much of that stress do you think is self-imposed? What, no hands? Well, I’m not surprised, but you may be in for one.

You see, most people make their own stress. Why do they do it? How should I know? I’m not a shrink. So how do I know it’s true? I don’t; you tell me if any of these 7 Signs You’re Creating Your Own Workplace Stress resonate with you:

1.Not making enough money? Join the club. Nobody, I mean nobody makes enough money. Work hard, be smart, do great things, learn how to negotiate, and the money will come. That’s how it works.

2.Underappreciated, nobody loves you? Boss treats your co-worker better than you? Did you ever think maybe it’s you? Maybe you’re always whining. Maybe you treat them like crap. Maybe you never grew up. Who knows?

3.Your group gets no respect. IT is always getting dumped on. Sales and marketing has it easy. Guess what? The other group probably feels the same way. It’s called Silo behavior and it’s destructive, period. Grow up.

4.You have a psycho boss? An abusive self-hating jerk who acts out his childhood drama on poor unsuspecting employees. That sucks, but the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, so you don’t get to pick your boss. Fighting battles you can’t win generates stress.

5.Too much work, too little time. This is usually self-imposed. Are you sure your deadlines are real and not just you feeling self-important, pushing yourself too hard because you haven’t got a life outside work? Slow down; what’s the worst that can happen?

6.Peer problems. There’s a coworker you just don’t get along with and it’s really stressful, right? Well, guess what? I’ll bet she feels the same way about you. It happens to everybody. Try a little detente. Offer an olive branch. Swallow your pride and give in. It won’t kill you.

7.Executive management doesn’t listen or care. Did it ever occur to you that executive managers are people too? They have their own issues and they’re not perfect. Some companies are well managed, some are managed by idiots. On the outside chance they’re not idiots, did you ever think that maybe, just maybe they know more than you do?

If you think this post oversimplifies things, think again. You may be overcomplicating things.

Try a little experiment: If you experience an issue or two and it changes when you jump companies or groups, then you were probably in a dysfunctional workplace. Welcome to the real world. Don’t whine and complain. Don’t give in and don’t give up. Be optimistic. Continue your search for a passionate, fulfilling job at a great company. You’ll find it.

But if it doesn’t change, if it’s always the same, then it’s probably you. You might want to see somebody about that.

MY THOUHGTS
nope. this does not oversimplify things. we do tend to complicate matters. by not responding in a mature, professional, and yes, most importantly, in a christian manner. it's not easy but it can be done.

What Matters More than Money? Stamina

What Matters More than Money? Stamina
By Margaret Heffernan | April 1, 2010



What is it that entrepreneurs most need? When I ask that question at business schools, the answer is always “money.” But when I ask it of entrepreneurs themselves, the answer is something else — and it’s always the same: “stamina.”

I’ve interviewed successful business owners around the world, and that’s always the answer I get. When you think about it, the reason is obvious. If you quit, the game’s over and you know the outcome. But if you can keep going, you still have a chance. The question is, How do you keep yourself going? The answer may surprise you.

Liz Elting, who runs Transperfect, one of the world’s largest translation companies, vividly remembers an all-nighter she and her co-founder Phil Shawe pulled for a prestigious new client: “I remember one Christmas Eve that Phil and I were doing a job for Goldman Sachs, and we were in there working through the night. When it was done, we were late (and exhausted!) for our own personal family celebrations… In the first few years, there was a lot we gave up.”

James Dyson of vacuum cleaner fame spent twenty nerve-wracking and nearly bankrupting years bringing his revolutionary design to market. Chronicling the lawsuits and betrayals he went through, Dyson’s autobiography Against the Odds (one of the few great business autobiographies) is exhausting to read. It chronicles years of dishonest dealing, corrupt business practices and sheer bad luck as Dyson bulldozes his way through business deals that always seem to explode at the last minute.

And I’ll never forget Karla Diehl’s laughter when her firm Edison Automation made it into the Inc. 500. What was the big joke? “Everyone’s congratulating me as though we just arrived,” she said. “But we’ve been trying to figure this business out for nearly twenty years!”

What all business founders learn is that success rarely occurs overnight, and the triumph, when it arrives, does so when you’re too tired and battle-weary to celebrate. But what they’ve all learned along the way is that keeping going is the ultimate test. So where does that stamina come from? A colleague once asked me how I’d outlasted the 40 other CEOs in my corporate group, who’d all quit somewhere along the way. I realized that since I had two small children at the time, I had to go home at 6 p.m. Getting out of the office had kept me in the game.

It’s counter-intuitive, but stamina comes from having the courage and discipline to step away from work. Here are three ways to start:

1.Go home before everyone else does. It gives your employees permission to go home, too. Unless you’re in crunch mode, they’re much smarter when they’re rested than when they’re fried.

2.Give everyone a break after hitting big milestones. Otherwise the milestones become meaningless.

3.Be honest about family commitments. Most people don’t work for money; they work for their families. They’ll be more committed if you reduce the conflict they feel between work and family.

All success requires stamina. So why do we persist in thinking long hours are good for us? If you’re running a marathon, why try to maintain a sprinter’s pace?

MY THOUGHTS

i promise. i promise to go home before my staff. so they'll go home, too. maybe there is crunch time because we get too tired.