Michael Levitt's Blog, page 130

9 Natural Ways To Boost Your Immune System and Stay Healthy, To Help Fight Off COVID-19

Boosting your immune system is considered to be the best thing that you can do for your body. It is worth noting that having a strong and effective immune system will keep you healthy and free from illnesses, and possibly help in your fight against COVID-19.

Also, you essentially decrease all risks of any type of disease. Whether this concerns your heart or any other internal organ, or even your skin, having a strong immune system will effectively eliminate all your worries about your body.

If you are wondering how you could strengthen and boost your immunity in a natural way, these nine tips will help:

Eat a healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet is one of the natural ways that you can do to boost your immunity. Remember, you are what you eat. So, anything that you consume will impact you internally.

Make sure to consume the right foods and drinks. It is very recommendable to eat foods that are high in vitamin C.

Vitamin C is one of the main things that help strengthen the immune system. Hence, foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, garlic, and spices, such as turmeric and ginger, will help you strengthen your immune system.

Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is another best way to boost immunity. As it happens, sleeping eight to ten hours every day will help your body replenish and recover from all the activities that you've done for the day.

Also, aside from the amount of sleep, you have to be mindful of the time that you take your rest and sleep. Based on experts' assertions, the best time to sleep is 10 pm. The reason being is that body starts to recover and heal itself from all the things you've lost or utilized between 2 am and 4 am. So, make sure that you are already in deep sleep in between these hours.

Exercise regularly

If you have come across several healthy tips and hacks, you have surely noticed that exercise is always included. This is because following an active lifestyle will help you keep your body and mind healthy.

Ensure that you exercise regularly as this also helps decrease all the risks of diseases and illnesses.

Alongside the elimination of the risks, it also improves almost all of your internal systems.

You do not need to follow a very strenuous exercise routine to achieve a strong immune system. Just make sure that your exercises will be very effective and adequate for your body and capacity.

Drink lemon, honey, ginger with warm water

Lemon water is, by far, one of the healthiest drinks that you can consume every day. It offers a lot of benefits to your body, mind, and even skin. But, aside from lemon water, it has been also found that adding ginger and honey to this mix is even better as it poses more benefits to your overall health.

It is also worth noting that lemon and ginger are very rich in vitamin C. So, drinking this every day will already help you consume the amount of vitamin C that you need to keep your immune system healthy and strong.

Take yogurt for breakfast

Yogurt is one of the best foods that you can eat to get the right number of probiotics. As per studies, probiotics help you strengthen your immune system.

In addition to this dynamic, it is very rich in protein and vitamin A. So, aside from boosting your immunity, you will also feel less hungry after eating it. This is why it is very recommendable to consume yogurt, especially in the morning as your breakfast.

If you are aiming to lose weight, yogurt will also help you achieve this healthily. In fact, you will no longer need a real phentermine prescription.

Keep control of stress

When strengthening your immune system, one of the things that you must eliminate in your lifestyle is stress. Unfortunately, stress cannot be fully eliminated in your day-to-day living. But, keep in mind that you can still manage and effectively lessen this by doing the things that will help you calm and relax your nerves.

In order to manage your stress levels, make sure to learn first what your trigger points are. Through and in this way, you will then know how to effectively prevent yourself from experiencing unnecessary stresses.

Stay hydrated

Hydration is another best natural way to keep yourself healthy. Every time your drink water, you allow your body to wash away all the toxins, which are normally the causes of different kinds of diseases. As a result, this helps your immunity maintain its strength and effectiveness.

You must drink eight to ten glasses of water or two to three liters of water per day. Instead of indulging in other types of beverages, replace these with water so you can reach the right amount of water that your body needs.

Take a probiotic supplement

While yogurt is likely the best source of probiotics, you can also resort to taking probiotic supplements. There are already tons of this product on the current market.

It is worth remembering that aside from vitamin C, probiotics are another thing that will help your immune system. So, make sure to always have stock of probiotic supplements for your daily intake.

Less sugar intake

You must treat sugar as one of your body's top enemies. Although it gives you that "good feels" after eating foods that are rich in sugar, this does not provide you and your body benefits. Unfortunately, consuming foods that are rich in sugar poses a lot of risks and dangers to your overall health.

As much as possible, keep away from these kinds of foods and snacks. If you are still in the process of eliminating your "sweet tooth," try to find healthy alternatives for your sweet cravings.

Final Thoughts

All in all, these natural ways to boost your immune system may seem cliché or very easy. But, the truth is – applying this in your daily living will entail a lot of challenges, especially if you are the “foodie” type of person. Regardless, keep in mind that you are doing this for your body and for your life, in its entirety. So, be patient and focused on your goal, which is to boost your immunity for a much better quality of life.

Restarting your Career after COVID-19: Tips to Find a Job Easily

COVID-19 has a lot of people up in the air about their careers. Some will have to find new employment in their current industry. Others will be compelled to make a change and prepare for the future.

If you're looking at restarting your career after COVID-19, here are some helpful tips for finding the right job for you.

Consider What You Want

Before you start scrolling through job postings, consider what you want out of your new career. For many people, COVID-19 has encouraged them to look for options where they can work remotely. As there's a lot of uncertainty about waves of the virus coming back, this added layer of job security is comforting.

Think about what you want and what you don't want. Consider things that you're passionate about and what income you require to support your lifestyle. The point at which those two things overlap is where you want to focus your efforts.

Review Your Skills

Take time to review your skills and determine what could be transferable into your new career path. For example, if you're transitioning from accounting to marketing, the ability to manage a budget and review analytics is transferable. Look beyond your hard skills and consider soft skills as well, things like teamwork, time management, and leadership.

As you work through this exercise, highlight the skills you require to make a go of it in your new career. Use this time to upgrade your skills or outline how you'll do this going forward.

During this exercise, you should also be refreshing your resume and brushing up on your interview skills. Consider working with a coach or resume writer to get started on the right foot.

Create a Pivot Plan

If you're looking at a new career after COVID-19, don't think of it as forced change; consider it your pivot point. To make this transition while maintaining a positive mindset, you'll need a Pivot Plan.

Your Pivot Plan will outline what steps you need to take to get into the career you want. This might include using a job site to find an entry-level position in your specific industry (visit website for more details). It may consist of a longer continuing education plan to ensure you have the qualifications you need. 

Outlining a Pivot Plan gives you actionable goals and objectives to move forward more easily in the coming months.

Use Various Networks

Use your networks to find different opportunities that can help you restart your career. Think beyond traditional job opportunities and consider things like mentorships and job shadowing. Use this opportunity to reach out to contacts in your chosen industry and ask them about their experience and advice.

Not only will your networking opportunities help you find a job faster, but it can help you create relationships with people who can help you advance your career.

Recognize Your Uncomfortable Competence

Change takes time, and keeping a positive mindset throughout the process can be challenging. However, a positive mindset is essential for successfully restarting your career after COVID-19. Take time to recognize your uncomfortable competence. After all, it's beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone where great things happen.

How To Prepare For A Successful Return To Work After COVID-19 Quarantine Ends

Photo By Josh Hild

Eventually, some day, in the not too distant future, society will be allowed to return to their regularly scheduled duties. This includes for many of us, going back to our physical workplace.

While it seems like an eternity since we’ve consumed the office coffee, or was in the same room with our colleagues, it’s only been a few months (maybe shorter, maybe longer).

A lot of people have been fortunate to work from home (WFH), so their income didn’t take as big of a hit as many people have had to endure.

Having experienced significant losses in my life (369 Days) , I can relate to what too many people are experiencing. At times, I have thoughts about that time period of my life, and normally it doesn’t bother me. This time around when seeing people in long lines at food banks and the look of worry and stress in their eyes, it hurts. My hope is that things get better for all of us, and fast.

As for those that have been WFH, my guess is your workday routine has been different than it was when you had to commute into your job. Returning to that routine could be a significant shock to your physical and mental state, so here are some things you can start implementing now, to prevent a huge shock.

Quit wearing pajamas during the work day

I get it. You want to lounge and be comfortable. During my WFH days I’m not typically wearing suits and ties, or button-up shirts. I’m usually in a t-shirt and jeans.

Unless PJs are your normal office attire, I HIGHLY recommend that you start wearing work-like clothing starting at least a week prior to returning to your workplace. Once you return, you won’t be as uncomfortable, clothing wise.

Start waking up early again

We’ve seen the images on the Internet about people waking up 5 minutes before the team Zoom meeting. Unless your commute to work is 5 minutes, you need to get up at a certain time every workday to safely get to work on time. As with your work attire, it’s time to get back to your normal work routine, so you’re not a work zombie when you return to work.

Reflect on your time away

During this COVID-19 quarantine period, you might have picked up new routines and habits. You should reflect on this time to see if there’s things that are beneficial to you (and what isn’t beneficial). If you added new self-care routines, reflect on how you will continue doing those routines when you are back to work. You want to make sure that if you’re doing something that makes you healthier, that you continue doing these things after COVID-19 is behind us.

You should also reflect about the work you do, and the organization you work for. During this WFH period (or if you were laid off for a bit, and now are going back), you should check with yourself and see if this is job that you want to do and/or a company you want to continue working for.

Yes, that’s a big question to ask yourself and you don’t want to take that question lightly. With whatever the economic situation in your area looks like, you don’t want to quit your job without rock-solid prospects for a new role.

Summary

Do your best to get back to your pre COVID-19 routine sooner than later, so you can minimize the discomfort of going back to your routine, but also take this opportunity to reflect to see if a new routine would be better for you.

Are You Feeling Foggy During COVID-19? You're Not Alone

Photo by @bjorkman

What interesting times we find ourselves in. This COVID-19 self-isolation/quarantine/Work From Home (WFH) time frame seems like it’s gone on for years, even though it’s only been a few weeks.

It’s been over a month for me, and although I’ve been on this big round ball for 5 decades, it feels like it’s been going on forever.

WFH is not a new thing for me. I’ve had the opportunity to WFH off and on for nearly 2 decades. However this time feels different. With so many stores and restaurants closed (among other businesses as well), the distraction of popping over to a store to buy something or window shop isn’t there.

Sports is non existent, and for someone like me, it’s been a tough adjustment to not be able to watch live sports.

If you’re new to WFH, you’re likely struggling with boundaries around your work. Instead of you having your “home office” to yourself, you might have several other people, pets, etc at home at the same time. Maybe you’re the parent, cook, teacher, and employee all in the same place.

It won’t work that way.

You’re stressing yourself trying to do it all at the same time. It’s like riding a bike while preparing a meal. I’m sure there are some mock-ups that would allow you to do that, but it’s not realistic.

You’ll overwhelm yourself if you try to do it all. Spoiler alert: You can’t. For parents that are now the teachers of their children, don’t try to teach them a full school year’s worth of education in a day or week. That’s too much. If your school district isn’t providing you content to teach your children, then find out the subject(s) that your child was studying before COVID-19, and continue with that. Baby steps.

I’ve seen many memes online about parents wanting to suspend/expel their students. Likewise children saying they hope they don’t get the same teacher next year. They’re funny to a point, and a good reminder on how crucial our educational professionals are, in the education of our children. Not an easy job, is it?

You need to have boundaries around the time you spend educating your children. I recommend smaller time blocks (say 30-45 min per session) with a 10 minute break. Quite similar to what I recommend people do at work. Reward your kids for their focus in their school work.

If you have both parents in the home, both should help out with the new 24/7 at home environment. If it’s just a single parent household, see if your older children can step up and help (even just a little.) it empowers them to take more responsibility in life.

Just like your work day, you need to schedule the school day. Does your kid go to school at 6:30 pm? Not likely, so don’t play teacher at that time. Stick to the normal times they would be in school, so when they do return to the classroom, they won’t have such a shock to the system.

Do you play with your kids after they get home with school? Continue doing that. Could be board games, watching TV together, arts & crafts, whatever. Continue to do that, and if you didn’t do that prior to COVID-19, there’s an opportunity to introduce a new habit.

Same goes for your workday. You need to work the hours that you did when you went to the office. If your boss is emailing you all hours, and that’s not how they behaved before COVID-19, then you need to establish boundaries around when you work and when you don’t. Involve HR if you need to, because we don’t need any more jackass bosses trying to make you work around the clock.

A key to remember is to not beat yourself up over this. You’ve been tasked with an impossible to-do list, so do what you can, at a pace that doesn’t stress you out.

Support Systems

Do you have a trusted friend or advisor? Now is the time to reach out to them, if they’re available. Everyone is experiencing some COVID-19 issues (hopefully not the virus itself!), so they may need you just as much as you need them. There’s no shortage of video and cell phone options to connect with advisors, loved ones, etc.

Boundaries

Your workspace needs to be a workspace, and nothing else. For some of us, that’s an impossibility. I live in a condo, so I don’t have a dedicated office space right now. I do have a couple spaces I use to record podcasts and participate on video calls, but it’s not dedicated.

If there is a corner of your home you can dedicate to work, then I highly recommend setting it up as close to your workplace setup as possible. Hopefully your employer will cover office supply expenses, so you can have the tools you need to perform your job remotely. Key is to improvise and go with the flow. It won’t be perfect, and that’s ok.

A reminder to establish WFH boundaries around the time you check email and work. You don’t need to be constantly connected to email. Take this opportunity to slow down your pace a little. Deep focus on your work and you’ll likely discover you’re getting more done at home than you did at work. Lack of interruptions is likely a key reason.

An exercise I have clients do is track the number of interruptions they have in a day. Scientific research shows that it takes several minutes for us to re-focus after being interrupted. If you’re getting 50-100 interruptions at work every day, it’s a wonder you get anything done.

An exercise I did when I started WFH was close my eyes and imagine what items I needed to do my job. I made sure I had all of those things. With cloud-based computing, cell phones, and video calls, the need to work out of an office is diminishing. Commercial real estate might take a big hit after this COVID-19 saga is behind us, because some organizations will discover they can have their workers work from anywhere (including home), which reduces the need for a large office space. It will be interesting to watch how all of this unfolds.

Self Isolation and WFH

Since we’re all under a self-isolation mandate, meeting up with co-workers is frowned upon (or in some jurisdictions, against the law), so isolation is creating some mental health challenges with many. Mood swings, irritability, headaches, anxiety, depression, etc are just some of the challenges I’m seeing with people.

If your employer offers EAP (employee assistance program) services, I recommend you use those services if you’re dealing with increased stress, anxiety, depression, etc. As a certified CBT and NLP therapist, I can help as well, especially if you’re experiencing high stress and burnout.

If you need to speak to a therapist about your WFH struggles, here’s a link to book a no obligation call with me or one of my coaches: Book a call

If you want a worksheet to track your interruptions, click this link: Interruptions Sheet

We’ll get through this.

Be safe and be well!

Covid-19 And How To Use This Time Tor Reinvent Yourself

Photo by @claudelrheault

At the time of this post, I am day 14 into my 14 days self isolation/quarantine after returning from the United States to Toronto. 

For many of you, you've probably heard that my father had passed away on March 11th.  For those that have sent messages, I thank you for that. I'm still processing it. I haven't really dug too deep into it.   I get caught every few times a day, on Dad not being here anymore. Then you throw in COVID-19 and it's been an absolutely amazing, crazy, crazy few weeks. And I know for many of you you're going through your own personal journeys and your own personal losses and it's a difficult time for many. 

The key thing to remind ourselves of in times like this, is that we can take this opportunity to slow down a little bit and get fine tuned on what we want in life. If anyone has paid half attention to what I talk about, too many of us are burning out and stressed and working too many hours and now many of us are working remotely and we're not putting in the same amount of hours as we did before. 

At least I hope that's the case. You need to be able to shut down the laptop at some point during your day and set boundaries around your work schedule. Don't let your bosses take advantage of the situation and make you work more hours than you normally do. And if you're a boss, don't be a jackass and do that to your employees.  It's just rude. 

You should take this opportunity to really get fine tuned on what you want out of life. This is a good time to reflect and for many of us, it could be scary and I know that it can be scary to reflect on what's next. Too many of us are concerned about the future and we don't know what will happen after all of this is said and done. 

Will we have jobs to go back to?  Could it be a longer economic recession?  We're not that far away from the last recession from 2008-10. Personally speaking, that one wasn't a lot of fun. I certainly hope that none of us have to go through anything like that. 

But if we do, the key thing is to get through it. Don't linger around, don't play the victim.  

Seek guidance from others. There's so many people out in the world like myself that are out there helping people navigate through different things in life. And that's important. Find that person or that group that can help you go through this. Yes, we should laugh. We should cry. We should do all the things that we need to do to help us get through this together we will.  

As many government leaders have indicated, keep your ass at home if at all possible. If you work in the service industry and you need to be out there, THANK YOU!  If you're helping the homeless or in supportive housing and you have to go into work, then thank you, for doing that. Take precautions. Wash your hands. If you use public transit, obviously be careful what you touch, but wash your hands frequently.   don't touch your face.

For many of us, including myself, you never realize how often you touch your face until you're told not to. Again, it's an adjustment period for all of us, but we can take this as an opportunity to make our lives better. 

I'm taking it as an opportunity to make my life better so I can make the lives of other people that are in my life better,  and help those that seek my guidance and advice and make their lives better. My hope is that after this, we come out of this a little bit happier, a little bit more  at peace, a little bit more human. Too often we have been going, going and going, going, going, going, going, going and going and now things came to an abrupt halt.

Regroup, dust ourselves off. Figure out where we are. Figure out where we want to be. Map it out and take the steps you need to take. 

If you need help, go to BreakfastLeadership.com and send me a message.  Visit BreakfastLeadership.com/Bucket to get your bucket list template, which basically you take everything you'd like to do and then you write down the last time you did it. That's a good exercise for you right now. 

There's a lot of things unfortunately that we can't do right now because of isolation and things that are closed, it's quiet. Start writing those things down that you want to do. So when things open up again and they will, then you can prioritize what's important and what you want to do and get to them and enjoy them. I think that's going to be a big, big thing for all of us is to really embrace the things that we love to do and really experience them.

Be in the moment because too often we go through life on autopilot and then things are taken away from us, whether it's a loved one, an opportunity to go to the bar or the restaurant that we love to go to the movies to just be out at a concert or a sporting event. 

Damn. I miss sports and I know many of you do too, and the concerts and going out with friends and all of those things. These are things that are important. These are things that in many cases, money can’t buy and it's frustrating for all of us.  Chin up, dust ourselves off. Figure out what you want to do when all of this is behind us and figure out a way to live your life a little bit better than you did before. 

Be well!

Why We Don’t Follow Our Dreams

Photo by @evenkeelops

The Dreams of a Generation

When we are children, we can’t wait to grow up and follow our dreams. However, we may curtail our ambition because we’re told we need to be more realistic or that we won’t make the cut. How do we let ourselves go from the dreams of our childhood to the daily grind as adults, though? As it turns out, there might be a few specific reasons, but knowing why could help future generations. The Sleep Judge recently surveyed over 1,000 people about their past and current aspirations. The results were surprising, and some could say optimistic.

When We’re Young

Children often dream of becoming a doctor, firefighter, or baseball player, but those dreams often morph as we get older. However, the study found that, regardless of generation, people always dreamed of working in the arts and entertainment industry, with around a fourth of people in each generation carrying this childhood dream into adulthood. Every generation, except Gen Zers, also desired to work in athletics as children. But as people got older, athletics was swapped for technology and finance. 

All generations believed more in technology than science as they got older. And entrepreneurship became less of a dream than working in health care or finance for younger generations as they aged. Overall, while the value of each profession changed from childhood to adulthood, people didn’t stop dreaming.

Why We Don’t Follow Our Dreams

We often lose sight of our childhood dream jobs as we get older. We may have to face pressures from our families, financial burdens, or loss of interest. However, while the dream jobs we had as children don’t always make sense when we get older, it doesn’t stop people from finding another dream. 

Similarly, as we grow older, our reasons for wanting to work change. Overwhelmingly, adults said making money was their top reason for working, while being creative and helping others was more important for participants when they were younger. 

For those who gave up on their dream job, the primary reasons were that it was financially impractical, they didn’t have the skills necessary, or they didn’t have the right personality. The people who wanted to be athletes found they couldn’t hit a major league fastball, and 35% of those who wanted to work in technology decided to join another field because they found more stability in another job. Whatever the reason, most people gave up on their childhood dreams. But the study still found that 29% of participants actually pursued their dream job. 

There Is Hope

The fact that nearly a third of Gen Zers, according to the survey, believed they can still achieve their dream job provides hope. The thought of doing something to help the people and world around them drives a fire behind younger generations. This means around a third of younger people not only think they can still achieve their dreams, but also that they want to use their dream jobs to make the world a better place. We should build these dreamers up because they’re going to be the ones who change the world.

How Coronavirus Could Be Helpful With Your Burnout

Photo by @simonmigaj

We are living in some interesting times. COVID-19 (commonly known as Coronavirus ) has turned our world upside down. There have been a plethora of reactions by society, with runs on toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, groceries and whatever else panic stricken people decides they need to hoard.

It brings to light how drastically unprepared we are in disaster-related challenges like this.

Many countries, organizations, and cities are in a lockdown state, with hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19.

This is creating remote work for many of us, which will be an interesting experiment for organizations, and may have a HUGE impact on commercial rental real estate, if companies recognize they may not need to have their employees work out of an office all of the time (or at all.)

During these adjusting times we are facing, many of us have an opportunity to go at a slower pace.

We’ve been going full tilt for too long. So many of us have been stressed to the max. World issues, US Elections, family issues, job issues, etc. have had us loading up on antacids and other coping mechanisms.

This down time of no commutes, and learning a new way of working creates an opportunity to establish boundaries around your life.

If you get to work from home, you now have saved commuting time. Use that time to relax, go to a coffee shop, read a book, meditate, whatever it takes to bring more joy and fulfillment in your life.

Also, set hard boundaries around your work shift. if you normally are in the office from 9-5, don’t work outside of those hours.

With less interruptions you will find that you might get your work completed faster than before.

DO NOT ADD MORE TO YOUR TO-DO LIST if you run through your work load. If there are a couple projects that you’ve been unable to complete, start working on them, but only during your normal work shift.

You’ll likely discover new ways to be efficient with your time, and do it in a more relaxed state.

Take this opportunity to:

Relax

Breathe

Celebrate loved ones (Author note: My Dad passed away a few days ago, so this one means more to me than anything else)

Learn how you work, so you can be more efficient

Don’t work after your normal shift

I’m hopeful that all of this will come to a positive conclusion in a few weeks. I miss sports, I miss my Dad, and I miss the normal routine that we all used to bitch and complain about.

Hunker down and be well!

How to Avoid Burnout During Job Search

Photo via https://pixabay.com/photos/laptop-woman-education-study-young-3087585/

While there are a ton of new jobs being created throughout the USA, getting a job can still be difficult. Evolving needs, greater specialization and a ton of competition can make securing a great job a tough time. In order to give yourself the best chance, you should have the best resume possible, created exactly how ResumeBuild suggests. Also, along with this, you should have several great references and examples of your skills.

Unfortunately, there is still a chance that you might have trouble hearing back. As a result, it can be pretty easy to feel burnt out about your job search. This is why there is a large group of discouraged workers that have all but stopped looking for work. Being burnt out is a scary and stressful feeling and one that no one should have to go through.

With that in mind, this blog post is going to look at a couple of helpful tips to avoid burning out during a job search.

Photo via : https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-bed-hair-bedroom-relax-1245773/

Step Away and Take Breaks

When most of us are looking for a job, we are doing so from our computer. Perusing job listing sites, searching Linkedin and maybe even scouring social media for any potential job you may be interested in. While this is a solid way to do things, you need to be sure to take breaks.

In addition to taking breaks from your computer to give your eyes and head a bit of a rest, try and step away from your computer and go out into the real world. Whether it is organizing a coffee date with an acquaintance, going to a job fair, going to an event or conference. Any of these could be a nice way to get away from the computer while still helping in your job search. You will likely meet many people in your interested industry, share stories and potentially make important contacts.

Don’t Get Tunnel Vision

While having a job is important, it is not your life. There are several other important things that deserve your time like your family, your hobbies, your friends and your social life. If you completely shut out the rest of your life, and focus solely on sending resumes, writing cover letters and applying to jobs, you’re going to be miserable.

As a result, you need to ensure you still leave time for the rest of your life during a job search. Now, this doesn’t mean to never get a job and simply do whatever you want every day. But it is indeed important to allow yourself some time to have fun, relax and chase your hobbies.

Volunteer

While applying to jobs can seem like a full-time occupation, most hiring managers aren’t going to see it like this. If you have been applying for months with no luck, it is a good idea to still do things that keep your employable skills fresh and in-use. A perfect way to do this is to volunteer. Each city has dozens (if not hundreds) or potential places that you could volunteer. No matter what you like or want to do, you should be able to find something that interests you.

Not only will this help keep your skills sharp, but it can also look great on a resume. It will also give you a valuable break from your computer screen, even if only for a few hours a week. Who knows, you may even meet some people while volunteering that could help you land a job and expand your network.

In conclusion, the information and tips mentioned in this article will be able to help you avoid burnout during a, particularly difficult job search.

How to Boost Morale and Prevent Employee Burnout

Photo by@jonathanborba

When people don’t feel their best, they aren’t going to be working their best. Unfortunately, many people who work in high-stress jobs eventually become overworked and burn out, reducing their productivity, well-being, and job satisfaction.

Burnout prevention starts with self-care. As an employer, it’s in the best interest of everyone to make sure your employees take care of themselves, according to a report published by the Harvard Business Review. Not only will your office be a happier place, but you and your investors should notice a difference in the bottom line as well.

Partnering for Wellness

Burnout is a bigger problem in some industries than in others. In finance and healthcare, for instance, many workers put in long hours and have stressful, demanding jobs. Nurses, for instance, have a particularly hard time dealing with stress. More than a third of surveyed nurses have experienced burnout at some point, due to the demanding and emotionally-charged nature of their work.

In these environments, it can be very helpful for the team to work together on building morale and preventing burnout. People might not feel like they can take the time to meditate, take a walk, or think about stress-reduction ideas on their own, but they might participate in group activities.

If your employees form a tight-knit group, then consider leading group meditation or yoga, hold a session for discussing stress relief ideas, and solicit feedback about what is causing burnout in your workplace. Participation in these kinds of activities should always be no-pressure and voluntary, and it’s important to create a safe and compassionate space for employees to fight against burnout.

Inspiration is the Key to a Healthy, Happy Talent Pool

People often start to feel burned out when they’re working hard, yet feel like they’re not making any personal contribution or gaining any career progress. For a happy, healthy talent pool, people need to feel inspired, motivated, and challenged—but not overwhelmed.

It can be a delicate balance to help your employees move forward and challenge them, while not leading them into burnout. It’s important to engage every employee in what they are contributing to the company’s mission and to give them work that is meaningful.

Show your employees that they are important. Ensure that everyone is receiving praise when appropriate, as well as constructive feedback, is key. You should also be transparent about company goals and try to give people projects that allow them to contribute to more than just daily operations. Another way to inspire and engage your employees might be to allow them to work on their own ideas and projects that benefit the company at specific times during the week.

Promoting Wellness via Culture

Unfortunately, some companies and organizations have unintentionally built a culture of stress and burnout that leads to high turnover and low engagement. In fact, 10% of HR leaders believe that burnout is responsible for more than 50% of annual turnover, with almost all saying that it has at least some impact. Creating a culture that helps employees take care of their physical and mental well-being while keeping them engaged at work is a smart investment for companies that want to grow and thrive.

If you want to boost morale and prevent burnout, then you can’t be passive about building a positive company culture. You need to figure out what kind of culture fits your organizational values and how you want your employees to view company leadership and their own role within the organization.

Leadership at all levels of the organization needs to be on board and collaborate to determine the changes that must be made to achieve these culture-shifting goals, whether that means being more flexible with schedules, changing the format for providing feedback, or creating policies to prevent overwork.

To Prevent Burnout, Show You Care

To most employees, money is nice but respect and well-being are even more important. Yes, you should compensate your workers well. But if you want them to stick around and contribute to the best of their ability, you need to show that you care about them.

While it might seem expensive to invest in creating a positive workplace culture or to offer professional development opportunities, these investments can pay off handsomely in increased productivity, engagement, and loyalty. People who feel appreciated and involved are less likely to burn out and more likely to stay with your organization for years to come!

 

How Stress Eating Is A Red Flag For Pending Burnout

Photo by @andiwhiskey

Recognizing that your job is stressing you out isn’t like putting on a mood ring. The signs and symptoms of work-related stress can be subtle and build up over time. You might notice you have headaches more frequently than in the past, don’t fall asleep as easily at night, or feel lethargic throughout the day. 

If you’re stressed at work, you might even notice a shift in your appetite. For some people, stress-related eating can reflect a loss of appetite or the craving for comfort food. 

Job Impacts Your Eating Habits

For a closer look at how your job could be influencing your diet, FitRated surveyed 946 full-time employees about their food logs and the consequences of unhealthy eating as a result of workplace stress. They found that 1 in 4 people recognized their eating habits tend to change as a result of work strain, although men (21%) were less likely than women (31%) to indicate a shift in their consumption. 

Of course, job satisfaction can impact how you manage the time crunch of a deadline or a growing inbox. Compared to people satisfied with their job (22.4%), those who were unhappy at work were more likely to have a food-related response to stress (32.3%). 

For some people, stress can hit differently depending on their job title, and the higher you are on the company ladder, the more likely you might be to overeat. Compared to entry- and midlevel employees who were more likely to reach for sugary food when stressed, senior-level employees and executives were more likely to overeat. 

Even if you don’t pick up on stress right away, you might eventually realize your eating habits have changed. Roughly 1 in 5 employees admitted to gaining weight as a result of diet changes, and weight gain was more common among employees stressed at work (24%) than those not feeling the pressure (14%). Senior-level employees and executives (those most inclined to overeat) put on the most weight, averaging 5.3 extra pounds in the last month. 

Food As A Coping Mechanism

Eating more to cope with the tension at work isn’t just a problem for your waistband, though. One in 5 men admitted to spending more on food during their off time when stressed, which could add up to be a major expense. 

On average, people perceiving their job as stressful spent an extra $468 on food annually, including nearly $400 more at the grocery store. Among people who recognized their eating habits had changed due to stress, food expenses increased by $780, including over $300 more on fast food and around $100 more on snacks. 

And while men might be less likely to connect the dots between work stress and the grocery bill, roughly 1 in 3 recognized that they eat more sugary food, overeat, consume more fatty food, and eat more high-calorie food as a result of work stress. 

If your diet has changed, a number of reasons may explain why you’re eating more or reaching for sugary snacks when you know you shouldn’t. Stressed employees were nearly as likely as unstressed employees to indicate they were unmotivated to eat healthier. On the other hand, employees who were stressed were nearly twice as likely as unstressed workers to say they didn’t have time to eat healthier and were more likely to say their mental state, emotional eating, and finances were reasons they look to food that are fast and easy rather than healthy and nutritious. 

Stress at the office can follow you around and play a major role in what you eat at any time during the day. That’s why achieving a work-life balance should be a priority: Too much work stress, and you could be paying with your money and health. 

Special thanks Fitrated.com for the research in this study.