5 Signs Youre Stressed at Work - The Muse

5 Signs Youre Stressed at Work - The Muse5 Signs Youre Stressed at WorkAt least once every year, I develop an unforgiving cough and congestion so schwimmbad I have trouble hearing. Each time, as I burrow under my favorite blanket and clutch onto Sudafed and Mucinex for dear life, I wonder Why again? And why always when I have fun weekend plans? It doesnt take me long to realize- Im burnt out. True to form, Ive agreed to too many responsibilities and side gigs on top of my fulltime job, and my body is bedrngnis happy. I know Im not alone. As a reporting and evaluation manager for an employee wellness company, one of my responsibilities is to identify and analyze top health risks for the thousands of individuals our programs serve. And usually, stress ends up in the top three (out of 15). While its true that a little can be good for you, the consistent presence of it is not. Chronic stress, of course, has been shown over and over to be a bad thing for body and brain, says Alice G. Walt on, a Forbes science and health writer. It actually seems to suppress the generation of new nerve cells and inhibit memory, not to mention increase ones risk for being overweight developing heart disease and possibly cancer developing addictions and experiencing depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.Well, that sounds exciting (read horrifying). But minimizing levels of it is easier said than done, as it can be difficult to notice when youre overdoing it- most likely because youre so busy you cant keep tabs on how youre feeling. But if you identify with any of the following five signs, it may be time to take a step back. 1. Youre Snapping at Everyone (for No Good Reason)When your co-worker poses a simple question- Hey, can you proofread this memo for me?- and you act like she asked you to read the employee handbook to her. You huff and puff and silently wonder why shes so very stupid. Instead of calmly responding with a Sure or Give me a few seconds to wrap this up, you answer with venom-laced words Um, Im kinda busy right now, but sure, whatever.Later on, you realize you severely overreacted, and the embarrassment sets in. Christine Porath, a professor at Georgetown Universitys business school, explains that a lot of people have no idea theyre being rude to others. And its probably because theyre so stressed and overwhelmed that they dont have the mental bandwidth to consider other peoples hurt feelings. (But just because youre not the only drama queen doesnt give you the excuse to be Cruella.) 2. Youre Thinking About Work All the TimeYour hours may be nine to five, but your mind is occupied with work 24/7. During your commute, while eating dinner, when youre trying to fall asleep, in your dreams- you know the drill. Its the sole topic of conversation when talking with friends and family, and the only thing you can think about when youre pretending to listen to them (smile, nod, smile, nod). Im not saying you should limit every thought about it to specific d ays and times- youre not a robot (if you are, though, no judgment here). But as Adrian Granzella Larssen, Editor-in Chief of The Daily Muse says, bringing too much work home- even if that work is just rolling around in your head- can quickly make you an anxious, sleep-deprived, pretty boring dinner guest. And no one wants that3. You Cant Focus Enough to Actually Be ProductiveIts time to get down to it, but you just cant seem to make any progress (or even get started). Countless thoughts are bouncing around inside your head at lightning speed, and you have no idea how to control them. And so begins the vicious cycle- youre overwhelmed because youve got a lot to do, but youre fretting about it so much that you cant accomplish anything. You can blame this frustrating situation on your bodys response to regular anxiety, which is really helpful when you need survival mode to kick in, but not so helpful when its impairing your concentration. 4. You Arent Sleeping Well (or at All)Youre exh austed at the end of the day, but when you finally retire for the night, you spend hours staring at the ceiling. At last, you drift off (hopefully), but you toss and turn all night. When you wake up the next morning, youre just as tired as you were before.When were stressed, says Lindsay Holmes, Deputy Healthy Living Editor for The Huffington Post, our minds race with thoughts instead of shutting down at night, inhibiting important functions involved in memory, muscle repair, and mood (yikes).It gets worse, says Holmes. It can also lead to persistent insomnia and a malfunctioning immune system (which explains that nagging cold I get each year). Weird dreams are also a common symptom- such as that time my subconscious explored the ins and outs of PowerPoint, which was super riveting and enlightening. 5. Your Entire Body Feels SoreWhen theres too much tension in your mind, itll manifest itself in your body in several ways, as well- pain and stiffness in your back, neck, hips, and shou lders headaches a clenched jaw and more.When the brain senses a threat, it activates the sympathetic nervous system and signals the adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline, cortisol, and other hormones that prime the body for action, shares Melinda Beck, a health contributor for The Wall Street Journal. Together, they make the muscles tense up, the digestive tract slow down, blood vessels constrict, and the heart beats faster. And when your body has this reaction unnecessarily- like to an overflowing inbox rather than to a saber tooth tiger- your muscles will remain contracted for a prolonged period of time (hence all those knots in your upper back).Listen- you cant avoid feeling this way all the time. Its part of life, and sometimes very important. But when its long-term, the effects can be harmful. So, while you cant eliminate it completely, you can prevent it from spinning out of control and taking over your life. The first step? Being aware of your behavior and how you feel. And t hen, figure out the best way to manage your to-do list, remember to take (frequent) breaks, disconnect fully on a regular basis, and when you need to- ask for help. Learning how to successfully manage stress is key to a happy and healthy life. So, go on, conquer it Itll pay off big time. Photo of courtesty of Peopleimages/Getty Images.

At work, millennials want healthcare benefits, not adorable office perks

At work, millennials want healthcare benefits, notlage adorable office perksAt work, millennials want healthcare benefits, not adorable office perksWhat do millennials want at work? This is the question that marketers and employers alike are dying to know as millennials dominate the workforce.The assumption of many thinkpieces is that millennials are young and frivolous, looking for fun perks at the office. But when Fit Small Business asked 600 millennials this past March, Fit Small Business sought to question stereotypes aroundwork ethic about this demographic.what benefits are most important to you? millennialswere not as attracted to the wild perksas Silicon Valley startups think they are.The reality is that millennials are more practical and grounded in what they want from jobs. They want two major things from a job healthcare benefits and more feedback that can lead to a higher salary.Millennials want healthcare and feedbackLike every other demographic surveyed, the majority of millennials - 34%- answered that healthcare welches the most important benefit.Only 5% of millennials thoughtthat an equity stake in a company was an important factor when choosing a job. They are more likely to leave than other groups if they feel like theyre being overworked.In fact, quality of life seems to be a strong concern for millennials around 13% of millennials cited a boss being too demanding as a reason for changing jobs,compared with6% of respondents over age 35 who cites that as a factor in jumping ship.But millennialshave thicker skin than their older counterparts when it comes to criticism. 19.3% of people over age 35 said having a mean boss wasthe top reason that they would leave their job, while only 17.6% of millennials chose this. This may because millennials love feedback, criticism included.A 2012 MTV poll on millennials at work found that80% of themwanted frequent feedback in real time from their managers, and that 75% cravedmentors.The idea that millennials are job hoppers who are less likely than older workers to stay at one company does hold up, however. 42% of the millennialsages 18-34 said they were consider a new job, while only 20% of people over age 35 identified as job hoppers.Why this matters people ages 18-65 make up the majority of theworkforce, and millennials at ages 18 to 35 are the largest part of that. A 2015 Pew Research Center study found that the estimated53.5 million working millennials to be the largest generation in the workforce, comprising a third of all American workers.Millennials have long been a misunderstood and maligned demographic that have sprung a thousand thinkpieces putting down younger workers. In 2013,Time called them the me me me generation for their narcissism and entitlement. Blueboard is a business that is designed around the idea that companies need to create elaborate experiential rewards like massages, sky-diving, and martini lessons to keep their millennial population engaged. But, like many generational assumptions, it bears looking a little bit more closely at this influential generation.

6 Hard Truths Every Job Seeker Should Know

6 Hard Truths Every Job Seeker Should Know6 Hard Truths Every Job Seeker Should KnowTo find success in your job search, you cant have any false assumptions. Too often, talented people find themselves upended because they were surprised about something they didnt know or expect. Here are six things you should keep in mind throughout your job hunt 1. You need to have the necessary skills and experience to get a job. I would have loved that job and could have figured out how to do it with some training and help along the way. Employers hire people because they are convinced those hires already have the skills and experience to do a job well. That doesnt mean you cant make a significant career change. But no matter the circumstance, you need to somehow demonstrate a strong basis of relevant skills and experience upon which a hiring manager can predict your success.2. Just because you have the required skills and experience doesnt mean you will get the job. From an employers standpoint, t he hiring process is about much more than matching candidate skills and experience with a job openings stated requirements. They also carefully consider that elusive quality called fit. While it isnt a very satisfying reason to hear when you are rejected, fit can include personality, temperament, career progression and a host of other legitimate elements.3. You will likely be asked the salary question in your first conversation. Be prepared for it. Rather than fumbling or becoming rattled, give a respectful answer that highlights a current or recent compensation level. Make it clear that you understand that the salary in this job will be different because the role, environment, cost of living and other factors will be different. Then, quickly deflect the conversation back to talking about the value you offer rather than the cost you represent as a new hire.4. Employers are interested in your key accomplishments and how you attained them not your job description. You can pretty much assume that serious candidates for a given role will all have histories of more or less similar responsibilities.When you begin bullet points on yourrsumwith Responsible for you lump yourself in with the rest of the candidates andprovide no reason why your background is superior to theirs.As an alternative, use a CARchallenge, action, resultstatement.Explain one of your responsibilities, and then highlight what you actually did and what value resulted from your actions. Heres an exampleChallenge Grow and transform a fallow sales territory with few accounts into a vibrant and consistent revenue stream.Crafted a business plan and obtained buy-in from management. Prospected, formed new relationships and closed XXX new accounts resulting in $YYY of revenue.5. Employers arent interested in what you did in 1997. There is no need to highlight skills or expertise that are passe. If you surfed the World Wide Web using Netscape Navigator, composed documents in WordPerfect for DOS and made L otus 1-2-3 spreadsheets, no one cares. Really The saatkorn is true about listing jobs you held more than 10 to 15 years ago. Like or not, in almost every instance, they are no longer relevant. In the interest of honesty, it is very reasonable to include a line like this in yourrsum,under the earliest position Details of prior experience are available upon request.6. Sour grapes make you sour. Even if you only apply to jobs for which you believe yourself to be well-qualified or even perfect, no job is a shoo-in. You will get rejections. Sometimes youll get many rejections. Stuff happens. Maybe yourrsumwasnt read. Maybe the hiring manager wasnt smart enough to figure out how great you really are. Its possible that the job was hard-wired forsomeone else.Its true that life isnt fair. Wallowing in self-pity or placing the blame on others for the job you didnt get wont get you the job you deserve. Often, just the opposite is true. When you blame your circumstances on the faults of others, you rob yourself of the ability to go forward with a positive attitude. Without that, no matter how skilled and experienced you are, chances are good you wont have the positive energy it takes to do what must be done to succeed the next time around. Happy huntingArnie Fertig, MPA, is passionate about helping hisJobhuntercoachclients advance their careers by transforming frantic Ill apply to anything searches into focused hunts for great fit opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.