How to Cope When You Feel Overwhelmed at Work

How to Cope When You Feel Overwhelmed at Work Work is a fact of life for most of us. We can’t choose whether we go to work or not because we need the money, so that means we have to put up with a lot of situations we wouldn’t necessarily choose to encounter and many of them can feel overwhelming. But just as we don’t have much of a choice in whether we face or not, we also don’t have the choice to avoid them the next time they happen, all we can do is learn how to cope. Luckily there are ways that we can learn to deal with difficult and overwhelming situations and feelings at work. That can be something as simple as actively trying to think more positively instead of letting your negative thoughts spiral towards feeling overwhelmed. If you’re struggling to manage that, it can help to give your brain a break by focusing on your surroundings using thought-control techniques to quieten your mind and bring you back to the present. Often an overwhelmed mind is one where thoughts have cluttered up and this can be made worse if your workspace is also full of clutter. It can be a chicken-and-egg situation where you can let your desk or work area get messy because you’re overwhelmed, but a study by the Harvard Business Review found that being surrounded by chaos like that can lead to stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. So get tidying. One of the things that often leads to a mind full of clutter is the number of notifications we receive in our business and personal lives, with cellphones and laptops always popping up with new information we didn’t need to know as soon as it happens. Multitasking affects our concentration span, meaning we fall behind with work and this only gets worse as the notifications keep coming, so it can help to mute them from time to time, maybe giving yourself 30-minute breaks from the overwhelm. Another aspect of work that can get lost when you are feeling overwhelmed is the social, or human, side of things. If you are staying at your desk through your lunch break because you’re trying to get work done every day, you may be doing more harm than good. Research has shown that small talk with colleagues can reduce stress by improving efficiency, planning, prioritization, and organization, so why not invite one for lunch to have a catch-up? Music can also be a powerful tool to help you avoid feeling overwhelmed because the right music can improve your brain’s ability to organize new information. Another positive thing you can try that might not sound like ‘work’ is getting a bit of exercise, because low-intensity exercise like stretching at your desk can help battle the sense of fatigue and exhaustion that being overwhelmed can bring on. When all else fails, if you’re still feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope, you need to know that you’re not alone. A Gallup poll found that 44% of full-time employees feel burned out by their jobs from time to time, so your colleagues and even managers will be sympathetic if you reach out to them early enough, and will want to help you spread the load and ease the pressure on you. It’s much worse from their perspective for an overwhelmed colleague to try and hide their situation until it is affecting the company’s output before asking for help. All of these tips can help you avoid that spiral of negative thinking that can crop up for anyone us when we’re at work, so the next time you can feel the pressure building up and your grip on your workload starting to slip, why not try some of them and see if you can start to feel more in control? About the author:  John Cole  writes on behalf of NeoMam Studios. A digital nomad specializing in leadership, digital media, and personal growth topics, his passions include world cinema and biscuits. A native Englishman, he is always on the move, but can most commonly be spotted in the UK, Norway, and the Balkans.

Apply for a mentor Nothing to lose, everything to gain University of Manchester Careers Blog

Apply for a mentor Nothing to lose, everything to gain University of Manchester Careers Blog Guest post by Anna Lomas, Employabilty Consultant, The Careers Service Having been manager of the Careers Service’s mentoring programme (Manchester Gold) for several years, I know first- hand how valuable a mentor can be. I was constantly surprised by just how generous our mentors were with their time, how genuine they were in their desire to help our students with their future ambitions and how approachable they could be. I was also constantly surprised however that many of the students we had matched with a mentor didn’t really make the most of the opportunity.   Some made initial contact and then didn’t maintain it; some never made any contact at all. It always seemed such a shame, knowing how much they could have gained if they had. Reflecting on this, I think it was possibly for a number of reasons: Not knowing how to even start the conversation/not knowing what questions to ask Fear of coming across as stupid by asking questions the wrong questions Feeling that a mentor might not have the time to help Thinking that it is necessary to impress a mentor, so as not to jeopardise the chance of applying to their company in the future Generally feeling intimidated by the whole idea of having a mentor I can assure you that none of these reasons should be a barrier to a successful mentoring partnership and here’s my top 5 reasons why you should apply for a mentor: They’ve been in your position Most of the mentors we work with studied at Manchester, all will have completed a degree at some stage.   You can even apply for a mentor who studied the same degree as you, if you want.   They understand the issues facing students when planning their life after Uni and can share their own experiences of how they made the transition. They’re offering their help All our mentors are volunteers.   They don’t get paid or rewarded by the University â€" they simply want to give something back and support the next generation of graduates.   They’re ready and waiting to help you. They’re not going to judge you They are not your parents.   They are not tutors.   They are not your housemates or coursemates.   They can offer an impartial perspective and a free space to discuss your plans and ambitions, without peer pressure/parental pressure etc They’ve got friends and colleagues Even if you can’t find your perfect mentor match, think about the networks they might have.   They will have colleagues and friends whose experiences they can draw upon to help you with your decision making and research. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain Whether you know what you want to do or you have no idea, whether you want advice on working in a particular sector/organisation or just need someone to discuss your options with, consider applying for a mentor via Manchester Gold. Applications are now open. Good luck, Anna Want to find out more about mentoring from a students perspective? Read former mentee Judiths blog post. Applications for Manchester Gold mentoring close on All Careers advice I don't know what to do networking

Want to be Self-Employed Start an Online Business!

Want to be Self-Employed Start an Online Business! Unless you are fabulously rich, you probably need to work for a living. After all, without a steady income, how on earth will you be able to afford new clothes, makeup, and nights out with the girls? The trouble is that working for someone else is not always the best way to enjoy a happy and productive work life. For one thing you have to do what they say, and for another, no matter how hard you work you are constrained by what your employer wants to pay you. So what’s the alternative? Be Your Own Boss Entrepreneurship is on the rise. The economy is slowly beginning to pick up and there are now more opportunities than ever for ambitious women to start a business and become their own boss. It might sound a bit scary, but if you are willing to take a leap of faith, it is possible to start an online business part-time and be in a position to work at your fledgling business full-time within twelve months. Online businesses require very little in the way of start-up capital. All you really need to get things started are some ideas, a decent computer and an internet connection. Computers can be picked up second-hand, and as long as you are reasonably tech-savvy, setting up an online business shouldn’t be too difficult. Be Creative and Let the Ideas Flow There are lots of different things you can do to earn money online. Look at where your talents lie and start making a list of ideas. Are you a creative type? Start writing articles and promote your services online. Can you write code? If so, perhaps you can have a go at computers can be picked up second-hand.  Alternatively, have a go at building websites for other people. Do you want to sell things? Start a business selling products on Ebay or another online auction website. The possibilities endless â€" the only limiter is your willingness to put in time and effort to make your embryonic business a success. Make Your Business Fit Your Lifestyle For a lot of women, children and family commitments mean that finding enough time to work on a new business idea is a huge problem. However, as long as you can garner support from partners, friends and relatives, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to start small and see how things grow. Be flexible with your time and use every opportunity you can to work on your online business â€" even if it means getting up an hour earlier than normal or working through your lunch hour at the office. Ask for extra help if you need it and don’t be afraid to delegate some of your domestic responsibilities if you need to. It is going to be tough for a while, but once things take off you should be able to scale down your full-time job and increase the time you spend on your part-time online business. Above all, have confidence in your abilities to make this work â€" nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies Book Giveaway

Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies Book Giveaway Today we’re giving away five copies of Joshua Waldmans latest edition of his book,  Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies.  I previously read and reviewed the first edition but I am pleased to see that Joshua has updated the book with the latest in social media since it is constantly changing! LinkedIn has retired several features over the last two years making many old strategies irrelevant (such as the question and answer section that LinkedIn used to have).  Joshua also reviews in depth Facebooks introduction of Graph Search which he says is now the most important social network to use in ones career because you can find just about anyone working anywhere using Graph search. Joshua also lists 10 ways that the job search has evolved in the 21st century including that google has now become your new resume, social proof is a must, relationships first and resumes second, resumes and cover letters arent read on paper anymore and everyone has a personal brand.  He also advises that to stay up to date on social media changes, you must listen to podcasts and read social media news sites.  And remember not to make the mistakes that many other people are making by being inconsistent, failing to think of what hiring managers need to see, taking before giving and ignoring face-to-face networking. This would be a great book for your bookshelf.  Good luck! Here are the ways you can win a copy of this book enter using Rafflecopter below: Like  Classy Career Girl on Facebook Follow me on Twitter  @classycareer Tweet about this giveaway (make sure you mention @joshuawaldman  and  @classycareer) Leave a comment below telling us your  favorite social media platform. a Rafflecopter giveaway This giveaway is open to all residents in the US only. It begins NOW and ends on November 1, 2013. We will be giving away 5 copies of the book. The winners will be selected via random draw and will be notified by e-mail. You have 24 hours to get back to us, otherwise a new winner will be selected. Good luck! Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the book to review but this did not change what I wrote about the book.

Social Media Never on Sunday - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Social Media Never on Sunday When I recently visited my elderly,  ultra tech-challenged father (he still has trouble with his answering machine â€" forget about him ever getting a computer), I brought along my netbook to see if I’d be able to pick up a signal at his house. He marveled at how small my laptop was. Is that a full computer? he asked. I told him it was. We talked a bit about how far weve come with the Internet and technology. He shook his head and asked, Is the Internet open 24 hours a day? Of course, I answered yes. I think he was politely nudging me to put the thing aside while we were visiting. But did that little question of his ever hit home with me. Yes, the Internet never closes, but I certainly don’t have to take advantage of its non-stop availability so much. I didn’t intend to check emails or Twitter or anything while I was visiting (how rude would that be!), but I was hoping I could show him my blogs, because he’d never seen anything I’ve done online. Honest! That’s all I was going to do. Besides, I couldnt pick up a signal anyway. But you know how it is. These portable devices make it so easy to happily stay connected . . . endlessly. My friend Tim Tyrell-Smith put it so well in his post, Your Computer is NOT Your Friend: Some days your computer feels like a great friend. Doing all that work for you. Humming along. Keeping you company on those long days during job search. But it’s not the great friend you think it is. It is dastardly. It can destroy your focus. Lock you down in a false state of perceived productivity. You can spend hours each day wasting your time. Jeff Atwood had this to say in his post, Email: The Variable Reinforcement Machine: Go ahead, pull the ‘new email lever. Take a chance. Most of the time youll end up a loser, the proud recipient of yet another spam email, a press release you dont care about, or some irrelevant conversation someone has cc:ed you into. But not always. There are those rare few times when youll hit the jackpot: youll get an important bit of information you needed, or tentative contact from a long lost friend or associate, or other good news. Were so ecstatic to get that single useful email out of hundreds that we cant keep ourselves from compulsively pressing the new email lever over and over and over, hoping it will happen again soon. In an attempt to break my semi-addiction, I set a goal a few weeks ago. NO SOCIAL MEDIA OR COMPUTERS AT ALL ON SUNDAYS!!! I mean, is it really necessary to check emails on Sunday, when I know I won’t respond until Monday . . .  or keep up with social networking, when nothing happening there will be so critical I have to deal with it on Sunday. Isn’t it more important to rest my eyes and shift thoughts away from business at least one day a week? So far, I was successful in meeting my goal on one Sunday out of the past three. And it was wonderful to disconnect for that one whole day. Let’s see what happens this Sunday. 00 0

Felt Like a Bucket of Water in the Face!

Felt Like a Bucket of Water in the Face! I was surprised your desk wasnt clean. That was the comment my boss boss said to me about when he was borrowing my desk while I was out of town at a meeting and he was in town visiting. It was like an unexpected bucket of water in the faceWhat?. But then I realized he was right.  And it wasnt the first time Id heard that. My brother commented about it when we lived together and he had to clean up the dishes after me. My wife commented about it because I didnt clean the sink after a meal and left the dishes in the sink or on the counter. So heres the deal Theyre right. Im not a clean freak. Im organized but I tend not to focus too much on my immediate environment. Im extremely analytical.  That is my superpower. The upside is I see patterns, similarities, and differences. And this helps me figure out better, faster, easier ways to get results. The downside is the world outside my head doesnt cross my radar too much. So my car isnt super clean.  And I struggle to remember to get the oil changed (if they didnt put the sticker on my windshield I probably would be always late on it).  And other car maintenance often doesnt happen until something breaks. My home is the same way.  Forget about routine maintenance.  If it isnt part of my routine it doesnt get done. And that brings me to the point of this exercise. Everyone has something they are good at. And with that comes things they arent really good at or dont care about. If youre in business or sorting out what you should do in your career, you need to be aware of your unique gifts and quirks. Find out where you can use them to your advantage.  In the end youll be much happier doing what you love.  And youll also not spend as much time trying to please others by focusing on things youre not good at. In my work as a manager I know Im not great at planning events, giving gifts (like bringing in bagels or cookies).  So I delegate that to other people.  But I am excellent at finding better ways to do things and getting the most from my team as we drive to project goals.  And I can serve up the most complicated data in a nice pretty package with a bow around it. So what are you doing in your life?  Are you making the most of your talents?  Are you fully appreciated in your current job?  If not, why not?  Is it them?  Or could it be the current environment is not the one that will let you spread your wings? Figure it out soon.  Life is too short to not.  And embrace your flaws too

Does Your Resume Show Your Age

Does Your Resume Show Your Age One of the things that a resume is used for is getting a quick idea of what all your assets are and what you can contribute to the position you are applying for. This is good; you want your resume to be an introduction that leads to a longer relationship. But resumes should not show your age, because it is far too easy to assume certain ages have certain characteristics. This is one reason that age discrimination is one of the unlawful practices in the job market. Even though age discrimination is unlawful, it still happens. People naturally do make assumptions about others based on initial information. But the resume that is professional, appealing, and updated gets past attitudes and showcases what you can do. Thats a good argument for making sure your resume does not show your age. Avoid These Signals Of Age Resumes Its true that age discrimination can be against the too young as well as the too old, and I dont want to pretend it doesnt happen. But, most of the time, the older job searcher is using a resume from years ago, or has updated their resume according to what they needed the last time they went job hunting. Age and your resume can be as obvious as listing your birth date or as subtle as putting a double space behind the period like they taught when typewriters were the latest technology. Its hard to stop doing something like the double space because its habitual and you may not realize its not used in this setting. Some college professors insist on a double space, so younger resume writers actually get caught here, too, but if the double space is accompanied by other signals, its a count against you. Those other signals can be things like listing your jobs from the earliest on with dates included instead of the last ten years with all your skills. Skill-wise, its a good idea to keep it contemporary unless you are applying for a job that needs that particular ability. Being able to cut galley pages apart and do paste-up on a page spread isnt needed any more in printing, but being able to lay out a page with a computer program is. If you arent sure that your resume is age-neutral, get a critique from someone who looks at resumes all the time. You could try asking why the last company you applied to turned your application down, but its hard to get someone to admit they discriminated against you because of your age. By this time in your life, you have so much to offer that its worth taking the time to make sure your resume reflects that fact.