7 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health at Work

The pandemic and its aftereffects have taken a toll on people’s mental health. Singaporeans from all walks of life have experienced stress throughout the pandemic – from frontline workers to family members who were separated from each other. Those who were infected by virus or those who grieved the loss of their loved one face difficulties in their physical and mental health.

The workplace has restructured. Whichever industry you work for, you have the power to look after your mental health and overall well-being. Start with these tips.

#1: TALK TO SOMEONE YOU TRUST

Whether you find comfort in sharing your situation to a co-worker, a friend, or a family member, talking to someone you trust can help. You may feel better if you are able to openly talk about what you are going through at work. Someone who cares about you can provide you with a fresh perspective or help you arrive at a solution. If you feel more comfortable in meeting your confidant in person, please follow the safety precautions. Nonetheless, you can always stay connected with your trusted confidant through video calls or messaging apps.

#2: MONITOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH

Focus and concentration at work can be achieved when you take care of your physical health. Moreover, eating a healthy diet and strengthening your physical health can improve your mental well-being. Experts suggest exercising at least 30 minutes daily. Try dancing, running, cycling, practicing yoga, skating, and so on.

Looking for affordable dumbbells? Search no further than Decathlon Singapore. They store dumbbells for as low as S$8/pair.

#3: MOVE AWAY FROM HARMFUL SUBSTANCES

If you are overwhelmed with the stack of deadlines and the long demands of irate clients, you may opt for taking substances such as alcohol or nicotine. For a short while, these substances may help you feel better. However, depending on these substances to cope with stress can harm you eventually. These substances can put you or those around you at risk of diseases or injuries.

#4: TAKE 2 MINUTES TO FOCUS ON THE PRESENT

Stop a whirlwind of thoughts by reconnecting yourself to the present moment. Follow along the video below and take slow (relaxing) deep breaths. Give yourself these two minutes of peace as you put your feet on the ground and sit comfortably in your chair. May this video help you to tackle the day ahead!

#5: LEARN TO SAY NO

Take care of yourself! It is important to know how much work you can take on so that you do not exhaust yourself. Of course, it is natural to have the desire to impress your boss or co-workers by performing well. Sometimes, you can only be at your best when you do not divide your attention to many tasks.

Only you will know when “possible” turns into “impossible”. A key skill you need to learn in the workplace is learning to say “no”.

#6: CREATE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES

I must admit! It is hard to ignore the popping work notifications. With the advancement of technology, we became reachable 24/7. To protect yourself from exhaustion, you can set boundaries early on. Leave your work on time and maximize your tasks in the workplace. Try to resist checking or responding to work emails and messages after your work hours or before going to sleep.

#7: ASK FOR HELP

For many people, work can have a positive impact on our health and overall well-being. Businesses simply operate better when the employees are physically and mentally healthy. So, it is worth asking your manager how he or she can help you perform well in the team. See if you can work together to adjust your working conditions to make sure everyone feels comfortable at work.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

 

Read More...

A Touching Farewell for iPod

Highlights

  • Apple is discontinuing the production of the iPod touch.
  • Apple first kicked off the portable music device in 2001.
  • The iPod touch will be available while supplies last.

The iPod’s introduction last 2001 took the market by storm. Since then, iPod has undergone several versions such as featuring a scroll wheel, increasing its capacity to 1,000 songs, and a 10-hour battery life. The version that has been selling until now is the iPod Touch, which was launched in 2007. 2007 is a special year for Apple as it was the same year iPhone was launched.

By 2011, Apple held a 70% global market share in MP3 players. About 400 million iPods have been sold to date. The power of music players was eclipsed by smartphones such as the rise of the iPhone.

Apple has announced that it is discontinuing the iPod, 21 years after the device became the face of portable music and kickstarted its company’s evolution. The announcement ends an era of digital music, which previously boasted up to “1,000 CD-quality songs into an ultra-portable, 6.5-ounce design that fits in your pocket.”

The iPod Touch is the only version still being sold and will be available until supplies last. Apple stopped selling the Nano and Shuffle in 2017. Experts predicted that the Touch would follow soon because of the prevalence of iPhones and other smartphones.

Interestingly, the later versions of iPod Touch resembled smartphones by including features such as taking photos, sending emails, and making video calls.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide marketing said in a statement that the “spirit of iPod lives on”.

He added:

“Music has always been part of our core at Apple and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impact more than just the music industry – it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to and shared.”

Sources: 1 & 2

Read More...

5 Money Conversations to Have Before Getting Married

Getting married changes your financial life in significant ways. Not only are you opening your doors to someone or sharing your expenses, but you are also opening yourself to legal changes. While your credit score remains individualized, your future choices could be changed by what your spouse brings into the table.

#1: MONEY BELIEFS

Does your partner value money? You will get information about your partner by how they manage financial successes and setbacks.

Talking about your financial problems can reveal how you fix and learn from your mistakes. Hearing about your spouse’s successes can also reveal how he or she works toward achieving goals.

#2: FINANCIAL BACKGROUNDS

Many financial beliefs and habits are developed in childhood and carried over into adulthood. Hearing about your financial histories can pinpoint underlying patterns.

You can build a foundation of mutual understanding about your financial backgrounds as time passes. It is important to gain clarity on why the other does what they do with their money.

#3: JOINT ACCOUNTS

Should you combine bank accounts when getting married? Or shall you have separate accounts and income streams?

You can either split the bills and expenses or divide it based on each other’s income. Maintaining separate accounts can be possible while having a joint checking account to cover shared costs such as your monthly utility bills.

#4: FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

As a team, you need to work out how you will divide the financial responsibilities. If your partner is more analytical, he or she can research on retirement investing options. Set your roles regularly and give feedback.

Do not forget to check in before making major purchases and increase your communication when there is a change in cash flow.

#5: OTHER OBLIGATIONS

Do you have other financial obligations such as running a business or supporting your sibling? The whole picture of a person’s financial circumstance cannot always be captured by personal net worth.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Thus, you must disclose and discuss other financial obligations you each may have. Remember – you are a team!

Sources: 1 & 2

Read More...

Reasons why you should reconsider that office romance

office romance

Many individuals meet their spouses at work, however, at the same time, seeing someone you met at the office can be considered taboo. But what if you’ve been flirting with a coworker and want to pursue a further relationship?

Well, you spend a lot of time together at work, and when individuals are in close quarters working together, and having honest, emotional talks, there’s a strong possibility romantic ties may develop. It’s critical to consider the dangers before acting on your emotions, as there are many.

Stay on this page for reasons why you should reconsider that office romance.

Distractions

You neglected to post those social media updates while you were busy exchanging flirtatious texts. What about the month-end meeting’s PowerPoint presentation? When you allow yourself into a fast-paced office romantic relationship, it’s unsurprising that your brain wanders and focus diminishes, but you also stand at a risk of losing productivity.

Blurred boundaries

The most significant drawback of office romance is that it turns your personal life into the affair of the entire organization. The rumor of your relationship spreads through the air, and your love story becomes the center of attention. Additionally, workplace romance may cause tension between you and your coworkers. If a coworker has a strained connection with your partner, your relationship with that coworker is likely to suffer as well.

Breakup complications

If a pair end up ending the relationship, they have relatively more unfavorable sentiments toward one other, and their split might potentially impact the cordial connection across departments, forcing team members to take sides. This might lead to a major office rift, which would disrupt workplace dynamics. Sexual harassment allegations may also emerge in some serious instances.

Hierarchy may make things messy
office gossip

Image Credits: inc.com

Before you pursue a connection with a junior or superior, you should take more than a moment to think about it. Know that favoritism and accusations of power abuse, whether genuine or not, may cause havoc and affect how your colleagues perceive you. In this circumstance, you may have to pick between your career and your sentiments and be completely convinced that one is more paramount than the other.

Research over the years has shown that broken-up workplace relationships have been linked to distorted perceptions, sexual harassment lawsuits, and negative feelings about each other. Is it true that all office relationships are doomed? We can’t give a definite answer for sure as many employees have been blissfully married to past coworkers. But there’s no doubt that there are individuals going through breakups that have reverberations across the workplace. Therefore, before embarking on a workplace romance, thoroughly consider the implications.

Read More...

When is a Good Time to Switch Jobs?

Whether you admit it or not, we crave job security. Holding on to a job for several years is one way to attain this. However, there is less financial security in long-term employment.

You can get better by opening your doors to bigger opportunities. The longer you spend time locked up in any organization, the softer your muscles become. You can become complacent and comfortable.

When is it a suitable time to switch jobs?

#1: You became apathetic.

Feeling increasingly disconnected from your primary reasons for entering the field can affect your mental health. Notice if you are underperforming and skipping deadlines. What is going on?

If you cannot remember the last time you felt energized by a new project, it might be time to reassess your role.

#2: You do not feel like you are making an impact.

Your responsibilities and duties remain the same. Every day looks and feels identical. Therefore, you feel undervalued as you run on autopilot.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

It is time for you to find a new role that plays to your strengths and provides you opportunities to develop new ones.

#3: You dread going to the office.

If you dread going to work most days or feel anxious about interacting with the boss, you feel dissatisfied with your current roles.

It is time to think about other areas that will align with your passions. Search for new jobs in job portals such as LinkedIn.

#4: Your job is affecting your personal life.

Work should be challenging, but not crippling. If you are chronically exhausted and experience physical and mental tolls, it is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong.

Being stressed can affect your relationships with the people who matter the most. If your work is turning you unhappy and irritable, start to explore activities that will make you feel boosted again.

#5: You feel that your salary is not enough.

No matter how good the pay may be, you still feel that money is not enough. At some point, you will find yourself watching time pass by during meetings.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Constant dissatisfaction and mindlessness can make you feel like you are wasting your potential. This is a clear sign that you need to embrace change!

Source: 1

Read More...