Extremely Drained from Work? Here are 5 Ways to Feel Less Tired

There’s something about working eight hours a day that leaves us feeling exhausted. Whether you constantly deal with difficult clients or completing an important project, a day at work can leave you unmotivated to do anything else. How are you supposed to meet up with your friends or to teach your child how to accomplish his homework?

Feeling depleted or burnout due to work demands can manifest in a variety of ways such as:

a. having negative, cynical, or pessimistic feelings about your job,
b. finding it difficult to be productive, and
c. feeling less confident about your work.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it may be time to start identifying the triggers that may contribute to your fatigue and consider making changes to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

WHAT IS STRESS-RELATED FATIGUE?

When you are heavily suffocated with stress in the workplace, you can experience stress-related fatigue. Feeling emotionally and physically down can be due to being sedentary at work, consuming too much sugar and caffeine, not taking enough breaks, and being in a stressful work environment. You may deal with this type of fatigue because of heavy workload, job insecurity, or other life and work stressors.

#1: SKIP ON CAFFEINE

We cannot deny the stimulating effects of caffeine, but if you do not want to spend the entire night scrambling around, drinking espresso after work is probably not a good idea. Try munching a banana instead.

You will be surprised by how a banana boosts your productivity! Bananas are a fantastic source of carbohydrates, natural sugar, and vitamins. All of these helps increase your energy levels.

#2: TAKE A POWER NAP

During your lunch break or after work, you can consider taking a power nap. If you can find a quiet space to rest, napping earlier in the day is better to avoid ruining your nighttime routine.

Even a 20-minute nap will help revitalize your body and make you feel fresh. However, be sure to set your alarm to prevent oversleeping. Otherwise, you’ll wake up feeling groggy.

#3: EXERCISE REGULARLY

After an exhausting day at work, you might feel that exercise is the last thing on your mind. Believe it or not, regular exercise will make you feel less tired in the long haul. Walking and physical activity can help manage stress and increase your energy levels.

Do this gradually. Build up your stamina over time until you reach the recommended goal of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., cycling, doubles tennis, or brisk walking) as well as strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (i.e., legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

#4: DRINK MORE WATER

You’ll likely notice a change in your mood, ability to concentrate, and energy level when you are dehydrated. In fact, studies have shown that being just half a liter dehydrated can elevate your cortisol levels. So, keep fatigue at bay by drinking water sufficiently. Drinking enough water can help reduce the negative psychological and physiological impacts of stress.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

#5: CONSIDER TALK THERAPY

Research shows that talking therapies such as counselling or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) might help fight fatigue or tiredness, caused by stress, low mood, or anxiety. Ask for support from your trusted social circles or seek professional help.

Sources: 1, 2, 3,  4, & 5

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Southeast Asia Welcomes Back Chinese Tourists

Now that China’s borders have reopened, Chinese tourists are ready to take flight! Domestic and international travel by Chinese citizens boosted in the recent months. Not to mention, the processing for passport applications began last January.

Despite the increase in international travel, the travel patterns of these tourists have changed. The usual top destinations for Chinese travelers such as Australia, Paris, Canada, and Madrid no longer pique their interest. Deterred by strict entry requirements and visa issues, many Chinese tourists have veered towards their neighbors down south.

Travel website ly.com found that Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have become the most popular travel destinations for these tourists.

GRADUAL INCREASE IN TRAVEL

According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Chinese tourists made nearly 170 million outbound trips in 2019. The United Nations’ World Tourism Organization added that these trips amounted to approximately US$255 billion (S$340 billion), accounting for almost one-fifth of the global tourism spending.

Image Credits: unpslash.com

What is in store for 2023? Chinese Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) forecasted that Chinese outbound travel will recover around two-thirds of those 2019 highs. This covers about 110 million border crossings from China, this year.

CHANGE IN THE TRAVEL PATTERNS

COTRI Founder Wolfgang Georg Arlt said: “The Chinese tourists we will welcome this year and in the coming years are very different from those who came before.”

He believes that major tourists attractions focusing on more nature-orientated, more outdoor-orientated tourism will win the hearts of many Chinese tourists. He highlighted the gravity of trends such as family-focused trips as well as camping/glamping.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES ARE MORE EXPLORED

Countries that can accommodate the shifting needs of Chinese travelers have emerged as clear winners. For instance, Thailand offers visas-on-arrival to fully vaccinated Chinese tourists who have travel insurance. Fliggy’s Chief Strategy Officer Simeon Shi noted that “Thailand welcomed 180,000 Chinese tourists from January to mid-February”. Fliggy is Alibaba Group’s online travel platform, which serves Chinese consumers.

Image Credits: unpslash.com

Southeast Asian countries including Singapore can capitalize on their unique offerings such as Singapore’s plethora of authentic local food. Our local coffee shops, shophouses, group tours, and other cultural offerings can attract more Chinese tourists in the coming months.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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Stack More To Save More With Singtel Super Stacker

Did the alliteration startle you? Not to worry, let us show you how you can be a savvy saver if you subscribe to Singtel Super Stacker. Since you have asked for it, Singtel has answered the call with customisable bundles which allows customers to pool mobile data, talktime and other services for sharing. Whether your demographic profile belongs to that of families, young couples or simply an individual power user of multiple devices, Singtel Super Stacker has got you covered.

What Is Singtel Super Stacker?

The Singtel Super Stacker bundle provides users with multiple options to share benefits while enjoying greater savings. Simply start with a 5G mobile plan as the base and stack it up gradually with up to 4 additional layers to choose from – Mobile, Protect, Broadband and Entertainment Stacks.

Stack
Description
Price
1
Mobile Stack*
● Get 2 additional 5G lines and unlock double the data, talktime and SMSes to share with your friends or family

● Plus, receive free 1-year Singtel Red membership (U.P. $88 / year) with priority invitations for phone launches, $120 worth of vouchers, and curated perks from over 100 dining, wellness, and lifestyle merchants (till 31 Mar ’23)

● Launch Special - Customers who opt for a XO Plus 92 & above plan will receive an additional $100 device voucher

*Only valid for XO Plus 92 or Sim Only Plus 55 & above 5G plan

$29.90/mth
(U.P. $39.90/mth)
2
Protect Stack*
● Enjoy MobileSwop Family at a special price, with unlimited swops for 3 devices* and 1 replacement on your main device every 12 months

● Free tech assist

● Unlimited repairs across all brands

● Launch Special – Additional $150 device discount

*One main device receives one replacement every 12 months

$20/mth
(U.P. $23.90/mth)
3
Broadband Stack
● Additional FREE WiFi-6 mesh with all eligible broadband plans worth over $240
Choose from:
1) 1Gbps WiFi-6 Plan for $53.40/mth

2) 2Gbps WiFi-6 Mesh Plan for $73.58/mth

3) 2Gbps WiFi-6 Mesh Plus Plan for $83.68/month. Includes a Linksys E9450 AX5400 WiFi-6 Router

4
Entertainment Stack
● Choose from a variety of apps on Cast.sg and receive a 2nd music or news app* for FREE for 6 months (with no contract)

*Value of free apps:

● Spotify Premium (U.P. $9.90/month)

● KKBOX (U.P. $9.90/month)

● The Straits Times (U.P. $14.90/month)

Choose from:
1) Sports Plus ($20.09/mth)

2) HBO GO ($14.12/mth)

3) Viu Premium ($7.98/mth)

4) iQIYI Standard ($6.98/mth)

5) TVBAnywhere+ VOD Zone ($5.02/mth)

6) TVBAnywhere+ Channel Zone ($5.02/mth)

Remember the golden rule, the more layers that you stack, the greater the savings!

Not convinced yet? Here is an example of your potential savings when you subscribe to Singtel Super Stacker:

Stacks
Singtel Super Stacker
Other Telcos
Base Mobile Plan (include handset)
$92
$100
2 additional 5G mobiles lines
Mobile Stack: $29.90
$38.36 per line for total of $76.72
Other Stacks
Protect Stack (MobileSwop Family): $20


Broadband Stack (with 3X mesh): $74


Entertainment Stack: $5

Device Protection for 3 devices: $42


2Gbps Broadband Plan (with 3X mesh): $92


Entertainment App: $10

Total Cost
$221/month (~$2652/year)
$321/month (~$3852/year)

Terms and conditions apply. Prices shown are as of 17 Mar ’23 and may be updated from time to time.
Certain prices have been rounded to the nearest dollar for ease of reference.

As highlighted in the worked example, the Singtel Super Stacker allows a customer to save at least $100/month which is equivalent to $1200 in a year! And this comparison does not even include all the additional vouchers that comes with the Launch Special of Singtel Super Stacker!

In a climate of rising costs of living, every penny saved is a penny earned. Simply start subscribing to Singtel Super Stacker to unlock a better digital lifestyle and your wallet will also thank you for it!

For more details on Singtel Super Stacker, please click here.

 

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The journey of love: Why finding love starts with you

self-love written on the wall

It’s easier said than done, but it’s true: The journey of love starts with you. That’s because finding true love starts with cultivating self-love and self-acceptance.

It’s time to break free from seeking validation from others—whether it comes in the form of romantic relationships, friendships, or something else entirely. To tap into that self-love and find the courage for growth, you will have to understand what lies at its root: compassion for yourself.

What does it mean to love yourself?

Loving yourself first involves recognizing that you are valuable and worthy of respect.

It means having high self-esteem and constantly striving to improve yourself and your outlook. It means that you know what you need and want out of life, even if those things are difficult to achieve. It means embracing who you are and taking the necessary steps to become the person you want to be.

Ultimately, learning how to love yourself first helps foster a greater sense of self-confidence, worthiness, and positivity. With a stronger foundation, you can feel at peace with yourself—and that feeling radiates outward into your relationships with others.

Learning to set boundaries in relationships
a couple chilling by the beach with a bonfire

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Learning to set boundaries in a relationship is not only key to establishing a healthy connection but also a crucial step in learning how to love yourself. It’s not always easy to know when you’re giving too much, or when it’s time to take some space for yourself.

But clear boundaries form the foundation of healthy relationships by allowing you to have a better understanding of yourself; who you are and what you need. When you understand what your limits are, you can help ensure that your emotional needs are being met in the relationship.

It is also important to remember that putting yourself first in a relationship is essential for both your physical health and mental well-being. Take the time for yourself and practice saying “no” every once in a while. Remember that making self-care a priority helps establish healthy boundaries and gives the relationship room to grow.

How to stop seeking validation from others

Learning to love yourself first before searching for validation from your partner starts with understanding why you have been seeking external validation in the first place.

To understand this, consider the relationship you had with your parents or caregivers when you were a child. How did they respond to your needs or show their affection? In what ways did they express their love towards you? Have they ever rejected your emotional needs, leaving you feeling invalidated and unworthy of love?

When you find yourself getting caught up in obsessing over what your significant other thinks of you, remember to take a step back and check in with yourself. Take some time for self-reflection, and ask yourself what is it that you’re looking for and why? Doing this will help build trust within yourself and make decisions based on how to best care for your own heart and soul.

Drown out the negativity with acts of self-love: practice self-care, do things that make you feel good about yourself, start healing old patterns of behavior, be gentle on yourself; focus on the goodness from the inside out. By doing so, the external validation becomes unnecessary because now instead of seeking approval from a partner, you are validating everything that lies within—you become the source of validation.

Moving forward with a healthy sense of self-worth
woman forming a heart with her hands

Image Credits: unsplash.com

When you take the time to reflect and look inside yourself, it becomes clear that to find true love, you must first learn to love yourself.

  • Self-love and self-compassion

As a recap, self-love is concerned with understanding and appreciating yourself as you are and developing inner strength. You must be brave enough to accept what makes you unique, good and bad, and build on these insights. Self-compassion involves being kinder to yourself when things don’t go quite as planned or when things that are beyond your control don’t go your way.

  • Understanding people pleasing is a losing battle

Rather than focusing your energy on seeking external validation by pleasing other people, recognize what it means to love yourself, and value who you are as a person despite any perceived shortcomings or failures. That’s when you will authentically attract real love into your life. You will realize that people-pleasing was just a losing battle all along, but now you have the power of true self-love instead!

Ultimately, the journey of love starts with you. Whether we realize it or not, our expectations for relationships are largely set by our capacity for self-love. If we’re looking externally for validation, acceptance, and love, likely, we haven’t found true love within ourselves. True love starts with you. When the love and acceptance within you are stronger than its external counterpart, the journey of love will be nothing short of extraordinary. Learning how to love yourself is a process, but by taking the steps necessary to prioritize self-love, you can find yourself experiencing a happier, more balanced, and more meaningful journey of love.

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An unconventional asset: The reasons why you should hire a highly sensitive person

two men shaking hands

Why on earth would you even consider hiring a highly sensitive person for your team? Are they worth the “trouble”?

Let us take a moment to tell you why you should seriously consider hiring such people. Hiring the right person for a job can have a huge impact on your team and organization, and hiring someone with a high sensitivity level can open up new areas of possibilities and benefits that other candidates simply can’t offer.

From their sensitiveness to their motivation and dedication, these people have much more to offer than what meets the eye. Let’s dive in!

What is a highly sensitive person (HSP)?

Are you an employer in need of an unconventional human asset?

One who understands the subtleties of any working environment and can connect to the feelings of those around them? Consider hiring a highly sensitive person (HSP).

What is a highly sensitive person? They are individuals who tend to be deeply moved by the emotions around them and are more aware of subtleties than others. HSPs can often sense what’s going on with people before they even speak up.

This awareness allows them to be sensitized to how their team members or customers may be feeling, and therefore able to make better decisions. In addition, HSPs are highly adept at noticing patterns in data and then connecting that data to what they pick up emotionally. Their decisions come from a deeper place of understanding and empathy.

Benefits of having an HSP on your team
listening to a coworker

Image Credits: unsplash.com

When it comes to hiring, it pays to consider people with a little something extra.

HSPs bring some unique advantages to the table that can make them the highest performers on your team.

Just think of all the benefits you will get with an HSP on board:

  • They have sophisticated people skills—they intuitively understand how to make individuals feel heard and cared for, so interpersonal relationships can develop more easily.
  • They are empathetic—they take into account other people’s feelings and use those insights when communicating with others.
  • They bring a creative, curious mindset to their work—HSPs have an eye for detail and think outside the box when it comes to problem-solving.
  • They are highly tuned into their environment—paying close attention to changes in atmosphere, mood, and culture to create a better working environment for everyone.

By considering highly sensitive candidates as part of your recruitment process, you will be able to benefit from these qualities and gain a valuable asset for your team.

Challenges when managing highly sensitive people

You may find yourself wondering—are highly sensitive people tough to handle? That’s a fair question.

The fact of the matter is, managing and working with highly sensitive people can be challenging if you’re not prepared.

For one, highly sensitive people tend to be overwhelmed by too much stimulation in the workplace. Too much sound, smell, or intensity of interaction can lead to stress and ultimately result in decreased performance. HR managers and bosses need to take this into account when managing HSPs.

Strategies to assist HSPs in the workplace
an open office space

Image Credits: unsplash.com

When you hire an HSP for your team, you needn’t worry—there are a few strategies that are easy to implement to help them succeed and boost morale in the workplace.

  • Abort your open office plan

The first step is to consider whether an open office plan is the best fit for the workplace.

While it may be the norm, it can be difficult for HSPs to thrive in this kind of environment since too much noise and too many distractions can cause them to become overwhelmed or anxious.

When considering hiring an HSP, make sure you have safe, quiet spaces away from the noise for them to work.

  • Don’t criticize them upfront

HSPs may take feedback differently than what you expect from someone else on your team because they tend to process information deeply and intensely.

Whenever you provide feedback on their work, be mindful of their needs and make sure they understand it’s just constructive criticism—not a personal attack.

This will help prevent feelings of hurt or resentment that could stem from bluntness or misunderstanding later down the line.

  • Look for opportunities to help HSP employees apply their empathy skills

One thing HSPs are often great at is empathizing with people—so look for opportunities where they can bring it into the workplace and apply it in useful ways.

For example, having conversations with customers or meeting with vendors for project management roles are great ways for HSP employees to demonstrate their empathy skills while also proving themselves valuable within your organization.

As we close, know that while there may be challenges in managing highly sensitive individuals, they also come with significant benefits. Not only are they able to pick up on subtleties and nuances that other people might miss, but they are also able to bring a creative, open-minded, and emotionally aware approach to your team. Highly sensitive people can be a valuable asset to any organization and should not be discounted.

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