What to do When You Hate Your Job

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

Most of us complain about work every once in a while. Particularly when it’s a wet and windy Monday morning and you’d much rather stay snuggled up in your duvet than go to work. But what happens when your attitude towards your job takes a turn for the worse and you really hate your job. Being unhappy at work can cause all sorts of physical and emotional problems so if you start each day with a feeling of dread, it’s time to tackle the problem.

 

First think about why you hate your job. Is it because you are struggling with your workload or is a particular colleague causing you problems? If you can identify the cause of your misery you can take steps to resolve any issues. For example, your boss may be able to provide you with extra training if you are finding aspects of your job difficult or might agree to let you move your desk so that you can escape annoying colleagues.

 

It can be difficult, but it’s important to try and start each day with a positive attitude. If you come into work feeling miserable, people will pick up on this. It then becomes harder to make friends and puts you in the wrong frame of mind for the rest of the day. Even if you don’t feel particularly cheerful, greet your colleagues with a smile first thing and you could find that the rest of the day becomes more enjoyable.

 

For more information about improving your working life, visit: https://nextstep.direct.gov.uk

 

Categories: attitude, catton, jenny, nbsp, problems, Rest, work, written

Is Your Child’s Reaction to Pain Worse than the Pain Itself?

No child reacts perfectly when their wellness is affected by stomach pain, but if your child dwells on or ‘catastrophises’ this health concern, they may have a lower quality of life than kids with a more positive attitude. This is according to German researchers, who add that, as parents, you can help your child learn to cope more effectively, and improve their outlook.

The surprising outcome of the study is that young patients with chronic stomach pain reported lower quality of life than kids who deal with chronic asthma, skin rashes and even obesity. Study co-author Claudia Calvano of the University of Potsdam in Germany explained, ‘If the children think, “My pain will not stop,” then this can lead to further impairment and increase psychological strain.’ Between 8% and 25% of all youth deal with chronic stomach pain, which can affect their wellbeing as they progress into adulthood.

Stomach pain is a complicated issue. There is organic pain, or the type in which the doctors can identify a medical cause, and then you have another type with no clear source, known as functional pain. This may occur due to stress, diet, exercise or psychological challenges, or a mixture of these factors, and so pinning down the root of the problem becomes more difficult. For the study, the researchers looked at both types of pain, examining data on 170 young people aged eight to 18. Instead of finding gender, economic status, or type of abdominal pain to be the cause of lower quality of life scores, poor coping skills was deemed the culprit.

According to Calvano, ‘The way parents react is very important.’ As parents, you need to acknowledge your child’s pain and not fob it off, but then introduce your child to healthy coping strategies. Frequently staying home from school, for example, may not help your child in the long run. Calvano notes, ‘Stress can increase the pain,’ especially in the case of stomach pain, as the connection between the mind’s stress and the abdomen is very sensitive in children. A better way to help your child handle the pain is through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Calvano says, ‘Parents should be involved in the therapy and know which strategies the children learn so they can help them.’

Dr. Joel Rosh, a paediatric gastroenterologist at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey, who was not involved in the new study, comments, ‘Recognizing that fear and anxiety can be major causes of pain is very important.’ It’s a good idea to pay close attention to your child’s different descriptions of the pain. If your child complains of a one-day stomach-ache, he or she faces a very different problem than a child who has dealt with pain for three months. Ask your child questions, such as what does the pain feel like? Does it interfere with activities in the day? Is something new going on? What did you eat today?

Still, while Rosh supports the study results, paediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Ritu Verma of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was less impressed. ‘I was a little disappointed because [the study] only confirmed things that researchers have talked about before,’ says Verma, albeit adding that affirming previous research still has value. ‘From a gastroenterologist perspective, we may not read a lot of literature that deals with the psychology of abdominal pain, and that’s important. ‘There is a misperception that girls or women tend to have more issues with pain and quality of life. But here it confirmed that the gender of the patient did not make a difference.’

Categories: abdominal pain, attitude, Child, Children, chronic stomach, paediatric gastroenterologist, Pain, Research, stomach, stomach pain, study

How to Change Your Attitude to Exercise in Just 21 Days

Want to lose weight, improve your overall fitness or just kick your wellbeing into shape? You can get it done in just 21 days! This is according to trainer Marco Borges, author of Power Moves, who argues that his supershaper workout delivers wow effects that will keep you hooked. Borges asserts, ‘In less than a month you can not only sculpt a new body but, more important, change your exercise attitude.’ There’s nothing more important that an exercise attitude when it comes to getting the body you want. After all, if you get out of bed in the morning feeling pumped and ready to go, you’re going to get far better results than if you can barely drag yourself to the gym, and Borge has a routine that his A-list clientele, including Beyonce, swear by.

 

What’s the secret to fitness success? Borge claims that his exercise-enthusiasm-inducing magic mix contains eight allover toners plus a dose of cardio on most days. He notes, ‘A five-days-a-week commitment is the key to both quick weight loss results and making a routine stick.’ The point to his “no excuses” plan is that it helps you to form some serious fitness habits, getting you to add sets and reps of the sculpting moves every week, as well as inserting an extra 10 minutes into your cardio routine. In order to get started, all you need is a five to 10-pound medicine ball or a dumbbell of the same weight, as well as a commitment to the plan. All you need to do is give it three weeks of your life, and you’ll never feel the same again.

 

Borge’s approach to fitness is not just about getting you to pump more iron or run more laps; you also need to work on your mindset if you’re ever going to achieve your goals. Therefore, he breaks each week down into two categories; exercises for the body and exercises for the mind (don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to start doing brain training exercises like sudoku or anything!)

 

Week One: Week one’s mind challenge is to write down your progress in a journal, so that you can see it all in black and white. Borge advises, ‘Dedicate five minutes a day to keeping an exercise journal, noting how you feel after each workout or how you stay active.’ When you see how you are achieving your daily goals, this will help to build the momentum you need to keep going. But which lovely goals should you see written down in your fitness journal? For your body work, Borge notes that you need to do two sets of 8 to 12 reps per resistance-training move (of your choice) twice a week on non-consecutive days. You also need to incorporate 25 to 35 minutes of cardio exercise into your routine on five days during the week.

 

Week two: Your mind challenge this week is to plan ahead. Waiting for a break in your day is a good way to get you exercising in the beginning, but if something comes up or you just don’t find a space in your day, your fitness plan can fall by the wayside. Therefore, Borge recommends that you schedule it the night before. Your body routine for this week should involve doing three sets of eight to 12 reps per move three times a week and 35 to 45 minutes of cardio five days a week. Remember to do your cardio first on weight-lifting days.

 

Week three: Get your brain into shape by finding solutions, not excuses. You may think you don’t have time for a full session, but instead of quitting, you can break it into 10-minute bits. ‘Once you’ve started, it’s easier to keep going than it is to quit,’ Borges says. You need to achieve three sets of 15 to 20 reps per move three times a week and 45 to 55 minutes of cardio five days a week – go on, you know you can do it!

Categories: attitude, borge, Cardio, days, exercise attitude, exercise routine, fitness, mind challenge, nbsp week, Three Weeks, week

Making Mornings Count: Be the Boss of Your Body Clock

It’s pretty safe to say that not many people like mornings. This is a time for slugging through it and making it to work, but is it possible to actually enjoy those early hours? In the morning, there’s a sense of stillness, quiet and possibility which can help you set your entire day off to a peaceful and energized start – or at least, not in a complete daze – and give your mental health and wellbeing the boost it needs.

Changing your mornings begins with changing your attitude. Being ready and able to take on the day is a blessing – something that not everyone has a chance to do. Try to appreciate how lucky you are when your alarm goes off. However, if that doesn’t seem possible at 6:30am, why not write a morning to-do list the night before? You’ll feel amazing for making the most of that time, and you’ll be set up for a day of extra productivity and focus.

Next, make sure you’re the boss of your body clock. In order to wake up feeling great, you need to have a decent night’s sleep, and this begins with an earlier bedtime. Tonight, go to bed 10 minutes earlier than you usually would. Tomorrow, go to bed an extra 10 minutes earlier. It doesn’t sound like much, but in a week you’ll be going to bed an hour earlier – and your mornings will reflect that. You can also help your mornings by limiting your screen time and caffeine intake in the evenings, and avoiding super-late nights at the weekend.

If you really want to be jumping out of bed in the morning, you need to have something waiting for you which is more tempting than an extra 10 minutes’ kip. Have a range of small goals and big goals to convince yourself with. Small goals might include an early yoga class you want to hit, or a TV programme you’re dying to watch but won’t have the time unless you get up now. You also need big-scale goals, such as being at work fully focused and full of ideas to get that next promotion or to get ahead on an exciting project. Soon you’ll be taking over the world, one morning at a time.

Categories: attitude, body clock, Mornings

Middle-Aged Dating: Do You Have an Unhealthy Attitude?

According to Tom Blake, a California resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating, he receives an email, almost weekly, from women who don’t date much because men are intimidated by their beauty, intelligence and confidence. However, Tom argues that men are never intimidated by a woman’s good qualities – why on earth would they be?

Tom cites the views of one of his readers, Maria, aged 68, who said, ‘When we are happy with ourselves, we won’t see the need to change who we are by thinking that men are intimidated by intelligent, confident and attractive women. I don’t think most men are intimidated, but find women of this nature to be more interesting. Don’t cut yourself short ladies, just to fit an image you think men have. Be authentic.’

Tom explains that men simply don’t get intimidated by a woman with amazing qualities, in fact, some will only date women with who possess them. According to Tom, ‘Women who believe they intimidate quality men because of their intelligence, confidence and beauty are kidding themselves. Quality men appreciate those characteristics and other qualities such as kindness, consideration and thoughtfulness as well. Men I know do not look for women they can manipulate. They look for women who are equals.’

Maria adds, ‘I live in California and as a New England-raised person, find men in California different in their outlook, and yes, their tendencies to want someone 10 or more years younger. But I also think they are not all bad and a lot of men do look for women their own age. If we hold the negative frame of mind that there are no good men here, that’s who we will attract, all the bad guys, like a magnet.’ Maria notes that the reason she attracted “bad guys” was ‘me and my negative attitude; I realised I had subconsciously put up a “no vacancy” sign. I’m waking up now, changing my attitude to a more open frame-of-mind and trying to figure out how to get to know men again with my confidence intact. There are plenty of high-energy, spiritual men around who are older.’

 

Middle-Aged Dating: Do You Have an Unhealthy Attitude?

Categories: attitude, dating, intimidation

To lose weight, the only way you will turn successful is if you have powerful weight loss motivation. Just kind of wanting to lose weight doesn’t seem to get the job done. We take a look at the three main weight loss motivations: The first weight loss motivation is a particular event. People often try to lose some weight or excess weight, before their wedding or a high school reunion. There are many different programs that will help get you to your ideal weight for a particular event, as long as the pounds of weight you want to shed is reasonable for the amount of time you have, to lose that weight. For long term success, these products and your attitude may not be a great combination. If your focus was on the event, your motivation to stay that size goes with the passing of time. The second weight loss motivation people have is to get their loved ones off their backs. You try to make others happy. Perhaps, your husband doesn’t like your post-pregnancy body or your children tell you that you are too unhealthy, when you try to lose weight to satisfy them. Sometimes, when your motivation is to please others, you actually lose weight and are happy with the results. Most of the time; however, you lose weight until they quit talking about it. Thereafter lost weight comes back on. The final weight loss motivation is self-motivation. You want to lose weight to please yourself. If you find others are happy about it, that is just a bonus. May be, you realise how unhealthy being overweight is and you don’t want to burden your family with the cost of being overweight. Maybe, you look at health concerns that you would rather not deal with and weighing less is the answer. It might even be that you are just ready to be a lighter or smaller size. Whatever your personal reason is for wanting to lose excess weight, it is the only true weight loss motivation that will keep you on track for long-term weight management. Is your weight problematic to you? Once you have an issue with your weight, it will most likely be a problem always. That doesn’t mean that you will always be overweight or have your weight yo-yo. It means that your weight loss motivation will have to become motivation with mindset to remain in a certain weight range. The scale will always be part of your bathroom décor and you will need to visit it regularly. It will keep yourself from gaining too much weight and ending up where you started. This requires a lifestyle change, instead of diet products. If you are ready to make a change in your life you can seek out the right plan for you. You will be successful, if you have the right weight loss motivation. The Attitudes towards Weight Loss Motivation

To lose weight, the only way you will turn successful is if you have powerful weight loss motivation.  Just kind of wanting to lose weight doesn’t seem to get the job done. We take a look at the three main weight loss motivations:

• The first weight loss motivation is a particular event. People often try to lose some weight or excess weight, before their wedding or a high school reunion. There are many different programs that will help get you to your ideal weight for a particular event, as long as the pounds of weight you want to shed is reasonable for the amount of time you have, to lose that weight. For long term success, these products and your attitude may not be a great combination.   If your focus was on the event, your motivation to stay that size goes with the passing of time.

 

• The second weight loss motivation people have is to get their loved ones off their backs. You try to make others happy.  Perhaps, your husband doesn’t like your post-pregnancy body or your children tell you that you are too unhealthy, when you try to lose weight to satisfy them.  Sometimes, when your motivation is to please others, you actually lose weight and are happy with the results. Most of the time; however, you lose weight until they quit talking about it.  Thereafter lost weight comes back on.

 

• The final weight loss motivation is self-motivation. You want to lose weight to please yourself. If you find others are happy about it, that is just a bonus. May be, you realise how unhealthy being overweight is and you don’t want to burden your family with the cost of being overweight. Maybe, you look at health concerns that you would rather not deal with and weighing less is the answer. It might even be that you are just ready to be a lighter or smaller size. Whatever your personal reason is for wanting to lose excess weight, it is the only true weight loss motivation that will keep you on track for long-term weight management.

Is your weight problematic to you?  Once you have an issue with your weight, it will most likely be a problem always. That doesn’t mean that you will always be overweight or have your weight yo-yo. It means that your weight loss motivation will have to become motivation with mindset to remain in a certain weight range. The scale will always be part of your bathroom décor and you will need to visit it regularly.  It will keep yourself from gaining too much weight and ending up where you started. This requires a lifestyle change, instead of diet products. If you are ready to make a change in your life you can seek out the right plan for you.  You will be successful, if you have the right weight loss motivation.

The Attitudes towards Weight Loss Motivation

Categories: attitude, motivation, Weight Loss