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Being happy at your workplace is crucial for your mental health. It not only impacts your happiness, but also your overall performance. So, how do you know that it is time to move on and find a new job? ​ Signs that show you could be ready for a career change:​You are being overworked – You need a work/life balance, not being able to switch off can be dangerous and could result in constant stress and issues with sleeping. Not being listened to – You do not feel like you are recognized, your ideas are often shut down and overlooked. This can easily demotivate anyone and as result make us stop caring! Your opinion matters and you should be encouraged to share your thoughts.You have lost the satisfaction of what you do – Work has become a chore and when you arrive back home, you are feeling unfulfilled.Your salary is not increasing – You feel like you are being given many new tasks and the salary does not match the work involved. Talks about a pay rise are being ignored.You are not developing any more – No potential to grow within the company, learn anything new or to have additional responsibilities.Toxic manager/environment – You dread going to work and feel stressed whenever you are there. The atmosphere at work is very important and plays a big role in how you perform and feel at your workplace.​ Every job can have its ups and downs. There will be obstacles you need to overcome to become better at what you do; however, it should also be filled with many fun moments and reasons that make you enjoy going to work! If it is not making you happy anymore, you feel like it has nothing else to offer and it is affecting your health and personal life then perhaps it is time to think about the change.   It is never easy to make this decision, but life is too short to settle for less than you deserve!

What is onboarding? Companies spend a significant amount of their time looking for the perfect candidate in order to fill an open role in their organization. However, it is often forgotten that the job of the HR function or Hiring Manager is not finished once they hire the right candidate. To transform a new (and likely very nervous) starter into a productive team member, an effectively planned onboarding program is required.  Statistics show that 90% of employees make the decision on whether to stay with a company or leave, within the first 6 months from the start date. Onboarding can have a massive impact on your mindset.  A better onboarding experience improves new employee satisfaction, engagement, and performance. Some scary figures to consider:​ After a disastrous first day, 5% of new employees quit immediately. Within the first 45 days of employment, 20% of new employees will leave. Almost one-third of all new employees leave the company (voluntarily or involuntarily) before the end of their first year.​  A good onboarding process expedites the integration of new employees while lowering costs. Replacing an employee typically costs an organization between 50 and 150 percent of the departing employee's annual salary!  How can you make an effective and successful onboarding program? Onboarding programs can differ depending on the size and culture of the company. However, there are some common tips and rules used in successful onboarding programs. Before we get to the training part, it is crucial to ensure that new starters are provided with the needed resources to be efficient. Such resources depending on your work might include: ​Passwords, log in details for software, and the keys to access the building  DeskWork uniformAttendance tool Tablet, Computer, or phone​  Having this, you can be confident that they have what they need which would make it less stressful for both you and the employee. Top Tip: Highly motivated employees will go the extra mile, so don’t be afraid to point them in the right direction! Provide a reading list or suggest a few useful websites that will allow them to independently research and accelerate their learning. Complete the paperwork before their start date  Documents like the contract of employment, payroll forms, work requirements & VISA need to be finished before day 1. The quicker you are done with the important documents, the faster you can put your mind on planning the engagement part of the onboarding. Nowadays, instead of posting the documents, consider an electronic signature. This is a quick way to avoid any delays and allows the employee to keep all important documents stored electronically too. The team and communication Building the employee/manager relationship from day one is essential for communication. According to the data, 61% of ‘best at’ onboarding businesses allow their managers to be part of the hiring process making the status of new hires accessible for them. Through applying this process of engagement between manager and new starter you provide the employee with the best practices, knowing that they are being followed in the correct way.  Top Tip: Don’t be afraid to communicate before the first day! Send a welcome email, set up a virtual coffee, give some insights into the onboarding process. New starters appreciate the contact, and you’ll appreciate having a strong foundation from Day 1 to build on. Create a welcome experience and provide them with culture aspect of the companyHave a clear owner of the orientation experience – is it the hiring manager or a human resources representative who will walk them through the office, show them where the kitchen, good coffee machine, and best bathrooms are?  Make the new hire feel truly special by allowing them to decorate the space if they have a dedicated workstation. If you're hot-desking or working remotely, consider making a fun, travel-sized pack. Hot desking may be unfamiliar to many people, so making a caddy full of treats may help to normalize the experience. Top Tip: Create a welcome pack! It can be inexpensive and include some essentials like a branded water bottle, pens, mousepad, and a voucher for a desk plant.  After the first dayAfter let’s say 4, 6 months, a year… How are you staying in touch with that employee overtime? Onboarding should not end after the first week.  Setting your employees up for long-term success requires clear goals, objectives, and succession planning. This is where probation management comes into play. It's simply not enough to hire a superstar and expect them to perform flawlessly all the time. To help them thrive, every top talent has a great coach and support network. Share goals and set regular check ins. When the best practice of onboarding is carried out, it benefits not only the new employee but also the manager and the organization as a whole. 

Dealing with conflict or tough conversations at work. It’s comparable to the ‘we need to talk’ dread all of us have undoubtedly faced at some point in our personal lives.Whether it’s addressing distracting behaviours in the office, challenging your colleague on the accuracy of a report or confronting a long-overdue company problem – these conversations need to happen, and they need to happen for a few reasons:-         The problem can’t be fixed if there is no awareness of the problem in the first place.-         Get that weight off your shoulders, its liberating!-         It’s how we achieve professional and personal growth – your company will benefit from this too. The art of conversation is like any art. With continued practice you will acquire skill and ease.Finding the right words, and the right moment – it is no easy task in the fast-paced commercial world. Step 1) Conquer your fears and just do it.Here are some tips to make the conversation easier…Set a Positive Tone -         Mindset matters. Frame the conversation in a different way and put a positive spin on it. Be constructive, not negative. Can you offer an alternative solution to the one currently on the table? Make sure there is an action plan in place when a consensus (or even just an understanding) is reached to ensure you move forward.Keep Your Cool-         Don’t forget to breathe! Taking this brief moment to focus on your breathing will allow you to refocus and absorb any information. It’s important that whether you are the recipient or provider of a challenging discussion, that you make a conscious effort to slow down the pace of the conversation, listen, collect your thoughts, and respond rationally.Plan with Emotional Intelligence-         Think ahead. What do you anticipate the response will be to the discussion? Put yourself in the shoes of your counterpart to mentally consider their possible responses. You can have some flexible strategies to hand on how to move the conversation forward in a productive way. If you don’t feel confident on the recipients view beforehand, ask them.Be Concise and Direct-         Difficult conversations need to be clear and to the point, otherwise the message gets lost in a muddled delivery. To avoid receiving objections, be prepared with concrete examples. Focus on facts, not feelings. Try not to let your emotions get the better of you when you are trying to find a resolution.Make It a Conversation-         Feedback shouldn’t be a monologue - there should be two-way communication. Make sure there is an opportunity for an open discussion and questions to allow the meeting to end with unwavering clarity on both sides. Do you fully understand each other and what will happen next?  “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.”- William Ellery Channing, American Theologian

Building ResilienceResilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. So, what can we do that promotes resilience? AcceptanceWe must accept that stress, mistakes, and failure are an inevitable part of our everyday, in our professional work and in our personal lives. Adversity does not discriminate, we all have to handle situations in life of challenging pressures at work, grieving for a loved one, conflict in relationships or mental illness. The list goes on…The saying ‘failure is not an option’ is redundant in today’s emotionally intelligent world. Resilient people know that sh*t happens.In case you were thinking about boxing up all that stress, worry and, pressure - suppression is not an effective strategy. Try not to think about something, and guess where your mind goes… The ability to make mistakes, learn from them, and rebound is resilience building and from this we can branch out into new directions, boost our immune system and lead happier lives. Run Towards Resilience By taking opportunities for change and personal/professional development, we learn how to handle failure, rejection, mistakes; how to rebound and recover from extraordinary circumstances.Build your resilience by making pursuits meaningful. Meditation, photography, learning a new language, taking that course, asking for more responsibility at work…Be kind to yourself by discovering enjoyment in the challenges you face and be optimistic, even on the tough days. By finding your inner drive to take on new projects and also keeping in mind your future focus, you’ll be more autonomous, pragmatic and nurtured as a person.  Stronger and more prepared for whatever comes next in life. Mindset Matters Slow and gradual behaviour change is more likely to last. Commit to a manageable behaviour change and we are more likely to follow-through. Balance this with self-compassion.Exercise is so good for us, not only physically but for our mental health and to build cognition. Aim to do a walk for 10 minutes a day over lunch but always show compassion to yourself. If you are too self-critical when you miss one day, you are less likely to bounce back the next day.Be careful of when you place your attention.  As humans, our survival instinct makes us excellent at noticing weaknesses and threats. Take a step back, is the way you are thinking going to help you, or just have a detrimental impact you?Resilient people make a conscious effort to not be swallowed up by the negative and instead focus on benefit finding, all those things in your life that you can be grateful for.Don’t do it aloneMake a deliberate effort to find what’s good in your life. This should include a strong social connection with colleagues, friends, and family who you can turn to in your times of need. Resilient people ask for help when they need this and see this as a sign of inner-strength, not weakness. What changes do you need to make in your life or your mindset to become resilient? 

I want to talk about criticism at work, how to take it, learn from it and move on.It is one of those factors, that un-FORTUNATELY (yes- you read it right) is ever present in our professional lives, and I for one am happy about that.However good we are at our jobs, however efficient and hard-working, there’s always room for improvement.… But how could we improve if we don’t think we need to?Just like Winston Churchill once said:“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things”Even though we all know that constructive criticism is more useful than a praise, I’m sure some of you would agree that being on the receiving end is not always easy.To help, I’ve put together a few tips:First, be open minded. Show your supervisor that you are open to receiving the feedback, why? Managers as well as clients also dislike giving criticism, so by saying that you are open to it, you prove your mental maturity and help to build a better rapport with them for future.Second, listen. Take it all in. Do not feel like you have to respond immediately. You want to show that you have listened, are not defensive and are accountable. Make sure to thank them for the feedback and let them know you appreciate it.Afterwards we might feel bad, embarrassed or even angry. That’s absolutely fine – we’re only human. Call your partner, friend or a close colleague and acknowledge your feelings. Then once you settle down you will start to see the situation in a new light.Third, learn. Try and find a lesson in the criticism given. Now that you had time to digest what’s been said, see what you can take from it for future improvements. 8 out of 10 times, negative feedback is given in order to help you develop and grow.Fourth, move on. Nothing more, nothing less. Once you’ve been given the feedback, you acknowledged your learning or reflected on the mistake – move on.The reason for giving you this feedback in the first place was not to put you down and make you feel incompetent – it is to ensure, that you improve and grow!

“Self-care has become a new priority – the revelation that it’s perfectly permissible to listen to your body and do what it needs.” ― Frances Ryan Burnout - lets talk about it!It’s one of those subjects that often gets mentioned, but never really discussed. I think it’s time to change that.I am actually quite surprised that in today’s day and age it has not been classified as a medical condition yet, because let’s face it – it is.Burnout is very popular and happens more often than people would like to admit. It’s that state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, caused by prolonged, work-related stress. In order to come up with ways of avoiding it, let’s break down the definition to see how each of the factors can be FIXED!Emotional exhaustionEmotional exhaustion is a state of feeling emotionally worn out and drained. This can be easily improved by ensuring we eat right, take technology breaks, meet with our friends, and of course exercise. Yes, many people could argue that exercise is a suggested remedy for almost everything nowadays, but in this case it is true. Exercise releases chemical endorphins to the brain which triggers a positive feeling in your body. So there, we have proof that going for a run or taking that HIIT class is worth it!Mental exhaustionMental exhaustion is similar, but the symptoms can be more severe, as the person experiencing this feeling starts to be detached, showing apathy towards their work colleagues and the work itself. The first thing to do if possible is to remove the stressor. If it is an overwhelming task at work, perhaps speak to your Supervisor – see if they could offer you some help. Don’t feel that you have to go through this alone.Again, try to eat well and stay active, but also practice relaxation techniques like yoga, massage, or mindfulness – all scientifically recognized to lower stress and anxiety.Physical exhaustionPhysical exhaustion is an extreme state of unrelenting fatigue and sometimes it can be brought on by the previously mentioned mental exhaustion. Being in this state can cause dizziness, chronic tiredness, and headaches, which if untreated can lead to moodiness, slow reflexes or even bad judgement/decision making.Get some sleep! Clocking in your 7 - 9 hours of sleep a night can restore well-being. Set aside some time each day to stretch and try eating foods that improve your energy level, like nuts, fish, and cheese. Magnesium is an essential mineral to promote a healthy nervous system, energy production, and for muscle relaxation.Also, if you ever notice that someone around you is starting to display any of the above signs, see if they are ok, offer them help. Trust me, it will make their day!