What is Considered Workplace Violence? (Types, Prevention And Employee Rights)

Hearing the term “workplace violence” sounds as though it would be an obvious, physical altercation. While that is one aspect of the term, there are a number of other acts that are considered to be violence at work. Not only will understanding the intricacies of the term help you to avoid making these mistakes, but it will make you more aware of the rights you have in the workplace.

What is considered workplace violence? Workplace violence can include verbal threats or a physical attack by a coworker or client, inside or outside of the place of work. The existence of workplace violence is far too common and should be actively mitigated against.

This article will describe the specific types of workplace violence, how to reduce or prevent them, and the rights that employees have against it. The comprehension of these aspects of workplace violence is the beginning of making an effort to do better. If we want work environments to be safer and better overall, it is imperative that companies place an emphasis on putting a stop to workplace violence.

Types of Workplace Violence

Many forms of workplace violence are obvious. Others, however, are less known. Despite being unaware of an action being considered workplace violence, it is still your responsibility to avoid doing it or reporting it when seen. The types include physical violence or threatening it, intimidation, and harassment.

Physical Violence and Threats

Receiving a threat or experiencing physical violence at work is generally hard to miss. This makes this type of workplace violence one of the obvious kinds. Physical acts of violence can be everything from a push to a slap and everything in between. The general rule of thumb is to simply keep your hands to yourself and expect others to do the same.

Unfortunately, not all individuals are capable of refraining from violent acts. In fact, 2017 saw 458 fatal workplace injuries Opens in a new tab. resulting from willful injury from someone else. Keep in mind, that statistic is from the United States alone. The idea that you might lose your life by simply going to work is not one that we like to think about, but it is one that should be addressed. The number of reported physical violence injuries at work not resulting in death is an astonishing 18,400 Opens in a new tab. in the United States.

Although less immediate and far less reported, threats are damaging to employees and the company overall. Acts of physical violence can be threatened directly or indirectly, but both are considered workplace violence and need to be addressed. Allowing a threat to go unnoticed by management can lead to the actual act of violence.

Preventing physical violence and threats in the workplace are important in providing employees with a safe work environment. A safe environment will also give workers the peace of mind to focus on their jobs and tasks at hand, rather than fearing for what might happen throughout the day. Learning how to prevent this form of workplace violence will be discussed a bit later. (We have written a related article – Towards a Science of Workplace Spirituality Opens in a new tab. )

Intimidation

At its most basic definition, workplace intimidation is essentially bullying. This is why most also call it workplace bullying. It is an action that is cruel and unnecessary at work. Intimidation is often a way of forcing employees to quit, do specific tasks, or manipulate others. No matter the reason behind intimidation, it is not a proper way to approach any situation and needs to be stopped in its tracks.

Unfortunately, most intimidation tactics in the workplace are perfectly legal. However, just because they are legal does not make them right. Illegal intimidation is typically only when the bullying is based on demographics like race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. This is when workplace intimidation becomes discrimination. (We have written a related article – Everything You Need To Know About Workplace Intimidation) Opens in a new tab. )

Discrimination is not always the issue to be dealt with. Sometimes a coworker interferes with your ability to work in order to ensure their own success or even takes credit for what you have done. Although these situations seem juvenile and unlikely in the adult working world, situations just like these happen regularly. Putting a stop to this style of workplace violence is crucial to a peaceful and productive environment.

Harassment

Harassment comes in many forms but ultimately is defined as undesired behavior based on an individual’s gender, religion, nationality, age, and similar demographics. Due to recent societal changes, harassment is a heavily discussed topic in offices and various employment buildings across the nation. Perhaps one of the hottest topics among harassment is sexual harassment.

What one person might see as a joke, another can take a completely different way. Because of this, it is best for employees to refrain from making sexual jokes or innuendos. It is also best for coworkers to avoid touching others as much as possible. Placing a hand on someone’s shoulder might seem innocent enough, but it can make the other person feel very uncomfortable. These examples are just two of many sexual harassment incidents that might occur in the workplace.

Another type of harassment that occurs frequently is related to one’s sexual orientation. When a coworker’s lifestyle does not match up with your beliefs, it is important to keep the talk and any comments work-related. Steering the conversation to something that might cause a rift is not a good way to work together. It also opens the door for harassment to step in.

It is best for managers to remain diligent about keeping harassment at bay. By preventing the issue before there is one, employers have the ability to make the workplace far more enjoyable. This will lead to less turnover and more experienced employees.

Preventing Workplace Violence

When it comes to preventing workplace violence before it even begins, employers have their work cut out for them. That is not to say that it is impossible or not worth it to stop the violence prior to its start, it simply means that it is a lot of policy and procedure, communication, and training. By making an effort to prevent this kind of environment for employees, employers are sure to have a better workplace.

Many people wonder how a policy or procedure would help to stop anyone from doing what they want. While it is true that some individuals operate on a “what they don’t know won’t hurt them” philosophy, the majority of workers value their job (or paycheck) too much to risk it. This is where it is important to have a clear, defined policy on all forms of workplace violence. It is also imperative that the policy is always being updated to include new forms of violence that have been introduced with new generations.

The policy itself should always be zero tolerance. Having a “three-strike” policy when it comes to harassment, intimidation, threats, and physical violence is not effective in preventing the actions to begin with. However, having a policy that states that one incident of workplace violence means the end of the instigator’s career within that company is far more effective.

Having an outlined procedure when an incident does occur can help all involved. Rather than fumbling for an answer to the problem, there should already be one. All persons involved should know exactly how to proceed. A big part of this starts with communication. Open communication allows for a more efficient workplace in the work itself and reporting problems.

Creating an office environment where employees feel like they can speak with their superiors or coworkers about something that was uncomfortable for them is crucial. If an employee is experiencing workplace violence but doesn’t feel comfortable or safe enough to tell someone about it, there is another problem. Having an open-door policy when it comes to communicating issues and concerns is the best way to move forward.

Good communication often builds a bond between employees that is akin to friendship. Usually, this kind of relationship in the workplace makes workers feel more at ease, more comfortable with one another, and safer in general. Without good working relationships, employees might find that the work suffers and the environment is more challenging in preventing violence.

It is also imperative that all employees are included in training regarding workplace violence. It is important to understand what is included. Even when the policy is outlined in the employee handbook, many employees fail to do more than scan through the documents. Ensuring that all workers are completely aware of the policy and what is considered workplace violence is key to preventing any incidents.

Training and education are great tools in teaching organizations about the trouble that can be caused by an offensive comment or unwanted touching. Preventing these actions can save all parties a lot of time, uncomfortable feelings, and even their job. In order to accomplish this, training on this topic should involve more than just reading the policy. Teaching employees how to handle violent or angry clients is a good way to help prepare them for that situation.

With gun violence in today’s society, it is important that employees understand how to handle a client or coworker that brings a gun into their place of work. Proper training in this situation would teach them where to go, how to act, and what to do. The safety of the employees should be a priority and teaching them how to respond in dangerous situations at work will help them to remain calm in the event of an emergency.

Emergencies are not the most frequent workplace violence incidents, but it is always best to be prepared. Preparation is key to preventing workplace violence. By ensuring that the work environment is safe, working relationships are of good quality, and training is offered to teach employees about the topic, workplace violence will be far less frequent.

Employee Rights Against Workplace Violence

In a previous section, we discussed how many types of workplace violence are not against the law. If this is the case, what rights do employees have against workplace violence? Knowing what you can do about physical violence and threats, intimidation, or harassment in your place of work can help you if you have been a victim of workplace violence.

The governing body of workplace violence is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It is the job of the EEOC to ensure that the laws regarding discrimination in the workplace. When cases of workplace violence are reported to the EEOC, it is then at the discretion of the commission if charges will be filed against the offending parties. This is often after a thorough investigation.

Because of the investigation, it is best to know all of the details surrounding the incident. This is why it is often recommended to write down everything that happened immediately after the occurrence. Be sure to make and keep a note regarding the date, time, place, what you were talking about or doing, and what the other person or people involved did. Knowing specific details can help the investigation.

If you or one of your employees is a victim of workplace violence, it is best to tell the appropriate parties. It is the right of employees to have a safe workplace. When workplace violence occurs that is not illegal, there are still options for the victim. For example, if the company holds a policy for harassment but does not stand by it, they can be sued for breach of contract. Employees should not have to put up with workplace violence. When it is an ongoing theme, there are ways to stop it.

Stopping workplace violence starts with identifying it and categorizing it. From physical acts of violence to threats, intimidation, and harassment of all types, workplace violence covers a variety of actions and topics. Preventing such a wide array of actions might prove to be challenging, but with the proper education and training of employees, it is possible. (We have written a related article – Everything You Need To know about Workplace Incivility Opens in a new tab. )

It is also ideal to have a solid policy and procedure in place and try to have good working relationships between coworkers. Doing this can go far in preventing workplace violence. Finally, if workplace violence becomes a problem, be sure to understand your rights! Ensuring that you have a more comfortable workplace is key to producing your best work.

10 Workplace Flexibility Myths (Is Workplace Flexibility For Me)

Although workplace flexibility is far more common than in previous years, there are still a number of myths that cause hesitation in employers. Understanding the myths and if there is any truth to each one is the beginning of deciding if flexibility is possible for your workplace. If you are seeking reasons to not offer flexible options to your employees, these myths will likely change your mind.

Flexibility in the Workplace

With anything new and different, ideas and expectations arise. Sometimes those expectations prevent people from putting the ideas to work, thus halting any real proof of what it can do for you. Myths can be easily debunked or proven by trying out a few flexibility ideas. In the case of the below 10 myths, know that workplace flexibility is usually a good idea.

1. Flexibility results in less productivity

2. Workplace flexibility is not necessary for most people

3. Flexibility requires building your own schedule

4. Workplace flexibility means working from home

5. Flexibility requires too much effort on the employer’s part

6. Being more flexible causes difficulties in communication

7. Teamwork suffers when workplaces are flexible

8. Flexibility encourages a lack of seriousness

9. Workplace flexibility is expensive

10. Flexibility means part-time

1. Flexibility Results in Less Productivity

Despite the misconception that flexible workplaces are not as productive as those that do not allow flexible schedules or working from home, it is exactly that: a misconception. In truth, studies show that a flexible workplace decreases stress, better work-life balance, and encourages employee well-being. Each of these aspects is known to improve productivity.

Decreased stress comes with a flexible workplace because it is less of a problem figuring out transportation schedules with your kids, having doctor’s appointments, and individuals with a cold don’t have to miss work to avoid getting the rest of the office sick. With flexibility, workers have a greater chance of rearranging their schedule or working from home without causing trouble with the rest of the staff.

An improved work-life balance allows employees to spend time with their families and think about things other than work. It is a break your brain truly needs in order to be able to reset for more work tomorrow. Without this balance employees can become overworked and exhausted.

Well-being is a concept in which an individual is healthy in every aspect of their lives: mentally, physically, financially, socially, and more. Having the ability to focus on the other aspects of one’s life allows a sense of well-being that doesn’t always come with a strict schedule.

2. Workplace Flexibility is Not Necessary for Most People

It is a frequent thought that workplace flexibility is intended for new mothers, students, and part timers. However, flexibility at work is a necessity for all people. Everyone gets sick or just simply works best at a different time than standard working hours. By allowing employees to choose their own schedule, work from home, or even drop to part time hours, employers can encourage their workers to have a better work-life balance. (We have written a related article – 10 Workplace Flexibility Advantages For Moms Opens in a new tab. )

A work-life balance is necessary for all people. Too much work can cause stress and create conflict. When there is a balance between work, a social life, adequate sleep, and a hobby or two, individuals will be less likely to feel burnout. Burnout is not good for quality of work or productivity in general.

Although it has been suggested that workplace flexibility is an expectation of younger people, it would benefit workers of all ages. Even those nearing retirement and better having had flexibility prior can have a positive response to the concept, even if they have never considered it a possibility before.

3. Flexibility Requires Building Your Own Schedule

There are some industries in which the flexibility of schedules is less possible. While having the ability to make your own schedule is a nice perk, it is not completely necessary to be a flexible workplace. There are a variety of ways that an employer can offer some flexibility without altering employee hours. (We have written a related article – 25 Ways I Can Improve My Flexibility at Work Opens in a new tab. )

For example, industries that require an individual to be present at all times, such as service jobs, have less leeway when developing schedules. If certain schedules are necessary for workers, employers might create them on a first come first serve basis. Managers might also check with employees prior to creating a new schedule to see how each person can be accommodated.

If even this kind of flexibility cannot be offered, there other ways that a workplace can be more flexible. Employing both part time and full time employees is one way. Another would be job-sharing Opens in a new tab. , which is a relatively new term in which two part time people share the job of a single full time.employee.

4. Workplace Flexibility Weans Working From Home

Like the previous assumption, workplace flexibility does not mean the employees will simply work remotely. Although the ability to work from home is a positive attribute, it is also one that also must be discussed in detail prior to attempting. For instance, many companies require a specific number of hours to be worked in an office on site or attendance at a weekly meeting.

When discussing workplace flexibility, each detail that makes the work flexible does not have to be included. A salesperson might have the ability to choose whether or not they work weekends, but it might be harder to sell something from your home office. Being flexible means offering a few options for flexibility, not necessarily every option. Working from home is just one of those options.

When working from home is an option, employees don’t have to fight traffic, get dressed, or leave work at a certain time to get home. Those saved minutes boost productivity, which can encourage employers to offer a telecommuting option, but it is not required to be truly flexible.

5. Flexibility Requires Too Much Effort On the Employer’s Part

Making changes can be hard early on, but adding some flexibility to your office should not require too much effort. By starting flexible options one at a time, you might find that the slight effort in making the change is well worth it. It is also an opportunity to dial back on changes if you see a change that doesn’t work for your company.

Flexibility does not cost the company much time. You might start by encouraging a minimally sick employee to complete a few work tasks from home. This can open the door to telecommuting more in the future and shows the importance of allowing employees to work from home.

Being a flexible workplace can expand over time. By making changes one at a time, the transition will not seem so difficult. In fact, the benefits experienced by the company will be enough to make the small sacrifices nearly forgettable.

6. Being More Flexible Causes Difficulties in Communication

Many individuals believe that communicating with technology causes miscommunication and challenges in the workplace. However, since using email, text message, and video chat are frequent forms of contact in today’s society, miscommunications are less frequent than previously believed.

If this is still a concern, there are ways to combat the potential issue. A workplace can still be flexible with pre arranged meetings for checking in. If employees were required to have a physical presence at the office every Monday at a designated time, any confusion could be cleared up.

Communicating is a skill that can be adapted to change. If a once a week meeting is necessary, utilize it. Most in the workforce, however, are accustomed to using modern technology as a source of communication and will have little trouble with transferring those skills to the workplace.

7. Teamwork Suffers When Workplaces are Flexible

Although the myth suggests a flexible workplace lacks teamwork altogether, the opposite is actually true. The myth likely comes from the decrease in the total amount of time spent at work with one another, which sounds like a genuine concern. In truth, allowing employees more flexibility shows more trust in their capabilities. Between the feeling of being trusted and desiring to meet the needs and expectations of the company, working flexible hours or from home boosts teamwork in a way that was likely unpredicted.

If employers are seeking ways to get more team interaction, there are a number of ways that flexible employees can do just that. From luncheons to team events after hours to company picnics in the summer, there are ways to increase face to face interaction when many employees so not see each other much at work.

When communication lines are kept open, even when those lines are email or text, spending time together in person is just like seeing an old friend. This means that team events could be monthly and teamwork would still thrive on a day to day basis.

8. Flexibility Encourages a Lack of Seriousness

Because of the appreciation employees have for flexibility, most will not abuse it. This means that hours logged working from home are actually spent working, schedules are built to work his or her most productive hours, and the employee’s job is not considered a means to an end.

Employees enjoy working from home or creating their own hours, so taking advantage of the situation is not in their best interest. While it may help the single mom with her kids or the anxious person with their mental health, the best of employees know that abusing flexibility will either lead to a loss of employment or less flexibility. Both are options not many workers want to risk.

Preventing the abuse of the sysy is possible with modern technology. There are programs that track activity on the employee’s work computer. Other programs will take a screenshot of the computer periodically and send it to management. If employees are spending their working hours browsing social media or shopping online, it will be known. Safety measures such as these make flexibility easier to enact.

9. Workplace Flexibility is Expensive

Becoming a flexible workplace does not require the expense that many seem to believe. While most employers pay for the laptops required to work from home, that is an expense that is typical of any office. Rather than purchasing a desktop for on site work only, provide a laptop for a mobile option.

Additionally, having telecommuting employees will save companies the expense of providing pens, paper, paperclips, use of a copier, coffee in the break room, and a variety of other everyday items. When employees work from home they are expected to have their own supplies. Very few employees purchase all of the necessities of an office. The desk, chair, and other furniture are likely not expected to be paid for by the company.

The only other potential expense might be a phone line. In many cases, a company cell phone is provided. That phone can also have the ability to act as a hotspot if wifi is a concern. Providing this one thing to a work from home employee can kill two birds with one stone.

10. Flexibility Means Part-Time

Not only does a flexible career not have to be part time, but the assumption makes it seem as though part time is less important work. Part time employees can contribute plenty of value to a business. Employees requiring the flexibility of part time employment are equally as important to the initiative as full time employees.

Being part time can allow workers the time to go to school, be home with their children more, or focus on their health. If an employee requires fewer hours in order to have the balance needed, an employer willing to give them that will likely have a more dedicated employee than before. Part time does not mean less ambitious.

It is likely that part time work is not permanent. That being said, employees working part time are going to work harder so that they can switch back to full time when necessary. The ability to choose when you can return to your normal full time schedule is a bit of flexibility that would help retention.

Is Workplace Flexibility for Me?

After making an effort to discover the truth about workplace flexibility, you may be wondering if it is something that could help you and your employees. While that decision is ultimately yours (or your boss’s), knowing the improvements you will likely see in the office and overall productivity should inspire you to make some changes. Workplace flexibility is the future. (We have written a related article – How Can I be More Flexible at Work? Opens in a new tab. )

Staying relevant requires keeping up to date with the times. An employer that is unwilling to make changes is likely one that will be struggling in 10 years. Keeping employees for the long term is essential to building a successful workforce.

Are Millennials and Generation Y the Same?

There are so many terms for each specific generation: baby boomers, generation X, generation Y, millennials, and generation Z are some of the more common ones. Because of the number of terms for these generations, many may question which title belongs to which generation. In this specific article, we’re defining millennials and generation Y.

Are millennials and generation Y the same? When referring to the group known as millennials, we are talking about those born between the years 1981 and 1996. Since those born within the same years are also called generation Y, yes, these two names refer to the same group.

However, even with this distinction, a few sources claim that the groups are two entirely different entities. What is it that makes some say they are the same and one or two others claim they are not? Simply put, generations are not defined by any one official party. Analysis of the two terms and the claims made in regard to each will allow for a more clarified conclusion.

Millennials as a Generation

There are very few people living today that are unfamiliar with the term “millennials.” Although different sources claim different birth years, most attribute the years 1981 to 1996 as the years that millennials were born. This span of birth years was defined as the millennials’ time by Pew Research Center.

Niel Howe and William Strauss defined millennials as those born between 1982 and 2004. Although these two are credited for coining the term “millennials,” most follow the years outlined by Pew Research. The term was coined because the generation in question remembers growing up in the new millennium, the year 2000.

Pew Research continues to study millennials and trends stemming from the generation. The generation is known for their technology use and understanding, extreme love of avocado, and an absurd amount of student loan debt. While these few attributes are just a few of the many qualities most millennials possess, they are frequent punchlines in social media memes and jokes. These qualities, however, in no way define the entire population of the generation.

Recent headlines indicate that the majority of millennials find importance in voting and taking part in politics, are more educated, slower in developing their own households than previous generations, and are the largest group in the workforce. Given that millennials are anywhere from 22 to 38 years old at this current moment in time, it is safe to assume that not all people in this generation fit those generalizations. It simply means that a good number of the generation fits those descriptors.

Consider some statistics Opens in a new tab. regarding millennials: almost half of the generation are influenced to purchase a product if it is for a good cause, 56% are most usually the first to try new technology and 69% desire adventure. While these statements could be said for individuals in any generation, the millennial generation has an overwhelming amount of people that feel the truth of these statements, especially given that the group accounts for nearly 25% of the population.

Statistics are fun and interesting, but what’s the point of this information? Understanding what the largest group in the population wants is crucial to finding success in business. For example, we know that 22 to 38 year olds value supporting good causes. If a company were to donate 10% of every purchase to feeding the hungry, millennials would be far more likely to purchase from this company rather than the one with a similar product that supports no cause.

We also know that the generation is one willing to try new technological advancements. Because of this, marketing should be geared towards this age group. 22 to 38 year olds are not likely to shy away from something new or potentially challenging. With millennials as a target market, you are far more likely to get a new product off the ground if marketing is geared towards them specifically.

Since we understand a millennial’s desire for adventure, zip-lining and similar activities are becoming more and more popular. Creating outlets for adventure are thriving and will likely continue to do so as millennials choose family vacations and activities. Businesses that desire success should focus on both the millennial market and employing the same types of people. (We have written a related article – What You Need to Know About Millennials Opens in a new tab. )

Despite the confusion with the birth years of millennials, the same stereotypes and statistics remain, no matter which slight difference in years is used. For many, having been born in the questioned years is decided upon personal feelings. Simply put, most individuals born in 1981 relate more to generation x when he or she has an older sibling in that generation. If the sibling was born in 1976, it is unlikely that the two siblings’ experiences differed enough to be considered two different generations.

Differing generations are defined by their experiences and belief systems in addition to their general age. Defining millennials is easy: the majority of internet searches use the term “millennials.” In fact, in the state of Wyoming, 96% of searches on the topic used that term. That leaves 4% using the term “generation Y.” On the flip side, Hawaii uses “generation Y” far more than any other state, but even that is only 20%. Are these terms truly interchangeable? Unfortunately, defining Gen Y is far more complicated.

Generation Y

Like millennials, generation Y causes confusion when it comes to birth years. One source, Ad Age, claims that the birth years Opens in a new tab. for generation y are from 1981 to 1994. This claim is almost exact to the years widely accepted for millennials as defined by Pew Research. However, another source (GenHQ) claims generation Y was born between 1977 and 1995.

Despite the slight difference in age, the years defined for both millennials and generation y are so similar it is hard to dispute the similarities. Google defines a generation as, “all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively.” Given that the official definition identifies these groups as being born at about the same time, it is safe to assume that the exact years are irrelevant.

If gen y individuals were born between ‘81 and ‘94, their current ages would be between 22 and 36 years. The other birth years provided by GenHQ vary a bit, given that the ages range from 23 to 42. Since these ages are relatively similar, it is safe to assume that generation y consists of approximately the same group.

Although there is some information on generation Y, a standard Google search turns up very little on the term. However, it is clear that Google believes gen y to be synonymous with millennials. Other names for this generation include echo boomers, iGen, net generation, and the internet generation.

The other names have been given to the generation for their own reasons. An echo boomer is the child of a baby boomer. iGen is a term that can mean a specific portion of Generation Y or Generation Z, as it refers to those born in the mid-90s to early 2000s. Net Generation is the group born between ‘82 and ‘91; the term comes from the mass amounts of technology these people were introduced to as they’ve gotten older. Finally, perhaps the most self-explanatory, is the internet generation, which describes those that have grown up with the internet.

With such little information available on generation y, and what is available determining it synonymous with millennials, it is safe to classify the two terms as the same thing. Since this determination has been made, facts regarding millennials are true for generation y as well.

Millennials are Gen Y

If you were to scroll through a news website or popular publication, chances are you’d come across an article or two with ‘millennials’ in the headline. In most cases, these headlines are comedic and not taken seriously. Articles like “Millennials aren’t eating cereal because it’s too much work” and “Millionaire to Millennials: Stop buying avocado toast if you want to buy a home” have run in Death and Taxes and Time magazine.

Although entertaining, these headlines are not all-encompassing descriptors of millennials. There are plenty of people within the generation that love cereal and dislike avocado. The stereotypes surrounding the generation are just that: stereotypes. Perhaps some more concrete, statistical headlines would offer an insight into generation y. (We have written a related article – Millennials and Workplace Flexibility (What Should Employers do to Attract Millennials to Their Company?) Opens in a new tab.

“Young adult households are earning more than most older Americans did at the same age” and “Millennials, Gen X increase their ranks in the house, especially among Democrats” are just two headlines found on Pew Research that indicate factual information. In the short, yet informational blurb written about the headline, not only are numbers and facts provided, but there is a lack of opinion laced in the writing. When generalizing an entire group of people, fact-based information is the best route.

Getting the facts for 25% of the population is difficult. For instance, what is the sample size used in making fact-based claims about the generation? According to the United States Census Bureau, generation y accounts for 83.1 million people in the United States. Producing facts based on the actions and opinions of 83.1 million people would require a large-reaching survey. This is why surveys and data come from a sample size.

Stereotypes and Facts

As a millennial myself, I have never been asked questions regarding my feelings on avocado, cereal, and politics. I love avocado, but not to the point where I don’t own my house. I find cereal to be quick and easy, despite what appears to be the beliefs if other millennials. I also spend very little time with politics. It seems that the generation y stereotypes vary a bit, as the above headlines indicate that I should love avocado, find cereal too difficult, and have mostly Democrat involvement and opinions in politics.

While facts can be viewed to determine the love of avocado, such as how many sell today compared to how many were sold when previous generations did the majority of the grocery shopping, the question that stands is who in the generation finds cereal too much work? Although this seems like a silly question, it makes one wonder where the stats came from to reach that conclusion.

Despite the fact that millennials are a highly ridiculed group of people, there are a number of facts that should be noted. For instance, around 35% of gen Y individuals Opens in a new tab. are entrepreneurs in that they have a side business in order to increase their income. Another positive quality is that 63% of millennials desire for their place of work to donate to social causes, whereas only 50% of previous generations wanted the same.

Individuals in Generation Y also have a commonality in collaborating. A good majority of people between the ages of 22 and 38 focus on developing working relationships with coworkers, creating friendships, and effectively communicating. (We have written a relates article – 25 Things Millennials Want from an Employer (Company, Workplace, and Job Expectations) Opens in a new tab. ). This makes millennials great employees in the 21st century. Collaborating enhances salesmanship and creativity, making the generation great for a number of careers. (We have written a related article – 25 Things Millennials Want From a Workplace (How to Attract & Retain Millennials))

Although difficult to obtain a real number, the headlines surrounding millennials tend to focus on the negative. Statistics show that many of the facts regarding the generation are positive. By remembering that the generation spans several years, it is easier to consider the fact that while 63% believe in their employers giving to a cause, 37% do not. Being realistic is crucial to understanding statistics regarding the entire generation.

Conclusion

The original question posed was Are Millennials and Generation Y the same? While the answer ultimately revealed that yes, Millennials and Generation Y are the same, there are a few fluctuations in opinion regarding years. Despite this, there is no further evidence suggesting that the two titles are describing separate groups.

Why is Ergonomics Important in the Workplace? (Effects, Equipment, and Costs of Ergonomics)

It is common to see companies advertising the ergonomics of products, especially when those products are typically used in an office setting. The question that comes to mind is: is ergonomics a marketing ploy or does it truly make an impact on the workday? Discovering the truth behind ergonomics might convince you to upgrade your current office chair.

Why is ergonomics important in the workplace? Not only does ergonomics increase comfort, but in doing so, it increases productivity and decreases stress. Without ergonomics in the workplace, employees will likely have aches and pains, feel tired, and may develop health related issues.

Learning about ergonomics in general, the furniture aspects, and the technology features, and what makes up a complete ergonomic office will help to prepare you and your space for a more productive workday. Is it worth the cost of investing in ergonomic-friendly options? You may be surprised to find the effects of ergonomics have on your efficiency and the efficiency of those around you.

The Effects of Ergonomics

A poor ergonomic set up is the cause of numerous health issues. Most of these issues are musculoskeletal disorders, such as tendonitis, lower back strain, and carpal tunnel. In order to prevent injuries such as these, it is important to consider the need for ergonomic furniture and equipment in the office space. Adding these items to a space have various benefits aside from injury prevention.

One of the best benefits to ergonomics in an office is the ability to work faster Opens in a new tab. , thus increasing productivity. Employees are less tired because of the amount of stress that is removed from pressure points and specific areas of the body. This leads to fewer errors, which also boosts productivity. Also, because of the investment ergonomic furniture and equipment requires, employees feel valued and important as individuals. Knowing exactly what causes these benefits comes from understanding the specific furniture pieces and technological equipment that are considered ergonomic.

Ergonomic Furniture

Ergonomic furniture is simply furniture designed to allow comfortable sitting or working for extended periods of time. Fortunately, this kind of furniture is not a marketing scheme. Rather, ergonomic furniture is encouraged and backed by medical professionals that believe in the benefits it can offer the body. It is designed for comfort, but also for preventing injury. (We have written a related article – Will Using a Standing Desk Relieve Back Pain and What’s the Cost?)

One of the most common pieces of ergonomic furniture is an office or desk chair. Ergonomic chairs often feature quality lumbar support. The lower back, shoulders, and neck also have support in this kind of chair. Not only is the support there, but it is adjustable as well. Another quality of ergonomic chairs is the ability to adjust the height of the chair. While this seems typical of most office chairs, learning exactly how you should be sitting will make things clearer.

When sitting in an ergonomic chair, it is important that your feet are placed flat on the floor. Your knees should be in line or just slightly below your hips. Your hips should be back in the chair and you should be sitting up straight. Imagine a 90° angle and then adjust the seat back an additional 10 to 20 degrees so that it reclines just slightly. Be sure that your shoulders are relaxed and your wrists are in line with your elbows. Sitting in this manner, especially as the day does on, can prevent a number of health concerns.

Another piece of ergonomic furniture is the desk. While there are ergonomic options for desks, such as the standing desk or sit-to-stand desk, there are ways to improve your plain, old desk Opens in a new tab. in the ergonomics area. Firstly, position your mouse and keyboard so that your elbows can remain at your sides and bent at a 90° angle. This would likely put your keyboard just a couple of inches above your thighs, meaning a keyboard tray is encouraged.

Next, you’ll want your monitor positioned in a way that you can see clearly without straining your neck. For most people, this is about an arm’s length away from where you sit. The screen should sit at eye level – typically your eyes will automatically rest just a few inches below the top of the screen. It should also be slightly angled downward in an attempt to reduce any glares.

If you choose to use an ergonomic standing desk or a sit-to-stand desk, the same positioning rules apply for when you are standing. However, while these ergonomic options are great for many issues caused by sitting too frequently, there are problems caused by frequent standing as well. This is why seated desk users are encouraged to take frequent walking breaks and standing desk users should take a seat throughout the day. A sit-to-stand desk is a great way to have both ergonomic options at your fingertips.

There are several kinds of less common ergonomic furniture available. Some of these obscure items include kneeling chairs, office recliner chairs, and what’s known as face-down furniture. While these items are not typically found in a standard office, there are options for those that appreciate something a bit different.

When it comes to ergonomic furniture, the most common options are chairs and desks. That doesn’t mean that other options are not available to you, as there is always something less common out there. The importance of this furniture, be it common or uncommon, is the positive effect it has on the user.

An ergonomic chair and desk can help individuals to fix their posture. While it is possible to continue bad posture in an ergonomic chair, it is more difficult to find a comfortable position unless your posture is proper. Proper posture removes pressure from joints, Opens in a new tab. strain from muscles, and tension from the spine. Relieving these pressures can lead to other positive effects as well.

Headaches are often caused by muscle strain. Proper posture can solve this problem. Pains in the back, neck, jaw, shoulders, knees, hips, and feet are another effect of poor posture. The use of ergonomic furniture can help to relieve these pains. Improper posture also results in fatigue and reduced lung capacity. Correcting your posture with ergonomic furniture will help with these issues and simultaneously boost productivity.

Ergonomic Equipment

While ergonomic furniture is a big help when it comes to solving office aches and pains, ergonomic equipment is more of a debate. Many feel as though an ergonomic keyboard and mouse makes a huge impact on their comfort level on the office but many others consider it to be “hype Opens in a new tab. .” The truth lies in the science. (We have written a related article – 25 Desks Your Office Needs for Health & Wellness)

Ergonomic keyboards are typically unpopular because experienced typists are unused to the new layout of the keys. Where most people learned how to type on a standard keyboard, ergonomic options feature a split or curved keyboard. This allows the user’s wrists to stay at their natural angle. Although it may be a learning curve, once an ergonomic keyboard has been adapted to you will likely find it more comfortable.

Comfort is an important part of ergonomics but what is really important is preventing injury or relieving pain from a previous injury. Although a 2010 study Opens in a new tab. was inconclusive regarding the ability to prevent typing injuries with an ergonomic keyboard, more recent claims base the inconclusivity on the unregulated term “ergonomic.” A company can slap the term on anything they feel like and nothing could be said otherwise.

However, the natural positioning of a split keyboard helps to keep joints relaxed. It is also important to have a keyboard and mouse that fits your own hands Opens in a new tab. . Unfortunately, the majority of keyboards and mice are created to fit the hands of a man. Finding the right fit for females can be a challenge, regardless of ergonomics.

An ergonomic mouse has less controversy than the keyboard experienced. The use of a standard mouse is typically incorrect. Not many people understand that you should be using your shoulder and elbow for movement, not your wrist. Because of the incorrect wrist movement attributed to the traditional mouse, the tendons in the wrist can be damaged with frequent mouse use.

An ergonomic mouse, commonly referred to as a vertical mouse, is controlled by primarily using the larger muscles of the arm. This drastically reduces the twisting and turning off the wrist, thus preventing injury. Once the mouse has been adapted to, users will become more efficient and experience far less pain throughout the work day.

When wrist pain is no longer a concern,employees will need far fewer breaks. They will not have the distraction of aches and pains stemming from mouse movement. Although an extreme situation, yet entirely possible, employees will not have to miss work for surgery to fix the tendons in their wrists. In seeking the ultimate productivity levels, all aspects should be considered. Ergonomic keyboards and mice have the potential to give your company that edge required to reach maximum productivity.

Cost of an Ergonomic Office

A fully ergonomic office can be a large investment. When compared to the savings ergonomic furniture and equipment brings to the picture, however, it is an investment that can pay for itself. Let’s break down the cost of setting up an ergonomic office for a single person.

A quality ergonomic office chair averages around $300. There are options that are far more expensive and a few that can be purchased for a bit less than this, but most people expect to spend the $300.

While the options for ergonomic desks are many, let’s use the cost of a sit-to-stand desk. A desk of quality runs from $480 to around $2000. The average cost is placed at $1240. (We have written a related articles – 37 Benefits of Standing Desk Opens in a new tab. )

Ergonomic keyboards have a wide array of prices and features, but many of the options from multiple retailers sit around $50. There are a few in the $200-300 range, but it is doubtful that an employer would feel the need to splurge on an item that is not guaranteed to help prevent injuries.

An ergonomic mouse ranges from $30 to $100, depending on features and brand. This places the average cost for an ergonomic mouse at $65.

With these four basic parts of an ergonomic office, employers would invest $1655 in each office space. Granted, this number does not include the computer, lighting, and other various office supplies. When you compare the standard office furniture cost ($350 desk, $50 chair, $30 mouse and keyboard combo), the ergonomic expense of far greater. It’s $1225 more, to be more precise.

It is imperative to note that ergonomic injuries account for a median of 12 missed work days. Opens in a new tab. For most employers, 12 days of missed work costs more than the $1655 necessary for an ergonomic office. Also consider the health coverage. In fact, the cost of carpal tunnel or a wrist sprain is more than $28,000. A strain or inflammation is more than $32,000. The cost of an ergonomic office seems like a great investment in light of these numbers. (We have written a related article – The Importance of a Standing Desk Mat and Why Choosing the Wrong Type of Mat can be Detrimental to Your Health Opens in a new tab. )

Why Treat Ergonomics with Importance in the Workplace?

It seems clear at this point why ergonomics should be made a priority in the office. By investing in ergonomic products, companies have the ability to decrease the chance of missed work, employee injury, and lessened productivity. In the face of those decreased entities, increases will be seen in efficiency, employee health, and quality of work.

Furthermore, employees are sure to feel valued if they are aware of the investment companies have made in their comfort and health. Even if the employees are unaware of the dollar amount, it is typically obvious when desks and chairs are purchased for the comfort of the employee. When employees feel valued and important to the employer, they are far more likely to stay long term and give their best work.

By making ergonomics a priority in the workplace, employers are sure to garner a reputation of caring for their employees while simultaneously increasing the quality of work, productivity levels, and experience of their workers. Companies willing to do this will likely become the ones to watch when it comes to business practices and success.

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15 Strategies To Manage Workplace Stress

Workplace stress is inevitable and excessive stress might cause a severe impact on employee’s physical and emotional health. Since it’s not possible to remove stress completely, effective stress managing requires taking actions in lowering its impact on everyday life.

15 strategies to manage workplace stress. One of the most important strategies is not forgetting to take deep breaths, then regular exercise, healthy nutrition, 8-hour sleep, positive affirmations, time management, regular breaks, being organized, prioritize, talking out the stress, resist the bad habits- stop being a perfectionist, reduce workplace distractions, avoid procrastination, take advantage of productivity peak times, avoid multitasking and communicate with your supervisors.

The way people deal with their workplace stress will determine their productivity levels and the overall success or failure in their careers.

There are numerous effective strategies and approaches for stress management. Burnout is very common when not taking precautions in identifying the stressors. By burning both ends of a candle, it is very easy to burn ourselves emotionally and physically.

1. Don’t forget to Breathe

Usually, when people are stressed, their breathing is shallow, which starves the brain and body of oxygen and adds up to the increased levels of stress. Shallow breathing affects the cardiopulmonary and immune systems.

Whenever you start feeling that you are stressed, try to concentrate on taking deep diaphragmatic breaths. Inhale through the nose 3-5 seconds and exhale in the same interval. Within a few deep breaths, you should start feeling less stressed, calmer and balanced. It will help you to clear your mind and body.

You should practice this exercise more often even if you are not stressed. The body needs enough oxygen amounts at all times.

Another exercise that includes breathing in its practice is practicing mindfulness. This doesn’t mean sitting in a lotus position for several hours, but finding a quiet place and making yourself to be present in the here and now, than thinking about past or future events.

Also, meditating for 10 minutes every day using techniques such as guided visualizations, deep breathing, yoga, repeating phrase consisted of few words etc. helps in relaxing the mind and body. You can even set a timer for 10 minutes so you can relax without being worried about the time.

2. Sleep

Make sure to get enough sleep of approximately 8 hours. Good night’s sleep helps in recharging the body and mind and preparing you to deal with all of the stressful situations during the day in the best way possible.

Poor sleep contributes to decreasing the ability to cope with even normal stress situations, is negatively affecting the mood and rational thinking, is decreasing the productivity and creativity for the day, etc. All of this helps in increasing the stress levels.

Even though chronic insomnia is linked with excessive stress, not having a proper sleep schedule is one of the contributing factors. (We have written a related article – Why We Sleep)

There are some techniques for having better sleep:

Have a sleep schedule – Every day, try to go to bed and get up at the same time. This way you will set your own internal clock to fall asleep a lot quicker, as well as wake up at the same time without using the alarm clock. For this to be successful, try to avoid sleeping more than usual on the weekends, because it can ruin your schedule.
Have an 8-hour sleep – People are most productive when having proper 8-hour sleep. This is the optimal amount of sleep that helps most of the adults to operate at peak performance.
1 hour before going to bed, turn off all of the screens – phones, laptops, TV, and more, that are engaging your brain and make it difficult to fall asleep. The light that is emitted from these devices is suppressing the production of melatonin in the body, which can disrupt sleep.
Take power naps of 20 minutes during the day. These naps as their name states are highly regenerative. But you should not overdo them, because most likely they will disrupt your sleep rhythm.
Before going to bed, try to focus on soothing activities, like listening to music, reading, etc.instead of doing stressful activities such as checking your work.

3. Exercise

Regular exercises of any type- gym, yoga, pilates, swimming, cycling, walking, dancing, kickboxing, etc. help in releasing endorphins in the body system. These endorphins help in releasing stress, sleeping better, feeling better, having better concentration, higher energy levels and at the same time exercising is keeping you fit and in better shape.

When stressed, muscles tend to become tense, and exercising helps in relaxing them and increasing the blood flow and oxygen throughout the body. Choose a sport that is enjoyable and will get you moving every day or several times a week

Exercising helps in getting your mind off stressful events. Trying to focus on your body movements at the moment, then stressing about certain situations, is a form of conscious meditation, which will help in calming your mind and body.

In your day’s schedule, make time for minimum 30-minute exercises. There is a study that found that exercise of any type is just as effective as antidepressants for eliminating depression, without poisoning the body with pills.

If you don’t have time for squeezing a 30-minute gym session or taking a yoga class, here are some tips on how to increase your physical activity during working hours:

– Walking can do wonders for your health. Try to have as many walking breaks as possible, starting with walking on your lunch break.
– If your company has a wellness program, encourage a walking challenge amongst your colleagues. Each week or month gives awards to the colleagues that have walked or have been active the most.
– Take meetings while walking through the office- if it has a designated walking track, so you don’t disturb your colleagues, or through some green area near your office.

4. Healthy nutrition prevents unhealthy stress-coping methods

Bodies that are well-nourished are a lot more prepared to cope with stressful events. The majority of people tend to eat unhealthy foods and drink alcohol as a way to manage stress.

Why does this happen? Our brain, when we are stressed is releasing the cortisol hormone. This hormone increases our cravings for sweet, fat-laden, and salty foods such as burgers, pizza, and more.

These foods bring temporary pleasure, but at the same time make us lethargic and unable to resolve all of the problems before us, which in turn will make us more stressed.

Drinks and foods that have high sugar levels in their composition might give you instant energy, but after a while will leave you edgier than before.

Start your day with a well-balanced breakfast, and keep your mind clear, focused and concentrated during the day with eating at least three healthy meals rich in complex carbohydrates.

If you are not sure what to consume and whatnot, here are some tips:

– Foods such as fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber;
– Complex carbs such as pasta or whole wheat bread;
– Foods that contain antioxidants which are mood-boosting, such as blueberries, dark chocolate, and kale;
– Foods that contain Omega-3 acids such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, then walnuts, seaweed, etc. These foods rich in omega-3 acids are also mood-boosters;
– Healthy snacks.

Tips on what to avoid:

– Minimize the use of foods high in sugar and refined carbs- french fries, baked goods, sugary snacks. Usually, when we are stressed, our cravings for something sweet and comfort foods are high. Actually, these foods are causing your energy levels to rise fast and crash even faster, which can make your stress even worse.
– Foods such as red meat and cheese are high in fat and are causing sluggishness and lethargy;
– Minimize the use of drinks that have caffeine, such as coffee, certain types of tea, soda, etc. Almost everyone can’t live without coffee, so try to lower your caffeine intake because these caffeinated drinks might affect your sleep and keep you awake at night;
– Smoking when stressed seem like a calming technique, but nicotine is a stimulant that will increase your anxiety levels;
– Alcohol might seem a good idea when you are stressed and make you feel good for a short period of time, but it is a natural depressant and after it wears off, can cause anxiety, will affect your mood negatively, and you might even forget what you needed to do the following day.

5. Affirmations are affecting our health positively

Every thought or emotion that we experience is creating a chemical release in our brains and bodies, which then affects our emotional and physical health and our overall well-being.

Setting a positive mindset and trying to focus on your accomplishments, achievements, and positive aspects of your life can boost your mood, your self-esteem, which will eventually boost your motivation for achieving your goals.

Negative thinking and focusing on the negative aspects of every situation will only deprive your motivation and energy. Instead, think positive about your work, give yourself positive statements, celebrate the small accomplishments, and avoid negative colleagues. All of these things will help you change the way you experience everyday stressful situations.

6. Manage your time

One of the most important strategies for managing workplace stress is proper time management. You need to be aware of your capacity for the day and take up as many tasks as you can complete. If you plan to do numerous tasks in a short period of time, you will end up stressed and frustrated.

Your schedule needs to be balanced. Try to create a balanced schedule by analyzing your current schedule, making time for your friends and family, time for other social activities, etc. If there is no balance between work and personal life, it’s very easy to burnout. You can use a calendar to plan all of your weekly activities.
Get up 10-15 minutes earlier than usual. Having some spare time to prepare for work will help you in getting to your office without rushing and worrying that you will be late. Reaching the office a few minutes early will enable you to take a deep breath, prepare for the working day, and do your tasks with ease.
Avoid committing yourself to many tasks that can’t be finished in one day. Rescheduling tasks over and over again will only make you more stressed. Try to separate the tasks in tasks that are urgent and need to be done within the day and tasks that can be scheduled or eliminated. You can even use time management tools to help you with this task separation. For example, you can use the Eisenhower Box.
Learn to say no. Don’t take too many tasks on your plate. It will stress you out and you will feel the pressure that you need to be available 24/7 to your managers or colleagues. It is important to learn to say no to things that might stress you out. Also, it is very important to establish periods of the day that you won’t check your email or take work calls.

We have written a related article – 100 Ways to Be Productive at Work

7. Take several breaks

Don’t forget to include breaks into your schedule. Going through 8-10 hour workday without breaks, by the end of the day will leave you exhausted and will affect your health eventually. It is very hard to walk away from a big task or a project but having short breaks to get away from your desk throughout the day will help you in recharging and be more productive.

– It is recommended after 90-minutes or 2 hours of intense concentration to take a break of at least 10 minutes to relieve the built-in stress and recover your energy.
– During the lunch break, try to disconnect from your work responsibilities. Having a light conversation over lunch with your friends and family can boost your mood and lower your stress.
– Most of us are sitting all day at work, and the sedentary life starts to take a toll on our health at some point in our lives. Taking a walk, having a relaxation exercise in the break room, and more can help in blowing some steam, getting into better shape and it’s mood-boosting.

8. Organize yourself and prioritize

Without proper planning, our work will consume us. Planning ahead by organizing and prioritizing our tasks, helps us in managing workplace stress. After all, feeling overwhelmed by work is one of the biggest stressors.

Try to avoid clutter on your desk. Keep your workplace well-organized and neat. All of the important documents and files should be easily accessible, separated into different project folders, so you don’t panic and spend valuable time searching the documents. (We have written a related article – Manage Your Brain at Work)

With the ever-changing priorities and deadlines sometimes it can be very difficult to define which tasks need to be done first. Focus on those tasks that are having an impact on the company and are in line with your personal and company’s strategic goals. This way you will be more efficient and less stressed.

There are a few tips that will help you in managing your workplace stress Opens in a new tab. by organizing and prioritizing:

Set your goals. When you have a clear vision of your goals it will be a lot easier to see which of your daily tasks are aligned with your goals. In addition, by using your goals you can evaluate the task importance. If the task is bringing you closer to your set goals that its completion is a priority.
Start with the most important tasks first, especially if they are not the most pleasant thing to do. This way you can go through your day a lot easier.
Set realistic deadlines. Even though deadlines are also major stressors, when a certain task doesn’t have a deadline it will be pushed all the time for ones that have deadlines. If you set realistic deadlines on your tasks, you will get them done in a timely manner.
Large projects tend to be overwhelming, so try to break the project into smaller tasks, and complete them one by one.
Delegate tasks. Thinking that we must do everything by ourselves is another major stressor. We don’t need to control every aspect of the project. Try to delegate responsibility for certain tasks to your team members instead of feeling overburdened.
Make compromise, be flexible, and adjust your expectations.
Create a To-Do list. This is an effective way of keeping track of your daily tasks, so nothing slips on you. You can go old school by using notepad, or one of the task management platforms. When you complete certain tasks by marking it as complete, you won’t have to worry that you still have a load of work on your work. As the saying goes ”Work smarter and not harder”.

9. Manage your workplace stress by reaching out

Creating positive workplace relationships is very important. Your colleagues usually are up to speed with everything that is going on at work. Even though they can’t always help you with your problems, by talking your stress out, they can listen and help you take your mind off it, and reduce the anxiety that follows. (We have written a related article – Reduce Stress and Anxiety at Work Opens in a new tab. )

Also, try to offer support when a colleague is confiding with you. Good support system at the office helps in buffering the stress.

If you don’t have someone at work to confide, spend some time with your family and friends. Friendships are a very important aspect of life-work balance and ultimately your health. While effects from stress can be pretty negative, friends can help in taking your mind off the negative thoughts and stressors, so you can continue with your daily tasks without worrying.

If you are not a sociable person and are isolated most of the time, your vulnerability to stress is greater. After all, it’s never too late to form new relationships. Instead of looking at your smartphone at lunch, put it down and engage with your coworkers. By taking an interest in different areas, you can meet people that share your interests. (We have written a related article – The Healthy Workplace)

By admitting that you’re stressed, you are on your first step to figuring out how to overcome it. You are not the only one that has experienced stressful situations at work, ask your colleagues, your family, if they have experienced something similar and what they did to manage their stress.

10. Break the cycle of bad habits

Negative thoughts drain our energy and are slowing down our work progress. The energy put in these thoughts can be directed into finishing daily tasks. A positive outlook on the events around you can help you cope with work stressors.

Resist being perfectionist – By setting unrealistic goals, unnecessary stress is added to your day. Also, unrealistic goals are connected with a failure, which will make you even more stressed and increase your self-doubt. Try to do your best, be a high achiever and learn from your mistakes. Your results will be a lot better, and you will feel less stress.

Resist controlling what is out of your reach – Instead of stressing about things that are beyond your control, especially coworkers’ behaviors, focus on things that you can control – your attitude, efforts, etc.

Be positive – Finding a way to lighten the office mood, by sharing a funny Youtube video, funny story, or a joke. Laughing is actually a great stress reliever. The endorphins that are released by laughing can neutralize the effects of stress.

Express gratitude – By expressing your gratitude either to yourself or your coworkers, you’ll start looking positively on your work and life. Negative thoughts will only drain your motivation to work. (I use this journal Opens in a new tab. to help me express gratitude everyday).

Clean your desk – Avoid desk clutter. Clean your desk and sort everything in folders. It will be easier to work knowing where everything is.

11. Spend some time on you

With all of the work-home responsibilities, we often forget to take care of ourselves. Each day do something for you, something that you will enjoy, something that will relax you, especially on the weekends. Make time for taking a walk, reading a book, watching an episode or two from your favorite TV show.

Weekends are the days that you need to energize yourself, spend some time with your loved ones without having to worry about work. Create boundaries and don’t let your manager give you work over the weekends. Learn to say no.

From time to time, ask for time off. Going on a vacation, or anywhere else than your workplace will help you gain a new perspective, recharge your batteries and save you from burnout.

12. Reduce work distractions

Work distractions are numerous, from phone notifications, emails, phone calls from friends, to office gossip, etc. All of these distractions can interrupt your thought flow and can make you lose your focus. We all know that once we are deconcentrated, we need considerable time to come back on track, which is increasing the time needed for completing the tasks for the day.

You will wonder at the end of the day, where your time has gone and why you didn’t complete the scheduled tasks.

To reduce the work distractions, try to turn off your phone and put your headphones so you won’t listen to the office gossip. Also, you should inform your colleagues that constant conversation every time they pass your workplace is interrupting you and make you less productive. Light conversations can take place at a lunch break or coffee break.

13. Take advantage of your peak times of productivity and forget multitasking

Every person has a certain part of the day that feels most energetic, is most productive and can deliver great results. Take advantage of your peak hours of productivity to complete as many tasks as possible. Don’t use this time for chatting and other unimportant things

After lunch, when all of your energy goes to your stomach, use this time to browse the internet or check on your social media accounts. By using your time properly, you will maximize your efficiency and have some time for yourself.

There was a time when multitasking was considered as an efficient way to maximize the use of time. After a while, people started to realize that multitasking not only makes them even more stressed, but also the accuracy of the tasks were in question. After all, you can’t talk on the phone and make important calculations at the same time. You will either focus on one and do it properly or do two separate things and do theÐ¼ superficially.

14. Avoid procrastination

Almost everyone has a number of tasks that are trying to delay or postpone as much as possible. But actually, these types of tasks are remaining in the back of our mind as a constant reminder and are causing additional stress.

Try to do these irritating tasks one at a time each day, so you’ll have them done in a few weeks.

15. Communicate with your manager

Usually, when we are feeling uncertain, or without control over some situations, our stress levels increase. In order to regain control over your career and job, here are a few tips:

Communicate with your employer/manager about the workplace stressors – Happy and healthy employees are working better, so employers need to be interested in lowering the workplace stressors whenever possible. Let your manager know about certain situations or things that are stressful to you, instead of dropping a list of complaints.

Try to be as clear as possible, because misunderstandings can ruin your work relationships, not only with your coworkers but with your employer as well.

Clarify your job requirements – Most of the time, unclear job requirements are causing additional stress. Not knowing what is expected of you, then not being sure if what you are doing is right, and on top of that if the requirements are changing constantly without the needed details are one of the major reasons for job burnout.

Try to clarify your job requirements with your manager, ask for an updated list of your job responsibilities, duties, expectations, etc. It may turn out that half of the pile on your desk doesn’t belong to you.

Request new responsibilities and duties – If for a longer period of time, you have been doing the same tasks over and over again and you want to be challenged, ask for new duties.

Ask for a transfer in a different department – If you feel that you are being suffocated in your workplace environment, and if your place is big enough, you can ask to be transferred to a different department.

Additional tips

Listen to music whenever you can – Listening to music is considered a pretty effective way of relieving stress. Whether you listen to your favorite playlist at work, or on your way home, it can help you feel less stressed, as well as prepared to go back to the real world more relaxed. (My go-to is www.brain.fm)
Look for satisfaction in your work – There are very few people working their dream job. Working mundane jobs, feeling bored, can cause serious stress, which will affect your mental and physical health. The best option is to find a new job that you will love.

But if that is not possible, at least for the foreseeable future, try to find joy and purpose in the job you’re working. Focus on all aspects of your job that you really enjoy, even if that’s the lunch chatting with your colleagues.

When you start to change your point of view towards your current job, you will start feeling like you have control and purpose once again.

What can be considered a symptom of stress?

Although everyone experiences stress in a different way, some of the common symptoms are:

– Stomach pain / Stomach problems (going to the toilet more than it should);
– Sleep difficulties, insomnia;
– Panic attacks, depression or anxiety;
– Feeling overwhelmed;
– Weight loss / Weight gain;
– Chronic headaches;
– Not being able to concentrate on work duties;
– Nausea and fatigue;
– Muscle tension;
– Social isolation, and more.

We have written a related article – 50 Workplace Stress Statistics)

Stress vs. burnout

Since we live in a fast-paced society, work stress is inevitable. But burnout can be prevented. Burnout is emotional and physical exhaustion due to an accumulation of excessive stress over some period of time. (We have written a related article – 25 Top Stress Relief Products)

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Make Your Brain Work – Amy Brann

Make your brain work: how to maximize your efficiency, productivity and effectiveness is a book about making your brain work, about your relationship with yourself and then with others. Embarking on the journey improving how you use your brain is only the start.

Deciding what you want to be efficient, effective and productive at are the big life questions and ones that deserve mindful attention for the rest of our lives.

Amy Brann the author of this book and also of the Neuroscience for Coaches and Engaged, a keynote speaker and an expert in the application of neuroscience within organizations shows us that the content of our lives, how we respond to things, how we let events shape us and who we become are down to us.

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Amy Brann is also the founder of Synaptic Potential an organization that works with companies to strengthen their strategy, culture and performance.

Part 1: YOU

Everything starts with you. You are central to everything.

What is happening when planning isn’t enough and your sense of control is giving way to a feeling of being overwhelmed

This chapter helps you to understand how your brain gets overwhelmed and how instead to be in control in a way that enables you to come with great creative ideas and solutions, eliminate interruptions and productive better-quality work. The bonus is increased efficiency and effectiveness.

Guidelines

Turn off the e-mail function of your mobile phone in the evening so your brain has down the time in the morning before you start work.

Prioritize the big weekly tasks first then smaller tasks on a daily basis. You now can save time and be more focused.

Turn on e-mails for certain window of the day. You then come up with great ideas during quiet time.

Mono-task for short-and long-term benefits.

Decide that you are in charge of your time and acknowledge that you are choosing how to spend your time. Increase your perception of autonomy.

Become your own best detective, identifying how you get overwhelmed and how you avoid it.

By creating your world as your own Disneyland, whatever that means to you, you are going to upgrade your brain, making it easier and quicker for you to work things out in the future. Amy Brann

What is really going on when everything seems to be going wrong and your stress levels feel as if they are soaring

This chapter is about learning to reduce your stress levels on a fundamental rather than superficial level to see new opportunities and avoid the negative spiral. The bonus is being able to control your world from the inside out.

Guidelines

– Be very aware of how you are interpreting things.

– Recognize that failing at something can be hugely valuable.

– Feeling guilty can activate the same areas of the brain as the physical pain-so use guilt carefully.

– Reframe, revalue and do everything you can to position yourself in control of your life.

Our modern brains want security; they love plans, agendas, to know what is happening. Security in predictability is great for us. Amy Brann

Practice exerting your focus in different ways to strengthen different neural pathways.

Decide how you want your brain to respond when something goes wrong.

Increase your ability to place and hold your attention where it best serves you.

How To Influence What Feels Out Of Your Control

This chapter is about handling your negative states to enjoy life and your relationships more. The bonus is getting better responses from the other people.

Guidelines

By understanding how your brain actually works you are able to come up with the best ways for you to:

– Authentically seek to understand other people’s emotional responses to you. Form more fulfilling relationships.

– Prime yourself to experience positive background feelings.

Feelings are your perceptions of the changes occurring internally. Amy Brann

Remember: ‘cells that fire together, wire together’ so be aware of your regular thoughts. Enjoy life more.

Positively anchor smells that make it easy to get into positive states.

Critically analyze from a different prospective your opinions of others.

Become aware of negative anchors and change them. Feel more in control of what happens.

To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. Amy Brann

The Depth and Revealed Simplicity of Time Management

This chapter is about regaining that lost time to increase your productivity and sense of control. We look at strategically how to minimize distractions, achieve your goals more easily and feel great about yourself. The bonus is that you increase your integrity.

Guidelines

– Clear your mind first-write things down to empty it.

– Remove external distractions when you need to focus.

– Practice mental “braking” – calling unhelpful thoughts to a halt and ‘parking’ thoughts until later.

– Do enjoyable things. Choose some of your favorite activities.

– Reduce your pressure.

– Take regular breaks so you are working with a fresh brain.

The more relaxed and happy you are the more frequently insights occur. Amy Brann

– When faced with a problem break it up to its biggest components. Look for connections and patterns without trying to solve it.

– Increase your awareness and openness.

– Trust your unconscious to give you feelings and practice turning into what your brain may be trying to communicate to you at those times.

– Look at what decisions you regularly make and regret.

– Work out why you are not making the decisions in the moment you plan to in advance and take steps to make it easier for you to choose that decision.

How You Learn New Things and How to Optimize That Process

This chapter looks at how to optimize the way you learn new things and enjoy understanding why this actually means having a balanced pleasurable life. The bonus is in enabling you to make more of a difference during your lifetime.

The brain loves being efficient so any chance it can take to make things easy it will. Amy Brann

Guidelines

– Set an intention before a training course starts.

– Write up key points and refer back to them on a regular basis until you can recall them easily.

– Practice recalling new things you’ve learnt at random times.

– Set learning goals with clear outcomes.

Brain is flexible; it will change, adapt and grow, as you need it to. Amy Brann

– Experiment with sleeping for eight hours.

How to Master Productive Habits and Programme Yourself to Achieve What Is Important to You

This chapter is about mastering what really makes a difference to you achieving results more easily with less efforts. It is about the neuroscience behind habits, and subsequently enjoying the extra brain space and energy you have for challenging tasks. The bonus is increased efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.

The repetition of tasks in a series over time becomes a habit. Amy Brann

Guidelines

– Realize that you can change almost anything.

– Give new habits lots of energy through practicing them or imagining doing them. Use the four-step method of Dr Jeffrey Schwartz:

1. Relabel

2. Reattribute

3. Refocus

4. Revalue

– Work on one or two at a time that require self-control.

Willed mental activity actually changes the structure of the brain. Amy Brann

– Use existing strong neural networks to set up new habits where possible.

– Gain more cognitive processing space and energy to focus on what is important to move you forward.

Part 2: YOUR COLLEGES AND CLIENTS

Understanding how your brain works is great because at a fundamental level, that’s how your colleagues and client’s brain work too!

How to Design and Create Your World to Work Optimally

This chapter looks at designing and creating your life in a balance, whatever that means to you rather than what others may dictate to you. The bonus is experiencing less conflicts with others.

Guidelines

– Decide what work-life balance means to you, the balance between work and personal time.

– Plan how to make your ideal work-life balance a reality.

Choosing goals in work and life to move towards that are meaningful to us, challenge us and that we have a chance of achieving gives us a strong foundation to work towards. Amy Brann

– Communicate with the people involved, clearly and repeatedly.

– Check your life regularly.

– Take control of everything, starting with your internal experiences.

How to Get to Grips with What Your Brain Needs to Help you Achieve Your Goals

This chapter is about achieving your goals by aligning your brain to work with you on all levels and free up thinking resources to be able to focus on other things, while increasing your credibility with others and trust in yourself. The bonus is you can confidently move onto tackling more complex goals.

Guidelines

Consider both your practical strategic plan and your mental strategic plan. You brain is working with you.

Mentally visualize the components required to achieve your goal regularly to strengthen the synaptic connections.

You can only ‘see’ what you have programmed yourself to see. Amy Brann

Start with the goals you really want to achieve and break them down.

Progress to more complex goals with more variables. You need:

– Positive anchoring
– Good habits
– Good decisions
– An effective strategy

Plan rewards for yourself for the achievement of components of the full goal.

The Vital Aspect of Motivation That Aren’t Usually Mentioned

This chapter helps you understand how motivating others really works, increases your potential to help others be more productive and decreases the frustration for you and your colleges. The bonus is less stress at work and home.

Guidelines

– Identify carefully the times to use extrinsic motivation, the one comes from outside you.

– Strategically encourage thorough intrinsic motivation-ideally recruit people with purposes beyond money for doing their job.

– Ensure that you know what your higher purpose is.

Being able to link your daily activities, even the repetitive ones, to your higher purpose helps keep up your intrinsic motivation. Amy Brann

– Give certainty and enhanced confidence whenever you can.

– Practice your own state elicitation so in time you can call on optimal states for any task.

Our thoughts really affect our states. Knowing which thoughts, you can draw upon to elicit different states on yourself can give you the power and flexibility at the times you need them. Amy Brann

How to Make Meetings You Dread a Thing of The Past

This chapter is about transforming inefficient, energy-zapping meetings into productive inspiring ones enabling everyone to get on the same page. The bonus here is increased group bonding.

Guidelines

– Embed fairness in your culture.

– Create opportunities to increase the sense of fairness.

– Be open and transparent in decision-making processes.

– Communicate with people to neutralize unfair situations before they got out of hand.

– Discipline unfairness.

– Recognize you have individuals in each meeting and treat them as such.

– Bring memes out into the open and strive to create ones that will best serve the team.

Our brains respond well to seeing what are about to experience, it is a form of priming us, new distinction memes. Amy Brann

– Look at strategic ways to include people, to get everyone on the same page.

The Most Efficient Preparation Techniques and Strategies to Deliver Results-oriented Presentations

This chapter is about delivering presentations most easily for you and that also actually achieve the desired results in your audience. The bonus is that your credibility with others increases.

Guidelines

– Be strategic with preparation, do the things that will make the biggest difference first.

– Plan how you can use the emotion to take the members of your audience on a journey where they’ll remember what you say more easily.

– Create your optimal presenter’s state by having supportive beliefs, a feel good strategy and labelling things to best serve you.

– Make engaging people your biggest priority.

Engagement can be intellectual, emotional and energetic. There is an invisible connection when people are engaged. Amy Brann

Understanding How You Remember Things and That Others Forget Things

This chapter is about appearing competent to colleagues by using your mental capacity efficiently. The bonus is enabling you to support teams to maximize their results.

Guidelines

– Decide how you need to remember it.

– Know how and when you want to recall it.

Making quick links of dry data to familiar things gives the brain more chance of being able to recall the information. Amy Brann

– Be prepared for others remembering things differently from you.

– Understand that people don’t always realize their unconscious is affecting their memory.

– Getting the most out of your memory involves following the standard advice:

– Get enough sleep
– Spend time with friends
– Laugh lots
– Manage stress
– Consume a healthy diet

Part 3: YOUR COMPANY

Company of the future will be enjoyable to work in.

The model that brings cutting-edge neuroscience into the world of leadership

This chapter is about leading people in a way that connects with how their brain actually will respond to reward both leader and followers to enable a whole company to be more successful. The bonus is that everyone is better placed for dealing with change.

Guidelines

– Check any problem or challenge against the synaptic circle of confidence, certainty, culture, celebration, control, connection and contribution and look for what is missing.

When working with people you want to get the most from it; it makes sense to reduce their threat response to you. Amy Brann

– Be strategic and systemize each of the elements into your personal leadership Opens in a new tab. of yourself.

– Work with other leaders to implement systems to integrate the synaptic circle into the whole company.

Understanding the Brain You Are Selling to, Enabling You to Be Clean and Professional

This chapter explains how to authentically sell what you do in a way that is most efficient because it works directly with the brain meaning you can relax, knowing you are behaving with integrity. One of the bonuses is that you build long-term beneficial client relationships.

Guidelines

– Get clear on your intention each time you meet or speak to people.

– Seek to understand other’s pain.

– Honestly consider and investigate whether your unique claims can turn into proven gains for each organization you look to work with.

– If you are sure, do everything you can to make it easy for your buyers to make their decision.

The more closely a person can relate to your proven gain the easier the decision to say yes. Amy Brann

What People’s Brain Wished You Knew

This chapter helps you learn what the brains of the people who you manage wished you knew to enable you to get superior results and that in time means a lower staff turnover and more engaged teams. The bonus is a happier, easier existence at work for everyone.

Guidelines

– Adopt team values and expectations.

– Spend quality time together.

– Be transparent.

– Elicit some clarity from whoever you can.

– Make a list of risks and rewards.

– Talk in time frames and use any solid information you can.

– Embedded a culture of trust proactively.

– Create some sense of predictability in people’s experience of you and the organization.

– Actively consider the seven zones of the brain.

Embed these systematically into the way your company and team work.

Make Your Brain Work brings neuroscience to life and organizations. If you are looking to master your life, you must master the use of your brain. Amy Brann provides clear insight into the latest developments in neuroscience enabling you to understand the way you live and work using accessible stories and examples. She also gives tools, approaches and techniques in practical and easy-to-understand language.

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