Many people in certain positions believe that their job involves grueling tasks which are killing them slowly. Well, the sad truth is that they are right in most cases. For better or worse, your job plays a very important role in your physical and mental health. Of course, there are also certain health problems that could help to make a person’s job much harder than it really is. Find out why your health could be affecting your job.

Without health life is not life; it is only a state of langour and suffering – an image of death. — Buddha

Studies have shown that there are many health conditions which can affect our ability to work. This ranges from serious conditions such as heart disease to continuous back pain. Let’s look at some of the reasons why pain in the back will become a problem.

You could end up with sore and tired back because:

• A sustained posture is causing a muscle imbalance
• Your job involves a lot of repetitive movements

A muscle imbalance occurs when an overworked muscle becomes tight whilst the opposite muscle remains slack and unused. Eventually, the overworked muscle will become fatigue and tighter, while the muscle on the opposite side weakens and cannot support the joint. This can increase your chances of getting an injury that could affect your job.

Other causes of muscle imbalances include repetitive manual tasks such as:

• Chopping vegetables
• Digging
• Using a computer mouse
• Carting bricks

Note that sitting for long hours can also cause you to suffer from muscle imbalance. If you are seated all day, your hips will remain in a shortened position most of the time. This would cause the muscles in your stomach and buttock to weaken, while those in and around your lower back and hip joint becomes tight.

Keep in mind that if a sustained posture is affecting how you carry yourself and becomes the norm, then this would result in severe postural problems.

When it comes to repetitive movements, this can also result in sprains and strains. As you imagine, it will be very uncomfortable or even difficult for you to work with these conditions. The best solution would be to break the repetitive cycle. You can do this by:

• Taking Breaks

Even if you are extremely busy, you should always take regular breaks throughout the day. This could be for 2 or 3 minutes every 20 minutes.

• Stretching

Simple stretches can help to avoid sustained position for long periods. As long as you doing it right, stretching will feel good.

• Alternating Your Activities

When working on your computer, you can break up the hand movements by making some phone calls. If you have to dig for long hours, you can stop now and again to bend backwards.

You should definitely keep these things in mind if you want to remain healthy. This is not to alarm you, but new studies are showing that sitting for long hours daily will not only affect your job, but also increase your risk of dying from heart disease and other related conditions.

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This Article: Why Your Health Could Be Affecting Your Job was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

Welcome to the first edition of Around The Cooler ( aka office chatter ), basically our what’s hot around the web this week as it relates to jobs, office politics, careers, landing great jobs and surviving the grind. Awesome right?

We’ve been around the block looking for some cool links. Hope you love them!

• 15 things it took me 40 years to figure out. — Job Jenny
• How to Work 12 Hours a Day and Still Have a Life — The Daily Muse
• 8 Unwritten Rules of Job Searching — Brazen Careerist
• Bring Your Soul To Work Day — Little Pink Book
• How to Do Well in a Video Interview — Underground Recruiter
• What Not to Do At The Next Office Party — Clocks & Cubicles
• What if Job Candidates Interviewed Like… Political Candidates? — YouTern
• Job Board Detox Tip #8: Create Value Statements — Careerealism
• 5 Ways to Turn Your Free Time into Resume Experience — Classy Career Girl
• 10 Fall Fashion Trends for the Office — The Grindstone
• 5 Big Blunders To Avoid On Your First Day At a New Job — Balanced WorkLike

Cheers to the weekend!

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This Article: Around The Cooler 08 17 2012 was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

If you start to dread going to work daily and your job is not challenging you enough, it might be the right time for you to move on. However when you decide to pursue other career goals, you should be careful about how you resign from your existing job. The last thing you want to do is ruin the existing relationship with your present employer and potential job opportunities. Let’s take a look at how to quit your job with flair.

Quitting Your Job With Flair

• Don’t Tell Your Boss Right Away

When accept a new position, you should not tell your supervisor or co-workers immediately. It’s important to give the appropriate notice and pass on the reins to your associates. Besides that, you must be prepared to leave your work station once you hand in the resignation letter, because this is the policy of most companies. If you have a short time to leave, you need to ensure that important personal belongings are not left behind and personal files are deleted from the company’s computer. Don’t forget to take your personal supplies and contact information.

• Play Nice

Now, you can step down with a bit of flair. When you give the resignation letter to your supervisor, you need to act with politeness and courtesy. It is very important to give gratitude where it’s due and acknowledge your immediate superiors for having a quality time whilst working with the company. Although, you have already resigned it’s never a good idea to brag or show off. If you are required to have discussion with your superiors before leaving, be sure to give positive and constructive remarks about your co-workers and the company.

• Tie Up The Loose Ends

At this point, you want to ensure that you take care of all the loose ends. Since your resignation will affect the existing work flow, you should help your company to make a smooth transition by relaying pending projects and tasks to immediate supervisor or co-workers. Doing this will not only help to ensure a smooth transition, but you can also get positive reviews. In addition, you must offer to help with finding a suitable replacement or train another employee to take over your job. You can also leave your email or contact number to make sure that the transition process is a success. But while you are doing this, your previous responsibilities should not interfere with your new job.

There you have it, some simple tips on how to quit your job with flair to avoid any ramifications in the future. The key is to take control of your life and keep your cool whilst remaining totally professional. It’s always difficult to get a new job in tough economic times, so you must take advantage any opportunity that will allow you to leave a job that is not satisfying.

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This Article: How to Quit Your Job With Flair was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

Nobody likes getting stuck in traffic, but somehow traffic jams are even more tiring when you’re on your way to work. Heading into your dead-end job can be depressing enough without being surrounded by a thousand people who are equally thrilled to be heading into jobs that they hate. In some parts of the country, traffic can be so horrific during the morning rush hour that commuters who live just half an hour from their workplace may find themselves leaving their house an hour or more before they need to be at work in anticipation of congested roadways and inevitable accidents.

If you find yourself frequently getting stuck in traffic on your way to work, there are a few simple techniques you can use to help you deal with your commute. Read on to discover three good ways to deal with traffic on the way to work.

Use Your Radio

Listening to music in the car is one of the easiest ways to deal with bad traffic. Not only does listening to music help you pass the time, the right music can also help relax you and better deal with the cars around you. For added entertainment, you can turn your radio up, roll down the windows, and belt out your favorite tunes from the ‘80‘s. Some people don’t like to listen to music in their car (weird, but true), and others may get bored with hearing the same songs day after day. After all, you can only take so much teeny-bop pop songs before you go insane or morph into a 13-year old girl. Luckily, your car radio is for more than just playing music. There are plenty of things you can listen to through your car radio, such as:

• Music
• Books on CD
• Talk radio shows
• Nature sounds
• PodCasts

If your radio is broken or outdated, you can purchase a new basic radio and have it installed for under $100. You can save money by installing it yourself, but be sure to disconnect your cars battery first, otherwise you may not need to worry about your morning commute for a while. There are a variety of radios on the market, so do your homework before making a decision and choose a radio that will meet your needs and help make your ride more enjoyable.

Enjoy the Peace While traffic may be an annoyance to some people, to others, it’s time away from work and family obligations to simply relax and enjoy the peace. Instead of looking at traffic as a hinderance, look at it as an excuse to have more time to yourself. Turn off the radio, roll up the windows, and enjoy the relative peace and quiet of your vehicle before jumping into work. There’s nothing that irritates other commuters more than a “Sunday driver” so be sure to honk and wave when people speed past you on the highway.

Give Yourself Extra Time

The best thing you can do to deal with traffic on your way to work is to give yourself extra time. Traffic can be stressful on its own, but when you add the possibility of being late to work into the mix, it can become even more troublesome. Arriving early to work has other advantages besides just taking the stress out of your commute. Here are some of the benefits of getting to work just ten minutes early each day:

• 10 minutes extra each day adds up to 50 minutes of overtime each week.
• In two weeks, you can read an entire book by arriving at work early and using that time to catch up in your favorite novel.
• You can enjoy a quick breakfast.
• Your boss will think more highly of you when you arrive early because it is seen as a sign of enthusiasm.

Traffic doesn’t have to be seen as a negative thing. Don’t let your morning commute get to you by looking for ways to turn what is traditionally viewed as a burden into a positive part of your morning routine. Soon, you’ll be looking forward to your commute into work rather than dreading it!

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This Article: 2 Good Ways to Deal With Traffic On the Way to Work was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

In this article, you will find some creative hacks that could make your job a breeze. The first thing that you should know is that a hack is usually used in reference to a creative solution for a limitation or a problem.

Why You Need Creative Hacks

Well, it could be that you are stuck in an unfulfilling job like millions of people in today’s economy. This is because many careers are not providing the average employees with joy and happiness. The good news is that there are ways that you can make your job seem like a breeze, regardless of your reasons for disliking your job, company, boss or coworkers.

Four Creative Hacks to Make Work Easy & Fun

• Use Recurring Problems to Create Games

If you are mistreated by someone at work, a client is calling you names or your boss is picking on you, you can make a game from this. You could create a checklist or bingo board with the things that you expect will happen throughout the week. Give yourself a special treat if you check all the items or get a bingo.

• Have Competition With Yourself

Although friendly competitions are exciting, at times it’s hard to find co-workers who are willing to compete. So, you could use different tasks to make fun games and then try each day to beat your speed and efficiency.

• Create Lists With Positive Things

Quite often when individuals dislike their jobs, it’s not uncommon for bosses and coworkers to disrespect them or give valuations for their contributions. If you can relate to this, you have to find ways to change this mindset. This can be done by making a list with all the positive things which comes from negative interactions. Even if you are not getting good treatment at work, this exercise can help you to focus on the positives and ultimately your job will become easier.

• Plan After Work Events

Rather than holding grudges against your company, you can counter this by planning fun after work activities. So, even after a grueling day at work you can add some excitement to your life instead of thinking negative thoughts that would lead to frustrations.

These are just some of the creative things that you can do to make your job seem like a breeze. The most important thing to keep in mind is that even the worst workplace can become a fun place once you use your creativity and is willing to change your attitude. You really don’t have to love all your coworkers, bosses or job, but you can find ways to make your work easy and exciting.

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This Article: 4 Creative Hacks That Could Make Your Job A Breeze was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

We’ve all dealt with bosses who had IQ’s that were barely higher than the paper weights on their desk. Unfortunately, it seems that the socially challenged members of society always seem to find their way into management positions and you inevitably always find yourself working for them. Even if your boss is as horrible as you imagine them to be, openly complaining about your boss to your co-workers can and probably will cost you your job.

If your boss really is a douche, the last thing he’ll want from his subordinates (that would be you) is confirmation that he is in fact the dimmest person in the company. Part of your job as a good employee is making your boss feel like they’re doing a wonderful job, even if they aren’t. If you do a good job, your boss looks good. If your boss looks good, your department looks good. If your department looks good, you have what is known as job security, and that my friend is what you want.

Complaining Might Cost You that Promotion

Another good reason you should avoid complaining about your boss is to preserve your options at the company. If your boss gets promoted to a better position, who is he likely to suggest as his replacement? The employee that constantly undermines him and complains about how he runs the department or the employee that constantly kisses up to him? Biting your tongue when your boss makes a mistake, or resisting the temptation to spell-check his latest memo can not only preserve your job, it can also help you secure a future promotion.

Before you open your mouth to criticize your boss, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I need my boss’ recommendation/approval to move up in the company?
• Do I have a review coming up soon?
• Will complaining help me further my career?

Confiding in Co-workers is a Bad Idea

One mistake a lot of people make is confiding in their co-workers and venting to them about their frustrations at work. While Joe in the next cube over may not like your boss anymore than you do, co-workers have an annoying tendency to change their loyalties more often than a junior high girl changes her mind on which celebrity she has a crush on. Sharing your grievances may make you feel better now, but when Joe runs to the boss and blabs about how you can’t stand the fact that he’s a mouth-breather, you may reconsider that decision. Do yourself a favor and listen to everyone else without saying much (if anything) yourself.

Instead of complaining to co-workers, try these other avenues:

• Your spouse
• A pet
• The voice inside your head (If this is a viable option, your boss might not be the problem.)

The best way to deal with a bad boss is to treat them like a wounded animal. Keep your distance, speak slowly and clearly, and avoid anything that may be perceived as a threatening motion. Complaining about your boss will cost you your job, so it’s best to follow the old saying and, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”.

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This Article: Why Complaining About Your Boss Will Cost You Your Job ( Even if He’s a Douche ) was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

Many companies have office parties to give co-workers a chance to celebrate holidays or various other occasions. While these parties are held for you to have fun, it’s important to be careful and not have too good a time. If you want to hold your head high after these events, you can follow these tips on what not to do at the next office party.

Things That You Should Not Do At An Office Party

• Never drink more than your limit.

It’s not a good idea to drink excessively and end up throwing up in the bathroom; falling asleep in the back of the party area and going home in a cab. Even if you believe that you can handle alcohol well, your drinking limit at an office party must be one glass of wine or a mixed drink.

• Don’t dress in clothing that is too suggestive or young for your age.

Even though its party, you don’t want to dress in anything that you would not wear to the office. Teenagers don’t want to wear teenage girl clothing in an ideal world, so try to not dress like one even if you are proud of your body.

• Don’t tell colored or dirty jokes.

Sexual, religious, racial or political jokes may seem funny, but you could end up offending your co-workers.

• Avoid using foul language.

Even though you might feel comfortable at your office party, you need to remember that you are at work. This means avoiding the use of bad or foul language to maintain a professional look.

• Don’t spread rumors or talk about missing co-workers behind their backs.

There is no reason to talk about someone because they are absent from your office party. Apart from the fact that this is not a nice thing to do, word will get to this person through friends who might be present.

• Don’t bring a guest who is irresponsible to your office party.

If you have a best friend or date who is prone to fistfights, racial remarks, grabbing or any other behavior that will be seen as inappropriate, you should not invite this person. In the event that something happens, this person’s behavior is going to reflect badly on you.

• Try not to flirt with someone who you have a secret crush on.

An office party is not an invitation for you flirt, start grabbing people or make any kind of suggestive remark. Even if this person seems friendly after having a few drinks, this is not an invitation to flirt. In case you are not aware of this, many allegations for sexual harassment comes after office parties.

Hopefully, these tips on what not to do at the next office party will help you to act professionally whilst having fun. This way, you can be sure that you are not doing anything that will ruin your chances of getting a promotion.

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This Article: What Not To Do At The Next Office Party was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

When it comes to advancement at work, most people will do whatever it takes to climb the corporate ladder even at the expense of their colleagues. Unfortunately, those people are not able to enjoy their success after reaching to the top because they have stepped on many people who are now working to bring them down. In this article, you can find some useful suggestions on how to climb the corporate ladder.

Always remember that the best way to reach to the top of the corporate ladder is to earn the respect of coworkers and supervisors. This will also require you to take some strategic steps that will allow those at the top to notice and value your work enough to help you up.

How to climb the corporate ladder without laying on your back

• Start by building a good network in your organization. This way, you will know about favorable job openings even before they are announced. For this strategy to work, you need to ensure that everyone know about your skills. So, you need to start interacting with managers especially those who are not your immediate supervisors.
• Always work to give your immediate supervisor a good look. Even if you have a weak boss, you need to carry this person if necessary without complaining. In the long run, everyone will get to know about your true contributions.
• Get help from a career counselor to create an effective strategy, work on a professional image and improve your communication skills. You want to create a professional image outside of your work environment. This can be done in many ways including giving quotes to the business press, writing industry publications as well as speaking at industry conferences and professional meetings.
• Take the lead by volunteering to work on exciting new projects which are getting lots of exposure. This will give you a chance to excel in leadership positions. You should always give your job a hundred percent to exceed your supervisors’ expectations.
• Look for ways to continue your learning. Explore all the training opportunities that can improve your skills, whether throughout two day seminars or programs that will last for two years. After learning the necessary skills that will help you to become a leader, you should be willing to share your ideas and thoughts, encourage others to excel and show those at the top that you can do your job really well.
• On your way up to the corporate ladder you must always stand confidently and proudly. Try to attend seminars, luncheons and after work functions to show off your confidence. When making appearances at those professional events, you need to emulate your superiors.

As you can see, there are many ways that you can climb the corporate ladder without stepping on others or laying on your back. During your quest to reach the top, you need to join up with like-minded professionals.

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This Article: How to Climb The Corporate Ladder Without Laying On Your Back was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

It’s easy to complain about your boss, your work hours, or your measly paycheck, but in this economy you should be thankful to have a job at all. There are hundreds of thousands of people on unemployment in the US alone, and there are thousands more people who are underemployed, or who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. No matter what job you have, you should love your job and be thankful that you have it. Here are three reasons to love your job in this economy:

1.) There are dozens of people more qualified than you who would work for less money. The unemployment rosters aren’t filled with unskilled workers who have lost their jobs at companies that folded during the recession. There are thousands of unemployed professionals who can do your job better than you, who have more education than you, and who are willing to work for less money than you. You should be thankful that your boss hasn’t figured that out yet, or you may find yourself unemployed the next time you make a minor mistake. To avoid this, you need to make yourself indispensable. Some ways to do this are:

• Be positive. Make your boss like you and you’ll be more likely to keep your job. After all, nobody wants to fire their friend.
• Take on as much responsibility as possible. While during a strong economy workers are in demand, in a weak economy, employers are in demand. Make yourself more valuable by taking on more responsibilities. You probably won’t get paid any more, but you’ll have job security.
• Arrive on time. Simply getting to work when you’re supposed to can be enough to save your job. Your employer probably won’t want to take a risk on an unknown person when you’re showing up on time and doing the job well.

2.) You’re keeping your skills up to date. Even if you don’t have your dream job, you’re at least keeping your skills up to date by being in the workforce. When the economy eventually turns around, you’ll look even more appealing to potential employers for having modern skills and having survived the recession. Some ways you can keep your skills up to date or learn new ones are:

• Take advantage of employer-paid learning opportunities. If your job will pay for you to get educated, do it. Look for online courses, or classes offered at your local community college and check with your companies HR department to see if they will cover them.
• Cross-train in as many departments as possible. You never know when having an extra skill will come in handy.
• Volunteer to help with as many extra projects as you can handle. Working with a supervisor or manager on a project is a great way to get one-on-one mentoring to learn new skills that will make you more valuable to the company.
  

3.) You don’t have to compete with dozens of other people for a single position. In a weak economy, every time there’s a job advertised, dozens of people mail, email, or hand-deliver their resumes in hopes of landing the same position. One opening will generate many more applicants than are necessary, giving the employer the option to be picky and choose only the best employee. If you are lucky enough to have a job when hundreds of thousands of other people don’t, you should be thankful that you’re not sitting at home hoping a potential employer notices you out of a large pool of applicants. Because companies rarely warn employees about pending layoffs, you should always keep your resume up to date with the following information:

• Your current job responsibilities, including things you do only occasionally.
• Any extra training you’ve received, including in-process education and on-the-job training.
• Any awards or special recognition you’ve received.
• A list of references, both personal and profession with whom you are in regular contact.

When someone leaves your company that you knew well, be sure to ask them to write you a letter of recommendation in case you find yourself looking for a job in the future. Often, it’s difficult to get in touch with people after a while and in a bad economy, you may find yourself out of work for a long period of time. Having a written letter of recommendation can come in handy in case your contacts move or change their phone numbers.

While you may not have your dream job, and you may feel that you’re worth significantly more than you’re making, in this economy any job is a good job. Try to find ways to ride the rough times until things turn around and you’re in a better position to negotiate with your employer or seek greener pastures.

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This Article: 3 Reasons to Love Your Job In This Economy was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!

The increasing price of gas and the long hours wasted in traffic jams during rush hours are the problems faced by people who drive their cars to work daily. Although you can’t just hitchhike to work everyday, a better solution to these problems is to join or organize a carpool in your area. A carpool is an organized way of taking turns in driving everyone else to a certain destination. This is more effective if all the members of the carpool lives in the same community and works in the same area. Sounds awesome so far.

So What Are The Benefits of Joining A Carpool?

Now joining a carpool offers many benefits to the members. Members of a carpool can save a lot of money from gasoline because you will get a free ride to and from your office for several days and you will only get to use your car at least once or twice a week during your turn. The fewer vehicles on the streets can mean lesser pile up and traffic jams especially during rush hours. The flow traffic can be faster, helping you avoid being late (again) and come home earlier to eat that tasty meal waiting on the stove, or in the microwave.

Carpooling can also help save the environment by reducing the amount of pollutants being emitted to the atmosphere. Saving the planet one gas guzzler at a time. A carpool is a good way to also socialize with others and make new friends outside of just Facebook and twitter. Yes, real friends do exist.

Problems Experienced When Carpooling

Now all those benefits sound lovely, but what about the problems that come up when you choose to share your car with other?

Carpooling is only for individuals who have their own vehicle, but you may include some who don’t have a car and just charge them a fee. Because you don’t drive your own vehicle, it will be difficult for you to run some errands on the way home.

Going for a trip to the store can be annoying to the other passengers who are already tired and just want to get home early. The individual habits of the members can be irritating to others like playing loud music in the car, eating food inside the car and worst of all, always being late.

So to help you not lose your mind when you join a carpool, here are some tips that you can use when you organize or join a carpool.

• Make a driver schedule and travel plan. Designate pickup points and areas where the members can meet up so they can all ride at the same time. Make it clear that your carpool is only going to and from work and not an errand service to avoid delays.
• Stress the importance of punctuality to all the members. Determine how long will be the allowable waiting period for the members. The drivers should notify in advance the leader if they can’t make it on their driving schedule or they will be absent so that a driver can be designated.
• Set regulations that will be observed by all members inside the car. Things like eating, drinking, smoking, music volume and even speed limit should be discussed and agreed upon in advance. This is to avoid annoying others and promote healthy interaction among all the passengers.

It might not sound like an extensive list, but these few steps could help you not lose your mind, making you want to jump out onto the freeway to stop the insanity. Employ these carpooling tips today and you can enjoy many of the benefits stated in the beginning on a smooth ride to work and back home.

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This Article: How to Carpool to Work and Not Lose Your Mind was originally posted and featured on ClocksandCubicles.com !!