Tag Archives: workplace

Overcoming Workplace Negativity

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When a problem happens in your workplace do you find yourself complaining about the issue or looking for solutions? If your answer is to complain and grumble, you’ll probably find and connect with others doing the same thing. There is an age old saying, “your vibe attracts your tribe,” which means the energy you put out is the energy you will receive from others. Before long, one negative attitude can spread to an entire department and all hope of problem-solving will be lost. To help lose your negative mindset in your workplace, next time there is a problem avoid complaining and approach the issue in a helpful manner with constructive feedback.

Be sure to present your opinion to the appropriate channel. Complaining to a coworker who has no ability to implement change may just spread more negativity surrounding the problem. Find out who is best to receive this information without stepping on any toes in the process.

Remember that your feedback should be constructive. Instead of complaining about the issue, you should state the problem and a solution to it. If possible, test drive your solution to make sure there is actually a better way of doing it. Often times work tasks can be tedious making those who do them feel there must be a better way, however that is not always the case and what may seem like a serious issue to you may be less of one to person hearing your concerns.

If you’ve identified the right person and constructive feedback doesn’t get the ball rolling for a solution to your problem, know when to give up. Persistence, itself is a good thing as long as you know how to use it. Once you’ve hit a brick wall in solving your problem, persistence turns bad and will lead you and your constructive criticism sounding like the Negative Nancy complainer you were avoiding all along.

Mindfulness at Work

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You may read this title and immediately think of monks or yoga poses, however mindfulness at work doesn’t need to involve either to decrease your stress level!  The main principal of mindfulness is being consciously present, that is being aware of what is going on around you and within you. Tips on exploring mindfulness are abundant and said to increase productivity, decrease stress and help take back control of your emotions. We’ve listed the basics, and our favorites below.

Press Pause

Give yourself time to live in the moment. Pause before heading into the office each morning and regularly throughout the day even if it’s for 4 slow deep breaths. This, along with different types of mindful exercises help rebalance the nervous system and encourage rational decisions over rash reactions.

Aim for Conscious Awareness

Practice being present in what you are doing, while you are doing it. It’s not uncommon to get distracted at work, but when your mind begins to wander, acknowledge it and bring your thoughts back to the project at hand.

Active Listening

Hearing, but not really listening… We’ve all been there! Also coined inactive listening, tends to happen when we are not in the moment, distracted by thoughts outside of the conversation or stressors unrelated to the topic. We often don’t realize this is happening until it’s too late. You’ve been asked a question or it’s your turn to talk and you’re clueless. To dodge these types of awkward scenarios, stay engaged by asking questions, providing feedback or even jotting down notes, if appropriate.

These small changes in mindfulness and therefore attitude can literally add years to your life and improve your productivity and achievements in the workplace.

Finding Your Career with a Healthcare Recruiter

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If you’re a job-seeking medical professional, you know the struggles of sending out applications. Because, no matter how familiar you are with finding the right opportunities, tailoring your resume, and waiting to hear back, you might still struggle to get your foot in the door.

Fortunately, there are professionals who dedicate their careers to helping others find theirs. Healthcare recruiters can provide you with professional tools and services to guide you to the right job opportunities. Here’s a closer look at how they can help you take the next steps in your career.

Save Time and Money

Stop spending hours searching through job openings and let a professional recruiter find the best ones for you. A healthcare recruiter matches you with the positions that fit technically and personally, which allows you to focus on perfecting interview skills and researching employers. You’ll also receive instant alerts when employers post relevant job listings.

And, the outstanding services and resources provided by recruitment agencies typically come at no cost to the applicants. So, there are no membership fees, additional expenses for specific resources, or extra costs to help you find the right job.

Find Your Best Advocate

Healthcare recruiters don’t only work with job-seeking candidates; they also work with actual employers. Recruiters partner with employers to match them with candidates that fit into their culture and meet their specific professional requirements.

If your resume fits a job posting provided by one of your recruiter’s partners, they’ll be your biggest champion in recommending you for the position and fully preparing you for an interview.

Develop a Mentorship

Before every interview, a professional recruiter coaches you on how to handle the conversation. The recruiter asks practical questions that could appear in your interview, and you’ll receive guidance on how to best answer each one.

Once you start working in the right position, you can still count on your recruitment agency for support throughout the hiring and employment process. Whether you need help preparing for your first day on the job or want some feedback down the line, the right agency is always on call.

Join Our Talent Network

Recruiting agencies want you to succeed as a candidate, because it’s what grows their business. Placing the wrong candidate in the wrong position reflects poorly on recruiters, so they strive to put you in the perfect position that matches your skills, qualifications, and goals.

At HealthCare Support, we strive to help our candidates make the biggest and best steps in their careers. And our recruiting professionals are available with additional advice and encouragement long after you’ve settled into the right position. To join our talent network or speak with one of our healthcare recruiters, call us today at 407-478-0332.

31 Ways to Be Ambitious This August

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August 1st – “Do something nice for someone.” Not only will it make them feel good, but it will make feel good too!

August 2nd – “Make someone laugh – it’s Friday!” A big stress reliever is laughing and a study shows that people will like you more if you make them laugh.

August 3rd – “Go sit in the sun and absorb some Vitamin D.” Vitamin D promotes bone growth, reduces depression, promotes weight loss, and fights diseases! Why wouldn’t you want to be lounging around in the sun with all those health benefits? But, don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

August 4th – ” Look at yourself in the mirror. Give yourself one compliment.” You can either be your own biggest fan or your own biggest enemy. By complimenting yourself, builds confidence and positivity within yourself.

August 5th – “It’s the first Monday of the month! Dress for success.” Dressing professionally demands respect and it also builds your self-confidence. It’s also fun to know you look great!

August 6th – “Excercise for 30 minutes.” This can be going for a walk during your lunch, going to yoga, and everything in between! Get up and be active – there are so many health benefits to working out.

August 7th – “Call someone close to you – someone you love. Express your gratitude towards them, tell them you love them or thank them for being there for you.”

August 8th – “Write a nice note on someone’s desk.” This brightens up people’s day and freshens up the office environment.

August 9th – “Bring in some treats for the company.” Get your ‘Martha Stewart’ on and bake some cookies, brownies, or cupcakes! Or bring in some yummy carbs and goodies for everyone to chow down on.

August 10th – “Clean up your friends’ list on social media” Still friends with those annoying, popular girls from high school? Just unfollow them – you’ll feel less anxiety logging on without seeing all their posts about “joining their pyramid scheme”.

August 11th – “Wash your car.” There’s nothing better than a squeaky clean ride! Just cross one more thing off of your list.

August 12th – “Meditate ten minutes before coming into work” Get your mind focused and relax before the worries of work sink in.

August 13th – “Schedule a lunch date.”

August 14th – “Organize your desk – sanitize too!” You should be organizing and ridding your desk of germs, at least, once a month. Not only does this help you avoid illnesses, but it also reduces stress by not having to deal with a messy desk. Messy desks make for messy minds!

August 15th – “Go into the office early or stay late.” Think of all the work you can get done by spending a little more time in the office.

August 16th – “Organize your folders on your desktop.” Get rid of folders or documents you don’t need anymore to clear space up on your computer.

August 17th – “Buy yourself something nice – you deserve it!” Everyone deserves a little splurging every now and then.

August 18th – “Make a to-do list for the week.” Reach out to this partner on Monday, clean your bathroom on Tuesday, finish that project by Wednesday… Write down everything you want to get done within the week – personal and professional.

August 19th – “Ask three coworkers about their weekend.” And actually listen.

August 20th – “Learn something new.” Knowledge is power!

August 21st – “Read a career article.”

August 22nd – “Make your bed, you lazy bones!”  Navy Seal William H. McCraven, commander of the forces that led the raid to kill Osama bin Laden, told the 2014 University of Texas graduates, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.”

August 23rd – “Introduce yourself to someone new.” The more friends the merrier!

August 24th – “Clean your home.”

August 25th – “Meal prep your lunches for the week.” Start your week off right with healthy lunches!

August 26th – “Turn off your cell phone today.” Don’t let the hundreds of notifications distract you from your work.

August 27th – “Get a full nights rest.” A whole eight hours of sleep? Unheard of! Well, not tonight…

August 28th – “Compliment five coworkers.” Compliments are nice to receive but even better to give. Tell someone how much you love their hair or their outfit! You could turn around someone’s awful day to somewhat bearable.

August 29th – “Help a coworker with one of their projects or responsibilities.” Help out some of your coworkers that are stressing over certain projects, they’ll appreciate it.

August 30th – “High-five 10 coworkers.” August is over, time to celebrate the coming of a brand new month.

August 31st – “End the month doing three of your favorite things you did this past month from the list above.” You’re ending the month & starting the new month as productive as ever!

How to Fall Back in Love with Your Job

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Throughout the course of our professional career, we fluctuate between loving our job and despising it. When you first start a job, you start a new chapter in your life. You’re financially supporting yourself, you’re starting to make new friends, and you’re working for a company that chose you out of hundreds of people – overall, it’s a fresh feeling. But sometimes these feelings seem to evaporate over time. In fact, every year, 5.6 million people leave their job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Falling out of love with your job happens to millions of people so, in order to overcome this, you should figure out if you want to move on and find new opportunities or learn how to fall back in love with your job. If you choose the latter, here are a few easy ways that can help you:

  1. Rearrange your desk or your office. You’ve been at the same desk for a long time now. Freshen things up by rearranging it or buying new decorations. You spend forty hours a week around the same space, be sure to surround yourself with the things you love. Also, keep it neat and tidy. 
  2. Take more breaks. Walk around your building a few times. Workout during lunch. Taking productive breaks during your day allows your mind to relax. Working out or going for a walk recharges your brain and clears your head.
  3. Read a career book that relates to the industry you work in. This can help you appreciate your line of work and will motivate you to get back in the office and grind. Other people go through the same thing, but they write about it to help you get over it as they did.
  4. Befriend passionate coworkers. It’s easy to be around people that are passionate about what they do, and it helps you to be passionate too!
  5. Celebrate your accomplishments. It’s fun when you do things right and you’re positively impacting the company. So, celebrate when you do things right or when you reach a goal! It will relieve work tension and remind you how good you are at what you do.
  6. Do one nice thing a day in the office. Hold the door open for someone, buy someone lunch, or write positive notes on people’s desks. Simple stuff like this is an easy way to make you feel good.
  7. Try something new. If you feel like you’re doing the same thing repeatedly, maybe it’s time to try other things and learn new things outside your job description. Talk to your manager about whether you can take on new responsibilities to help other teams or departments.
  8. Remind yourself about the way you felt when you got the job. How relieved and excited were you when you got offered the job? When all of a sudden all the applications you sent in and interviews you went on were over and you secured yourself a job. Remind yourself of that feeling you got and put it in your back pocket. Always keep that feeling close.
  9. Think about all the good things about your job. This can be whether your company culture is awesome, you love your job or all of the great friends you’ve made. Just remind yourself of all the good things going for you. Thinking positively impacts you more than you know.
  10. Maybe it’s time to take a vacation. Life is better when you have something to look forward to. Decide to take a vacation or a staycation. Not only will you be excited leading up to the event which will make the days pass by, but your brain can also use the break.

 

How to Cope with Stress in the Workplace

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Have you ever been kept up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, worrying about the upcoming workday? Everyone gets a little anxiety or stress from time to time, but, according to the Gallup Poll Social Series, 79% of Americans say they frequently feel stress throughout their day. So, what is causing your stress? In order to reduce it, you first must understand what is making you stressed or anxious in the first place. Some of the most common causes of stress at work include office conflicts, high workloads and irrational deadlines, insufficient working environments, the feel of not being in control of your projects, disorganization, physical discomfort, and weak management.

Now that we know what could be causing all this tension, let’s figure out some techniques you can try to feel a little more “Zen” at work:

Avoid Gossip, Rumors, and Conflict

Avoiding conflict is always a great idea in the workplace. Don’t let office relationships stress you out. You’re going to have to be around the same people 40 hours a week, so keep a low profile. Try not to succumb to all the gossip and the office humor. If you know you don’t work well with some employees, try to stay away from them. Your mind will thank you later. And, if conflict does find you, figure out a way to deal with it calmly.

Sort Out Your Projects

One of the main reasons why people feel pressure in the office is because of the high workloads and irrational deadlines. The first thing you can do is come into the office with a positive mindset. This can make a big difference in how you start the day and how you dive into your projects. You can also write it all out. Place your time-sensitive projects at the top of your to-do lists. Figure out what tasks are super important and get started on them first. Don’t procrastinate – get right to it.

Create Your Own Positive Working Environment

Get into the groove of creating your own personal, positive working environment. Listen to music through headphones to keep the distractions under control. In fact, “research suggests that listening to music can improve your efficiency, creativity and happiness in terms of work-related tasks”.  You should also bring a few things to work to place on your desk. Things like pictures of families or friends, flowers, books, and pictures of quotes can lift your spirits during the workday. If physical discomfort is getting you down, try splurging on a comfier chair or comfier (yet professional) clothes.

Establish A Communicative Relationship with Your Boss

Talk it out with your boss. Let them know what they can do to create a better environment for both of you. Admit what is triggering your anxiety and figure out a way to contain it – together. Having an easy and honest relationship with your boss is best, especially when struggling with unwanted tension.

Tidy Up Your Space

Staying organized is one of the most basic solutions to reducing stress. If you are already feeling anxious because of your workload, why worsen it with having a messy desk? Some ways to keep your desk tidy are having organizers and folders for different projects in your drawers and on your desktop computer, purchasing a planner/calendar, getting rid of old papers, labeling drawers, and making things more accessible. Read this article for some benefits of having a clean office space.

Relieve the Pressure by Being Active and Mindful

Try to get your heart beating by going for a walk during your lunch break or heading to the gym for a quick workout. Working out has many great benefits including relieving stress. You can also take a ten-minute break to do some stretches or yoga poses in your office. Doing breathing exercises with help too by calming down the mind. Breathe in through your nose for five seconds and out through your mouth for ten seconds, then close your eyes and imagine your happy place – be there for a couple of minutes. This can slow down your mind and help you regain focus on your work.

Work-Life Balance is the Ultimate Way to De-Stress

Setting boundaries on when your coworkers can contact you for work-related projects or questions are important.  After a long work week, it won’t be fun thinking you are done for the week and then having to answer some work calls or emails. You should also be using your paid time off for vacations and mental health days to recharge your brain.

Live A Healthy Lifestyle

It’s so easy to want to come home from work and make unhealthy choices by eating loads of ice cream and chips. Sure, it makes you feel better in that moment, but in the long run, it makes you feel worse. Whip up a healthy dinner with a lot of vegetables and protein. Not only should you be making good eating decisions but getting a full night’s rest is key. If you don’t get enough sleep, you will feel unfocused during your workday which can affect completing your projects and tasks for that day. That will eventually stress you out later in your workday. It’s a complete circle. Sleep means staying focused and staying focused means getting all your work done which keeps you stress-free!        

Stress Diary

If you still can’t seem to get a grip on your stress and anxiety, purchase a journal and write down everything that is making you stressed out during the week. Record how you are handling the stress and at the end of the week, figure out what you can do to handle the stress better. Include your physical and emotional reactions and your peers’ reactions. The more detailed, the easier it will be containing your worry.

Don’t let stress take over your career. If you’re getting frustrated easily or find yourself feeling anxious, listen to your body. Take the time to implement these stress relieving techniques for the workplace and you’ll find your professional and personal life improve.

 

 

Technology is Taking Over

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It’s 2019. We all saw it coming: Technology is taking over. Everywhere we look people have their noses buried in their smart phones, tablets, and computers. It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come, and all the things people had to do without technology. Remember when you had to mail a letter if you wanted to reach someone? Or how about going to the library if you didn’t know something? Technology has made some major differences to improve the world, but there’s a lot of controversy whether technology actually made the world a better place. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Should the cons not be overlooked? Tell us what you think:

Pros

  • Internet and Accuracy

    Don’t know the answer to a question? You are now a few clicks away from knowing the answer through Google. Need to add things up and document numbers? You’ve got everything you need on your computer with Excel and the Calculator app. The internet and programs, like Microsoft Office, are there to fix your human errors.

  • Time Saver

    Having a computer allows you to do many things at once. You can schedule appointments, email people, and perform other tedious tasks in minutes. If you share projects with your coworkers, all files can be saved in one place for people to access. Therefore, making everything you do more efficient and productive.

  • Green Planet

    Tree huggers unite! Technology allows us to be paperless. We don’t have to use a single sheet of paper while we’re writing novels, figuring out mathematical equations, or spelling things. Saving paper saves trees and saving trees saves the planet.

  • Communication

    Using direct messaging apps such as Skype, Slack, GroupMe, and IM, you can ask quick questions or message someone without writing an email or leaving your desk. For more polished business to business communications, just compose an email. You never have to pick up the phone again!

  • Working from Home

    Your employees don’t need to be in the office to work anymore. Save overhead and allow your employees to work remotely using their own laptops and WiFi.

Cons

  • Slackers

    Americans waste almost two hours a day on things other than their responsibilities. What are they doing? They’re checking their social media or texting their friends. Technology can be a big distraction in the workplace causing some employees to be less productive.

  • Communication (again?)

    Yes, communication in the office is compromised because instead of talking in person, we talk over text and emails. Many things can be lost in translation.

  • Money, Money, Money

    Technology is expensive! If your smartphone breaks, it could be up to $300 to get it fixed. Need to restore your laptop’s hard drive? Computers are even more expensive to repair.

  • Automatic

    Everything works by itself now and this makes people lazy at work. Some basic skills go to waste, such as tracking inventory. Automated messages get frustrating when you’re trying to call an operator for customer service but get stuck with a robotic voice that can never understand you.

In a world where technology is everywhere you turn, we understand the importance of one on one conversations with our candidates. At HealthCare Support, our candidates have essential conversations with their recruiter throughout the hiring process.

Interested? Apply Here!