Job security isn’t just a walk on the beach. I received a phone call yesterday from a dear friend who with shallow breath immediately began to review a dream from the night before. It was one that put thoughts of job security on the front burner.
“So, here I was clothing shopping in Bloomingdales and right in the adjacent department was my boss in the shoe section. I quickly hid behind a rack of clothing, but he saw me,” she told me in a stressful tone. My friend went on to tell me that she tried to explain to her boss that she had the day off and that it was Saturday, but he still ridiculed her telling her she should be working weekends – if she wanted to keep her job.
Only a dream? Maybe for now – but it’s one that I bet a load of Americans are having these days. Here’s the deal, everyone I know is concerned about impressing the upper brass. There’s good reason:
- March numbers mark a three-month run on employers slashing jobs.
- Unemployment is at 5.1% . While historically low it’s still worst than analyst expectations.
- Bellwether Citibank just posted a $5.1 Billion loss and expects to lay off another 9,000 people
The real news here isn’t news at all. Groceries are more expensive, it costs more to fill up your tank, and the job market is in the dumper. Sitting tight waiting for the “R” word to be revealed through the lips of Fed Chair Ben Bernanke isn’t going to change a thing. It’s time to hunker down and cultivate some work/life resilience to battle the stress build-up. Exercise, meditation and a walk in the woods will help calm the mind and body, but a switch in perception will help you from moment to moment in the workplace.
Here are Judy’s 7 Laws of Work/Life Evolution:
- Change is the only constant. In our 24/7 world there is a consistent flow of unprecedented dramatic shifts in the way we do business and the people we encounter. Accept it.
- Positive intent drives evolution. Coming into work with a smile – even if you have to use crazy glue to make it happen is a good start. Flip your perception. How do you show up at work? What is your general disposition?
- Out of silence comes creativity and vitality. Take even five minutes out of your workday to slow the wheels of the mind. From that small break might come a great idea or just a quick nap which is recharging.
- What we resist, persists. Go through the stack of papers that you are least attracted to. It’s a heavy weight on the eyes and more work to avoid it every day. Plus it just gets bigger.
- Intent with integrity. We all want to impress the top brass, but working well with your colleagues and giving someone else a pat on the back will raise the level of kindness and consciousness in the workplace.
- Be present and aware of those you work with. As Herman Melville once said, “We cannot live for ourselves alone. Out lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers our actions run as causes, and return to us as results.”
- When we transcend and include we elevate the workplace. Be conscious about your actions in the workplace. Are there behaviors you can demonstrate that you can embrace to create better worklife balance ? It might be as simple as getting a few colleagues to go for a walk at lunch. That kind of behavior catches on and by osmosis, others will follow your lead.
For more tips on Work/Life Resilience head to JudyMartinSpeaks.com and check out the Work/Life Minute, and Work/Life Daybreak. Today’s picture courtesy Kim Weiss.
