Work & Careers

James Lavino’s first big break came by way of Winnie the Pooh. Spending his 20s in New York (circa the late 1990s), Lavino found himself composing scores for his friends’ documentary films and dipping his hand in whatever creative endeavors came his way—including editing at the literary magazine “The Paris…

Work can often feel overwhelming, with stress taking a toll on our lives and leaving us feeling perpetually drained. Beyond emotional fatigue, stress can contribute to serious health conditions including depression, anxiety, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and arthritis.  While it’s not always possible to control stressors in your workload…

Loss and grief can come in many different forms, one of which is the loss of a job. Jobs not only give us financial stability and peace of mind, but also a sense of confidence, purpose, accomplishment, community, and much more. Loss of employment, especially when it’s unexpected, can be…

Career counseling, sometimes called career coaching, helps individuals choose or change their careers. This type of counseling is led by a therapist, life coach, or another professional who is trained to discuss general career information and career development. Research indicates that the average person will change occupations several times. With…

Gaining work experience is often viewed as a positive process, something we grow and learn from. But what about negative experiences in our work history?  Could toxic work environments and professional relationships leave us with “post-traumatic job stress?”  To find out, Thriveworks recently conducted a research study into how many…

“I’m going to take Monday off,” you tell your partner with confidence. “I’m overdue for a mental health day.” The next morning, you walk into the office and open your inbox to draft an email to your manager: Good morning! I’m writing to let you know that I’ll be taking…

Q: I’m happy to have my job and I don’t really have anything bad to say about my coworkers or my position. But still, there are people and situations at work that can be really draining on me. As an introvert, by the time Friday rolls around, I can’t wait…

It’s probably safe to assume that everyone would like to be viewed as competent, confident, and engaged at work. When we’re writing an important email, we might draft and re-read it several times before pressing “send.” It’s also not uncommon for us to add an emoji in a chat message…

I’m guessing you have at least two people at your current workplace with whom you’re close. Okay, maybe not close enough to ask them to cat-sit this weekend but close enough that you feel comfortable sharing some details of your life outside of work. They might know your favorite sports…

Feelings of inadequacy appear when you feel like you don’t measure up to your coworkers, but these thoughts you’re having may not reflect reality. Unhelpful comparisons, self-criticism, poor coping habits, and unrealistic expectations can often play a key role in how you currently feel. Even if there’s no reason to…

What’s more taboo in your workplace: Clocking out a few minutes early, stealing someone’s food from the common fridge, or asking your coworkers how much money they make? I’d venture to guess that most people would sooner risk taking a colleague’s cookie than asking their manager for the figure on…

Learning to accept criticism may not be high on your bucket list, but psychologically speaking, it should probably be recognized as an advanced art form that takes years to master. Because it’s hard. When we hear criticism from others, depending on our self-worth and the nature of the comment, we…