Half of British teens prefer happiness over pay in jobs, new study shows
A poll of 500 13 to 18 year olds found 46 per cent already know they want their career to align with their values.
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While nearly eight in 10 (77 per cent) are already considering how important mental health support is in the workplace, as 74 per cent believe it will make employees happier and want to stay at their jobs, and 36 per cent say no colleagues will ever feel 'left out'.
On the other hand, only eight per cent are bothered about company-wide events.
And they would be more likely to take a job with free private healthcare (17 per cent) than a company car scheme (seven per cent).
Dr. Amy Pressland, a spokesperson from Benenden Health, which commissioned the research as part of its 'Future of Work' report, said: 'This research demonstrates a distinct step-change for the next generation of workers and what's important to them.
'Employers need to urgently consider what this means for how they design workplaces, roles and employee benefits.
"The company car and the Christmas party may become de-prioritised as Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) join the workforce.
"Front and centre for Gen Alpha is health - they are the generation most concerned with mental health, supporting neurodiversity, and will prioritise employers who align with their concerns and values.'
The study went on to poll the teen's parents which found 54 per cent are worried about their children entering the workplace.
Their key reasons being the skills taught at school being different to what's needed in a professional environment (41 per cent), and fears that the workplace could be toxic (39 per cent).
While 27 per cent are afraid their young adults won't like the culture.
Britain's biggest train 'icks' are revealed in new study
However, 85 per cent believe the attitudes to working have changed since they started their first job.
With 39 per cent recognising the uptick in mental health support and 53 per cent noticing more flexible working patterns.
And 35 per cent, encouragingly, think it has become more supportive in recent years.
In a separate poll of 500 HR professionals, also conducted by OnePoll for the healthcare provider, it was revealed 59 per cent have seen younger generations wanting different benefits to their predecessors.
These perks include more flexible hours, remote working and increased mental health support.
As well as gym memberships, private healthcare and pet-friendly offices.
Dr. Amy Pressland from Benenden Health added: 'With Generation Alpha mere years away from entering the workforce en masse, now is the time for employers, CEOs, IT and HR directors to consider how they must adapt their workplaces to attract the most diverse and digitally-savvy generation to date.'
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The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
From a coffin-like ‘gas chamber' to an ‘electric chair' – I tried 6 longevity treatments
I CLIMB into a coffin-like chamber and place a mask over my nose and mouth. 'In a few moments, it will fill with gas,' a woman in scrubs tells me. The door slides closed and my heart starts pounding. A few seconds pass and I just about manage to scream 'let me out' before hurriedly hauling myself out, gasping for air. To me, this was torture. But thousands of people spend good money on it every week to help them live longer. It's called hyperbaric oxygen therapy and it's said to 'heal you from the inside out'. It's one of several 'biohacking' treatments on offer at bougie clinics worldwide. I tried it out alongside six other longevity procedures. I'm not afraid of ageing as such; I've never had Botox, and I don't knock back great handfuls of 'human enhancement' supplements daily. However, I can't deny that the thought of an even creakier back, sagging jowls and developing dementia isn't slightly terrifying. And with the state of my knees right now, I could probably do with a youthful boost. Here's what I got up to… Seven hacks to help you live longer 1. COMPRESSION THERAPY - £25 for 30 minutes I'D seen photos of Jennifer Aniston wearing an 'age-defying' space suit on Instagram and was immediately intrigued. Can a pair of padded trousers that squeeze your legs really smooth cellulite and slim your pins? Experts say they can. 'Compression therapy can improve blood circulation, decrease pain, and help you maintain your full range of movement, leaving you fresh and limber,' Nella, a nurse at Get A Drip in London 's Chelsea, tells me. 'It also boosts lymphatic drainage to move fluid away from swollen areas and reduce the appearance of cellulite. It's like having the best massage of your life.' She zipped me into my power pants and I lay back and tried to relax for 20 minutes. It felt kind of like a massage - though I stress the words 'kind of'. It was more like being squeezed by an inflating and deflating sleeping bag than gentle strokes. Overall, it wasn't unpleasant; in fact I almost enjoyed it. Sadly, though, I didn't walk out of the clinic with slender limbs like the Friends star! At best, they simply felt a little less heavy. 2. HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY - £70 for 60 minutes 11 APPARENTLY normal air isn't good enough. If you really want to live longer, you need to breathe in pure, 100 per cent oxygen. When done in a pressurised chamber - that honestly looks exactly like a coffin - your lungs allegedly absorb it better. This will, supposedly, help your tissues 'heal from the inside out and your white blood cells fight infections'. Nella also informs me I may notice increased energy levels, mental clarity, and reduced pain - so I practically jumped into the chamber! Sadly, I didn't make it any further than her closing the door on me. I'm not claustrophobic per se, but after discovering there would be a 10-minute delay should I press the panic button and want to get out, I freaked out and gave it a miss. 'The chamber needs to depressurise,' Dr Mohammed Enayat, longevity expert and founder of the HUM2N clinic, says. 'This is critical for your safety. When you're in a hyperbaric chamber, your body absorbs oxygen at higher pressures. 'If you exit too quickly, the rapid pressure change can cause dissolved gases in your body (like nitrogen) to form bubbles, leading to decompression sickness.' 3. CRYOTHERAPY - £40 for 15 minutes CRYOTHERAPY exposes the body to incredibly cold temperatures - like an extreme ice bath, just without the water or ice. And it felt exactly as you'd expect it would - bloody freezing! The treatment is loved by celebs - from Daniel Craig to Jessica Alba and Cristiano Ronaldo to Usain Bolt - and is said to reduce stress, improve sleep, lessen anxiety, and boost your metabolism, even after a single session. Scientists at the University of Physical Education in Krakow, Poland, found 20 three-minute whole-body cryotherapy sessions significantly reduced BMI, abdominal fat and total fat mass, and a study published in Medical Hypotheses theorised that it could even help prevent Alzheimer's. My whole body was tingling and shaking, and by the time my 90 seconds was up, I actually thought my skin might fall off Alice FullerHealth features editor Cryotherapy is carried out in a kind of shower cubicle, with just your head left sticking out of the top. I was handed a pair of thick gloves, thermal shoes and a t-shirt and sports bra before being given the details of my punishment - sorry, treatment. 'The chamber will begin at -85C and drop to -110C,' nurse prescriber Kornelia tells me. It was already cold when I stepped inside, but wow, I soon realised that was nothing. My breathing quickened and I found myself squealing as I tried not to watch the number on the screen. There is no other way to describe it - it was Baltic! My whole body was tingling and shaking, and by the time my 90 seconds was up, I actually thought my skin might fall off. But of course, it didn't. And I've got to say, I felt invigorated afterwards. It was as if I'd downed an energy drink and I left the booth bouncing - it was definitely my favourite of the bunch! 4. PELVIC FLOOR CHAIR - £125 for 30 minutes 11 11 'SIT back, relax, and let the chair do the work,' Kornelia tells me. Easier said than done when I'm essentially about to be electrocuted in my privates! But I push aside any doubts, and try to relax as my seat slowly starts to zap me. I'm perched on what's known as a 'kegel throne', which is designed to 'improve muscle tone and enhance your pelvic floor function'. Essentially, it should help prevent incontinence, erectile dysfunction and difficulty orgasming. 'For women, it's often used for postpartum recovery and menopause-related muscle weakening, and for men, it's great for supporting recovery from prostate surgery,' Dr Enayat says. 'Neglecting pelvic floor health can lead to pelvic organ prolapse with organs like the bladder, uterus, or rectum descending into or outside of the vaginal or rectal area, causing discomfort and functional problems. 'It can also reduce sexual sensation and satisfaction.' DITCH hot showers in the morning, eat more cheddar at lunchtime, and wear earplugs at night - if you want to live longer that is. Some simple daily lifestyle tweaks is all it takes to de-age your face and body. At least that's according to two self-professed longevity experts whose goal is to reduce their biological ages and add years to their lives (and other people's). Dr Mohammed Enayat, GP, 'human optimisation doctor' and founder of HUM2N, tells Sun Health: 'Put simply, longevity refers to the ability to live a long life. 'However, it's important to note that it encompasses more than just living to an old age; it also implies maintaining good health, vitality, and quality of life. 'Longevity is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, access to healthcare, socioeconomic status, and cultural practices. 'While genetics play a significant role in determining lifespan, diet, exercise, stress management, social connections, and preventive healthcare measures also have a profound impact.' Leslie Kennedy, founder of Oxford Healthspan who is 59 but claims to have a biological age of 21, adds: 'My life took a dramatic turn in my 30s when I was diagnosed with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis; I was told I had just five years to live and to give up on having children. 'Refusing to accept this, I went on a health journey of my own and learnt about biohacking. 'I am grateful for medicine, but I think that we patients need to meet our doctors halfway, and that in some cases, we can go even more than halfway by changing our lifestyles. 'That's when I began to do experiments on myself - altering my diet, exercise routine, sleep habits, and all of those things together have combined to put my body back in balance. 'Biohacking isn't actually about living the longest; most of us don't actually want to live forever. 'It's about maximising our health span - the amount of time we are in good health - because everyone wants to live a life where they can be fully and independently engaged with their family, friends and community, while feeling energetic and excited to be alive.' Despite a rise in bougie clinics offering longevity treatments costing upwards of £25,000, and people like Bryan Johnson spending $2million a year on trying to live forever, both reckon you can actually biohack your health on a budget. Here's where they'd suggest you start… 6am - a cold shower 7am - get some morning sun 8am - go for a walk 9am - eat breakfast 11am - bend your knees 12pm - stop drinking caffeine 1pm - have mature cheddar with your lunch 3pm - de-stress with some meditation 5pm - socialise without alcohol 6pm - visit a sauna 7pm - have a stretch 8pm - avoid all blue light 9pm - journal 10pm - go to bed You can read more about each step in the anti-ageing routine here. My treatment began with an 'awakening phase' to gently contract the muscles. This was very subtle, and I almost asked Kornelia to turn the power up. But after a few minutes, the 'stimulation phase' started and I was glad I didn't! It doesn't hurt, but it feels tingly, like a sharp zap, so it made me jump a bit. I don't ever do pelvic floor exercises, but half an hour on this chair is said to be equivalent to doing 10,000! 5. RED LIGHT THERAPY - £55 for 15 minutes 11 STUDIES show that red light can improve the skin's appearance. It allegedly reverses the age of the body's cells and increases cell turnover, reduces wrinkles, minimises acne, boosts collagen production, enhances elasticity, and fades scars and stretch marks. I'm sold! I'm staunchly anti- sunbed, so alarm bells started ringing when I saw where I'd be lying for my 22-minute treatment looked exactly like a tanning bed. But my therapist assured me that red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation, does not use harmful ultraviolet rays - a form of radiation found in tanning booths and sunlight that can lead to skin cancer. Instead, it uses 'perfectly safe' low wavelength red light that exposes you to low levels of red and near-infrared light. 'It's fundamentally different, using non-UV light which is non-invasive, pain-free, and doesn't damage the skin,' Dr Enayat says. Infrared saunas can help lower blood pressure, increase metabolism and weight loss, promote a clearer complexion and improve sleep Dr Mohammed EnayatLongevity expert I stripped down to my swimming costume - though I'm told the more naked you are, the better - and climbed into my glowing bed. Unlike the hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the lid on this one doesn't fully close and you can lift it up at any time, so I didn't feel trapped. It was mildly warm and somewhat relaxing. I got a little bit bored, and the goggles they give you to wear dug in slightly (though they're definitely needed as it was so bright it hurt my eyes, even when they were closed!). My skin was noticeably more glowing that afternoon, but Kornelia I should have three to five sessions a week if I really want to see a difference. 6. INFRARED SAUNA - £50 for 30 minutes 11 11 TRADITIONAL saunas warm the air around you; infrared ones heat you up from the inside out. 'The heat will slowly build up throughout your session rather than hitting you as soon as you step inside,' Nella tells me. And she was right. I usually hate saunas and run out of them within five minutes, but I found I managed to stay in this glowing red one for almost 20! Instead of being 60C to 90C, my glass box averaged 55C. I was definitely sweating by the end, but my skin wasn't its usual sauna-induced blotchy pink. I also didn't feel as drained and dehydrated as I have done after saunas in the past. Infrared light is a type of energy our eyes can't see. Instead, our body feels it as heat. 'This is then absorbed by the surface of the skin, and has several longevity-promoting benefits, including detoxification, lower blood pressure, increased metabolism and weight loss,' Dr Enayat says. 'It can also be used for pain relief by relaxing tissues and decreasing inflammation, as well as promoting a clearer complexion by improving blood flow and encouraging collagen production, and improving sleep.' Studies on the benefits are limited, but researchers at the University of North Alabama found infrared saunas could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with high-stress jobs.
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
Is random bruising just normal ageing or something I should worry about?
OUR resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice. Today, Dr Zoe helps a reader who is worried about random bruises appearing on their skin. 2 Q) SHOULD I be worried about random bruises? I am 68 and have no other symptoms. I can attribute some of them to something but the others were random. Is this just normal ageing? A) Thank you for sending the images which show many bruises of a variety of ages on your limbs. When bruises appear without known injury or trauma we call this spontaneous bruising, and it should not be ignored or fobbed off as a normal part of ageing. It is true that we are more likely to bruise easily as we get older, due to our skin getting thinner and blood vessels more fragile, but it can also be a sign of issues from minor to serious. While occasional unexplained bruises can be harmless, recurrent spontaneous bruising always warrants medical investigation to rule out nutritional deficiencies, blood, bone marrow and clotting disorders, or auto-immune and rare genetic issues. Certain medications can cause this too – especially those that thin the blood and steroids. It's a good idea to see your GP to discuss your symptoms and have some basic tests done. Blood tests can check for clotting, platelet count, and nutritional deficiency, as well as assess liver function, which plays a role in blood clotting. Note symptoms you may have in addition, such as fatigue or prolonged bleeding from small cuts. Understanding blood clots
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
From tortoise only eating pellets to terrier struggling in the heat – your pet queries answered
HE is on a mission to help our pets . . . and is here to answer YOUR questions. Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm has helped with owners' queries for ten years. 4 4 Q) ALTHOUGH I offer him plenty of leafy veg and weeds my tortoise Ron turns his nose up at it. He only eats tortoise pellets. It's like someone addicted to junk food. Are they enough? What do you suggest? Helen Maitland, Bexley, Kent Sean says: Tortoise pelleted food is supplementary to be used in small amounts occasionally. Their diet should mimic what they eat in the wild. I'm assuming Ron is a common Mediterranean species. Start with delicious weeds or wildflowers most tortoises cannot resist, such as dandelion flowers. Then reduce the amount of pelleted diet while offering vibrant coloured salads. Base it on leafy greens, add in flowers like nasturtiums, and perhaps some grated carrot and other colourful vegetables to get his interest. See The Tortoise Trust (tortoise and the British Chelonia Group ( Q) OVER the past few months, my 25-year-old cockatiel has been pulling his feathers out. It must hurt because Spikey squeals when he's doing it. World's Oldest Tortoise Jonathan Package - Joe Hollins Otherwise he's in good condition. He doesn't seem depressed, he's active and at times noisy. I've tried calcium and toys. Breeders I talk to think it's either age- related or a diet problem. I've tried changing his seed, giving him more fruit and recommended additives. But nothing seems to work. He saw a vet and was treated as a precaution for mites, as was his cage. Brian Palin, Telford, Shrops Sean says: With his age, I am concerned it could indicate underlying pain. Arthritis in his joints may lead to pain and plucking as a self soothing or frustration behaviour. Dietary imbalances can cause issues and build over time, so variety and supplements are a good idea. Ask your vet to prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication trial. If it helps, it may confirm my pain theory. After that, get an avian specialist vet to run tests. Q) WITH the hot weather, my nine-year-old terrier Delicie has been vomiting. It is definitely connected to the heat. What can I do? I have a fan and cooling pads and keep her indoors. Julie Dowling, Crayford, Kent Sean says: There are many causes for vomiting in dogs, ranging from stomach problems, dehydration, eating spoiled or unsavoury 'food' through to infections, inflammation or hormonal disease. But assuming this is due to heat you are on the ball. A fan blowing over a bowl of water with ice cubes will be really cooling. Also provide lots of shade, and water bowls all over the house. Walkies should only be super early or late at night. If she's vomiting more than a few times a day, becoming dehydrated (her gums will feel tacky), or is restless, lethargic or panting excessively, see the vet. Q) MY six-year-old daughter Emma wants a pet, but I'm not keen on a cat or dog. Can you recommend something a bit more interesting than a fish that would be suitable for her age? Elizabeth Holick, Plymouth, Devon Sean says: As you will need to help and supervise, due to Emma's age, it needs to be a pet you like too. Small rodents are too flighty and delicate and rabbits have more complex needs than many assume. Guinea Pigs are good, fun first pets. They are pretty entertaining, docile and robust to handle. Or try something less long lived or odd like Giant African Land Snails, Giant Millipedes or Stick Insects. Star of the week MIA the rescue Chinese Crested pup is a Netflix star who has just made her red carpet debut. The 13-year-old has a role in hit series Too Much as the pet of the lead character Jessica, played by actress Megan Stalter, who is a workaholic New Yorker who comes to Britain following a break-up and finds herself on the dating scene. Mia was booked for the part through pet talent agency Urban Paws. Owner Bev Nicholson, 62, from Peterborough, said: 'Mia took filming in her stride and smashed the red carpet. 'I could not be more proud of my little pocket rocket.' Layla Flaherty of Urban Paws said: 'Our very own Mia is stealing the spotlight.' Win: micro-pig adoption pack HAVE you ever wanted a micro pig but don't have space? Then this is the prize for you. Kew Little Pigs Farm in Amersham, Bucks, is giving two readers a one-year gold adoption package worth £95. They will also each get a family ticket to its Alice in Wonderland fun day on August 17, worth £60. To enter, send an email headed PIGGY to sundaypets@ by July 27. See T&Cs. Park 'pee posts' flag up dogs' health 4 NEARLY three quarters of people have taken a sickie from work to care for their poorly pet, a new survey has revealed. A third of Brits (36 per cent) say they wouldn't trust anyone else to look after their sick pet, with 16 per cent admitting to lying to their boss to get time off. Meanwhile, 30 per cent have cancelled a date to nurse their dog back to health, a fifth (19 per cent) have missed an important event, while 16 per cent have cancelled a holiday. More than half – 52 per cent – of owners even admit that they care more about their pet's health than their partner's. The statistics from the experts in tailored dog nutrition, led the brand to provide dog lovers with a simple way to check their pet's health this summer via park 'peeing spots'. Experts fitted lamp posts in London's Victoria Park with pH tests designed to flag abnormal levels of acid or alkaline in dog urine, both of which can be early indicators of health issues. Dr Sean McCormack, who is also Tails' head vet, said: 'By making these tests quick and easy for owners, we're helping to catch potential issues early – before they become more serious or harder to treat.'
