ST Headstart: Beating post-vacation blues at work
Coming back to work after spending a week or two on holiday can be depressing. But instead of dreading your return, savouring the present moment during holidays helps you gain more from them and improves your happiness. Business correspondent Tay Hong Yi has more tips on how to make the transition back to work less painful in his latest askST Jobs column.
Meanwhile, another way to find happiness is through bonding with pets. If you're looking for a new animal friend, pet shops, licensed pet breeders and animal shelters each offer different advantages. This writer recommends considering adoption, as careful screenings by shelter staff can help you find a paw-fect match.
On another note, Headstart is at the Thrive@Libraries festival this Saturday, Aug 16! Visit us at the SMU Admin Building, Level 5 Foyer, from 9am to 6:30 pm. Sign up here for our keynote fireside chat on balancing big ideas with business realities, moderated by ST assistant business editor Alyssa Woo.
See you there!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
40 minutes ago
- Business Times
What is money dysmorphia and how to overcome it
[SINGAPORE] It takes me about three scrolls on TikTok before I see yet another influencer draped in couture, dining at the latest 'must-try hidden spot'. Switch to Instagram and my unemployed friends are somehow glamping in Bali or making gyros on a yacht in Greece. While social media is not necessarily reality, I can't help but feel that the life I should be living seems beyond reach. But here's the thing about money: Somehow, we never seem to have enough of it. It doesn't matter if you're living paycheque to paycheque or earning a six-figure salary, there's always more to make and spend. Are you actually short on cash or could you be suffering from what the internet calls money dysmorphia? As its name suggests, this is a financial derivative of body dysmorphic disorder – a psychiatric condition wherein a person's perceived body defects become all-consuming. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 3 pm Thrive Money, career and life hacks to help young adults stay ahead of the curve. Sign Up Sign Up While it isn't an actual medical diagnosis (yet), money dysmorphia works the same way: Your bank balance can show one thing, but your brain tells you another. The irony is, studies have shown that Gen Zs are earning more than previous eras and are better at saving and budgeting . Yet, we still fall behind in financial confidence and preparedness . But for a generation that grew up amid a global pandemic and are now faced with a tough employment landscape , it's no wonder our perception of financial stability is skewed. So it seems it's not about being bad with money, but more about how a large number of Gen Zs carry nagging insecurities about their financial standing, no matter what their bank account numbers show. 🚩 Signs of money dysmorphia So how do you spot money dysmorphia before it morphs into something bigger? Experts say, money dysmorphia can show up as: Scrimping to an extreme degree that causes unnecessary stress Hoarding your savings in low-yield savings accounts Delaying investments out of fear Taking excessive risks , such as high-risk investments Splurging on items beyond one's means to meet perceived social expectations Overworking to hit an arbitrary bank balance or standard that keeps shifting further ❓ Why this happens Recently, a friend brought up how her social media feeds have been flooded with videos of influencers flaunting their sponsored luxury products. I started to notice this too. Strangely, the more I saw creators sporting the same luxury items, the less 'exclusive' they felt. Subconsciously, I started to believe that I should be able to afford these items as well. It was reminiscent of habituation, a term in psychology when someone is exposed to a situation so often that they come to normalise it. Perhaps, our parents might be on to something about the dangers of our smartphones, for social media not only fuels comparisons, it can also rewire our financial benchmarks. Indeed, a study by Credit Karma found that the younger generations are more obsessed with the idea of being rich and prone to comparing their finances with their peers and celebrities online. But beyond social media, factors like one's upbringing can also shape one's relationship with money. If you grew up in a household where the phrase 'money doesn't grow on trees' was practically sung as a lullaby, that scarcity mindset doesn't disappear once you start earning your keep. Add in rising costs of living and economic uncertainties to online advice that teeters between saving more and enjoying life now, it is understandable for our relationship with money to turn rocky. 🛣️ Planning ahead Comparison is the thief of joy, but the real danger lies when one's skewed perception replaces truth. Insecurities about money – whether real or imagined – can become your default lens, and once that mindset takes hold, it can be hard to unlearn. So it is important to remember that most of what we see online is often a performance – an ensemble of 'best versions' of people that may not always be representative of their actual financial situation. Sure, taking time off social media helps. But I find that understanding my cash flows and setting financial goals early allows me to shed my insecurity surrounding money. Among the advisers I spoke to, they all agreed that the best way to gain a better gauge of where you stand financially, is to ground yourself in objective metrics. For those who have just begun to earn their keep, following the Monetary Authority of Singapore's Basic Financial Planning Guide may help: Set aside at least three to six months of your expenses for emergency needs Obtain insurance protection of Spend at most 15 per cent of your income on insurance protection Invest at least 10 per cent of your income for retirement and other financial goals But of course, this is just a general rule of thumb and your financial plan should be tailored to your priorities instead of simply replicating what others have done. Knowing exactly where your money is going and how it helps you reach your goals, creates a clear view of your financial standing and reduces money dysmorphia, Jason Lim, Head of Product Management at Prudential Singapore says. After all, financial wellness is about achieving peace of mind, not perfection. The goal is to create a system that works quietly in the background, freeing you to focus on other aspects of your life, Sin Ting So, Chief Client Office at Endowus says. TL;DR
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
ST Headstart: Beating post-vacation blues at work
Welcome to the latest edition of ST Headstart, bringing you the best of The Straits Times' career, personal finance and lifestyle coverage every Tuesday noon. Sign up here to get weekly tips right into your inbox. Coming back to work after spending a week or two on holiday can be depressing. But instead of dreading your return, savouring the present moment during holidays helps you gain more from them and improves your happiness. Business correspondent Tay Hong Yi has more tips on how to make the transition back to work less painful in his latest askST Jobs column. Meanwhile, another way to find happiness is through bonding with pets. If you're looking for a new animal friend, pet shops, licensed pet breeders and animal shelters each offer different advantages. This writer recommends considering adoption, as careful screenings by shelter staff can help you find a paw-fect match. On another note, Headstart is at the Thrive@Libraries festival this Saturday, Aug 16! Visit us at the SMU Admin Building, Level 5 Foyer, from 9am to 6:30 pm. Sign up here for our keynote fireside chat on balancing big ideas with business realities, moderated by ST assistant business editor Alyssa Woo. See you there!
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
askST Jobs: How to deal with the dread of returning to work after a holiday?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox It is common for people to feel some unease when returning to work after a break. In this series, manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi offers practical answers to candid questions on navigating workplace challenges and getting ahead in your career. Get more tips by signing up to The Straits Times' Headstart newsletter. Q: I feel trepidation about returning to work after a holiday. How can I make getting back to work more painless? A: It is common for employees to feel some unease when returning to work after a break, says Ms Juliana Pang, a counsellor at mental health platform Intellect. 'Some of my clients tell me that they start counting down the days to their return, and this can make it difficult for them to enjoy the tail end of their vacation.' Other symptoms of post-holiday slump to look out for include mood changes, anxiety and ruminating about the impending return. Stress stemming from the mental burden of managing overflowing inboxes, backlogged tasks or looming deadlines could be the root cause of these symptoms, Ms Pang says. 'Others may worry about the challenging personalities they have to interact with on their return. Even when the actual workload is reasonable, the mental shift back into work mode can feel daunting.' Ms Pang says it is helpful to note the intensity and duration of any symptoms faced. 'If they start to affect your daily functioning and ability to manage regular interpersonal interactions, it may be a sign of something more serious than just discomfort. 'Being aware of how your mind and body react during this transition can reveal important clues about your overall well-being.' If these reactions become overwhelming or persist for a prolonged period, seeking support from a mental health professional can be a valuable step towards addressing the underlying causes of the stress, Ms Pang adds. It is possible to start making preparations for one's duties before the holiday ends to ease the transition, says Dr Vincent Oh, senior lecturer in psychology at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. However, he adds, this move reduces work-life separation. 'Personally, I would suggest that during one's vacation, one should strive to live in the present and cherish the joys of taking a break.' Dr Oh says research suggests that savouring the present moment during positive experiences helps people gain more from them and improves their happiness. 'It can be difficult not to worry about one's upcoming return to work as our minds have a natural tendency to focus on 'unsolved problems', and such invasive thoughts can happen even when one tries not to worry. 'It's okay to have such thoughts, and when they come, take a few deep breaths but slowly try to return your attention to the present moment and savour the joy of being on break.' It also helps to collect mementoes of the holiday, such as souvenirs or photos, Dr Oh says. This helps workers to relive the joys of their holiday after it is over. As for what someone can do when they clock in for work again, Dr Oh encourages taking a problem-focused approach to clearing tasks at hand. 'When we feel dreadful and overwhelmed by our work, it's very tempting to avoid it or procrastinate, but this ultimately prolongs the problem and doesn't solve it, which further worsens our anxiety. 'Rather, it is better to take an organised approach to getting things done.' Creating a checklist of tasks to be cleared, in order of priority, can also help provide a sense of progression and validate your success in getting things done, which eventually reduces anxiety towards uncompleted tasks, Dr Oh says. Ms Pang says another approach to consider is to begin with smaller, more manageable items to rebuild momentum. She also encourages scheduling one or two 'buffer days' to recharge at home before actually starting work again. 'Allowing time to recover from travel, re-establish routines and mentally shift back into work mode can make a noticeable difference.' She adds: 'Avoiding late-night flights before your first day back also helps ensure you're well rested and ready to re-engage.' It is also crucial to set aside time for self-care routines, even as you readjust your routine, Ms Pang says. 'Re-establishing healthy habits, such as exercising, having a regular sleep schedule, and a balanced diet, can help counteract the effects of jet lag or holiday indulgence. 'Incorporating mini-breaks like a midday walk or short breaks from the workstation can support both mental clarity and emotional well-being.'
