Latest news with #worklifebalance
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Mother quits her £50,000 corporate job to work in a factory - and claims she's never been happier
A mother took a 50 per cent pay cut when she left her corporate executive job to become a factory-worker - and claims she's the 'happiest' she's ever been. Budding artist Shany Hagan, 56, was a business development manager, earning £50,000 a year, but decided the salary wasn't worth the 'Sunday scaries' that came with the stressful job. Having worked her way up the ranks during two decades at an electronics company, she realised that a 'stress-free life' and the free time to pursue portrait painting were more important to her than a healthy pay cheque. Shany, from York, swapped her office for a factory floor, where she is paid £24,000 a year, after struggling with menopausal symptoms earlier this year. The mother-of-one had to cope with hot flushes and brain fog, which proved to be the final straw. Shany said: 'I had been in the business for 20 years, and it had always been very stressful.' She added that, no matter how hard someone works, corporate employers will always expect you to do more. While she acknowledged that she coped well when she was younger, Shany's priorities have shifted and she's now keen to spend more time reflecting on herself and her life. 'I've always had a love for painting and now I just want to focus on my passions and myself now,' Shany explained. 'For the first time in 20 years, I can forget about work when I walk out the door at the end of the day.' Shany didn't go to university but managed to secure a good job in her twenties and worked her way up the ladder in business development at an electronics company. The corporate role saw her 'chained to a desk' and working in a high-pressure environment, she said. But she had been motivated by the pressure as she wanted to pay her mortgage off in full on her four-bed cottage. In 2019, she finally paid it off - but then she began to realise she no longer enjoyed the work. Shany said: 'I could cope when I was younger, but it's stressful.' When furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic, she picked up a paintbrush and discovered she had a love for portrait painting. She had been unable to pursue the passion previously due to an eye condition, but had recently had surgery to fix the issue. As she 'brushed up' on her skills, she even began to donate her artworks to charities - after getting celebrities to sign them. Celebrities including Mel B and Cliff Richard have signed their own portraits which have been sold at auction to raise more than £350,000 in total, she said. After returning to work post-Covid, she realised she was no longer motivated by her former role. She said: 'After I paid off my mortgage, I was done. The work could be stressful, and I couldn't paint when I was stressed.' She began job-hunting and applied for some other management positions, as well as lower-qualified roles including a factory worker. She said: 'I went for a management interview where the interviewer told me "I want you to give this job 100 per cent, I don't want you focusing on your art."' 'I realised then that I wanted to focus on me - so I turned the job down in favour of a factory floor worker job. 'I wanted to be on my feet a bit more, a more physical job, to lose some weight for my health, which I have.' Shany now packs food, labels products, does computer admin and cleaning at her minimum-wage job. Since starting her new role in May, Shany said she has already noticed a difference in her physical and mental well-being. She said: 'I don't get the Sunday evening "scaries" at all, and the people are kind. 'You can actually switch off when you leave. 'And I get to paint in my free time, and help people by selling my paintings. I get to go to big charity auctions. 'I do have to be more careful with my money of course, but the free time is the main thing. 'And my mental health has already improved, I have such a spring in my step now.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- General
- Forbes
1 Simple Shift To Restore Your Inner Balance — By A Psychologist
Your 9-5 grind may be leaving you more exhausted than you realize. In a life of endless deadlines ... More and meetings, here's what you need to do to feel more invigorated. As we go through life today, many of us feel entirely cut off from the natural world. We work in brightly lit air-conditioned office cubicles that might feel too hot or too cold. Sometimes, the only time we even think of nature on a random workday is when we're complaining about the weather and how difficult it was to commute to work, perhaps because of the rain. Maybe at lunchtime, you even remember that you forgot to water your plant again. You wonder, would it survive another day? You shrug and go about yours, mostly unbothered. After all, you can always buy another houseplant. The problem, of course, isn't that we forget to care for our plants. It's that we're so cut off from the natural world that we don't 'feel' for it as much anymore. We tend not to think of nature as a living, breathing entity in the way we think of humanity. Instead of thinking beyond ourselves, we hustle and grind and try to squeeze in more work, staying glued to our screens in the limited time of day we have. We want to thrive, but we forget how deeply tied our survival and well-being is to nature. One way to get past this disconnection is by building a sense of 'nature connectedness.' Nature connectedness refers to how close or emotionally attached a person feels to nature. It's feeling that nature is a part of who you are, something you feel 'one' with. Not only does this connection recharge us and ease screen fatigue, but it also reminds us why caring for nature matters in the first place. Why Does Nature Connectedness Matter? Our environment plays a huge role in how close we feel to nature. It can feel especially difficult to forge that connection later on in life, if we've only grown up seeing apartments and high-rises. Societal factors like wealth, urbanization and consumerism can weaken nature connectedness. Even our cultural and familial attitudes can shape our relationship with and access to nature. For instance, a 2020 study published in The International Journal of Ecopsychology explains how, from an Australian Aboriginal standpoint, nature connectedness is viewed as the balance of all living things — linked by kinship relationships between people, country and ancestors. Living in harmony with this connection also means following certain values like respect, responsibility and giving back. This is a mindset we can all benefit from, especially in light of the current climate crisis. Our connection to nature strongly indicates how well we care for ourselves and our environment. It's also well-established that contact with nature can enhance our mental health and strengthen community ties. For instance, a 2024 study published in Scientific Reports found that people who visit public greenspaces often had lower stress, anxiety and depression scores. How Do You Start Building Stronger Ties To Nature? 1. Have meaningful contact. Spend quality time with nature, just like you would with another person. Breathe in forest air, listen to the birds and animals that thrive in any ecosystem and observe the greenery around you mindfully. You can start with activities such as nature walks, birdwatching or simply just going to the park for a stroll. Techniques like mindful walking and meditation in the outdoors can help you have meaningful contact with nature. It's not about the quantity of time you spend in nature, but the quality of your engagement with it. 2. Invoke positive emotions, especially awe and gratitude. Not all positive feelings work the same way. Self-transcendent emotions such as awe, gratitude and inspiration tend to have the strongest link with nature connectedness. Journaling is a deeply reflective way to capture these feelings. Imagine finishing a hike, reaching the top of a mountain and taking in the view of the entire city beyond. How would you feel then? Being connected with nature expands our sense of self. We remember that we're part of something much bigger than ourselves, and that we have a finite amount of time to experience it. Additionally, the 2020 study on Aboriginal knowledge systems also distinguishes between two types of a sense of self: Nature connectedness can help us cultivate an interrelated sense of self. This sense of connection makes people more mindful of how their actions impact others, as well as the world around them. For example, in times of conflict, a sense of interconnectedness can help us pause and carefully choose words that dissipate tension, instead of pushing for our beliefs irrespective of how others feel. It can also help us tune into subtle emotional cues in our surroundings. For instance, if someone senses that a friend is uncomfortable in a social setting, they may step in to offer support without their friend having to say anything. So, after a stressful day, seek out a quiet park or beach to let the natural sounds and sights calm your mind. Walking barefoot on grass, listening to ocean waves or watching sunset are some other activities that can help you realign your inner state with the natural world. As we restore our sense of inner peace, we begin to overcome our apathy toward the destruction of nature or our lack of access to it. The more time we spend in nature, the more invigorated and recharged we're likely to be. Given the daily anxieties we face in our lives, turning off our phones, laptops and TVs to explore and experience nature can make us feel alive again in a way not much else can. How connected do you feel to the natural world? Take the science-backed Connectedness To Nature Scale to find out.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Working While Honeymooning
For some newlyweds, W.F.H., or work from home, has a different meaning: work from honeymoon. When Pooja Shah, 33, was working as a lawyer in New York, she used some of her paid time off for a weeklong trip to the Maldives shortly after marrying Priesh Mistry, 33, in March 2022. Her work phone went with them. Ms. Shah's colleagues encouraged her to disconnect, but she felt guilty doing so, especially because the firm she worked for was about to merge with another one. Instead of relaxing at the pool, Ms. Shah spent much of her honeymoon looking at saved emails and taking notes. She spent hours brainstorming action items and crafting to-do lists to tackle upon her return, because she couldn't connect to the internet in real time. 'I was in a completely different mind space when it came to work and ambition,' she said, adding that she felt she 'could do so much more.'' Her new husband was, according to Ms. Shah, 'very irritated.' During a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach, or one that was intended to be, at least, Ms. Shah's work phone pinged with a notification. Mr. Mistry told her, ''If you want to have dinner with your phone, then I can leave,'' she recalled. 'At the time I was like, 'Oh my gosh, you're being so dramatic,'' she said. But hindsight is 20/20. 'I get it, she said. 'I was definitely obsessed.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
YAHOO POLL: Is the key to a good life in Singapore emotional and mental well-being?
Career and material success used to be the key indicators of a good life in Singapore. However, it seems that times are changing, and while they are still indicators of a good life here, the definition of quality of life has shifted to non-material goods, with people prioritising well-being, mental health and work-life balance to cope better in a complex and fast-paced city. These are the results of a study by property consultancy Knight Frank Singapore and global market research firm Ipsos, which surveyed 1,000 Singapore residents earlier in 2025 to find out how expectations of the city-state's built environment are evolving. Other polls YAHOO POLL: Should Astronomer CEO Andy Byron have resigned? YAHOO POLL: Does cutting public holidays help boost the economy? YAHOO POLL: Do you neglect your health for your career? Respondents who were spread across all age groups from 18 and up, ranked emotional and mental well-being as the most important factor in quality of life, ahead of economic stability and job security. This was followed by financial stability, and then physical health and well-being. Though job security, inflation and the high cost of raising a child were listed as top concerns among respondents, they defined quality of life primarily through mental well-being and financial stability. The authors said, "These results call attention to a significant shift in how Singapore residents define quality of life (and) reflects a growing recognition that psychological resilience and emotional balance are central to daily life satisfaction, more important than the popular perception that Singapore residents are only absorbed in one-dimensional material gain." So, we want to hear from you – Do you think emotional and mental well-being is the key to a good life in Singapore? Related: Singapore youths suffering from depression, anxiety missed 24 days of school on average: Study More than half of workers in Singapore do not have trusted workplace relationships, one in ten don't feel respected or valued by colleagues: Report Singaporeans prioritising mental health concern over cancer, stress: Ipsos survey
Fast Company
9 hours ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Work friends may motivate people to return to the office
Working from home allows for the flexibility and work-life balance that many modern employees require in order to feel content in their jobs. Therefore, being asked to return to the office can be a very tough sell. But a new report found one factor to be majorly motivating when it comes to in-office work. And, surprisingly, it doesn't have to do with benefits, pay, or even flexibility. It's having a work bestie. A newly released report from ezCater surveyed 1,000 U.S. employees who work in an office setting and remotely. It found that 80% of employees feel more engaged at work when they have friends at the office. According to experts, gabbing it up at the office isn't only good for mental health and longevity, but it's also good for cognitive function, meaning it's tougher for workers to mentally check out. 'Social activities cause us to use our brains more than almost any other activity,' Dr. Andrew Budson, a neurologist and chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at VA Boston Healthcare System, says per Harvard Health. In recent years, the ability to work remotely has become the most desirable perk of a job, with some reports finding it to be even more important than income, despite the fact that it can be isolating. However, according to the report, remote work hampers employees' ability to build relationships. Only 43% of remote employees reported having close work friends, while 69% of office and hybrid workers did. With a loneliness epidemic in full bloom, more workers may now crave socialization. That's especially true for the youngest workers: 85% of Gen Z respondents said having a work bestie would make them more engaged. Gen Z also expects socialization to be ingrained in their workplace culture. More than half (56%) expect their company to help foster that socialization by creating a sense of community at work. Robert Kaskel, VP of people at ezCater, said in a press release that companies should pay attention to the need for socialization—especially when it comes to Gen Z. 'Employees with friends at work are considerably more engaged, so it's in companies' best interest to create an environment that fosters socialization.'
