Job and Career PTSD

Job and Career PTSD Ive been sitting on this post for a while now not sure how to write it, but Ive put it off for too long, so here goes. Before I get into my issues, I want to say that by no way do I minimize combat veteran PTSD. This is one of the biggest issues, in my opinion, of the military, and I wish the governments would do more to help soldiers who come back from war with PTSD. When I first learned about PTSD, and for years after, it was only associated with combat veterans. It was scary, and it was tied to a high suicide rate, divorce, etc.   Sad stuff. Lets get a real focus on preventing and treating this for our veterans, please. Could someone like me someone who cant even do five pushups in a row, have PTSD? When I was 17 I was in a bad car crash. The three others involved, and their parents, were very gracious, and Ive not felt or heard any animosity from them. Still, it took me a solid two years before I could (a) talk about the accident, and (b) talk about it without shaking. More than twenty years later I get emotion thinking or talking about it, and if I witness an accident a whole lot of feelings come over me. Im no psychologist but Ive always thought this is PTSD. When I got my new job, almost three months ago, I started to see symptoms of what Im going to call Job PTSD. This stems from experiences I had over 12 years ago, when I had a boss that caused me a considerable amount of grief. This happened for about three years, culminating in me losing my job. Let me put that into perspective: When I lost my job, I lost my income, my health insurance, my vacation, future contributions to my retirement I lost my identity (because no one told me that I wasnt just my job title), and the hopes and dreams I had worked so hard for. I lost friends some real and deep relationships, I lost self-respect and self-confidence. I also entered into a period of deep depression and struggled with my relationships, including the most important relationship I had, with my wife. I could go on, but I dont need to. You get the point. This happened because of one person and, really, because I didnt understand career management, personal branding, and networking. I gave that one person too much power over me. When I landed my dream job (almost) three months ago I was in a situation where it could all happen again. Im wiser this time, and more prepared, but still, I put myself in a position where one person could have such a big impact on my life and future. Soon after starting, while I was going through the learning curve and impostor syndrome I started to feel a lot of anxiety. A different kind of anxiety than I had experienced before this time it was a tight chest, and some other things. I had some talks with my new boss about it and they were great. But here I am, an fairly accomplished, mid-level professional, having these issues from stuff that happened 12+ years ago. This was unlike anything else Ive felt before. For the last week or two Ive felt MUCH, much better. A lot of the anxiety has subsided. I feel more calm, more at peace, more in control, and less vulnerable. I have less feelings of what if this happens, and then I lose my job? I have had feelings about what if I get backstabbed, or politicked out? What if the project doesnt work out what if, what if, what if? I dont have an answer. I am chilling out, and working through this. Im having the right conversations with the right people. I dont write this because I have an answer, but because its a real thing. Im guessing Im not the only one who has gone through it. I hope that somewhere, somehow, we can start a dialog that will help people. Because this, job or career PTSD, really sucks. So, now what? Job and Career PTSD Ive been sitting on this post for a while now not sure how to write it, but Ive put it off for too long, so here goes. Before I get into my issues, I want to say that by no way do I minimize combat veteran PTSD. This is one of the biggest issues, in my opinion, of the military, and I wish the governments would do more to help soldiers who come back from war with PTSD. When I first learned about PTSD, and for years after, it was only associated with combat veterans. It was scary, and it was tied to a high suicide rate, divorce, etc.   Sad stuff. Lets get a real focus on preventing and treating this for our veterans, please. Could someone like me someone who cant even do five pushups in a row, have PTSD? When I was 17 I was in a bad car crash. The three others involved, and their parents, were very gracious, and Ive not felt or heard any animosity from them. Still, it took me a solid two years before I could (a) talk about the accident, and (b) talk about it without shaking. More than twenty years later I get emotion thinking or talking about it, and if I witness an accident a whole lot of feelings come over me. Im no psychologist but Ive always thought this is PTSD. When I got my new job, almost three months ago, I started to see symptoms of what Im going to call Job PTSD. This stems from experiences I had over 12 years ago, when I had a boss that caused me a considerable amount of grief. This happened for about three years, culminating in me losing my job. Let me put that into perspective: When I lost my job, I lost my income, my health insurance, my vacation, future contributions to my retirement I lost my identity (because no one told me that I wasnt just my job title), and the hopes and dreams I had worked so hard for. I lost friends some real and deep relationships, I lost self-respect and self-confidence. I also entered into a period of deep depression and struggled with my relationships, including the most important relationship I had, with my wife. I could go on, but I dont need to. You get the point. This happened because of one person and, really, because I didnt understand career management, personal branding, and networking. I gave that one person too much power over me. When I landed my dream job (almost) three months ago I was in a situation where it could all happen again. Im wiser this time, and more prepared, but still, I put myself in a position where one person could have such a big impact on my life and future. Soon after starting, while I was going through the learning curve and impostor syndrome I started to feel a lot of anxiety. A different kind of anxiety than I had experienced before this time it was a tight chest, and some other things. I had some talks with my new boss about it and they were great. But here I am, an fairly accomplished, mid-level professional, having these issues from stuff that happened 12+ years ago. This was unlike anything else Ive felt before. For the last week or two Ive felt MUCH, much better. A lot of the anxiety has subsided. I feel more calm, more at peace, more in control, and less vulnerable. I have less feelings of what if this happens, and then I lose my job? I have had feelings about what if I get backstabbed, or politicked out? What if the project doesnt work out what if, what if, what if? I dont have an answer. I am chilling out, and working through this. Im having the right conversations with the right people. I dont write this because I have an answer, but because its a real thing. Im guessing Im not the only one who has gone through it. I hope that somewhere, somehow, we can start a dialog that will help people. Because this, job or career PTSD, really sucks. So, now what?

Join Us Live on Monday and Upgrade Your Life From Ordinary to Extraordinary - Classy Career Girl

Join Us Live on Monday and Upgrade Your Life From Ordinary to Extraordinary I cant wait for Mondays Get Ahead Club interview. Our next interview is November 18th with with Rana Florida, author of    Upgrade: Taking Your Work and Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary.  Rana has more than two decades of experience in corporate strategy, communications, marketing and branding. She previously directed global strategic communications for  HMSHost, one of the world’s largest airport developers, where she led all marketing, advertising and communication efforts. Rana is going to inspire us to take our work and life from ordinary to extraordinary. What is the Get Ahead Club? I created the  Classy Career Girl Get Ahead Club  for professional women who are determined to get ahead in their careers.  This is my entry level of membership  and a great way to have ongoing access to me and other career experts at a very affordable rate. Topics range from how to get promoted, how to manage your time, how to find your dream job and how to manage stress and burnout. These women that I pick to interview are women that I REALLY want to talk to. I have heard them speak before and they have completely inspired me.  So I am being very picky and only choosing the best experts and successful professional women that I REALLY want to talk to. So I won’t waste your time. This is as good as it gets!  Today there are over 50 women in the Get Ahead Club and  the interview recordings are ready to  download and listen to for inspiration and motivation at your fingertips!  I suggest listening to them while you are working at your desk, driving to work or exercising. I am a big fan of making the best use of my time and sitting and doing nothing is not something I am good at:) Getting ahead is hard and I don’t want you to do it alone.  I want to support you and so does everyone else in the club.  Click here to join us in the club. Make sure you click here to join us today  to join us for Mondays interview! I encourage you to invest this small amount in your future career success and then get ready to GET AHEAD!

Research Report Top 25 Most Wanted Personal Brands of 2008 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Research Report Top 25 Most Wanted Personal Brands of 2008 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Ive spoken about how there is an economic recession and how there were 70,000 job cuts in January, which is the most since March of 2003. Well, I have good news for the personal brands that are in demand by companies. Jobfox has released their Top 25 Most Wanted U.S. Professions listing, and was nice enough to send it to me first. The winners are: software development, nursing, sales and accounting. This didnt surprise me even for a second. I didnt have much knowledge about nursing being a hot topic, but accounting majors have always been in demand and software is really big now for tech companies (growing market). Robert McGovern, CEO of Jobfox, responds: “These are professions that are thriving and will continue to be in demand for the foreseeable future. While hiring activity is reportedly slow in some industry sectors â€" construction and manufacturing, for example â€" companies continue to go after a host of high-impact professions requiring degrees or specialized skills. The best time for professionals to uncover great opportunities is when they don’t have to look. Once you’re in a position where you have to find a new job, you are no longer in the driver’s seat. When you are forced to taking a new job because you have to, it can be real damaging to long-term career goals.” The top 10 most active professions Software Design/Development Nursing Accounting/Finance Executives Sales/Business Representative Administrative Assistant Corporate Finance Networking/System Administration Intelligence General Accounting Technical Customer Support The climate for hiring remains steady overall, according to more than a 100 corporate recruiters: 43% of corporate recruiters say staff levels at their organizations will significantly or slightly increase during 2008. 19% say staffing levels will remain about the same. 21% say staffing levels will significantly or slightly decrease. 17% are unsure if staffing levels will increase, decrease or remain the same during 2008. [Update] 30 fastest growing occupations for the year 2016 (Boston Globe) This list was made possible by The US Bureau of Labor and their projections of the fasting growing career occupations. The total number of people employed in the US will have increased by 10% (15.6 million) between 2006 and 2016. Network Systems and Data Communications Analyst Personal and Home Care Aides Home Health Aides Computer Applications Software Engineers Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Personal Financial Advisers Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artists Medical Assistants Veterinarians Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors Skin Care Specialists Financial Analysts Social and Human Service Assistants Gaming Surveillance Officers and Gaming Investigators Physical Therapist Assistants Pharmacy Technicians Forensic Science Technicians Dental Hygienists Mental Health Counselors Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Marriage and Family Therapists Dental Assistants Computer Systems Analysts Database Administrators Computer Software and Systems Software Engineers Gaming and Sports Book Writers and Runners Environmental Science and Protection Technicians Manicurists Physical Therapists Physician Assistants

3 Alternative Therapies You Should Definitely Try

3 Alternative Therapies You Should Definitely Try As busy working women, many of us simply just don’t have the time to make doctors’ appointments, book in for that health check and generally spend time thinking about our health. Sure, if it were something serious we would make the time but how often do you ever stop to think about you, your body and your health? Back pain, stress, headaches, and fatigue, are all common issues we suffer from! But we tend to gravitate towards simply ignoring or grabbing a pack of ibuprofen on the morning commute. Instead of reaching for the painkillers, it’s time to get to the root of the problem and take some time out to explore alternative therapies that could do you the world of good! Meditation Before you sigh with the typical ‘I don’t have time for meditation’ just keep on reading! No one has the time until they make it and meditation might just be worth setting the alarm a half hour early for. If you find you’re struggling to keep up with a fast paced job and general life, then meditation is fantastic for stress and truly relaxing your body. These days we barely ever switch off, constantly glued to our tablets and phones, checking emails, refreshing social media and the rest. Studies have proven that meditation can reduce stress and also aid anxiety. If you’re new to meditation then guided meditation videos are a great place to start. There are tonnes of free resources on YouTube so there’s no excuse not to give it a go. It’s also worth checking out to see if your local Buddhist center is offering classes, as many provide meditation sessions and it’s a great social opportunity too. You may meet like minded individuals and form new friendships. Aromatherapy Struggle with sleeping? Aromatherapy can be a truly powerful therapy to aid with a good night’s sleep. According to Sleep.Org 95% of people use some sort of electronic device at least a few nights a week in bed. That’s pretty crazy! It’s no wonder why insomnia is on the rise, we do ourselves no favours with our blue light interfering with our sleep patterns. It’s time to put down the iPhone, the tablet and the laptop! So, how can aromatherapy help? The scents actually trigger powerful neurotransmitters that stimulate the correct parts of the brain. Try oils of lavender, ylang ylang or bergamot depending on your preferences! Create a spray which you can spritz onto your pillows before you try and fall into a deep slumber. As well as enhancing your sleeping ability, aromatherapy can also help to ease feelings of anxiety and offer a sense of calm. It may not be the magical cure, but it’s always worth a go and if nothing else, you’ll have lovely smelling pillows! Acupuncture Suffer from back, knee or neck pain? Acupuncture might be the answer. According to traditional theory, we have meridian lines running all over the body. When an individual becomes unwell it’s believed these channels are blocked, resulting in the energy becoming unable to flow freely. Acupuncture needles are able to stimulate and help the energy to flow. It can be particularly useful for back issues, but also headaches and migraines too. Visiting London in the near future? If you’re keen to explore acupuncture and speak to a renowned specialist in acupuncture for back pain, Dr Michael Curtin is highly recommended. In recent years, acupuncture for fertility has become quite big news. The New York based NY Chi acupuncture clinic offer specialist acupuncture for women’s health, including; irregular cycles, fertility and pregnancy support. It’s worth researching to find out a specialist near you for an initial consultation, it could be just what you’ve been waiting for! Have you ever considered alternative therapies for your ailments? We would love to hear any personal success stories! Email us at [emailprotected] Image credits aromatherapy     meditation

YIKES! My LinkedIn Profile is Missing! - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

YIKES! My Profile is Missing!