This week's blog post is a little different...
I'm very excited to share that I was recently interviewed by my super amazing friend, Michelle Cady, for her blog on Fitvista.com!
Michelle is a fantastic health coach based in NYC. She's a fellow Middlebury grad (although we didn't know each other in college) and took the leap to go to nutrition school and start her own coaching business after facing some major burnout in her finance career.
As her former-client-turned-friend, Michelle is someone whose work and vision I value immensely, so needless to say, I'm extremely grateful to be featured on her blog!
For the interview, Michelle asked me all sorts of questions about millennials, stress at work, and how to prioritize self-care even when things are a bit nuts at the office. Plus we got into some fun questions around health and fitness too! You won't want to miss it!
Check out an excerpt from the interview below and click here to read the full thing!
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Q. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BIGGEST STRESSOR FOR MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE IS?
I think it’s a combination of being overextended and unengaged.
From my corporate sales experience and listening to stories from my clients, I feel like there are a lot of people (women in particular) working their butts off to do it all: perform well at work, stay fit, eat well, keep up friendships, keep up romantic relationships, travel.
Being an extremely career driven generation of women, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to prove ourselves at work and advance our careers. And yet, a lot of the time, we’re not engaged in the work we’re actually doing. This inevitably leads to many women finding themselves asking “What am I doing this for?”
Yes, some women absolutely love their jobs and others are totally okay with it not being their true passion in life - though I would argue these women are probably overextended as well. But I think it’s the combination of being overextended and disengaged that creates the biggest source of stress.
Q. HOW DO YOU CREATE SPACE FOR YOURSELF AT WORK?
This can be a tough one, especially in high-paced work environments where people are expected to be “on” at all times.
My biggest recommendation? Take a lunch break! Like, an actual lunch break away from your desk and out of the office.
When I worked for other people, I was always really good at taking a lunch break. I think I got in the habit because my first job out of college was technically paid hourly and I wasn’t paid for my lunch hour, so I made sure to take it. Since taking a lunch became a habit, I brought that with me to my future employers. It helped with my sanity AND my efficiency. I got a break from the office and my work, so that when I got back, I was able to look at everything with fresh eyes.
Now, for those of your readers who are freaking out a bit at taking a lunch (some of my clients have pushed back on that too), I suggest working up to it. What I mean by this is taking 5 minutes here and there throughout the day to get up from your desk, walk around the office, and then get back to your work. Over time, you can take 10 minutes, then 20, then 30. And then, who knows?
By getting more comfortable with taking some time away from your desk to breathe, maybe you’ll find yourself feeling comfortable enough to take an hour lunch. It’s okay if you’re not there yet. I’d aim to get comfortable with at least 20 minutes, though.
You’ll thank yourself later.