You can find them on the train typing furiously on precariously balanced laptops, or by the pool on holiday, emailing with a blackberry in one hand, applying sun-cream to a grumpy spouse with the other.

Workaholics have always been lambasted for their bad social habits, but now experts are wondering if ‘workaholism’ is such a bad thing after all.

The Career Development International has recently published an article arguing that negative portrayals of wokaholism are counter-productive for society.

According to the papers’ author, Professor Yehuda Baruch, an addiction to work can lead to positive outcomes for both society and individuals. Although we tend to associate workaholism with high levels of stress, depression and desintegration of domestic relationships, empirical research has shown that workaholics are more likely to display drive and ambition, rather than negativity and exhaustion.

Professor Baruch draws a comparison between workaholism and chocolate. Although chocolate can make us fat and be bad for our teeth, it has the social benefits of energizing the eater and generating a good feeling. Similarly, workaholics, although perhaps damaging their physical health, reinforce a stronger sense of well-being through their dedication and vigour.

The professor recommends that workers choose how much work they can reasonably carry out, because everybody is different.

If you feel like you need to address your work/home life balance, a life coach could help. To discover more about life coaching, please visit Life Coaching Areas.

View and comment on the original Independent article.

Researchers from the University of Bedfordshire have found that couples who work similar jobs find it more difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The researchers examined the lives of more than 600 individuals, around half of whom had partners who worked within the same sector.

The study participants were asked about their working hours, boundaries between their home and work life, and how often one sphere had an impact on the other.

Interestingly the results showed that individuals who had a ‘work-link’ with their partner tended to work longer hours and had more difficulty balancing work commitments with their social life in comparison to couples working in totally different sectors.

According to Professor Gail Kinman who led the study, more and more couples are now sharing similar occupations – a trend which is becoming increasingly common in the education sector.

Though the results of the study revealed that sharing a similar occupation could be beneficial for enhancing a mutual understanding of working conditions, it was also found that these couples need more support in setting boundaries between their work and home.

‘The findings suggest that doing similar work to your partner means that work issues are more likely to “spill over” into home life and threaten work-life balance.” She said.

If you are struggling to find a balance between your working life and personal life then consulting a life coach could be beneficial. Find out more by visiting our work-life balance page.
View and comment on the original Daily Mail article.

A new report has highlighted the troubling extent of unhappiness in the UK workplace.

According to the study by recruitment company Badenoch & Clark,  just over a third of the 1000 workers surveyed were happy with their current jobs and 1 quarter confessed that they felt ‘distinctively unhappy’ at work.

Happiness at work is currently high on government agenda in light of the Prime Minister’s research into UK happiness levels earlier this year. Due to the economic impact of ill-health caused by stress and unhappiness, workplace happiness has become a top 5 concern in the UK and is recognized as a ‘critical business issue’.

According to Nicola Linkleter, managing director of Badenoch & Clark, the emerging lack of happiness in the workplace can be attributed to a number of factors, including longer hours, additional financial strain at work and at home, and a lack of tangible job security.

“Organisations must now take action to create a working environment where employees are able to develop a sense that their work is both valuable and valued. Failure to do so may result in loss of talent, which in turn may lead to loss of potential revenue”, Nicola stated.

If you are one of the 2/3 of unhappy workers in the UK, a Life Coach could help you. It is estimated that a staggering 1/3 of our lives will be spent in the workplace, highlighting the severity of this UK-wide issue. A Life Coach educated in business coaching can help set goals, iron out problems and help individuals realise their potential in the workplace. Please visit the Life Coach Directory homepage and use the search tool, or for more information, visit our page about business coaching. 

Visit the original Press Association article.

A survey of ten European developed countries has ranked the UK as the worst place to live in Europe whilst France reigns supreme on the top spot.

According to the uSwitch quality of life index, the UK has the second lowest hours of sunshine per year, the forth highest retirement age, the third lowest spend on health, 5.5 fewer days holiday per year than the European average.

To add insult to injury, the UK also have the highest diesel prices in Europe, alcohol, unleaded petrol and cigarettes costing more than the European average and a below average government spend on education.

With all things considered it is no surprise that around 12% of Brits say that they would seriously consider emigrating to another country in which they could work less and live more.

The survey revealed that 59% of people are worried about living in a ‘broken society’, 49% are concerned about the cost of living, 47% are worried about crime and violence, and only a minuscule 5% of those surveyed said they were actually happy living in Britain.

16 factors were taken into consideration when determining the position of each country, including VAT, the cost of essential goods, net income, hours of sunshine, working hours, holiday entitlement and life expectancy. Despite the UK average income being among the highest in Europe, the fact that Britain scored so terribly in the majority of other areas meant it was pushed to the very bottom of the list, one place worse than last year.

Ann Robinson, a spokeswomen from uSwitch commented that even though we may have the fourth highest household income in Europe, the high cost of living means we are living to work not working to live.

View the original Guardian article.

The infamous midlife crisis is nothing but a midlife myth, according to new research by Experian Credit Expert.

Long gone are the days of balding men in jazzy sports cars and middle-aged women with suspiciously taught foreheads.

Only 13% of the 2000 adults interviewed said they would like a cosmetic makeover, and not one person voiced the desire to own a sports car.

Either there’s some serious denial going on or the midlife stereotype has suddenly become rather dated.

Experian interviewed 2000 adults between the ages of 40 and 59 for the study. The results show that men and women are now far more interested in making long-term lifestyle changes than they are in splashing out on flashy ‘toys’.

Today, the age of 40 marks the start of a midlife-renaissance, with 85% of adults having already made significant changes to their home, family and work-lives.

2/3 of those asked said that they had recently sought out and made new friends, over half had taken up a new hobby and 56% had started a new exercise regime.

A staggering 70% expressed a desire to travel the world. Men were more interested in improving their work and home lives whereas most women wanted to seek different experiences and embark on new adventures.

In light of the recent results, Peter Turner, the managing director of Experian, said the middle-aged are: “channeling their energy towards making positive, fulfilling changes”.

People seem to be realising that life does not end when the children fly the nest; rather, life begins.

By this age adults are about halfway through their working lives, and beginning to tire of it. ½ of those questioned agreed that changing their career would make them happier.

According to the BBC, 4million people in the UK are working more than 48 hours a week, which is high above the European average.

As a result, stress and depression levels in the UK are continuing to rise.

The results from Experian’s study shows that Britons are finally beginning to take action by making significant life changes. If you are interested in making changes to your life, then why not talk to a life coach? You can find a large database of experts at the Life Coach Directory.

Forget the sports car, it’s the age of adventure.

View original article at The Mail Online

Statistics taken from analysis by UNICEF show that the UK ranks at the bottom, when it comes to the well-being of children. Overall, children are unhappier and less content in the UK, compared with other countries. This is down to the fact that priorities seemed to be mixed up, with many parents choosing to lavish their children with expensive gifts, rather than ensuring they spend some quality time with their offspring.

The research undertaken compared Britain with Sweden and Spain. The UK came out at 21st, while Sweden and Spain ranked in the top 5. It seems that other countries are more successful in maintaining a work life balance, and are more likely to implement more traditional values, such as women staying at home to look after the children.

Many of the children interviewed as part of this survey said that materialistic goods were not something they regarded as important, most would rather have time with their parents. If children do not spend a lot of time with their parents, they end up feeling dysphoric, which has a negative effect on their well being.

The attitude in the UK, seems to be that making money and working long hours are an essential part of life. On the other hand, other countries withstand this view, and turn their backs on the consumer hungry way of living. Striking a balance between earning and providing, while giving an adequate amount of love and attention is essential in ensuring children are maintaining a happy lifestyle.

It may be that the UK needs to look more closely at the way of life of these other countries, and take inspiration from them.

View the original BBC News article.

You may find that at some point in your life, you find yourself without many true friends around you. This may be due to being in a relationship, and neglecting them to a point of no return, or you may find that all your friends have settled down, and are not as willing to do the things you once enjoyed together. If this is the case, there are many ways in which you can make new friends and widen your circle.

The workplace can be a good place to make friends. You spend so much time there, it is inevitable that you will start to make strong connections. If you don’t currently work, then it may be worthwhile looking into undertaking some part time volunteer work. Not only will this give you something to focus on, but you will be guaranteed to become more involved in the community, and meet new people.

Another way to widen your social circle, is to join social networking sites, where you can meet people you would never normally come across. Twitter, for example, offers a platform to talk to a variety of people from all over the world. You can even search by interests, so you know straight away that you will have areas of common interest. Other social networking sites such as Facebook, will allow you to re-connect with friends from the past, so you never know where it will take you. Social networking can also be used to create and attend events, so make sure you attend as many of these as possible.

The first thing to remember, is that some things are out of your control. If you remember this simple fact, you are less likely to find yourself agitated and stressed. Of course, people can knock you down and give you unnecessary grief, but if you stop and take deep breaths, you may find yourself getting less upset with these things. Do whatever you can to deal with situations within your control, but try to stay calm when something happens which you can’t do anything about.

One of the main ways of ensuring you get the most out of your life is to create a list of goals and achievements. These can be small goals and big goals, for short periods and long periods of time. For instance, you may want to pass your driving test, develop your own website, find a new job, etc. Writing these down gets them clear in your head and makes them seem more achievable. As you complete these goals, you can score them off your list, and you’ll be surprised at what you have achieved within the year.

To get the most out of your life, it is also important to ensure you make plenty of time for yourself, to do the things you enjoy. Take time to see your friends at least once as week, and do simple things such as treating yourself to a regular beauty treatment, or just enjoying a long hot soak in the bath, so you can gather your thoughts.

Until now, the majority of studies focussing on the effects of new mothers returning to work have suggested that it has a detrimental impact on their children. Not only have previous studies suggested that children of working mothers could experience emotional instability later on in life but also that children of working mothers are more likely to take less exercise, become overweight and develop bad eating habits compared to the children whose mothers stay at home.

However, a recent study conducted by academics at the University College London has found that there are no detrimental effects caused by mothers returning to work and actually emotional stability in children is strongest when both parents are in paid jobs, partly because working reduces the risk of depression in adults.

Lead researcher on the project, Dr Anne McMunn has said that others who work full time are the least likely to have children with emotional or behavioural concerns such as aggression, tantrums or hyperactivity.

The experts analysed results from the Millennium Cohort Study, which tracked the development of nearly 19,000 children born between 2000 and 2100.

In light of the study’s findings, experts are now recommending that parents return to work where possible as this will not effect their children in a in terms socio-emotional behaviour.

View the original Telegraph article.

Professional services firm Ernst & Young introduce a maternity coaching scheme for staff.

With 141,000 employees, Ernst and Young see a lot of people come and go, meaning maintaining talented women and investing in the development of their career is extremely important.

The maternity coaching scheme is available to all women across the firm and has already been taken up by 240 women throughout the UK and Ireland.

The aim of the scheme is to ensure that employees receive the correct support during all stages of their careers, especially during the huge transition of becoming pregnant, being pregnant and having a new addition to take care of.

Those who choose to participate will receive four coaching sessions before, after and during their maternity leave, with topics covered ranging from managing relationships with colleagues and clients through to alternative working patterns and reintegration into the workplace.

Line managers who have a team member going on maternity leave will also attend a coaching session in order to help them provide the correct level of support and contact during maternity leave.

Though the scheme is still too new to establish whether or not it successfully improves employee retention, feedback so far has been largely positive.

Liz Bingham, a partner at Ernst and Young and head of the programme, said:

“Maternity coaching isn’t about informing staff about our corporate policies. It’s about giving our people the confidence to have conversations about their working arrangements, keeping them informed whilst on leave and helping them transition and reintegrate back into the workplace.

“The scheme was initially aimed at women and their line managers, but the anecdotal feedback has been so positive that we are planning to open it out to new fathers.”

View the original menmedia article.