Cleanse Your Career

by Caroline Levchuck, Yahoo! HotJobs

People use "cleanses" as a way to detoxify their bodies. Advocates believe cleanses remove toxins, restore energy, and increase mental acuity. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could do just that to your career?

Try it with the simple steps below, and make a fresh start.

Cut out Toxic Coworkers and Conversations

Start your career cleanse by tuning out colleagues who complain incessantly. If someone comes in to your office and starts griping about work or another coworker, do not engage or indulge them.

Certified holistic health counselor Trish Balbert says, "Negativity like this flavors your whole day and the environment. Who wants bad energy floating around the office?"

End such one-sided conversations by telling your associate that you need to get on a call or attend a meeting. He will eventually figure out that you aren't interested in his grousing.

Take Small Bites

Are you weighed down by incomplete projects that are lingering from the long winter?

Balbert, the founder of Awaken Wellness, a Manhattan-based holistic health private practice, advises breaking down large, intimidating projects into smaller pieces. She counsels, "It's important to take small 'bites' when sinking your teeth into a big assignment. It makes it less overwhelming -- and more digestible."

Being honest about what your priorities are is also helpful in completing past-due projects and tasks, she says. "People often put things in order of how important they think tasks should be rather than how important they actually are." To accomplish more, she adds, "It's best to prioritize in accordance with your true nature, rather than fighting yourself."

Make It Your Nature to Nurture Yourself

You can't always control how stressful your work day will be, but you can create periods of calm. Balbert, who is also a Reiki practitioner, encourages clients to include elements of self-care in their workdays. "Make sure you're not eating at your desk. Strip away work for an hour. Talk a walk. Go to a park. Create a routine that allows you to take care of yourself," she says.

If you have a demanding job, it may be unrealistic to say that you're never going to work late, but, Balbert recommends, "Set a limit as to how many nights you're willing to stay late, and then stick to it."

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