For the past 14 years, each summer we have been running an internship program for students and fresh graduates who are looking to improve their skills and gain real-life experience. And every year, we know the autumn has arrived when our Cool Summer Internship is wrapping up. So we asked a couple of interns from this year’s program to share some thoughts with us.
After a well-deserved vacation or relaxing staycation, it can be difficult to return to work. Your emails have piled up in your inbox, each one demanding your immediate attention. Your colleagues needed answers two days ago. What’s more, your boss already has a long list of tasks waiting for you. And all this happens while your brain struggles to transfer out of vacation mode. Don’t worry, the post holiday blues can be cured!
As the temperatures climb, you get into a summer routine, and it’s easy to slow down, including in the workplace. There are many reasons for this mythical slump, like families taking vacations while kids are out of school, creating an “out of office” ripple effect through your company. Externally, clients and vendors may be taking more time to respond, further making you less productive.
It’s summer! All you can think of is vacation, waves, beach, and cold drinks. Instead, you are stuck at home and still need to work. I can’t honestly find an encouraging bright side to that, but maybe it would make you feel better if you knew that you are not alone! No less than 25 percent of US workers feel less productive during the summer months and 68 percent admit that they are daydreaming during office hours. And that’s what summer slump is all about.
Having a well-balanced remote work schedule can be quite challenging. At home, you are not just fulfilling the role of a worker, you are also a family member, a housekeeper, and others, depending on individual circumstances. All of these roles come with a series of attributions that you are expected to fulfill. That is the reason why many remote workers have a hard time managing their time and sticking to a schedule.
Time management is one of the skills that everyone is constantly trying to improve. Most people have a difficult time getting ahold of it, but even those who seem to have it all under control could still do better.
In the past year, more people have started working from home than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic closed down businesses and many of those still standing strong are now working remotely. While most people are happy to work from the comfort of their own home, it also makes it difficult to separate work from personal life. In US, no less than 7 in 10 remote employees are struggling to achieve a healthy remote work life balance during this pandemic.
If you have a hard time keeping your employees engaged and motivated, you’re not alone. Morale and motivation are hard to get these days. More than 100,000 workers quit their jobs every day, resulting in billions in lost productivity and hiring costs.
For almost a year we are going through what psychologists call collective trauma, which makes us live in fear and uncertainty. Hundreds of thousands of people lost someone they loved, millions got sick, and even more lost their job. The majority of those who are lucky enough to still be here and have a job are most probably working from home, doing the same thing every day, locked between four walls, with the same people. All of these are taking a significant toll on their psychical stability and are generating many mental health issues.
We’ve all heard the phrase positive vibes only. To be honest, it drives me nuts. It’s something meant to reinforce the idea that you should focus on all the good things that are happening instead of dwelling on the bad. Which is good in theory, if you don’t amplify it out of control. However, from a certain point on, it will turn into an ugly monster, also known as toxic positivity.
