Job change and the stress that goes with it

I have an announcement. I have accepted a new position as an instructor at Eastern Kentucky University. I'll be leaving the daily newspaper environment soon to teach journalism classes at a great state university.

"Wow!" people are telling me. "That's great! How exciting!"

Yes, it is exciting, and I am happy as can be about this opportunity.

However, I have a feeling that soon, the stress is going to set in. All change -- even good change -- brings stress.

Stress is not always a bad thing, though. Stress is simply the body's response to changes that create taxing demands. When people talk about being "stressed out," we usually think about negative stress, or distress. But there is a positive term for stress, and it's called eustress.

According to Wikipedia, distress is the most commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in a person's life. Both can be equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way of adapting to a change that has caused it.

Why does change cause such stress? According to this Web site,change challenges you to let go of the past, especially the comfortable, old ways of doing things, to accept new challenges and opportunities for growth.

This site recommends that you maintain the calm of an open mind, encourage flexibility in the face of rigidity and be willing to abandon former perceptions and security blankets. Change, like stress, can be beneficial when harnessed.

I'll have to remember that in the coming months.

So, how do you cope with the stress of adjusting to a new job?

This Web site has some good tips. A few typos and incomplete thoughts (Sorry, I have been a copy editor, after all. Just getting in practice for teaching my class!), but good tips nonetheless.

According to the site, the main key to adjusting to a new job is preparation. You also need to set new habits quickly, familiarize yourself with your new environment, find a friend and establish rapport and make the new environment as "homey" as possible.

Luckily, I have taught the very class I'll be teaching for EKU on a part-time basis. Thus, I am familiar with some of the people I'll be working with, and I have a taste of what teaching will be like. But as full-time faculty, I'll have many other responsibilities as well, like advising the yearbook staff.

I am preparing for the new job now by setting up meetings with some of my new colleagues -- especially those who have done parts of my job before me -- and getting as much information and advice as I can. I am also giving myself some time between the last day at my current job and the start my new job to relax at home for a few days and begin preparing for my classes. I hope all of this will help me be ready once classes actually start in the fall.

Many of the personal items on my desk at my current work will go straight to my new office. I have three beautiful plants that will keep some green around me, as well as some items at home that were once part of an office I had before. All of this will help me surround myself with familiar things, and with a little luck, make me feel right at home.

In the midst of the changes ahead, I will keep a few habits constant in my life. My once-a-week yoga class will be a wonderful relief, as will my twice-weekly gym workouts. And my blog will be a nice, personal outlet, as it has been for the past couple of months.

With all of these resources at hand, I hope I weather the positive stress this exciting new change will bring me.

Are you going through a major change in your life? Good or bad? How are you coping with it?

11 ways to keep sweets at the office from ruining your healthy diet

Are you committed to healthy eating and limiting your intake of sweets, but work in an office where there are many occasions to eat cake and cookies?

If it seems like your officemates want a cake every time someone has a birthday, leaves the company, graduates from school, or any other occasion they can dream up, you might find yourself in a dilemma. You have to strike a balance between not being too self-righteous about your healthy habits, which might make you look snobby and non-participative, and not letting all of the sweets ruin your weight and your health.

This can be even more difficult to navigate if these parties are the boss's idea. You might feel even more pressure to eat dessert in order to show your appreciation or to avoid offending the boss.

What do you do?

I've been in this situation many times, and I've come up with a few strategies that have worked so far.

I'm full from lunch.
This especially works well if the party occurs soon after lunch. Simply claim that you are full. It is even more effective if you rub your stomach, groan and bulge your eyes slightly, as if you can't possibly eat another bite. If your co-workers pressure you, you can put them off by saying, "I'll have a piece later." Then just don't get any. Once everyone goes back to work, they won't notice you.

I have an errand that I must get done today.
If you are trying to eat healthy, but your department has scheduled a pizza lunch, this strategy works. Just before everyone gathers together, jump up with a worried look on your face, grab your purse and tell a co-worker that you have to handle something urgent, and could they please let the boss know you'll be back as soon as possible. Then run out the door. Of course, your "urgent" errand is to go out somewhere for a nice salad. Or, if you bring your lunch, have it stored in your car and sit outside and eat.

Take advantage of chaos
If you are attending a company-wide lunch party where there are many people and many conversations going on, your co-workers are much less likely to notice what you eat. If it's a pot luck event where everyone has brought a dish, you may not know what's in them, but it's simple enough to choose dishes that emphasize vegetables and de-emphasize creamy sauces. And if you skip the sweets altogether, your dessert-less plate will get lost in the crowd.

Take advantage of the meeting
If cake is served during a meeting, politely accept a piece and set it further away from you than your notepad. Then, pay really close attention to the meeting and take lots of notes. If you're busy writing, you can't eat! Then, when the meeting is over, you can do one of two things with that cake. You can say, "Gosh, I really have to get on this task. I don't have time to eat this. Do you want it?" and offer it to someone. Or, you can take it back to your desk and promise to eat it while you work, then allow it to quietly make its way into your trash can.

Strategically timed bathroom break
This one works if the cake is being served at the end of a meeting. When the meeting leader calls for a break and people start to get the cake and plates out, sneak out to the bathroom. Stay there for a few minutes. By the time you come back in, the cake server will be eating their own piece, and you might just be able to hang out in the back of the room or sneak back to your seat without anyone making a big deal out of the fact that you don't have a piece.

Let everyone else get a piece first
This works especially well if the dessert is a small cake or a cookie cake, where it looks like there might not be quite enough for everyone. Just say, "I'm not sure I want any. I'll let everyone else get some, then I might take a piece if there's any left." Chances are good that the cake will be gone by the time everyone else gets theirs, which solves your problem. Or the person who asked you will be distracted by their own cake and forget that you don't have a piece.

OK, maybe just a little piece.
You can kick this one in if you have tried the other refusal strategies and they just haven't worked. If the well-meaning co-worker serving the cake insists that you have some, politely accept it. While holding your plate and talking to someone, eat three or four bites slowly. Then, when no one is looking, set it aside on a table.

Ask for half a piece.
If you just can't get out of having a piece, or if you have decided that you can indulge just a little, ask the cake server to cut your slice in half. Then eat it slowly. Chances are, you won't want to go back for more, and no one will say anything more to you about it.

Eat a healthy snack beforehand
If the cake party is a few hours after lunch, when you are more likely to have the late-afternoon munchies and think you might be persuaded to indulge despite your good intentions, eat a healthy snack first. A piece of fruit, a handful of nuts or a carton of yogurt will take the edge off your appetite and help you withstand the pressure.

Simple refusal
It is okay to simply refuse, saying, "No, thanks, I don't want any." If you feel comfortable saying this without offending your co-workers or the boss, this is the most honest and straightforward strategy. If a co-worker persists, simply repeat yourself. They can't force cake down your throat.

Alternate
A good way to strike the balance between being a non-participating health snob and ruining your diet with the weekly cake-fest is to alternate. If you refused the last time, take a slice of cake this time. This can be used in conjunction with the "OK, maybe just a little piece" or "Ask for half a piece" strategies to minimize the damage to your waist.

It seems like every time I turn around, cake or other desserts are being served at my workplace. With a little preparation and the strategies above, so far I've been successful at keeping extra weight off while keeping the goodwill of my co-workers.

Does your workplace have sweets often? What strategies do you have for staying away from the desserts?