Daily, we are bombarded with newspaper articles, and television and radio ads promoting greater health and well-being. We are told to check our cholesterol levels, exercise, maintain a healthy diet, control our stress, and lead a healthy life style. As we get older, health becomes more of a priority.

The media, also is adamant about promoting mental health. Why not promote career health? Let me explain why.

Most workers are clueless about their career health. External events, such as a merger, layoff, new boss or a new business strategy, create a need to evaluate our career health. Most job seekers wait for things to happen to them. This passive stance creates being a victim in one’s career.

What makes a worker career healthy? In my opinion, there are several layers to career health.

For one thing, there are your skills. Ask yourself, what have I learned during the past year? What new projects did I undertake? What classes or courses did I take to create energy or vitality in your job?

There are numerous aspects to every part of our job, and with it come new projects and upgrading skills. With these upgrades, we will able to approach our job differently.

Lesson One: Ask for new assignments to stretch you. This does two things. One, it keeps you engaged in your work. And two, it makes you indispensable and more interesting. Ask yourself what new connections or contacts did I make with my co-workers? Supervisors? I have noticed over the years that when a merger or layoff occurs, job seekers lose a major part of their network. They also lose their source for professional references.

Lesson Two: Keep in contact with your previous and current supervisors and co-workers. Also, build new contacts within your department, as well as other departments. Why not volunteer for assignments such as assisting a company picnic or helping at your annual volunteer day? Your volunteerism will lead to new contacts within the company, and new possibilities for employment.

It is important to stay current within your industry. Being current means subscribing to professional industry journals or publications and joining professional associations that provide you with opportunities to learn what other companies are doing, and how to handle sticky work situations, and expand your network.

What about your attitude about your job? Co-workers? Company? Do you take these various elements for granted? How can you re-connect or improve your relationships? In other words, how you think about your work and its various parts of it will in fact color or shape your destiny.

Communication. How are your promoting health communication in your workplace? What is your communication style? How can you be a better listener? Communicator? What have you done to incorporate and improve communication?

Is there balance in your life?
I have noticed when job seekers get laid off, it is a severe blow to them on many levels besides the financial aspect, which is large and looming. Many workers are bruised by the psychological loss of a job. Sometimes, the loss of a role is a blow to their ego. In particular, if the job seeker was a workaholic their entire identity lies with the job and the company.

Balance puts your career in perspective. Yes, it is important, however, you have other aspects of your life that give you meaning---friends, family, hobbies, spirituality, volunteerism.

There is a relationship between all of the above. If one is out of whack, it affects the whole system. The sum of all the parts equals a healthy, sound career. The total picture of career health is skill development, networking, communication, attitude, and balance.

Ultimately, your career happiness and health is inextricably tied to this total web of all the elements of career health. When one factor is out of whack, so goes the entire system. So, the next time you run into a fellow co-worker, ask them, “When was your last career checkup?”