7 Things You’re Doing at Work That Are Hurting Your Health

In a perfect world, the intense structures associated with office environments would be a non-issue. We could all pursue side hustles we’re passionate about or quit our day jobs to run frozen yogurt shops — and make a solid living doing it. Wouldn’t that be nice? It would be, and we’d probably all feel a lot better in that kind of world. Unfortunately, that’s just not reality — but who says we can’t learn to cope with the existing pressures of work in a healthier way?

When business networking expert and BNI CEO Ivan Misner was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, he decided to take steps in his own workplace to promote better health for himself and his employees. “Most people don’t consciously realize that the things they do, or don’t do, at the office when it comes to food and fitness can really harm their health,” he tells us. Misner — whose book Healing Begins in the Kitchen was released last month — points out these seven common unhealthy work habits, as well as easy tweaks that can put you back on track.

1. Having Deadline Drama: The pressure to meet deadlines is one of the most stress-inducing aspects of any job, and stress is a persistent threat to good health. While deadlines are a totally reasonable part of professional life and can’t exactly be eliminated, you can switch to a healthier approach to them. “Take five deeps breaths every 30 minutes to help keep your immune system strong,” Misner suggests. “Studies have shown that when your brain is oxygenated, you perform better, as well.”

2. Eating Fast & Easy Breakfasts: Maybe you’re running late to the office and feel like you have no choice but to swing by the convenience store for a donut, or maybe the conference room at work is constantly hosting pastry parties. Whatever the situation, if you’re making a habit of high-carb, starchy breakfasts, it’s time to revisit your morning routine. Indulging instead in eggs or a protein drink will boost your energy and help you maintain strength, which will keep your whole body healthy throughout the day.

3. Sitting Still: You’ve heard about the dangers of being stationary for too long (hello, step counter!), but we’re here with another friendly reminder — and this time, we’re more concerned for your immune system than your waistline. “Getting up and walking, or even using a stand-up desk, keeps your lymphatic system flowing and your oxygen levels higher,” Misner explains. “Take stretch breaks or march in place at your desk every half an hour.”

4. Over-Caffeinating: Start your day with one cup of coffee or black tea, but cut your caffeine intake after that. By switching over to water or herbal tea for those later-in-the-day refreshments, you’ll be feeding your body’s need for hydration and avoiding the extra acidity caused by too much caffeine. Elevated acid levels can lead to calcium depletion and weaken bones.

5. Bringing Work Home: With deadlines approaching and a boss to impress, it often feels like the best (or only) option is to bring a big stack of work home to finish after hours — but while this may be unavoidable sometimes, it should never become a regular habit. “The concept of ‘be here now’ is so important to your health,” encourages Misner. “Taking work home with you robs you of your personal time and adds to your immune-suppressing burden of stress.”

6. Skipping Lunch: On a busy day, it’s easy to suppress your appetite and focus on the projects at hand, but regularly skipping lunch will result in consequences even more negative than a grumbling pre-dinner tummy (we know — that already sounds pretty miz). Skipping a meal will cause your blood level to drop, which can slow you down and restrict your ability to think clearly. Be mindful of your physical and mental health by prioritizing midday nutrition for your body.

7. Having a Bad Attitude: Your mom had no patience for a bad attitude, and when it comes to your professional situations, you should also have a zero-tolerance policy for ‘tude. By laying off the complaining and negative gossip, you’ll do more than just look like a happier camper — you’ll be healthier too! “Positive attitudes lead to healing hormones… being released, which support healthy immune function,” Misner shares. “Negative attitudes lead to damaging hormones being released.” Remember that the people you choose to surround yourself with play a huge role in your attitude, so seek out office friends who are as happy and positive as you would like to be.

How do you maintain healthy office habits? Tweet us @BritandCo!

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Everyone deals with family issues, but some people had more dysfunctional childhoods than others. Are there ways to tell? According to family psychologist Caitlin Slavens of Mamapsychologistsand therapist Rachel D. Miller, Ph.D., LMFT of Hold The Vision Therapy, yes!

Slavens says, "As a family psychologist, I’ve seen how growing up in a dysfunctional family leaves its mark. Sometimes the signs are glaring, like obvious chaos or neglect." However, she said the signs can also be "more subtle" being that they're "things you don’t even realize were 'off' until you’re older." You may even "start noticing patterns in yourself or your relationships" if you've become retrospective, according to her.

Here are all the subtle signs you grew up in a dysfunctional family

1. You're never sure what kind of mood your parents will be in before you walk in the living room or kitchen.

Emma Bauso

Let's put this on record: parenting is tough — especially on top of trying to maintain a work-life balance. But, this doesn't mean you're meant to be unsure of what to expect every time you come around your parents. If you have to "'read the room'" a lot "before speaking," Slavens indicates this is one of the more subtle signs of dysfunction.

This is where you may have learned how to become passive-aggressive if that's something you struggle with. The reason for this is because "clear and direct communication is avoided and/or seen as bad or aggressive," according to Dr. Miller.

2. You tend to feel like you're constantly compared to and in competition with your siblings.

August de Richelieu

My heart truly wants to believe this isn't intentional behavior from parents, but I can't say I haven't heard people talk about feeling like they'd never measure up to the 'golden child' of their family. You may have felt insecure about your grades, the college you chose to go to, your career goals, or even your physical appearance. Slavens says this "struggle with self-worth or second-guessing yourself constantly" is yet another sign that your family's dynamic wasn't the healthiest.

Also, Dr. Miller says this could've caused you to learn to "shrink yourself in the presence of loved ones." Even worse, you may "feel the need to hide pieces of yourself in order to be loved and accepted."

3. There was constant yelling and screaming during arguments, making you fearful of disagreements or hardships.

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If you grew up in a home where arguments always led to screaming and yelling, chances are you're not a fan of loud voices or hard moments. Honestly, Slavens says it's not hard to believe that "conflict make you anxious, even when it’s minor." Unsurprisingly, you may have become a referee during these arguments and currently find yourself being a mediator in your platonic or romantic relationships. Why?

Dr. Miller says, "You constantly feel the need to manage everyone else’s emotions often at the cost of your own needs and wellbeing." You know, to keep the peace.

Here are some more obvious signs you grew up in a dysfunctional family

4. You had to take on a parental role when one of your parents decided to stop being an adult.

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I imagine that having an emotionally immature parent is one of the most aggravating and stressful things to deal with. Not only that, but you may have had to help keep the household afloat. You may have had to get a job or two to help pay bills, listening to an adult conversation as your mom or dad laid their problems at your young feet, and more!

If you "family roles were flipped" and you "maybe had to parent your own parents," Slavens says this is a form of emotional dysfunction.

5. You weren't allowed to go anywhere with your friends because your parents wanted to keep an eye on you at all times.

Ketut Subiyanto

Slavens says boundaries that "didn't exist" or "were rigid and controlling" is a sign your home was a little...interesting. Being concerned about your whereabouts is one thing, but it's another when you're unable to do anything without your parents' eagle-eyes on you. Something as simple as going to the mall with your friends may have become a lecture about the dangers of shoplifting or car wrecks. Again, these are valid concerns but they shouldn't be treated like the verbal form of doom scrolling.

6. You consistently witnessed one of your parents abuse alcohol or drugs at home.

Ksenia Chernaya

This is a tough because substance abuse is so prevalent in varies socioeconomic statuses and communities. From the functioning alcoholic to the one who becomes belligerent after they've had too much to drink, it always affects those around them. Slavens says if "there was ongoing neglect, substance abuse, or verbal/physical aggression," your home probably didn't safe.

I recognize some of these signs of a dysfunctional family. But that doesn't mean they're affecting my current relationships, right?

Ron Lach

I hate to break it to you, but it's possible your childhood wounds have shown up before. "Dysfunctional dynamics don’t stay in childhood — they tend to creep into how you connect with others," says Slavens. Similarly, Dr. Miller agrees that "we typically repeat what we learned at home with our families in our other relationships." How?

"This includes the beliefs and rules we follow, often completely subconsciously, about what can and can’t talk about and why, as well as what emotions are allowed to be expressed, who can express them and how, and how we should or must respond to those people and their emotions," explains Dr. Miller.

Another way to look at this is how Slavens has outlined it:

In Platonic Relationships:

  1. Overextending yourself to please others, even at your own expense
  2. Feeling like you have to "earn your friends' affections.
  3. Avoiding vulnerability because it feels unsafe.

In Romantic Relationships:

  1. Struggling to trust your partner or feeling overly suspicious
  2. Repeating patterns like dating people who are emotionally unavailable or controlling.
  3. Feeling overly responsible for your partner's happiness — or relying on them for yours.

OMG! How do I unlearn habits from my dysfunctional family?

Antoni Shkraba

Honestly, everyone has a few bad habits they've carried from their childhood to adulthood. You're not an outlier because some things weren't 100% normal so I don't want you to feel like you're a failure for not having having it all together. "Dysfunction doesn’t have to define your future relationships," Slavens assures. Dr. Miller says you can start to unlearn things "that aren't working for you anymore" by "gathering your family's larger context to gain insight into how and why, for them, the behaviors make sense."

By taking a look at your family's "history and larger social and political contexts" gives you a chance to "see them as whole people with full lives," she says. Once you do that, she believes "you can examine what pieces make sense for you to keep and what parts you'd like to learn to do differently." Her other suggestion? Don't forget you're ability to utilize a "therapist who works systemically, like an LMFT" who "can be a huge support in this process."

Anastasia Shuraeva

Slavens' tips include the following:

  1. Practice self-awareness: Notice when a response feels automatic — like people-pleasing or shutting down during conflict — and ask yourself, Is this helping me, or is this a leftover habit from the past?
  2. Set boundaries: If your childhood lacked healthy boundaries, learning to say “no” without guilt is a game-changer. Boundaries protect your energy and teach others how to treat you.
  3. Learn healthy conflict skills: If conflict made you feel unsafe growing up, it’s natural to avoid it. But healthy conflict is necessary in relationships. Practice expressing your needs calmly and directly.
  4. Therapy, therapy, therapy: A good therapist can help untangle the messy, “weird” things that got normalized and give you tools to rebuild healthier ways of relating to yourself and others.
  5. Surround yourself with healthier models: Whether it’s friends, mentors, or books/podcasts, seek examples of functional relationships and start observing what feels different.

While you're busy unlearning things, Dr. Miller also wants you to remember something. "Recognize that how your family does something is simply that; how your particular family system figured out and were taught to navigate the world. It isn’t inherently right because you’ve normalized it nor is the way another person or family does it inherently wrong," she says.

Slavens' final thoughts? "It’s not about blaming your family but recognizing how your experiences shaped you — and giving yourself permission to do things differently. You’re allowed to rewrite the script."

Visit the top signs to recognize if you have toxic friends on Brit + Co!

First there was Austin Butler as Elvis, then Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan and Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. And now, after months of rumors, we finally got insider confirmation that Paul Mescal will be starring in a Beatles movie! (TBH after showing off his singing chops during SNL, I'd expect no less). Not only did Ridley Scott tell the world that Paul will be in the new movies, but sources confirmed to Variety that he's attached to the project.

Here's everything you need to know about Paul Mescal's Beatles movie — including which member of the band he's attached to play.

Ridley Scott seemingly confirms Paul Mescal's Paul McCartney casting.

During a Christopher Nolan, Gladiator 2 director Ridley Scott was asked if Paul Mescal was starring in his next film The Dog Stars. “Yes,” Ridley says. “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”

While Paul Mescal's involvement in Sony's upcoming Beatle biopic quartet (say that five times fast) has been around the rumor mill, the news hasn't actually been confirmed by the movie studio. Um, does that mean Ridley Scott just leaked the information to the entire world?! I feel like this is information I'm not supposed to have.

Even though we don't have official casting news on the films, we do know that Sam Mendes is making four biopics, one for each of the band members. The movies will intersect to “tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history,” per Variety.

Here's what Paul Mescal had to say about those Beatles biopic rumors.

Paul's rumored to play Paul McCartney, and told GQ in October 2024 that he "would love to be involved, but there’s nothing set in stone,” before telling ET at the Gladiator 2 Los Angeles premiere that "it would be an incredible story to be attached to. The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, it truly would be a dream come true."

Fan casts for the other members of The Beatles include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Asa Butterfield, Barry Keoghan, and Tom Holland — which I would totally be here for TBH!

What do you think about these casting rumors? Would you like to see Paul Mescal in a Beatles movie? If you're loving these music biopics, don't forget to check out why Monica Barbaro Said Meeting Timothée Chalamet On A Complete Unknown Was A "Beautiful, Magical Day".

You and your friends have likely spent countless hours together, decoding everything from imaginationships to the best comfort shows to watch when you're sad. You've probably even settled into a designated role within the group. Maybe you're the super adventurous one, always suggesting friend date ideas for the group to try, while someone else always knows how to comfort everyone when life gets rough. But, have you ever wondered if you're the most empathetic friend in the group? That's easy, just ask Brianna Paruolo, LCMCH. She's the founder and clinical director of On Par Therapyso she knows how to recognize signs you're an empath, plus how to take care of yourself!

How To Know If You're An Empath

  • Empathy is when "you feel what others are feeling."
  • There are physical, emotional, social, and mental signs that you're an empath.
  • You may be an empath if you get physically exhausted after being in crowds, feel anxious or overwhelmed in emotionally charged environments, feel responsible for other people's happiness, or you find it hard to distinguish your own feelings from someone else's.

Are there really assigned roles in friend groups or am I just imagining things?

Gary Barnes

Like I said before, it can seem like you and your friends unintentionally gravitate toward certain 'roles.' It's not like anyone woke up one day and decided, "I'm going to be the 'mother hen' of the group," but it tends to happen. Why?

Paruolo says, "In my clinical work, I've consistently observed that our friendship roles often mirror our early family dynamics. These patterns show up naturally — think about who in your friend group gets the first crisis call, who plans all the gatherings, or who everyone turns to for emotional support." I'm willing to bet you thought of a name for each scenario — including yours — because I know I did!

"Like in families, we each fall into specific roles that feel familiar to us," Paruolo further explains.

What actually makes someone an empathetic person?

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There's so many definitions for empathy, but I thought it would be wise to ask a licensed professional for her opinion on the matter. "Empathy means to feel what others are feeling. You do not have to have a personal direct experience with something to feel empathy for another person," shares Paruolo.

For example, your friend could call to tell you she has to have fibroid removal surgery and is feeling scared. You may have never had surgery, but you could find yourself feeling the need to comfort her in spite of this. Paruolo says, "The cool thing about our brains is that we have mirror neurons, which means part of our brain is set up to feel what others feel. The ability to attune to others' emotional states comes naturally to some people, while others may need to develop this capacity more consciously."

Yaroslav Shuraev

To break it down even further, here's signs that Paruolo says point to your empathetic nature.

Physical Signs:

  • Getting physically exhausted after being in crowds
  • Feeling drained after social interactions, even enjoyable ones (OMG I feel so seen!)
  • Needing extra time alone to recharge

Emotional Signs:

  • Absorbing other people's emotions like a sponge
  • Feeling anxious or overwhelmed in emotionally charged environments
  • Finding it hard to watch violence or cruelty in movies/TV

Social Signs:

  • Feeling responsible for others' happiness
  • Having trouble saying "no" to people who need help

Mental Signs:

  • Picking up on subtle changes in others' moods
  • Being highly attuned to body language and tone
  • Finding it hard to distinguish your feelings from others' feelings

It sounds like I'm the empathetic friend, but are there any downsides to this?

Mikhail Nilov

I've been an empath for as long as I can remember and I've found that I have to 'recharge' my social batteries at times. I thought it was because I was trying to be superwoman by fixing others' problems, but it turns out theres more to it than that. Paruolo says, "Empathetic friends and people have an uncanny ability to sense others' emotional states even when unspoken, and frequently need recovery time after intense social interactions. They tend to be deeply affected by others' experiences and naturally consider situations from multiple perspectives."

In the long run, she says it can be "distressing" for some people to always feel the feelings of others. Over time, she says, "it can cause you to shut down and retract." This can look like not being as quick to respond to the funny memes your friends send you or not even answering their phone calls right away.

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But, this doesn't mean you're the only person who tends to go through this. "Many empaths struggle with maintaining boundaries due to their deep emotional attunement," she says. Color me guilty because this sounds so much like me. It got so bad at one point that my sister nicknamed me 'Captain Save-A-Lot,' which is actually the clean version of what she truly meant. Still, empathy fatigue is no laughing matter nor does it mean you're defected. You just have the natural ability to show people their feelings are important to you.

How can I protect my peace as the empathetic friend?

Kaboompics.com

You know you need to set boundaries, but what does that mean? Paruolo says, "The key is understanding that empathy needs to be balanced with compassion - it's not just about feeling others' emotions but also knowing how to help without depleting yourself."

One of the things she loves to do is "encourage empaths to set clear boundaries around their emotional availability and make time for regular grounding exercises." As with gratitude journaling, try to focus on an activity that calls for you to be present. Focus on what you can hear, see, touch, taste, and smell.

"Self-care isn't just a luxury; it's essential maintenance for empaths. This might mean scheduling alone time, finding a supportive therapist, or joining communities where you can process your experiences," Paruolo implores.

I know how to be there for others, but how do I ask for emotional support when I need it?

Vitaly Gariev

You may feel like it's impossible to ask others for help since your shoulders are the ones people cry on, but you're only doing yourself a disservice by not speaking up. No one's super resilient or able to handle all of their distressing feelings alone. We're not meant to.

It's the reason Paruolo wants you to speak up about what you need. "The most effective approach I've seen is being direct about your needs rather than hoping others will figure them out," she says. I made this mistake during postpartum and found myself expecting my family & friends to know exactly how I felt, but they're not mind readers. The more I verbally asked for help with little or big tasks, the more my mental and emotional load lightened.

Paruolo wants you to look at "asking for support as strengthening your friendships through trust and vulnerability, instead of waiting until you're overwhelmed." By the time you reach that point, you'll be ready to enter rage or full-blown shut down mode and they're not fun.

Avoid unlocking their proverbial doors by scheduling "regular check-ins with trusted friends," suggests Paruolo. "This creates a sustainable support system and helps prevent emotional crisis points.

We have even more self-care stories for you to dive into if you need a mental and emotional boost!

Congratulations are in order for Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco — they're engaged! The couple have been romantically linked since 2023 (although they collaborated on 2019's "I Can't Get Enough"), and on December 11, 2024, Selena Gomez confirmed they were getting married. TLDR; Selena's getting her "love on"!! This is one wedding I know is going to look gorgeous and I, for one, can't wait to see Selena Gomez's wedding dress. I'm smiling just thinking about it!

Here's everything you need to know about Benny Blanco & Selena Gomez's engagement — including Selena Gomez's ring! See their adorable pictures below.

Selena Gomez is engaged! And she's all smiles in the announcement.

Selena Gomez posted four photos to Instagram celebrating her engagement to Benny Blanco, and captioned the post (which begins with a close-up of her amazing engagement ring), "forever begins now.." The post also includes a photo of Selena wearing a fur coat and jeans during a picnic, an overjoyed selfie, and a shot of Benny with his arms around her.

Of course, friends and fans flooded the comments with congratulations, led by Benny himself. "hey wait… that’s my wife," he said. "yes I will be the flower girl," Taylor Swift commented.

Nina Dobrev (who recently got engaged herself to Shaun White) commented with plenty of emojis, saying, "YES !!!! Congratulations!!!!! So happy for you both!!!! 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍‼️" while Selena's official Rare Beauty account commented, "CONGRATULATIONS 🥹💍 so happy for you two!!"

While we won't know details about Selena Gomez's wedding for quite some time (if she chooses to share them), we do know one thing: she's keeping her last name. "I’m not changing my name no matter what,” she said in a September interview with Vanity Fair. “I am Selena Gomez. That’s it.”

The "Lose You To Love Me" singer added that she's "never been loved this way," and called Benny "a complete light in my life" before adding that "he’s my best friend [and] I love telling him everything.”

The internet (and the paparazzi) have focused on Selena's relationships since she began dating Justin Bieber in 2010. Despite the intense scrutiny, the actress has found ways to both speak honestly about her desire for relationships (like in 2020's "Boyfriend") and have fun with her singleness too (like with 2023's "Single Soon").

Selena went viral in June of 2023 when she sat on a field watching a soccer game and called to the players to let them know she was single at the time. "I'm just a little high maintenance but I'll love you so much," she said. Looks like you don't have to sit on any more soccer fields Selena!

We're sending Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco so much love ahead of their big day! Check out Hailee Steinfeld & Josh Allen's gorgeous engagement photos for even more butterflies ;).

Minimal effort — that's our favorite phrase. Do a bit of arranging, brushing, and drizzling, then let the oven take care of the rest of the work for a dinner that's sure to end up on your regular recipe rotation. We use chopped potatoes, carrots, and red onion in this honey mustard chicken recipe, but you could easily replace 'em with baby new potatoes, baby carrots, and shallots (or scallions) to skip the knife work!

Bonus: Throw a bit of cooked couscous or quinoa in the leftovers (maybe a cheeky sprinkling of goat cheese too), and tomorrow's lunch is sorted. If you love the sheet-pan method, take a look at some of these veggie sheet pan dinners.

Now onto our delicious honey mustard chicken recipe!

Ingredients for Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken

Brit + Co

  • 3 large red-skinned potatoes, chopped into bite-size chunks
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into chunky wedges
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 medium head of broccoli, broken into florets
  • 20 asparagus spears
  • Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Directions for Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Arrange the potatoes, carrots, onion, and chicken breasts on a large sheet pan.

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3. Mix together the honey, mustard, and brown sugar. Brush this mixture on the chicken breasts. Drizzle two tablespoons of the oil over the chicken and vegetables, then sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

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4. Take the sheet pan out of the oven. Use a spatula to turn the vegetables over, then add the broccoli and asparagus. Drizzle on the remaining oil and sprinkle on another pinch of salt and pepper. Place back in the oven to cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

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5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

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This post has been updated.