Let's face it -- all of us have some bad habits. It's part of human nature. And, even though we live in an age where bad habits are frowned upon, the good news is that some of the bad habits that you might have can actually be good for your career. Even though this might sound contrary to popular thinking, let's examine some of the bad habits and take a look at how you can best utilize them to give your career a boost.

Keep in mind that these bad habits are not habits that you need to put into play at the office. They are designed at the end of a long workday, when your body is wound tight with stress, when your thoughts are racing along at a million miles per hour.

By using these so-called bad habits the right way, you'll discover that the stress level that you're probably walking around with will drop dramatically.

What does this mean for you, in terms of work?
It means that you'll be more productive when you're in the office.

BAD HABIT #1: VIDEO GAMES

Okay, before you run away in horror, you need to understand that today's video games have the same effect on people mentally as playing a game of basketball -- they take your mind out of whatever place it's locked in at work, and they give you a break from the routine that you're in. In fact, author Dr. Kathleen Hall, who wrote "A Life In Balance: Nourishing The Four Roots Of True Happiness" recommends 15 minutes of online computer play to refresh your mind. When you engage in this kind of behavior, it acts as a kind of "reset" switch. At the same time, studies on playing video games have shown a significant co-relation between such things as hand-eye coodination and increased concentration and focus. Also, with Nintendo's Wii gaming system, there are video games that will actually help you get physically fit, which is always good, when it comes to helping deal with stress.

BAD HABIT #2: DRESSING LIKE A SLOB

Sure, when you're at work, you can't walk around in torn jeans, comfortable shoes that look like they've been run over, and shirts that are filled with stains and holes. Guess what? You're not at work. You're at home. One of the best ways to relieve stress is to immediately change into comfortable clothes when you come home. Take off your work clothes, because they carry with them the turmoil of the day, and change into something that makes you feel relaxed and secure.

BAD HABIT #3: WATCHING TV

Yes, I know, I know. I've heard all the experts talking about how bad television is for us and how we need to wean ourselves away from the "boob tube," but the fact is that for many people, watching television is a terrific way to get rid of stress. Now, keep in mind that we're not suggesting that you spend five hours a night watching television when you come home. Far from it. But, if you keep it to an hour or so a night, you'll find that you'll have some important "unwind" time, and you'll also be engaging in what Dr. Gary Solomon refers to as "cinematherapy." For many people, watching a television sit-com accomplishes two things -- it allows you to see that there are many flawed individuals out there, and it also allows you to laugh, which helps to relieve stress.

BAD HABIT #4: LET IT ALL HANG OUT

So, you've had a bad day at work, and now you're needing to explode. You want to vent out what you're feeling, but you don't know where to turn. Easy. You turn to yourself. Write down what you're feeling in a diary or a journal. Don't censor yourself. Instead, let everything come out, and you'll be amazed at how good you feel. If you're afraid that someone might come across what you've written, you can always write in an online journal.

BAD HABIT #5: ROLL THE DICE

Okay, we're not suggesting that you head to Vegas with your savings account and let it fly. Far from it. There are places where you can have fun with online gambling -- and many sites will let you play for free. This provides you with some of the excitement of gambling, along with an environment where you're away from the office, away from your desk, and you're just having fun.

BAD HABIT #6: ROCK ON

I have a good friend who has one of the most high-pressure jobs in the world. He's an air traffic controller, and on a good day, he'll come home working on his last nerve. What he does is he heads into his office, closes the door, puts on his headphones and jams out to some loud rock music. In fact, he goes so far as to strap on his "air guitar" and really go to town. What this does is remove a lot of stress from his life and at the same time, he's actually burning off calories.

As you can see, none of these bad habits involve drugging yourself or drinking away your stress. Instead, they are more pro-active, giving you a way to deal with the stresses that you've brought home in a non-harmful and fun way.

Then, when you head off to work the next day, you'll find that you're better able to cope with all of the pressures waiting for you -- and you'll do so with the knowledge that at the end of the day, you'll be able to come home and do what it takes to get rid of the stress.

One more bad habit that can be good for your career: being lazy. Well, at least when it comes to getting your resume distributed to recruiters and job boards. If you spend the time to post your resume on all the important job boards yourself, it could take countless nights at the computer researching sites and entering information. An alternative is to use a site like ResumeDirector to get your resume posted on Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, and over 90 other job sites instantly. To find out more about it, visit this web address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/rd.htm

ResumeArrow is another powerful tool to increase your flow of job leads. Sign up with their site to have your resume sent by email to thousands of recruiters and employers in your industry and desired work locations. To find out more, visit this web address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/dist.htm

I hope your job search is going well. For information on other helpful job searching resources, please feel free to visit our web site:

http://www.JobSearchInfo.com

Michael Green
Editor, Special Reports
JobSearchInfo.com

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This article was provided by JobSearchInfo.com.  For additional career resources, please visit http://www.jobsearchinfo.com.