We got a challenge on our hands!! Are you in for the 5 day healthcare challenge starting Monday?! Show us you’re participating on Instagram that you’re in by using the #HealthcareChallenge2018 in your Insta-stories and your posts!
As healthcare professionals, we are susceptible to burnout. The consequences of dealing with burnout can impact us physically, mentally, and professionally. Burnout occurs gradually overtime and not overnight- so it’s our responsibility to be proactive practitioners and bash the burnout!
This challenge has a different theme each day about things you can do in and out of work for burnout prevention. I will go live either by myself or share the screen with another healthcare professional each of the five days. Here’s the loose schedule (may change!) of the scheduled lives and topics:
If you’re not already, follow me @joy.energy.time on Instagram and follow along the challenge!
Use the #HealthcareChallenge2018 to promote awareness of the challenge and get your friends to join too! You can make a post using the # and share your personal story with burnout. If you haven’t been been burnt out but you’re in healthcare, use the # to share your biggest stressors that you’ve dealt with at work.
It’s important that if you post your story that you include something you did to overcome that challenge. If you’re still in it and haven’t quite overcome it yet, that’s totally OK! Remember that this is a journey. Just as burnout does not occur overnight, the solution and strategies to address it don’t just happen overnight either.
People in social media want to see REAL over perfect. Share your true story! Your vulnerability may help you to move forward in this imperfect journey!
Can’t wait for the challenge- see you on IG!
Healthcare Challenge 2018!! We got a challenge on our hands!! Are you in for the 5 day healthcare challenge starting Monday?! Show us you’re participating on Instagram that you’re in by using the #HealthcareChallenge2018 in your Insta-stories and your posts! What is the Challenge? As healthcare professionals, we are susceptible Read more…
Another month of good news! Check out last month here
Man Carries His Wife’s Urn During Eagles Parade: ‘I Had to Make Sure She Was Here For This’
FLY EAGLES FLY. In case you havn’t heard, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl this month for the first time in franchise history. This guy brought his wifes ashes to the parade because she was a die hard fan and would have wanted to be there. Shut up I’m not crying, you’re crying.
The Seabin Will Start Cleaning Australian Waterways in March – Futurism
Founded by sufers, Australian company Seabin Project has created a low energy, 24/7 floating ocean trash cleanup system you can install on any dock or floating structure. This nifty little guy cleans up 25 liters per hour of floating trash and debris by sucking in the water around it from the top into a removable mesh filter. Because who wants to surf in a dirty ocean. No one.
Alzheimer’s Disease Is Completely Reversed by Removing Just One Enzyme in New Study – Newsweek
A study this month in the Journal of Experimental Medicine performed by scientists at the Cleveland Clinic identified a key enzyme that, when removed via gene therapy, eliminated the prevalence of Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice as they aged. It remains to be seen how and if this treatment could potentially carry over into human trials, but in the fight against this awful disease, any victory should be celebrated.
New Super Wood Beats Metals in Feats of Strength – Smithsonian
Sure, call me a nerd. But the prospect of a “super wood” that is stronger than steel is interesting to me. By heating, compressing , and soaking boring old regular wood in sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfate, scientists at the University of Maryland have created an essentially renewable material that is 3x denser than regular wood and 12x stronger.
‘Anxiety cells’ identified in the brain’s hippocampus – Medical Press
Palms sweaty? Knees weak? Arms heavy? Published in Neuron, a recent study by neuroscientists at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco have identified “anxiety cells” in mice that, when “turned up” caused them to elicit more anxious behavior in the form of not wanting to explore their surroundings. Future anxiety treatments could take the form of “turning down” these cells in humans. One step closer to getting my wife to answer the door when pizza is delivered.
A concerned dad joined his son to hitch-hike around the world – Lonely Planet
Awesome read. Free spirited Yiğit Kurt claims to have traveled 20,000 km and over 30 countries via hitchhiking, much to the disapproval of his father. Like any concerned parent, Adnan Kurt only feared the worst could happen, until he accompanied his son and tried it for himself. Together they have experienced unprecedented kindness, and write about their adventures in their blog.
Key ingredient used in the production of environmentally friendly sunscreen called shinorine had previously been hard to come by, having to harvest it from wild algae. Researchers from the University of Florida have genetically modified bacteria to produce it in large quantities using gene modification. Traditional sunscreen has been shown to contribute to coral bleaching so this is a happy day for the reefs. Horray reefs!
China Has Built a Huge Floating Solar Farm on Top of a Deserted Coal Mine – Futurism
Chinese power company Sungrow Power Supply has created the worlds largest floating solar farm on a lake over an abandoned coal mine. Great step in the right direction for one of the worlds largest polluters.
Know of any good stories? Email us at erika@joyenergytime.com and we will include it in the next installment!
Check out last month here
Do you hate everyone on the internet? Is netflix and a snuggie your favorite pastime to escape from the depressingly soul-crushing real world? Feel like you are constantly force-fed nothing but depressing media until you are fat, sick, and sad? Want to recluse to a cabin in the woods?
Take your pick: Shootings, terrorism, politics, corporate greed, poisonous food, climate change…Feel like humanity has lost its way?
Here at Joy Energy Time, we want to help people, it’s at the core of our business model. We try our absolute best to help people cope with their burnout, stress, and anxiety by helping them cultivate more positivity and joy in their lives. What we found is that it’s easy to dwell on the negative , it’s everywhere, but we disagree that we’re all headed into a downward spiral. The world is actually a beautiful, rich place, full of people and stories that restore faith in humanity and its ability to move our society forward. That’s why we created this blog series. We were sick of being depressed every time we turned on the tv, read an article, or opened social media. The positive stories are out there, you just have to do some digging. Ok a lot of digging. Like Holes level digging. Fear and negativity sells, just look at the trending stories on any given day. The fact is, the world hasn’t taken a turn for the worse, the research shows that globally things have actually improved for the average person. It’s just that current information exchange has never been faster or easier, so you hear about everything. Again, fear and negativity sells.
What to expect each month: This blog series will be a monthly compilation of various stories/articles/videos etc. that focus on the people who foster progress and make you proud to be a human! Let’s focus on the good! Monthly! The Monthly Good! Get it?
If you know of anything that you think belongs here please message us and we will add it to the next installment! Email erika@joyenergytime.com!
Good news for February 2018! Another month of good news! Check out last month here Man Carries His Wife’s Urn During Eagles Parade: ‘I Had to Make Sure She Was Here For This’ FLY EAGLES FLY. In case you havn’t heard, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl this month Read more…
Another month of good news! Check out last month December 2017 here
Nasa tests tiny Uranium-powered nuclear fission plant designed to sustain future Mars colony – International Business Times, UK Edition
For the first time since the 1960s, NASA has tested a nuclear fission reactor lovingly named KRUSTY (Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling Technology) in an effort create a viable power source for future colonies on Mars, the Moon, or elsewhere in the galaxy.
Scientists unveil a giant leap for anti-ageing – DeepStuff.org
University of New South Wales researches have identified a possible avenue for regenerating of damaged cells due to ageing or radiation. Trials in mice have begun with an injection of a metabolite precursor to help the cells regenerate damaged DNA. Good news for astronauts, frequent flyers, cancer patients, and more.
Using copper as catalyst, researchers at the University of Toronto have successfully managed to use carbon dioxide to create ethylene, used to make polyethylene, the most common form of plastic currently used.
Scientists find massive deposits of ice on Mars in breakthrough discover – Techly
In a paper published in Science Magazine, a team of researchers have discvered water ice sheets just below the surface of Mars that could be upwards of 100m thick. This development could be good news for future manned missions to the red planet. Liquid water tends to be rather heavy to carry with you.
Can we actually stop using fossil fuels? – Popular Science
Long but interested read about Seattle native Dawn Lippert, CEO of Elemental Excelerator, a Hawaii based company that funds start-ups developing renewable energy technology. With contributors including the US Navy, Department of Energy, and more, Elemental has awarded $22 million to 63 startups around the world to help us kick our habit.
Boeing’s New Prototype Cargo Drone Can Carry up to 500 Pounds – Futurism
Pretty self explanatory stuff, but neat nonetheless. Image a drone delivering a new couch you just ordered on Amazon!
This Startup Will Pay You To Use Less Electricity – Fast Company
San Francisco based startup OhmConnect signs up energy-conscious homes willing to participate in hour long “demand response” events, voluntarily lowering their power consumption at a set time where energy is needed elsewhere in the grip, giving them a reason to unplug for awhile (we can all use that) and giving the grid a meaningful boost in places where it needs it. Oh and they’ll pay you to do so. Awesome!
Tesla’s Solar Roofing Tiles Have Officially Begun Production in Its Buffalo Factory – Futurism
Expected to cost 10-15% less than a tradition roof with installed solar panels, ever-innovative company Tesla began production in January on these photovoltaic roof tiles.
New Virgin Hyperloop One Details Revealed at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show – Futurism
Check out Virgin’s 387 KPH bullet train. About time the USA caught up with Europe’s high-speed rail transportation.
Scientists Just Solved a Major Piece of the Opioid Puzzle – WIRED
Gets very technical and sciency, this one. But worth the read, especially after our President rightfully declared the opioid epidemic to be a public health emergency. Researchers classified the structure of a different opioid receptor in the brain, one where similar but less addictive opioids can be developed to treat pain.
SuperMeat Raises $3 Million to Produce “Clean Meat” in the Lab – Futurism
Israeli startup SuperMeat just raised $3 million in seed funding to continue work on their lab grown meat. Before you scoff, this meat is grown in a lab from cells humanely taken from real chickens and grown in conditions that promote its growth just as it would inside of the animal. Creating a real, actual, and more importantly, sustainable source of meat. “Clean meat”, as its called, could dramatically reduce energy, water, and land needs for our food. I mean, I’d try it.
Know of any good stories? Email us at erika@joyenergytime.com and we will include it in the next installment!
Check out last month December 2017 here
Do you hate everyone on the internet? Is netflix and a snuggie your favorite pastime to escape from the depressingly soul-crushing real world? Feel like you are constantly force-fed nothing but depressing media until you are fat, sick, and sad? Want to recluse to a cabin in the woods?
Take your pick: Shootings, terrorism, politics, corporate greed, poisonous food, climate change…Feel like humanity has lost its way?
Here at Joy Energy Time, we want to help people, it’s at the core of our business model. We try our absolute best to help people cope with their burnout, stress, and anxiety by helping them cultivate more positivity and joy in their lives. What we found is that it’s easy to dwell on the negative , it’s everywhere, but we disagree that we’re all headed into a downward spiral. The world is actually a beautiful, rich place, full of people and stories that restore faith in humanity and its ability to move our society forward. That’s why we created this blog series. We were sick of being depressed every time we turned on the tv, read an article, or opened social media. The positive stories are out there, you just have to do some digging. Ok a lot of digging. Like Holes level digging. Fear and negativity sells, just look at the trending stories on any given day. The fact is, the world hasn’t taken a turn for the worse, the research shows that globally things have actually improved for the average person. It’s just that current information exchange has never been faster or easier, so you hear about everything. Again, fear and negativity sells.
What to expect each month: This blog series will be a monthly compilation of various stories/articles/videos etc. that focus on the people who foster progress and make you proud to be a human! Let’s focus on the good! Monthly! The Monthly Good! Get it?
If you know of anything that you think belongs here please message us and we will add it to the next installment! Email erika@joyenergytime.com!
Good news for January 2018! Another month of good news! Check out last month December 2017 here Nasa tests tiny Uranium-powered nuclear fission plant designed to sustain future Mars colony – International Business Times, UK Edition For the first time since the 1960s, NASA has tested a nuclear fission reactor lovingly Read more…
Do you hate everyone on the internet? Is netflix and a snuggie your favorite pastime to escape from the depressingly soul-crushing real world? Feel like you are constantly force-fed nothing but depressing media until you are fat, sick, and sad? Want to recluse to a cabin in the woods?
Take your pick: Shootings, terrorism, politics, corporate greed, poisonous food, climate change…Feel like humanity has lost its way?
Here at Joy Energy Time, we want to help people, it’s at the core of our business model. We try our absolute best to help people cope with their burnout, stress, and anxiety by helping them cultivate more positivity and joy in their lives. What we found is that it’s easy to dwell on the negative , it’s everywhere, but we disagree that we’re all headed into a downward spiral. The world is actually a beautiful, rich place, full of people and stories that restore faith in humanity and its ability to move our society forward. That’s why we created this blog series. We were sick of being depressed every time we turned on the tv, read an article, or opened social media. The positive stories are out there, you just have to do some digging. Ok a lot of digging. Like Holes level digging. Fear and negativity sells, just look at the trending stories on any given day. The fact is, the world hasn’t taken a turn for the worse, the research shows that globally things have actually improved for the average person. It’s just that current information exchange has never been faster or easier, so you hear about everything. Again, fear and negativity sells.
What to expect each month: This blog series will be a monthly compilation of various stories/articles/videos etc. that focus on the people who foster progress and make you proud to be a human! Let’s focus on the good! Monthly! The Monthly Good! Get it?
If you know of anything that you think belongs here please message us and we will add it to the next installment! Email erika@joyenergytime.com!
Scientists Are Engineering Carbon-Storing Plants to Fight Climate Change
https://futurism.in/2017/12/21/scientists-engineering-carbon-storing-plants-fight-climate-change/
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are genetically engineering and cross breeding harvest plants to produce a material called Suberin, a stable form of carbon that naturally occurs in cork trees, in their root system as an effort to safely absorb and store CO2 from the atmosphere in their root system for potentially thousands of years, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change
A New Solar Plant Will Provide Power to 13,000 Homes for an Entire Year – Futurism
Spanish solar company Cox Energía will build a solar power plant in Chile capable of supplying 13,000 homes with power during the day, night, and during inclement weather. will supply 140 gigawatt-hours of electricity
New hope for coral reefs as scientists successfully manage a ‘coral transplant’ – Lonely Planet
researchers were successfully able to transplant coral spawn from a healthy area of the Great Barrier Reef to a part that was damaged by coral bleaching due to warmer sea temperature, growing into a healthy coral child in just 8 months.
This eco-friendly gondola made of trash sets sail in Venice – Lonely Planet
Angelo Boscolo, a former fruit and vegetable vendor, built his gondola out of 350 discarded vegetable crates collected from his old colleagues at the Rialto Market in Venice. The maiden voyage set sail on the Grand Canal on 21 November
Thousands of people come together to save a gorgeous French chateau – Lonely Planet
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2017/12/07/chateau-de-la-mothe-chandeniers-france/
With the future of 13th-century French Chateau de la Mothe-Chandeniers uncertain and possible demolition in the cards, 7000 do-gooders came together under a crowdfunding effort to buy the run-down estate with hopes of restoring it to its former beauty and open it to the public. Or they just wanted to be able to say “I own part of a French Chateau” at dinner parties.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Zips Off To Collect Asteroid Sample – DOGOnews
After it’s 19,000 mph earth gravity assist on sept 22, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx space probe zipped off to intercept asteroid Bennu, one of 7000 near earth objects but only 1 of 5 that met the criteria for this mission, including its potential for housing organic compounds in its rocky innards. By 2020, OSIRIS-REx hopes to mine rock from Bennu for study and begin the long journey home in the hopes of learning more about the building blocks for life and even…I’m not sayings it’s aliens. But it’s aliens.
An Amino Acid in Plant Waste Offers Unexpected Energy Potential – Futurism
https://futurism.in/2017/12/06/amino-acid-plant-waste-offers-unexpected-energy-potential/
Researches at the University of Limerek in Ireland have discovered the amino acid glycine to be peizoelectric, or able to produce electricity when mechanically stressed. Other piezoelectric materials are used in wireless devices like smartphones, but glycine is very cheap to produce, making it a potential cost effective, renewable source of electricity for these devices.
Officials Just Signed a Contract to Build The World’s First Floating Village – Futurism
A Singapore-based start-up called Blue Frontiers and the French Polynesian government have reached an agreement to build a $60-million floating village off the main island of Tahiti that will be home to 200-300 citizens and workers. This village will be a showcase and testing ground for technologies such as seaweed farming and ocean wave hydroelectric power that will be needed to created larger, more sustainable floating communities. In the coming years, projects like these are expected to be viable options for coastal regions threatened by rising seas. The project is slated to begin in 2020.
UVA Discovers Trigger for Macular Degeneration That Robs Millions of Vision – Science & Technology Research News
The University of Virginia School of Medicine has discovered a critical trigger for macular degeneration , a condition that renders approximately 200 million people blind worldwide. An enzyme called cGAS has been found to be the cause. Researched believe that medication could be easily made to block this enzyme from causing this adverse effect.
MIT Scientists Created a New Method of Turning CO2 into Fuel – Futurism
https://futurism.com/carbon-emissions-mit/https://apple.news/AaIpk7ODRT_m_KZSfFV0I1Q
MIT has created a way to turn carbon emissions into usable fuel. You’re better of reading the article here, hearing it from me would only unnecessarily dumb it down. Basically it’s a membrane system that separates CO from O2 and CO2, which can be used as fuel, or combined with other materials to create other viable fuels.
Gene therapy helps a boy get new skin – Biotechin.Asia – Biotech in Asia
Ruhr-Universität Bochum’s burn unit and the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Modena in Italy have become the first to perform an experimental procedure for skin transplants. The child patient has a condition called epidermis bullosa which caused 80% of his epidermis to be destroyed. Considered incurable, the condition is a congenital defect in a gene responsible for skin regeneration. Using harvested stem cells from the patient’s epidermis, the team was able to inject an intact gene via viruses into the stem cells, which were then used to created skin grafts for the boy. Now 2 years post procedure, it has been a resounding success, and he is able to take part in all social activities and attend school
Know of any good stories? Email us at erika@joyenergytime.com and we will include it in the next installment!
Good news for December 2017 – Our first in this series! About The Monthly Good – Your monthly dose of good news from Joy Energy Time Do you hate everyone on the internet? Is netflix and a snuggie your favorite pastime to escape from the depressingly soul-crushing real world? Feel Read more…
Sounds like a fairy-tale that we might not ever achieve. Work life balance sounds like this concept that you have to find the perfect 50/50 balance between work and life, as if the two should be totally separate, or as if we should enjoy work but only enjoy our time out of work. Yes, millennials have been classified as stressed out workaholics (well, we kind of are) and we have a hard time ‘balancing’ or harmoniously integrating work with our other pursuits in life. I would like to introduce to you a new (or not so new) term: work life harmony and work life integration.
Work life harmony is the idea that you can arrange your life in such a way that you’re not always trying to achieve the perfect balancing act. Even if you use ‘work life balance’ it’s not the end of the world; however, the word harmony comes off as this less forced, more flowy concept (to me at least). Nevertheless, we all aim for that one big goal- a meaningful existence where work doesn’t consume our lives yet we find a sustainable connection with our work that doesn’t burn us out. I just like to use work life integration and work life harmony interchangeably. However you say it, here is some insight as to what this beautiful concept looks like:
To live our lives with full consciousness and a life out of intent, we must decide what our priorities are. Taking into account the type of work you do, how involved you have to be, your job/career satisfaction, and how much you DESIRE to be involved in your work. In the same regard, take into account your life outside of your work- how much time is involved dedicating to your family and friends? How much time do you want to dedicate to them or your own hobbies and interests?
In order to live a life that we look forward to each and every day, you must be mindful of your identified priorities and what steps you can take to live a more integrated, harmonious life. In many regards, quality trumps quantity. Instead of spreading yourself too thin in trying to take on new relationships, hobbies, interests, jobs, etc.- focus on going deeper, not wider. Take on your work with more passion if it means something to you. Learn to say NO to the things that do not inspire you or bring you happiness. Don’t feel obligated to commit to everything that comes up. You will find that although it may be hard at first, it feels like a million pounds lifted from your chest when you say no to something that doesn’t serve you and start to focus more on the quality things in your life. This will make you a better person which will in turn help you to positively face the world with more energy.
Do you find yourself working in a toxic environment? Do you find that your co-workers just don’t share your same values and beliefs? Are you surrounded by co-workers that are perpetuating negativity, gossiping, and creating unnecessary drama? Or perhaps you are striving to make healthier choices but the work environment is filled with not the best choices- donuts, sitting for hours at a time, etc. Whatever it may be, is there something you can do to lessen the time spent with co-workers (say no to lunch?) or change your interactions (promote friendliness over gossiping). If you find that the environment is harming you physically, emotionally, and mentally, maybe it is time to consider changing positions within your company if possible or leaving altogether to prioritize working with people that lift you up and inspire you.
We may see everything happening to us or at us- for example, we’re always stuck at that annoying red light on our way to work, we have to take some work home, your kids get sick, you fight with your spouse- every day life inconveniences. How do you turn these misfortunes to work in your favor?
Turn that long bus/train/car ride to work into a growing time; listen to a podcast or audio book. Bond with your spouse after an argument- maybe this argument gave you insight into having a solidified date night to spend more uninterrupted time together. Had to take some work home? Listen to classical music while you’re working and follow the 42/18 rule (work 42 minutes, rest for 18). Life will just be so much more pleasant when you learn to just face what is and turn moments into beautiful opportunities.
Ah, the elusive “work life balance.” Sounds like a fairy-tale that we might not ever achieve. Work life balance sounds like this concept that you have to find the perfect 50/50 balance between work and life, as if the two should be totally separate, or as if we should enjoy Read more…
Mondays, you’ve been on my not my favorite list for so many years. After a fun, relaxing (or whatever type of weekend you had), getting back to the routine can make some people have legit Sunday night anxiety. Well, today on this fabulous Monday, I’m here to share with you how you can turn Mondays into your new favorite thing!
Finding things that make you grateful about your work will help to take some weight off the Monday morning grind. Your job provides you the means to live and enjoy your life. Focus on what you can do today at work that will make your Monday awesome- your job allows you to pay your bills, feed your family, etc. Sure, your job and work may not be happy- nothing is perfect- but it’s your effort and beliefs that count. The more things you find to be grateful about relating to your job, you’ll look forward to your work, which in turn might help Mondays suck less.
I love planning my week- planning out my workouts and recipes. I look forward to doing the things that make me FEEL good. I look forward to doing things besides just work and watch TV during the week- what are some things you can add to make your week something you look forward to?
The trap so many fall into. It is a cycle that always robs us of the joy we deserve to have each and every moment, despite what day of the week it is. Prep your mind to love and enjoy each day- it may take time, but having a limiting mindset and beliefs around the weekend/week is most likely not contributing to your happiness. Living for those 48 hours each week is a life of slavery- set yourself free of that. Don’t just wait until you’re done with school or get a new job to be happy- you’re putting off your happiness instead of enjoying the day now. Looking for ways you can improve everyday is more constructive and positive way to give each day newfound energy.
Mondays, you’ve been on my not my favorite list for so many years. After a fun, relaxing (or whatever type of weekend you had), getting back to the routine can make some people have legit Sunday night anxiety. Well, today on this fabulous Monday, I’m here to share with you Read more…
It’s summer time! Time to slow down, take a vacation, enjoy the sun, go to brunches on rooftops (that’s me at least!). Although the weather is warm and we have may more down time, that doesn’t necessarily correlate with an improved mood of overall happiness. If we rely solely on external factors to ensure our happiness, we are doing ourselves a disservice- no matter what time of year. These are simple things that you can do TODAY if you are feeling a little slumpy (I just made up a word) and need a pick-me-up!
Fostering a greater sense of an internal locus of control- a sense that you are responsible for how you feel- gives you greater joy in life. Why? Because instead of just being the victim of what’s happening to you (external locus of control), you realize that yes, things will happen to me, but I’m in control of how I react to it.
The social media trap-spending hours mindlessly scrolling. I’ve been very aware of not falling down that rabbit hole since I spend a good amount of time online for my business. If you wake up and scroll your feed in bed before you start your day, or you lose your whole lunch hour watching YouTube videos, or you spend hours at night on your phone and watching TV at the same time (multi-tasking- not!), and you feel like you’re losing so much valuable time, take a step back. Assess how much time you are spending just “checking in.” Keep track of it for a week and I’m sure you’ll be very surprised. Sure, we all need to catch up on social media and it does have its benefits- but can you use some of that time and put it towards something productive and/or fun? A date night, a workout, cooking, dancing around your house while you clean- turn the phone off or put it on airplane mode for two hours a few times a week. You’ll survive. I promise.
It feels damn good to be giving – to give to someone without expecting something in return. I love spoiling friends with little gifts and surprises from time to time. Some people may say it’s selfish to give if it makes you feel good- but hey, I’d rather be selfish in that manner than actually doing something selfishly that won’t benefit others. I had a freak out attack ordering a drink from the Starbucks drive through because a spider was crawling into my car through my open window- the Starbucks employee gave me a free drink for my troubles. I felt great about getting a free drink, but I’m sure that employee felt even better doing a kind gesture to a girl in distress (that spider was too close for comfort). I donated to my friend’s charity without even being asked to- because it feels good to give.
It’s summer time! Time to slow down, take a vacation, enjoy the sun, go to brunches on rooftops (that’s me at least!). Although the weather is warm and we have may more down time, that doesn’t necessarily correlate with an improved mood of overall happiness. If we rely solely on Read more…
Burnout is a hot topic, for good reason. It’s fair to say that our always-connected work environments contribute to this burn out. Checking our work emails and messages at night or first thing in the morning (even waking up in the MIDDLE of the night to check!) takes you on the fast lane to feeling burnt out. Fuzzy boundaries make for unclear expectations for employers and employees alike.
When you’re always on, you feel it- physically, emotionally, mentally. You are become exhausted, and that exhaustion becomes your norm. Here are some tips to be proactive to prevent burnout:
It’s important to have a bigger picture in life. However, nowadays there are so many different factors and unpredictable twists and turns in our journey that can really stress us out. Nothing is really stable or secure, although some people may perceive some positions as ‘secure.’ It’s hard to imagine where we will be 10 years from now, let alone two years from now. Just roll with the punches and take every experience for what it is- don’t expect to have it all figured out because you never will.
Do you find yourself busy but not productive? It’s a curse from us millennials. To be busy looks deceivingly good. Taking on all the tasks and projects ourselves makes us look like the heroes; however, don’t mistake busy for productive. Be intentional with what you decide to focus on, what your next moves are, and how you rest.
Do you have that little red light coming from your DVR player? Is your cell phone screen changed to night shift? Is your cell phone on airplane mode the whole night? Let’s face it- most of us don’t get enough sleep, or better yet- great quality of sleep. Create a space of darkness, prevent exposure to bright lights and screens at least one hour before bed, as bright lights can interrupt our circadian rhythm.
We all know the “I don’t have enough time” line. Sure- we can work til our faces turn blue or until the cows come home, but that is really necessary? We simply are not carving out the time for self-care, because it may be perceived as selfish. How can you expect for your light to burn brightly if you don’t take care of yourself? Creating a balance- however that looks like for you is crucial to making time for things that make your soul feel good. Stop letting that phrase sneak into your day to day- if you don’t make the time to take care of yourself now, it may negatively impact you down the road.
Burnout is a hot topic, for good reason. It’s fair to say that our always-connected work environments contribute to this burn out. Checking our work emails and messages at night or first thing in the morning (even waking up in the MIDDLE of the night to check!) takes you on Read more…
Stress! Work-life balance is increasingly non-existent as in today’s world we are an “always on” work culture. The physical ramifications of this imbalance may cause changes in:
As you may know, stress is not new for humans- it served a purpose back in our beginnings. However, in recent decades, stress as evolved from life and death issues to much less threatening concepts- most of the time, it is caused by expectations. The easiest way to reduce stress is to streamline your level of organization. Tackle your to-do list! By doing this, you will organize your life, reduce your stress, and improve your mood.
If you feel like your to-do list is never-ending and it has control over you, it’s time you take charge so you can clear your mind and reduce your stress. You don’t have to stop everything to be organized, you just have to START. You’ll never really find the time to organize, you need to make it happen! Here are some tips to help you find a place to start:
Write down six things you need to do the next day and rank them in order of importance. The first thing on your list should be the first thing you do in the morning- no matter what. From there, move on to list item number two. The least important tasks on the list should be numbered four-six; if you don’t get to them, they can be rolled over to the next day if needed.
I’ve gone old-school and I have an agenda/planner that I regularly write in. If you’re more into technology, you can maintain a to-do list on your phone and use your phone calendar. I use a combination of both- for example, if I have a doctor’s appointment, I’ll mark it down in my planner and my phone calendar. I find that having a planner helps keep my day organized.
I follow the 42/18 rule- Out of an hour, I will dedicate 42 minutes to 100% focus on a task that needs to get done. I can’t sit for too long, so I will set a 42 minute timer. Once it goes off, I can relax a bit, stretch, check my social media, eat a snack- recharge my batteries. I won’t even look at my phone during those 42 minutes of work time.
A task can go on until the end of time if I don’t set a deadline. I really don’t want to clean out my trunk and I have that task on the back-burner so it will NEVER get done. This week, I decided that my trunk MUST be cleared out by the end of week. Having a deadline replaces the “I’ll get to it sometime” mentality- which we all know we won’t if we don’t put some urgency behind it.
I’m SUPER guilty of this. I will go to sleep late and wake up not as early as I’d like. It’s all about making this a consistent routine. What you get done everyday matters more than what you do once in a while. This is an important habit to establish as I definitely feel more productive if I get up early and have some quiet time before my day starts.
Stress! Work-life balance is increasingly non-existent as in today’s world we are an “always on” work culture. The physical ramifications of this imbalance may cause changes in: Physical comfort (fatigue, compromised health) Mental signs (forgetfulness, loss of focus) Emotions (irritability, lack of confidence, apathy) Behaviors (restlessness, increased alcohol consumption, insomnia) Read more…
I had my first panic attack when I was seventeen years old at a concert. Soon after, I started getting more intense and frequent panic attacks towards the end of high school and in college. It go so bad at one point I didn’t want to leave the house.
Basically, when we are in full-blown panic mode, our sympathetic nervous system is activated- digestion slows down and your heart rate and blood pressure increase. I saw several psychologists on/off for years, up until several years ago. I can comfortably say that I did not necessarily “grow out” of panic attacks, but I just developed strategies to deal with them and have been working on shifting my mindset. I am still susceptible to a panic attack of course- however, they are far and few now due to several techniques I’ve been implementing over the years that have turned sheer overwhelm to more of a “You got it!” attitude. Here’s how I do it:
I sit down for 10 minutes every morning before my day starts and I close my eyes. I don’t try to stop thinking, I just aim to be aware of all the sounds around me, how my body is positioned in the chair, my breathing. I will count my breathes and draw my focus inwards. I use the Headspace app for a guided and short meditation. I find that this has added tremendous value in my life. Instead of reacting to everything that happens to me, I take some time to set my day off right, take some deep breaths, and soothe not only my brain but my soul.
Along with my guided meditations, I take time afterward for an extra few minutes to think about all that I’m grateful for. I’ve added this at the end of my meditation everyday because I feel like all too often, we get caught up in wishing/wanting for things to be different in our lives. I truly feel that I am much happier and fulfilled when I do take the time to realize all that I’m thankful for and I stop thinking so much about what I don’t have yet.
Take a walk, go to a private place and take some deep breaths- remove yourself from the stressful situation if you can. There is evidence to suggest even taking a quick walk outside can boost your emotional, physical, and mental state. Getting that new perspective even just from a walk can do wonders. You’ll likely find that you can accomplish more in less time and with less frustration once you’ve allowed yourself a break.
I find that I can go to sleep much better if I write down everything I need to do in my planner before I go to bed. Having this piece of mind does so much for me because I take everything out of my head and put it onto paper, where it can no longer bother me during sleep. I have also realized planning too much in advance for certain things increases my anxiety, so I take it one day at a time for the little stuff. For the major stuff, it’s necessary to plan things out as needed.
Going from drowning and panic mode to a mode of empowerment and a “I got this” attitude while implementing the tools I mentioned above is so powerful. I find myself in small bouts of overwhelm everyday (I’m not immune to it!) but I can definitely say I can handle it much better. These simple strategies will help you calm the physical and mental responses you have to overwhelm so you can turn overwhelm into opportunity.
I had my first panic attack when I was seventeen years old at a concert. Soon after, I started getting more intense and frequent panic attacks towards the end of high school and in college. It go so bad at one point I didn’t want to leave the house. Basically, Read more…