Simple self-care tips to practice on your commute

Simple self-care tips to practice on your commuteSimple self-care tips to practice on your commuteLong commutes suck. Whether youre taking a car, subway, or bus almost everyone agrees that the commute is one of their least favorite parts of the work week. A recent National Geographicstudy even argued that employees who swap their 1 hour+ commutes for working closer to home are as happy as those who received a 40,000 salary raise If you feel like your commute is sucking the life out of you its essential to include self-care and relaxation techniques during your travel time so that you can arrive at work recharged and ready to succeedWhen your commute has you leaving at the crack of dawn and getting back late at night, it can easily lead to bad behaviors that take a toll on your physical or mental health. If you feel like youre spending hours trapped in transit every single weekday you may not feel like you have the energy left to exercise, prepare healthy meals, or go out with friends . Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to relocate to a job within walking distance. So if youre stuck sacrificing a chunk of your day to the long-grind its essential to find a way to escape the stress and boredom. Luckily, there are strategies all commuters can incorporate into their daily lives to make their journey way more enjoyable.Here are our tips for how you can practice self-care during your travel time and transform your commute from a necessary evil to something youll look forward to at the end of a long work day.1. Stretch it outOne of the absolute worst things you can do after sitting at a desk for 8 hours is to immediately transition into sitting in a car for another hour or so. Even if youre dying to get home as soon as possible, take 15min to get your blood pumping by walking to a nearby caf, practicing a couple simple yoga poses, or even just doing laps around the parking lot2. Break free from work worriesIts essential to separate those gaps of time going to and from the office as you time. Dont treat your travel time like youre already on the clock by answering emails or trying to take calls with clients. Similarly, your first thoughts on the way home shouldnt be centered on everything you have to get done tomorrow morning. A healthy work-life balance begins with a healthy mindset, so you dont feel like work is consuming your whole identity.3. People watchYou may think paying attention to all the random people riding the subway will only make you feel worse about your own trip (and humanity in general ) But actually, being engaged and aware of your surroundings is a great escape from the me, me, me trap we all fall into when doing tasks we dislike. When youre already cranky,its easy to label slow drivers or seat hogs as horrible people purposely trying to ruin your day. But instead of adding onto a bad mood with negative thoughts take a deep breathe and keep in mind that everyone else is living their own story and trying to get to the ir ultimate destination.4. Pump up your playlistTheres nothing like hearing your favorite song to instantly lift your mood.Music is psychologically proven to help boost your moodand impact our emotional levels during times of stress like intense exercise or pre-surgery. One great strategy for a better commute is to have a set playlist specifically chosen for your way in and out of your workplace. Try more upbeat, loud tunes for the morning to wake our brain up and a mellow mix of classical or acoustic songs to unwind to on the way home. Unlike the annoying drone of an alarm clock, having a personalized ready-for-work anthem in your morning routine will train your brain associate heading into the office as a positive, happy experience rather than a painful chore.5. Expand your mindRather than try and kill time mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds on your phone, why not pull out a book instead? Keeping a book in your work bag that you can read while traveling. Reading doubl es as the perfect entertaining distraction to make the time go faster while still keeping your mind awake and active. Many ofthe richest CEOS on the planet swear that reading every day has made them better business leaders.We all claim wed read more if we had more time but Its also a great way to break up the strain of staring at computer screens all day in the office.If you drive or bike to work, you can also try listening to an audiobook or a new podcast episode and get lost in a story.6. Call a loved oneOne of the worst parts of commuting is how lonely it can make you feel. Despite being packed in with dozens of people every day, no one on public transport i tends to enjoy speaking to strangers or even making eye-contact. Next time youre feeling lost in the crowd, use the time to catch up with someone you care about whether its calling your parents to check-in or sending a funny picture to your best friend. Now with wireless headsets and Bluetooth features, even car commuters can safely make calls while keeping their eyes on the road. Just a short chat can boost your mood and act as a much-needed reminder when youre trapped in a tiny train car that youre connected to a much bigger world. And as a bonus letting the person on the other end of the line know youre thinking of them will likely brighten their day too7. Keep a thought journalUsing a thought journal is one of the simplest and most effective forms of therapy. If you take the train home, try pulling out a small notebook and scribbling down all the different parts of your day from pet peeves, to-do lists, accomplishments, or even just random daydreams or future goals. Seeing everything physically laid out on paper is a great emotional release from obsessive thoughts or anxieties. Writing down all the parts of a big project thats been giving you trouble is also a great way to gain new perspectives on situations and come up with creative problem-solving solutionsThisarticlewas originally published onKun unu.com.

Manufacturers Fired Too Many

Manufacturers Fired Too ManyManufacturers Fired Too ManyManufacturers fired mora than necessary. Now they should be poised to hire, but only a particular type of candidate.Since 2008, many manufacturing, supply-chain and consumer products businesses have been in a state of crisis.The result was a perfect storm of bad news for Frank Laux, the president and founder of Strategic Search Partners, based in Keller, Texas, and a specialist in such industries.Manufacturing has been hit so hard by the economic crisis, he said, especially as far as plant managers and these kinds of positions are concerned.For months, plants werent hiring, only firing. But they went too far, Laux said - fired too many - and the echo effect reverberating now is an opportunity for recruiters and job seekers alike.Companies understand that their ability to grow their way out of the recession hinges on these crucial employees however, a job seeker must be at the top of his game.I have functional expertise in the supply-chain and manufacturing areas, so I focus on jobs like vice president of supply-chain management, purchasing director, plant managers, he said. But these clients are extremely particular, and they wont even consider a candidate who isnt 100 percent perfect.The perfect candidate in this industry must have a proven track record of constant success and be able to hit the ground running in any position, he said.Whomever they hire has to be a success immediately, he said. Theres no margin for error, and theres no learning curve allowed. These candidates have to have experience in management in a really tough economic environment they have to be able to show they can cut costs, run things more efficiently and generate profits.Laux said in this industry, action-oriented candidates have the best chance of landing a position. Action-oriented candidates generate results immediately need minimal training and are ready, willing and able to prove themselves from their first day on the job .Ninety-nine percent of the applicants I see are not perfect. They dont meet the minimum requirements, they dont have leadership or management skills, he said. But the most important factor I have to look for is someone who is bottom-line focused and results oriented. The person who can demonstrate that she is, is the superior candidate.

Art Director Job Description

species Director Job DescriptionArt Director Job DescriptionArt Director Job DescriptionThis art director sample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements.Art Director Job ResponsibilitiesProduces art layouts by developing art concepts providing work direction to staff.Art Director Job DutiesAccomplishes art department work requirements by orienting, training, assigning, scheduling, coaching employees.Meets art department work standards by following production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards resolving operational problems identifying work process improvements.Meets art department cost standards by monitoring expenses implementing cost-saving actions.Formulates art concepts by supervising workers engaged in executing layout entwurfs for art work and copy to be presented by visual commun ications media.Keeps customers informed by reviewing illustrative material for presentation.Reviews project production factors by studying budget, background information, objectives, presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.Selects and secures illustrative material by formulating basic layout design concept conducting research.Produces illustrative material by assigning layout design concept to artists and photographers directing development of design concepts into art layouts.Prepares layouts for printing by marking-up, pasting-up, and finishing layouts.Obtains client approval by presenting final layouts, story boards, and illustrations responding to client commentary and requests.Improves quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes implementing changes.Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities reading professional publications maintaining personal networks participating in professional organizations.Enhances art department a nd organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.Art Director Skills and QualificationsCoordination, Creativity, Vision, Project Management, Product Management, Organization, Graphic Design Skills, Developing Creative Standards, Illustration Tools, Desktop Publishing Skills, Multimedia Content DevelopmentEmployers Post a job in minutes to reach candidates everywhere. Job Seekers Search Art Director Jobs and apply on now.

Interview Questions for Pharmacists

Interview Questions for PharmacistsInterview Questions for PharmacistsNo matter how good a candidate looks on paper, its essential to properly evaluate each job candidate to ensure theyre a good fit for your pharmacy. They need to have the appropriate skills, degrees, and certifications, but they also need certain soft skills. From outstanding customer service to a personality that fits into your organizations culture, choosing the right person can be a difficult task. In most cases, you only have one interview to get an idea of whether or bedrngnis a candidate will be a good fit. However, if you look at key data, you can make an educated selection for a new employee Find out the last places your candidate worked and chronologically go through and find out details about each job. It will give you an idea of if they are a job-hopper and likely wont be with you for more than a year, or if they have tried multiple career paths.Ask them how their former bosses would rate them and what he or she would list as the candidates strengths and weaknesses. Look for honesty and a drive for self-improvement. Remember to follow up with former bosses as well to get their impressions of your candidate. Ask the candidate what they rate as their biggest accomplishments and find out why those accomplishments are a big deal for them. It gives you an idea of their value systems, what goals they set and how they go about achieving their goals.Have the candidate describe the team at the last three jobs he or she had, and how the company was when they left. Find out what role your candidate played in any changes. For instance, if the company went through a large merger, was the candidate part of team-building programs? That can be an indication of how he or she will work with you in the future. Think about problems you have in your pharmacy- such as difficult customers- and ask the candidate how they would deal with that problem.Ask, What are your biggest weaknesses professionally and what have you done to overcome them? Job candidates often turn it around and give responses such as I work too hard. But youre looking for a legitimate answer that highlights the candidates self-awareness and willingness to work on flaws. Look for a candidate who acknowledges her weakness, but then goes on to explain how she is working on correcting that weakness, such as I have a tendency to rush and forget to double-check my work. Im working on fixing this bad habit by making a checklist that I make myself go through with every project, to ensure I checked over everything thoroughly for accuracy. Ask, Whats the biggest misconception that people have about you and how do you overcome it? This will tell you about areas where the candidate is self-conscious or defensive. How they handle peoples impressions, gossip or other issues is an important part of how they will fit into the daily routine. While hiring is never easy, particularly for a pharmacy position, if you do some preparati on and choose interview questions carefully, you can improve your chances of hiring the right person.

Seasonal Employment

Seasonal EmploymentSeasonal EmploymentSeasonal employment provides the employer with needed temporary helpers during high volume, busy times of the year. Employers hire seasonal employees to do the work necessary to supplement the performance capacity of their regular employees to produce products or serve customers. Examples of seasonal employment time periods and venues include The fall and winter holiday seasons when customers flock to retail stores, restaurants, grocery stores, hotel banquet rooms, entertainment venues, and barsSummers seasonal employment in resorts, outdoor recreation locations, and parksSummers seasonal employment to replace the work of full-time, regular employees as they take vacations and catch up with familySummer into fall when farmers markets open across the country, farmers harvest their vegetables and fruits, and food preservation isin top demand and Winters seasonal employment at venues dedicated to snow sports and recreation. Seasonal Employment Ad vantages for the Employer The advantage for the employer of hiring seasonal employees during their high volume, busy time periods is that you dont have to spend the money to keep the temporary employees on your payroll year round. According to the National Retail Federation For some retailers, the holiday season can represent as much as 20-40% of annual sales. This kind of volume creates the need for mora employees than the employers can absorb year round. Employers also benefit from the fact that hiring seasonal employees also reduces the number of full-time, regular employees that they must employ to accomplish the work of the firm. Seasonal employees are rarely paid benefits, which saves the employer on labor costs given that benefits can make an employees compensation a third higher than just the basic salary or hourly wages. They also bring employers new ideas, fresh energy, and buffer the schedule for employee vacations and holidays. Seasonal Employees Are Covered by Law Seasonal employees are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). They must be paid the Federal minimum wageor the minimum wage that was set by their state or local jurisdiction, whichever is more advantageous to the employee. Seasonal employees can work part-timeor full-time. Employers are free to schedule employees who are 16 yearsand older as needed by the business.Federal law does not limit the number of hours or the times of day for employees who are 16 years and older. Please note that many states have more restrictive labor laws that give higher minimum voreingestellts that must govern employment practices. Take a look at the rules published by your state equivalent of the Department of Labor. Seasonal employees are entitled to overtime pay at a rate of one and a half times their regular rate of pay if they work more than 40 hours during their standard work week. This law applies whether the employee is a temporary or seasonal employee or a full-time, regular employee. H ow you schedule and pay seasonal employees may be affected by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.See more about how toschedule and pay seasonal and temporaryemployees including how to keep from paying for the health care coverage of your seasonal employees. How to Obtain Seasonal Employees Employers obtain seasonal employees by estimating the extra help they will need and then, posting the jobs using their normal methods for recruiting employees. Employers can contact temporary employment agencies to contract for seasonal employees. The agencies charge a fee, but some employers find the process less costly than recruiting, interviewing, and hiring seasonal employees on their own. People use seasonal employees to provide services or products to customers during high volume business times. They make much more sense than to employ peoplewho arenot needed year round.

The Difference between Resume and Cv Stories

The Difference between Resume and Cv Stories A poorly formatted CV can create a candidate seem unprofessional. A CV template can help you to structure your CV in a manner thats simple to read and simple to digest. A completely free CV template supplies you with a very clear structure for your document. Utilizing a CV template can help to make koranvers that your CV design is clean and tidy in addition to professional. Nowadays even candidates are requested to explain whats the difference between CV and Resume. Resumes are rarely longer than one page. Although it isnt uncommon for resumes to have references included, its mora common for CVs to come with an extra page of reference details. Our handy ideas and CV examples will supply you with all the info you have to place your CV together. You will probably need a CV when applying for a work abroad. If you are able to, tailor your CV to the job that youre applying for. The New Angle On Difference Between Resume and Cv Just R eleased Make certain there arent any spelling or grammatical errors. Therefore it is necessary to make an impressive and job-specific document. Your resume structure will also permit you to incorporate some achievements. Resume provides surface information of achievements of an individual. The Most Popular Difference between Resume and Cv Youll discover a selection of premium quality example CVs on our website. To begin with, once the recruiters go through your resume, they receive a very first impression of your profile. Resume content will change in line with the sort of job role. Handling the design even though the content of your CV is extremely important, its design will likewise be taken into consideration by fhigkeit employers. The 30-Second Trick for Difference Between Resume and Cv Many people arent aware regarding the difference between resume and CV. Each of us must be alert to the fact a discussion is thought of among the vital stages while judging the job as pirants. The response lies in your aims. In addition, since a resume is an extremely customizable document, it doesnt need to be in chronological order or cover an individuals full career history. 1 additional headache is attempting to choose whether you have to compose a resume or a CV. The most typical are the chronological format, but it isnt always the very best option for everybody. The chief reason why resumes arent long documents is because they arent intended for the reader to dwell on them for lengthy periods of time. Job responsibilities could apply to anybody who has held that distinct job. Resumes are usually utilised to apply for practically any work not in academics. Resumes are somewhat more common and its important that you know how to compose an effective resume if youre in the job application procedure. Applying for that very first job may be intimidating for people going into the world of professionals. Our experts will attempt to fix your queries. Befor e you begin applying for jobs, youll need to decide on which one is acceptable for you. Applying for employment is a trying endeavor. The New Angle On Difference Between Resume and Cv Just Released A CV is the main document necessary for teaching positions and research. A common CV for someone in the early phases of their graduate school career could possibly be 2-3 pages, but for a seasoned researcher, it may be 10 or more pages. In a CV, for example, if youre asking for work in education, you will need to include your teaching experience at the peak of your Curriculum Vitae. In a CV, for instance, if youre asking for work in education, you may want to place your teaching experience at the very top of your CV. Additionally, there are countries where having a CV is a must. For instance, even in North America, there are particular circumstances where a CV is necessary. CV is meant to be a complete record of your career history. A prosperous CV is simple to read, straightfor ward and enables a possible employer to visualise a candidate.

5 Ways to Make the Best Use of Interns - Spark Hire

5 Ways to Make the Best Use of Interns - Spark HireFor young companies, and established ones as well, interns are a goldmine. They are young, fresh, savvy and willing to learn everything they can about your industry and their role. With their help you can reach different markets and lighten your load significantly. When managed correctly, an intern can serve as a mutually beneficial relationship for your company. Of course, having an intern comes with a certain level of responsibility as well. An intern is not a desk monkey simply there to do the dirty work. Theyre taking this internship to learn more and to gain some experience in the industry they are interested in. Theres a good way to handle interns and a bad way. So lets take a look at six ways to make the best use of interns.Learning CurveIn order to have an effective internship at your company, there needs to be something the intern gains from you as well. If you just have your interns filing papers, making copies and simply u pdating your social media under the title marketing intern, what really are they learning? A big fat nothing In this kind of relationship youre reaping all of the benefits. This all spells bad internship and will likely add a bad rep to your company name- trust me, word gets around. In order to avoid that altogether, before you hire an intern you should sit down and brainstorm all of the things you hope this intern will learn from the internship. If its how to fax an invoice and how to use the copy machine, you might want to think again. If its gaining valuable experience in learning SEO techniques, navigating around WordPress or other things of that nature, youre on the right track.Include Them in MeetingsInvolving your intern in weekly meetings, or whenever you choose to have them, allows them to gain a ton of experience in the field. They can see how ideas are generated, how goals are set/tracked, how management interacts with employees and much more. To count them out simply bec ause they are an intern is doing a disservice not only to them but to you as well. Interns are full of fresh ideas and including them in the meetings might help to foster those ideas and work to get them out. Not taking advantage of their perspective and opinion, even if its just listening to them, is a disadvantage to you.Hire Them Like an EmployeeWhen you are ready to bring on an intern, or many, you should hire them as you would an employee. Not only does this give them experience in the hiring process, but it also helps you choose the best candidate for what you need. You will obviously have to alter the bewerbungsgesprch process a bit, seeing as though they likely wont have much experience, but it will help you and your team decide who will be the best fit. On top of that, interviewing has become a fine art. The more exposure, the better. So to gain this experience is a great advantage to an intern- or a hopeful intern.Stay Away From Free LaborIn other words, pay your interns. There have been so many cases of intern abuse where a company hired an intern to do a huge job and paid them nothing simply because it was cheap. This is taking advantage of internships, and interns, and giving the whole experience a bad name. If you cant pay them, then you should only be hiring students that can earn college credit for their time and work. If your intern is doing a ton of work and you arent paying them a thing- and they arent gaining credit- then are you just using them for free labor? This is wrong and they will pick up on it in no time. Plus, a worker being compensated for their work is more apt to put more effort and care into their job. They will work harder and care more which, in turn, is great for you.Opportunity of EmploymentDepending on the nature of the job, offering your interns the possibility of staying on full-time is extremely advantageous for both parties. For the intern, they are motivated to work hard and to really prove themselves if they know th ey may be asked to stay on as an employee when their internship is up. In this case, you get the most out of your intern great ideas, fresh perspectives and a dedicated worker. Plus, if you know you need to eventually turn this internship into an actual position, then you already have someone that is qualified to do the job and knows their way around the company. They are already familiar with what you have going on and you dont have to start fresh. This, of course, only applies to the intern that succeeded in their role and did a great job, but for a qualified worker thats a risk you should be willing to take. If it doesnt work out, both parties likely learned something from the experience- if only knowing what they do not want.So you see, making the best use of interns isnt a difficult or taxing job. It just takes a certain amount of care and responsibility. If you want to hire an intern to simply do your dirty work, go ahead. But you wont be taking advantage of the wealth of know ledge and perspective that young interns and workers can bring to the table. In the end, its really your loss.IMAGE Courtesy of Brain.LAFilm

6 ways to curb your snacking while in the office

6 ways to curb your snacking while in the geschftszimmer6 ways to curb your snacking while in the officeThis year, you decided youd go through a painful, difficult breakup. You knew it wouldnt be easy, but you were prepared for the separation anxiety. The onset of tears. The rumbling in your soul. You didnt want to, yet your waistline was begging you to cut the cord with the unhealthy snacks at work. Doughnuts, pizza, bagels, candy, cupcakes - ugh and oh my.Its all too easy to let your diet fall lower on your priority list at work thanks to a slew of factors, according to Gabriele Geerts, a registered dietitian at Green Chef. Whether it be break-room snacks, vending machines down the hall, or a lack of planning, mindless snacking is especially easy at work.The feeling of being hungry can be influenced by things like stress, boredom, and fatigue, which means a mid-afternoon craving may not even be triggered by legitimate hunger, she continues. Avoiding mindless snacking is especiall y difficult when food is accessible and free, making us mora likely to eat and continue to overeat.To prevent you from going back to those habits that are toxic and terrible for you, try these effective hacks from nutrition prosReplace your snacking habit with something more productive.After you down your salad, health bowl or veggie-rich soup, you instantly want something sweet. So you poke around the kitchen at work, grab something, down it - and then suffer the consequences a few hours later. It might not seem like much of a routine, but it is nonetheless, according to nutrition expert Jen Silverman. Much like quitting smoking, to get yourself out of this rut, you need to replace this action with something productive.Walk away from your workspace and find something more productive than consuming unnecessary calories. Whether its sipping hot tea, taking a 10-minute walk, or making a quick call to your mom, break the habit. You could also read that NY Times article you were eager to get through, listen to music, get some fresh air, take a walk, she continues. Clearing your head is more beneficial to your wellbeing and it wont leave you with a brain-fog or afternoon fatigue.Rate your hunger on a scaleMonica Auslander Moreno, MS, RDN, a nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition,urges professionals to take a long hard think about why they are reaching for a snack. How? Rating their hunger on a scale of one to ten, with one being starving and 10 being terribly full.Sit back. Turn off your digital distractions. Go outside the building or in the hall, alone, if you have to. Assign yourself a hunger number, she recommends. Think about when and what the last thing you ate was. What number would seem appropriate for you to begin eating? Why are you at that number (did you eat too much/ too little at your last meal?) What number do you expect to get to after your snack?Dont be afraid to speak upSilverman shares sometimes it isnt about lack of willpower - but rather, wor kplace culture. If every single time you walk into a meeting there are cookies, cupcakes or another type of sugar or carb-heavy snack, its worth speaking up to your manager or human resources. You might be surprised by how responsive and receptive they are to the feedback.Companies are willing to invest in their employees health and productivity. They understand that sugar-laden, nutrient-poor food have negative effects on workplace efficiency, Silverman shares.Plan aheadBefore you leave your homestead, Geerts suggests eating a well-balanced, fulfilling breakfast that will hold you over for at least a few hours. And to save money - and help you resist temptations - pack a satisfying lunch. A fueled mind and body is more likely to focus on work, not excessive snacking. Make your meals count and focus on a healthy ratio of protein, carbohydrate, and fat, she adds.Remember You cant have just one biteIf no one saw you take a big ol bite out of the brownie - did it ever happen? Sorry, but it did and even a single nibble can impact how well you perform in the office.The minute the tasty treat hits your lips - even if its as small as a Hershey kiss - your blood sugar spikes and it signals your brain and hunger hormones ghrelin, Silverman explains. Suddenly, you want more Believe it or not, its actually easier to refrain entirely than it is to have a small piece. Youre better off refraining altogether.Refrain from eating while you workEspecially when youre under the gun on a deadline, chowing down while you get through emails, proposals, and projects. It may seem efficient, but its actually the opposite, according to Geerts, if you want to stay healthy. How come? She explains whether it is a snack or a meal, its important to pay attention to your food and enjoy it, so you dont overeat.As she explains, studies show the snacking decreases significantly when its near you- or in your desk drawer.

Emotions If you must talk about politics at work, a trauma expert tells you how

Emotions If you must talk about politics at work, a trauma expert tells you howEmotions If you must talk about politics at work, a trauma expert tells you howThe topic of politics hasalways come up in theworkplace, and, for years, many of us have been able to control our emotionsand engage in respectful dialogue. But the recent election season and the current U.S. presidency havesome of us so on edge that defensive debate and discord are coming to the forefront more than ever before.Different people deal with political stress in different ways.Some may identify like-minded colleagues and find solace deep in theirred or blue camps. Some may leidtalk about issues in the office- and thensilently engage on social media. And somemay avoid conflict altogether.Regardless of political leaning or approach to political issues at work, its clear whats going on in our country hasdeeply affected many of us.Now, more than ever, it feels like many Americans fundamentally and strongly disagree on de eply held core values. More and bigger issues seem to be at risk. Put together with never-endingnews coverageand Twitter feeds, and we have a potentially combustible combination.According to a recent surveyby BetterWorks, 87% of employees read political social media posts at work, and 49% have seen political discussions turn into arguments. Out of the 500 survey respondents, 29%said theyhave been less productive since the election.As a psychologist, Ive worked for years to help people feel heard and help them listen to one another. Inunterstellung particularly contentious times, with people experiencing limited energy and feelings of hopelessness, it can be hard to conjure up the skills to survive politicalinteractions at work- let alone master them.Here are some things you can do when politics come up in conversation at work.Be a good listenerIts easy tolet conversations go off the rails. But you can learneffectivecommunication skills.Theseinclude active listening (making a conscio us effort to hear and really understand the message), paraphrasing (repeating back succinctly your understanding of what the person just saidin your own words), making good eye contact, and exhibiting open voice tone and body language (e.g., not having your arms crossed in front of your chest).Take a step backWhat underlies some of these conversations is a staunch belief that were right.We often assume the worst about the other person, and we try hard to persuade them to see our point of view.Then we want, expect, and demand that our colleagues change- without exerting energy to try to understand their side.It can be helpful togain a healthy distance and remember that everyones perspective is different and that everyone has the right to have theiropinion heard.Dont focus on negative emotionsHeated debates can leave us feeling threatened, rejected, or defensive. At best these interactions are stressful and unproductive. They can make usdread going to work the next dayand make us not want to see- let alone work with- our colleagues. These feelings can bleed over into our productivity and sanity.Negative emotions are a part of life. Pushing these emotions away as soon as we feel them often has a boomerang effect. If emotions are not experienced, they can leak or burst when we least expect them to. But if we allow ourselves to feel these emotions, they often come in and flow out like a wave.If negative emotions persist over a period of time, then seeking ways to process those emotions, such as meditation, physical exercise, or talking with a friend or therapist, may be necessary.Stop trying to win argumentsWere not moving forward when were arguing. Whenwe engage in adversarial posturing, digging our roots into the earth and daring our colleagues to try and move us,it doesnt makefor effective and efficient workplaces, let alone ones we want tobe in.In Difficult Conversations How to Discuss What Matters Most, Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen of the Harva rd Negotiation Project advise that mutual agreement should not necessarily be the goal. Rather, we might want to change our aim to a better understanding of others perspectives and offer an invitation for joint exploration.Put yourself in the other persons shoesPeoples choices are complex, and political views recently seem particularly tied to peoples identities and beliefs.Rather than judge others, can we encourage or even challenge ourselves to actively listen and try to understand others? Its easier said than done, for sure. But it can be worthwhile.Be respectfulLife can be hard, and not every person we come into contact at work or in our home community is someone we will click with or understand. We need to decide for ourselves which relationships we need to invest in or make sure theyfunction well enough.Sometimes, despite our best efforts and intentions, despite our restful sleep and good communication and emotion-regulation skills, we have to realize that some things may not ever get sorted out. Sometimes we are going to have to walk away. And the best we can do is to respectfully agree to disagree.Dr. Joan Cookis a psychologist, an associate professor at Yale University and an Op-Ed Project Public Voices fellow.

What its like pumping at the office  from women who did it

What its like pumping at the office from women who did itWhat its like pumping at the office from women who did itWhile you might be one of the lucky ones who absolutely adores what they do for a living, ask any parent and theyll be the first to tell you nothing quite compares to the love of a child. That being said, the transition from two to three isnt easy for eitzu sich party, but for motherbeis, the hormonal shift is just the start of the changes. Especially for women who want to and choose to return to the office after giving birth, figuring out how to maintain a pumping schedule for breastfeeding is one of the biggest hurdles. (That and all of the feelings when you receive a picture of your baby from the sitter or caretaker at home and wish you could jet back to snuggle him or her)The month of August celebrates breastfeeding in an effort to bring awareness to the tough, flexible and problem-solving women who earn six figures, run teams and multi-million dollar companies all w hile raising a family, too. Whew. Here, successful working mothers share how they transitioned back to work, mastered the difficulty of pumping and how you can, tooPump when you can - and get creativeCreator and owner of The Cookie Cups Nicole Pomije put it best when she says breastfeeding, in general, is challenging for any mother, and for working mothers, a whole other layer of stress is added. And if youre an entrepreneur? You might feel like a one-woman show - and not always in a fun way. Recently, when Pomije finished her maternity leave and returned to work, she was operating a business on her own with one bathroom.Throughout the past four months at the store, Ive pumped about twice per day- in between customers, conference calls and well, actually baking, she shared.And since sales can be an unpredictable business, shes learned to expect interruptions to her schedule I go to pump when there seems to be a lull at work, get my pump set up and a customer walks in, she shares.S o how does she make it work? Pumping whenever she gets a second, even during digital meetings. If theres the conference call you have to be on, but wont do much talking, I take that time to pump as well. It only doesnt work when someone on the line asks for you and you quickly go to shut off the pump power so you can quickly engage, she adds.Be strategic with your schedule to maintain work productivityWhen co-founder and CEO of YouEarnedIt, Autumn Manning became a first-time mother at the age of 26, she wasnt just juggling children - but her budding business and plenty of travel, too. To make nursing work for her, Manning had to get smart about her schedule and allow herself much-needed breaks to provide for her baby. In addition to planning and mental preparedness, she also became a mastermind of travel schedules. Specifically commuting to and from business meetings, figuring out anywhere and anywhere she could stop, pump and go.It was surprisingly rare to find a mothers room so I would use any place that was available the car, customer bathrooms, conference rooms that would lock- or whatever I could find, she explained. While not the rosiest of situations, considering the concept of mothers rooms is still a growing industry, many women are forced to make due with whatever location they can scope out.Plan aheadFounder of Majka and Bloguettes Lorena Garcia says the moment she became a mother, her whole world changed. Everything she thought she knew was much different - and harder. And it took a bit of trial-and-error to figure out how to make motherhood and pumping work for her. On her first day back to work, she wore a sweater with no nursing bra, forcing her to ahem, completely undress to pump, leaving her exposed. While they might have been okay if she was alone, she noticed an open window giving people in the building across the street a full view.That was a nice little reminder to be more prepared before heading out the door for work. I started laying o ut my clothes the night before so I would make sure that I wore the appropriate clothing and nursing bra and did not have to strip down again, she explained. While this is one part of the planning process, consider everything you need to pump with ease before heading into the office so youre prepared for the day ahead.Think of pumping as a break and your personal alone timeWhats meant to be a time when you pause to create nourishment for your child, can actually prove to be quite complicated. Though you might be multi-tasking most of the time, when you can, Pomije encourages women to savor some of the time pumping as an actual break.If you are going to be pumping at work, think of it as a positive, a little break throughout the day where you can almost meditate while pumping and regroup, she explains. Try to allocate twenty minutes alone where you can actually relax and take your time.Ask for a mothers area from your companyRegardless if youre at a startup, a country with a 200-year history or somewhere in between, Manning reminds working mothers of the power of their voice. If there isnt an easily-accessible and private space for you to pump - ask for it. One way to approach the topic is to walk around your office and identify areas where a space could be created, thus coming prepared to the meeting.Talk with your manager and human resources team to come up with a solution to make it easier for you to re-enter the workforce and pump at work, she suggests. Finding ways to lessen the stress before you go on maternity leave will help make the transition a bit easier when you return.