Saturday, December 28, 2019

Why pursuing your passions can increase your anxiety

Why pursuing yur passions can increase your anxietyWhy pursuing your passions can increase your anxietyWe all know truly passionate people in our lives. Theyre the ones who fully embrace their calling, vocation, or dream and pursue it daily with a mixture of enthusiasm and discipline. Theres the all-star athlete who balances a rigorous training, practice, and game schedule. Or the food blogger who carves out time late after the kids have gone to bed to dive into recipe preparation, writing, and photo editing. And theres the activist whos passionate about helping others and logs long hours at a homeless shelter after a full day at the office.When were passionate about an activity, cause, or talent, well do whatever it takes to devote ourselves fully to it, which is exactly why the admirable work of pursuing our passions can slowly ramp up symptoms of anxiety.Time limitationsWe only have 24 hours in each day to pack in a host of demands related to work, relationships, and home life. Th epace of lifeis increasing, but the reality is, theres only so much time to fit it all in. When going after your passions, you have to weave in extra commitments amid other priorities, but that means something else must drop off. If it doesnt, life quickly becomes out of balance, increasing feelings of stress and ultimately,anxiety.In Randi Zuckerbergs book,Pick Three, she advocates for choosing three focus areas for a single day from this list of five work, sleep, family, friends, and fitness. There are many othertime management theories, so do your research and choose one that lets you pursue your passions without chipping away at your mental health.Internal pressureWhen taking risks and striving toward our goals, its tempting to feel the weight of others opinions and expectations. But sometimes, our harshest critic - and biggest enemy - is ourselves. Were not bornfeeling inadequate, but many worry that theyre just not good enough. When we place high expectations on ourselves, w e can start aspin cycle of anxietythat starts with feeling inadequate, that things are out of control, and that you cant handle them. You may also experience stomach aches, chest tightness, shortness of breath, nausea, or panic.War against high expectations when chasing after your passions by setting realistic,SMART goalswith attainable benchmarks that allow you to step back and celebrate your accomplishments. Remember, its a marathon, not a sprint.Strong self-identityStrongly identifying with your passion and internalizing this as who you are - like a writer, marathon runner, or Fortune 500 executive - creates even more pressure as you work to live up to that standard. Virginia-based Talkspace therapist Cynthia Catchings, LCSW-S, notes that while most people envision rising to the top of the field theyre passionate about, only a select few can successfully manage the anxiety that comes along with it.The more challenges andnegative thoughtswe experience, the more difficult it can be to get to the top without feeling anxious, Catchings said. Fear of failure, not wanting to leave our comfort zone, or being a perfectionist can create this anxiety.Seeing yourself holistically, beyond your token passion, can help create other opportunities for fulfillment. Beyond a marathon runner, you may also be a wellness coach, son or daughter, or another role that you excel at.A recipe for burnoutOn the path to our passions, where we continuously push ourselves physically and emotionally, theres an increased risk of burnout and stress. The brain, just like a muscle, canlose its strengthfrom extreme exhaustion and overwork, which paves the way for a host of mental health challenges, including anxiety. Health professionals are beginning to recognize the impact of chronic stress, with some evencomparing burnout to diseaseslike diabetes.Catchings recommends creating a detailed plan of action to effectively handle the emotions that arise with our passions and the associated feeli ngs of stress and anxiety.Keep a journal to avoid bottling our emotions and also to see a clear picture of our accomplishments and the things we need to work on, deep breathing exercises or meditation to lower the anxiety, mindfulness to recognize our emotions and be able to process them as needed, and looking for professional help either by seeing a therapist in person or online, she said.Pursuing your passions doesnt have to come with a barrage of anxiety or stress. Create checks and balances to effectively manage your schedule and more importantly, your mental health, to keep you on track for living out your dreams.This article was originally published on TalkSpace.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Tips for Asking for More Money at Your Current Job

Tips for Asking for More Money at Your Current JobTips for Asking for More Money at Your Current JobDo you feel like youre not paid enough money for the work you do? If you do, youre not alone. Salaries have leveled off during recent years as job responsibilities have expanded.With costs skyrocketing and jobs being outsourced, many employers have tried to maintain or increase productivity without adding staff. Many workers feel that their compensation has not kept pace with the contributions they are making to their company. If youre one of those people who feels underpaid, what is the best way to ask for more money? How to Ask For More Money How should youask for a pay increase? The basis for any request for additional compensation should be a clear track record of solid performance. If your employer conducts regular performance evaluations, then you may already have documentation in place. If not, ask your supervisor if she can schedule a review so that you can get some specifi c feedback on your performance, and formally establish some objectives for the next year. Keep the focus on your job performance, rather than on your personal circumstances when youre discussing salary. Track Your Performance Make sure that you keep a record of your daily and weekly accomplishments, and any data supporting these achievements. Even though youre doing a terrific job, your boss may still need reminding. Keep your supervisor in the loop about your progress with an ongoing stream of communication about your activities. Document Your Value Research compensation and salary trends for your field through surveys by professional organizations, data on average salary increases, online salary tools, and informal dialogue with professional colleagues. Once you can document the value that you have added to your employer and established what youre worth in the marketplace, its time to ask your supervisor to schedule a meeting to discuss your salary. This might occur natura lly at the end of an already scheduled meeting for your performance review. If youre asking your manager for a meeting specifically to talk about salary, mention it when you request the meeting. Summarize Your Accomplishments Prepare a one to two page summary of your accomplishments, to highlight the reasons you have earned a salary increase. Be careful that you dont imply an ultimatum, or convey frustrationor any negative emotion. Be ready to calmly counter any objections which you can anticipate. Pay raise negotiations often involve a back and forth exchange, not just an initial request by an employee. Your rationale for a pay raise should be entirely based on the quality of your work. Avoid the temptation to present personal reasons such as family responsibilities or additional expenses which you have incurred. If You Get Turned Down In the case where your employer turns down your request for a raise, ask what you might do to qualify for a bump in salary. Work with your s upervisor to establish specific objectives to enhance your performance and a timetable for reaching those goals. If your supervisor raises a legitimate performance issue, discuss the steps you need to take to overcome the problem and a timeline for review. It is not uncommon for employers to use a salary freeze as a reason for refusing an increase, even though they may affirm that you might otherwise deserve a raise. Explore alternative scenarios with your supervisor whereby you might increase compensation, such as a promotion or position upgrade. Be prepared to show how your role has evolved over time, or to mention ways that you could add value in a new role. In this era, the most common way for many salaried workers to secure a raise, unfortunately, is to change employers. If you receive an offer from another company, your current employer may match or exceed that offer to keep you on staff. Of course, there is no guarantee that this will happen, and you should be prepared to cha nge jobs if you pursue this strategy as a way to earn more money. Some employers will react adversely if they even think you are seeking alternative employment, so be very discreet if you decide to pursue other opportunities while you are currently employed.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

New study finds parents are paying more than ever for childcare

New study finds parents are paying more than ever for childcareNew study finds parents are paying more than ever for childcareAccording to a new study byCare.com,the cost of childcarehas risen even higher for the fifth year in a row.With the rising costcomes a rising percentage of income that needs to be used on it. This has left about 20% of US families using at least 25% of their income on childcare, along with 33 percent spending at least 20% and 71% spending at least 10%. This would mean that at least 71% of families are paying more than the 7% of household income that the Department of Health and Human Services defines asaffordable childcare.In places where child care is expensive like Washington DC ($2,982 a month) families are more likely to spend 26 percent of their annual income on child care. Families in cheaper states like Mississippi ($665 a month) mucksmuschenstill spend 12% of their income on childcare. Even more striking is the fact that when income disparity is factor ed into the equation its evident that poor families are most devastated by the rising costs.For example, the bottom fifth of DC households had just two percent of total DC income in 2016, while the top fifth had a staggering 56%.In an interview withMoneyish, Dominique Baillet, the senior editorial director forCare.com, said that many parents are still actually surprised the high cost of child care when compared to other things linked to having kids. As it turns out daycare, the place with all the learning socialization tools and a whole team of people costs an average of $211 per week compared to having a single nanny which costs $580 a week on average.The cost of raising a child is already something in the ballpark of $230,000, and whats worse is that 60% of the 1,000 respondents to theCare.comsurvey have noted that their childcare costs have increased in the last year. This has forced them to start making sacrifices in other areas of their home life. Its no small fraction of the p opulation that has to deal with the rising cost of childcare either. Almost33%of children under five-years-old are cared for by non-relatives.Ultimately childcare is just too important to not be accessible to anyone. A study by economist and Nobel laureateJames J. Heckmanfound that access to free early child care results in better outcomes for both disadvantaged mothers and their children. Beyond that, its also been found to increase a mothers salary on average. But no one will reap those benefits if the costs continue to rise.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Hit by a Truck, Struck by Luck

Hit by a Truck, Struck by LuckHit by a Truck, Struck by LuckElaine Jefferson, a midcareer technologist from N.J., could have watched herbei career and life ended by two severe highway accidents, but her positive attitude held out and her luck changed lanes.A funny thing happened on the way to my life, says TechnologyLadder member Elaine Jefferson. I was crossing the street three days before Christmas (2009) and got hit by a truck.The 45-year technology veteran had been on her way to her contract job with the state of New Jersey, where shed been working for 10 months her injuries sidelined her physically and financially. Specifically, the Bound Brook, N.J., resident found herself without medical benefits because of her status as an independent contractor. I never realized the risk at all, Elaine said. Its a funny thing - these contract jobs can be real detrimental if you dont know what youre doing.Elaines woes didnt end there. In February, she was driving in heavy rain on U.S. Route 287 near Morristown, N.J. - en route to an MRI exam related to her accident - when a young woman skidded into the zentralwert ahead of Elaines SUV. The impact shoved the engine into the firewall and right into my knees Oh, what a lifeThe next few months were an ordeal, Elaine said. With no money coming in, I was spending all my retirement funds to get better and get a job.Shed already started looking for work before her first accident, but there was no activity in the marketplace at all. I had some interviews, but they werent well suited to me. Things started to turn around in late spring, the IT vet said. I just love Ladders My phone wouldnt stop ringing when the markets started breaking in May.Recruiters were taking notice of her expertise in technical documentation, which she says she began to hone as one of a small group of female tech pros of her generation. I started as a programmer and systems analyst, then specialized as a technical writer. Women in IT get a different kin d of deal in the workplace, we get asked to do a lot of documentation. Ive been in this game since the 60s. Lo and behold, you learn to do it really, really wellShe found a match made in heaven when she got a call from COMSYS, an IT staffing firm, about an opportunity as a knowledge-base developer with Citigroup Inc. in Warren, N.J., just 15 minutes from her home.Elaine started the job soon after. She said her interviewers were impressed with the depth of her experience, including her knowledge of financial software. Ive worked in a lot of financial applications, she says. Most IT projects have a financial component every function has a tie-back into a spreadsheet someplace along the line.

Monday, December 9, 2019

Should Resume Be in past Tense: the Ultimate Convenience!

Should Resume Be in past Tense the Ultimate Convenience You may see that past tense is a little bit more complicated than present tense. Theres a different in tense also. The action of sleeping will begin before we arrive, and it is going to be in progress at a specific time later on. Nothing could have been wrong in any respect. As you speak, its happening. Or its something you never do. Its also utilised to express something that welches true previously. It can likewise be used to demonstrate that something happened before a particular time previously. It may also demonstrate that something happened before a particular time previously. Enjoy the remainder of the lesson The War Against Should Resume Be in past Tense Knowing the tenses in your language is the secret to easily grasping grammar rules in different languages. After you add the new one, each one of the tenses need to get changed to past. Otherwise, you already understand what the sentences say There is go ing to be practice at the conclusion of all of the tenses. Up to now, youve been working using a typical present tense form of verbs. There are two sorts of past basic verbs. Verbs in the current past and future tense have an extremely important part in Swahili. They have a very important role in Arabic. Unfortunately, memorizing these irregular verbs is the only means to totally master the previous tense. Not all verbs may make a progressive tense. Irregular verbs have quite a few spellings. The irregular verbs have to be memorized. Resumes in the lousy pile are those resumes that wont ever be read completely and probably wont be looked at again. On the flip side, present tense is the thing to do for responsibilities which are still part of your present job. Selecting the correct tense is important once youre beginning to compose a resume and apply to jobs. A favorite assumption that experiencing job satisfaction and a thriving career ought to be underpinned by a well-roun ded suite of tangible advantages, no longer is true for a number of us. Put simply, dont consist of whatever youve done in your present position, particularly if you work for a startup and are accustomed to a large number of responsibilities. Youre bedrngnis in the work anymore, its in your past. Perhaps you won a nationally recognized award in your organization or industry. Mixing tenses in your present job isnt problematic, because you are currently not doing everything at precisely the same moment. Theres a form you havent learned yet that is extremely common dealing with the present tense. The post will give you interactive Tense Questions that are asked commonly in many examinations and previous papers. Meanwhile, read this informative article for the idea. Tense-consistency is also imperative to resume writing. Aspirants say they are extremely much tensed while attempting this concept in any on-line exams also. Otherwise, here is a small background. It doesnt make a difference to us, whether youre too busy on the job concentrating on a passion undertaking, or simply tired of a seemingly infinite stream of assignments. Rather than sending a headshot alongside your resume, you should send a hyperlink to your professional on-line profiles, states Augustine. Since recruiters only spend six seconds reviewing a resume, its not a great idea to get them spend an excessive amount of time scanning irrelevant info, states Augustine. Lets look at a list of over 1 bullet. In each situation, the verb-idea is complete without an immediate object. The Foolproof Should Resume Be in past Tense Strategy Put simply, youre taking a look at the result at this time with no words referring to time. Because of this, simple past may not be used. There are plenty of scenarios where the previous perfect tense can be used. Use the past perfect continuous to express the length of some other activity up to a different point in time previously. Put simply, maybe th e group of scientists in the very first example are still doing research, or perhaps they arent. The preterite is used to chat about completed actions previously. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline. Roots havent been conjugated and dont include prefixes or suffixes. Meanings The Past Simple is just one of the tenses that we use to speak about events, states or actions that were completed sooner or later before. Forming this future tense is a much simpler process than nearly all of the others.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Writing a Resume Without a Degree Explained

Writing a Resume Without a Degree Explained Whispered Writing a Resume Without a Degree Secrets So you merely graduated high school or college and you are primed to join the workforce to develop into a productive member of society. Students, its very little content a high school diploma, gives a fantastic first name. Finally, in regards to your education section, in the event the coursework youve completed pertains to the job that you seek, list it individually. As a high school student, the Education section is a significant portion of your resume however much work experience you might or might not have. The Writing a Resume Without a Degree Stories Jose will have the ability to jump in the position with little if any training because he has hands-on understanding of best accounting practices. Adhere to the tips above, and youll have a resume that compensates for the deficiency of expertise and gets you the interview. Maybe you have practical work experience and techniqu es that relate to the job. How to get ready for an Interview. Reviewing job postings on Indeed is a great means to begin. You are going to have far better likelihood of convincing an employer that youre a strong candidate if you create a personal connection with a hiring manager. Its a fact that some employers wont be interested in you as you lack the work openings educational requirement, but you will discover different employers that welcome your experience, skills and expertise. Most employers are extraordinarily choosy on the topic of the range of staff for a work opening. Choosing Good Writing a Resume without a Degree In some instances, the hiring company simply wont consider applications which do not possess the necessary educational entry requirements. Theres no need to fear the shortage of skilled experience on your resume. Beyond that, the duration of resume Education section and what it includes will fruchtweinly rely on the sum of work experience you have. Beyo nd that, the amount of your Education section and what it includes will order order on the sum of work experience which you have. Life After Writing a Resume Without a Degree The trick to obtaining the job which you desire is taking advantage of what you need to offer you. Keep in mind that your resume is your very first field of protection concerning landing your excellent job. Make it a level to never add wild shades or colours to your resumes to catch attention because of your resume is only going to land within the paper shredder and cannot get you that coveted interview youre looking for. As a job seeker youre intimately involved in your search, so much so that its tricky to have a step back and compose a resume thats marketable. For more ideas about what to include, take a look at these education section tips. The info on this website is provided as a courtesy. There are a number of places the place its possible to acquire good resume examples. Resume examples at no c ost will aid you in a step-by-step course of on the most suitable method to compose your resume. This is because of the simple fact that the objective of the career objective is misunderstood. Its key this procedure is well executed and you dont seem to be stalking anyone Since resume fraud is on the increase, employers are taking considerably more care in verifying information, and its becoming more and more tricky to mislead them. Designed an anti-bullying campaign to elevate awareness of the damaging impact of bullying on our peers.