Your Mind Your Body

The current unemployment rates and the financial hardships that many Americans are facing makes us all wonder when things will get better and what are viable options. Most of us know someone or of someone who is currently unemployed and not by choice. During these tough economic times, you may be considering returning to college to either gain more skills in your current field of work, or to retrain in a new direction with the hope of finding a different career path.

Before you make a career change, there are several things to keep in mind:

• Take your personality into account: Knowing yourself well is the first step to making the right career move. If you enjoy working with others, and yet find yourself in a job that is isolating or with limited social interaction, you might find that your social needs might undermine how satisfying you find your job. On the other hand, if you get overwhelmed when you are required to be interacting with others on a consistent basis, your job responsibilities might take a toll on you and curtail how fulfilled you will feel by your career choice.
• Be aware of the work environment that best fits you: Do you prefer a fast-paced, time-pressured work environment or would you rather work in a steady, predictable atmosphere? You might find that you work better when you have deadlines and have to make in-the-moment decisions. Conversely, you might feel better when you have ample time to make decisions and to get things accomplished. Since most of us spend the most productive hours of our days at work, it is crucial that we know the kind of environment that best fits us. Otherwise, you might find yourself regularly distressed or bored to death.
• More education is not always a must: Find out if your new career path requires further education (like a new degree) or if your skills are transferable to your new vocational interests. Do not undersell the skills and abilities that you already have acquired and utilized in your previous jobs. If needed, talk to someone who can help you objectively assess your skills and help you to articulate them in a manner that makes you marketable.
• Test the waters before you jump ship: It might be beneficial for you to do volunteer activities or shadow someone in this new occupation before you commit to making a change. You might learn factors not otherwise found through other sources that can help you make a well-informed decision.

There are no jobs without some challenges. However, choosing a job in which you do not mind taking care of the problems that arise may just be the best career choice for you.

Filed under: Lifestyle & Behaviors, Relationships, Resilience, Stress, Work/Life | 1 Comment »

It’s no secret to anyone that technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our society.  And perhaps no part of the population has embraced our ever-changing technology as much as tweens and teens.  In fact, “embrace” might be the incorrect word as the youth among us seem to absorb technology – seemingly without even trying or being conscious of the process.

In my practice I see lots of families and kids, and one of the most popular topics of conversation (and conflict) is the role technology plays in kids’ and families’ lives.  I’ve heard and seen it all: from parents who refuse to allow their kids to use cell phones or the internet – all the way to parents who place no boundaries, rules, or limits on the children’s use of technology whatsoever.  But most families I see are somewhere in between, and are left wondering – how much is too much?  And what, if anything, do I need to watch out for?

The following  tips are by no means exhaustive, but might be a good place to start when determining rules for technology use in your family:

• Know your own rules, boundaries & etiquette.  Is your Blackberry glued to your hand? Do you answer texts, emails, or phone calls anytime, anyplace?  If so, don’t be surprised if your kids do it too – and end up ignoring the rest of the family in the process.  The first place to start when setting rules for your kids, is to set them (and stick to them) yourself. 
• Learn a thing or two.  Part of being a parent today is having a working knowledge of MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites.  Parents should also know the basics of texting and emailing (including how to send and open pictures).  This is a safety issue.  Your kids are using these tools, and it is essential that parents at least attempt to keep up with the rapidly changing technology.
• Technology is here to stay – deal with it.  I work with lots of tweens and teens, and the reality is, if they don’t have at least some access to technology by the time they are in middle school, they run the risk of being left behind socially.  Sleepovers, birthday parties, movie nights, and pick-up basketball games are planned via text and other electronic means – if your kids aren’t plugged in, they might be left out.
• Face to face relationships are still – and will always be – essential.   All of the above is not to say that “real” relationships are not an important part of all of our lives.  Loneliness  can be a risk factor for depression, and virtual relationships just aren’t the same as the real thing.  Accept the role of technology in your kids’ lives, but encourage them to spend time with their friends (and you!!) too. 
• Be a Snoop.  Privacy is great – but not when it compromises safety.  Be aware and involved in your kids’ technology use.  Keep family computers in a public place, talk with them about internet safety (including answering messages from people they don’t know, texting pictures of themselves, and sexting), and use technology to communicate with them once in a while (through texts, Facebook messages, etc) as a way to monitor their use.

For more articles and posts on kids and technology, click here

Filed under: Children, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Parenting, Relationships | 2 Comments »

I know I have written about cell phones. I have talked about the social and emotional problems that arise from poor judgment and immature behaviors. But, now I want to ask how many of you have taken Oprah’s pledge? For those of you that are uninformed and have no idea what I am talking about, it is simply this. It is a safety pledge for you, your family and everyone that happens to be on the road where you are driving. Did you know that texting while driving is the equivalent of driving after having 4 alcoholic drinks?  6000 crashes a year are caused by “distracted drivers”.  And even talking on the cell phone makes it 4 times more likely you will have a car accident.  All are totally preventable. 

Oprah had a show during which she had several people who acknowledged talking and texting on their cell phones when driving. They participated in a demonstration where they were texting while driving. They all crashed . It scared them. It scared me and I hope it scares you. So, Oprah asked that everyone take a no cell phone use while driving pledge. Many have. But a lot of others are taking baby steps. I think these behaviors are addicting! It seems easier to agree not to text while driving. It is a bit harder to not talk on the phone while driving. So Oprah changed the pledge. Now, you can pledge to not text while driving, only use hands free while using your cell phone in the car or stop using the phone altogether while in the car. I must admit I am somewhat guilty! I have never texted while driving. That just seems totally stupid. But I frequently use my head set and talk on the phone while driving. I talk to my kids a lot when I am driving home from work. I also, however, have my phone password protected. That means that if I decide to make a call while driving, I have to look down and enter my password. That is just like texting because I am momentarily distracted.  

So, I am working really hard to make sure my phone is unlocked before I begin to drive or to be certain I am stopped at a light or pulled off the road to unlock the phone. I am also spending a lot more time just listening to music or DVD’s and enjoying the time to myself. I am really working towards never using my phone while driving, even if I am using my head set. I hope you will too. Rarely is anything that urgent that it can’t wait until we are out of the car. Some companies are actually making it policy that no office work can be done while you are driving. What a great idea. To learn more about the Oprah pledge and to make the pledge, go to http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html.  To watch the video of people texting while driving ,  go to http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Testing-Text-Messaging-Drivers-Video.  Watch, listen and make your kids who are old enough to drive, family and friends, do the same.

Filed under: Children, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Uncategorized | No Comments »