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Reclaim Your Time: Use Calendar Blocking To Conquer Your Daily Schedule
Many of us have heard the popular adage, "You have as many hours in a day as Beyoncé." However, between chasing dreams, securing the bag, and living your best life, maintaining a productive and balanced schedule can be a downright challenge. In a world of meetings, deadlines, and endless emails, it can be difficult to utilize your working hours in the most efficient way. To make the most of your to-do list, try a technique called calendar blocking (also known as time blocking).
Calendar blocking is a simple, yet effective productivity method that helps to organize your daily schedule.
This time management tool includes taking each of your tasks and purposefully scheduling or "blocking" them on your calendar for a set period of time. Calendar blocking was not only designed to increase your focus, it also helps to hinder any nagging distractions and helps to take your daily organization to the next level.
The beauty of calendar blocking is that it can work for anyone, from a boss businesswoman to a stay-at-home mom. The value of blocking your time is that it helps to build your day around important priorities, and by scheduling your time in advance, you're able to avoid non-priorities, decreasing stress and anxiety. Are you ready to master the art of calendar blocking?
If so, here's an easy step-by-step process that will help you maximize each moment of your day:
1. Evaluate Your Energy Level
Focus on when your energy levels are the highest. Are you more of a morning person or more of a night owl? Do your creative juices flow most in the afternoon? Understand your physical and mental energy levels and then structure your day around your tasks and your time. Recognizing your performance capacity will help to build self-awareness and efficiency in your work.
2. Free Your Mind
Like many of us, there are probably a million and one things whirling around in your mind. According to studies, the average human tends to have 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day. That's a lot to think about!
Grab a pen and a sheet of paper–it's time to go old-school. Get your thoughts in order by writing them down. This includes routine items such as meetings and deadlines as well as future projects and plans. It's equally important to pencil in your daily rituals such as morning prayer or meditation, an afternoon workout, or your evening commute back home.
3. Identify What's Important
Once you've jotted all of your thoughts on paper, ask yourself, "What are the most critical items on my to-do list?" Think of everything you'd like to accomplish in a timely manner and then take note of any urgent and important deadlines. Knowing what you're going to work on ahead of time encourages you to make conscious work decisions. In addition, when you acknowledge your high-level priorities and goals, that will determine what your calendar will look like and how you will block out your time.
4. Time to Throw A Party... A Block Party, That Is
Now, it's finally time to build those blocks. Figure out the best day to do your blocking. Some prefer to do a weekly blocking schedule the Friday before or the Sunday of the upcoming week, while others recommend a daily practice that only blocks out the next day.
Once you've decided your best mode of action, place the items you've planned to do into specific blocks of time on your calendar.
Feel free to get as detailed as you like and make sure to allot yourself enough time to fully complete your tasks. Fill your day with designated times for meetings, creative work, or errands.
Here Are Some Additional Tips On Maximizing Your Calendar Blocking:
Reserve time for breaks, buffers, and the unexpected. While organizing your calendar is the ultimate goal of this activity, it's important to keep your schedule flexible to accommodate unexpected happenings and avoid overcommitting. Also, be sure to add buffers to certain items to give yourself extra time to work on an assignment in case you need it. Lastly, set aside time to rest and recharge.
Dump the distractions. Ditch anything that prevents you from fully focusing on your work. If it's your cellphone, try silencing your ringtone and/or your notifications whenever you need to concentrate on your projects.
Allow yourself to revise and reorganize. Take time to reflect on your productivity. Recognize what blocks worked in your schedule and what blocks didn't. In the upcoming weeks, try to maneuver some blocks around to learn which changes are advantageous and which aren't.
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This New Scalp Care Line Is Exactly What Your Wash Days Need
This post is in partnership with SheaMoisture.
When it comes to healthy hair care, there are a few things that will help you achieve healthy strands: a healthy hair care regime, hydration, consistent treatments, and scalp care. While scalp care is one of the most neglected practices, it is also one of the most important. Why? Because it helps promote healthy hair growth, clear hair follicles, and remove build-up.
When it comes to creating a healthy scalp routine, it helps to know exactly what you’re up against so you know how to specifically treat it. Two of the most common concerns are dandruff and dry scalp. It can be tough to decipher which is which, but here’s a quick breakdown: dry scalp is caused by a lack of moisture in the skin, while dandruff is caused by an excess of oil and yeast buildup on the scalp. Knowing that both of these are big concerns, SheaMoisture released two separate product lines to address both issues: the Scalp Moisture collection and the Anti-Dandruff collection.
Needless to say, if you tend to experience dandruff then I’d recommend you try the Anti-Dandruff collection. However, my biggest concern has always been dry scalp. A lack of moisture on the scalp can be caused by several factors like weather, age, and hair products to name a few. I’ve noticed that when I use certain gels or skip out on a deep scalp cleanse, my roots feel itchy and dry nonstop, which is uncomfortable.
The only way to relieve the discomfort is to properly wash and moisturize my roots, so I tried the Scalp Moisture collection and this is what I thought.
Krissy Lewis for xoNecole
First, What’s In The Collection?
The Scalp Moisture collection is a four-product line that includes a pre-wash masque, a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and a moisturizing scalp cream. Each product uses moisturizing and strengthening ingredients like aloe butter and vitamin B3 as active ingredients to provide eight times the moisture. Together, aloe butter and vitamin B3 work to restore dry and brittle hair, as well as add relief to the scalp.
Now, let’s break down each product…
Krissy Lewis for xoNecole
Scalp Moisture Pre-Wash Masque
The SheaMoisture Scalp Moisture Pre-Wash Masque may actually be the all-star of the collection. Using this deep conditioning masque is one of the best ways to target your dry scalp, restore hydration, and nourish your strands before shampooing.
I started by completely saturating my hair and scalp with water, then making small sections to apply the masque directly to the root. For my girls who have experience with relaxers and perms, it helps to apply the masque to your roots just like you would do with a relaxer. This way you can make sure you’ve covered as much of your scalp as possible while minimizing any breakage.
Pro tip: you can also use a color application brush to make this step easier.
After I completely covered my scalp, I massaged the product into my roots, used any excess on my strands, then left the masque in for 30 minutes. I was shocked by how moisturizing and clarifying my scalp and hair felt. One of the things that I love about the masque is the slip and how much softer it made my hair. While this is marketed as a scalp care product, it can completely transform your hair from dry and parched to completely hydrated.
In my opinion, the downside of this masque is that the quantity is too small for my liking. Truth be told, naturals go through deep conditioners faster than any other product (especially when it’s this good.) So SheaMoisture, if you’re reading this, we’d love a bigger jar.
Krissy Lewis for xoNecole
Scalp Moisture Shampoo
The SheaMoisture Scalp Moisture Shampoo is a gentle cleanser packed with the same moisture as the masque. The pearl-colored shampoo is lightweight with a serum-like consistency and a light and clean scent. The smell is pleasant, subtle, and not overbearing. When I applied the shampoo, I noticed immediately that it foams and lathers up very quickly, so less is more.
After applying the shampoo, I parted my hair and started at the roots to target as much of my scalp as possible. I recommend really taking the time to work the product and massage your scalp as much as possible.
Pro tip: using a scalp massager makes it easier and it feels amazing.
Once you start to massage your hair you’ll feel the product start to work. There’s a tingling sensation that might catch you off guard if you’re not used to it, but it’s not nearly as strong as other scalp products I’ve tried. I know some may not appreciate the sensation, but I loved it! My scalp felt clean, light, and breathable.
Krissy Lewis for xoNecole
Scalp Moisture Conditioner
Like the shampoo, the SheaMoisture Scalp Moisture Conditioner shares that pearly color and serum-like feel. It applies very easily while softening and moisturizing your hair. When I applied it to my hand, it gave my hands a lotion-like feel, which speaks volumes about its hydration capabilities. I also loved that the conditioner comes with a pump, instead of having to squeeze the product out – to me, it makes application easier.
I typically apply my conditioner to the ends first but because this is a scalp care product I started at the root and worked my way down to my ends. I did leave the conditioner in for ten minutes, although the bottle recommends leaving it in for three. The conditioner also provides that same breathable feel to your scalp. I honestly loved the relief.
Krissy Lewis for xoNecole
Scalp Moisture Cream
The SheaMoisture Scalp Moisture Cream is more of a daily relief product for your roots rather than your overall hair. It’s great for providing moisture and immediate relief to a dry and itchy scalp. Just like most of the collection, it gives a light and breathable feel – without the tingle. The applicator bottle targets specific parts of your scalp and makes applying easier.
Pro tip: I typically just squeeze the bottle to wherever I need the relief and use the tip to massage it into my scalp so it doesn’t mess up the hairstyle.
Overall, SheaMoisture’s scalp care line lives up to its claims – it moisturizes, strengthens, and provides immediate scalp relief. I definitely recommend trying the Scalp Moisture collection for an affordable way to treat itchy and dry scalp.
Featured image by Krissy Lewis for xoNecole
Will The Latest Affirmative Action Education Ruling Trickle Into The Workplace?
The Supreme Court recently ruled that colleges and universities can no longer consider race as a specific basis for granting admission— a landmark decision that overturned a major legal precedent that has benefited Black and Latinx students in higher education.
And while, according to CNN, the majority opinion “claims that the court was not expressly overturning prior cases authorizing race-based affirmative action” and did not “end race-based affirmative action in higher education,” the recent analysis will make it “practically impossible” for colleges and universities to consider race in ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to attend top colleges around the U.S.
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Supporters of the high court’s decision to roll back affirmative action efforts have argued that such programs are illegal, adding that colleges and universities should focus on “equal standards and merit.” Opponents of the ruling, like the NAACP and Lawyers For Civil Rights, are outraged, now challenging institutions to stop “legacy admissions'' — policies that favor white wealthy alumni. (Lawyers for Civil Rights has even filed a lawsuit specifically against Harvard University related to this.)
Experts are also exploring how the June 29 ruling will trickle into cases of affirmative action in other areas of education and, particularly, how the ruling will affect diversity and inclusion efforts related to employment.
But will the ruling take all of us 10 more steps back when it comes to diversity and inclusion–an issue that already includes strong elements of lackluster enforcement, gaslighting, and dangerous cliches?
Will corporations and other organizations now deem it appropriate to totally disregard the specific, fundamental benefits and integrity involved in deliberate efforts to recruit and hire Black and Brown professionals, especially in industries ravaged by diversity problems (hey, tech industry!)
According to The New York Times, the Supreme Court’s decision “opens the door for employees — and conservative activists — to bring legal challenges to those policies” and could “lead companies to alter recruitment and promotion practices to pre-empt legal challenges.” The Times also reports that more than 60 large companies, including automaker GM and Meta (the parent company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), have also “warned the Supreme Court that ending affirmative action in higher education would make it harder to build diverse workforces.”
We all know that when you’re a super-qualified, educated, and experienced Black professional denied a position that you’re clearly qualified for—yet see that a company’s About and LinkedIn pages include zero Black and Brown faces–there’s an inference of bias and big fodder for a discrimination lawsuit that could snowball into a class action suit that includes hundreds of job candidates.
And, according to Bloomberg Law, several major employers pushed for the high court to uphold affirmative action policies—which makes sense because corporate diversity and inclusion efforts at major corporations “often rely on college admissions programs that produce a diverse pipeline of qualified future workers and business leaders.”
Delmaine Donson/Getty Images
A few key voices offering opinions on all of this say there might be a silver lining when it comes to diversity in employment practices after the ruling. Companies that are truly committed to diversity and inclusion have leaders that have committed years of real action and receipts that reflect actual diversity and inclusion support and community-building resources at work, have Black and Hispanic professionals in top decision-making positions, and support initiatives that support the advancement and professional development of Black and Brown professionals.
However, Corporate America is still disproportionately unequal in many impactful and life-changing ways and still must work harder to ensure diversity and inclusion.
In the same way that some progressive companies adjusted to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, for example, providing alternative policies that support women in their choices in childbirth, experts are saying HR professionals and corporate heads who are supportive of diversity efforts will find alternatives. “Just like companies who provided employees with resources like travel expenses following last year’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, there will also be companies who will reimagine their DEI programs and potentially increase investment,” Neeta Mehta, a partner at executive search firm Bridge Partners, told Fortune in a statement.
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Other solutions are pointing to HBCUs, which are reportedly expecting an uptick in enrollment and recruitment after the ruling. “Our HBCUs are just as critical today as they ever have been, if not more," Hampton University’s NAACP president Gaylene Kanoyton told 13News Now. "We have historically, and we will always welcome any student who wants to walk through Hampton's doors.”
HBCUs are now “positioned” to fill the gap that the affirmative action ruling is expected to widen in educational opportunities. And while they aren’t the end-all-be-all solution to addressing the fallout of the ruling that has set equality efforts back tremendously, companies and small businesses still committed to diversity could do well by further supporting and recruiting from these institutions.
The Brookings Institute reports that “although HBCUs represent only 3% of all four-year institutions, they account for 10% of all matriculating Black students, and awarded 17% of all bachelor’s degrees and 24% of all STEM-related bachelor’s degrees to Black students in 2019.”
That being said, only time will tell what is next for diversity efforts and employment of Black and Brown professionals, especially women, who already face very unbalanced scales in pay, employment, and advancement. As lawsuits are sparked, activists and advocates continue their work to address the aftermath of the decision, and companies continue to struggle with current policies, the future of Black and Brown professionals remains one of mixed outcomes and potential.
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