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5 Smart Ways To Make Your Work Day Much Less Stressful
Let's face it: Stress in the workplace is inevitable and unavoidable. Whether it's due to the nature of the job, your work environment, the people you work with, or the at-home issues that trickle into the office, we've all had to deal with it one way or another. As women, we even take on additional stresseson top of the usual, and if we're not careful, too much stress (and bad habits of suppression or coping) can negatively affect our livelihood, our health, and our sanity.
We're sure you know the dangers of stress, so we won't get into the research today, but sis, we're in the last three months of the year. It's time to go ahead and nip those stress-inducing habits in the bud and tell nagging annoyances where to go. Here's a quick and smart guide on how to reduce stress at work, one step at a time:
1. Add a fun, active exercise to your workday routine.
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Even if your job requires lots of physical movement already, the keyword here is fun. Medical experts always recommend exercise and movement as a stress reliever, and doing something active can indeed increase endorphines and boost you mood. Take things up a notch by bringing a bike, skates, mini trampoline (yes, sis, it's a whole thing), a mini boxing bag, or a jump rope to use during a break.
You don't have to break a sweat, and you certainly don't have to use your whole lunch hour to play, but getting in at least 15 minutes can mean the difference between zen and a disciplinary warning for reading that annoying, narcissistic coworker for the fifth time. This can especially be doable if you work from home or have flex hours. No excuses, friend.
2. Utilize technology to automate, get organized, and save time.
We're fans of working smart, not hard around here. And if you can't put together a good Excel sheet, automate many tedious tasks (like often-used email responses, out-of-office notices, to-do lists, presentations, data projections, even food delivery and self-care appointments), get help. (Literally. Hire a Task Rabbit, ask an intern, invest in platforms like Calendly or take a course. Trust us. It will save your life.)
Research by analytics company Verint shows that 72 percent of people who have "low stress" said they have access to tech that allows them to "work productively" and 64 percent believe that automation "helps reduce workload and stress." So let's stop hand-typing, manually calculating, and doing other monotonous things in real time, and save our amazing brain cells for larger, more complicated tasks.
3. Make prayer or meditation a deliberate part of your day.
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This practice doesn't have to be limited to your home, bedtime routine, emergency response, or that one day you choose to dedicate to self-care. Beyond the spiritual and mental benefits of doing this daily at work, let's get into the science: They have found that prayer and meditation can be "calming," increase your focus, and up those feelings of "emotional support."
You can choose to do it in your car, in a workplace breakroom, or via a 30-minute class or mid-day service, or you can simply breathe a prayer or several affirmations at your desk. Just be sure to deliberately slide this in to break up the chaos that might be going on around you.
4. Carpool, get a ride, or take public transportation.
Again, we see that side-eye, sis. Pick up your lip and hear us out. Beyond the environmental and monetary savings, letting someone else take over the driving during your morning and evening commutes (or for going to mid-day meetings and participating in work-related activities outside the office) has its perks. If you're not into the idea of taking a bus or train right now (totally understandable), treat yourself at least once per month to an Uber or Lyft ride, or find a trusted coworker, family member, or friend, and alternate days to drive. The less time personally dealing with road-raged lunatics, non-driving bumper-riders, and cray-cray congestion, the better.
5. Partner up, get a coach, or delegate.
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Sometimes stress can be connected to taking a do-it-all approach to everything. Here's where a partner comes in. Find ways to either delegate tasks or partner with someone to take on half the load. Advocate for yourself by engaging with others and finding out strengths and skills that can be exchanged or bartered. If that's not an option, utilize the resources provided by your HR department, talk with a mentor about ways to cope with the stresses of major experiences like a work deadline or staff change, or tap a coach or therapist to help you pinpoint workplace stress triggers and ways to reduce, rebound or eliminate them.
Not all stress is connected to negative experiences, and even doing a job you love or working at the company of your dreams involves an element of stress. You're closing deals, managing staff, getting promoted, or taking on new responsibilities, so be sure to take a cue from at least one of these steps and arm yourself to come out on top.
For more job search tips, career advice and profiles, check out the xoNecole Workin Girl section here.
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This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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