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      in beauty and fashion

      Meet the Powerhouse Public Health Expert Behind Beauty Company BLK + GRN

      by

      When you add any face mask, deodorant, or body scrub to your BLK + GRN cart, you’re not only buying a top-notch addition to your self-care arsenal—you’re also buying a product that’s non-toxic and made by a Black artisan.Dr. Kristian Edwards, DrPH, the founder of this online marketplace for all-natural beauty and lifestyle products from Black-owned businesses, is on a mission to make living green and shopping Black easier and more transparent. All of BLK + GRN’s products—from makeup to multivitamins to moisturizer—are vetted by Edwards personally, she said, plus aestheticians, dermatologists, makeup artists, and other professionals (since, as anyone who’s explored ‘clean’ beauty knows, just because a concealer or deodorant is made with natural ingredients doesn’t mean it necessarily works).
      Edwards hopes BLK + GRN serves as an educational platform too. Shoppers can get to know the entrepreneurs behind a favorite candle, lipstick, or lotion, and find research-backed information on the benefits of switching to products sans potentially harmful chemicals.
      The idea for BLK + GRN came to Edwards, a professor of public health at George Washington University, after coming across research showing that beauty products marketed to Black women scored lower in potentially harmful ingredients than those aimed at the general public. Because the report found that Black women appear to buy and use more personal care products, this could mean they’re being exposed to more of these potentially dangerous chemicals.

      Source: @blkandgrn

      Edwards felt she had to take action. With the report finding that ingredients in these commonly-found products may be linked to cancer, hormone disruption, allergies, and other serious health conditions, she felt the potential risks were too dire not to. She started by overhauling her own medicine cabinet, seeking to fill it with less harmful products. Around the same time, Edwards read Our Black Year by Maggie Anderson.
      “I was convinced of the importance of Black people, and people in general, supporting Black-owned brands, that every dollar should be a vote,” she said. She combined the two goals, looking for natural products that also came from Black makers.
      After testing boxes and bottles galore of sunscreen and shampoo, discovering lesser-known brands along the way, her mission expanded. “I wanted to create a space to make it easier for people to find them,” she explained. Edwards launched BLK + GRN in 2017.

      Source: @blkandgrn

      What started as a solo operation, with Edwards packing up every order herself from her Maryland home, has grown to a team of six selling more than 90 wares from 71 artisans and counting. Hearing from customers who say ditching toxic products thanks to BLK + GRN has changed their lives keeps Edwards going. So, too, does growing alongside the business owners whose goods the marketplace stocks. “They’ve become family at this point,” she said. 
      As the site has evolved, Edwards said she’s committed as ever to providing information on cosmetics and creators. There’s a BLK + GRN podcast, a blog and resources such as a list of 20 potentially harmful ingredients you won’t see in products on the site (Edwards recommended printing it out and taking it with you if you shop elsewhere). Social media, too, is a way Edwards and her team hope to spread the word on clean beauty. “We always try to talk to customers wherever they will listen,” she said. 
      One such discussion is about the higher prices of natural products. Instead of viewing these products as luxury items, Edwards hopes people see buying better ingredients as an investment in health.

      Source: @blkandgrn

      “What are you worth? What is your value? Is making that choice now better for your health?” she said. “We try not to tell people what to do. We just want them to think about it, we try to get people to have those conversations.” 
      Eventually, Edwards said she’d like to establish relationships with more farmers and suppliers of natural ingredients, so she can connect her artisans more directly to the ingredients they use. 
      She’d also like to start an accelerator program to provide training and capital to Black-owned businesses, which, especially those owned by Black women, are historically underfunded.

      Source: @blkandgrn

      Below, check out some of BLK + GRN’s top-selling products. As Edwards pointed out, just because BLK + GRN’s products are made by Black women, that “doesn’t mean they are specifically for melanated skin. Anyone can use them.”  More

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      in lifestyle and culture

      10 Email Mistakes You Should Always Avoid

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      One of the most important career lessons we can learn is that work is not synonymous with email. Treating email like the tool that it is rather than making it the end-all, be-all is essential to bring some sanity to our days. For many of us now living in this always-on virtual work world, our inboxes can feel like they run our lives. If you’re making these email mistakes, now is a good time to reset.
      1. The “reply-all” catastrophe
      There is no horror like the horror of a reply-all fail. Whether it was your error or you are bearing witness to someone’s quick trigger finger failure, it’s painful. If at all possible, train yourself out of any reply-all habit. Make a single reply your general default, and anytime you are inclined to reply to a group, ask yourself, “Does everyone on this note really need to take action or be immediately informed of this development?” The answer is almost always no.

      2. Unclear takeaways
      Email is an enabler, not a task unto itself. With that in mind, try to stay disciplined and not fire off emails without a clear call to action. Do recipients need to schedule a meeting? Make a decision? Act on a client need? As you would any other compelling communication, close your email with the exact action item you need from someone, using their name, what you’re expecting, and by when. “Amy, Could you be sure to call the client with this update before 5pm tomorrow and let me know their response?”

      3. Super long emails
      In the same way that many meetings “could have been an email,” sometimes we find ourselves in an email chain that a quick call or huddle could fix. If you find yourself three or four replies into a group conversation, suggest cutting the thread short and putting everyone on the phone for a “huddle.” Use the time to drive toward decisions or clarity, and keep it 15 minutes tops.

      4. Getting the tone wrong
      Being too formal or too casual can blow up an email. As a rule of thumb, the less you’ve worked directly with a person, the more you should have a formal and professional email approach. Seniority also still matters here. Your manager’s boss, or others up in the organization should get your best foot forward on an email, even if it is a quick ask. It’s also important to bring a little humanity to your emails as your relationship with people grows over time. “Hope you had a good weekend!” can go far with a closer colleague when you’re firing off a note over an early Monday morning need.

      5. Not sleeping on it
      If there’s a shred of controversy in your note and you don’t need to send it immediately, sleep on it. I have yet to meet an email that I haven’t made better by giving it another 18 hours to think through. Even if you’re not actively crafting a new note, you’ve stepped away from a possibly heated response or complicated question, and your subconscious will come back to it with a better version.

      6. Misusing BCC
      BCC is a tricky beast. There’s definitely a shred of embarrassment when a recipient realizes they weren’t in actual copy, but responds to a larger note. Be really thoughtful about your motivations for using it. If you’re trying to keep a message private, a forward with a caveated note may be better. Another smart way to use BCC is to call attention to moving people into the BCC line and announce the gesture. “While we go back and forth on meeting details, dropping Sarah and John to BCC to spare their inboxes! We’ll come back with a final plan.”

      7. Leaving the subject line static
      Especially after vacation, piles of responses tied to the same subject line is dreadful. (The cleanup feature in Microsoft can help.) However, it’s always such a joy when you’ve found a note where someone has gone to the trouble of amending the subject. Did you add an attachment? “With Meeting Notes” gets added to the subject line. Is someone giving a new perspective? “Including Audit Team for Comment.” These little nuggets are also my own useful trail for finding where ideas diverge in a mountain of sent emails.

      8. Being unaware of time zones and holidays
      One of the most thoughtful signature blocks I’ve ever seen included the line “I’m sending this email because it suits me and my time zone. I do not expect responses outside of your normal working hours unless expressly indicated.” In our especially global world, it can be hard to stay on top of people’s respective time zones, relocations, and personal holidays. Adding an indication that you know they may be otherwise occupied and clearly stating your timelines is both professional and courteous.

      9. Being the first one to reply
      There are definitely moments where you’re the best one to jump in with an addition or reply. However, most of the time, sparing yourself as the first response pays dividends. First, if we truly run our workday like email is not our job, you shouldn’t be in your email all day. That means that realistically, hours could go by before you get to an email. Try testing the waters in a small way here if holding off on responses feels uncomfortable. Start with notes where you’re in a group of respondents. You may find it surprising to see how self-sufficient people are, or how effectively a conversation advances without you needing to jump in.

      10. Rushing the send
      “Rushing the send” is the sister of being the first to reply. Slow. Down. All of us are going a million miles an hour these days, but taking that extra few minutes to edit something is hugely beneficial. Are all the right people on this email? Does it have a clear, actionable purpose? Is it as long as it needs to be, but as short as it can be? Giving yourself a little personalized email checklist before you hit send can sharpen your communication skills and your professional profile. More

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      in health and weelbeing

      4 Reasons Why Multitasking Is Not the Best Option

      by

      Allow me to recap what my morning has looked like so far.I answered a couple of emails before starting a load of laundry. I answered another email, jotted down a few thoughts in an article outline, scrolled through Instagram, and then returned a couple more emails. I changed the laundry loads while on a phone call and then turned my attention once again to that article outline I promised myself I’d finish that morning.
      That’s pretty much standard for me — and I’m willing to bet the same holds true for you. When there are seemingly endless things to get done during any given day, multitasking is our new normal.
      But, in case you haven’t already heard, as irresistible as multitasking might seem, it’s really not the most efficient way for you to get your work done. Here’s why.

      1. Multitasking makes you less productive.
      This seems counterintuitive. How can doing two things at the same time actually make you less productive? Well, for starters, you aren’t actually doing two things simultaneously. Scientists say that’s almost impossible for humans to do well (hence why rubbing your stomach while tapping your head is such a beloved party trick). What you’re doing instead is rapidly switching between two tasks. You jump from that email to that project, and so on and so forth.
      Not so bad, right? Consider this: That constant switching counts as an interruption. You’re ripping your focus from one task to dedicate it to another. And, those constant disruptions come at a pretty high cost. Research shows that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus on the original task that was interrupted.
      So, if you task switch just four times each workday (and, let’s be honest, you’re doing it far more than that), you’re spending nearly an hour just trying to get yourself re-committed to the project at hand. See? Not so productive after all.

      Source: @brooklynblonde1

      2. Multitasking hinders your memory.
      The other day, my mom called me to remind me of something important I had to do. “Oh, that’s right — you need to remember that,” I recited to myself while hanging up the phone. I figured I’d crank out one quick email before tackling that reminder. But — you guessed it — before I managed to circle back around to that, I had entirely forgotten what I was supposed to be doing.
      Sound familiar? That’s because our compulsion to multitask is actually sabotaging our memory. Research from the University of California San Francisco found that multitasking negatively affects our short-term memory — which is also referred to as our “working” memory. Your working memory is what enables you to remember an important deadline someone just told you or the fact that you need to call and schedule a dental cleaning.
      So, if you find yourself forgetting your lunch in the fridge after you told yourself eight times to grab it or not being able to remember a friend’s phone number when she just told it to you, you might be able to blame your multitasking habit for those lapses in your memory.

      Source: Colorjoy Stock

      3. Multitasking leads to poor work.
      Another danger of not being able to commit all of your focus to something? You’re increasing the likelihood of errors. Dr. Paul Hammerness and Margaret Moore, authors of Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life, discovered that multitasking increases your chances of making a mistake or even missing important information or context entirely.
      It makes sense. I’m far more likely to let a typo slip through in an important email if I’m writing that message while also watching TV or talking with a friend. While your urge to rapidly switch between tasks might make you feel like a productivity superhero, it’s probably actually leading to lower-quality work than what you’re capable of producing.

      Source: @alabasterfox

      4. Multitasking makes you feel frazzled.
      How does constantly hopping back and forth between different emails and assignments make you feel? Personally, I feel totally stressed — my eyes feel bleary, my heart rate quickens, and I end the day feeling like I got nothing of real value accomplished. Compare that to spending a couple of dedicated, focused hours to making progress on a big project. How do you feel at the end of that work session? Probably a whole lot different.
      According to David Meyer, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, that’s because multitasking has been proven to boost your stress levels. When you’re trying to accomplish a bunch of tasks — particularly highly important ones — simultaneously, your brain responds to those seemingly impossible demands by pumping out a bunch of adrenaline and other stress hormones.

      Your brain responds to seemingly impossible demands by pumping out adrenaline and other stress hormones.

      The even worse news? A steady flow of those types of hormones can threaten your health. That means multitasking isn’t just sending you into a mental tizzy, it can actually be throwing your body out of whack as well. This only scratches the surface on all of the potential pitfalls related to multitasking. From stifling your creativity to negatively impacting your relationships, this compulsion to cram as many tasks as possible into one time slot doesn’t have a lot of benefits.
      That being said, stopping this natural tendency can be tough — particularly when you’re saddled with a to-do list as long as your arm. The next time you feel the urge to multitask (which I can only assume will be within the next five minutes or so), challenge yourself to stay focused on the task in front of you. You can also experiment with different time management techniques — such as task batching or the Pomodoro Technique — to see what makes you feel your most productive.
      Whatever you do, it’s sure to be a lot more beneficial than constantly switching gears.

      How do you resist the urge to multitask? Let us know! More

    • 163 Shares

      in lifestyle and culture

      A Branding Expert Shares the Most Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

      by

      Since I started my freelance design business back in 2015 (which feels like three decades ago by now), I’ve created a lot of brands—including logos, submarks, color palettes, typography, icons, and all the jazz that comes with creating a full brand identity. And while I always think it’s worth investing in the look and feel of your brand, sometimes when you’re just starting out, you simply don’t have the capital to hire a brand designer. I know from experience that the first year of your biz—whether it’s full time or a side hustle—can leave you pretty darn broke. To help, I’ve compiled a few strategic tips to help you DIY a brand that feels both elevated and authentic to who you are and what your business is all about. From how to use your fonts to selecting your color palette to setting up a simple yet sophisticated website (with my go-to platform, Squarespace), read on for the frequent branding mistakes I see and how to fix them. 

      Missing your core brand mission
      As a designer (and an Enneagram 4), I’m always conscious of how a brand looks and feels. But I think there’s a general misconception that branding is only about aesthetics when in reality, the best brands communicate something deeper and intrinsic about that company and what it values. Which is why when I start branding projects with my clients, I always have them fill out a questionnaire about their company, both for my benefit and to help them organize their thoughts about the mission, ethics, and meaning behind their brand. 
      Before you start thinking about your own brand’s visuals, take a beat. Grab a clean sheet of paper, open the notes app on your phone, or print out our downloadable worksheet and think about what makes your company or brand special. What do you bring to the table? What is your core mission? Who are your ideal clients and what do they believe in? Having these values outlined beforehand will help you make decisions later on—both about what you want your branding to say to your customers as well as other important decisions you’ll make each day for your business. 

      Forgetting to incorporate your audience 
      Now that you have your business mission and values outlined, you should have an idea of your ideal customer. You want to keep your customer or reader in mind as you’re thinking about your brand visuals. Keep the following things in mind: 
      Make a moodboard 
      Start by creating a board on Pinterest with images that you think reflect your brand and that would resonate with your audience. These don’t have to be logos or brand elements you like (though they can be). Pin anything and everything that catches your eye. Once you have a good amount of images, start reviewing the board and delete anything that no longer makes sense within the context of all the images. You should start to see patterns emerge. Maybe you pinned tons of images with a similar warm color scheme. Or maybe there are handwritten scribbles or elements throughout several of the pins. Note these patterns for elements you’ll use in your brand. 

      Consider color theory 
      Now that you have a moodboard of inspiration imagery, pull out the shades that reoccur. These are typically the shades you’re drawn to—you can see in the snippet of my brand’s moodboard above that I’m drawn to warm beiges, soft muted greens, and faded charcoals.
      Squarespace 7.1 comes with one of my favorite features, which allows you to select your desired color palette within the Design editor and then utilize that color palette throughout your site by selecting the pencil icon and choosing “Colors.” This saves so much time and ensures your shades are consistent throughout your site. 

      Once you have these colors, consider color theory. Which colors match the keywords you associate with your brand? If your brand is all about harmony and trust, try incorporating shades of blue that flow with your moodboard. If you’re more about energy and positivity, try shades of yellow. Refine your shades until you hit on a group that you like (keep it to around seven or less). Make sure you save the specific colors for future use—here’s a great tool on finding the hex code of a color from an image if you don’t have any design software like Photoshop or Illustrator.

      Incorporate your brand copy
      While you’re considering your brand look, it’s also a great time to hone in on a few strategic pieces of copy for your brand. How can you distill your mission down to its purest form? That becomes your tagline. For example, my freelance business is primarily a branding and print shop focused on creating heart-forward design for creatives and small business owners. To communicate that feeling in fewer words with an impactful punch, I distilled that mission down to a simple tagline: Crafting visual love letters. As you fill out our worksheet and think about your audience, jot down a few ideas for a tagline or condensed mission statement you can utilize across your website and branding materials (like business cards, etc.). 

      Equating minimalism with “boring” 
      You know that old Coco Chanel adage that you should take one thing off before you leave the house? Branding is like that. It’s really easy to overdo it, especially if you’re creating it for yourself. Sometimes you might think that more = better, when in reality, a more pared back and minimal design will be easier to nail as a brand newbie. And by minimalism I don’t mean that you have to only use one font or just use black and white as your color scheme. It’s more about letting the simplicity of something speak for itself. So you can still use bright, bold colors or incorporate fun elements like hand-drawn graphics or icons or bright, poppy photography while being more minimal. Some key things to keep in mind as you’re creating your brand look: 
      Keep the number of fonts to three or four 
      A really easy way to overdo it and make a brand look unnecessarily busy or visually confusing is to use too many different fonts that are all competing with each other. When I create brand identities for clients, I usually choose three or four fonts that they will use across their website and brand collateral in the following hierarchy: 
      Heading: This is the font you’ll use for the biggest text on your pages. This is the text you want your viewer to see and read first. You can get funky with your heading fonts because they generally make up a small-ish amount of text. I like to play with display serif fonts (like this) or this is a great place to incorporate script fonts and those with more personality than a standard font like Open Sans or Times New Roman. 
      Subheading: This is the font you’ll use for the smaller text that might live under a heading. You’ll see in the example below that my heading text is my name and the sub-heading text is my title. I usually use san serif fonts for subheadings (fonts without any flourishes on the ends of the letters—like Helvetica, etc.) and frequently do the font in all caps for more impact at a smaller size. 
      Body copy: This is the font you’ll use for any larger paragraphs of text. You want this font to be very easy to read because you don’t want your audience to get confused or navigate away from your site because the body font was too funky to understand. 

      Tagging your text like this on your website also helps with indexing and SEO (win, win)—learn more about that process here! 

      Don’t overcrowd your elements 
      One of my favorite tricks to give non-designers is about negative space. Whenever you’re creating something for your brand, consider the room each element has to “breathe” within the design. Just as you wouldn’t take a photo with the top of someone’s head cut off, you want to leave space around the elements (text, images, logos, etc.) of your design to avoid anything looking or feeling too cramped.  
      One of the reasons while I love Squarespace and frequently recommend it to my clients is because they make it so easy to create balance with negative space. You can add spacer blocks between photos or text to make sure nothing is too tight together or use one of the pre-made Squarespace layouts or templates that have strategic negative space built in. 

      Letting perfectionism get the best of you
      Last but not least, as a recovering perfectionist myself, I think there is such an impulse to wait until everything is “perfect” before you can launch your brand or put your business out into the world. And while I don’t think you should launch before you’ve done a few strategic things, there unfortunately isn’t a magical time when everything is perfect and you feel 100% ready. And that goes for your branding and visuals as well! Even as a brand designer myself, I’ve re-branded a few times over the years, which I think is completely natural and an extension of your business growing and evolving. 
      So don’t be afraid to create something for yourself initially and think you’ll be stuck with that look or visual identity for the rest of time. Start with something simple (I always say you can’t go wrong with simply typing your business name in a really great font—boom, instant beginner logo) that you can build off of in the future. And remember that re-branding also doesn’t have to mean scraping everything and starting from scratch. Sometimes I’ll refresh my own brand by updating the colors slightly or changing around or further customizing my Squarespace template to better reflect where my business is at that moment. Have fun with it and play around, especially at the beginning! There is always room for experimentation and discovery. 

      This post was sponsored by Squarespace, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board. More

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      in lifestyle and culture

      If Your Bedroom Is Your Desk, Here’s What to Do…

      by

      If I had a dollar for the number of times I’ve heard the warning, “You shouldn’t work from home in your bed,” I’d have enough money to move out of my cramped studio apartment and look for a more spacious option that would allow me the luxury of the desk/office space I’m missing. I can see where critics are coming from: a bed is a place for sleeping and, in an ideal world, having an out-of-bed workspace can have a positive impact on productivity, sleep, and our mental health. As much as I’m sure we’d all love to have a designated workspace that isn’t our bedroom, sometimes there’s just no getting around it. Whether it be having a small space to work with, attempting to work where kiddos are running around, hiding from a pet who has an affinity for your laptop keys (my cat is the queen of this), or sharing a WFH space with a partner who needs the living room for a conference call, sometimes working in bed might be your only option.
      So, let’s normalize working from home in bed! If working in your sleep space works for you, that’s 100 percent OK and totally doable. Here’s how to make the most of it.

      Separate sleep time from work time
      As tempting as it is to snooze your alarm until 8:28am to make your 8:30am start time, stay snuggled in your blanket burrito, and keep your pajamas on all day, don’t fall into the trap! In the interest of separating sleep time from work time, get up early and partake in a morning routine to get you out of bed and to signal to your brain that it’s time to wake up and seize the day. When you return to your room, transform it into a workspace. Open your blinds to let the light in, make your bed, set up your laptop, change into a designated work-from-home outfit, set your favorite productivity playlist, and get going. 

      Invest in a back pillow to improve posture
      While sitting up in bed is a good alternative to lying flat (which may put one on the fast track to a fatal, accidental nap), it offers little to no back support. These back pillows will help your alignment, assist in improving your posture, and are an absolute must for working from your bed.

      Get a laptop tray
      No desk? No problem. If you don’t already have one, laptop trays are such a game-changer for working in bed. Having a flat surface to rest your laptop, notebook, planner, and coffee is so necessary and serves the function of a desk without the bulkiness.

      Buy non-spill drinkware
      If you’re like me, no workday is complete without multiple cups of coffee, hundreds of milliliters of lemon water, and several glasses of matcha tea. I used to have a very horrible habit of placing my beverages on the corner of my laptop next to the keypad—I know it’s bad, please don’t yell at me! Now I am older, I am wiser, and I bought spill-proof cups with lids that have offered the perfect solution. The idea of past me alone gives me a mini heart-attack and sends shivers down my spine. 

      Add to your extension cord collection
      Unless your bedroom is stacked with outlets, you’re going to need to invest in additional extension cords and outlets to fuel your electronic lifelines. Most bedrooms weren’t designed to be offices and don’t have many/close enough outlets to allow us to have all of our devices charging in cord length distance of our beds. Alas, we shall adapt.

      Schedule breaks to get up and moving
      As with sitting at a desk all day, sitting in your makeshift desk-in-bed situation for prolonged periods can have a detrimental effect on our health. Dr. Jasmine Marcus, PT, DPT, CSCS told Popsugar that getting up and moving “anywhere from every half hour to every two hours” can be beneficial in combatting an otherwise sedentary workday. Schedule deliberate stretch and walk breaks throughout your day to relieve pressure on your spine.and to keep blood and endorphins flowing.

      Having a set nighttime routine
      When your workday ends, clean up your workspace, say “goodbye” to your bedroom for a few hours, and treat yourself to a change of scenery to dissociate from your workday. Just as with a morning routine, perform a night routine of choice to help you wind down and to signal to your mind and body that it’s time for bed. Set the mood for bedtime, dim the lights, get in your coziest PJs, light a calming candle, and do a relaxing activity such as journaling or reading. Try your best not to scroll on IG or TikTok—your eyes and mind deserve a break! More

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      in lifestyle and culture

      5 Changes to Make to Your Finances Before Winter

      by

      As the weather changes, naturally, so will your budget. The seasons can have an impact on your finances, whether it’s setting aside a little more money for brunch season with your friends in the summer or opening up a whole new savings account for holiday gift-giving in the winter. Preparing for the colder months is more than just about breaking out your old coats and sweaters; your finances also need prepping to plan for the change to your spending, especially if you are rebuilding financially from a tough year. Here are a few ways you can change up your budget to ring in the winter season wisely, without spending your last dollar. 

      1. Reevaluate your budget 
      The spending categories in your budget, which can include household bills, dining out, fixed expenses, and more, can—and most likely will—change and shift with the seasons. From your utilities increasing from being in the house more to preparing for holiday travel, make sure to reevaluate your budget to accommodate the change to your lifestyle this winter. 
      Whether you update your budget on a weekly, monthly, or a paycheck-by-paycheck basis, take time to make any modifications to your spending categories to be prepared for winter spending. Use your favorite budgeting software to update your spending in advance of the winter season. Your extra dollars may need to go toward your shopping budget for gift giving, or toward an increase in household items. Keep your budget flexible to accommodate your winter spending habits.

      2. Save in advance for the holidays 
      As soon as the weather breaks, the holidays are looming right around the corner, which means the season of gift-giving is near. Don’t let your wallet take a hit this winter while trying to gift shop for the holidays; prepare in advance and set aside savings specifically for the holidays. 
      Prepping for the holiday season can be daunting, especially if your budget isn’t prepared for it. Evaluate your finances to see how you can allocate more funds for gifts, holiday travel, decorations, and other celebratory plans. Make a plan to attack the holiday buying season by making a checklist of everyone you plan to shop for, how much you plan to allocate to their gift, and where in your budget your spending is coming from. Put yourself on a timeline for when your spending begins and ends for gift giving this winter, as it is easy to overspend on family and friends for the holidays. 
      Traveling for the holidays to spend time with friends and family can also make a dent in your finances. Budget for travel in advance by taking advantage of any travel deals available and saving up for any expenses associated with your travels, including gas, rentals, hotel stays, and airfare costs. 
      The holidays during the winter are very festive, and decorating your home to match the joy of the season can be costly. Look to use recycled decorations for the holidays instead of purchasing new items, or look for cheaper alternatives at your favorite stores to get your home holiday-ready.

      Source: colorjoy stock

      3. Change up your spending habits 
      Being in your home more during winter will most likely tempt you to order online more, versus dining out and going shopping in your favorite stores. Shift your budget to accommodate how your spending habits will change this winter season. 
      Your budget this winter might include more money allocated toward getting your basic household and beauty items delivered, versus going into the stores to save time and to protect your health ahead of the flu season. Dining out usually slows during the winter, especially now as we’re in the middle of a pandemic, so be prepared to make room in your budget for the change in your dining out habits. You may want to shift money around to accommodate spending more on groceries instead of going out when the temperature drops.
      Shopping and maintaining your winter attire will also require a few extra dollars in your budget. Prepare to spend a little more money on clothing items if you live in a colder climate. Winter clothing is usually a little more costly to buy while in season, so before the cold hits, shop around to prepare for what you might need, like coats, gloves, scarves, and boots. Anticipating what your spending habits may look like as winter approaches will help you shift your budget around proactively for a more realistic look at how winter might change your finances and your lifestyle.  

      4. Plan for an increase in household expenses 
      During the colder months, you’re in the home more than usual, which usually includes using more heat, electricity, and household appliances. Don’t let your utility bills shock you this coming winter season; prepare for an increase in household expenses before it’s time to hibernate during the colder months. 
      The colder the season, the more heat you and your family are likely to use to stay warm inside. Set aside more for household expenses and adjust your budget to make way for higher utility bills and any other expenses related to maintaining your home throughout the winter. Check in with your utility providers to see if they have cost-efficient ways you can save money on your utility bills in the winter, as many have peak savings days they recommend or tips on how you can use less energy throughout the season to lower your bill.
      You may want to make room in your budget for weather-related home maintenance as well, like snow removal or sealing your doors and windows to keep in the heat. Damages to many homes due to winter weather can break your savings, especially if you’re not properly prepared. Make sure you set aside more money in your home budget to make way for any unexpected home expenses the winter might inflict on your home.

      5. Prepare in advance for tax season 
      Time waits for no one, and neither does tax season! If you’re already sweating at the thought of filing taxes next year and feel unprepared, you are not alone. Get ready for tax season this winter by taking a closer look at your finances before the beginning of the new year. 
      Gather up all of your tax documents and receipts from the year so that you don’t miss a beat next year during tax season. This could include any itemizable expenses from working from home, unemployment benefits due to being laid off or furloughed, or relocation expenses that may be reimbursed. 
      Take this winter season to research and find a tax professional or trusted tax software you can use before the end of the year in order to plan your filings early. Get an early look at what your tax liabilities may look like next year, and get ahead of the game!  More

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      in health and weelbeing

      10 Things to Do When You’re Feeling Unproductive

      by

      If you’re lacking motivation or energy these days, it’s not just you. Unfortunately, we don’t have an “on” button, and we can’t be plugged into an outlet. That means that no matter how much our employers expect us to be productive from 9-5, our energy levels and motivation don’t always fall in line with our work calendars. The conversation about women “having it all” somehow fails to mention that sometimes we just don’t want to do any of it. But there are tricks and tips to check in with your body, boost your energy levels, and find that motivation whenever you need it. If it’s an important week or a busy workday and your energy levels missed the memo, here are 10 things to boost productivity and motivation. 
      1. Take a break
      Yes, you do deserve a break, no matter how busy your day is (and you can let your boss know that we said so!). If it feels difficult to get anything done or you’re just feeling low energy overall, don’t force yourself to push through; it’s probably your body’s way of telling you that you need to take a break. Even spending five minutes to organize your space or 10 minutes to go on a quick walk around the block can re-energize you when you’re feeling rundown. Also, make sure you’re taking a (real!) lunch break every single day to do something enjoyable besides eating before you get back to work. If taking breaks still doesn’t feel like a fix, you might be suffering from burnout, whether it’s emotional or work-specific. If possible, take a long weekend to reset and talk to your boss about finding more work-life balance. 

      Source: @crystalinmarie

      2. Get outside
      As humans, we’re meant to be outdoors while the sun is out. Even though that’s not always possible with 9-5 office hours and dropping temperatures, getting your daily dose of sunshine is crucial for energy levels because it can suppress melatonin production and increases alertness. Plus, fresh air feels refreshing AF and will invigorate you when you need an energy push. If you don’t have time to go on a walk or do some outdoor meditation, try eating your meals outside. Bundle up, sip on a hot cup of coffee, and enjoy your breakfast on the patio, or take your lunch break sitting out in your yard or a nearby park. You can also try taking calls while going on a walk or sitting outside instead of at your desk for a Zoom meeting. 

      3. Take a shower
      Besides just extra points for cleanliness and hygiene, taking a shower makes you more alert. I rarely shower in the morning (I’m a bath-at-night kinda girl), but on the days that I do, I feel a huge difference in my energy and productivity. In my opinion, water wakes you up better than a shot of espresso ever could, so if you’re in a bit of a slump, you don’t need a nap or another cup of coffee. Instead, take a quick five-minute shower and watch your motivation increase immediately. If you’re #extra like me, try a “shot” of cold water by decreasing the water temperature at the very end of your shower for 5-10 seconds. The cold water increases alertness and might offer a variety of health benefits as a bonus. 

      4. Turn off your phone
      With endless scrolling on Instagram or entertaining TikToks just a touch of a button away, I don’t know how anyone gets anything done anymore. Smartphone addiction is real, and social media could be severely hurting your productivity. Try turning off your phone, leaving it in another room, or deleting any apps that are sucking up your time. With the phone out of the picture (literally), you won’t be as tempted to check Facebook or scroll through Instagram and might realize it’s easier to get things done when the temptation is removed. Also, try one of these habits to help you spend less time on your phone. 

      Source: @simplytandya

      5. Put on a playlist 
      Sometimes all it takes to get out of a funk is a funky (the good kind) playlist. For me, my “Caffeine” playlist makes me want to get sh*t done; for Social Media Editor Abigail, her “Anti-Anxiety League” playlist helps her feel centered and focused; and for a productivity-boosting playlist that we all love, “The Everygirl Listens: Office Tunes” totally slaps (I hear that’s a thing the cool kids are saying). Whether “Eye of the Tiger” gets you amped to check items off your to-do list or “Confidence” makes you want to conquer the world, the goal of this playlist is to energize and motivate you. Turn on the playlist when you’re feeling a lack of energy and let the gift of Harry Styles or Taylor Swift boost your productivity. 

      6. Check off the to-do list tasks that take less than two minutes to complete
      Long to-do lists can nag at us and make us feel overwhelmed. Your to-do list might feel so daunting or exhausting that you can’t even face it. Instead, start working on all of those tiny little things on your overall to-do list that you’ve been putting off but take less than two minutes. Schedule a doctor’s appointment, answer that email you’ve been meaning to get to, or order a restock of toilet paper from Amazon. You don’t have to complete every single task to improve your mood, so checking the smaller things off will increase motivation and ease overwhelm. For the bigger tasks, just making a plan for tackling them is sufficient to help make them feel less daunting. Decide when you’ll do the task and set a reminder on your phone or a Post-It.

      Source: @waityouneedthis

      7. Get moving 
      Anything that takes you out of your head and back into your body can help with stress, anxiety, and lack of energy. If stress is causing the lack of productivity, movement that focuses on breathing helps center you. Take a break to go through a yoga flow whenever you feel motivation dip, and focus on taking deep breaths with each movement (think “inhale” and “exhale” to stay focused). Breathwork (or breathing exercises) is another powerful tool to destress that you can do anytime. If the lack of productivity is due to overall fatigue or boredom, try a fun workout like going on a jog while listening to a podcast or trying a dance cardio video on Youtube for an immediate fix, and make sure to get to bed earlier that night. 

      8. Set up your environment to make you feel better
      Your environment completely affects the way you feel. Whether you’re in a perpetual funk or just having an off-day, take some time to arrange the aspects of your environment you have control over. For example, clean the kitchen, organize the desk area, put on a playlist (see above!), burn a candle, and turn off phone notifications. Clutter in your space results in clutter in your mind, and too much clutter (in your space and your mind) can make you feel overwhelmed or exhausted. Making simple changes to your workspace or even organizing that junk drawer can transform the way you feel about the rest of your day.

      Source: @_harlowejames

      9. Identify a purpose through visualization 
      Without a doubt, the greatest tool for self-development is our imagination. If you’re lacking productivity, you probably haven’t checked in with your “why” enough. Why are you putting in the effort? Is it to achieve a career milestone, save up enough money to buy a house, or feel fulfilled in your job? Maybe you want to eat healthy foods so you can feel like your best self, or keep the house organized so you can feel relaxed when you’re at home. Once you’ve identified the purpose of being productive, visualize yourself reaching it and how your life would be different. When you visualize achieving the goal instead of just setting it, you’ll automatically feel more motivated to put in the effort. It’s like dangling a carrot right in front of you instead of a far-off goal that doesn’t seem real. 

      10. Be OK with feeling “OK”
      If all else fails, remind yourself that it’s OK to have an off-day (or even an off-week). In fact, productivity naturally ebbs and flows depending on the time of day, sleep quality, and even our menstrual cycles. Are you noticing a lack of productivity, or are you shaming yourself for a lack of productivity? We believe that we’re not supposed to need a break. In reality, it’s not only OK to have an off-day, but it’s necessary. Know that negative feelings, while uncomfortable, are also human. Despite whatever intentions you have or how hard you work, some days are just going to be better than others. Let yourself take it easy, rest, and recover today, and then pick yourself up and choose to find a purpose to get excited about tomorrow. 

      How do you find motivation when you’re feeling unproductive? More