Author: Abbey

If the Twitter photos of lines snaking around city blocks are any indication, people are showing up to vote in droves. And while the high voter turnout is a great example of democracy in action, it spells bad news for voter wait times. So, what do you do if you’re stuck at the back of the line when your polling place closes? You stay right where you are.

If you didn’t take advantage of your state’s voting time-off laws to cast your ballot during the workday, there’s a good chance you’ll be caught in an after-work crush. But don’t despair! As long as you are in line at closing time, you have a legal right to vote—so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In fact, if someone does attempt to force you to leave, you are encouraged to call a voter protection hotline (such as 1-866-OUR-VOTE) or submit a complaint to the Department of Justice (1-800-253-3931).

These hotlines are also available to help you if you witness acts of voter intimidation or discrimination. As they say, if you see something, say something!

On the spectrum of things to dread, networking doesn’t have to rank near dentist appointments and airport delays. Believe it or not, it can be fun—and you can walk away with real contacts who can help you with your career. Networking pros share their tricks for stress-free, effective meet-and-greets.

1. GET THERE ON TIME.

If you show up late to a networking event, people will have already formed groups, making it harder and more intimidating to break in, says Devora Zack, CEO of Only Connect Consulting and the author of numerous books including Networking for People who Hate Networking. “If you’re not comfortable going up to people you don’t know, [doing so is] not a good idea,” Zack says. At the beginning of the event, the atmosphere is more casual and there are smaller groups that are easier to join, she says.

2. VOLUNTEER AT THE EVENT.

Working the event gives you a sense of purpose as well as an automatic reason to talk to everyone, Zack says. After directing the guests to the sign-in table, for example, you can introduce yourself and pass along your business card.

3. CHANGE UP THE CONVERSATION.

Don’t rely on stale standbys as icebreakers. “A slight change can be quite interesting,” Zack says. Instead of asking where they work, ask “What is something you love about your work?” “Think of questions that are interesting to you,” Zack recommends.

4. DON’T ASK FOR FAVORS IMMEDIATELY.

You never want your new contacts to feel like you’re using them for their status or connections, says Dorie Clark, an adjunct professor at Duke University and author of Stand Out. “Avoid that problem by focusing exclusively on building the relationship for many months before you ask for anything,” she says. The exception: If they offer to make a connection.

5. STAY POSITIVE.

It’s very tempting to talk about what’s wrong (with the event, your company, your personal life, or the weather), and it’s alarming how often people do this, Zack says. Instead, make positive comments that allow people to see you as the great, optimistic person you are.

6. MAKE A SMOOTH EXIT.

You want to end the conversation before the other person gets tired of talking to you—and you also want to network with as many people as possible. Zack offers two suggestions for ending one conversation gracefully so you can move on to the next: With a warm, genuine smile, say either, “It’s been great talking to you, but I promised myself that I’d circulate,” or “I’m sure you want to meet other people—do you have a card?”

7. FOLLOW UP.

There’s little value in networking if you don’t maintain the relationship, Clark says. A few days after meeting, send a follow-up email. Then, use topics you’ve connected on previously as reasons to reach out every so often. “For instance, if you learn they’re a football fan, you can email them when their team makes the playoffs. Or if you hear they’re planning a trip abroad in a few months, you can shoot them a note afterward to see how it went,” Clark says.

The financial toll debt takes is obvious: The average American household carries over $15,000 worth of consumer debt and doesn’t have the cash reserves to pay for a $500 emergency. The psychological toll of debt, however, is often overlooked. But a study from Northwestern University found that consumers with higher levels of debt had a 13.2 percent increase in depressive symptoms and an 11.7 percent increase in perceived stress.

In her book Dear Debt, personal finance writer Melanie Lockert chronicles her own experience with this kind of financial anxiety. She offers some useful advice for coping with money-induced stress and depression.

1. FOCUS ON BOOSTING YOUR CONFIDENCE.

After graduating from a prestigious university, Lockert had amassed over $80,000 worth of student debt and she was unable to find work. As her confidence dwindled, she says she learned to create her own opportunities to earn extra cash, even if it wasn’t a standard full-time job. She sold her stuff. She babysat. She passed out flyers in Central Park.

Obviously, the extra cash helped. But more importantly, Lockert says, these gigs gave her the confidence boost she needed to cope with her financial stress. “Realizing that I could create my own work and not just wait for others to give it to me helped boost my confidence,” she tells mental_floss. “During hard times or points of doubt, I just kept repeating ‘I am a money-making machine’ to myself.”

If you’re struggling to find a job or even side gigs while you’re in debt, volunteering might be another useful option. Not only can it lead to paid opportunities [PDF], but it can also help you establish a sense of purpose and confidence at a time when you need it most. Of course, an increase in income will go a long way toward offering relief, but in the meantime, it’s important to look out for your sense of self-worth and well-being.

2. EMBRACE ACCOUNTABILITY.

When your debt load feels overwhelming, it’s easy to give up. The stress takes over, you forget about your goal, your debt increases, the stress multiplies. It’s a vicious cycle that snowballs. This is where accountability partners come in handy. When you feel like giving up, a trusted friend or loved one can gently remind you why your debt payoff goal is important to you. They can also help boost your spirits.

Lockert held herself accountable through her blog, where she wrote letters to debt, chronicling her financial and emotional journey to the black. “I started my blog as a lifeboat during a dark time in my personal and professional life,” she says. “The writing gave me a purpose and helped me stay accountable in the debt payoff process.”

3. GET PROFESSIONAL HELP.

There are also professional resources available when you feel helpless against your debt. Credit counseling is designed to educate consumers about debt and then come up with a realistic plan they can stick with in order to stay above water.

While debt plan services typically come with a small fee, agencies accredited by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) begin with a free session that explains the basics of managing your debt and your budget.

In Lockert’s case, she enlisted the help of a low-cost therapist at her university to talk about her anxiety and depression. If you can’t afford a private therapist, many church organizations, community centers, or employers also offer low-cost options for mental health services.

4. PRACTICE GRATITUDE.

It sounds hokey, but a little gratitude can put you in the right frame of mind for sticking with your payoff goal. Lockert believes the daily gratitude exercise suggested by her therapist played a crucial role in changing her perspective. “Gratitude can help you get out of debt because it can shift your mindset. At the suggestion of my therapist at the time, I started writing three things I was grateful for each day,” she says.

Those three things could be anything, Lockert explains, from a cup of coffee to a nap to an afternoon walk. She says that embracing gratitude made her realize that, in many ways, she did have a rich life, despite her financial struggles. Her debt didn’t disappear overnight, of course, but the ritual gave her the motivation she needed to keep pursuing her payoff goal.

Travel is all about taking in new experiences as you explore an unknown destination, whether it’s the streets of New York or the steps of Machu Picchu. But it’s kind of hard to feel unburdened and free when you’re bogged down by heavy luggage. If you tend to over-pack when you travel, start with these simple rules for packing light—with the proper planning, we guarantee you can fit everything you need into a single bag.

1. PACK TWO BOTTOMS FOR EVERY FIVE DAYS

Jeans can take up a fair amount of real estate in your carry-on, and chances are, you don’t need a fresh pair for every day of the week. Writer Tarryn Williford suggests over at Apartment Therapy that you pack two bottoms for every five days of your trip. “[This] gives you the flexibility to have a short option and a long option,” she writes. “As long as they’re versatile—and don’t stand out too much—I promise your perfect pair will last the whole trip.”

So if you do the math, you only need four bottoms (a mix of jeans, skirts, and shorts, depending on the climate of your destination) for a 10-day trip. You might even reduce that number if you have access to a washing machine.

2. THE 80-20 RULE FOR TRAVELING

The Pareto principle tells us that 80 percent of effects come from 20 percent of causes. In business, for example, 80 percent of your success comes from 20 percent of your efforts; or 80 percent of your profits come from 20 percent of your clients. The goal of knowing this is to be able to focus on that 20 percent to maximize efficiency.

It might seem silly, but you can translate the Pareto principle to packing, too. The Carry On Guy posits that 20 percent of the stuff you bring can accommodate 80 percent of your needs. Think about it: How often are you going to use that backup battery charger you’re bringing? And do you really need a separate pair of dress shoes for that one nice dinner you have planned?

3. THE 5-4-3-2-1 RULE

If you’re finding it impossible to cut down your packing list, start with this easy guideline that’s made the rounds online in recent years. According to the 5-4-3-2-1 rule, all you need for any trip is:

– 5 tops
– 4 bottoms
– 3 accessories
– 2 shoes (a practical pair and a nice pair)
– 1 swimsuit

You can be a bit flexible with this rule depending on your destination. If you’re going to Ireland in December, for instance, you might want to swap that one swimsuit for a windbreaker. Heading to Aruba? Make one of your accessories your beach cover-up.

4. GO NEUTRAL

Versatility is key when packing light, and if you want to make sure you can mix and match all of your tops, bottoms, and outerwear, you’ll want to pick a neutral color palette.

Travel site Smart Women on the Go recommends choosing medium to dark solid colors (like black and charcoal gray) for your main clothing items because “they coordinate easily and don’t scream, ‘I’m a tourist!'” But for a warmer climate, you might want to lean more heavily on lighter neutrals like cream or blue (which look great together).

You don’t have to give up color completely, of course. Just add it in with accessories like scarves, jewelry, or hats.

5. NEVER PACK FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS

Even if you’re going to be away for a month, as a general rule, you only ever need two week’s worth of stuff. As travel site Fox Nomad explains, you’re not packing for the rest of your life. “What you pack before you leave on a trip isn’t absolute—it’s not like you’ve only got one chance to get it right or face catastrophe,” they say.

Unless you’re heading to a campsite in the middle of nowhere, you can scout out the nearest drug store to restock your supply of toothpaste, purchase a pair of sunglasses to replace the ones you forgot, or simply wash your clothes so you can rewear them. (And if you’re camping, it’s likely no one will notice or care if your clothes get a little grimy.)

What’s more awkward than a performance review at work? The self-appraisal process that precedes it, of course.

Measuring your own performance without coming across as arrogant or too self-deprecating can be an incredibly hard tightrope to walk. Studies have shown that we’re remarkably poor judges of our own work, and no one can remember what they did six months ago, anyway. All the more reason to dash it off in the five minutes before it’s due, right?

Nope, says New York-based career consultant Maggie Mistal. The frenetic nature of today’s workforce means your words carry an outsize amount of weight. “With managers having so much on their plates, many use the self-assessments as the basis for the employee’s performance evaluation,” Mistal says. Your boss can’t possibly keep track of all your victories (or setbacks). That means they might reference your self-assessment when deciding on your next raise or who on the team should land the next promotion.

If the stakes for your self-assessment seem high, it’s because they are. But there are some easy steps you can take to make sure you’re showing off your best self—without seeming like a braggart.

1. ADD JUICY DETAILS.

Now is not the time for modesty, says Mistal. When recounting your successes, details matter. To avoid staring blankly at your screen for 45 minutes, keep a running list, saved on your desktop, of projects completed and goals accomplished throughout the year. Then, when it’s time to turn that list into assessment material, Mistal recommends following a Position-Action-Result template. Identify what role you played, what action you took, and the details of the positive outcome. For example, rather than noting that you “oversaw the website redesign” you can point to the four-person team you managed for the two-month project, and the 25 percent traffic bump the redesign helped reel in.

2. BE (CAREFULLY) HONEST.

You shouldn’t ignore mistakes or failures, but be sure to frame them appropriately. Rather than saying, “I fell short” or “I failed,” flip your language to create solution-based statements. The Harvard Business Review recommends framing it as, “Here’s an area I want to work on”—then spell out what you’re going to do. Most employers will favor that kind of growth mentality, and crafting your own game plan for growth can actually earn you bonus points in the performance review.

3. DON’T COMPLAIN.

Now is not the time for disparaging remarks about your company or its leaders—save that stuff for happy hour with your BFF. Instead, the self-assessment should include an appreciation of what’s working in your job, Mistal says, even if that means digging deep to find a team dynamic that’s working. And, like with your mistakes, invert the negatives to create a more productive conversation. “Rather than say that you want to be promoted out of a department with little upward mobility, make it more empowering,” says Mistal. “Say you’re motivated and make your best contributions when your efforts lead to greater roles.”

4. GET A SECOND OPINION.

Discussing self-assessments with trusted colleagues can be good for everyone. Your work pal might jog your memory about a project-saving move that you’ve forgotten, or a team member might point out that your can-do attitude isn’t exactly the norm at the office. Those swapped compliments can be great details for the self-assessment, but don’t limit yourself to just talk. “Having another pair of eyes read over what you’ve written never hurts,” Mistal says. Because, just like with a resume or cover letter, a typo can be glaring for reviewers.

Your uniform for outdoor workouts in the summer was pretty simple: shorts, a light, breathable tank top, and maybe a hat or visor to keep the sweat out of your face. Come fall, however, it’s a totally different story; what you choose to wear for exercising al fresco is anything but a given. The weather can change drastically from day to day—60 degrees and sunny today, 45 and windy tomorrow—and so will the clothes and accessories you suit up in. Plus, shorter days can mean your after-work exercise is suddenly way darker than usual, which can affect your clothing choices, too.

Read on for six recommendations to add to your rotation, which include lots of layers that will keep you warm without being too hot, and tons of reflective detailing to keep you visible and safe when you’re up before the sun or getting your sweat on at dusk.

1. BROOKS LSD RUNNING JACKET; $95

 
A windbreaker is key for outdoor workouts, both to keep you dry when it’s raining and to deflect the breeze so your upper body will stay warmer. This one is ultra lightweight and water-resistant. But the best part is, it folds up into a small pocket and has an elastic band attached, so you can wrap it around your wrist or upper arm to carry it with you easily once you warm up.

Find it: Brooks Running

2. SUGOI ZAP RUN VEST; $96

 
If there’s just a slight chill in the air, you might want to forego covering up your arms and opt to just keep your torso covered with a vest. This one from Sugoi is great for in-between weather—it’s lightweight, breathable, and water-resistant and boasts two pockets for stashing your keys or gloves once your hands warm up. Plus, it’s covered with a super-reflective pattern that glows when a car’s headlights or a street light hit it.

Find it: Amazon

3. ASICS LITE-SHOW ARM SLEEVES; $30

 
Slip these sleeves onto your arms with a tank (if it’s just a tad chilly outside) or under a long-sleeved shirt or jacket for extra warmth (once the temp really drops). They’ll keep your arms cozy without adding unnecessary heat to your torso, and they’re easy to pull off once you get going and are warm enough without them. Once again, the reflective details make you extra visible when it’s getting dark out.

Find it: Asics

4. 2XU HYOPTIK MID-RISE COMPRESSION TIGHTS; $110

 
With their big reflective logo running down the sides, these leggings are all about keeping you safe and visible in the dim light of fall evenings. The lightweight compression fabric (which will help your leg muscles recover post-workout) is just right for making you warm but not overheated while you exercise, and it wicks away moisture so you stay comfortably dry.

Find it: 2XU

5. CEP PROGRESSIVE+ COMPRESSION SOCKS; $50

 
Pull on a pair of these snug knee-high socks before you head outside. They won’t just keep your feet and calves toasty; the compression material ups circulation, helps reduce lactic acid buildup, and can help you bounce back from a workout faster.

Find it: CEP

6. EMPOWER FITNESS NITEBRIGHT HEADBAND; $15

 
This fleecy headband is an ideal option for keeping your ears warm on a chilly day without adding the heat of a full beanie; just pull it down to your neck or put it away in a pocket if your head gets too hot. Like other items on this list, it’s covered in a print that looks silver in the light but turns super-bright and reflective when you’re working out in the dark.

Find it: Empower Fitness

Over the past decade, the number of moms who choose to stay at home with their kids has steadily risen: According to Pew Research, 23 percent of mothers with kids under 18 in 1999 did not work outside the home; in 2012, that number rose to 29 percent. At the same time, more and more American workers are choosing to work remotely—in 2015, a Gallup poll showed that 37 percent of the U.S. workforce telecommutes for work. At the intersection of these two trends are the busy moms who watch their kids while working from home. How do they do it—and how can you do it, too? Start with these seven tips from telecommuting moms.

1. WAKE UP BEFORE THE KIDS.

Lisa Brigham, senior corporate recruiter at Merkle, says she makes sure she gets up at 6 a.m. daily to look at her calendar and check and reply to emails. “I am usually able to work for about an hour before the kids are up,” she says.

2. STEAL TIME.

Whenever the children are distracted by homework or activities, even if it’s just for 30 minutes, Brigham jumps onto the computer to work. And although she says she does her best to make clear when she’s unavailable for meetings at work due to her familial obligations, “there have been times when I have been on a conference call during pick-up,” Brigham says. When this happens, she puts her phone on mute.

3. STAY CONNECTED.

The line between working and playing is getting blurred for everyone. According to a GFI Software report, three quarters of workers check their email outside of work hours at least sometimes—and 12 percent say they do so in real time. But for work-at-home moms, this isn’t a bad habit so much as a necessity. “I do have my phone with me at all times, and check work emails on a regular basis,” Brigham says. “If I’m able to send an immediate reply, I will do so from my phone, otherwise I will wait until later that evening or the next day.”

4. BE UP-FRONT.

Kaycee Militante has worked from home for years running her own retail business, Applejack Apparel, but her son never really learned how to be quiet when she was on the phone. “So I make a brief apology during calls where he’s present, and never have gotten a bad response,” she says. Preparing the caller for potential noise or distractions can help eliminate confusion should you be interrupted.

5. KEEP A ROUTINE.

When you’re juggling home and work responsibilities, keeping your identities of “mom” and “employee” steady can be the key to keeping them separate. Militante says it’s important for her and her kids to keep a routine so they can all grasp onto it, even as the rest of their lives fly by. So Monday is soup night; on Tuesdays, they eat out; Thursdays is taco night—you get the gist. Militante also has a cleaning person come once a week to handle the bulk of the laundry.

Brigham notes that she carefully schedules her days and weeks in order to stay on track. On Fridays, for instance, she doesn’t book any calls or meetings. “That is my work day when I review resumes, work on scheduling calls for the following week, and work on reporting,” she says.

6. CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK.

The fact of the matter is, watching your kids and working is incredibly difficult. So don’t try to be Wonder Woman! Brigham says she doesn’t work out as often as she’d like or keep the house as neat as she’d like. When things begin to fall by the wayside, don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, enlist some help.

7. ADJUST YOUR SCHEDULE.

If your job allows you to have a flexible schedule you should use this to your advantage. Regan Hoerster, who owns a pilates studio, shares stay-at-home parent duties with her husband, who works full-time as a bartender. Their opposite schedules allows them to work together, swapping duties as their son’s needs change. “I breastfed pretty exclusively for his first year, which meant I only worked two-to-four hours a stretch before needing to come home,” says Hoerster. Hoerster also took advantage of her early morning pumping to look at her to-do list, answer emails, and work on social media.

Parents of older kids can use their flexible hours to arrange things so that the bulk of their focused work is done while the kids are at school, at after-school activities, or in the evening when they may have a partner around to lighten the load.

That smiley photo you posted on Facebook only got three likes. Your pithy tweet is met with silence. You have no idea how to Snapchat. Failing to get a reaction on social media can be frustrating and embarrassing—and it can also be bad for business. Social media has become an essential way to connect with customers, not just friends, so we spoke with marketing and digital strategy experts about tried and true ways to boost your social media profile.

1. DETERMINE YOUR OBJECTIVE.

Do you want more followers? Are you trying to engage your customers? Figure out your goal before deciding on a strategy, says Dana DiTomaso, president of Kick Point, a digital-first marketing agency.

2. INTERVIEW YOUR CUSTOMERS.

Get to know your audience’s online tastes and habits and adjust your game plan accordingly. Once you discover why they go online, you can figure out what you should be putting on your social media pages, DiTomaso, says. In order to help a healthcare client gain more customers, for instance, DiTomaso interviewed a group of local nurses about why they use social media. Turns out, they often log on to see where their favorite food trucks are at lunch. So DiTomaso suggested her client incorporate the food trucks into their events. Similarly, after determining that a builder client’s online followers were interested in home design, DiTomaso encouraged her client to share more stories about decor.

3. USE VISUALS.

Eye-catching photos, graphics, or videos can help your posts stand out from the rest, says Peg Fitzpatrick, a social media speaker and strategist. Fitzpatrick suggests using Adobe Spark for fun, easy, and free graphics and videos.

4. USE HASHTAGS.

Think of hashtags as the glue that holds social conversations and ideas together, Fitzpatrick says. “On Instagram, you can use up to thirty hashtags per post,” she says. Fitzpatrick recommends using hashtags that are relevant to your photo to connect it with like-minded people. “I put one or two in the initial description and the rest in a comment on the post.” But use discretion: Over-hashtagging or tagging unrelated terms or products makes people cranky—and you won’t reach the right audience.

5. BE STRATEGIC ABOUT YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS.

Maintaining an engaging and interesting Facebook page is an art, Fitzpatrick says. She recommends the following steps to make your page more popular: Experiment with posting at different times of the day; add variety to your posts; space your posts apart so you don’t clog your fans’ newsfeed.

6. CROSS-PROMOTE YOUR CONTENT.

Use social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to share your videos to reach more people. “The wildly successful vloggers are all working multiple social media channels with their YouTube content,” Fitzpatrick says.

7. GO LIVE.

According to Facebook, people will spend triple the time watching a live video as they will one that was previously recorded. So think of an event, interview, or contest that you can broadcast live in order to attract more eyes to your page.