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5 Ways to Make the Most of Work Breaks

September 24, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

In a world that moves so quickly and always demands constant high output, it’s easy to forget to stop and smell the roses. In fact, in certain circles, the very idea of taking work breaks seems almost taboo. Some even believe that taking breaks makes them lazy, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. So step away from working for a few minutes; it can help you plow through the rest of your day.

Work breaks are valuable moments in your day that will improve your performance while ensuring you’re not burning yourself out at both ends. However, ensure that you’re using these breaks correctly so they don’t go to waste. Here are five ways to make the most of work breaks and why they matter.

1 – Get Moving On Your Work Breaks

One of the best ways to use work breaks is by getting some physical activity into your time. It might seem odd to imagine exercising when you want to rest, but physical activity increases productivity and energy while reducing tiredness.

Research shows that a mere ten minutes of exercise can promote improved attention, memory, and cognitive performance for the rest of the day. Leaving your phone and devices behind will further enhance the effects of this break. If you’re able to, you can use your work breaks to:

Go for a short walk.
Hit the gym for ten minutes.
Go for a quick jog around the area.
Climb up and down some stairs.
Do a few simple exercises in front of your desk.

Of course, there’s one important caveat here: this tip assumes your job requires that you either sit down for work or remain standing in a relatively static position. If your job is more active and requires that you move around or perform a lot of physical labor, it’ll likely be better for you to sit down and rest instead.

2 – Grab Something To Drink Or Eat

Your body needs energy to continue working optimally; the best way to get that is by fueling it with healthy food and beverages. During your shorter work breaks, you can spend that time eating or drinking something that will restore your energy.

When you’re hungry, even just a little peckish, your body produces a hormone called ghrelin in your stomach. This hormone sends a message to your brain that you need fuel. Specifically, it flags this information to NPY, a neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory, fatigue, emotion, and energy management.

When NPY gets the information that you’re hungry, the hypothalamus kicks into gear to tell you that you need to eat something. This brain fog can be distracting when you must focus on work. However, this is a good enough reason to ensure you have adequate fuel before returning to work. Here are some great ways to make the most of work breaks by eating or drinking well.

Brew some tea or coffee, giving you an excuse to stand up, walk and immerse yourself in a simple but rewarding task.
Eat a protein-filled snack or meal, as studies show this macronutrient can maintain cognitive enhancement effects for a prolonged period.
Maintain small portions for snacks, so you don’t experience an energy crash or get drowsy.
If you’re not hungry, drink some water instead. Indeed, hydration is crucial to your cognitive and physical function and performance.
Avoid junk food within your working hours, as it will drain you and make you tired while failing to fill you up properly.

3 – Avoid Addictive And Highly Stimulating Activities

Many mistakenly use work breaks for low-effort, highly stimulating, non-productive activities. While they may be relaxing, they are far from the best choice. They often involve using things that give you quick dopamine rewards that don’t provide long-term satisfaction.

These activities train your brain to demand more rewards, thus damaging your ability to focus on anything else. In other words, they’re addictive, which is the opposite of relaxing. Some examples of these activities are:

Scrolling through personal social media.
Watching videos and content on Twitch, YouTube, Netflix, TikTok, or other similar content sites.
Shopping, whether online or offline.
Consuming junk food.
Playing low-effort or low-engagement phone games.

This statement is not to say that you must do fulfilling, very productive things when you take a break. That would be counterproductive! However, it’s essential not to choose the wrong types of things to fill that time when you need to return to work soon after.

If you want to do these stimulating, dopamine-reward-based activities, you can, but in moderation. Just do them in your off time, not while you’re taking short work breaks and need to return to productivity afterward. You’ll feel worse and lose concentration as your day gets derailed! Worse still, if you do not watch closely, these activities may lead to you overdoing your breaks and losing valuable time on them.

4 – Take A Smart Nap

If you have a decent amount of time for a break, such as twenty to thirty minutes, you can utilize this time to take a nap. Not all naps are equal, however. If you’ve ever woken up from a quick snooze only to find yourself feeling drowsier and less energized, you’ll know that some naps are unsuitable for work breaks.

So, what’s the trick? The secret to productive power napping is not sleeping for too long. Just sleeping for between ten and twenty minutes is sufficient. This is because this allows you to nap within the light sleep phase of the natural sleep cycle, so you don’t dip into a deeper sleep and get groggy when awoken.

The best way to get the perfect power nap on a work break is as follows:

Find a space to nap that is as quiet and dark as possible.
Set your phone alarms for between 15 and 25 minutes from when you rest, and allow five minutes to fall asleep.
If possible, lie down and relax; if not, get comfortable.
Before falling asleep, consume a coffee or other caffeinated beverage so that the caffeine kicks in precisely when you need to wake up.

5 – Ensure That Breaks Are Sufficiently Distracting

As counterproductive as it sounds, your work breaks should entirely distract you from the work you’ll have to return to. A break spent thinking about work isn’t a break at all. Many people struggle with “switching off” when they take breaks, so you must fill your break time with something that will pause that intense focus.

Studies show that when your brain experiences the same thing for a prolonged period, you become desensitized to it. Your brain stops noticing sounds, sights, scents, and even emotions related to your actions.

This dulling harms your ability to focus, maintain attention to the intricacies of your work, and perform well as your awareness drops. You’ll also lose trains of thought, miss obvious mistakes, and feel foggier overall. So, as counterproductive as it sounds, your work breaks should thoroughly distract you from the plights of your typical work day.

Why Do Work Breaks Matter?

When you work, you usually want to present a good performance. This allows you to work efficiently and productively, with high-quality output that speaks to the best of your capabilities. So while you’re likely to have good and bad days at work, you can help increase the number of good days by taking work breaks. Breaks matter in the following ways:

Work Breaks Improve Learning

Mental downtime is a crucial part of memory consolidation and essential for personal learning. Of course, we already know that sleeping helps with this process, but some evidence shows that “waking rest” can provide a similar result.

Work Breaks Boost Creativity

Taking work breaks gives your brain the chance to replenish its resources, which frees up space to think creatively. If you’ve ever had a great idea or solution suddenly arise when you’re resting, in the shower, or off the clock, you know this to be true!

Work Breaks Keep You Motivated

Research says you lose motivation when you spend a long time focusing on one task. This is especially true for long-term goals, but it’s still worth doing for daily short-term work goals and tasks. It’s hard to want to keep working when you’re exhausted.

Work Breaks Improve Concentration

The human brain cannot focus on things for hours on end. So work breaks allow you to reset your mind so that you’re able to continue concentrating on tasks later.

On top of that, prolonged stress, even when seemingly mild, can have notable adverse effects on the body. The human body best responds to short, stressful experiences appropriately. When you work without taking breaks, stress continues to pile up, which can be a considerable risk factor for chronic stress.

There are several potential risks associated with chronic stress. Studies show that it can lead to a wide range of health issues, such as:

High blood pressure
Gastrointestinal problems
Headaches and migraines
Anxiety
Depression
Stroke
Heart disease

This is why mitigating the effects of stress during your work day is so important. Ensure that your anxiety doesn’t snowball and becomes a point that seriously affects your health and everyday life. Taking breaks can help significantly, giving you the chance to stop the constant buildup of continued stress.

When you combine work breaks with a healthy snack or a physical movement, you’re also further improving your health. As previously mentioned, it only takes a few minutes of walking and mild physical activity to benefit you and your health significantly, especially if you do it multiple times daily.

Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Make The Most Of Work Breaks

Work breaks can make or break your working experience. Without them, you’ll get tired quickly, have trouble focusing, and experience a lot of stress. The trick is using these breaks in the best way possible to get the most out of them. Once you learn to do that, you’ll have a more relaxed and productive day!

10 Reasons to Try a Tabata Workout

September 24, 2022 by Chris Butler

If you want an exercise routine that fits your busy schedule, why not consider Tabata? It’s a high-intensity interval routine that only requires four minutes of your time. Plus, you can choose the exercise according to your fitness goals.

Groundbreaking research in 1996 compared the aerobic and anaerobic benefits of interval training. The eponymic protocol is a type of high-intensity interval training or H.I.I.T. The subjects studied used stationary cycling as the exercise.

The Tabata Protocol combines a fierce segment of exercise that lasts for twenty seconds, and then you rest for ten seconds. Each interval equals one set; the total goal is eight sets, adding up to four minutes. While individual results may vary, there’s enough scientific research to demonstrate the protocol’s benefits.

Ten Reasons to Add High-Intensity Tabata Moves to Your Workout

Are you tired of being a couch potato and want to get fit? Whether you’re trying to shed pounds or tone your muscles, this H.I.I.T is worth your time. Here are ten reasons to use Tabata in your exercise routine.

1. Scientific Research Backs Tabata

One top reason to consider Tabata a high-intensity workout is that it’s backed by solid research. A study published by the Journal of Physiological Sciences found that the workout can benefit your muscles, breathing, and circulation. It may also enhance your sports performance.

2. You Can Do Tabata Anywhere

Maybe you’re hesitant to begin a fitness regimen because you don’t want to join a gym. The good news about trying Tabata is that you can do it anytime and anywhere. You’re ready to go if you have space and some comfortable clothes.

Feel free to mix up the high-intensity part with your favorite exercise. You can do a few pushups after lunch or in the evening. This interval training works well with your everyday routine or as a separate workout.

Did you know you can even do a routine during breaks at work? You can go outside and use power walking as your chosen exercise. Not only will your body benefit, but the beauty of nature can boost your energy.

3. It Can Boost Your Metabolism

Metabolism is your body’s way of burning stored fat for energy. If you consume more calories than you burn, the fat stays, and you become overweight. However, exercises like Tabata can boost your metabolism and melt that excess fat.

Interval training combines aerobic and anaerobic cycles to create an oxygen deficit. As your body consumes needed oxygen from your muscles, it increases metabolism. The results are more energy and additional burned calories and fat.

4. You Don’t Need Equipment

Exercise equipment can be pretty expensive. Workout machines often occupy a lot of space in your home and cost thousands of dollars. What’s even more frustrating is when that expensive workout machine becomes a clothing rack.

You don’t need equipment when making Tabata part of your exercise routine. You don’t even have to buy an expensive gym membership. All you need is your own body and gravity for resistance.

Just because the equipment isn’t required doesn’t mean that you can’t opt to use some. Many fitness enthusiasts like to do weight training as their chosen exercise. It can be free weights or machines.

5. You Can Modify as Needed

Everyone has different physical strengths and weaknesses, so their fitness routines will vary. You needn’t feel inferior just because your workout isn’t as intense as your friend’s. Tabata allows you to customize and modify your training to fit your needs.

No matter your physical limitations, you can find some exercise to do for twenty seconds. You can get your body moving, whether burpees, sit-ups, or even running in place. If you need to modify the workout with a chair or a pillow, it’s your prerogative.

6. You Can Track Your Progress

It’s easy to become disheartened when you jump on the scales daily. Certain circumstances can make your weight fluctuate, which isn’t always an accurate measure of progress. However, tracking your physical level of improvement is more encouraging.

For example, say that in the past, you could only do fifteen sit-ups during your exercise time. After a couple of weeks of interval training, you notice that you can now do 25. Tabata allows you to track your progress and celebrate each success.

7. Tabata Only Takes Four Minutes

You can do a beneficial workout in the time it takes for you to listen to a couple of tunes. An article published by the New York Times suggests a link between a high-intensity interval workout and longevity. It’s not difficult to set aside four minutes, even with the busiest schedule, to enhance your health.

This type of workout doesn’t take a lot of time to plan. The next time someone puts you on hold, use a few minutes to run in place. The quality of your exercise is worth more than the quantity.

8. Each High-Intensity Section Only Lasts Twenty Seconds

Incorporating a H.I.I.T. workout is even more appealing, considering the intense part lasts only twenty seconds. Then, you get to rest for ten seconds. You have an intense exercise-rest cycle for four minutes.

9. You Can Use Free Timer Apps

Do you want to concentrate on your workout without worrying about timing? You can set a kitchen timer to remember when to switch modes. However, you can choose from several good Tabata timer apps on your smartphone or computer.

Some of these fun apps put your workout to music. You can exercise to some upbeat tunes and know when it’s time to rest. How can you beat getting fit and having fun, too?

10. Tabata Can Benefit Any Fitness Goal

Whether you want to lose a few pounds, strengthen your body, or train for a sport, Tabata can help. Your exercise during the high-intensity segment depends on your fitness goal. You can even do a combination of activities.

For example, say you’re training for a marathon. Endurance exercises like planks and lunges would be ideal. Of course, you can also jog for the 20-second segments and rest for ten seconds.

If you want to burn fat effectively, try burpees, sprinting, or jumping rope exercises. The idea is to raise your heart and breath rate to cause an oxygen deficit. Your body will then pull oxygen from your muscles, boost metabolism, and burn that stubborn fat.

How to Start Adding High-Intensity Tabata to Your Workout Routine

Starting a Tabata workout routine couldn’t be easier if you’re a beginner or a seasoned fitness trainer. Remember that the brief resting period is just as crucial as the high-intensity exercise. Although the workout lasts only four minutes, allow yourself at least ten minutes to warm up and cool down.

1. Choose Your Fat-Busting Weapon

First, choose an exercise that matches your fitness goals. You could start with that since the original workout was riding a stationary bike. Pick an activity you’re familiar with, and you can do it intensely without injuring yourself.

2. Choose a H.I.I.T. Timer

You’ll also need a timer to do each segment correctly. A kitchen timer works, but you must take time to reset it. The best option is to download a free H.I.I.T app on your phone that will automatically time each sequence.

3. Start with a Tabata Warmup

Once you’ve chosen an exercise and have a timer, find space to do your routine safely. Begin with a ten-minute warmup, stretching each muscle group. Take deep breaths to fortify your body with oxygen.

4. Get Your Body Moving

Do as many repetitions as possible of your chosen exercise for 20 seconds. Each movement should be intense and raise your pulse and respiration. However, you don’t want to do it so fast and swiftly that you hurt yourself.

5. Take a Breather

End your exercise segment in the beginning position and rest for ten seconds. Take long, cleansing breaths and soften your muscles. Imagine turning up your body’s thermostat, and the fat is melting.

6. Do Eight High-Intensity Segments and Cool Down

You’ll do a total of eight exercising and rest segments, making a workout of four minutes. It may seem confusing initially, but practice will do the training like second nature. Finally, spend at least ten minutes cooling down with stretches and drinking water.

Final Thoughts on Tabata and How the High-Intensity Moves May Increase Your Fitness

Before you start this or any other fitness routine, discuss it with a certified fitness instructor. They can help you find the proper exercise and modifications for you. If you feel any pain during the routine, stop immediately.

Tabata may be your answer if you’re searching for a quick and easy exercise routine. The high-intensity interval workout can be tailored to your abilities and fitness goals. It may be one of the best ways to spend four minutes you’ve ever found.

4 Reasons Conflict Avoidance Harms Relationships and 4 Ways to Resolve Differences

September 23, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

Conflict is something all couples fear. That’s because people don’t know how to handle arguments, which usually blow up in their faces. But conflict avoidance is unhealthy for the relationship. Two people won’t be able to see eye to eye on all topics. Disagreements are just a normal part of life. If you want to have relationships, even spiritual ones, you need to accept that you’ll disagree from time to time.

Conflicts can even be healthy for a couple. They can help you understand each other better, thus strengthening your relationship. Even though you might not agree after solving the conflict, at least you know where the other is coming from. For example, pizza doesn’t need to be both of your favorite food. But you must understand that your partner might even if you don’t like it. So, having a pizza night might make their week.

This give-and-take shows that relationships are about compromise, not finding the person you’ll never have arguments with. But some people don’t see things that way. They think eliminating conflicts is the only way to have a good relationship. But that’s not possible, nor is it desirable. What this leads to is conflict avoidance. This is an issue in more relationships than it might seem.

You might have even experienced it or are doing it in your current relationship. In that case, don’t be surprised if the problems keep resurfacing. If arguments remain unresolved, they’ll keep getting worse. Fortunately, there’s never too late to start learning how to resolve differences between you and who you love.

4 Reasons Conflict Avoidance Harms Relationships

1 – Conflict Avoidance Hinders Communication

Maybe you think avoiding conflict is the best way to solve issues, but it creates more. For one, it makes it that much harder to communicate with your partner. And that can seem like a small price to pay at first. But that will keep building up until there’s a wall between you.

Communication is an essential factor in all relationships. And it’s even more important to be able to communicate about the bad stuff. The good thing is always easy to talk about. Having fun together, bantering, and cracking jokes, comes naturally. But it’s harder to talk about deep stuff, especially about differences.

If you want a healthy relationship, you should be able to talk about everything. If you avoid conflicts, the issues will keep building up. You won’t have the energy to comb through all of them at some point. You won’t be used to communicating efficiently. Your conflicts will become full-blown fights that will probably destroy your relationship.

2 – Conflict Avoidance Makes You Afraid

Conflict avoidance is a form of people-pleasing usually born out of fear. It can appear in all areas of your life, not just in romantic relationships. For example, if someone takes credit for your work and you shrug it off, that’s a sign of fear. You are afraid to stand up for yourself and what’s yours, so you sacrifice everything for perceived peace.

That’s also how it can work when you avoid conflict in relationships. At first, you might think you are just avoiding a fight. That the moment of tension will dissipate, and everything will be fine. But after a while, that can change. Have you ever noticed that the more you put off doing something, the more anxious you become? The thought of finally doing that thing is an enormous weight pushing down on you.

That’s what happens when you constantly put off resolving arguments. You will start to become scared of having arguments. You’ll avoid doing anything that seems like even remotely annoys your partner. But you won’t avoid it out of respect. You’ll do it out of fear. You’ll slowly become scared of being yourself around your partner, so you’ll start changing how you act.

Not to mention that whenever your partner seems even a little mad, you’ll start becoming apologetic. In other words, the more you avoid conflicts, the more afraid you’ll become. And all you’ll do is change yourself up for the other’s approval.

3 – Conflict Avoidance Harms Trust

For a couple, trust is an essential factor. But, as you probably know, it’s also a delicate topic. Trust can break in just a few seconds. But it can take months, even years, to build it up again. And most of the time, it’s never the same as it was at first. So one of the hardest things for a couple to return is the loss of trust.

And having unresolved conflicts can damage the trust two people have in each other. When all you know how to do is avoid disputes, you’ll always have arguments with no resolution. There’s no way to prevent feeling irritated by something the other does, but you’ll never solve anything. This will make any couple feel like the other isn’t putting any effort in.

When your partner avoids conflict, you feel you’re not worth sacrificing. Slowly, you’ll stop trusting that they have your interest at heart. And the same will go for them if they are the ones avoiding conflicts.

4 – Conflict Avoidance Destroys Intimacy

Intimacy is something that defines a romantic relationship. It’s the main difference between a friendship and a partnership. Without it, you can’t ever be more than friends. More often than not, the loss of intimacy creates an unfixable divide. That’s why, once you lose it, you might never be able to reconcile with your partner. The most common outcome is a breakup.

Conflict avoidance is one of the reasons why people lose that intimacy. The more you avoid arguments, the less you’ll be able to talk about an issue that might arise. As a result, you won’t feel safe discussing problems with your partner. That will make you drift apart, thus making you less comfortable with being close to them. Sometimes, arguing is the best way to feel heard and listened to. Otherwise, you’ll feel neglected, and you’ll avoid any intimacy.

4 Ways to Resolve Differences

1 – Accept that Conflict is Unavoidable

The best way to resolve conflicts is to let them unfold. That doesn’t mean having full-blown screaming matches. You need to talk through them calmly. Fighting is inevitable, so you don’t need to avoid arguments. You need to make sure that you’re fighting fair.

Speak up when you feel like an issue with your partner is bubbling to the surface. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll find that you have unsolvable problems. Of course, it’s better that you figure that out sooner than later. But, more often than not, engaging in conversation will help solve issues.

2 – Talk About the Things That Bother You

Usually, conflicts get bad because people don’t talk about things at the right time. Something bothers them, and they don’t address it because they think it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t seem wise to make a big deal out of a minor issue. But all that does is allow the subject to grow into a big problem that will be harder to solve.

The best thing you can do is always talk about the things that bother you. And that you allow your partner to do the same. Make sure your relationship is a safe space for communication. Even the smallest of issues can become something much worse.

But the smaller an issue is, the easier it can be to solve. For example, if it bothers you that your partner chews loudly, let them know. That way, they have the chance to solve the issue. Otherwise, you’ll get annoyed daily until you won’t stand your partner anymore.

3 – Set Concrete Boundaries

As mentioned before, conflict avoidance comes from fear. And that fear can be perpetuated by several unhealthy behaviors or past trauma. If trauma is the cause, you need to talk to a specialist and sort things out. But the reason might also be a lack of proper boundaries. So if you struggle with the latter, that’s easier to solve.

Most couples don’t realize it, but boundaries are one of the essential components of a healthy relationship. Without them, your relationship will not be the safe space that either of you needs. Boundaries are a set of rules that you agree to respect. For example, one of your boundaries might never to argue without cooling off before making a decision.

Having such rules will make you trust your partner more. And when that trust is there, you’ll feel safe discussing all your issues.

4 – Learn to Compromise

Differences are what make relationships unique. If you found someone exactly like you, everything would feel dull. Sure, it’s essential to find someone with similar core values, but your partner doesn’t need to have the same favorite foods as you. People sometimes need to learn to compromise.

People can talk through everything in a healthy relationship, from tiny to massive issues. And they can make sacrifices to see each other happy. Sometimes, you need to compromise when deciding where you’ll have lunch. Those are the types of decisions you’ll have to make daily. But sometimes, you’ll need to make more sacrifices than letting go of pizza for a day.

You’ll need to learn to talk through issues like moving town for the sake of your partner’s job. Keep in mind that communication is vital. You’ll get over these issues as long as you care about each other.

Final Thoughts on How Conflict Avoidance Harms Relationships and Ways to Resolve Differences

You’ll have to deal with conflict at some point in your life. And while conflict avoidance might seem easier than talking about what’s wrong, it doesn’t work. It might be a solution when the waiter messes up your order. But when the relationship is serious, like a romantic partnership or a strong friendship, that’s no solution anymore.

Conflict avoidance will only hamper communication and create more arguments between people. The more you put off talking about issues, the more pressing they’ll become. So, you need to acknowledge and address them as soon as possible. You also need to set concrete boundaries and learn to compromise. As long as you trust each other, you’ll be able to overcome even the most difficult periods.

8 Innovative Companies Offer Pawternity Leave to New Pet Parents

September 23, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

All pet parents know that getting a new puppy involves tremendous work. They may seem adorable and cuddly, but don’t let their innocent face fool you. A man’s best friend needs a lot of attention and discipline during puppyhood.

Adjusting to a different environment isn’t easy, especially for young puppies who recently separated from their mothers. Dogs need ample time to bond with their new pet parent to help them feel comfortable. Not to mention, fur babies require many hours of house training and socializing with other dogs.

Pet owners with full-time jobs may find it challenging to juggle raising a puppy with demanding careers. However, some progressive companies have decided to offer “pawternity leave” to help new pet parents.

Research from Petplan shows that 5% of U.K. pet owners have taken paid leave to care for their furry friends. Some companies allow employees to take a few hours off to settle their new family memebers. Others grant workers up to several weeks of paid leave, giving pet parents more bonding time.

Below, we’ll list a few innovative companies that have enacted “pawternity leave.” Perhaps this will provide you with ideas if you’re a pet parent!

Eight Forward-Thinking Companies That Give New Pet Parents Paid Time Off

1. Mars Petcare

Mars Petcare became one of the first companies to grant paternity leave to new pet parents. The company gives workers ten hours of paid leave when they adopt a new buddy. Employees can even bring their four-legged family member to work upon returning!

2. BitSol Solutions

In Manchester, England, tech company BitSol Solutions allows employees a week off after getting a puppy. In an interview with the Metro, company owner Greg Buchanan compared puppies to human babies. Workers get paid leave when they have a baby, so getting a dog shouldn’t be different.

3. Nina Hale

In 2018, Minneapolis marketing firm Nina Hale enacted a “fur-turnity leave” policy for pet parents. Vice President Allison McMenimen told the New York Times that it boosts morale and provides an incentive to stay with the company.

4. Mparticle (maybe one of the most generous to pet parents!)

If an employee adopts a rescue dog, the data platform provider Mparticle grants them two weeks off work. Laurel Peppino, a recruiter for the company, told The Times that paid leave offers pet parents an opportunity to bond with their dogs. The innovative business offers both maternity and paternity leave and considers dogs a member of the family also.

“We don’t discriminate just because they aren’t human,” she said.

5. Musti Group

This pet food company operates in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The company offers employees three days off when they adopt a puppy, according to The Mercury News. CEO David Rönnberg believes that pawternity leave helps the company culture evolve.

“Adopting a pet is a significant decision and changes everyday life considerably. We want to support our employees during their first days with their new family members and ensure they can enjoy those precious moments to the fullest,” he said.

6. BrewDog

Scottish brewery company BrewDog offers new pet parents a week of paid leave. The company adores dogs and hopes to become the best company to work for in the world. They believe that giving employees a generous pawternity leave puts them further toward that goal.

7. HarperCollins Publishers India (HCI)

Employees at this India-based company get five business days of paid leave after adopting a new family member. The company aims to advocate for conscientious adoption with this policy.

“At HarperCollins, we want the very best of work-life balance for our colleagues, and that includes being mindful about their family needs,” CEO Ananth Padmanabhan told the Huffington Post. “Pet children need as much attention [as human children], if not more. We don’t want colleagues to worry about the number of leaves they have before deciding to start a family.”

In addition to pawternity leave, HCI will allow new pet parents to bring their puppies to work. After all, new pets often suffer from separation anxiety when owners leave during the day. The policy will benefit dogs and parents, as studies have proven the mental health benefits of bringing pets to work. The company created a custom area for pets to hang out while their parents work.

8. Zogics (very generous policy for new pet parents)

The Massachusetts-based industrial cleaning and safety supply company has a huge heart for dogs. Named one of the most pet-friendly companies in the United States, Zogics allows employees to bring their pets to work. New pet parents also receive paid leave, a $200 pet store gift card, and a lifetime supply of Zogics Pet Shampoo.

Other Companies Offer Pet Bereavement Leave to Pet Parents

Getting a new puppy brings so much joy to life, but it’s heart-wrenching when they eventually pass away. Many companies sympathize with their employees and offer pet bereavement leave after a pet dies. Since dogs are family members, too, companies believe workers should have an opportunity to grieve their death.

One of these progressive businesses includes Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in San Francisco, which offers three days of paid leave. Mars Inc offers employees one day off and flexible hours; Rover gives workers three days of bereavement leave. It also provides paid time off for dog care and an open pet policy at the office.

Canadian company Shoppers Drug Mart allows workers a few days off if a family member passes away, which includes a furry one.

Final Thoughts on Companies That Offer Paid Leave to Pet Parents

Many companies have started giving pet parents time off to enjoy their new family members. Puppies require care and attention just like babies, especially in their first few months. Several companies have recognized this and created policies to help pet parents adjust to having a fur baby.

This leave ranges from a few hours off to several weeks, and some companies even offer pet store gift cards! Others allow companion animal bereavement leave after the death of a treasured furry friend.

Does your company offer any time off for adopting a new fur baby?

6 Signs of a Compulsive Spender Most People Don’t Realize

September 23, 2022 by Chris Butler

Many favorite pastimes can quickly turn into addictions. Consider gambling, overeating, or drug and alcohol use, to name a few compulsions. Ironically, not many consider the compulsive spender as part of this group. Someone who uses spending as a coping mechanism has an addiction, and it’s called oniomania.

Oniomania is a problem just as serious as overeating or using drugs. Though this issue is not an official disorder by the DSM-5 printed by the American Psychiatric Association, it’s a verifiable disorder that warrants a conversation. Overspending can cause a great deal of psychological and financial stress. Have you ever heard of people kiting checks?

Part of why few retailers take checks is because of people who scammed free merchandise. Though it’s much harder to accomplish these days, kiting checks was once a way to buy now and pay later. When the check bounced, they would pay the service fees, allowing them to shop and fix their need to spend urgently.

Kiting checks is just one trip that compulsive spenders use to get things to fill that rush, but other methods include running up credit cards, spending bill money, and borrowing from friends. Sadly, being addicted to shopping and spending money can be just as dangerous as taking cocaine. It all works by activating the pleasure receptors in the brain, and once your body feels pleasure, it will crave that feeling again.

Your Environment Contributes to Overspending

Have you ever heard someone say that you’re a product of your environment? This statement is true because you’re impacted by where you live and dwell. Living in a larger city may make you feel compelled to live a life well beyond your means.

Why does location matter?

In a city, someone can easily access stores, restaurants, nightlife, and many things that cost money. It’s a very tempting area for those who have a compulsive overspending problem. Someone who lives in a rural community that lacks these conveniences might not be as eager to spend. So it’s safe to say that your environment can push you to have a spending problem, though it’s not the only reason one might exist.

Six Telltale Signs of a Compulsive Spender

Are you a compulsive spender? Do you often spend more money than you can spare, run up huge debts, and often lay your head on your pillow and cry about money problems? Here are some classic signs that you have a spending problem and need help.

1. A Compulsive Spender Can’t See the Difference in Your Wants and Needs

It would help if you cared for your needs, but your wants are not something you can buy daily. These are things that you must save for and buy sparingly. Before you buy something, ask yourself if this is a want or a need. It gets tricky for some people, especially those prone to overspending.

They see their wants as needs and feel they have to have them now. However, it’s truly nothing that you can’t live without. How can you differentiate between a want and a need when your rationale is skewed?

Look at your previous spending habits. Compulsive spending often leads to piles of stuff you don’t need later. While you want to take up sewing and purchase that $400 sewing machine, will you use it? This is how homes become cluttered with items based on good intentions. It would serve you better to find a used sewing machine for less and try your hand before making a significant investment.

2. You Deny There’s a Compulsion

Do you deny that you’re a compulsive spender? Everyone around you sees the warning signs and knows you need help, but you don’t see your spending as a problem. You’re not like the people who can’t control their issues, as you think you’re in control.

The truth is that when you lay your head down at night, you know that the problem is far beyond your ability to handle it alone. You’ll never get help until you realize you need it. Everyone around you can tell you that you have an addiction and you’re a compulsive spender, but it’s not until you come to terms with it that you will understand the need to stop.

3. A Compulsive Spender Lives Above Their Means

One of the defining characteristics of someone with compulsive spending habits is an urge they can’t control. It’s a compulsion because it controls them. The desire is irresistible, and it causes them to behave in ways they would typically never consider.

The first step in realizing that you have an overspending problem is acknowledging this urge. Remember that everyone desires to splurge, and there’s nothing wrong with that occasionally. Perhaps you had your eye on a car you needed for work, but it was a bit more than your budget. However, you had to have that car.

The difference between someone who spends on occasion and someone with a compulsion is that it can’t be controlled. There are significant financial consequences to this type of spending.

A good question to ask yourself before you make such a purchase is, “Will this cause me great financial difficulty? If the purchase will put you in economic turmoil, then it’s a compulsion and not needed.

4. A Compulsive Spender Feels Guilty After Making Purchases

Have you ever made a purchase and then felt extreme guilt afterward? Maybe you wanted that little red convertible so bad that you could taste it, but now that you’ve got it, you regret the decision. One way you can tell a compulsive spender from someone who makes wise decisions is the guilt behind them.

When you’re in the moment, you don’t consider the consequences of making such a wrong choice. However, when that first payment comes due and stretches your budget, you think of the gravity of the situation. The guilt makes you feel powerless, but you cannot stop yourself due to impulse control difficulties.

Ironically, you might feel so bad that you bought that car and caused this issue that you might purchase yourself something else to feel better. The process starts all over again because you need to ease the pain you created over a wrong choice. You’re guilty of overspending if you’ve done this too many times to count, even when it was on small-scale items.

5. Compulsion Becomes Self-Medication

Consider the high that comes with getting a new item. You’ve never felt better than when you have a new outfit, shoes, purse, or haircut. It puts a little pep in your step because it eases a negative psychological state.

What if you’re having issues in your marriage and need a release? You might find it easy to go to the mall and buy yourself something to make you feel better. It satisfies that craving to feel good and works out some of your anxiety about your relationship.

People self-medicate for many reasons and don’t always use drugs or alcohol. You’re chasing this high because it increases the dopamine in your brain that makes you feel good. A compulsive spender will feel the same high from purchasing that someone who smokes marijuana feels, but both addictions come with a high price tag.

Oniomania is more common than you might think, as the National Library of Medicine estimates that between two to eight percent of adults suffer from this chronic overspending problem.

6. Financial Ruin Looms Large When the Compulsion Becomes Toxic

One of the giant red flags of a compulsive spender is spending money they don’t have to spare. You’ll dip into the cookie jar, take your mortgage or car payment, and tell yourself you will repay it later. The truth is that later never comes, as another purchase or compulsion always takes center stage.

Many people with spending problems fall behind on their bills and end up in massive debt. It’s alarming how many people file for bankruptcy in this country due to overspending, estimated at around five percent. According to Legal Jobs, approximately eight percent of all filers have filed for bankruptcy more than once.

When you file more than once in your life for government relief, it’s a classic sign of a spending issue. Another staggering statistic is that twenty percent of the people who file are well-educated professionals, which can be an indication of materialism. It shows that spending problems affect people from all walks of life, and no one is immune.

Final Thoughts on Knowing the Signs of a Compulsive Spender

Recovery centers tell families with loved ones with addiction the grim news. The experts tell them treatment won’t be successful if their loved one isn’t ready to get help. The same things are valid for the compulsive shopper.

It’s not until you see the need to get help, and want to make a change in your life, that you will be successful in doing something about it. If you notice that any of these red flags above sound like you, you need to get help before you end up in financial ruin.

3 Causes of Anticipatory Grief and How to Cope

September 23, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

Anticipatory grief is a term that might seem confusing at first. If you have not heard of it before, it might even seem dumb or made up. Who in their right mind feels grief before something terrible happens? Well, the answer to that question is simple. Everyone has experienced or will experience grief, even if there’s seemingly no reason to. Grieving is complex and usually involves a great deal of anxiety. So, to feel grief in anticipation of a loss is expected.

Anticipatory grief is nothing but the brain’s way of coping with the possibility of an impending loss. But society often shames people who experience this emotion. If a loved one is about to pass, people will tell you that you must have a positive attitude until the end. They won’t accept that you might already be grieving this loss. Instead, they’ll make you feel like you aren’t trying enough to cheer up your loved one.

This is potentially the most emotionally loaded example of shaming anticipatory grief. But there are many areas of life in which this emotion appears. And it’s not okay to feel like this feeling isn’t valid. You’ll inevitably have to deal with this type of grief. So, it’s best not to feel guilty about experiencing it. To do that, you should understand what causes anticipatory grief and how to cope.

What Is Grief?

Before diving into details about anticipatory grief, it’s best to analyze what grief is. Grief is not easy to describe in words. However, everyone has felt it to a certain extent, so we know how it manifests. But, while grief is an emotion, it’s best described as the state of being after a loss. There isn’t just one feeling that you experience while you grieve.

You can go from sad and angry to shocked in seconds. So, it’s easiest to describe grief as a process. The grieving period is the whole period from when you experience a loss to when you finally heal. Because of this emotion’s complexity, specialists tend to split it into stages. Usually, they split it into five stages, but some stray from this number. These stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Unfortunately, if you don’t go through all of these stages, you can’t properly heal.

Now, anticipatory grief doesn’t strictly follow these stages. And there is one primary reason: if the loss hasn’t already happened, you still have hope. In some cases, this hope can help you avoid a loss. For example, if it seems like the loss of your job is inevitable, you might experience anticipatory grief. But this hope will make you want to keep fighting. This might allow you to pull a rabbit out of the hat and keep your job.

But this is the happiest of possibilities. In most cases, this hope will do you no good. It will only make the loss hurt that much more. Still, this hope is a stage of this process. This eventually helps you accept that the loss is inevitable and is an incentive to find ways to cope.

3 Causes of Anticipatory Grief

By now, you understand what anticipatory grief is. But there’s one thing that might not be clear. What are its causes? And how can you cope with it?

1 – Loss of a Loved One

You probably aren’t surprised to hear that the imminent loss of a loved one will trigger anticipatory grief. But that doesn’t mean you’ll feel it whenever someone you know has a sore throat. Of course, the thought that someone you care about will pass away at some point is frightening. But it won’t make you grieve. Instead, a couple of factors need to be met for the grieving process to be triggered.

First, you must have a strong emotional connection to the person you’ll lose. The emotional impact will be more significant if a family member is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Anger, fear, and sadness will fill you to the brim. The anxiety of getting a phone call that informs you your family member has passed haunts you. You’ll constantly think about them and hope that there’s still a way they can get away. Even if you know they only have a few months to live, you won’t want to accept it.

The second thing is that the loss needs to be imminent. For example, if a loved one has pneumonia, you will worry about them, as that’s a grave health issue. But pneumonia is not a deadly disease if there aren’t unlikely complications. So, you won’t feel anticipatory grief when someone is just sick. You’ll feel sad and worried, but nothing more. You won’t feel that heavy dread that you’d think if the loss were imminent.

2 – Anticipatory Grief Over the Loss of an Important Material Thing

This cause might seem shallow, especially compared to the one described before. But losing a job or an object you cared about can still make you grieve. Unfortunately, people think that if you lose a job, you stay home for a couple of months until you find another one.

But, for some people, that’s not possible. For example, some people become homeless or unable to feed their families if they lose a job. Or maybe an object is all you have left from your parents, and losing that means losing the only connection you still had with them.

So, losing a vital material thing is very serious. Even if you haven’t lost anything, you’ll feel grief if the loss is imminent. For example, if you get an eviction notice, you can still stay in your home for a few days. But just knowing you’ll have no home after you forcefully vacate can make you feel horrible.

3 – Big Life Changes May Cause Anticipatory Grief

This is the lightest cause of anticipatory grief, but it’s still something you should take seriously. People are creatures of comfort, and change is something that not everyone can handle. It’s normal to feel like you want your old life back. Because we lose something when we go through changes, it’s normal to feel grief about it.

Before making a big chance, you’ll feel some dread and fear. You might even be angry that you have to change anything. Of course, you think of this feeling as nostalgia or simply reminiscing on the past. But what you experience is anticipatory grief.

3 Ways to Cope with Anticipatory Grief

So now that you understand a little more about grieving, how do you cope?

1 – Use the Time You Have Left

This might seem obvious advice, but sometimes the most obvious things work best. When you know you are about to lose someone or something, you must make the most of what little time you have left. This period is the last opportunity to make happy memories. If a loved one is sick, you must hang out with them as much as possible.

Even if the thought of losing them hurts, not being by their side in their last moments will hurt more. Life is too short to live with regrets. So instead of beating yourself up over not seeing someone in their final days alive, make sure you use that time to make them happy. That way, you’ll look back fondly instead of beating yourself up over making a mistake. Or, if you’re about to lose your job, make sure you use that time to fight to keep it. Use those last moments wisely.

2 – Accept that the Loss Will Happen

This is probably the last thing you want to hear, but the only way to move forward is to start accepting that the loss will happen. Even if you’d give anything to stop the loss from happening, there’s nothing you can do.

Now, this is easier said than done. Your emotional side will push you to bargain and beg for things to be different. But it would be best to stay rational. Tell yourself it’s okay to be sad, but the loss will still happen. It’s normal to grieve, but you can do nothing to change things.

3 – Prepare for the Worst

When you know you will lose something or someone, you need to prepare for that loss. But don’t procrastinate and wait for the worst outcome to happen. That’s not helpful; it just means the loss will impact you more. But, if you take preventive measures, at least you know you did all you can to soften the blow.

If you’re about to lose someone, make sure your family has plans for a funeral. It seems dark, but it helps alleviate some of the pressure of the loss. If you’re about to lose your job, search for potential new jobs. Take your time and make sure you do everything in your power to soften the blow of the loss.

Even more important is that you take the time to process your emotions. Talk to friends, family members, or even a therapist if you feel you can’t navigate these emotions alone.

Final Thoughts on Causes of Anticipatory Grief and Ways to Cope

Anticipatory grief is something that everyone has to deal with at some point in life. But unfortunately, experiencing loss is inevitable, and we, as a society, don’t talk enough about handling it. And anticipatory grief is something that we talk even less about. Still, it’s natural to grieve a loss even before it happens. So please don’t feel guilty about it; we all go through it.

Much like grief, this emotion is a mixture of anger, sadness, and a refusal to believe the loss will happen. Any imminent loss will cause anticipatory grief. Some of the most common causes are the impending loss of a loved one or valuable material possession. Another reason might be going through significant life changes, which don’t affect everyone. Because you can’t control this feeling, you need to learn to cope with it. Finally, you’ll have to accept that grieving is a process you must go through to heal.

And anticipatory grief will not spare you post-loss grief. But it can teach you to handle it better. First, make sure you make the most of your time. Prepare yourself for the worst, even if you hope that it won’t come to that. And lastly, accept that loss is a natural part of life. You still have a life to live and must make the most of it.

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