When everything around us is swirling in the unknown, I know that inspiration comes from charting a positive, hopeful, and productive path and then getting everyone moving towards that path. Too often, I see leaders who fail to coalesce their teams in a meaningful way with speed and a bias for action—and that can lead to serious consequences in turbulent times.
"More grapes, please," my daughter asked, as she continued to color her Peppa Pig drawing at the kitchen table."What do you say?" I asked her, as I was about to hand her the bowl."More grapes?"I shook my head."Please?"I stood there."I want green grapes instead of red grapes?"I shook my head again. I handed her the bowl of green grapes. "Thank you. Please don't forget to say thank you.""Thank you, Momma!"
With a lack of certainty surrounding the future, being and feeling healthy may help bring the security that you need during these unpredictable times. When it comes to your health, there is a direct relationship between nutrition and physical activity that play an enormous part in physical, mental, and social well-being. As COVID-19 continues to impact almost every aspect of our lives, the uncertainty of the future may seem looming. Sometimes improvisation is necessary, and understanding how to stay healthy and fit can significantly help you manage your well-being during these times.
The topic of fertility is particularly relevant for current times when we are all trying to find our way in the midst of a pandemic and develop life plans within great uncertaintyIn a previous post I shared how I started my podcast, eat.plank.live in March 2020. In episode 7, I spoke with Dr. Geraldine Ekpo, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist. We spoke about the various forms of fertility treatments and the way fitness and food influence reproductive health. Going into this conversation, I considered my friends and how they were dealing with their unique reproductive journeys as COVID-19 is still changing so many aspects of our lives.
On March 19th, our state's governor ordered all personal care services to close their doors until further notice. As the owner of a hair salon and extension bar, I feared the thought of closing our doors and losing income but felt it was the right and responsible decision to assist our community in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Never in all my thoughts did I think we would remain closed for three months.
In early March, stay-at-home orders were put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Suddenly people across the world were instructed to quarantine at home. For most people, inside the walls of their home is a place of security and solace. For others, home can be a dangerous place of abuse.In an instant, domestic violence victims around the world became isolated with their abusers causing domestic violence reports to increase by 35% in the United States, according to the World Health Organization. With social isolation and the stress of the unknown, the coronavirus pandemic started to breed dangerous situations at home where violence may have never previously shown its face. Domestic violence quickly became an epidemic within the pandemic.
About six years ago, some colleagues and I published research that indicated that increased time on the social media platform, Facebook, was linked to depressive symptoms among young people. The studies, which served as the basis for the article, were, of course, not conducted during a major global pandemic. So even during the best of times when the economy is booming and people feel relatively safe, they tended to suffer from mental health consequences as a result of spending too much time on social media.
As women, I believe that we are all familiar with societal pressures to "do it all." Some women thrive under this mindset during normal circumstances, however, COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in all of our lives and added an unprecedented level of stress and additional barriers to normalcy. How can we, as women, now handle our "new normal?" How can we do it all, when that now means so much more and doing anything is more difficult than it's ever been before?
A "man ban" was not something I had tried to come up with as a resolution to a dating issue. I was 29, single, writing my first book, and just happened to go on one by accident. I was given nine weeks to hand in a manuscript, which required all my time and energy. I told my friends I would not be around for social catch-ups, rejected dates, and hookups (as painful as that was), and I simply focused on my work and myself.
Treating young girls like princesses and treating women with fragility have both been ingrained in our society. Today, princesses in fairytales are tough and strong, fighting away villains with the best of them; however, the old princess mentality still holds true for many women today.
We are in the throes of a global pandemic, which no one has any prior experience in. Yet, advice on how to deal with this crisis is everywhere: "Be productive, write that book, start that business, reinvent your business, do what you previously didn't have time for, work out, take on a hobby, use this time wisely, change the world," they all say.
had just finished putting my toddler down for a nap when my 3-month-old cried out from the next room — hungry. Again. As I slowly backed out of the room so as not to disturb the nap that took five diligently-read books to achieve, I glanced at my watch — just five minutes to spare before my scheduled Zoom meeting.For working parents, the juggle is real has become our rallying call.
Earlier this year, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economics Security (CARES) Act was signed by President Trump in order to provide emergency assistance and healthcare response to individuals, families, and businesses that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Administration (SBA) was given the funding and authority to modify existing loan programs to assist small businesses nationwide.
I had never worked in such a difficult environment; it was challenging to see a disease destroy patient's bodies and not have legitimate ways of treating them. As a nurse, I so deeply desire to help people and see them to recovery, something that has hardly been happening in the face of COVID-19.
I've been talking about trauma and loss for a long time, so I want to talk about complaining. We are experiencing a loss of freedom, lack of connection and increased fear of economic fallout during this pandemic. We are not used to this kind of prevalent, lengthy. and collective grief in the air.
I've been in extended isolation before with nine months of temperatures hovering around minus 35 degrees, blizzards, and months of inescapable darkness. The lack of privacy, the mundane nature of the days, and the interpersonal pressure of living with 17 other people was extraordinary.
Our world has changed so much these past few months. But Fresh n' Lean, the pre-prepped organic meal delivery company I founded in 2010, has remained open during the coronavirus pandemic after being deemed an essential business. Operating amid the spread of COVID-19 has been a humbling, challenging and profound experience. We've ramped up our safety measures in order to protect employees.
After more than two years, two doctors, countless negative pregnancy tests, one miscarriage, and one failed IUI treatment cycle, we are still waiting. Our plans have not become our reality. Now, our plans are indefinitely on hold because of a pandemic. A pandemic?! Now that's a curveball that not even a seasoned infertility warrior could have seen coming, especially one that was two weeks away from starting IVF.
My top strength is "discipline," which means when my family's schedules were thrown into upheaval during quarantine, I immediately got to work organizing my daughters' maze of online school schedules and modifying my own schedule to keep as much order as possible.
Liz Elting, Founder and CEO of the Elizabeth Elting Foundation and one of Forbes richest self-made women is officially here to bring you the answers you need. This week: "Is it even feasible for startups to think about fundraising during this time?" and "How should VC-backed startups start preparing for the post-coronavirus era?" Find out what she has to say! Or send over your own questions to askliz@swaaymedia.com
Liz Elting, Founder and CEO of the Elizabeth Elting Foundation and one of Forbes richest self-made women is officially here to bring you the answers you need. This week: "Is it even feasible for startups to think about fundraising during this time?" and "How should VC-backed startups start preparing for the post-coronavirus era?" Find out what she has to say! Or send over your own questions to askliz@swaaymedia.com
I close my computer screen, but the headlines remain etched in my mind like the voices of my father and mother when they told me I had to follow their beliefs, or I would not be saved when the fire rained down from heaven When I let in the onslaught of social media and voices of worried friends and neighbors, it brings me back to a frightening time. A time when I grew up with a looming dread of Armageddon. Listening to how people talk about the pandemic has triggered these memories.