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#Digiblogchat Questions April 14, 2020

April 13, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

The topic for April 14, 2020 is Mental health and well-being during difficult times!

Q1. How do you think an extended quarantine will affect your mental health?

Q2. Does having the data and facts about #Covid19 make you feel calmer? How so?

Q3. How does self-care change your psychological outlook?

Q4. How does a feeling of gratitude change your outlook?

Q5. What effect does exercise have on your mental health?

Q6. How do you feel about virtual mental health care?

Q7. Has listening to the news about #Covid19 changed your sleep habits, and if so how?

Q8. What are you looking for in other people’s behavior? Are you observing and reaching out to others?

Q9. How has the stress of sharing your personal space affected you?

Q10. What suggestions do you have for someone who just found out about #Covid19?

What to Write about When You Have Nothing to Write about

April 9, 2020 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

Here it is 9:00 p.m. the night before your blog post is due, and you haven’t written one word. You need to get up early the next day for a meeting, but no pressure, right? Also, there’s a full-scale pandemic going on that has you more than a little freaked out. What to do? Here are some ideas.

Go Back and Review

Now’s as good a time as any to reread some of your older writing. There was that whole series on social media and clowns, for instance. That was a fun series. Then there were a bunch where you wrote about Einstein, Tesla, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Social Media Needs. Do any of those have ideas that you could expound upon? Or are the times we’re living in just too somber? Well, you know what they say: one person’s somberness is another person’s circus! Or something like that.

Do a Best of Post

Here is where you could pick two or three or ten(!) of your favorite posts. For me, I’m going to pick just one. My favorite post is the one I wrote about Twitter lists. Why? I think the language is sharp and concise, and it was a joy to write, even though I edited it a million times. You probably have a favorite post, too. Or maybe a few.

Revisit

There might be a post that nobody read and you can’t figure out why. Did you ever pour your heart out writing something and feel that nobody even noticed? That happens sometimes. Could it be the timing? Maybe people were busy with some big event in their lives and didn’t have the time or inclination? Maybe the writing wasn’t up to your usual caliber. Or maybe the images in your post weren’t compelling. Try to see what happened.

If You’re Really Stuck, Ask a Friend

Reach out and ask a friend what to write. You’d be surprised what your friends know about you. And right now, they’re probably home since they’re all sheltering in place! So there’s that.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: writers block, writing

#Digiblogchat Questions April 7, 2020

April 6, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

The topic for April 7th is Organizing your office while working from home!

Q1. What would you do first when organizing your home office?

Q2. Are you a fan of labeling things to help you find them later? Why or why not?

Q3. What is the most difficult thing for you to organize in your home office?

Q4. How useful is your filing system to you? What would make it more useful?

Q5. How do you organize your electronic gadgets?

Q6. How would you describe your relationship with paper in your office?

Q7. What one thing, if implemented today, could help you the most with your home office?

Q8. How often do you purge the paper in your file drawers?

Q9. What types of containers do you really like for organizing?

Q10. What’s one thing you’d tell someone before they organized their office?

Filed Under: Digiblogchat questions Tagged With: organizing office

Strong Goals During the New Normal That Will Calm You Down

April 2, 2020 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

The events we’re going through right now have the power to shape us forever. None of us will be the same after this. Even if we don’t get sick ourselves, we all know someone who knows someone. Or we know someone who narrowly escaped being sick. So why have new goals at all, you might ask? For one thing, you’ll feel more in control if you have goals.

First Look at Your Old Goals

Did you have resolutions for New Years that are now out the window? Why not rewrite them, since you’re at home anyway? For instance, one of my New Years goals was to make my own clothes. Hahaha! As if that’ll ever happen now. But instead, I’m making masks for healthcare providers to use. You might need to pivot in a similar way. You might like: How to Make Stretch Goals That Make You Stretch.

Lowering the Bar Might Help

Some days, getting out of bed, making coffee, and making breakfast might be all that you can handle. Or calling up an elderly neithbor or two. Making that big goal a bit smaller could be just the ticket. Everyone’s expectations need to be lowered right now, since for many even going to the grocery store isn’t happening the same way it used to be.

Photo by Frank-Martens

Be Kind to Everyone, Including Yourself

One of my friends said it best: be sure to vote for Team You. That is, hang out with people who nurture and support you. If people don’t support you, leave their orbit. Maybe try being around them later. So maybe take some of your goals off your list entirely. Try learning to bungee jump next year instead of this year.

Be Introspective

One thing that’s really good to do right now is to meditate on what you want from your life, your career, and your family. Why not consider writing in a diary, or restarting the diary that you haven’t written in for awhile? You might even want to start a gratitude journal. We’re all getting more alone time, so why not take advantage?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: expectations, goals, gratitude journal, kindness

#Digiblogchat Questions March 31, 2020

March 30, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

The topic for March 31st is Working from Home with @VivianLKelly of Interprose! (@interprosepr)

An #Entrepreneur, CEO, and #remotework pioneer, Vivian L Kelly founded #Interprose in 1998. She leads the team in designing #PR, #socialmedia, and #marketing campaigns for global tech leaders like @Cisco and@IEEEorg.

Q1. What’s the biggest challenge to expect / overcome when transitioning from an office to a remote work environment?

Q2. How can organizations best support their employees during the transition to working from home?

Q3. How do leaders help maintain company culture in a remote work scenario?

Q4. What tools and platforms are available to help teams stay connected and collaborative even when separated geographically?

Q5. What are your tips for managers as they transition to the work from home model for both the near- and long term?

Q6. How do you motivate your team and keep them focused to get their jobs done?

Q7. How do you know your team members are actually working?

Q8. What is the human side of managing remotely like?

Q9. How do you manage difficult interpersonal or performance-related situations when unable to speak with employees face-to-face?

Q10. Beyond social distancing, what are some of the tangible benefits that the work-from-home model provides?

Bonus question: How is the work-from-home model evolving?

Filed Under: Digiblogchat questions Tagged With: Interprose, Vivian L Kelly, working from home

How to Maintain Your Humor During Difficult Times

March 26, 2020 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Have you felt a little depressed and anxious lately? Welcome to the club! It’s a pretty big club, and nobody wants to be the president. In fact, nobody wants to be in the club. People would much rather pretend they weren’t in the club. Some would prefer that no such club existed. But exist it does.

Realize You’re Not Helping by Adding to the Hand-Wringing

There are already plenty of Chicken Littles, running around squawking about the sky falling. One of the big issues is nobody knows what’s going to happen. The science isn’t all in yet. We get plenty of new stories every day. It’s all anyone is talking about, actually. Nobody thinks the virus is going away any time soon, but complaints about being bored really don’t help. What to do instead? Post inspirational photos and messages. For instance, have you seen the posts that Arnold Schwarzenegger is making, with him and his mini-horses (“fueling up with Whiskey and Lulu?”) Some may say they’re tone-deaf, but I think they’re wonderful.

Photos by Hot Rod Homepage

Don’t Repeat Rumors

There are so many rumors right now. And the hoaxes and conspiracy theories are everywhere! Social media amplifies the craziest rumors and theories, with people believing they’re real. Please check with Snopes or the World Health Organization or some other legit source. Also, you probably don’t want to overshare right now. More about Oversharing. What to do instead? Tell the truth in as clear and succinct a way as possible. There’s already enough chaos!

Stay Away from Stories

That is, making up a weird story about what’s happening doesn’t help anything or anyone. Saying it’s the end of the world, even if you think Armageddon is here, just adds to the confusion.

Unless They’re Funny Stories

On the other hand, gentle humor, pictures of your cat, and National Puppy Day are all perfectly legit right now. It seems like we’re all balancing the extreme seriousness of the situation with sillier-than-normal memes, videos, and stories. If you need a list of Hashtag Holidays, SproutSocial has a pretty good one. And maybe you’re making up your own holidays, too.

How Are You Dealing with These End Times?

I’m joking! But really, if you’re staying at home, how are you keeping your sanity? Let me know with a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: humor, positivity, sense of humor

#Digiblogchat Questions March 24, 2020

March 23, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

On March 24th at 1:00 p.m. pdt, our topic for #Digiblogchat will be Coronavirus–how to help your community! With questions by @LazBlazter #digiblogchat

Please add the #digiblogchat hashtag so everyone can find you and your tweets!

Q1. What’s happening in your community right now in terms of #Covid19?

Q2. How can people help each other with #Covid19 support?

Q3. Who is your priority in terms of #Covid19 support and why?

Q4. How are your families coping with digital apps across the generations? #Covid19

Q5. What apps are you sharing and recommending to cover work and social needs? #Covid19

Q6. Anyone using @carehood or @neighbourhood to coordinate support for each other? #Covid19

Q7. What impact is this having on you, employees and business relations? #Covid19 #digiblogchat

Q8. Are you now learning digital skills from youngsters around you? #Covid19

Q9. How can we help businesses under pressure? #Covid19

Q10. How can we help our Doctors, Nurses and volunteers during this medical pandemic? #Covid19

Bonus:

Q11. Who wants to do the first #DigiBlogChat video chat this weekend? ( using Zoom or Happychat)

Filed Under: Digiblogchat questions Tagged With: #DigiBlogChat Questions March 24, 2020, DigiBlogChat

This Is What Happens When You Work from Home for the First Time

March 19, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

Think about when you did anything the first time. And this time (that is–right now!) you were probably forced into working from home, too. Am I right about that? Nobody who works in an office (especially the extroverts!) suddenly wants to work from home. Beyond the usual stuff of needing your technology to be set up, here’s what it’s like to work from home.

You Might Get Lonely

Yep. I said it. To prevent loneliness when you work from home, you’ll need human contact, even if it’s virtual. Luckily, we have Zoom and telephones. You can have a virtual conference, a meeting, or just a talkathon with friends. You can even use it as an extension of a hobby. My knitting group will be having a Zoom Knitathon this week. For more about hobbies, see this: A Good Hobby Will Make You Feel Delighted. Another way to be around people is to join Twitter chats! My chat #DigiBlogChat is on Tuesdays at 1:00 pm PDT. We have a different topic every week, and it’s free! Here you go: How to Join #DigiBlogChat.

You Could Overeat

If you’re bored because you’re not used to working from home, you might eat all those frozen Girl Scout cookies you’ve been saving for a special occasion. After all, it’s Armageddon now, right? So what the heck! And that wine? You’re not supposed to hang out with groups, so you might as well drink it yourself. If you’re one of those people hoarding, how about hoarding some halfway-healthy stuff? “When I recognize that I want to eat something more out of boredom versus actual physical hunger, I brew myself a cup of hot tea.” says Alissa Rumsey, R.D., C.S.C.S. Read more things nutritionists do when they might eat out of boredom. Turns out that nutritionists are a lot like you and I.

You Might Get Less Exercise

If you’re not getting up to hit the water cooler or grab a coffee from the breakroom, you’ll probably need to make a conscious effort to get exercise. It’s easy to sit in one spot all day long sulking or not moving. And since you might not be able to go to the gym right now, you’ll have to figure out something else. How about hiking? Or walking around a lake? There are lots of ways to get exercise without going to the gym. Cycling is another way.

More Time with Pets

And by pets, I mean cats. And dogs, too. My cats love to get on my desk while I’m trying to work. They cover up the calendar and sprawl across the desk. Sometimes they try to take my glasses and knock stuff onto the floor. Having a cat is usually so much fun!

Zero Commute

Another plus of working from home is not having a commute. Of course, you might wear the same pajamas all day, too. (I’ve been guilty of that.) That could be a plus…but also a minus, depending upon how you feel about it. What are some of the plusses and minuses of your working-from-home routine?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: work from home, working from home

#Digiblogchat Questions March 17, 2020

March 16, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

Photo by firepile

On Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 1:00 pm pdt, our topic is: Is automated content generation a good or bad thing? with Randy Clark!

How familiar are you with automated content generation?
How much of what we read do you think is written by robots?
Would you consider using AI for content generation, editing, or publishing?
If you used AI for content generation what type of content would you turn over to robots?
How can you tell if something you’re reading was written by a bot?
How could AI content development help writers?
Did you know there are books written and edited by robots?
What are the possible pitfalls of automated content development?
What are the potential benefits of automated content development?
Are you ready to share your office with a bot?

Filed Under: Digiblogchat questions Tagged With: #Digiblogchat Questions March 17, 2020, DigiBlogChat

A Good Hobby Will Make You Feel Delighted

March 12, 2020 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

As I write this week’s blog post, the world is reeling from the Corona Virus panic. Nearly every news story is about how events are being cancelled, new sanctions are being imposed, and more people are getting sick. It’s enough to cause anxiety and worry for even the most calm people among us. What to do? How about delving into a hobby instead of going to that conference–since it’s just been cancelled?

Hobbies Take Us on a Mini-Vacation

For me, there’s nothing like a hobby to get away from the stress and stop thinking and worrying over things I have no control over. When I knit something, listen to a podcast, or cut out pattern pieces to sew, I’m a million miles away. Time disappears and I forget to eat. If you still need to be connected, you might like How to Use Social Media and Keep Your Mental Health.

Hobbies Make Us Happier

If you tend to overwork, having a hobby can definitely make you happier. Not only do you learn something new, you often get out into the community through your hobby, too. For instance, I’ve met loads of wonderful women through knitting. We meet for coffee, knit, and kvetch about everything under the sun. Having more social connections leads to greater happiness in many studies. You can read about some of my stretch goals (which include sewing and knitting) here: How to Make Stretch Goals That Make You Stretch.

Hobbies Give Us More Dimension

If all you have to talk about it work, isn’t that a little one dimensional? Last week I was at Window Works (a client of mine) for the Women in Construction Luncheon in San Francisco, and met a woman engineer. She asked me what I do when I’m not working. It turns out that she’s a ballroom dancer! Along with being a structural engineer, she enters dance competitions. Besides being ultra-cool, having a whole other hobby makes her more interesting.

Why Not Have a Hobby?

Jaime L. Kurtz Ph.D. in her article Six Reasons to Get a Hobby, says “Consider the possibility that you’re not as busy as you think.” We all waste time on social media, Netflix, and “doing something close to nothing, but different than the day before” as Prince once sang. But having a hobby seems to have gone by the wayside. And if you have a structured hobby, she says, chances are you’d finish up that work so you could scoot off to your book club meeting. Without a hobby, work expands to fill the time we have. And active leisure is invigorating, says Kurtz. Wouldn’t you agree?

What’s Your Hobby?

Do you have something that you love to do when you’re not working? What is it? Leave me a comment and thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: free time, hobbies