How To Practice Self-Care In Less Than An Hour

Self-Care is the trendy word for making sure you're allowing adequate time for yourself.  No matter what job you have in the radio industry, it always seems that there's little time available. From planning events to staying updated with latest news and trends - we're always on GO.  That's not including the women who have families, I applaud them for taking on so much!  However, the growing trend of self-care is running rampant among millennials, there's a million articles about it. But even if you're not a millennial, you should take a page from their book and begin practicing self-care.

Here are some self-care practices you can do when you don't have a lot of time.

If you have 10 minutes:

Meditate/Think - Some people call it meditation, while others just like to sit in place and think about what they have to do. Either way, it helps. It definitely calms any uneasiness or anxiety you may be feeling.

Sheet Mask Saturdays- There's something calming about feeling like you're at the spa on a Saturday night when you're really just at home. I'm in love with sheet masks, and there pretty cheap to buy. Just plop one on your face for 10 minutes and you'll feel a little more refreshed and relaxed. Of course, you don't just have to do this on Saturdays, it just has a nice ring to it!

If you have 20 minutes:

Read/Listen- Reading a new book or even your favorite book over again takes your mind off anything that may be going on. It's a quick way to escape your world and enter into another quickly.  I also like to use audio books, which are super helpful if you never have enough time, but have a commute to work.

Nap: We live in a weird society where people think sleeping means you're not working hard enough. Naps are good for you. There is no point of continuing a task if you have no energy, you're probably not bringing your best ideas out.

If you have 30 minutes:

Walk/Run/Jog- Lately, working out has been therapeutic to me. I do 30 minutes of cardio 7 days a week. I don't even think about any of my issues because I'm so busy pushing my body to the limit. Not only do I get peace of mind, but a nicer body, too!

Phone a friend- I think one thing we should all stop doing is feeling like we're in life alone. We have to stop thinking there is nobody here for us. I guarantee you there is at least one person in your life who cares about you. Talk to them. Even if they can't help how you feel, its good to get those thoughts out of your mind. Plus, you're never 'complaining' when you have real friends.

If you have 60 minutes:

Treat yourself: I know we want to save for that new house/car, but sometimes you need to treat yourself with a tiny gift for all the great work you have been doing. Buy yourself a nice dinner, go get your nails done, or even take a class you have to pay for.

“Self-care is beneficial to maintaining a healthy life. Don’t be so busy building a life that you forget to take care of yourself. ”

Feel The Fear, Do It Anyway

I recently made the decision to leave my full time radio job, and I’m about to tell you why.  I was working for 2 stations in a small market, doing middays and afternoons.  It was fun, the people were nice, and it was low stress; for a while it was perfect.  I came into this job from a very high stress gig, so it was exactly what I needed at the time.  At almost the exact same time of landing this gig, I also landed a part time gig in a nearby major market at a station that I’ve always dreamed of working for.  It kind of seemed like I had it all for a while, a sweet full time gig and a dream-come-true part time one!  However, the full time gig was a haul to get to, over an hour each way on a good day without traffic or inclement weather.   There were some days where it would take more than 2 hours to arrive at work or arrive home, because of traffic or weather.   The hours were pretty good though, considering I’m not much of a morning person; I worked Monday through Friday from 11am-7pm for the most part, not including station events and appearances.  However, after about a year, the commute and the hours started to wear me down.  I was also starting to get bored at work because I didn’t feel challenged, but I pushed the thoughts right out of my head.  What was I thinking?  This is a good gig, the pay is decent and it’s low stress!  Yet those thoughts continued to loom...

One day last December, my husband and I went for a hike with our dog and I decided to talk to him about how I was feeling.  What he suggested changed everything, “Why don’t you quit and try to pick up more hours at {major market station referenced above}?”  I hadn’t thought of that.  Well, ok, yes I had, but I was too scared to even entertain that idea and didn’t know if we could pull it off financially.  After discussing it at great length, we decided we were in a place to do that and picking up more hours at the other station would offset the loss of the full time salary.  Plus, I’d have a lot more time to work on other projects that I’d been wanting to do but never had time to pursue (i.e. writing, teaching, going back to school, etc.). 

I decided to sleep on the decision and see if I felt the same the next day; I did.  I thought ok, this is a big change, so I’m going to take at least a week to really think it through, and I did.  My plans never faltered though and now I had made up my mind for sure.  I told my boss shortly after Christmas and we agreed that I’d stay on until early February.  I wasn’t in a huge rush to give up a good salary, but I was getting a bit antsy to have some freedom and give up my long commute!  I also informed my other boss at the station I worked for part time, of the changes I’d be making and thankfully I’ve been able to pick up more hours there just like I’d hoped.

Can we talk for a second about how supportive others were with my decision?  The answer: not very.  Besides my husband and a couple of close friends, I got a TON of pushback!  Everyone I talked to thought I was crazy.  They all asked me “but how are you going to afford THAT?” and “So what kinds of projects are you going to be doing instead?” in a lovely, condescending ‘you’re making a terrible decision’ tone of voice.  It scared me at first, I thought ‘oh my goodness, they must know better than I, and I’m probably making a huge mistake!’  But no, they didn’t know better than me about my own life, my wants and my needs, only I know what’s best for me. I realized that most of the people I talked to were projecting their own fears onto me.Maybe they were afraid to take that leap of faith and do what they really wanted to do with their lives?  Maybe they couldn’t afford to take the risk of leaving their full time job in exchange for a part time one and some ‘me’ time.  When I came to that realization, I stopped listening to what others thought of my choices.  I was confident in my decision that I was doing what was best for me, even though truthfully I was scared, but I decided to “feel the fear and do it anyway” (great book, btw).

It’s been 3 months since I’ve left my full time job and sure, I miss having a steady paycheck coming in.  We’ve felt the loss in our bank account, but we’ve made changes and cut back on things to accommodate the loss of income.  So yes, I took a loss, but what I gained was so much more!  First of all, I gained time, something you and I can never get back; time to spend with my husband, with our animals, with friends, with myself.  I gained confidence, perspective, peace of mind, and self worth.  I certainly have my days where I get down and depressed and think to myself ‘ok, what am I doing with my life?’  In those moments (or sometimes hours, even days) I just try to breath and tell myself that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be right now.  It’s not the route that many take; a lot of people live their lives in fear, fear of change, fear of the unknown…you cannot grow if you constantly live in a state of fear.  So take the chance, make the changes you want in your life, even if you have to take a pay cut.  You know what?  You’re going to be ok!  You’ll find ways to get through everything, I promise!  You only get one life, live it the way YOU want to, not for anyone else

Why You Shouldn't Let Rejection Get In Your Head

Rejection.

It's not an easy topic to talk about, because let's face it, who wants to think about not being wanted and looked over. But let's be real, rejection happens. And it will happen to every single one of us in our lifetime. Sometimes more than once. Rejection can come from people, jobs, expectations, and more.

However, it's how you handle rejection that sets the tone for what's next in your life.

Dealing with rejection can make the most humble of us uneasy, especially when you work in a creative industry. It's upsetting to hear that you or your work is not good enough. I think rejection may be one of the top 'dream killers' of creatives.

But you have to understand that 'No' isn't always definite, and could mean not right now.

You need to rewire the way you think and keep your optimism high. Just because someone does not see your vision or understand your talent, doesn't mean others will feel the same. Shop your talent around. Build your own platform. Do what you have to do. Just don't give up on a dream or goal you have.

Personally, I'm a firm believer in what's meant for me, will be. Having a mindset like that gives me peace especially when I know I worked as hard as I could on a project.

You have to learn to handle rejection in stride. You can be upset for a minute, but don't become so discouraged that you quit. I'm sure we all know someone who is super talented, but got rejected one too many times and gave up on themselves all together. Don't become that person. 

What you want is going to come to you, and when it does, you'll feel foolish for almost letting rejection stop you.

Be encouraged.

How I'm Fighting 'The Post Grad, No Job' Blues

Reality set in after I crossed the stage to receive my diploma. Here I was, among hundreds of graduates, wondering, who has already secured a job? And most importantly, why didn’t I?

During my last semester, I hated the question, “What are you doing after graduation?” As a person who always had everything organized and figured out, it felt embarrassing to simply answer with, “I’m not sure yet.” It seemed like every guest speaker that came to my classes talked about how depressed they were for either months or years before they got to where they were. Freaking everyone out, all I could remember thinking was, “I don’t want to be in that predicament.” Then I came to realize, “You don’t have to be in that predicament.” Not everyone’s journey is going to be the same. Someone’s chapter 27 might be your chapter 5 and vice versa. If I wanted to reach my goals, it’s going to take:

1. Patience.

2. Taking a risk or two to get to where I need to be.

3. Instead of freaking out, I’m going to have to grow up.

Although I did not secure a job before graduation, I made sure that I put myself in a position to get a job as soon as possible. I secured an internship in my last semester of college, so that I could possibly have a higher chance of getting a job opportunity with that company. I also applied for a program that would give me more training and is known for offering students jobs right after it is completed. Most importantly, I reached out to major connects who are already in the industry that I am interested in, to not only show interest, but to get an advice on what to do next.

As I walked out of graduation with my diploma in hand, I was no longer asking myself, “why didn’t I have a job?” and started to ask, “Why am I doubting myself?” I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was proud of my work ethic and I knew I was going to be okay. Fast forward, in a few weeks I will be headed to Washington D.C. for the Media Sales Institute at Howard University. I think one of the most bittersweet things that I am learning post-graduation is that, I graduated knowing that there I still have a lot to learn and experience. I broke down multiple times in college because of the things I thought I could not overcome, and yet, this is just the beginning. That’s the beauty of it all.

How To Brand Yourself Without Losing Yourself!

It's 2017! We're in the social media and digital age. You can really be anybody you want to be ( i.e MTV's show "Catfish") but why do all that, when people can fall in love with the real YOU.

Here's how to brand yourself on social media without losing your authenticity.

1. Find out who you are. Make a list of the things that make you, you! Ask your friends and family what they like about you the most. Maybe you're great at giving advice, or just a good listening ear.

2. Use that list to sell yourself. When we're trying to grow a brand and bigger social media following, we want to work on our assets. It's like selling a car! Find people that like what you've got to offer - but don't ever negotiate who you are.

3. Engage with your followers! Like their post and comment on the things you care about. People can tell when you're being genuine, and when you're being phony - so type on social media like how you talk in real life.

4. Use hashtags! Don't use so many that you look spam-y! Hashtags are great, you can easily click them and find a surplus of people who are talking about that topic or have the same interest.

5. Be consistent with your posting. Don't go more than a few days without posting.

6. Post content that falls in line with your brand. If you're starting out in radio, meet with a few good local artist and do interviews with them and post them. They will then repost and your brand will grow. 

7. If you consider yourself a brand or have a business, your page should NOT be on private. Use the business option on Instagram, and make a 'Page' on Facebook for yourself.

8. Use social media to your advantage! The analytical option on Facebook and Instagram is there for you to use. It breaks down when people who follow you are online the most. Post when they are on.

9. Don't let numbers get to your head. At the end of the day, building a brand is more about quality over quantity. I know people who post good and consistent content with only 2k followers, but their numbers are steadily growing because of it. 

Some of our #womeninradio beauties shared some tips they have for branding:

"Get creative with hashtags. What do you want to brand? Find a place in the social media world, and use it to express yourself." - @amberstone03

" Brainstorm - what uis uniquely YOU? Once you start pinpointing what qualities you bring to the table as a profesional and a person, you will be able to come up with some ideas. Look to other broadcasters abd see what they are doing. Try out what they are doing - with of course your own touch. See what works and evolve. Good luck!' - @jeunessetagram

" Always be true to yourself and true with your followers/listeners! Find unique content that you love and relates to them and focus on that. Connect,respond,ask questions, be engaged." - @gigidiazlive

I Quit My Job After 6 Months, Here's Why

I resigned from my job a few weeks ago after being there for 6 months. Yes, just 6 months. Yet, 6 months felt like a life sentence when you're somewhere you don't like. 

I knew from the first week that I got there, that this wasn't the place for me, and not in some weird "I'm a millennial and entitled to feel comfortable everywhere I go" sense. Mostly in the "something doesn't feel right intuitively" sense.

But, what's a girl to do when she moved 13 driving hours from home to work at a full-time job that was paying better, had an office, and an actual title.

Stay is what most people told me to do. "Suck it up and toughen it out", they said. 

I tried making friends, joined organizations, went places around town, and even convinced myself that this could be the place for me to 'grow'. 

Deep down inside I couldn't lie to myself anymore and I had to shut 'they' out.

The truth is, nobody tells you what to do when you're in the career field that you want, but at a job you hate. 

It's the oddest feeling in the world. You feel so selfish because there's thousands of people who want to be in your field because it looks 'glamorous'. Yet, you get a shot to advance your career and you let it go because of an emotion? 

So what do you do? What do you choose?

I chose happiness and it has been the most freeing thing I've ever done. 

I stopped living for other people and looking for their acceptance on my decisions. Trust me, it's much easier to say than do. It only took me 25 and a half years to do it. 

Am I a quitter? Technically, yes. I quit my job. But do I feel that way? No. I feel stronger, wiser, and more 'gutsy'. It's the feeling of satisfaction you get when you finally put yourself and your feelings first.

I don't go around encouraging people to quit their jobs. It takes a lot of self-evaluation.

Will I do radio again? Yes, of course. I love radio. I'm on the hunt for a job right now. The only difference is this time, I'll be careful. 

We're not always going to love our jobs, but I want to at least like my job & the place I'm working in.

XO

With love.