Thriving or Surviving

On June 27th, 2024, I was given a layoff notice and 60 days to finish out my position before it would be eliminated. August 27th, I walked away without a new job lined up, despite many applications and many interviews -- a technicality in my old job's classification was getting in the way of a new job offer.  Fast forward to October 7th when I started a new job.  I was actually offered four jobs all at about the same time and had interviews for several others lined up. It felt great to know I was WANTED. I felt validated and valued! Of the four jobs I was offered: The first was offered based entirely on my resume and after only a five minute conversation. The pay, however, was low and the hours not great. The second job I was offered seemed like a great cultural fit and everyone was welcoming and warm when I did a shadow session as part of the interview process. The HR person told me that I not only could negotiate any offered salary but that I SHOULD . They offered just a tin...

This post contains affiliate links towards the end. Any purchase made through such links may result in a commission to me, but at NO COST to you. Thank you in advance! My mental health has been suffering lately. I received a layoff notice at work on June 27th and my job was officially eliminated on August 27th. Throughout the two months in between, and the month and a half since then and when I am drafting this post, I've been stressed out, anxious, and depressed. I very quickly started to binge more social media content than is normal for me, but I also realized that even before these events, I was spending a lot more time on social media than is ideal.  You can learn more about my lay off journey on YouTube HERE . Early in September, I was scrolling on Instagram, mindlessly, and realized how dissatisfied I was with my time on social media, primarily Instagram and Facebook. I really don't use much else -- I dabble in YouTube and go to Pinterest for inspiration and recipes, but...

This blog post contains an affiliate link for Rothy's, indicated by an asterisk (*) next to the first instance of the link. Approaching new people and trying to make connections can feel impossible for shy, socially anxious introverts like myself. Being an introvert alone can make socializing a challenge, but also being shy and socially anxious makes getting to know others feel terribly daunting.  What do you say? How do you approach someone? How do you keep the conversation going? For many, these aren't big issues and meeting new people and keeping the conversation going is easy and doesn't require much thought.  But, if you're shy and feel anxious meeting new people and being social, I have a tip for you -- especially if, like me, you want to be social but feel paralyzed by the prospect: Make your wardrobe do some of the work for you.  Frequently I meet people and start chatting because a stranger approaches me to compliment some aspect of my attire or to ask a questi...

I do not have a 190 step skincare process.  I don't even have a 19 step skincare process. Yet, looking at social media and YouTube skin-fluencers, it feels like I should.  A few months ago, I watched a YouTube video of a food vlogger who shared her mom's skincare routine after viewers commented that both she and her mom look so young. I found myself looking up the multiple products and preparing to buy them, but then stopped. Did I really need or even want any of these items?  Would I actually follow this routine? Could I afford the time or money this routine would require? No. No. And, no. The fact is, I receive compliments on my skin numerous times per week when I'm doing a good job of following my very simple and much more affordable routine. Even when I'm not doing a great job with my skin, I still receive occasional compliments. Some of my youthfulness is likely genetic and thus I can't share tips in that regard.  Some of my youthfulness is also due to past cho...

I received a layoff notice on June 27th and learned that my job would be permanently eliminated 60 days later -- that 60 days was up yesterday.  This past weekend, I experienced some mental shifts and moved from anger and panic to curiosity and excitement. I could see any number of possibilities ahead.  Yesterday and today, I woke up exhausted after sleeping horribly and having extremely vivid bad dreams -- I'm pretty sure at one point that I yelled out loud while asleep and woke myself up last night. All of my anxieties and insecurities have been coming out in my dreams, even if I'm not necessarily feeling them in my waking life.  So, on day one of being unemployed, I'm feeling a little bit scattered mentally and emotionally, a bit worried about the future, but a bit excited too.  Today, I: Spent my morning tidying my kitchen, living room, and bedroom; Had two job interviews with different departments at the company that had just laid me off; Went to coffee with a f...

Something interesting happened this weekend.  With only two work days left before my job is eliminated, I expected to be going into this week panicked, worried, and freaking out.  Instead, something else entirely happened. First, I started to feel calm -- calmer than I've felt in a very long time.  Second, I started to feel excited and curious about the possibilities of hours not spent at a job working for someone else.  I've spent the last two months growing increasingly anxious and depressed about my layoff, to a degree that I started to see a new therapist and have considered trying an antidepressant. Through working with my therapist and facing the elimination of my job, I've been considering what I really want out of life. Am I just pursuing certain paths because I feel like I should or because I think it's expected?  I am still looking for a new job and have had several promising interviews, but this mental shift and the possibilities raised by not having ...

I hate my current commute, but as part of a float pool, I'm stuck going to whatever work site my bosses assign me to. Last month, my bosses FORGOT to assign me and ended up sticking me at an assignment that's an hour and a half away from my home. I don't have a car, so I'm on the bus for three hours round trip Monday to Friday. It's horrible and I feel like it's slowly killing me.  I am actively looking for other jobs, but in the meantime, I'm stuck with this commute for another 9 business days -- after the 9th remaining day, my job is being eliminated. Overall, I will have been stuck with this commute for three weeks.  I know others have worse commutes -- I've had worse -- but right now, I'm struggling in several areas of life so it feels even worse than it actually is . After coming home several days in a row so exhausted that I can barely function by the time I get home, I decided to find a way to make my bus rides more tolerable and to get some t...