Will Stronge, a U.K.-based researcher and co-author of Overtime: Why We Need a Shorter Working Week , says the 40-hour workweek in the U.S. was fought for and earned by workers less than a century ago. However, with burnout flames leaping in every industry, there’s a wake-up call. Times have changed! Technology now allows us to do things faster but instead of releasing us from a prescribed work week - we’ve just crammed it with more “to do”. Here are three ideas to see what can be done to eliminate hours and regain—instead—energy and focus… not to mention a 3-day weekend. Sweep Away Meaningless Work Redundancy, email overload, and useless meetings are just some of the energy-draining activities that workers face on a daily basis. If you are in a leadership position, be bold and ask your team, “What are the things you do that seem to be time wasters?” Gather the data. What can be eliminated, altered, or adjusted in a more appropriate fashion? I remember hearing a contractor talk about being required to write a huge report that seemed to have extraneous details. He put a page from a recipe book in the report just to see if anyone even read it. Yes—you are correct. Not one comment about the recipe! Develop The Skill of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Think of this as organizational reframing for intelligent optimism. Developed by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva, two professors at Case Western Reserve, AI uses an appreciative approach to look at opportunities versus problems. It builds upon collaborative and strengths-based change. Imagine the power of bringing together a team to dream, develop and deliver products and processes that are life-enhancing for the organization. Ask “when this works well, what is in place? What will we be doing?” Elevate The Gift Of Gratitude Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you ever said was thank you, that would be enough” . Recall how your personal energy increased when someone noticed the work you did and acknowledged it. Remember, a pat on the back is a short distance from a kick in the pants but a LONG way in generating positive results. Resilience, the ability to grow through challenge or opportunity, is enhanced when one’s efforts are noticed. Simple step. Powerful in results. And cousin to gratitude is kindness. There’s a Persian proverb, “With a sweet tongue of kindness, you can drag an elephant by a hair.” And with kindness, you will notice when your teammates need time out and time away.

I just typed “great resignation” into Google search and over three million potential matches appeared. You see “help wanted” ads and signs in many locations, particularly hospitality and leisure. You read about all manner of inducements from scheduling flexibility, health and wellness programs, ability to work remotely, gym memberships, and more. While bemoaning the absence of a beefed-up work force and blaming unemployment assistance as the reason, there’s a huge opportunity to critically reconsider the entire world of work and the various nuances of engagement. In short, salary alone is not the answer. Case in point. When talking with a waiter at a restaurant in California, he acknowledged the shortage of staff. He then added, “It’s not salary. It’s the inability to find affordable housing.“ Housing is outrageous here in California—but also around the country. I have read no reports that share with leaders that the issue is far bigger than income, childcare (which is huge) and perks. This revelation underscores the need for business and community leaders to address a problem that impacts many. One other revelation. According to The Mind at Work study by Potential Project, employees with high resiliency have 21% higher job satisfaction and 31% lower turnover. Data was captured via Mindgrow, a diagnostic tool developed with academic research partners from Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, Rotman School and Management and University of CA Berkeley. So, while we tackle the challenge of housing, let’s learn how to help employees manage workplace and home stressors by cultivating their resilience muscle. It can be done!

A huge sign stretched across the auto dealership that faced a major interstate highway: New Management! Better Attitude! Gets you thinking, right? How bad must the former management have been to announce to the world this huge change? Ask your family, friends, and team members what they think. Their answers might be a wake-up call.

After the many uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and all the disparities that transpired from it, resilience has become one of the most sought-after traits employers look for in employees. Based on the textbook definition, resilience is a person’s ability to respond to pressure, stressful situations, and circumstances that require a high level of endurance and forbearing. In other words, as Eileen McDargh insists, what actions will help us GROW through experiences and become better through them. To survive and carry on despite stress, everyone should be hardy and resilient, especially in the workplace where employees are sometimes pushed to their breaking points. Lucky for you, this list includes pro-tips to thrive under high stress and be even more resilient. 1. Be rational. While facing a challenge can often become taxing and stressful, remember there is a solution for every problem. By being rational, you can control how you interpret and respond to events you did not foresee. Composing yourself will allow you to see challenging situations with a silver lining. In this way, you can set aside your emotions so that you can think of strategies and methods to form a bandaid fix or resolution. 2. Ensure your goals are realistic. You do not want to fall hard from high expectations. You want to set realistic targets that are workable and feasible to ensure that you will hit them consistently. When confronted with obstacles and arduous tasks, you put your resiliency to the test, so work with your chin up and your work ethics high. You can rise above the rigors when you highlight constructivism and personal development in a broader context. 3. Lean on your social circle. Human beings are social creatures. Forging relationships with your family, friends, and colleagues can go a long way in developing a sense of sensitivity. Through such, you will be able to practice resilient communication so that you can face any verbal kung-fu, adversity, or conflict with mindfulness and grace. 4. Encourage life-long learning. Lifelong learning is key to self-development and resilience. Inspirational and educational talks, be it in the form of webinars or training and workshops, can improve your social skills, track record, cognitive abilities, and strategies in overcoming adversity. 5. Celebrate small victories. Take time to notice how far you have come. Revisit your progress chart and tap yourself for successes that you made. This can motivate your mind to be up for more improvement and success instead of looking back at what went wrong. Congratulate yourself for all the feathers in your cap. Live a little and celebrate your wins by doing self-care activities. 6. Reach out to others who might need help. There is no better way to show resilience than by extending help to others through collaboration. Ensure you keep your ears open and the table available for others so you can understand and offer assistance where and when they need it. Such gestures can make you and the other person feel connected and competent. By doing so, you both can boost your satisfaction, self-esteem and achieve a higher and a greater sense of purpose. 7. Allow for proactivity. Being proactive means you take an active role in dealing with something right before someone else takes care of it. Make this part of your productivity habits. Proactiveness can develop your sense of urgency, preparedness, and reliability. When you are proactive, you constantly find yourself one step ahead of every due date and deadline. You will also have plenty of time to be meticulous, review, and check for errors. 8. Take full responsibility. Recognizing everything in your quadrant, your responsibility, and all you are accountable for should be taken constructively and to your advantage. To cultivate resiliency in the workplace, one must always be willing to take full responsibility for their work. This attitude can help you get rid of both distractive and destructive forces to build strong willpower so you can do what is expected of you. 9. Accept change as a challenge. To be resilient is also equivalent to sustaining your motivation and energy when confronted with change. When you find yourself on the brink of change, practice appreciative inquiry or AI. It is a positive approach to organizational change and leadership that focuses on one own’s and the company’s strengths. Capitalizing on such strengths can help all individuals and the entire organization work together toward a shared vision. Not only does this hit the goals, but it also fosters camaraderie, builds organizational resilience, and brings change while keeping restraining forces at bay. 10. Smile and be happy. Because indeed, there will always be a way to turn things around — that is the ultimate secret of being resilient. Smiling is a simple indication of happiness, optimism, and positivity. After all, “it was not all that bad.” The law of attraction is true to its meaning. We attract what we think of. How we dictate things to be will take over our minds and will make it a reality. To be resilient, you have to deal with hardships as though they are naturally occurring so that you can entertain each one as it comes to you with high endurance, a stable mind, and a courageous attitude. Kat is a Molecular Biology Scientist turned Growth Marketing Scientist. During her free time, she loves to write articles that will bring delight, empower women, and spark the business mind. She loves to bake but unfortunately, baking doesn't love her back. She has many things in her arsenal and writing is one of her passion projects.

When Robert Frost penned, “good fences make good neighbors”, he was thinking of sheep wandering to a neighbor’s garden. Today, crafting fences (not walls) in our work and life is a solid technique for conserving energy and staying focused. Let me explain. In studying the causes of burnout, being a bobble head is a practice sure to ignite exhaustion. Nodding yes to every request is a sure-fire (pardon the pun) way to expend unnecessary energy and take a potential project away from someone who could benefit. Case in point: Jan was an administrator with an escrow company. The case load piled up and she’d work until 10 at night to stay caught up. “I’m just fried,” she confessed in a coaching session. “So what will happen if you don’t say enough and put a line in the sand that says you are going home at 5pm?”, I asked. “I might die,” responded Jan. The potential of getting fired seemed almost a pleasure. Sounds dramatic but it took that realization for Jan to gather up her courage and inform her manager that there was a statute of limitations for how long she could work in a day. Jan didn’t get fired. In fact, she got a raise. The manager had NO IDEA how long each one of these escrow cases took nor how many hours Jan was working. Plus, by turning over some the case load to another employee, that person became trained in a different part of the escrow process. Now, I am not promising anyone a raise but here’s the point: If you are very good at what you do, you’ll be given more and more. Our ego gets hooked into believing that we are Wonder Woman or Superman. There’s almost a diabolic pleasure in being the can-do-give-it-to-me person. And there is a price to be paid. The ability to say “no” or “not now” is a gift not only to yourself but also to others. For yourself, there are things that you and only you could, should, and can do. Turning over the writing of a critical proposal to a new employee with little experience would be foolhardy. However, turning over parts of it could be an educational opportunity and ultimately develop a new skill for that team member, Listen up leaders: Few want to disappoint the manager. It might be difficult for employees to draw a line with you. Share your concern about how much someone is working. Create literal time-outs for employees and require them to take time off. You have a toxic work environment if overwork is a badge of honor. And… you will lose your best and brightest. Boundary setting also extends into our personal life. There’s no written law (other than our own guilt and misplaced affection) that says Mom has to do all the household chores or Dad is the gardener. By sharing duties around the household, we create a community feeling that says, “I am not a guest—I belong here”. Besides, by not setting boundaries and sharing duties, members of the household are prevented from learning the basics of household management and upkeep. Were Robert Frost alive today, he might change his statement. “Good boundary setting makes good companies and good families.

NOTE from Eileen: As we start back this school season, I believe United World College Costa Rica has lessons for each of us about resilience. Just read what they have learned in handling a pandemic and having students who could not return home because their country has closed down. Love these guys! PS: If you feel so inclined, here’s how you can donate. These students give me global hope! A lot has been written about the lessons learned of individual resilience from our shared pandemic experience— usually, what not to do. But what about the reflections and good lessons for resilience we have gained as communities and as organizations? Let us share some reflections of collective resilience at UWC Costa Rica. First, here is a quick overview of who we are. United World Colleges (UWC) is an international movement of 18 schools and colleges—including UWC Costa Rica, the only one in Latin America and the Caribbean— that brings together teenagers (16-19 years old) from 70+ countries and thousands of alumni and educators across the world. We are joined by a shared mission: “to make education a force to unite for peace and a sustainable future.” At the core of UWC is the conviction that we can change the world if we get to know each other beyond prejudices and instead, connect through our shared humanity to address local and global challenges. In fewer words: empathy. In less than a week in March 2020 UWC Costa Rica made the difficult decision to end the year early and support 200+ students in their journey back to their families. At the same time, dozens of countries closed their borders making some of the journeys a true odyssey. In an instant, daily priorities shifted drastically. We went from prioritizing logistics around exams, meetings, and educational programs to pausing to support each other. Strengthening our community relationships amidst chaos was a haven and a true priority. Lesson number one: empathy strengthens community. Every minute brought a new challenge but with it, in unison, we frequently heard “How can I help?” In less than 48 hours, students and educators came together and orchestrated the most meaningful graduation ceremony we have ever had. Keep in mind, this event usually takes months to plan! It was powerful to see the willingness and involvement of the community coming together to celebrate what was the last massive event at UWC Costa Rica. Lesson number two: we are stronger together. Amidst all the chaos that comes with any last-minute decision (not to mention the inherited unknown challenges of an evolving global pandemic), resource allocation became key. We centered our decision-making process based on equity and access while keeping in mind that every decision had impact. We made decisions based on people, not budgets. This statement was rewarded by tremendous support from dozens of donors who appreciated that we put our students first. Lesson number three: put your values first and let them guide you through a crisis. As the only UWC in Latin America and the Caribbean, we “tropicalized” who we were in everything we did. We built upon Costa Rica’s reputation for warm hospitality, compassion, and honest communication. We stayed focused on providing our community with an educational experience grounded on a holistic wellness model that cares for the mind and the heart of every individual. This translated into lively virtual events such as bonding times, radio shows and wellness check-ins. We made sure we used a warm tone in formal messages. This allowed a demonstration of empathy and compassion while acknowledging feelings and being transparent even when it was bad news. Lesson number four: find and own your authentic tropicalized self. Lesson five: remember there is power in vulnerability. Which brings us to today! We are starting a new school year, excited to see our campus bursting with life and laughter from our 194 students from 62 countries. The pandemic continues, and life goes on. At UWC Costa Rica we will continue to adapt to current circumstances, rely on our collective resilience, and continue to grow and learn because we trust that we are better together—as a community. We are also excited to continue adding more positive lessons to our toolbox! To learn more about us visit https://www.uwccostarica.org/ways-to-support/giving.

Sounds like a platitude, right? Trust me, it’s not. Read Senator Tammy Duckworth’s memoir of the same title and you will be awestruck by the courage, tenacity, and unbelievable resilience of this amazing woman. I normally would not write a blog post about a book, but this is not something that can be highlighted in a simple review. I stepped into her life and learned about challenge of being biracial, the desperate search for food amid poverty, and the grit to rise above circumstances. My heart raced as I followed her determination to be the best soldier and fly Black Hawk helicopters in the Middle East. I cried in horror when she and her crew were shot down and she totally lost one leg, the majority of the other and suffered a mangled arm. I became angry at a senseless war and how Walter Reed Hospital was not prepared for the steady influx of critically wounded soldiers. I was disgusted at the steady parade of politicians who came to Walter Reed for photo ops and had NO idea about what it means to be soldier. I cheered Senator Dick Durbin’s tenacity to help Tammy and influence her to move beyond a harrowing 13-month recovery into another form of serving our country. I totally concur with the words of Admiral William H. McRaven, (U.S. Navy Ret.) This book is “raw, unfiltered, powerful—a compelling story of courage and determination against overwhelming odds… a true warrior who overcame a difficult upbringing, a glass ceiling, and a horrific helicopter shoot-down to become one of the most respected senators on Capitol Hill.” Read her story. Weep. Then leave with a deeper understanding of resiliency and truth to power.

What would people say about you when you die? It’s a question we rarely ask ourselves. Yet, the loss of an amazing colleague and nationally known professional speaker, Jeanne Robertson, has me pondering these very questions. What you won’t see is that there have been over 500,000 searches for her obituary and her name in the last five days! Remember, this is a woman who had been Miss North Carolina, the president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the Speakers Hall of Fame. Her You Tube Channel has over 114 million subscribers. Yes, she was a ROCK STAR to thousands. Maybe that’s what makes the comments I am seeing and hearing a better testimony to a life lived NOT as a rock star. “I was a newcomer to the association. I didn’t know anyone—much less her. But she came up, hugged me, and said, ‘welcome home.’” “My wife and I were sitting alone at the big annual NSA banquet. Jeanne asked if she could sit with us. Some of the NSA REALLY important people came up and asked her to join them at another table. She politely declined and said she preferred to sit with us!” “Every time she came to my city, she’d come to visit my elderly mother and me. They talked heart-to-heart. Mom died exactly one year ago, and I am convinced they are talking together as angels.” “She was a mentor to many. A brilliant, gifted storyteller who made people laugh at their humanity—and hers. She was indeed a GOAT… greatest of all times.” And so much more… over 1.2 million comments on her Facebook page and she died less than a week ago. Her professional page on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/JeanneLaughs/. The lessons for me—and maybe to you—are these: Don’t let a day go by without letting people feel important and cared for. Stop taking yourself so seriously. I have been dealing with aggravating computer issues. “Time to lighten up, Eileen. It’s only a computer!“ Look for the funny and make jokes. You are never too old to learn and try new things. Titles are meaningless. But each one’s name is priceless. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Note from Eileen: The past 15 plus months have seen all of us grappling with remote work challenges, job loss, the loss of precious family and friends. At the same time, some of us have been gaining new skills in technology, reconnecting with family, discovering a hobby and more. My colleague, Dr. Marcia Reynolds, offers a fresh perspective on loss AND gain. Enjoy! We often relate grieving to the loss of a person. Did you know you can go through the cycle of grieving when you sell or give away something that was a big part of your life, such as a home, car, or your child’s clothing? You also may grieve when you don’t get something you hoped for. If you ignore the signs of grieving, your emotions can hijack your brain. You feel sad or irritated and don’t know why. Grieving is painful but a natural part of living a full life. It is an important element of being resilient. When you acknowledge the ache or emptiness in your heart, you can fully process the loss, and then go forward with courage and strength. Grief Can Be Difficult to Identify Ten years ago, there was a week where I didn’t want to get out of bed. I dragged my body around all day. I’m usually very productive in the morning and stay busy until night. I thought about seeing a doctor for depression. I decided I would first call my coach. She asked me if I had lost someone or something I cherished. I said, no. Then she asked, “What had you hoped you would be doing now that didn’t happen?” I immediately knew what was going on. I remembered that a year before when I published a book for women leaders, Wander Woman, I told myself I would give myself one year to see if I could shift my business to coach and teach women. It was 2010. The recession cut funds to women’s programs. Many women lost their jobs and had no money for their personal development. I couldn’t afford to keep trying to make the shift. My coach helped me realize my dream had died, at least in the form I had imagined. I knew I needed to grieve the loss so I could move on. I committed to giving myself the space to grieve. A week later, the idea for my next book came to mind. I eagerly responded to work requests for coaching both men and women. My energy was back. Grieving allowed me to let the past go, making room for the success that followed. How to Move Through the Tunnel of Grief When you experience loss due to personal events such as the ending of a job or relationship, or due to systemic incidents such as the pandemic, your brain slows down to help you heal. You might have little motivation to wake up or your energy is drained early in the day. Your anger may be triggered by minor events at work and at home. Try to identify the loss of something you loved or the hope you had that something would happen but didn’t. Talk about your experience with someone who won’t judge you or advise you what to do while they listen. Let yourself have a good cry. Tears can help wash away the past so you can see a path forward more clearly. Some people find comfort in gardening, listening to music, hiking or walking along a beach as they let the past slip away. When I processed the loss of my dream about my coaching business, I went from feeling numb and mildly depressed to acceptance, and then I began the process of renewal. Today I run a very successful international coaching and training business that fills my heart with joy. Healing from grief requires time to reflect. Be gentle with yourself. Gifting yourself space to be sad will give you the breath you need to move on when the pain fades away. Dr. Marcia Reynolds, Master Certified Coach, is a world-renowned expert on how to evoke transformation through conversations. She has delivered programs in 41 countries and reached thousands more online. She has four award-winning books: The Discomfort Zone; Wander Woman; Outsmart Your Brain; her latest, Coach the Person, Not the Problem. Read more www.Covisioning.com.

Consider these stats on the return-to-work versus work-from-home debate from a survey of 1,500 workers that was recently commissioned by Harvard Business School. Turns out 81% of us don’t want to return to the office or would prefer a hybrid home/workplace schedule. 27% of us hope to work remotely full-time and only 18% of workers want to return to the office full-time. Regardless of WHERE one works, a manager still can influence how engaged and “present” employees are. Being present at an office or a remote location means nothing if employees have left their spirit, imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm behind. Here are five mistakes that have employees leaving the door—either figuratively or actually. 1. Be a know-it-all and discount the input of others. A new senior level manager was brought into an organization. When department heads met with him, he proclaimed “lower cost, higher quality, more sales”. He asked for their input and then immediately dismissed whatever they said. The fact that he had never worked in this particular industry had already prompted skepticism. The department heads, whose support and knowledge are critical for a turnaround, have departed in droves while those who are staying just shrug their shoulders and say they’ll hunker down until they find something else. 2. Never admit mistakes. The worn phrase from the old movie Love Story proclaimed, “Loves means never having to say you’re sorry.” As wrong as that advice is for intimate relationships, it is just as stupid in business. When ego and arrogance replace the realities of a decision, employees watch in dismay. The operating plan becomes mired in finding ways to justify action rather than admitting error and looking for a new, more promising direction. The cost overruns on building a large golf course were huge because the senior manager refused the input of his department heads and then spent thousands trying to cover up design flaws. 3. Act first and think later. The ready, fire, aim approach of shoot-from-the-hip-and-think-later is all too common in our 24/7, do-it-now world. The results can be disastrous - particularly if the vehicle for action is e-mail. E-mail now stands for escalation and error. The person who blasts off a response without carefully considering the tone and the names on the distribution list can find himself spending time and energy undoing collateral damage. The more critical the relationship and/or the outcome of the action, the greater wisdom is in carefully measured actions and more likely than not, face-to-face, or at least ear-to-ear conversation. 4. Create an inner circle that thinks alike. Howell Raines, executive editor of the NY TIMES, was the subject of a 17,000-word article that appeared in the NEW YORKER. It was a brutal expose, painting a documented story of him as an arrogant bully who played favorites, listened only to a few people, and pummeled far too many. When folks outside of his inner circle tried to tell him their concerns regarding Jayson Blair, the now infamous fabricator of new stories, Raines ignored them. 5. Say one thing and do another. A high-tech manufacturing company in Southern California announced significant layoffs because of poor performance. Every budget item was to be scrutinized. The following weekend, the CEO took the top management team away to the Ritz Carlton in Monarch Beach so they could ponder these new realities. Care to guess how fast the employees got wind of this “cost-saving” move? Or how about the professional services firm that proclaimed mandatory attendance and then repeatedly ignored a senior consultant who only showed up when he “felt like it”. BOTTOM LINE: If you want to model truth and trust, ask the people around you how often you engage in these behaviors. And if you are not happy with the answers, DO something different. You might also need to bring in an external coach to help you with the process. It’s a task I have performed on a number of occasions. The results: you win and the organization wins.

They call the millennial generation the burned-out generation for a reason. Why? Most people were taught that if you wanted to be successful you had to work for it. Not only that, society supports this common belief and therefore we’re all just chasing the American dream. My story is no different. I went to college and then I started my human resources career. My goal from the beginning was to climb the corporate ladder. I was blinded by my ambition and before I knew it my average workweek was 60+ hours. This left zero time for friends, family, or self-care. After years of running this rat race I found out I was pregnant and decided enough was enough. I made the decision to leave my corporate job so that my daughter would actually have a mother. It took me eight months to finally rediscover myself and revive my relationships. Along the way, I realized that everything happens for a reason. It was then that I found my life’s purpose and that was to help corporate professionals reclaim their happiness by overcoming work burnout. It was time to find a way to make an impact now that I had a mission to save others from experiencing the same agonizing fate as I did. This led me to the idea to connect influencers in corporate, experts such as Eileen McDargh, and influencers in the coaching world together on one virtual stage. Most workaholics and corporate professionals have never heard of a life coach and do not seek help from experts like Eileen until they’re at their mental breaking point. My goal is to change that. Instead of going through the motions in life “surviving” why not live a happy and fulfilled life? I’ve discovered that we can start a movement to change how we work and how we live by bringing experts from each area to one stage, The Secrets to Career Success Summit. This virtual event is for ambitious women ready to achieve their goals, take back control of their time, and FINALLY find work-life fulfillment. By attending this event our goal is for you to walk away with the courage, inspiration, and motivation to pursue your dreams. If you know that you’re meant for more, but you’re not sure what “more” is, this event is for you. Author Bio Tara Reinbolt is a Business & Life Coach that specializes in helping women overcome work burnout and learn to take back control of their life. She is the host of The Burnout to Blessed Podcast and helps women rediscover themselves and reclaim their happiness by overcoming burnout and staying out of burnout by finding their God led purpose. Tara is also the creator and host of the The Secret to Career Success Summit. Join Tara and Eileen for The Secret to Career Success Summit starting August 2nd thru August 11th by clicking the following link. https://summit.secretstocareersuccess.com/eileen.

The first practice to cultivate resilience is to accept what is given. Denying reality will never produce the variety of potential responses that are more life-giving and productive. Here are two areas that all of us must not only acknowledge but look at our individual actions and collective actions. Hoover Dam, the nation’s largest reservoir, is facing the biggest water shortage in its history. The effects of years of severe drought and temperatures pushed higher by climate change are striking along Lake Mead’s retreating shorelines near Las Vegas, where the growing “bathtub ring” of whitish minerals coats the rocky desert slopes. Climate change is the result of a rise in atmospheric temperatures that have caused everything from severe drought to punishing hurricanes. The earth’s carbon dioxide levels are the highest in 4 million years, according to scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CO2 is ultimately the product for carbon-based fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, and many other practices. “But the ultimate culprit is fossil-fuel emissions,” according to Ralph Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In short, unless we drastically cut CO2, we’re entering a climate danger zone. My granddaughter Clare Dearixon, armed with her degree in environmental science and sustainability, offers these wise thoughts: Reduce and Reuse before Recycle As a society we have been led to believe that recycling will solve all our plastic problems. Recycling should be our last resort for dealing with unwanted products. Something that I have tried to bring into my household is the idea that before I even think about recycling, I first think of how I could avoid the product altogether and then how it can be reused. If I come to the decision that it cannot be reused and I have already become the owner of the product, it then gets tossed in the recycling. A reduction mindset is a great way to limit the waste coming into and going out of a home. Eat less meat This is one of those ideas that tends to get some backlash, but I am the kind of environmentalist that would never force an individual to make any changes, instead educating on why certain changes could be beneficial. In this case, reducing meat consumption can greatly reduce an individual’s carbon footprint and in some cases, their health. The great thing about eating less meat is that it can start so slow, maybe one day a week or even just one meal a week where the dish does not contain any meat. That is one less meal or three fewer meals that aren’t adding to the environmental impacts of certain meat industries. Turn off the tap Turning off the water sounds so simple yet can sometimes be so hard to implement. I have been known to leave the water running while I am scrubbing dishes in the sink. Why though? I could easily scrub them all and then rinse them all and only keep the tap running for 30 seconds. This idea also goes for teeth brushing or face washing, the actual activities don’t need a running tap until it is time to rinse. This effort greatly helps in reducing the risk of drought. In many areas of the country, we are seeing a depletion of freshwater resources, and turning off the tap for just a few moments during the day when it would typically be on, means that the water is going to someone or something else that needs it more. Buy secondhand I couldn’t decide between driving less or buying second hand as my fourth idea, but in this day and age, driving less is not necessarily accessible to many individuals. Buying second hand doesn’t just need to be focused on clothing. I personally have purchased most of my kitchenware and gadgets, furniture, and decor from local thrift stores. In doing so I am not only supporting a local business, but also cutting out the emissions related with manufacturing new tables, dressers, clothing, and plates. All these things already exist in the world, there is not a need for the constant creation of new and newer products every year. You can follow Clare on her blog post: https://claredearixon.wixsite.com/simplysustainable PS: Yes, I am prejudice. She’s adorable in many ways!!