Five inspiring social media profiles for professionals to follow!

Brigette Hyacinth

I remember when social media first became a prominent aspect of our daily lives nearly a decade ago. I had always been involved in the latest technical advancements, so social media was very easy for me to adapt to. But for many, the idea of having your identity, in any form, plastered up and down the information highway was downright scary. And with so many discussions related to identity theft, hacking and online stalking, these worries were not completely unfounded. 

However, today, many of us don’t even second guess paying for a product online with our credit cards, sharing personal pictures of our family and friends or taking people we meet online at face value, because for the most part, the information highway is no less safe than the world we experience in our everyday lives. In the current state of affairs, many of us have found ourselves online much more than usual.
   

Being an educator and a writer has always driven me to find online mentorship and inspiring social media accounts I could follow in order to remain in “the know” and to have relevant information to share with my colleagues and students. Understanding that social media is such a huge part of our lives, I knew that a short list of some very innovative people and accounts to follow would help you to continue to create an online world that is equally as resourceful and inspiring as those we have created face-to-face.

Gretchen Rubin is a happiness coach and the bestselling author of the The Happiness Project. From her Linkedin Profile, “On her popular weekly podcast Happier with "Gretchen Rubin," she discusses happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft. It was named in iTunes’s lists of “Best Podcasts of 2015” and won the Academy of Podcasters “Best Health & Fitness Podcast 2016.” 

• Rubin is a versatile public speaker 
• Rubin Specializes in habits, happiness, positive psychology, writing, memoir, blogging, social media, self-improvement and self-help
• She regularly posts inspiring messages about cultivating a happy lifestyle

Greg Mckeown is an essentialist. Part of being an essentialist is saying no to many things so that we can focus on the things that matter. From his Linkedin Profile, “Greg McKeown is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less." 

• He is a blogger for the Harvard Business Review and an accomplished public speaker 
• He speaks frequently at major corporations including Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Pixar, Salesforce.com, and Twitter and organizations including SXSW 
• McKeown shares daily posts about "innovation, being focused, leadership, discipline, simplicity and execution

Dorie Clark is the author of Stand Out and Reinventing You. Clark can help you craft the professional image you’ve always wanted. From Clark's Linkedin Profile, “I'm a strategy consultant, executive coach, and keynote speaker (with deep experience in virtual presentations) who has worked with clients including Google, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Fidelity, Yale University, the IMF, and the World Bank."

• Clark has been named one of the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the World by Thinkers50
• Clark also writes a weekly LinkedIn Newsletter which you subscribe to via his Linkedin profile
• Clark posts regularly on several platforms about the importance of a professional image

Adam Grant is a Wharton Professor and the author of Give and Take, which provides advice on why being helpful at work can accelerate your career. From his Linkedin profile, “Recognized as Wharton's top-rated professor and one of the world's 10 most influential management thinkers and Fortune's 40 under 40. Author of three New York Times bestsellers that have sold over a million copies and been translated into 35 languages." 

• His book ORIGINALS explores how individuals champion new ideas and leaders fight groupthink
• His book GIVE AND TAKE examines why helping others drives our success, and was named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal
• His book OPTION B, with Sheryl Sandberg, is a #1 bestseller on facing adversity and building resilience
• Follow him on Linkedin to receive daily posts about leadership and personal success

Brigette Hyacinth is a bestselling Author, and an International Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Management, HR, Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence. From her Linkedin profile, "Brigette Hyacinth is a bestselling Author, and an International Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Management, HR, Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence." 

• She has been ranked Top 100 HR Influencers (Leadership & Development) of 2018 & 2019. Top 20 EMEA-Based Tech Experts to inspire Digital Transformation Efforts. Top 100 Most Influential people of African Descent under 40
• Hyacinth is dedicated to helping others succeed in the workplace
• Her passion for bridging the gap between technological advancement and the workplace is apparent in her daily posts 
• She conducts seminars and workshops in leadership, management and education as well as provide motivational speeches

I hope you can find as much inspiration and motivation as I have through following these amazing professionals. If you have a few to share, please feel free to comment below.

Jameelah Ra'oof MIS, MS 

Coordinator of Teaching, Learning & Academic Excellence

Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)

Texas Woman's University 

940.898.3427

Stoddard Hall - Room 305A

Ways to maintain your sanity while working, schooling and “leisuring” from home...

Many of my friends and acquaintances have called and texted in a frantic panic about schooling their kids while working from home and not getting their usual breaks to chill and hangout with other adults. They know that for many years I worked from home while homeschooling both my daughters. What they don’t get is that even though we didn’t live a conventional lifestyle, we still enjoyed many leisurely activities during the day when most people were at work or school. There is nothing like visiting the Arboretum with your kids and them actually being able to try all of the fun equipment without standing in a line for thirty minutes at a time. However, this current situation we find ourselves in is far different than the conscious decision I made to homeschool and work from home. For many who have no interest in that lifestyle, the day-to-day mental demands can be much more trying. Below are some ways I've learned to meet the challenge of unconventional parenting and coping which has met my needs throughout the years.

Bedtime. The bedtime rules in my home are shifted according to what is going on in our lives. I have always allowed my daughters to stay up later than usual if they had nowhere to be the next morning. Two major benefits I’ve noticed with extending bedtime is that first, they fall asleep when they’re actually tired. Many times in the past when I allowed parenting magazines to dictate our sleep schedules, my daughters would lie awake for hours before finally getting some shuteye. They would still wake up the next morning groggy and I would always feel defeated by this. A second bonus to extending bedtime that I noticed was how peaceful my mornings became. If my normal uptime was around 7am and their uptime was around 9:30am, this meant I got a whopping two and a half hours to work, eat breakfast and have coffee in peace. Nothing like a quiet, zero interruption morning before helping my kids get their day started.

Support systems. Since what many parents are currently doing is “not homeschooling”, I repeat “not homeschooling” in the traditional sense of the practice, there is a huge support system of teachers and administrators we should all be taking advantage of. Send for help as much as you need it. Many instructors are offering video chat, instant messaging, texting, phone calls and email, to help support you and your children during this unique transition. The teachers at my daughters’ schools are so efficient that I have only had to help them once or twice a day. In the traditional sense of homeschooling you’re often all alone as the teacher (of several subjects, even the ones I had no business teaching lol), disciplinarian, cafeteria lady, PE coach and school therapist (for the many, many, many mental breakdowns occurring on a weekly basis by both child and parent). Let’s just say that being your own therapists might not be the best solution but oftentimes its necessary. I can’t express enough how reassuring meeting these demands are when you know you’re not the only person the kids have to rely upon in order to be successful. Take full advantage of having a curriculum and teacher for each subject and grade level provided for you. 

Screen time. This may not be popular among many parents but in this current situation my whole family has been violating all screen time rules we ever put into place. I have relaxed on the rules related to technology use because, well… I can. To keep the whole household sane we need to be able to reach out to our friends and family members whenever we choose and self-entertain with our Words with Friends addiction (oh, that might be only me), but whatever Fortnite, Overwatch, Roblox, Minecraft, or Tik Tok madness needed in order to get through the day. We work first then relax. If screen time surveillance is something you’re stern about, then take breaks by playing board games, doing puzzles and making homemade soap (which we did, but didn’t realize it has to sit for 8 whole weeks before we can use it), next is our homemade toilet paper project. Screen time is not the monster it once was since we literally have no choice at this point. Give yourself and your kids a break by declaring one or two days a week where device time isn’t measured, and everyone can relax and do as they please. These are unfathomable circumstances so act accordingly (which translates to, whatever works each day).

I hope these coping tools I’ve shared will help some of you relax and give yourselves and your families a break. Six months ago I went back to work full-time and told my daughters that our homeschooling and working from home days were far, far behind us (this is where I would insert the emoji with the straight face if I were texting). Which just proves however, that we never know what’s coming next, which is even more of a reason to remain calm, think outside of our boxes and simply enjoy today.

  

Jameelah Ra'oof MIS, MS
Coordinator of Teaching, Learning & Academic Excellence
Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)
Texas Woman's University
940.898.3427
Stoddard Hall - Room 305A    

Staying Active While Practicing Social Distancing and Self-isolation

As we become acclimated with our new social norms, one of the biggest challenges for many is trying to remain physically active. With closures of fitness centers and yoga studios, many of us are struggling with developing a regular fitness routine that we can commit to. Below I have outlined some fun activities you can do alone or with family members. 

Go for a walk or jog. This may seem like the most basic idea, but you wouldn’t believe the number of people I have spoken to who are complaining about gyms being closed but have yet to take a stroll in their own neighborhood. I am personally seeing people walk and run who I didn’t even know were my neighbors.

Dust off that bike. Instead of going to the local supermarket in your car, try cycling. This way you can get some exercise in while also grabbing a carton of eggs or a loaf of bread. If you don’t have a basket attached, you can trap on a backpack and enjoy your surroundings from a brand-new perspective. It’s the best way to feel the warmth of the sun and the cool Spring breeze all at once.

Play outside with the kids or pets or both. Sometimes the most energizing activities are so impactful because they’re actually fun. Exercise does not have to be rigid or laborious in order to be effective. My family has owned a couple of drones for more than a year and it wasn’t until just last week that we decided to go to the empty field next to our home to take them for a test drive. After an hour of repeatedly chasing it down and rescuing the apparatus from a tree, we were all spent. It turns out drones are a lot harder to control than they look.

Wash that dusty car. It is said that, “washing the car by hand for 30 minutes burns 135 calories if you weigh 125 pounds and 200 calories if you weigh 185 pounds,” (Webmd.com). While many of us may not be remotely interested in keeping our vehicle shiny and fresh with all our attention being focused on COVID-19, however having a cleaner space can have a very positive effect on our psyche. I’m sure that those calories burned will climb even higher should you decide to clean the inside too.

Youtube! You like yoga, Zumba or salsa dancing? Do any of these activities from the comfort of your bedroom, living room or garage. One of my most favorite corners of Youtube is the plethora of professional and of course the less than professional videos fitness coaches share with the world. Its free, very easy to access and once you find a favorite channel you can subscribe and receive alerts each time they post a new video. It’s the perfect time to discover your personal brand of fitness and who knows you may find that those yoga studio and gym memberships aren’t as necessary as you once thought.

Stay calm, enjoy your family and get moving!

Jameelah Ra'oof MIS, MS 

Coordinator of Teaching, Learning & Academic Excellence

Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)

Texas Woman's University 

940.898.3427

Stoddard Hall - Room 305A