How to Marie Kondo your workspace before summer

How to Marie Kondo your workspace before summerHow to Marie Kondo your workspace before summerEarlier this year, Marie Kondo taught us to only surround ourselves with items that bring us joy. Well, is your space looking bare now? Same.Add ansicht office supplies, dcor accents, and furniture pieces to your workspace to help you stay - and feel - productive this spring (and all year long).Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreBecause if we learned anything after putting the KonMari method into practice, its that marble lamps and colorful markers bring joy - and lots of it.PSB M4U 8 Wireless Active Noise Cancelling HeadphonesYouve got your easy listening playlist ready on Spotify, now its time to bust out your noise-canceling headphones. Just because you opt for wireless headphones doesnt mean you have to skimp on top-notch sound quality - and these ones from PSB are the best of both worlds. $399 at Amazon.comPSBOOLY Seriously Fine Felt Tip Markers Keep your to-do lists in check - literally - with this set of 36 felt tip markers. Made especially with planners and bullet journals in mind, these markers come with a super fine tip - .7 mm - to ensure that you can dot your Is and cross your Ts with ease.$14 at Amazon.comOOLYMoDRN Glam Cylinder Marble Table LampIlluminate your workspace in style with this Art Deco-inspired marble lamp. Because the easiest way to boost your mood is by adding some light to your space - natural or otherwise.$129 at Jet.comJetConcrete Desk PlanterWhether real or fake, plants instantly add a dose of life to even the saddest, dullest cubicles. Fill this concrete planter with a few succulents - its your call - and then keep it nearby so that you can use it as a pen holder or paperweight when needed. $30 at BespokePost.comBespoke PostNovo Restore CandleWhen youre feeling overwhelmed, breathe in the aroma of this candle - lemongrass, jasmine, and mandarin - for a sense of calm. If you really need some RR, go for the double-wick option so that you can get 130 hours of burn time a.k.a. peace and quiet. $45-$60 at VancouverCandleCo.com Vancouver Candle Co.Coffee Tree PlantogramThis isnt exactly the type of coffee thats in your office coffee pot Set in a 3-gallon container, this plant produces berries that change color from green to yellow to red. Once greenish-grey seeds develop, you can dry, roast, and grind em at home to get a fresh brew. $70 at Plantogram.comClean Air PlantNot just a pretty statement, adding greenery to your space can also help you breathe - and work - better. This set of four plants, which includes peace lily, fern, snake plant, devils ivy, Parlor palm, or dieffenbachia, all purify the air naturally. $29 at Amazon.comAmazonJust Tea Me Gift BasketWhether youre looking to unwind after a long day or in need of an afternoon pick-me-up, tea is always the answer. This basket is packed with every thing you need for tea time such as honey sticks, cookies, chocolate, and of course, tea. $33 at Baskits.comBaskitsInspirational Quote CalendarHang this calendar somewhere visible so that you can get a dose of encouragement morning, noon, or night. Added bonus This 12-month calendar also comes with 190 stickers for you to use in your accompanying planner. $10 at ErinCondren.comErinCondrenMercer41 Reilly Task ChairNo matter how prim and proper your workspace is, it wont really feel it unless youre actually - we mean, physically - comfortable. Sit back, relax, and get to work in this gorgeous upholstered desk chair that is just as chic as it is supportive.$180 at Wayfair.comWayfairYou might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 C EOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Freelance writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner just revealed her huge pay rate

Freelance writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner just revealed her huge pay rateFreelance writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner just revealed her huge pay rateFreelance writings a tough gig, and very few make it to the top. Writing articles is piecework writers are not employees of the publications they write for, nor do they typically receive insurance. Hence, the importance of their per-word rate.Most successful freelancers earn $1/word. Writers who make it into the glossy magazines make $2 per word, but seldom do you hear of rates above that except, one assumes, for superstars like Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball and The Big Short and a writer for Vanity Fair. But still, hes not telling how much hes paid.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThats why media mavens and writers were in a tizzy this weekend afterCosmopolitan published its profile of freelancer and journalist extraordinaire Taffy Br odesser-Akner. In the profile, where Brodesser-Akner promoted her new novel and dished on her philosophy about writing about celebrities, she also revealed her jaw-dropping rate $4 a word.Brodesser-Akner has carved out a niche in the celebrity profile sector (although she does other types of features, as well), writing about everyone from actresses Melissa McCarthy and Gwyneth Paltrow to tidying-up queen Marie Kondo for The New York Times magazine (and formerly GQ). One could fairly say she has elevated the form of the celeb profile, as she did with hilarity (and virality) in a recent Times magazine article about Gwyneth Paltrow and the wellness industryGoops ethic was this, she paraphrased Paltrow explaining to a class of Harvard Business School students. That having beautiful things sometimes costs money finding beautiful things was sometimes a result of an immense privilege, but a lack of that privilege didnt mean you shouldnt have those things. Besides, just because some people cannot afford it doesnt mean that no one can and that no one should want it. If this bothered anyone, well, the newsletter content was free, and so were the recipes for turkey rag and banana-nut muffins.Starting your own clubHowever, plum assignments like this almost didnt happen. Early in her career, a womens magazine rejected Brodesser-Akner during an interview, saying, Youre not the person we would hire for our story, as she told Cosmopolitan. She sat alone in the buildings cafeteria, and then emailed the editor of GQ, a magazine she admired. Soon, she was working for the publication.However, she soon found herself feeling left out in the boys club atmosphere, as the guys got the freedom to file their stories late and she realized she would never be the writer assigned to sleep on tour buses with bands or camp in the desert with an actor or do ayahuasca with a politician.But as her profile at the magazine grew, she decided that shed had enough. She knew her worth and she had the chops to back it up.When I started doing the I dont get out of bed for less than $4 a word thing, people started paying me $4 a word, she told Cosmo.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

7 Tips for Coping With Job Loss

7 Tips for Coping With Job Loss 7 Tips for Coping With Job Loss Even the most loyal and competent employees can face the dreaded pink slip. And moving on can take time, motivation and support. Here are seven tips for coping with job loss. Going through a layoff or other job loss is never a pleasant experience. Stress, confusion and even depression can result. Your confidence can drop, and your motivation to move on may be temporarily zapped. But keep things in perspective. Losing your job is a setback, to be sure, but there are proven strategies to make it through this tough transition. Coping with job loss can be much less difficult when you have a plan to bounce back:   1. Let yourself feel the job loss There’s no need to fight those feelings of defeat and disappointment you’ll likely have immediately after losing your job. It's much like a grieving period: Don't repress these thoughts only to have them resurface later. That’s not to say you should dwell on them, but everyone needs a little time to heal. 2. Surround yourself with the right people You may need some moments of solitude while coping with job loss, but don’t isolate yourself. Friends and family can make a big difference. Being around supportive, positive people can help keep you hopeful and focused while you look for your next job. SUBMIT YOUR RESUME 3. Re-evaluate your options The fact is that you have more experience in your field than you did when you applied for your previous job, so update your resume and consider applying for positions that might not have been a fit before. You also have a chance to step back and look at the bigger picture. Were you truly happy in your previous job? Or can you visualize yourself changing careers and doing something different? Think about where your interests lie and how your life experience, work background and education can serve those passions.   4. Catch up on career development If you do want to continue in the same field, maybe it’s time to consider that certification you’ve thought about getting, or to dive into some continuing education. Many industries, such as accounting, require ongoing professional development, so why not meet those requirements while you have the time? 5. Keep in shape It would be easy to slip into a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices because of stress or boredom while coping with job loss. But studies show that exercise can improve both your physical and emotional health. Exercise releases endorphins that trigger positive feelings, something that can fuel the drive and motivation you’ll need during your job hunt. A simple 30-minute walk in the fresh air goes a long way. 6. Volunteer Spending all of your newfound free time focused solely on finding a new job can be draining. Worse yet is when you find yourself sitting at home worrying or just staring at the TV. Think about a cause you genuinely care about, and then seek out volunteer opportunities around that. Volunteering gets you up and out, serves as a source of social and intellectual stimulation, and distracts you from the worries of unemployment. If you can find a volunteer role that uses your professional skills, it makes a nice addition to your resume. Remember, too, that volunteering can sometimes open the door to a paid position. 7. Call on the professionals Connect with a professional staffing agency that specializes in your field to learn about opportunities in your industry. A skilled recruiter can uncover job leads you wouldn’t know about otherwise, all while you look for a new job, too. That can double your search power while relieving some of the anxiety of unemployment. In addition, a staffing agency such as Robert Half can help you line up temporary work. That can ease the financial strain, and you will likely learn new skills and gain valuable experience along the way. All of these ideas cost little or no money and could pay off with a renewed outlook and a better position than the one you lost. Keep your chin up and your eyes open. Coping with job loss is difficult, but you never know what’s around the corner - it could be the job of your dreams. Tags