Working Out Before Work

                  

Last week, I did something that I swore wouldn't be able to accomplish. I dragged myself out of bed at 6am and worked out in the morning before heading to my 9-5 job. I know that tons of dedicated athletes and gym rats do this daily, but for me, doing this twice last week was quite the eye opener.

For the longest time, my nights after work have always been filled with something. Either I was heading to the gym, or cleaning the apartment, teaching piano, seeing friends/boyfriend, getting groceries.. you know how it goes. I felt like I never was home before 7:30 and by the time I'd get back to the apartment, I'd just be too tired to do much of anything. Working out in the morning completely frees up my night time. I'm planning on using my new chunk of free time to go on long walks, read, develop a professional website for myself, and play more music.

What do you do stay healthy while working a 9-5? I'm always looking for new exercise ideas! I've been obsessed with zumba lately.. mostly because the class is so fun that I forget I'm actually toning muscles. I definitely recommend it! I've also always wanted to become a runner, but I find it hard to stay motivated/ entertained during long distances. Give me workout suggestions, friends! :)

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend!

Calling Out Sick

This is a touchy subject in most offices. On one hand, employers don't want their employees coming in sick and infecting an entire office. On the other hand, it seems like there is unspoken judgement whenever someone calls out. Are they really sick, or do they just have a mild headache that an ibuprofen would cure? Here are a few ways to ensure that you don't get any raised eyebrows around your office. Feel free to leave your other ideas with the comments!

1. If you know you'll want a day off, just schedule it. Don't fake sick to extend your weekend. Most of us are not amazing actors, and after your third "cough, cough.. I'm sick.." phone call on a Friday morning, your employers are going to know.

2. If you are actually sick, make sure to call the appropriate people. Call your supervisor, office manager, whoever schedules payroll at your office, and let them now. Briefly explain why you aren't feeling well (no need to include a puking count or description here..) and say that you'll be sorry to miss work.

3. Catch up on work upon your return in a timely fashion.

4. Don't take "mental health days" unless they really are for your mental health. Example 1: a close relative or friend passes away or you actually need to see a psychologist for an emotional issue = mental health day.  Example 2: You and your boyfriend are taking a break for the fifth time, you need a new manicure, and you want to catch up on laundry = not mental health day worthy.

This isn't to say that you're never allowed to take a day off for "me time", just schedule it in advance so everyone can prepare for your absence!

Juice Cleanse Anyone?

Lately, I've been feeling pretty run down and sitting at my work desk all day definitely isn't helping. I've been trying to eat healthier, but I just feel like I need some sort of extra boost. So, I made my own cleansing green juice with a blender, based on the recipe I found on Youtube here. I love kale, so this recipe seemed like a great choice for my first green juice.

Ingredients: Kale, Cucumber, Agave Nectar, Lemon Juice
Tools: Blender, Strainer

My Reaction: Thanks to the agave nectar and lemon juice, this drink actually has a sweet taste to it, which I was not expecting at all. I really am enjoying making these a few times a week and would suggest this to anyone looking for a light green juice. The only downside is the messy cleanup and the fact that the drink smells a little bit like grass.

Save or Splurge

As a recent grad, your probably are pinching pennies wherever you can, I know I am! Lately, I've been realizing that buying cheap is not always best thing to do in all situations. Here's a list of a few things that I find are worth splurging on and a few that aren't.

Splurge

Healthy Food: It sucks that organic and healthier food choices are priced so much higher than mac&cheese and sugary cereal, but healthy food is something I would recommend spending the money for, at least in moderation. Your body needs good food to fuel you throughout the work day.

Car Maintenance: Get your oil changed, tires rotated, and brakes inspected regularly. Putting off simple car maintenance because of cost can lead to worse (more expensive) problems down the road for your vehicle. You can often find coupons for general maintenance on garage websites.

A Good Mattress: One of the key ingredients to every productive day is a good nights sleep. Take it from a girl who slept on an aero-bed (type of air mattress) for a year and a half...until it started deflating.. Invest in a comfortable mattress.

Your Health- Is your tooth killing you? Have you been coughing for two months? See a doctor so your sickness doesn't progress to something much worse. An emergency room visit is going to cost you way more than a a visit to your doctor.

Save

Apartment Furniture/ Decor- I love browsing design blogs and daydreaming about my perfect post grad apartment as much as the next girl, but furniture is expensive. Thrift stores, craigslist, garage sale pieces, and furniture warehouse sales are an excellent way to avoid spending your paychecks on new overpriced pieces.


Clothing- I hope I don't offend any fashionistas out there, but I really don't believe that clothing is an investment. It's awesome to have nice clothes that you can wear multiple times in many different ways. Spending a little more money on a black dress you will wear a few times every week is definitely worth it. That being said, dropping 1,000 dollars or more on "the perfect purse" at this point in our lives should probably never be factored into your monthly expenses (unless you've saved up the money or have the means to do so).


Alcohol/ Dining Out- You may have wised up to this one in college, but drinking can be expensive. The same goes for eating out. A 6 dollar cocktail here and 15 dollar dinner there might seem like nothing, but they add up fast. Setting a monthly budget for these types of expenses is a good way to stay on track.


Cable- Cable prices are outrageous and with most networks providing their shows online, they are quickly becoming unnecessary. Hulu, Netflix (their nasty little rate hike is still cheaper than cable), and Itunes are a great options for watching the shows you love.


I'm thinking Save or Splurge might be an interested piece to do weekly. What do you all consider worthwhile investments at this point in your post grad career?

Patching Things Up

Today while doing my Sunday grocery shopping, I found myself in the health food section of Wegmans. Wegmans is the most amazing grocery store out there for all of our non- Western, NY readers. I started looking at the different kinds of aromatherapy oils and lotions they offered, then I saw these nifty little aromatherapy patches for only two dollars.

I took a de-stress patch home with me and I have it on as I type right now. I have to say, it's definitely has worked a little bit. Do I feel like all of my life stresses have been solved? Definitely not. However, I do find the scent to be very calming and I'm in a better frame of mind than I usually am on Sunday evenings.

Here's the website for the brand I use. I definitely recommend checking them out. I'm thinking about trying out their "focus" patch next.

Break Time

Walking is my absolute favorite lunch break activity. It gives me the chance to get away from my desk and out into the sunshine. Any of the stress from that morning goes right out the window during that half hour of freedom. Sometimes I just walk around the city blocks here, but more often than not I head to my favorite destination: High Falls.

High Falls is a small historic area of Rochester that happens to be located a few blocks from my office. The waterfall looks like it's exploding from the cityscape, and the streets surrounding the falls are cobblestone with quaint buildings. Today I remembered my camera and snapped some shots during my break, enjoy! By the time I walked back to my office it was too warm for my winter coat. Maybe spring has finally decided to come pay us a visit?

The Kodak building is on the way to High Falls from my office. Definitely a Rochester landmark.

An Apple a Day

By Shikole Struber

Health insurance is kind of important. Now that we have graduated we don't have the option of health insurance through school. The bill passed by congress allows us to stay on out parents health plan for a while longer, but what if our parents don't have health insurance either? Then what?

I have personally been without health insurance for about 2 years. I couldn't afford it, even through my school. My mom hasn't had it in forever either. When searching for a job health insurance was one of the top requirements I looked for. Luckily my immune system is amazing and I rarely get sick, and the only medication I take regularly is my birth control. Not having health insurance hasn't killed me. But I'm the exception, not the rule.

Any person with asthma, or diabetes, who wears contacts, has anxiety or depression, needs a lot more medical attention than I do. So what are the options?

• Short term medical insurance. ehealthinsurance.com lets you compare short-term plans from Aetna, United Health Plus, Celtic, and more. They cost anywhere from $45/month to a couple hundred depending on the coverage you are looking for.


• Stay on your parents plan.


• Find a job that offers health insurance.


• Go without, except the basics. CVS has a minute clinic for problems such as strep throat, or pink eye. Any minor problem will be covered. It costs about $60 a visit but no insurance is needed and they will give you prescriptions.

What we learned most in college was survival. Now it's time to put that to use.

Thirsty Thursday

By Allison Sass

Thirsty Thursday has a whole new meaning in post grad life. In fact, the term should also be extended to thirsty Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. We're not talking about "thirsty" days that include heading to the bars on weeknights and skipping your 8am morning class the next day. We're talking about water.

As someone who admittedly does not drink enough water, I feel like  I can pretty accurately explain the side effects of dehydration. For me, dehydration combined with lower blood pressure = dizziness. Have you ever been walking around on a hot summer day and felt like the world was moving without you, for even a split second? Drink a glass of water!

Some other common symptoms you might experience include lower back pain, stomach cramps, excess body fat, sunken eyes, and lethargy.

Post grads today tend to focus their beverage consumption around caffeine and alcohol, both of which actually cause your body to become more dehydrated. In order to be in great shape for the workday, and for life in general, start drinking water! Buy your own water filter and water bottle to save on money since bottled water is bad for the environment and gets expensive very quickly.

Recently, I've been making an effort to break my bad habits and drink more water throughout the day. I haven't felt dizzy since I started this regime a week or so ago, and have pledged to continue.  Join me?

Walk After Work

By Allison Sass

Unless you've scored a job as a park ranger, it's likely that you're sitting in an office chair for most of the work day. Walking is a great way to relieve new job stress and is enjoyable for those of all different fitness levels. I guarantee it will feel great to stretch those legs and inhale some fresh air!

While I've always preferred jogging, I recently started walking due to a heat wave that made running in 95+ degree weather unbearable. I moved to the Park Ave area of Rochester, NY just a month ago and found that by taking the time to walk around my new neighborhood, I've learned to appreciate my surroundings.

Before heading out for a walk I always make sure  my ipod has a few great playlists ready to go and that I've got a bottle of water in hand.  The next time 5pm rolls around, get outside and enjoy the sunshine!