Sleeping 101

Sleep was on my mind for most of the day today. Why, you ask? Oh, well it just so happens that the dudes living a floor above me have formed a band that practices on Sunday nights at midnight! There is nothing quite like starting out a Monday morning to the tune of horrible guitar playing and drum set banging.

Sleep is important for everyone, but I think getting a true good night of sleep is an especially difficult thing for many post grads that are transitioning from college schedules to the 9-5 grind. In college, I took  naps (I miss them so), stayed up late writing papers, and stayed out late most weekend nights. These days, I'm exhausted, or already asleep, by about 10:30pm. Weekends included. Here are a few tips I've picked up throughout the year and half since I began working full time.

Poor diet has been proven to be one of the major triggers for sleepless nights. The worst part about this is that little sleep tricks our bodies into wanting more horrible food, which we then have no energy to burn off. This cycle can get out of control very quickly. So try and spin the cycle in reverse! Eat more fruits and vegetables, and try to stay away from heavily processed and fast foods. Healthy foods = better sleep = more energy.

Creating a relaxing space is another way to bring on the zZz's. Try out dark window shades or sleeping with a soft eye mask to create complete darkness. If you live in a city like me, the constant hum of traffic can either be soothing or completely irritating. I sometimes use a free Ipad app called Nature Sound that plays relaxing sounds to mask the sound of cars rushing by. It may be completely cheesy to listen to "Mountain Ambiance" noises, but it puts me right to sleep so I'll take it!

Another way I try to make the most of my precious sleeping hours is easing into them.  Taking baths has become a nighttime luxury for me. I go all out with fancy bath salts and exfoliation  scrubs. I also will YouTube meditation videos, or even just take an hour to read on the couch with my feet up and a cup of tea. Chamomile and Passion Fruit are two of my favorite teas to drink before bed.

What are your tips for an excellent night's sleep? Here's hoping mine isn't disrupted by the resident rock band tonight..

Staying Healthy in 2012

I've been trying to type out a New Year's Resolution/ goals post for the past hour and have been too distracted by my current pounding headache and runny nose. I have tons of goals for the coming year. I want to excel at work, improve my relationships, and take more risks. But I think I'd like to actually try and stick to one major resolution this year: be healthier.

Up until this fall, I was the type of girl that fed into the 100 calorie snack pack version of "healthy eating". I ate low calorie microwave dinners that were bursting with salt. I went to the gym and used only the elliptical machine, because the display showed that I burned more calories than I did while running. I suppressed my emotions so much that by the end of the year I felt like I had a stress ball resting inside my chest. For most of the year, I took only minimal care of my body and mind. While I succeeded in maintaining my weight, I didn't feel healthy.

This October, I watched as a family member dealt with health issues she couldn't control. I realized that I since I was lucky enough to have the luxury of fixing mine, I needed to take action. I got rid of the low cal snacks and started running. I introduced vitamins into my diet, and by December was feeling the healthiest I've felt in a while (aside from my current cold....) I've made progress, but I know I still have a long way to go. So this year, I am resolving to stay on track with my healthy lifestyle. I am going to to continue eating as many raw and whole foods as possible. I want to develop a recipe book for go-to healthy recipes that I can make after work. I want to find more workouts that I enjoy, and continue to tell myself that being slender doesn't necessarily equal healthy.

I am lucky enough to work at a company that provides health benefits and I also plan to use them more in 2012 than I have in the past year. I need to suck it up schedule a physical and a few other important exams that I've been putting off. Even though these appointments might be the last thing I want to do after work or on a weekend, I know they're important and I resolve to get everyone of them taken care of in the first few months of this new year.

While physical health is very important to me, I recognize that my mental health could be improved as well this year. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about how it's so hard for many post grads to just disconnect after the work day, and realized that I was basically describing myself. I need to develop a better way to manage stress. Whether it's taking up yoga to calm my nerves, finding the right herbal supplement, or even seeing a therapist, I need to do something.

I'm resolving to stay healthy this year. Who wants to join? :)

Disconnecting

Something I think many post grads struggle with is disconnecting from our jobs after work. Whether our bosses can reach us by email or smart phone at any time of the night, or we just torture ourselves by obsessing over work after the day is done, it can get to the point where it's just not healthy.

Last Christmas I whined and complained on this blog about how I only had 2 and a half days home for the entire holiday. At that point, I didn't have paid vacation time, and felt like I was being guilted into only taking one extra day off for the holiday. I hated my friends that got the week in between Christmas and New Years off, resented my company for the limited vacation days, and was generally just in a negative mood for the whole Christmas season.

This year I'm doing things a little differently. I'm taking four vacation days and making the five hour trip home for the entire week between Christmas and New Years. This break is going to give me the chance to see a few more of my downstate NY friends and spend some holiday time with my family that I just didn't get last year. I'm in a much better frame of mind this Christmas season because I have this break to look forward to. I'm allowing myself some time to disconnect.

I think the best way to figure out how you can disconnect is to simply think about what makes you happy (outside of the workplace) and then go for it.  For me, the absolute best disconnect is visiting home and seeing family. I saved up my vacation time for months, and I'm going for it. For others it might be taking a trip to another country, or even having a staycation where you allow yourself to do absolutely nothing.

While taking time away from the office is the ultimate disconnect, it's also important that a disconnect from work can happen on weeknights and two-day weekends too. Here are a few ways to do so:

1. Distract with fun: I'm lucky that my current co-workers and supervisors do not expect me to take work home. However, I'm a stresser by nature and often find myself worrying about various work projects when I'm off the clock. To distract myself, I de-stress after work by running at the gym, reading, teaching myself Dixie Chicks songs on the guitar (yup... maybe I'll post a blog of that sometime..or not), and cooking. All of these activities give my mind something pleasant to focus on that relates in no way to my job.

2. Create space: If your boss has taken to frequently emailing you at your personal email and calling you after working hours, try waiting to contact him/her back until working hours the next day if it's not an emergency. This is a gentle reminder to the company that your home life does not require you to be constantly plugged in, and you might not be available after hours for work related business.

3. Ask for space: If you work in a job that is less regimented with workday hours, consider asking that you be contacted only in the case of emergencies after 7pm every night (or whatever time is comfortable for you). Sometimes being upfront with your employers about your need to unwind can be beneficial, especially if you point out that time for rest means you will be more productive during the day.

Work is an important part of life and being a dedicated employee is great, but allowing work to mentally weigh you down outside of the office is just not healthy. Venting about work to your girlfriends over margaritas is one thing, losing sleep because you are obsessing over the next workday is another.

Do you ever have problems disconnecting from the office? How do you tune out the workday and relax?

Birchbox Review

Today I decided to make a little video reviewing my new Birchbox subscription. Wondering what the heck a Birchbox is? Watch the video to find out :).

What's Your Walk Score?

One of the major priorities I keep in mind when apartment hunting is walkability. I love where I live in Rochester because I have restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores all within a few blocks of my apartment. I know wherever I live next, I will have to be positive that I can walk to at least some nearby attractions.

It was pretty easy for me to determine where I wanted to live in Rochester since I went to college nearby and could scope out neighborhoods before my move, but this wouldn't have worked if I was moving across the country for a new job. Thankfully, Walkscore.com exists as a useful tool for post grads that might be moving to a brand new area and are looking to live in a walkable neighborhood.

The Walk Score website is extremely easy to navigate and provides a "walk score" for any address or city in the U.S on a scale from 0-100. For example, the walk score for my current apartment is an 82/100.. pretty good in my opinion! The walk score for the town where Shikole and I grew up? 6/100. This is why we moved to cities, people.

Another valuable tool on the website is their new apartment search/ commute calculator. No one likes to be stuck in an hour of traffic after working 8 hours. This tool helps you to locate apartments near your job and takes into consideration your preferred mode of transportation for commuting (by foot, public transportation, or car).

Hope you find some of these tools helpful! Let me know if any of you have experiences with Walk Score!

Crazy Drink

Last night, I headed out to Wegmans to pick up a few groceries and stumbled upon a very unique drink. It's called "blk." and is mineral water that's naturally black.

The prodcut description from Amazon reads "Our proprietary blend of fulvic acid (a derivative of plant matter) is mined from an 80 million year old source deep within the earth. Naturally black in color, the formula binds to the molecules of our pure Canadian spring water giving blk its signature black color, with no artificial dyes, coloring, or additives. Fulvic acid is critical in the growth of plant life, helping the transportation and absorption of nutrients. Fulvic acid's small molecular structure allows for the fast absorption of over 77 different trace minerals and elements, powerful electrolytes, and antioxidants." 

I had just gone for a long run so I figured I could use some extra minerals and electrolytes, plus, it's black water, so I had to try it. The verdict? It looked like un-carbonated Pepsi and tasted.....just like water. My boyfriend said that if you chugged it, the drink left a slight multivitamin aftertaste (ew) in your mouth, which I couldn't really taste.

The effects for me came about an hour afterwards. I suddenly felt so incredibly energized, but not in a caffeine induced sort of way. My stomach had the same feeling I get after taking a multivitamin. Needless to say, I wish I had saved my blk. drink for this morning!

I definitely would suggest that anyone try this new drink. I found mine right in the checkout line, but you can also order them online through sites like Amazon. Not only will you get a ton of minerals your body may be lacking, but you can also brag that you drank black water. Or freak people out with it. Your choice :).
My only advice is to drink it before 8pm, as it does give you a kick of energy!

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!

Food Allergies

The other night as I was decompressing from a stressful few days of car purchasing, I found myself on mtv.com watching their show True Life. If you haven't seen it before, it's pretty much MTV's "documentary" show where they follow around young adults with different lifestyles. In college, my roommate and I would procrastinate homework and huddle around my computer watching these episodes.

The one I watched most recently was called True Life "I Have Allergies". Which is actually true life for me. The kids in this show had severe allergies, which thankfully I do not! But I do have allergies. Aside from being allergic to penicillin, not a huge deal in everyday situations, I'm also allergic to legumes: peanuts, peas, chickpeas, snow peas, and various beans. I get an upset stomach, but what's scarier is that my throat actually itches when I eat these foods. That's a sign that it's swelling shut.

As a child, I was the kid who wasn't allowed to eat birthday cake if an over protective parent found out I had an allergy to peanuts (fyi, companies put "made in a plant that also processes peanuts" on EVERYTHING these days, including cake mix). I was also that kid who threw up in front of my second grade class after eating a peanut butter cookie. Some of my oldest friends still love to tease me about that shining moment.
Most kids have one allergy or another, so it was never a big deal growing up to say "I can't eat that, sorry!" In college it wasn't too bad either, mostly because one of my best friends, and the roommate I watched True Life with, was severely allergic to dairy. We would often joke about how one small bag of peanut m&m's could take us both out.

Now after college, it seems like having an allergy is a little bit....embarrassing. I've had a few times this year when I couldn't finish a dinner out with friends because there were legumes in the recipes and my throat started to itch and swell. If my boyfriend eats peanuts around me, he can't kiss me until he brushes his teeth or else my lips swell. This past weekend, one bite of gelato that I was told was pistachio sent me to the bathroom rinsing my mouth and popping benadryl in under five minutes. It ended up actually being peanut butter cup.

I know it's just a matter of being comfortable enough to ask about ingredients, but at this point in my life, it just makes me feel like an elementary schooler. Do any of you have adult allergies/ stories to share?

A quick way to save 20 bucks

Do you find that it's easier to pack a lunch or go out for lunch on workdays? I always bring my lunch with me to work. This is partly because I work in an area of the city that pretty much requires you to drive (and park amongst city traffic) if you want to get something to eat, and because eating out for lunch every day can get very expensive.

Let's do the math:

If I chose to visit a local deli to get a sandwich every day I would prob. drop about 7.00 per day on a sandwich, snack, and drink.

7.00 x 5 work days= 35.00 per week spent on lunches

Here's what I bring for lunch from home instead.

1. Salad-I split up a bag of salad into four services and sprinkle in some salt, pepper, and corn. One bag = 2.00. This means the salad costs me 50 cents per day.

2. I generally bring a baggie of Special K cracker chips (those things are amazing). They cost about 2.00 per box and I split the box up into five or six servings. Approx 35 cents per day.

3. Baby carrots- Only 99 cents per bag! I generally split up a bag into four servings, with a grand total of approx. 25 cents per day.

4. Almonds- 5.00 per container, I split them up into 8 small servings. That's about 63 cents a day.

All together, my daily lunch costs me about 1.73 a day, or 8.65 per week.

While I definitely switch up what I bring with me every week, it always falls way below the 35.00/ week price tag from eating lunch out everyday! I know that in some professions, lunch meetings are the norm, so I'm not sure how I would adjust my budget if eating lunch out was a necessity.

What do you all bring to lunch? Or do you work a job that requires you to eat out with co-workers/ potential clients? Any affordable snacks I'm missing out on?

Changes

As you can tell by our brand new photos on the left, our little blog is going to be undergoing some design changes in the next few days! We'll still be posting, but things will likely be moved around until we settle on an updated design.

Tonight I'm about to embark on a very post grad experience: playing in a nighttime summer kickball league. I'm hoping the games will be more laid back than competitive.. seeing as this is kickball and all, but we'll see! I'll update you all on what adult "after-work sports" are like either tonight or tomorrow!

P.S. I also haven't played kickball since middle school....and I wasn't very good then.... is that bad?? If you got the snl reference there (lawrence welk show), you get ten points.

"Get On The School Bus!"

This is what a teacher screamed at me as I walked past the baseball stadium near my job. I was walking on my lunch break, and it just so happened that an afternoon baseball game had just ended. Hoards of middle school aged children were rushing towards me, so I picked up my pace to get out of their way. That's when the teacher stepped in front of me and scolded me. I told her that I wasn't a student and her face turned bright red as she apologized, saying "you just blended in with all the kids".


Growing up I was always told that I looked older than my age. I was always on the taller side and seemed to have mature features. This stopped when I entered college. In fact, it seems like the aging process stopped completely for me during those four years. When I emerged with my degree, I no longer had people guessing I was four or five years older than my actual age. Instead, I've been asked multiple times if I'm high school student (and now a middle school student??).


I know anyone over the age of 40 reading this blog is probably thinking I'm a brat for complaining about this, but I'm actually curious to how I can start to look more my age.


Should I start dressing more professionally? I actually wore a work appropriate skirt and top today, but I was still lumped in with a bunch of young teenagers. My office is very informal, so pantsuits and blazers are out of the question.

Are any of you ever mistaken for high school students? If you work in a job where dressing in stereotypical professional attires is not the norm, how do you take steps (appearance wise) to show that you're actually a college grad?

Partying, Partying, Yeah!

Sorry guys, I couldn't stop my fingers from typing a Rebecca Black reference in the title. I hope you'll keep reading!

Last week I had a few friends over to my new apartment. We had wine and dessert and it was a fun and relaxing time, until we realized we had lost track of time. It was nearly 10:15! Everyone gasped and within 10 minutes or so the girls had left and I was getting ready for bed.

I ask all of you post grads to now think back to what 10pm means in college time. At my school, 10pm on a weekend was the time BEFORE the actual party started. On a weeknight, 10pm meant that you were just getting done meeting about a group project, you were about to start your homework, or you were watching t.v. and listening to music without a care in the world because your first class didn't start until noon the next day.

One of the things I had the hardest time adjusting to after graduation was the schedule shift. I accomplished a lot in college between internships, working on the magazine, school work, and part time jobs, yet I still managed to have so much free time during the day! After graduating, I was forced to deal with the fact that the majority of my day would be spent at work.

I've got to admit, one year later and I'm still adjusting to the new "working girl" schedule. Here are a few tips I've come across along the way.

1. If you belong to a gym, do not go home in between work and working out time. Maybe some post grads have the motivation to pry themselves away from their comfy apartments and go burn a couple hundred calories, but I am not one of them.

2. Make your breaks count. I get a half hour break for work, and unless it is snowing or pouring outside, I make sure to get out of the office. Just going for a half hour walk makes my break feel completely rejuvenating and when I get back inside, I'm ready to work.

3. Give yourself a bed time! 10pm, 11pm, find a time that works for you and stick to it!

4. Make lunches ahead of time. This is something I just started doing, and it frees up about a half hour of my evenings by getting the weeks worth of lunches together on Sunday.

How do you all deal with fitting everything you want into the confines of a 9-5 work week schedule?

Winning: A Message to Our Readers

When I was in high school, I ran on the girls varsity track team for a few years. I wasn't the best runner on the team by far, and I wasn't the worst. I didn't mind falling somewhere in the middle because for me, track wasn't about the competitions at all. In fact, I would have been content to go to practices and avoid meets all together. I just liked running with my teammates, staying in shape, and feeling strong.

The coach of our high school track team was a well-liked social studies teacher. I remember being excited when I first joined the team because I thought he would have the same fun attitude about running that he had in the classroom. But something changed about this man when he moved from the classroom to the track. He went from being a funny/sarcastic teacher to being a mean/ sarcastic coach.

I dealt with his attitude for the most part, until one rainy track meet. I found out that I was going to have to switch my race last minute and my coach ended up putting me in one I didn't feel comfortable running. When I told him I was really nervous, he just said "It doesn't really matter how you do, you're not going to win anyway." In front of the whole team.

He is what I aspire not to be as I develop in my post grad career and as a human being in general. People like this are why Shikole and I blog in the first place. We try to remind you that while there will always be haters out there, you have two twenty-something girls in your corner, rooting for you to achieve the most you can as a post grad. We try to let you know that for every awkward, exciting, terrifying, and exhilarating post grad experience you have, we are right there besides you, feeling the same things.

Here's what I wish my track coach would have told me when I doubted myself, "I know you're feeling scared, but you'll finish this race, and I'll be there cheering you on until you do." That's our message to all of you readers. Please remember it every time you doubt where your post grad life is heading.

We appreciate each and every reader that takes time out of their days to read about our lives. We hope you'll keep coming back!

And to my former track coach: I'm still running, and while it may never be up to your standards, I'm fine with that......I hope you like my book.

Cluttered Stores = Spending More Money?

I read this article on retail design in the NY Times a few days ago and thought this might be interesting for anyone working on a post grad budget. As someone who spent many college and high school years working retail jobs, I know how the design of the store/ merchandise can make it appealing (or not) to customers. What I didn't realize is that cluttered stores actually trick you into purchasing more!

Apparently, people associate a packed/ cramped store with value. Walmart actually has done a few remodels over the years and found that when the aisles are less cluttered, people report a more enjoyable shopping experience, but ultimately purchase less. Determined to keep filling customers carts with things they never knew they needed, Walmart has embarked on an effort to "re-clutter" their stores.

The same can be said for clothing stores. For example, when I walk into J Crew store and see the clothing spread out in neat little piles and displays, my mind immediately thinks "$$$$". For a completely different experience, you can go into Forever 21 and see clothes stuffed in every corner possible of the store. While it's overwhelming, my initial thought is that there's got to be a deal in there somewhere!

I bet that in the end I would end up spending the same amount of money at both stores. In JCrew, the streamlined layout would help me stay focused only on what I wanted, while the sheer amount of inventory in Forever 21 would likely lead to me purchasing things I didn't initially want/ need.

The NY Times highlighted the specific stores of Dollar General, Old Navy, and Walmart in their article, so be sure to be aware that there is a mastermind behind the way every retail store is set up! My advice on how to deal with this new form of retail design? Go into shops with a list and stick to it!

This Time Last Year

Wow, so it's going to be April already! I guess I was confused by the snow that's still blowing around outside of my window. April means that in about a month, I will have been graduated for an entire year. If there was one piece of advice I could give myself for this time last year, it would be very simple: don't be afraid to make a plan.

I spent the last month of college counting down the days until I no longer had a plan, or heath insurance for that matter, instead of focusing on creating a new one. I looked for employment before graduation, but stuck mainly to online listings and was very picky where I applied. I had a vague idea of what I where I wanted to live after graduation, but was too scared to commit.

Making a plan after graduation is terrifying for many reasons, but for me, it was mostly because I was so afraid on missing out. I was afraid of choosing the wrong city, falling into the wrong job, and ultimately not being happy. It took me literally until my graduation day to realize that making a plan in pursuing it can also be very exciting. When I finally decided to move my life to Rochester, NY, I ended up feeling more relieved than I had in months.

Here's the thing about plans.. you can change them. I remember talking to a friend once who was deciding whether or not to move across country with her boyfriend. I told her that if she didn't like it, she could always come home, but she'd probably regret it if she didn't take the chance. This seemed like such a revelation for both of us. I realized, after months of agonizing, that if I didn't like my post grad life plan in a few months, I could change it.

So, to any senior college readers we have out there, try to stop being afraid this month. Start planning and start being excited about the next steps in your life. Oh, and remember to finish those last few assignments before senior week- you've still got to graduate!

Staying Healthy

In keeping with our more personalized entries, I'd like to share with you a little bit about how my body has changed since becoming a post grad.

As a college student I was on my feet all the time. Anyone who has ever stepped foot onto SUNY Geneseo's campus knows that walking anywhere is fairly strenuous hike. Double that in the winter time when you are fighting against snow drifts and icy sidewalks.

My current job requires lots of mental work and typing, but I could literally not move the entire day. The first few months I worked here, I didn't adjust my diet at all. I would eat the same type of lunch/ snacks that I was eating during my last year in college. It's so easy to forget about weight during the summertime when your wardrobe consists of forgiving dresses and flowy skirts.

When September rolled around I slid on my favorite pair of jeans and realized I could barely button them. I just didn't understand. I wasn't eating things that were horrible for me.. I was even taking walks and jogging occasionally after work.. what was the deal?

The next week, I joined a gym and stopped buying bread.

Like most girls, I've always had those "problem areas". My hips, thighs, and bottom are where all of my weight collects. I am not necessarily unhealthy now weight-wise, my weight falls within the healthy parameters for my height- but before I started consistently working out, I just didn't feel great.


I like to tackle problems full force, doing everything possible to knock them out of the park. If I had no commitments, I would go to the gym for 8 hours a day, Biggest Loser style, and have the weight off in a week. Unfortunately I have one major commitment that prevents this from happening..... my job. Motivating myself to workout after work is one of the toughest things I've had to do. I so understand how people who work full time can fall into the couch potato mentality. My brain is just tired after working all day and I have to literally drag myself to the gym so that my body doesn't follow suit.

So how have my eating habits and workout schedule changed since the fateful jeans experience of September? I eat more vegetables and fruit, instead of packing processed snacks like granola bars in my lunches. I go to the gym four times a week, and have recently started circuit training in addition to my cardio. The circuit training has really started to show me results- I highly recommend it! It's not easy keeping up with this schedule, but I do feel like I'm becoming a healthier, post grad me.

All of this being said, every body is different. How do you stay fit when working a 9-5?

Quick Tip Of The Day: Save Big With Coupon Codes

If I had known about this before I'd be saving a ton of money!

Quick Tip Of The Day: Save Big With Coupon Codes.

The Food Challenge Rages On!

By Allison Sass

The post grad food challenge has actually been a lot easier than I thought.. especially cutting out caffeine. While I generally don't need caffeine daily, I do sometimes crave it, especially on a crazy workday. Well, today was one of the most hectic I've had since starting at my new job and I didn't even consider caffeine an option. (I also didn't have any.. but maybe that's the key for me, out of sight, out of mind.)

I'm sticking to my excercise routine and headed to my spinning class in a bit. Who knows, maybe I'll keep this vegetable heavy diet going past this week? It's all about finding a healthy balance.

While many post grads wouldn't think to subject themselves to a caffeine free diet, I highly recommend you try, even if it's only cutting back from two to one cup of coffee a day.

 A healthier you = more productive employee = more energy after work = a fufilling post grad life. I know, I know.. I often trick people into thinking I was a math major in college.

Spinning

By Allison Sass

Us post grads are stressed out pretty much constantly. Whether its work, bills, apartment mishaps, car failure, relationships, or general lack of free time that's got us down, we all feel it in one way or another. If you lead a stress free post grad life, more power to you. Please be my life coach.

For the rest of us, we need to find ways to cope so that our stressful days don't result in an eventual mental breakdown. My new way to cope with stress? Spinning.

Spinning classes are taught in a group setting and utilize stationary bikes. Visualization, resistance changes, and intense excercises complement your constant peddling. Most hour-long spinning classes will clock you in at about a 15- 20 mile ride, depending on your speed. Did you know you can do push ups on a bike? You can.

Spinning workouts are hard, and if you rarely hit the gym, I would suggest working up to them for a few weeks before jumping in. During the class you might want to kill your instructor, or cut off your aching legs- but afterwards you feel the rush of endorphins that accompanies a solid workout.

For any guys that think spinning is for women, I challenge you to take a class. You will feel more centered and proud that you accomplished something physical after your long workday. Many gyms offer free week-long trials, and some classes might let you attend a class free before committing, so check it out! Reduce your stress and remember to stay healthy post grads!

Being Your Own Cheerleader

By Allison Sass

We've had a few articles recently about how the quest for happiness in post grad life can be trampled by feelings of depression and anxiety. Something that makes me anxious, and I'm sure loads of other post grads out there,  is not receiving constant positive reinforcement. I'm the type of person who likes to get things done quickly and efficiently. I put my whole heart into the projects I'm dedicated to, and I thrive on the rewards that come with them. In college, we are always rewarded, either with praise from our helpful professors, fellow students, or with grades.  In the post grad world, things are different.

I've learned to cherish every "good job" I receive at this point in my life, because they are few and far between. It's not that I think I deserve more positive reinforcement, but it did take me a while to adjust that when I complete a task well, it is just seen as a part of my job. In reality,  I'm getting paid to complete daily tasks, so why shouldn't they be done correctly?

Here are a few ways I've learned to cope with my need for reinforcement in the post grad world- I hope they can help some of you out there struggling with the same thing

- Vent.  I feel bad for my family, friends and boyfriend for having to listen to me talk about my post grad frustrations, but it's never good to keep emotions bottled up inside. Believe me, I've learned this from years of doing just that

- Congratulate yourself. Did you finish an assignment at work before deadline, or just do a really awesome job with it? Take five minutes and give yourself a mental break so you can soak up the fact that you are doing good work.

-Cherish the small things. Remember the day when your parents used to pin your A+ spelling test to the refrigerator? Do the same thing for yourself. Save emails of praise in a special folder in your email account. This way if you're having an off day, you can simply pull open the folder and remember that you are valued.