Getting Older v. Feeling Old: The Challenges of Aging

Stacey OBrien 02/02/2021

By Stacey O’Brien Every time I look in the mirror, I’m struck by how quickly my hair is graying. I’m a redhead (or a ginger, as we are now called), and had deep auburn hair as a girl. Now that I’m in my mid 50s, that fiery hair has lightened to a strawberry blonde. I’ve always been opposed to coloring it, but recently, I thought about it…but that only lasted for a few minutes. Instead, I tried a henna shampoo (a tip from another ginger!). I don’t feel a day over 30 inside, but my hair (and my skin, my hands and my body) show the world I’ve been alive longer than that. Women in particular often dread the changes that aging brings and go through significant…

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Categories: Institute of Women, Wellness & Work, Longevity, Wellness & Personal Growth

Tags: Aging, health, longevity, wellness

Stacey OBrien

woman on laptop on virtual conference call experiencing zoom fatigue

Women Are More Impacted by Zoom Fatigue: Here’s Why, and What We can Do About It

Zoom, and other virtual conferencing platforms like it, became both our favorite and least favorite piece of technology over the past year and a half. On one hand, they allowed us to keep in touch with our loved ones when it otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. On the other hand, the constant virtual meetings became absolutely exhausting for many of us. “Zoom fatigue” is what happens when you’re burnt out on virtual meetings, and it can affect anyone. However, research shows that women are more affected by Zoom fatigue than men. Why is this, and what can women do about it? Read on for more. What Is “Zoom Fatigue”? Whether you’re using Zoom (and other video conferencing platforms, like Skype or Google Meet) for work…

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Gina Messina, Ph.D. 09/27/2021

Stop Riding Life on the Default Setting

It might not be obvious to any of us on a day to day basis, but the world has radically shifted in the last 50 years. We’re watching as understood norms and structures are collapsing right before our eyes – either through corruption or a mass awakening or both. Is college really the best way to get a higher education?Is the American dream of buying a home with two kids and a white picket fence really sustainable?Do the police actually protect us or are they a part of the problem we see today?Is Democracy stable against tyranny and uprising?Do we really need banks and intermediaries or can we democratize and digitize money?Why do we think staying in the same career for 30+ years is the…

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Institute Editorial Team 05/31/2022

woman looking up at sky thinking, showing mental performance

Mental performance and you: 10 things you need to know

Our mental performance, how we think, analyze, and perceive the world, influences how we work, tackle challenges, relate to others, manage stress and more. Where we choose to put our focus has a tremendous impact on how we feel and perform in our day-to-day lives. Julie Jones, Mental Performance Coach and Institute instructor, specializes in helping people boost their mental game, and in teaching them how mental training, positivity and self-awareness can help us do better in our jobs, our personal lives, as leaders, as athletes, and as members of the community. As a former Division I softball coach, Julie specializes in training athletes in mental performance techniques. The same brain strategies that can help a softball player improve her swing can help us all…

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Institute Editorial Team 08/02/2021

longevity, diversity, and intersectionality

Intersectionality and longevity: who gets to live the longest, healthiest lives?

Intersectionality is a term that describes the overlapping inequalities many of us face as women, as people of color, as older adults, as members of the LGBTQ+ community, as those who are differently abled. The lived experience of a Black woman, for example, is different than that of a Caucasian woman or a Black man. And the experience of a Black woman over 65 is different yet again – she faces an additional “layer” of inequality. Read more: What is intersectionality and why is it important? Intersectionality considers each of us as having a combination of social identities that impact the opportunities available to us, the power we hold, and the discrimination and oppression we may face. Most people probably don’t think of intersectionality in…

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Stacey OBrien 03/09/2021

How To Recognize and Handle Burnout

What Is Burnout? Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that comes from stress exposure (Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001). Generally, the stress that leads to burnout is consistent and ongoing for an extended period. A single stressful event usually isn’t enough to cause burnout. When you are burned out you may feel constantly exhausted or anxious and on edge. You may feel irritable and angry. You may feel like you are living in a fog and unable to think clearly. You may be unable to relax or get to sleep. Burnout Syndrome Burnout syndrome was first formally defined in the 1970s to describe a collection of symptoms often seen in people working as medical professionals, teachers, social workers, and others in helping…

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Institute Editorial Team 03/08/2023

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