Please note this is a sponsored post for which I may be compensated.
If you’ve ever thought about losing a few (or a lot of) pounds and getting healthy, then you may have dealt with what I call the Motivation factor (or lack thereof). I know I have…As a working mom, I’ve struggled with finding the time, energy and effort to shed those unwanted pounds, especially after having my babies. In between growing family obligations, a busy career, and unending to-do lists, it seemed I’d never be able to make the scale move an inch. I’d hit the gym one day, then slack off and eat carbs for the rest of the month…Did I mention paying gym membership fees that went to very little, if any, use?
You may be experiencing something similar. Without a reward system that truly motivates you, it can be challenging to stick to a consistent routine. Yet, what if you could actually get paid to get (and stay) healthy? What if dropping the excess weight could translate into picking up extra coins? What if your efforts at getting and staying healthy were actually rewarded with some sweet cash?
Enter Healthy Wage. As an innovative company whose challenges have been featured on the likes of CNN, ABC, and NBC, it helps you do just that. Healthy Wageoffers online weight loss challenges with …cash rewards at the end of these. Basically, you’re being paid to drop the pounds. According to this Journal of American Medical Association study, individuals with a financial incentive to lose weight are almost five times to reach their goals than those who don’t. Additionally, another 2013 Mayo Clinic study reveals that weight-loss program participants are more likely to pursue their weight-loss goals on a long-term basis if there is a financial incentive than if there isn’t. The point is, although health is a reward in and of itself, a gift card may work better.
Besides, in addition to the cash prizes, there are many other rewards to using Healthy Wage:
Weight loss is hard, making it fun helps!
Just open a women’s magazine and watch your pressure rise as you contemplate different dieting and weight loss options. Truth is, weight loss is hard! Yet, when you turn in into a friendly competition, add in some teamwork and encouragement with HealthyWage, it becomes an exciting challenge instead!
Enter Healthy Wage. As an innovative company whose challenges have been featured on the likes of CNN, ABC, and NBC, it helps you do just that. Healthy Wageoffers online weight loss challenges with …cash rewards at the end of these. Basically, you’re being paid to drop the pounds. According to this Journal of American Medical Association study, individuals with a financial incentive to lose weight are almost five times to reach their goals than those who don’t. Additionally, another 2013 Mayo Clinic study reveals that weight-loss program participants are more likely to pursue their weight-loss goals on a long-term basis if there is a financial incentive than if there isn’t. The point is, although health is a reward in and of itself, a gift card may work better.
Besides, in addition to the cash prizes, there are many other rewards to using Healthy Wage:
Weight loss is hard, making it fun helps!
Just open a women’s magazine and watch your pressure rise as you contemplate different dieting and weight loss options. Truth is, weight loss is hard! Yet, when you turn in into a friendly competition, add in some teamwork and encouragement with HealthyWage, it becomes an exciting challenge instead!
The more fun you have, the easier it gets to shed the pounds!
Do you notice how sometimes all it takes is the support of a few friends and loved ones to turn a daunting task into something much manageable? The same premise applies for Healthy Wage. The more fun you have participating in team challenges, the more support you get, and the easier it all gets!
www.healthywage.com
Good health is contagious!
The best part about this? The healthier you get with HealthyWage, the more you can actually impact those around you. From your loved ones and friends, to your co-workers and entire company, your success story can actually motivate others to create their own.
Have you ever felt like despite all the noise around diversity and inclusion, your own diversity at work feels like an obstacle? From the way you wear your hair, to the accent in your voice, or your sexuality, you may have felt like your “difference” made you an outcast. That maybe it was best to wear a mask, and conceal the “extra” diversity that could impair your ability to climb the corporate ladder, get the business loan, make the right contacts, or simply be respected as a valuable colleague.
Don’t get me wrong, most of us wear masks, especially in a professional and/or corporate setting. Just try and compare your boisterous voice at the family cookout last weekend, with your “prim and proper” intonation at the Board meeting. I’ll leave some of the other choice words out….And there’s no shame about it, either. Different contexts sometimes require different parts of our personality. The problem, especially for working women and minorities, occurs when the “mask” becomes a semi-permanent (or permanent) fixture of our careers and lives. When it becomes too hard to be who we truly are and remain authentic. When at times, we’ve even lost sight of who we are, what matters to us, what makes us us, happy, fulfilled, and all the way together…
I remember times at the beginning of my corporate career when I would feel so intimidated that the pitch of my voice would go up several octaves every time I had to speak up. I can also recall the times when sharing that I was born and raised in Senegal was followed by a loud silence in the room, after which I questioned if I should ever reveal this at work again.
There are times when corporate pressure and the fear to lose a paycheck can really make you get out of your true character. Many succumb to this pressure daily, compromising, changing who they are, from the pitch of their voices to the decisions they make on the job. No judgment here, the reality is more complex than we see on the surface, especially when your mortgage payment, kids’ tuition and car note hang in the balance. All of this can make it challenging to take off our corporate and/or professional masks, and really show up authentically in the workplace. This is especially true for working women and minorities, who may stand close to the edge of privilege.
Yet, there is a cost to not honoring your diversity in the workplace. It may be the silent cost of self-betrayal and the resulting lack of fulfillment that ensues. It may also be the lack of confidence from yourself and others. However, as terrifying as it may be, there are ways to honoring your diversity at work and enjoying a more fulfilling career:
Show up as you are
I was recently listening to a podcast during which an African-American executive woman revealed that wearing her hair in braids at work also gave permission to other women like her to do the same. I remember struggling with my decision to wear my hair natural when I first transitioned to my natural curls. Would “they” be taken aback by my appearance? Would this have a negative impact on my career? Years later, I realize going natural was not just the best decision for me, but it was the best decision for my career. Any place that I would not fit in because of the way I looked was not for me…
So show up as you are. Don’t be afraid to wear your true hair, origin, accent or anything else that makes you you. It’s the best way to figure out where you fit in, and what environments are the most mutually beneficially to you.
When in doubt, do not hide
One of the most damaging pieces of advice I was ever given, especially as a woman of color, is: “Keep your head down and work hard.” You may also have received the same piece of advice. Over the years, I realized that as working women, and especially as women of color, we’re encouraged to hide behind our performance. We’re tacitly prompted to deny our uniqueness behind longer hours, more masculine attitudes, and the appearance of perfection. Or we’re warned to be cautious and make ourselves invisible.
When in doubt, refrain from hiding who you are. Refrain from shrinking and becoming invisible. Put your head up and make your presence be felt. Don’t just work hard, speak up for yourself too. Allow yourself to take space.
Be the example of diversity you need
I mentioned earlier the example of the African-American executive who by wearing braids, implicitly gave other Black women in her company permission to do the same. I’ve learnt that honoring your diversity also means putting it to work at the service of a cause greater than yourself. You may be the only image of diversity that some people will see, or one of a few.
You may be the reason why your fellow Latina sister may feel empowered to speak up at the meeting. Your very presence in the room may inspire a young Black girl to start her own business or go for the career of her dreams. You may just be the example of diversity you need yourself. And that is honoring your own diversity…
Be willing to walk
Sometimes, honoring your diversity also means walking away from environments and places that stifle it. It’s understanding that you can better honor the truth of who you are somewhere else. It’s a painful, but liberating realization.
In all cases, take the lessons you’ve learned with you, let go of any bitterness and resentment and continue on your own journey.
Are you committed to taking off the mask and honoring your own diversity?
Welcome to the TCS News Roundup, where I round up the lifestyle, career and business news that inspired, excited, made me smile (or laugh out loud). Take a read…
In feel-good (and life-changing) news, Fortuneshares the generous act of billionaire Robert F. Smith who forgave the student loans’ debt for more than 400 Morehouse graduates
Business Insider reveals that while women earn 60% of bachelor’s degrees, they graduate owing $2,700 more student debt than their male counterparts
Interning this summer? The Daily Museoffers 5 steps to writing the perfect internship resume
I got stuck at these words uttered by keynote speaker France Winddance Twine, Professor of Sociology at the University of California Santa Barbara during the 2019 Women of Color in the Academy conference. Through her personal stories, she taught us as attendees that especially as women of color, we cannot necessarily expect other women of color to be our allies in the workplace. It was at once a shocking and expected revelation for me. I know all too well of the “Queen Bee Syndrome”, and the erroneous yet popular mindset that there is only one (or at best a rare few) spots for women of color at the top. What I expected less, was the blatant truth that allyship does not always come from where we expect it to.
But first, let’s clear up what an ally is. An ally is any individual involved in the promotion and advancement of an inclusive culture through positive and intentional action. The most effective allies:
Learn to recognize systematic injustice and instances of micro-aggressions
Advocate for other more marginalized individuals and/or groups of people
Actively share opportunities, and
Listen and support underrepresented individuals’ experiences.
Often, we see allies in people who look like us, especially when we’re part of under-represented or marginalized groups. While this may very well be true, it’s also important to recognize that allyship can come in the form of someone who does not look or behave like us. As a matter of fact, there have been many experiences, forged by insecurity and a preponderance of the “Queen Been Syndrome”, of minorities acting as the very opposite of allies to other minorities.
In my own experience, I have learnt that unlike the realities of systematic inequality and lack of diversity, allyship can come in many shapes, forms, and yes, race, color, gender and sexual orientation. I think of the professors who advocated for me and shared incredible educational and career opportunities that changed the direction of my life. I think of the formal and informal mentors who believed in me more than I believed in myself. The point is to pay attention to the actions of those who are positioned as potential or actual allies, more than what they look like or what flattering or temporarily encouraging words they may utter.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to recognize and build relationships with allies in the workplace as a woman of color:
Are they supporting an inclusive culture?
If there is a push to promote and advance inclusiveness, whether through diverse hiring practices, employee resource groups and/other resources, it is a god indicator of a potential ally.
Are they mentoring other women of color?
Mentoring women of color or other diverse individuals is also a great indicator of allyship and inclusiveness.
Are they educated about under-represented and/or minority groups at work?
Asking questions and learning about minority cultures, backgrounds and religions is crucial when it comes to being an effective ally. Someone who takes the time to get educated on what it means to be a black woman or a minority at work is also someone who may serve as a powerful ally.
All in all, allyship is one of the most powerful keys to promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. However, it is paramout to learn to apply, recognize and accept it so as to unlock its true power.
Do you have allies in the workplace? Who are your allies?
During Ramadan, which happens to be the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad occurred, Muslims observe a rigorous fast for about 30 days. This is done until the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, when the fast is broken. During this time, most still have to attend to their regular work and personal duties and routines, despite the observance of the fast.
I was born and raised in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim country. Although I was raised Catholic, I saw most of my Muslim friends, along with their families, partake in the sacred Ramadan fast every year. I learnt through them the rigors of this holy month, and developed much respect for those who observe it. As Senegal is a very inclusive country, I also learnt to take this inclusivity with me every place I went. Even today as an immigrant in the US, I’m still reminded of how important it is to be inclusive in all places during Ramadan.
Here are 3 tips out of my own experience and that of so many others, to practice inclusion at work with our Muslim co-workers during Ramadan:
Get informed
Not everyone is familiar with Ramadan, and that’s ok. However, there are countless sources of information and available research to get educated on it. You can learn about the traditions around it, how it’s observed, and the undeniable consequences on work and life. This can help you better understand, and support your colleagues during this time.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sun-up to sun-down. This is an important change to consider and be inclusive about in your teams and departments. A good start may be to talk among your teams, especially if you’re a manager, and make sure everyone is aware of fellow co-workers observing the fast, and how best to support them.
Take it into account when organizing events or meetings around food, so they don’t feel excluded. It could be as simple as offering the option for take-outs or wrapping some of the food for later. It could also be refraining from pressuring a fellow co-worker to eat or drink. A small gesture can go a long way towards showing compassion and inclusiveness.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that not all Muslims necessarily fast during Ramadan. Additionally, some may only do so during part of the month. This can help in avoiding awkward conversations as well.
Be willing to be flexible
Last but not least, flexibility is key when supporting co-workers during this time. Different individuals observe Ramadan differently. Be open to colleagues’ suggestions as to how best to support them during this time. It may be affording them the opportunity to come in late, leave early, or maybe alter their work assignments in some way or another.
Most importantly, supporting colleagues and co-workers during Ramadan is a matter of being open to learning about it, showing consideration and inclusiveness, and being flexible.
How else have you supported Muslim co-workers and colleagues during Ramadan?
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