Let it the be the Weekend is our weekly news roundup, where we share fun, exciting and breaking news for working women and moms…
This week hit us hard as the world is grieving the loss of Chadwick Boseman, our beloved Wakanda Forever King T’Challa;
In historical news this week, Fabiana Pierre-Louis has become New Jersey Supreme Court’s first Black woman justice;
Black Enterprise writes about Jessica Krug, an Afro-Latina activist who recently revealed she’s a White Jewish woman, and we’re scratching our heads over here;
Business Insider lists 11 top online college degrees where graduates can earn more than $90,000;
Working Mother reveals 84% of employees’ mental health is suffering from working from home;
Recruiting Blogs shares tips to stay productive while working from home;
Entrepreneur tips you off on 10 side hustle skills you can acquire this Labor Day weekend;
Time to vote! Refinery 29 encourages Latina voters with the news of Eva Longoria and America Ferreira launching “She Se Puede”;
Motherly offers 10 tips from a teacher to make distance learning work;
Moved recently or planning to move? The Corporate Sister presents the 10 commandments of moving with kids.
Dear Working Mom is our weekly love letter to working moms everywhere, where we talk about motherhood, life, work and everything in between…
Dear Working Mom,
First off, let me tell you, you have been doing an amazing job these past few months, handling the new normal of a pandemic, homeschooling, working from home, in addition to wearing all the other hats you wear day in and day out…And you are not crazy, this back-to-school season is terrifying. It is scary to send kids back to school in the midst of a global pandemic, while starting a back-to-work routine we’ve never dealt with before….It is scary to add homeschooling to your list of to-do’s for the next academic year, say good-bye to regular childcare for now, or wonder how this will be affecting your kids mentally…
They call it the new normal, but there’s nothing remotely normal, new or old, about any of this. While we’re all trying to make it work somehow, it’s ok to simply recognize that this season is downright terrifying. That even if we’ll still do it afraid, there’s no shame in admitting that we’re struggling sometimes, or even quite often. That this tiredness that we’re feeling is not procrastination, and definitely not laziness, it’s our bodies and minds asking us to take a respite from this constant treadmill of life, work and everything in between we’ve been on for so long…
You’re not crazy, there seem to be less hours in the day. It is more challenging to carry out a full day of homeschooling, work, and house responsibilities, not to mention elder care and other duties. Above all, it is heart-wrenching to do it surrounded by echoes of premature deaths, economic uncertainty, racial unrest and social distancing…
At a time when you should be looking forward to dropping off the kids at school and driving away in the sunlight, you’re shopping for office supplies to set up the kids’ study station at home. Or you’re buying loads of face masks, endlessly repeating to your kids how they must keep them on at all times in school, while at the same time calming your worried heart…Or wondering if your Black children will be treated any differently at school, as your mind races every time one of Black relatives steps out the door…You’re watching back-to-school pictures with kids sitting at their laptops, wondering how fast reality changed…
No, you are not crazy. You’re not not keeping up, or falling behind, or not pushing yourself hard enough…Give yourself some grace through this season, some room to breathe, some space not to have to find another solution, another workaround, another comforting word or thought to offer to everyone else but yourself…
This is different, this hits hard, and it hits home…And you’re doing the best you can…
One thing this pandemic has taught so many of us is that our financial situations can change from one day to the other. While some were able to save money working from home, many lost their jobs during the pandemic, and others were furloughed, uncertain as to their futures. During times of uncertainty like these, it can be hard to think about saving any money at all when we’re barely making ends meet, if at all.
However, it’s in times of harsh crisis that we learn our most valuable and powerful lessons. Most of my financial learning didn’t come from books or classes, but rather from lean episodes of my life during which I had to learn to budget, save and avoid financial mistakes the hard way. This pandemic is no exception.
Being at home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic also means potentially falling prey to a host of temptations, among which online shopping and impulse spending. With the world at our fingertips with a decent wi-fi connection, whipping out our credit cards is far too easy and convenient…until it no longer is.
The first step to saving money in any circumstances, and especially in times of crisis, is to control one’s impulses. This is not just a matter of willpower, but also and most importantly one of setting up the right processes and systems in place not to fall prey to the spending call. One of these systems can be a realistic yet tight budget, setting up automatic payments to avoid the temptation to over-spend, or even having an accountability partner. It can also be reflected in small daily decisions such as opting to cook more at home as opposed to ordering out, or replacing the time spent shopping online with exercise or educational pursuits.
Be proactive about saving
Saving money, especially during a crisis, requires being proactive about it. It takes being mindful of one’s expenses, and researching the appropriate outlets and systems, to succeed in setting money aside during an unpredictable time such as this.
This may mean researching cheaper deals through applications such as Groupon for instance. It may also entail calling utility providers such as Internet provider Verizon Fios or mobile provider AT&T , to inquire about existing rate rebates, or re-negotiate existing contracts.
Build emergency savings funds
Last but not least, building an emergency savings fund can go a long way towards helping improve one’s financial situation in times of crisis. It is typically recommended to have emergency savings of 3 to 6 months’ worth of living expenses. However, just starting with one month goes a long way…This starts with the conscious decision to set money aside, and also find other avenues to make extra money, especially online.
Have you tried saving money during this pandemic? Share your insights with us by emailing us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com
PS: I am using affiliate links in this post, which means that if you click and purchase any product through these links, I will get a commission. Please note I only recommend and write about products and services that I believe in.
Welcome to Let It Be Friday!, our weekly news roundup, where I say hello (and TGIF), and round up the lifestyle, career and business news that inspired, excited, made me smile (or laugh out loud).
History is being made again as Black History reports the first Black woman astronaut, Jeannette Epps, will join the international space crew next year;
Breonna Taylor is honored on the cover of Vanity Fair with a portrait by Black artist Amy Sherald;
The Glassdoor Blog lists 20 companies offering remote positions this week;
Got a video interview? Recruiter tips you off on how to get started;
Recruiting Blogs answers the question: Why more women are choosing their careers over family?
Want to boost your chances of getting hired? Business Insider shares the optimal times to apply;
Working Mother reveals dads are three times more likely to get promoted when working from home during COVID-19 than moms;
WhoWhatWear shares 12 effective hand sanitizers that are actually moisturizing;
As working women and moms, working from home is a challenge considering all the other hats we’re called on to wear day in and day out. This is especially relevant in these times of pandemic when most working moms are bearing the brunt of the crisis, forced to handle both childcare, housework and work every single day. This has not given much option to many working moms out there, who have had to forego their careers as a result. In this context, thriving in one’s career or business as a working woman and mom can seem nearly impossible.
At the start of the pandemic, working from home while homeschooling my kids felt incredibly overwhelming. Not being able to fully concentrate on anything fully, being far from colleagues and offices, and dealing with the constant guilt of not being fully present as a parent, was gut-wrenchingly hard. If you add to it the fears related to the virus and to the economy declining, the echo of job losses and business closures everywhere, and the focus on thriving at all, let alone in my career, was taken away.
However, when it is humanly possible, succeeding at work when working from home, and even scoring a promotion in the process, can happen with the help of a few tips, among which:
Communication, communication, communication!
Keeping the lines of communication open when working from home is especially important for us as working women and moms already suffering from being made “invisible” or the minority in the workplace. It can be so easy to fade in the background of virtual Zoom calls and remote work sessions as working women and moms, especially as our voices are already muted and disregarded.
This may take the form of checking in periodically with your team and management, to make sure any changes, updates or issues are communicated in a timely manner. It may also be responding to requests in a more timely manner, and keeping everyone in the loop as much as possible. Using the right tools to do so, including a reliable connection through companies like Verizon or AT&T and the right brand of computers for you, such as Dell, or HPfor instance.
Align with expectations
Expectations can be quickly misunderstood or not taken into account when working from home. That’s why it’s so important to make sure to set and clarify expectations with your team and management right from the start, and work on proper alignment.
Clarify expectations by checking in periodically and confirming there is a mutual understanding, preferably over email when you can keep a record of past communications.
Express yourself!
Last but not least, don’t’ forego expressing yourself and your goals because you’re working from home. While speaking up on virtual meetings can feel a bit cumbersome, not doing so may cause you to fade in the background and not be considered in the decision-making process.
Despite it feeling so much different from being in the office, it’s important to continue to express yourself, speak up and share your goals.
How do you ace your career as a working mom and woman when working from home?
Racism fatigue is real. It manifests as a sense of deep exhaustion constantly hovering at the surface of one’s emotions, threatening to spill over at any moment without any warning. Even more dangerous, is the deep effect its roots have on one’s mental, emotional and spiritual health. Yet, it’s a fatigue that as people of color, we’re asked to politely stand day in and day out, as our very minds, hearts and souls keep breaking at the sight of yet another murder headline, yet another senseless shooting, yet another injustice…
As Black working moms bravely standing at the intersection of race and gender, stretched thin between the inequities on both sides, gripped by both fear and despair for our sons, husbands, fathers, sisters, mothers, the weight can hardly be put into words. Instead, it gets hidden behind heroic facades of “strong black women” who appear to be invincible, strong beyond measure, unbreakable, all the while shattering inside into a million tiny pieces of anguished fatigue, deferred hope and untreated exhaustion that no amount of rest seems to make up for…
Eventually, racism fatigue has to be gutted out of the abysses of our minds and hearts, and honestly dealt with. Eventually, it has to be faced, as honestly and unequivocally as one can muster the strength to do. This is no easy feat when the media keeps bombarding us with images of murders in broad daylight in the middle of a global pandemic, and all our senses are on constant alert for fear of not being able to breathe. Dealing with this type of fatigue requires a conscious decision to act upon some of our most primal fears, and start or continue deliberate processes to help:
Identify places and people causing harm and find safe spaces
Being constantly exposed to racial trauma is the very thing that creates and amplifies racism fatigue. Identifying the places and people that cause such harm is then crucial to decrease or eliminate the incidences of experiencing race-related trauma. It may be avoiding social media, skipping certain topics of conversation with some people, or even express your frustration out loud.
In addition, finding safe spaces and people with no need to self-censor can go a long way. While it may take some experimentation, this step can help in building a community and sense of belonging.
Normalize the conversation about racism
In many settings, especially in most workplaces, racism is still a very taboo topic. We just don’t talk about race, or politics at work, for instance. This is where normalizing the conversation about race becomes so important, and a way to take away the threat of racism fatigue.
Many companies have started this process by acknowledging the racial trauma many of their employees experience, and facilitating talks around it through diversity training and other initiatives. While these are difficult conversations to navigate, they are crucial in helping not just employees of color,but all employees, overcome racism fatigue.
Whether it’s rest, therapy, or time away, pouring into oneself is another effective way to deal with racism fatigue.
Racism fatigue is real, and really needs to be dealt with, especially as Black working moms. It requires us to be willing to recognize ahnd face the trauma, and address it through difficult but necessary decisions and actions.
How are you fighting racism fatigue as a Black working mom?
Welcome to Let It Be Friday!, our weekly news roundup, where I say hello (and TGIF), and round up the lifestyle, career and business news that inspired, excited, made me smile (or laugh out loud).
It’s back to school time in these unusual times, and Working Mother is sharing experts’ advice on sending kids back to school;
CNN reports working mothers are having to quit their jobs to care for kids, and we’re calling for better structures and more equity through initiatives like Invest in Parents;
The Penny Hoarder lists 7 money mistakes you may be making during the pandemic;
Black Enterprise shares 11 tips to create work-life balance in a virtual environment;
Working from home? You don’t have to sacrifice your style as Corporette shares personal style tips when working from home;
It’s #treatyoselffriday, and it just so happens the Nordstrom Anniversary sale is on until August 31. And because I love me some beauty shopping, here are some of the best beauty and skincare deals via Business insider;
Laudry is not going away, and Food52 shares 7 eco-friendly ways to make it eco-friendly;
Last but not least, this week, we’re loving on working moms on the TCS blog and we’re declaring ourselves free from working mama guilt.
Anything you’d like us to add to this post? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com.
