6 tips to help you enjoy a vacation without feeling guilty

6 tips to help you enjoy a vacation without feeling guilty6 tips to help you enjoy a vacation without feeling guiltyA lot goes into planning the perfectvacation. You need theright luggage. You have to rally yourtravel buddies. You need to figure out the perfect balance betweenactive excursionsand well-deserved downtime. You have to push through thatoverpacked to-do listat the office so youre not stressed about coming back to work afterwards swamped. Perhaps most importantly, though, you need to squelch all of your guilty feelings about going on vacation in the first place.Thats right even though youre excited about your travel plans, youre probably also worried about how it might look to others that youre taking time away from work and family. Weve rounded up six expert suggestions to help you platzset aside those sneaky feelings so they dont sabotage your vacay. Youll travel a lot lighter when you can leave your guilt at home and thoroughly enjoy your trip.1. Change your mindsetMass achusetts-based licensed psychotherapist Lisa Hutchison notes the importance of mindset when going on vacation. Instead of feeling like you are taking time away from your family and work, think of your time away as an opportunity to replenish your energy, she says. You give more from a full cup. Youll be a better employee, boss, friend, partner, mother, fill-in-the-blank when you prioritize that time for yourself.2. Realize that vacation can help with stress managementWhen you remove yourself from the typical routine and put up that OOO auto-responder for your email, you do more than just forget all of the triggers that are causing you stress - you learn to actually deal with that stress Stepping away from the office allows us the mental space to consider how we tend to handle stress and to work on improving those skills, Dr. Steven Stein, a clinical psychologist in Toronto, tells us. Your boss will notice a positive change in your overall job performance when you return.3. Focus o n what youll be doing instead of what youll be missingIts not your responsibility to shape your life around everything youre expected to do, Minnesota-based coach Rebekah Buege advises. Shape your life around things that bring you joy and happiness. Put the family and work commitments out of your mind - at least for the time being - and get excited about all the fun experiences waiting for you on your travels Being fully present with what youre doing there will allow you to get more enjoyment from work and family when you get back.4. Judge whether youve earned the vacation based on your own standardsIts easy to question whether or not youre deserving of a vacation but thats only because youre probably worried about whether or not other people think youre deserving of a vacation. Ask yourself if youve earned it by your own definition - no one elses, Maple Holistics health and wellness expert Caleb Backe says. If you can honestly say that you have earned the vacation time, then it shouldnt matter what anyone says or thinks. But if you cant shake those guilty feels, it might be because youre feeling - by your own standards - that you need to put in a little more hard work before you get that downtime.5. Disconnect from (or at least limit) work emailsIf the mere idea of taking time away from the office wracks you with guilt, imagine how much worse youre going to feel when you can actually monitor the comings and goings of your inbox while youre on vacation. Assuming youve covered all of your bases before you took off (e.g., returned all pressing emails, informed the key players of your impending absence, and designated other people on your team to take care of urgent issues that might come up), you need to let yourself unplug if you want to keep the stress minimal. If youre one to worry about whats going on at the office, I recommend silencing your email notifications so your top assignment is having a once-in-a-lifetime trip, Topdeck Travel trip leader Sarah Jasmine Labib says. You can always check when you have some downtime if you are still expected to chime in, but set a couple times per day to do this and stick to that schedule so it doesnt take over your vacation.6. Use your vacation as an opportunity to learn something newIf youre really struggling to let go of work guilt, think about how you can use your time on the road for some professional growth. Labib credits travel for her communication skills, ability to work with many kinds of people, independence, and general cultural awareness. If youd rather learn something a little more concrete to take back to your boss, consider reading a professional development book or stocking up on trade magazines for the flight.This article was originally posted on Brit + Co.

How where you live changes your chances of getting the flu

How where you live changes your chances of getting the fluHow where you live changes your chances of getting the fluIf you wonder why you always get struck down by the flu while your relatives in another city stay happily healthy, consider where you live. A new study in Science found that living in a metropolis or a small city can change the intensity of a flu season.Looking at doctor visits for flu-like symptoms from 2002 to 2008 in more than 600 cities in America, the researchers found that epidemics in smaller cities are focused on shorter periods of the influenza season, whereas in larger cities, incidence is more diffuse. If you live in a big city, your flu season is likely to be longer but may not be as intense as it would be in smaller cities.We are not saying that any one city is more dangerous than another,Benjamin Dalziel, the lead author of the paper, told Gizmodo. That said, we did find that in small towns the influence of cases appear to occur in a smaller period of time . So that more intensely focused pattern can affect the capacity of a healthcare system.How to beat flu seasonToo many flu cases can overwhelm an overworked healthcare system. To get ahead of having to schedule a visit with your doctor, focus on prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu activity begins to increase in October and is likely to peak in February.To do your part in the fight against the flu, get your vaccine shot from your local healthcare provider and remember to wash your hands. In on study, it only took one participants infected hands four hours to contaminate more than half of all communal doorknobs, toilet handles, and light switches. There is strength in numbers. Getting vaccinated can increase herd immunity if you work in a collaborative workspace with many germ-filled surfaces.And if despite your best efforts, you still get flu symptoms, do not be a martyr. Go home and take a sick day. Good office hygiene not only means knowing when to wash your hands and disinfect your workspace - it also means knowing when to call it quits and stay in bed.

Becoming a Product Manager

Becoming a Product ManagerBecoming a Product ManagerProduct Managers work to understand the needs and challenges of their targeted customers and to translate those insights into ideas for investment and new product development or existing product enhancement. They create the business cases or plans for investment ideas and when these are approved by management, they work closely with engineering or research and development teams to identify requirements and support the process of translating an idea into a new product.Once a product has moved through the development phases, the product manager works to help prepare the organization to market, sell and support the offering. A Challenging and Valuable Role The challenging role of product manager is increasingly sought after by professionals looking to gain broad organizational exposure and management experience. The product managers responsibilities span the entire organization and extend into the marketplace typically focusing on one or mora industry and customer groups. During the products life, the product manager is involved in monitoring performance, recommending adjustments to pricing or versetzung to counter competitor responses and working with customers to identify potential enhancements. Eventually, the product manager plans a replacement product while managing the discontinuation of the older offering. Product Managers become subject matter experts in their markets and technologies and are often called upon to meet with customers or prospects and speak at industry events or contribute to relevant publications. And they do all of this by guiding, engaging with and leading individuals and functions across their organization, often with no more formal authority than their ability to persuade others to back their ideas. This is a challenging, demanding job and one that is increasingly sought after by new college and MBA graduates. Serving as a product manager offers an opportunity to gain high visibil ity in the organization and to cultivate the skills and reputation necessary to advance in future general management roles. The Evolving Role of Product Manager The classical role of product manager originated within consumer products companies such as Procter Gamble or Unilever, where these product or category champions served as CEOs of their offerings. From market research to product development, packaging, promotion and selling, these individuals managed their offerings for growth and profits. Over time, practically every industry sector has adopted some form of the role of product manager. Even service-focused firms rely upon a version of the product manager role to translate customer needs and market insights into new services offerings. In a number of markets, the role has been split into two, including the product manager and product marketing manager. The product marketing manager focuses more on the outbound marketing and coordination, while the product manager tends to focus a majority of his or her efforts on internal coordination, particularly with the firms research and development or engineering teams. In this split role situation, the two parties work closely together to ensure consistency and coordination across stakeholder groups. Not a Project Manager While there is a great deal of cross-group coordination involved in carrying out the role of product manager, the job should not be confused with that of the project manager. The project manager is responsible for coordinating and guiding teams working on temporary and unique initiatives, while the product manager approaches his/her offerings from a business case and management perspective. The project manager has the benefit of well-defined industry standards and certifying practices, while the role of product manager is considerably less formalized on an industry basis. There are a number of firms involved in training product managers, but as of this writing, there is no standardized body of knowledge or certifying body, such as those that exist in the field of project management. It is common for both individuals- the product manager and the project manager- to work together on a new product development or product enhancement initiative. Skills Required for Success as a Product Manager Given the broad scope of the role of product manager, there are a number of skill sets essential for success. These include The ability to cultivate a deep understanding of a particular market segment or customer grouping.Familiarity with the specific application of the products in customer settings.Curiosity to explore and identify customer challenges and translate those challenges into product or service ideas.The ability to develop a business plan and investment case for new product development or current product enhancement. A degree in business, especially an MBA is particularly helpful in this role.Critical thinking skills essential for assessing customer needs, compet itor offerings, and key trends and translating this knowledge into investment plans. The ability to guide and lead others informally- without formal report-to authority.Outstanding written and spoken communication skills, with an emphasis on persuasion skills.Depending upon the nature of the offering, a deep level of technical expertise may be required in the role. Many product managers have technical backgrounds, including engineering degrees. Career Path Into Product Management Product managers come from all manner of backgrounds, including Engineering, Research DevelopmentQuality or Operations ManagementTechnical SupportMarketing CommunicationsCustomer SupportSales Support Additionally, some firms hire individuals directly from firms in the target market segment. There are many paths into this interesting and important role. Career Path for Product Managers While product managers can advance their own functions or departments, it is common for experienced product manager s to advance into general management or functional management roles.I have personally promoted product managers into sales, marketing, and other general management positions. Their broad-base of industry, offering, and operations knowledge make them highly desirable for a number of roles in an organization. A career in product management is rich in challenges and opportunities to learn and to contribute to the success of an organization. The role is part entrepreneurial and part general management and individuals who prefer to operate with a high degree of responsibility and independence enjoy working in this position a great deal. There are few roles in our modern workplace that rival the opportunity the product manager has to shape the future success of an organization.