If you have disposable income, saving some of that money is always a good thing to do. Your personal savings can become a fallback for sudden emergency expenses. However, this abstract cost that might never come probably isn't enough to convince you to keep saving consistently. Instead of making the reason negative, turn it into a positive personal goal. This will keep you on top of regularly saving and looking forward to the day that you can spend that money.
Ever since the pandemic popularized (or forced) virtual meetings and, countless companies adopted the hybrid work model or went completely virtual. And once the public health crisis was declared over, we remained confined to our desks in our kitchens and attics working from home.
And it’s not just work. Doctor’s TeleHealth appointments, therapy visits on Zoom, asynchronous classes. It seems like nobody wants to meet in-person anymore.
I’m guilty of this. Ever since COVID-19 hit the world, I often opt for virtual appointments over in-person visits. I’ve gotten a bit shy, a bit lazy, and a bit reclusive. It’s a struggle to motivate myself to go anywhere some days.
According to Gallup, 54% of employees in the United States are under the hybrid work model, and 27% are exclusively remote. For many, this is ideal…and the number of hybrid workers is only expected to rise over time.
When I speak to older generations, they think it’s a fate worse than death. How lonely, they say. How sad you must be to not have an office culture. What could you possibly do all day?
But, times have changed. We must adapt to the ever-growing popularity of virtual work…plus with outrageous office rents, more companies are opting to sell their spaces or break their leases and fully embrace the savings that remote work provides.
And while hybrid work can allow you to spend more time with your family and children and embrace a more flexible schedule, it can also be detrimental to many worker’s mental health.
The Blurred Lines Of Work-Life Balance
Nick Morrison via Unsplash
One of the major setbacks when working the hybrid lifestyle is that you often don’t know when to shut down your laptop. Sure, your hours are 9-5…and in an office, everyone is packing up and leaving at that exact time.
But when it comes to WFH, you can get away with much more. You can run errands during the day, do your laundry in the building or take a workout class you’ve always wanted to try, or a delicious nap you absolutely needed…and while these are fireable offenses in-office, you can make it up by working an extra hour or two at night in the comfort of your own home.
It’s that procrastinator mentality that causes you to struggle. Suddenly, you’re convinced you can work until late at night. And in some cases, employers ask you to.
I’ve heard horror stories from friends about how their bosses made them work until midnight…and that it was even included in her contract. Now that she’s granted the freedom to work from home, her hours are ambiguous.
Before you know it, you’re working intermittently-nonstop throughout the week with no clear routine. What used to be a 9-5 job is now 8:30-midnight…but there’s no overtime payment.
Feeling Isolated?
Whenever someone asks if I’m lonely while working from home…my immediate answer is no. I live in a small city where all of my friends are within a few blocks’ radius, and most of us work from home all week.
Beyond that, I have two roommates who also have the pleasure of working from home. So, I’m not missing out on human interaction by not going into an office. However, I know I’m a lucky case.
Everything’s subjective, so remote work can be an ideal solution for those who are anxious about commuting or being around new people. But for others, it can be equally anxiety-inducing to be stuck in their house day-in-day-out. According to SHRM,
“Fully remote (40%) and hybrid work (38%) are associated with an increased likelihood of anxiety and depression symptoms compared to in-person work (35%), according to an analysis by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), an Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit research organization,”
If your home isn’t a sanctuary, you may be overwhelmed by working from home. Whether it’s constant domestic interruptions, trouble staying focused, or feeling disconnected from colleagues or family members, it can be tough to balance.
Plus, the hybrid model implies a few days in the office and a few days at home. So, cultivating office relationships when you rarely see your coworkers in-person can be a battle.
An All or Nothing Mentality
Rivage via Unsplash
As a society, we seem to have adopted this “All or Nothing” mentality. We’re either all in on our work, all day and night, or we’re doing none of it. The lack of clear boundaries between work and real life has caused a huge pain point for many at-home workers.
While there are many factors that contribute to your capacity and bandwidth for work, it’s easy to burn out if you have no real regimen. Constantly working at any hour you wish will just end up building stress and draining time to yourself and for your loved ones.
So, before you snowball out of control because I’ve scared you out of the hybrid work model, don’t worry. Here are a few steps to alleviate the pain of working virtually and make it a bit more manageable and a lot less stressful.
How To Maintain Your Mental Health While Working Hybrid
Work From A Cafe
Unsplash
I know it may sound chaotic, but a good pair of noise-canceling headphones will do wonders. If it’s not a cafe, head outside with your personal hotspot, or even in a library.
The point is to find somewhere that isn’t your home, but isn’t your office either. Try a few places during the week and see what works best for you.
Schedule Time To Work
I get it, you have a lot you want to do in a day…and working from home makes that even more possible. But, you need to get into a routine of working (and not working) at the same time.
Schedule that workout class you’ve always wanted to try during your “lunch break.” Then after the class, you can eat as you work. Schedule small blocks of 30-minute breaks where you can accomplish a quick grocery run, put your laundry away, or whatever you want to do.
Get Outside More
Despite the fact that you’re working outside, fresh air and sunlight can give you a fresh outlook on life. Many people don’t get outside when they’re at their office jobs, so take advantage of the outdoors while you can.
Go for a walk a few times a day, even if it’s just around your block. Give yourself some time away from your screen and you’ll feel fantastic.
Meditate!
Katerina May via Unsplash
Meditation isn’t for everyone, I know. But, focusing on your breathing for as short as ten minutes can help calm your anxiety and lower stress levels. Downloading guided meditation apps is a terrific way to access thousands of guided meditations and talks that can help with any problem.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disempowered, and out of control, meditation will help you disconnect from your problems, transcend them, and reassess how you want to act and react.
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April 18 came and your taxes were not ready. So you filed a tax extension. Well, you should file an extension, if you haven't already. Form 4868 is one of easier tax forms to fill out and it will give you an extra six months to get your taxes together. Everyone is eligible for a tax extension. The extension gives you until October 17 to file your taxes, but keep in mind if you owe the IRS money; it is still due April 18. Once you've filed an extension, what happens next?
For one, you need to finish preparing your taxes. Keep a detailed order of notes for business, medical, mortgage, and debt expenses. File your taxes sooner than later. Just because the new due date is October 15, doesn't mean wait till then to file.
Form 4868 requires an estimate of how much in taxes you owe. If you don't owe the IRS money or are getting a refund, just be sure to file taxes by October 17. Since you've filed your extensions and you do not owe any money, you won't be hit with any penalties or fees. However, the longer you wait to file, the longer it will take to get a refund.
If you do owe money, if possible pay a portion or the entire amount when you file. If you have already paid taxes through your W-2 or paid taxes each quarter, you might not have to pay as much when you file the extension.
Not paying all the taxes you owe on time can lead to penalties and interest fees. The fees add up depending on how much you owe and how long you haven't paid the tax. Each month you don't pay, a .5 percent penalty is added to the tax. The maximum you can be charged on the late fee is 25 percent of the unpaid tax. On top of the late fee, interest will compound daily on your taxes.
There are several options for payment plans with the IRS. A free 120-day payment agreement is the best option if you can pay off the taxes in four months. Otherwise, an extra $52 is charged for a direct debit agreement or a$105 standard deduction agreement. Paying your taxes sooner than later can avoid more penalties and ruining your credit. You can be sent to jail if you're intentionally not paying your taxes—see Al Capone.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become overwhelmingly popular in the past few years. The world has leaned full-force into technology and entrusted AI with, well, everything. You can see AI commercials, AI-powered statistics during sports games, and there was even a whole writer’s strike over the AI Invasion of storytelling and Hollywood.
As I’ve watched tens of thousands of layoffs happen across the country – thanks to Artificial Intelligence – I was admittedly hesitant to start using the software. Did I really want to stoop that low and succumb to the enemy? Sadly, yes.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I’ve seen people AI generate images of their future children, friends using AI to write 1000 word essays, and Temu’s AI Super Bowl ads…so I decided to use it for a week myself.
I may not be AI’s biggest fan, but I do think it can be a helpful tool when used correctly. It can shake up writer’s block, help build outlines, and restructure weak or wordy sentences.
Would I recommend using AI in place of writing your entire essay? No. But it can add some spice.
But with great power comes great responsibility. With AI, you can manipulate almost any voice or photo so it morphs into something else entirely. For a long time on TikTok, my FYP was flooded with AI-generated Frank Sinatra singing Billie Eilish songs.
And you may be thinking, what’s the harm in Ole Blue Eyes singing some Billie? Nothing, but imagine what will happen as we approach the 2024 Presidential Election.
@my.worldo Frank Sinatra (AI cover) - TV (Billie Eilish) | #goviral #billieeilish #franksinatra #tv #song #aicover #lyrics #lyricsvideo #music #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #explore ♬ original sound - 🎶 | 🎧
The usage of AI can convince anyone of anything. Right now, it’s very prevalent in the music industry. People have profited off deep-faked songs by posting them on TikTok and social media platforms…and the originating artists just had to sit there while the fakers pocketed the cash.
@gma Grammy-winning rapper Bad Bunny took to social media to express his frustration over a viral song that uses the technology to recreate his voice. #badbunny #reggaeton #music #latinmusic #ai #artificialintelligence ♬ original sound - Good Morning America
Artists and producers alike have major concerns about how AI might affect the music industry moving forward…despite being a potential money-maker for record labels, it could devalue the original work of human artists.
Deep-Faking Images and AI
When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce started publicly dating, memes would swirl about Swift’s attendance of Chiefs games. Many football fans were outraged about Swift being shown during coverage of the games…but it went too far when social media users posted deep-faked pornographic images of Swift at a Chiefs game.
Circulation on social media got so bad that X was forced to temporarily block users from searching Taylor Swift in an effort to remove the image from the platform. However, people quickly figured out that searching “Taylor Swift” with quotation marks still provided all posts mentioning her.
Thanks to an AI platform that generates a photo from any sentence you write, there were dozens of deep-faked images of Swift circulating. Whether they were sexually explicit, degrading, or violent, these nonconsensual photos posed a greater threat from AI than ever imagined.
The UK-based Internet Watch Foundation has warned government officials about the growing threat of deepfaked AI images. The technology makes it easy to create potentially harmful images that look very real. But that’s not the only AI issue musicians are facing.
Is This A Real Song…Or Is It AI?
@aiden_kenway How the VIRAL AI Drake Song “Heart On My Sleeve” was Made 🫨🚨 #AI #Drake ♬ original sound - aiden_kenway
Back in April of 2023, a fake collab by Drake and The Weeknd called “Heart On My Sleeve” went viral. The song was the soundtrack of hundreds of TikToks and Instagram Reels, just for people to realize it wasn’t real.
More recently, upon Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny’s split, another AI-generated TikTok song went viral. This time, with a pitchy Bad Bunny singing “I miss you” and lamenting the end of their relationship.
There are countless examples: Taylor Swift singing about football stars Travis Kelce and Brock Purdy with lyrics like “ So happy my Travvy made it to the big game.” Egregious, outlandish songs that garner a ton of engagement for random spam accounts.
@princesstaylor_1989 SO HAPPY THAT MY TRAVY MADE IT TO THE BIG GAME 🏈 // #taylorswift #taylor #swiftie #swifttok #fyp #foryoupage #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ style - ella
It’s not merely stealing and exploiting an artist’s voice…but the fact that online users now have a tool that can totally rip off a song within seconds. What used to be a magnificent art form is now a dangerous mess.
Not only does it infringe on artist’s rights and copyright, but it means that anyone can “record” a song with Drake’s voice and make money off it. This shook the industry so badly that Universal Music Group’s stock fell close to 20% from February to May of 2023.
But what Lucian Grainge – chairman of UMG and father-in-law of It-Girl Sofia Richie – wants everyone to lean into AI. Don’t be afraid of the process, but be prepared for when it comes. He tells The New Yorker,
“The things that make me apprehensive are when people can’t see around the corners and the bends. Technology has served the industry very well. From sheet music to upright pianos to big bands and the huge CBS radio network in the U.S. that was going to destroy fledging shellac sales. In the eighties, Linn drum machines, 808s, the Fairlight synthesizer—we’ve always been served very well.”
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