Sherry Walling Interview - On Productivity and Mental Health in the Business World

Hi everyone, our WordCamp Europe interview series continues! Back in June, we recorded a few interviews with WordPress enthusiasts, including  Sherry Walling. While its been a little while since WordCamp Europe,  Sherry has some great tips on how to stay away from distractions and be productive at work that make her interview worth the wait.This interview is part of our  #WCEU Series  of interviews, which can be found in the  Pirate Interviews category  on our blog, along with many other talks weve had with interesting people. Last month, it was Alex Denning who shared his insights on marketing and content.Now, lets get back to the Sherry Walling interview!  Ã°Å¸â„¢â€šSherry owns ZenFounder, a consulting company that provides business people with professional advice on how to live a balanced, healthy life and cope with difficult situations. Beyond that, she also hosts a free Zenfounder podcast  (it just reached 200 episodes) and is the author of a book for entrepreneu rs called The Entrepreneurs Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together.At WordCamp Europe 2018 in Belgrade, she organized a workshop which was so successful that the room was absolutely packed (it was fully booked shortly after the announcement went live).Since our team was not so fortunate as to get in (except Ionut!), we used the ace in our collective sleeves and scheduled an interview with Sherry, thanks to our privilege of being  Media Partners at the event. 🙂As with our other WordCamp Europe interviews, you can either watch the video interview in the embedded tweet to the right. Or, you can keep reading below for a text transcription. If you opt to watch the video, make sure you open the full Twitter thread to see all of the questions.Heres our fourth #WCEU interview with Dr. Sherry Walling @zenfounder.Question 1: Youre a PhD, psychologist, podcast and author. How did you get involved with WordPress? pic.twitter.com/H2Jq5NiMln ThemeIsle (@ThemeIsle) June 18, 2018 You have a Ph.D.  in psychology, youre a podcaster and author. How did you get involved with WordPress?Sherry Walling:Yes, I have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and I host a podcast called ZenFounder. Well, for many many years Ive been in the technology world in a startup world where, of course, theres a lot of interaction with WordPress since you all run like most of the internet. So for the last several years, Ive been attending CaboPress and a couple of different WordCamps and talking about mental health in these communities.I think theres a lot of overlap between the kind of entrepreneurs that I spend most of my time with and the people that are in the WordPress space. So I dont code, I dont design, but I do know my way around my own websites and mostly Im here to help support the people who run WordPress.How would you describe the WordPress community?Sherry Walling:I have a number of friends and its a community that I care deeply about and am pretty connected to. The worldwide, the E U WordPress community is committed.You had a workshop on mental health and productive life at WCEU (June 2018), can you share some insights with us?Sherry Walling:So in the workshop, we talked about a lot of strategies for managing stress and anxiety and burnout, things that I think are very common among technology folks and especially common among freelancers and people who are running their own businesses.We did some deep breathing exercises and I taught people how to reverse the physiological anxiety response by slowing down their breathing and then we also did some stretching and some basic movement in the body to help the body calm down and offset some of the challenges of sitting all day. We talked about things like sleep, journaling, basic strategies that sound really simple but really important to maintaining a healthy mental perspective, healthy relationships, a healthy body and, of course, a healthy  work life.If your brain is not well or if youre under a lot of stress a nd not functioning or not handling that stress well, then youre not able to be a productive contributor, youre not able to be part of a community, youre not able to do your best work.How do you manage to stay productive during the day?Sherry Walling:I think what productivity looks like is different for everyone so I would never say that my model of doing it is the best model, its just the way that Ive come to for my own self, that works for me. But I tend to get up pretty early and start my day with exercise with a long run or weight-lifting or yoga and Im pretty consistent with that, six days a week usually. I find thats a really important way for me to wake up and take care of my body and then after that Im spending time with my family.I have three children, I have a business, I wrote a book Im busy. I have a lot of things that are important to me, that I try to put in my life, and one of the ways that I try to do that is really carving out time to do one thing at a time. Not bo uncing back, not trying to respond email and talk to my children and make a meal, all at the same time, but deciding that this is the one hour that I have for email or Facebook or Twitter right now this is my media communication time and the only hour that Im going to spend doing that.So that kind of scheduling, organization, and also the decision to do one thing at a time is really helpful for productivity, but its also helpful for mental health because we tend to overuse our brain when we bounce back and forth between lots of different things.So, if I could summarize my personal productivity strategy its one thing at a time and be completely focused on the one thing.How do you define being successful?Sherry Walling:I think success is a combination of a personal experience of joy as well as the ability to make a meaningful contribution in other peoples lives. So its both something thats internal and something that you are extending or sharing with the people around you. Sherry Wal ling (@zenfounder) #interviewed at ThemeIsle - on #productivity and mental health Click To Tweet That wraps up our Sherry Walling interview. If you have any questions for her, please leave them in the comments section. Also, if you have any suggestions for who we should talk to next, feel free to give us some names, too!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

Prussia essays

Prussia essays Analyze the military, political, and social factors that account for the rise of Prussia between 1640 and 1786. The rise of Prussia between 1640 and 1786 occurred as a result of a combination of military, political, and social factors. War and the threat of war aided Frederick William and Frederick William I greatly in their attempts to build royal absolutism in Prussia. Due to the wartime atmosphere, Frederick William and Frederick William I were able to reduce the political power of the landlord nobility, and allow them to keep control over the peasantry. The landlords, satisfied with being unchallenged masters of their peasants, did not challenge the monarchs power, which ultimately led to the rise of Prussia. When Frederick William, of the Hohenzollern family, later known as the Great Elector, gained power in 1640, in Brandenburg, Prussia, and scattered land along the Rhine in western Germany, he was determined to unify the areas and assert royal absolutism. During the early seventeenth century, the Estates of the provinces, dominated by the nobility and landowners, or the Junkers, controlled taxation. However, the Great Elector gained power over in Brandenburg in 1653 and in Prussia between 1661 and 1663 to levy taxes without the Junkers consent. The Great Elector took military actions to defend his land. In 1660, he first financed a permanent standing army. He obtained the revenue to do so by imposing permanent taxes on the Estates without their consent. The soldiers doubled as tax collectors and policemen, becoming the core of the rapidly expanding state bureaucracy. Due to financial independence and an excellent army, Frederick William reduced the power of the Estates. He also tripled the states total revenue during his reign and greatly expanded the army, welcoming French Huguenot immigrants as talented, hard-working soldiers. ...

Women & Narrative Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Women & Narrative - Term Paper Example However, what makes American literature during this period remarkable are those written by Latin women authors, who have crossed bravely the boundaries of a well-established masculine culture not only by engaging into the literary world believed worthy only for men, but more so for what they write – â€Å"... their transgressive and contestatorial nature, and their critical reconsideration of hierarchical opposition, that make their texts revolutionary, conflictual, and dialectical...† (xi). Two Latin women authors worth of critical attention are Maria Lusia Bombal (1910-1980) – a Chilean fiction writer, who towed the dangerous literary path of revealing women’s innermost desires and power defiant of the realistic tradition in Latin America (Maria Luisa Bombal, par. 1), and Maria Luisa Bemberg (1922-1995) – an Argentinian self-professed feminist, whose critically acclaimed films had consistently depicted untraditional women, making her one of Latin America’s most significant female filmmakers (Maria Luisa Bemberg, par. 1). Though both writers tackled femininity from entirely different angles, indeed, both have contributed to a better understanding of women, as they have shaped a new consciousness that brings readers to confront long-ignored problems confronting women, such as ‘sexual abuse, abandonment, oppressive marriages, and the pressure of new-found independence’ (Mujica 44). To which Griselda Gambaro remarks, â€Å"... a w ork is feminist insofar as it attempts to explain the mechanics of cruelty, oppression and violence through a story that is developed in a world in which men and women exists† (qtd. in Jehenson xiii). But more than this, they were able â€Å"to change taken-for-granted views† (xiii). Silence is consent to abuse, as the famous saying goes. However, this is not the case in Bombal’s second novel The Shrouded Woman originally titled La

Pre Optometry Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pre Optometry - Personal Statement Example This is because Optometry would provide me with an opportunity of being part of a community and to interact with other people as I offer them services. In the preparation for training in this profession, I engaged myself in different activities. For example, I was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa- International Honor Society of the Two-Year College ---05/13/2012. My participation here provided me with the opportunity for the development of leadership and service, and this stimulated my interest to become an Optometrist in order to exercise the leadership and services skills obtain from my participation. I have several qualities and experiences in Optometry. I have a 2-year experience in the Optometrist field which has increased my aptitude and motivation. I practiced at Steven Lowinger EyeCare, where I worked with three optometrists who graduated from NOVA, with two of them having more than 10 years experience in the field. This made me learn a lot and acquire a lot of knowledge in the field. I am also part of the VOSH Southeast Organization team that went to Chiapas, Mexico to provide eye treatment to over 2000 people in the region on July 2014. The eye exams we did for free increased my skills and knowledge on eye and visual examination services. My previous achievements have also motivated me into the Optometrist field. For example, I received a gold medal from The President"s Volunteer Service Award (Gold Level) on 07/09/2013 for achieving over the required number of hours in service over a period of 12 months. This quite inspired me to become an optometrist in order to be of s ervice to people with eye problems. My future career goals is to offer eye examination services to different people from different locations, and this is after I graduate as an Optometrist. I would also like to provide lectures to other Optometrist students and help them acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. I would also like to operate

Home School vs. Public School Essay Example for Free

Home School vs. Public School Essay I prefer home schooling over public schooling; which one do you prefer? There are both pros and cons for both Home Schooling and Public Schooling. I am going to explain this all to you in my essay. I personally was home schooled for a few years during middle and high school. All of elementary school and part of middle school I went to a regular school. My reasoning for choosing to be home schooled is I have Agoraphobia which is an anxiety disorder caused by situations where people perceive the environment as being difficult to escape or get help. As soon as I would walk into a class room I would have a panic attack. One thing I liked about public school was being able to play volleyball. I loved playing it for the little bit of time that I was in middle school. Even though I wasn’t really all that great, So I didn’t play very much. That is one con of being home schooled. You cannot play sports affiliated with any school. A pro for public schooling is you have a group environment to learn in with others to help you. On the other hand with home schooling you are on your own. In home schooling you have less choices of curriculum as you would if you were going to public school. You also have more diversity in public school. When going to public school you have a higher student to teacher ratio, now with home schooling there is a small teacher to student ratio. In home schooling you are free to choose your schedule, as in public school your schedule is strict and chosen for you. Public school chooses the curriculum for you. Unlike in home schooling you can choose your own. There are now roughly millions of children being home schooled. Being home schooled teaches students to be independent in their learning choices. Sometimes home schooling can be more expensive than going to public school. Teachers are not always qualified to teach all subjects, and colleges sometimes have stricter admission policies concerning home schooled students. It is also harder to provide social interaction when being home schooled. Like I had stated before I prefer home schooling but everyone has their own opinions. This is the reason why I have enrolled myself into the University of Phoenix online. So that I can have the flexibility of my classes, this way I can work around my everyday life and not miss out when it comes to spending time with my boys. I hope that the information in my essay was helpful to you.

Theatre of the Absurd Essay -- English Literature

Theatre of the Absurd Essay. The Theatre of the Absurd originated from experimental Arts of the avant-garde in the 1920’s and 30’s. It highlighted the meaning of life and came about as a result of the Second World War. It was also a result of absurd plays having a highly unusual, innovative form, aiming to startle the viewers. In the Second World War, in the meaningless and godless post Second World War world, it was no longer possible to keep using traditional art forms and standards that had ceased being convincing. It openly rebelled against conventional theatre. It was very anti-theatre, coming across as surreal, senseless and plotless. Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter were known as the ‘absurd’ play writers. They both share the views that man inhabits a universe with which he is out of key. ‘Come and Go’ by Samuel Beckett is a very simplified; basic play based on three characters talking of the old days and their friendship. Beckett was born 13th April 1906 near Dublin. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for literature in 1969. ‘Black and White’ by Harold Pinter is the core of a minimalist set with very little communication between the characters. The play bases the two old women in a milk bar. It comes over as a plot less play with very little meaning. These two plays ‘Come and Go’ by Samuel Beckett and ‘Black and White’ by Harold Pinter both seem to carry very little meaning. On a surface level, both plays are short. ‘Black and White’ is a non-trusting play with evidence of emptiness. Both plays send out a message to the audience. This is shown particularly where there are silences throughout the plays. Theatrical techniques used in ‘Come and Go’, show at the start of the play, clearly how the... ...nce to finish the play, here the audience probably feel although the play is referring to an old friendship that maybe once hung about the three characters and they are bringing back memories between them. In the Theatre of the Absurd, the two plays ‘Come and Go’ by Samuel Beckett and ‘Black and White’ by Harold Pinter carry many similarities and differences. They are both plays which carry no meaning and characters have no identities. ‘Black and White’ is much longer than ‘Come and Go’. ‘Black and White’ is set in a more realistic modern way, of two women sat in a bar having a typical talk, watching the day go by. ‘Come and Go’ gives a more 1800’s feeling with the characters having 1800’s names and the setting being very abnormal to a normal more modern play. ‘Come and Go’ is a more atmospherically, tensional play with the characters being more active.

Bank of Canada and Interest Rates Essay

The Bank of Canada has indicated that it has concerns over inflation being too low. (Parkinson). However, inflation has been rising and the Canadian economy has strengthened over the last several months. Keeping interest rates too low over a long period of time may have a tendency to over-inflate the economy and create asset bubbles while also creating pockets of greater debt, not dissimilar to those that contributed to the global economic collapse of 2008-2009. Although the Bank of Canada has iterated – and reiterated – its current neutrality with respect to interest rates, economists predict that current conditions may require the bank to move more quickly than it may like to bump the rates in the next several months. (Parkinson). Canada is currently facing a housing bubble like that which occurred in the United States, prior to the massive global downturn of 2008-2009. (Altstedter). Home prices have been steadily increasing along with the size of the debt that homeowners are taking on in order to afford the increase in housing prices. Earlier this year, the Bank’s governor, Stephen Poloz, had forward guidance language that cautioned that interest rate hikes could be in the offing removed from Bank of Canada’s policy statements. (Kawa). Since the removal of the language, inflation has begun to increase and the Canadian Dollar has weakened somewhat. This will contribute to further expansion of the housing bubble in Canada. In order to slow the growth of the housing bubble and prevent or delay its eventual bursting, the Bank of Canada will likely be forced to raise interest rates. Bank of Canada Will Not Alter Interest Rates One of the reasons Bank of Canada’s Governor Stephen Poloz removed forward guidance warning of the potential need to increase interest rates from the Bank’s policy statements was to highlight the neutral stance he and the Bank are embracing with respect to interest rates. (Kawa). Poloz said in a September statement that he feels that the global economy is â€Å"performing largely as expected† and that the housing industry in Canada was â€Å"stronger  than anticipated.† (Isfield). This month, Poloz stated that he feels that the upside and downside inflationary risks are, at this time, balanced and that, as such, there is no need alter interest rates in the foreseeable future assuming the status quo is not disrupted. (Parkinson). The Bank’s current neutral stance on interest rates, has now been reiterated and strengthened, to such an extent that it is possible, to â€Å"ultra-neutral.† (Isfeld). Because of Poloz’s ongoing statements with respect to interest rate neutrality, the bank’s removal of interest rate hike guidance from its policy statements, and the perception that the risks between and inflationary upside and an inflationary downside are perceived by Poloz and the board to be balanced, it is unlikely that interest rates will be changed in the next six to twelve months by the Bank of Canada. Works Cited Altstedter, Ari. â€Å"Housing Bubble Will Force Bank of Canada to Renew Rate Hike Warnings Soon, Pimco Says.† Financial Post. 1 Oct. 2014. Web. < http://business.financialpost.com/2014/10/01/housing-bubble-will-force-bank-of-canada-to-renew-rate-hike-warnings-soon-pimco-says/> Isfeld, Gordon. â€Å"Bank of Canada’s Stephen Poloz Turns Ultra-Neutral On Interest Rates.† Financial Post. 3 Sep. 2014. Web. Kawa, Lucas. â€Å"Say Goodbye To Forward Guidance From The Bank Of Canada.† Business In Canada. 14 Oct. 2014. Web. Parkinson, David. â€Å"Bank of Canada Still Fears Low Inflation Despite Balanced Outlook.† The Globe And Mail. 3 Nov. 2014. Web.