How To Handle A Bad Case Of The Sundays

After a glorious weekend with family and friends, where perhaps there was time spent in the park, at the movies, drinking wine or revving up with a run or long walk—by 4ish pm on Sunday, something changes. Full hearts and energized minds make way for the stomach pit, the swirl and chest constriction. Our children and friends are still in their weekends. They’re making jokes, doing tricks on the monkey bars and attempting everything within their power to summon our attention. Because it’s clear, we’re not there.

We’re in to-do lists, high-stake meetings, rehashing Friday mistakes, imagining worst-case scenarios—essentially stewing in a bad case of the Sundays.

Know that whether you are in a toxic work situation or in a job you love in which you may be taking on more responsibility—this is an absolutely understandable reaction to winding down your time off and reigniting your week. That said, there are some things you can do to proactively handle the anxiety that is robbing you of the last chunk of your weekend.

Here are a few ways I approach the Sundays with clients so that they have a leg up on the week ahead:

1. Hold a Sunday planning meeting
Instead of wondering how you’re going to do it all in the week in front of you, get honest and in action about a plan to do so. Schedule time for an hour on Sunday where you can contain your planning for the week. It can be any time that works for you—feel free to experiment with different times of day. This way, you have one focused hour, where you make your to-do list, set intentions for meetings throughout the week and know what you need to prepare ahead of time instead of walking into a shit-storm without a plan. Your planning meeting also gives you the opportunity to shut down your anxiety throughout the rest of the day with a simple, "I don’t have to focus on that now. I’ll handle it in my planning meeting later today."

2. Create a Sunday mantra
Use Sunday as an opportunity to practice presence and as a chance to build up your resilience muscle. You have this in you. You do it every week. Now celebrate yourself moving through a tough day with strength and compassion. When I take my daughters and the puppy for a walk on Sunday evening after dinner, and I feel a moment of the weight of what I have to do, I like to say something as simple as, "Be here now." I notice smiles, giggles and tail wagging, and keeping focused on these details helps me return to the moment.

3. Add self-care time into Sunday
Do SOMETHING that energizes you on Sunday. For me, it’s a walk in Prospect Park. Simply being in nature offers up the peace that can be an antidote for the churn of Sunday overwhelm. If you say yes to things that are everyone else’s priority and no to the things that are meaningful to you—you are setting that reactive tone for the week. When you give yourself time to do things that refuel you, you can put those fragmented parts of your mind back together to start the week as a whole human.

4. Block out time for a slow Monday morning (if possible)
If you are even mildly in charge of your work day and schedule, make a practice of blocking out one to two hours on Monday morning to have a slow start. Focus on catch up tasks and say hello to colleagues and your team if that’s something that energizes you. When I was in a corporate office, I used to think of this time as "relationship building" hours when I would catch up on people’s weekends and see how they’re doing. Connection is one of my top values, so it makes sense to me now that this is where I focused my time to recharge on Monday am. Now that I have my own business, I spend most of my Monday mornings writing. No big surprise, but I get my best article ideas on the weekends so I’m usually hungry to get writing once Monday morning hits. It’s a way for me to ease into the week doing something I love.

If you begin feeling the Sundays at 10 am or blasphemy—Saturday night, it may be best to seek some professional help to work through the anxiety that’s coming up for you. Whether it’s a bad boss, a role that’s a wrong fit or simply knowing it’s time to move on—when your work pressure takes over your entire life—it’s time to look into what’s going on. As painful as it can be, that anxiety is your body trying to send you the message, "Buddy, we’re not OK. Investigate ASAP." We often think our minds are leading the way, but truly it’s our bodies that have all the answers—and when we listen, we are rewarded with the peace we seek.

Where Beauty And Career Collide

Last week I went into my daughter’s 5th grade classroom for the school’s once a month Family Friday. Jane’s creative teacher chose the perfect activity for the morning. The kids traced their arm and hand ahead of time on white paper and then that day each parent/child pair collaborated on words and images that described the 9 or 10-year-old and used them to adorn the arm drawing. The parent’s job in this exercise was to "remind each child how he or she is unique and amazing." In reading this out loud, Jane remarked, "This is going to be really easy for us, Mom." Self-confidence, check!

We fueled her arm with powerful and accurate words.

Imaginative | Brave | Kind | Mathematical | Musical | Joie de Vivre!

And then we tied it all together with a rainbow background highlighting the boldness with which she leads her life.

I walked away from the school and into my day’s work filled with joy from end to end of my person. Not only proud to have a daughter who is all of these things, but beaming to have one who still knows she is all of these things.

Then something struck me. We didn’t write beautiful or pretty. Oh no! I hope she knows she’s beautiful. I hope she knows I think she is. And then I realized—it didn’t occur to either of us because in the context of school, in this moment, that is not yet a priority.

Even in my gratitude for age 10, I’m not naïve enough to think this priority shift isn’t around the corner. The hormones, the research, my own experience and that of my clients help me see what we’re up against.

I had an early intro to the importance of beauty by a mom who struggled with her weight her entire life and started putting me on diets by age 5. It was all she knew. It was the best she could do, and I’ve needed to find my own closure with it given my parents’ passing when I was 11. I will never have that in-person conversation with her to discuss how her fraught relationship with my body impacted my life and while it’s difficult to admit, in some ways that has helped me move on. When I have the conversation in my head, I get the chance to say everything I need to say, and nobody disagrees or gets defensive.

I’ve found my peace with my body and I talk with my own daughters about bodies in a completely different way than my mom did. Food is about fuel and energy, bodies are built to be strong and they all look different.

And yet—my appearance has always been a dimension of how impostor syndrome shows up for me in my career, and I know that is also the case for many of my clients. The inundation of flawless female imagery in our faces from birth to present infiltrates our personal lives, but we rarely acknowledge how it shows up in our careers.

Curly hair feeling unruly and unprofessional.

Imperfect skin, feeling exposed in front of an audience.

Curvy bodies snuggly fitting into work clothes one size too small (or more).

Here are a few ways I help my clients work through this flavor of fear as it comes up for them:

1. Move toward compassion and acceptance
In my early thirties, I started practicing what I called "curly acceptance." This is the hair I was given, so let me take a little time to figure out how to make it work—and even make it part of my personal brand. For higher stakes meetings and presentations, I figured out a go-to style that makes me feel professional in any circumstance (or weather pattern). I like a slicked-back bun that is no-fuss on long days with multiple meetings. Also, if you’re currently a different size than your wardrobe, make sure you have some things to wear that fit well and make you feel great. Self-judgment and punishment do not make a leader. The more you remove that pressure and find beauty and acceptance in where you are right now, the more you can inspire others to do the same.

2. Question and resist unrealistic beauty standards wherever possible
As someone who grew up devouring beauty magazines, I don’t keep any in my home. I try to keep fashion, cosmetics and any other industry ads that depict women unrealistically away from my two daughters as much as possible. And when we see billboards or Barbie’s for that matter, I like to point out that those images and bodies don’t exist, that they’re altered and that it’s not our destiny to look like those images. When it comes to playing this out in careers, I work with people to focus on their personal brands and personal styles—rather than the latest trends or fitting into a certain size. What are the parts of your style that are both professional and make you feel like you?

3. Replace thoughts about beauty with those about health and longevity
Step outside the subjective lens of beauty to focus on what you truly can measure: your health. Make sure you’re up to date with all the necessary tests from your primary care physician (cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.) and if you want to make changes in your diet or lifestyle—make moving the needle on those factors your goal. When the way you feel in your pants during a presentation triggers a thought about your appearance, counteract that thought in the moment with your knowledge of your health data and the path you’re on to live a long healthy life. The longer you live, the greater impact you can make. The way you look in your pants has no effect on your contribution to the world.

The key to moving through some of your career beauty blocks is to begin noticing when you’re triggered. Is it when you’re meeting with senior leaders? Is it when those senior leaders are female? Is it when you don’t plan your outfit in advance and show up with two different shoes? This is hypothetical, of course. The more you hone your awareness of what brings out your self-judgy ways, the more you can proactively reframe those thoughts and remind yourself, that like anything—our culture’s expectation of how women should look, feel and be is a construct, and WE get to choose whether we buy into it. Or not.

The Do's And Don'ts Of Selling On LinkedIn

As a power user and all-around fan of LinkedIn; as a coach who demands all of her clients get on the platform in order to enhance the work we will do—I must get something off my chest.

People are using LinkedIn in a way that abuses trust, annoys active and non-active members alike and is irritating enough to scare away swaths of loyal fans to another platform that is likely to creep up any day now.

LinkedIn team, I hope this is keeping you up at night. I hope you’re currently in meetings to save your solid professional networking and publishing platform. It’s been critical to helping me build my business, find a voice and audience, and help my clients foster relationships resulting in hundreds of job opportunities.

I’ve heard the frustration among loyal users –

Don’t connect with me so you can try to instantly sell me something.

Or more simply put –

Stop trying to sell to me!

As someone who has expanded my business and found new corporate and individual clients on LinkedIn, I have a slightly different perspective founded on the same frustrations.

In my mind—effective sales stems from a combination of listening, providing value and building a relationship. 99% of the solicitations I receive on LinkedIn ignore this approach entirely, so alas—we are where we are.

Whether it’s getting on the phone with a "publisher" interested in my becoming one of their authors, only for her to reveal half way through the call that she’s never read anything I’ve written.

Or when I get a long message from the founder of what might as well be called clueless.com about connecting with other like-minded CEO’s of mid-sized high tech consultancies. Dude, have you looked at my profile?

I often describe my coaching and leadership style as a combination of snark and hope—and to be honest, this inundation of spaghetti at the wall pitches has amped up my snarkiness to a level I’m not always proud of, but I’m human and a New Yorker, so it happens.

When one small business consultant reached out to ask me for a call to discuss the secret to my success in creating a profitable business I love, I responded:

"In short—saying no to things that aren’t a priority! Good luck!"

It may be just me, but I still giggle at that one.

On the flip side, if you want to use LinkedIn to build your business and attract new customers instead of sending them into a tizzy and off the platform, focus on these three things.

1. Long-term relationship building always wins
On a date, would you go in for the lip (or even tongue) kiss after exchanging hellos? If you would, we have bigger problems than your sales technique, but in focusing on sales for now, know that relationships take time to build. If you send a LinkedIn request and the other party accepts, it’s fine to send a longer description about who you are and the value you offer clients—but if you try to close them on something in this next note, you are missing a key opportunity to build their trust. Let them get to know you via your content contributions on the platform and begin to better understand their needs via theirs. Have patience. Give space. Not everyone moves at your pace.

2. ABPV: Always Be Providing Value
When you offer up meaningful contributions via articles, comments or even sharing others’ content, you are seen as a resource rather than someone who is simply hungry to close me or get my business. Yes, it’s time consuming and yes, it’s slower—but I can tell you first hand—I’m cultivating deep relationships with people on the platform because I show up consistently, I listen to their challenges and I mine my experience and my training for targeted solutions. This way, when people come to me via LinkedIn, they feel like they know me, and they often tell me it feels like I know them. Listen, research and pay attention to your ideal clients. This is the way to get to that coveted position.

3. Start with a point of contact
As is the case offline—referrals matter. Find points of contact with your ideal clients and work with your contacts to help you connect with them. Of course, after you do connect with them, please note step one and don’t rush to close. Your contacts may not offer up your ideal clients, but they do offer a viable place to start and return to when you’re feeling stuck. Remember to make it easy for your contacts to help you. Send them a note with everything they need to forward so they don’t have to spend time writing something that may end up being off-message for you. Show gratitude with your network, don’t exhaust them and refer to point two in offering them value. Take them for coffee or lunch, or provide them a complimentary hour of whatever you offer.

I’ve wanted to write this article for awhile in response to all of the one-off feedback notes I’ve been sending my solicitors (that are all over the map on the spectrum of coachy to…not). I offer these words in the hopes of saving one of my favorite tools from well meaning, ambitious participants who may not be aware that they’re coming across as bottom-feeders. But this is not to say I’m doing in perfectly either. We’re all figuring it out, but I know how I feel when I get these pitches. For those of you out there sending them, I want you to know how I perceive them. And if you’ve read even half of this article perhaps you will take my advice. Listen.

Interview Prep For The Self-Aware And Those Who Want To Be

I’ve had many wonderful interviews throughout my career. Moments when I knew I wanted the job and that it was mine for the taking. Interviews where I pulled answers out of the depths of my brain and later wondered how that knowledge ever got there.

The opposite is also true. Early in my digital marketing career, I interviewed with a major advertising agency and showed up absolutely unprepared. I didn’t want the job, but somehow I wanted them to want me. When they asked, "Why would you want to go from client-side to agency-side?" I knew I didn’t want to, so instead I started talking and then kept talking. And talking. I lulled myself into such a bored slumber that I felt my smarter self floating above the interview, watching this unending, meaningless soliloquy and tried to send powerful psychic messages saying, "SHUT UP! I BEG YOU. JUST STOP TALKING!" Finally, I did. The HR Manager did not pass me on to the Hiring Manager I was scheduled to meet. I apologized to my friend who referred me and I made a promise to myself to always give 100% to prepare. And now, I help my clients make that commitment as well.

Here’s my interview prep process that starts with the surface topics and then digs deep into reflecting on the challenges that may be holding you back in your search.

1. Your elevator pitch
I see that face behind your screen. Yes, you need this. It’s simply the answer to the question, "Tell me about yourself." You want this to be clear, precise and on-brand. This is your first impression and your chance to have a powerful start. You can get my three Elevator Pitch Formulas here!

2. STAR Stories—more is more here
Hiring managers want to hear examples of how you exemplified the skills and expertise they’re seeking. That said, you don’t want to talk for days without a breath or jump into a story that has a beginning, a middle and a middle. STAR is a framework you can use to practice your stories. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. When working with clients, I often have this nagging feeling to remind them that you don’t say those words as you’re telling the story, rather it’s simply how you organize the story in your mind. My absolute favorite interview article on themuse.com, 31 of The Most Common Interview Questions, will walk you through how to create your STAR stories for the top interview questions. Note—come up with many and some that are within the past year. Some hiring managers will get that specific!

3. Walk me through your resume
This is a common interview request that you can use to tell your narrative in a positive way, highlighting a diverse set of strengths. I work with clients to attach one anchor strength, skill learned or story that demonstrates a top quality of yours to each role listed on your resume. That way, you can connect the dots with those anchor points to walk through your resume in a clear, concise way that demonstrates the breadth of your experience and allows your personal brand to shine through.

4. Where are the skeletons buried?
This is where we dig deep and get honest with ourselves. While reviewing your resume, underline bullets and write in the margin areas where you might or definitely will go negative. Why are you leaving your job? Why did you stay in the same role for 6 years? Why did you take a career break? How was it working with a manager accused of sexual harassment? You know the questions. You know the moments that still make your face red and your palms sweaty. Reframe those stories. Rewrite the narrative in a boundaried way so that you only say what you are comfortable saying. Then, when you’re in the conversation, hit it head on and then move on. Don’t linger in those landmines even if you are well practiced.

5. Do your research and ask insightful questions
Any hiring manager wants to see your hunger, your commitment and your style in the interview. If you’ve done your homework and ask good questions, you’re showing them that this is the kind of person you’re going to be in the role. Also know that this process goes both ways—you are interviewing this employer as well. When you ask questions about the company, but also the things that are important to you in a role (leadership style, culture, etc.), you’re demonstrating confidence and gaining leverage in your negotiations because it provides the appearance that you have options.

6. Intentions and self-care
The day of the interview, do what you need to do to raise your energy and make yourself feel whole—like you. For some, that means planning your outfit the night before and exercising or meditating in the morning. For others it means having a token or symbol of strength on your person during the meeting. If I have pockets—a rare event in women’s clothing—I like to keep my father’s pinky ring with me during a presentation or a big meeting. Occasionally, I’ll touch it and feel grounded, refueled and energized. One of my clients puts a rock from her hometown in her pocket for the same reason. Also, set an intention for who you want to be in the meeting. If you’ve reflected on your values lately, perhaps it’s one of those—connection or courage. For some of my clients, they set an intention to simply learn more about the role or to be themselves. If you find yourself struggling during the interview, take a deep breath and remember, " I can be myself."

As you strengthen your narrative and your interviewing skills, know that it takes practice—and there’s ALWAYS room to improve. If you don’t get the job, ask for feedback. Even though I’ve found feedback comes only 15-20% of the time, sometimes it can be an absolutely critical piece of wisdom that makes all the difference in your next round of interviews. Also know that finding a job is often about fit. Sometimes when you don’t get the job, you may have dodged a bullet because of something in their culture or leadership approach that was not going to be a fit with your style. Make sure you do a debrief after you don’t get a role so you can learn how to vet those wrong-fit situations out within the interview process and set your own expectations accordingly. Because I have the benefit of seeing many people through this process, I know that the tools I’ve outlined work, but the most important thing you can do for yourself during this intense time of a job search is believe. Believe that there is not only one great opportunity out there for you, but many. With a combination of belief, knowledge that you’re worthy of that next great role, patience, practice and prep—in time—you will get there too.