Work/Life Integration

Due to the upheaval in the housing market over the past few years many new realities of home ownership have appeared. These realities include changes in the types of home loans that are now available. It also includes more properties that are now bank-owned or under water which has changed how some interested buyers now view these types of properties. Potential buyers also need to recognize the importance of having their finances in order prior to applying for a home loan and understand how potential lenders now perceive what is considered good credit.

The recent housing collapse has changed the home buying process significantly. Where once it was easy to attain credit, it has become more difficult again and a home’s value as an investment is more uncertain. Banks have gone back to a more traditional lending approach as a result of the collapse and now having good credit and a down payment is essential. Lenders are also focused on offering more traditional mortgage products such as 30- and 15-year mortgages versus the exotic ARMs offered a few years ago.

For a long time, the scientific community believed we were born with a certain number of brain cells and neural pathways and that, once damaged, they could not be repaired. In reality, our brains are much more flexible. Depending on our lifestyle, we can weaken or destroy connections, or create new, stronger ones. Engaging regularly in certain behaviors and activities, like physical exercise, addressing mental health issues, meditation, and learning a new language or musical instrument, support new wiring and can make existing pathways stronger.

Over the past few years, employees have been asked to do more, do their work differently and do better in new and challenging ways, all while managing family life and personal responsibilities that seem never-ending. The feeling of languishing or “will this ever end?” abounds throughout the workforce and can have a huge impact on your mental health.

It is summertime, and school is out! For many people, summer conjures images of lazy, relaxing days at the beach. However, for many working families, summer brings the challenges of balancing the demands of adult work schedules with the desire to provide safe, fun activities for children. This workshop offers several ideas on summer activities and provides practical suggestions on how to keep your kids safe while you’re at work.

Pregnancy is an experience full of growth, change, enrichment and challenge. It is a time when individuals and couples confront fears and expectations about becoming a parent and begin to determine parenting style. Forthcoming parenthood causes psychological changes in both mother and father. This session will help you understand the normal psychological changes that occur throughout the stages of pregnancy. Don’t worry, these changes are normal considering how big a life event pregnancy is.

Learn something new with LinkedIn Learning!

LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. With over 16,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests. LinkedIn Learning is available at no cost to all active OSU faculty, staff, and students.

The problem with most attempts to adopt stress-management or self-care routines is that they require time, effort and planning. The reality for many people who have stressful jobs is that they are too physically exhausted and mentally depleted by the end of the day to initiate activities commonly recommended to reduce stress in their lives. The trick is to intervene via multiple “micro-moments” of relaxation or mindful practices which only take 15 to 60 seconds.

Kindness is an admirable aspiration for anyone, and it also can be an effective way to achieve success. By being concerned about others we can build relationships and gain support. By serving others we can be happier about ourselves. Kindness can be more than the right thing to do, it can be a path to success and happiness.

This is a 1 hour webinar recording from April 2022. Click "learn more and register" to access the recording*

There is a difference in being motivated and being engaged in the workplace. Sure, you may be motivated to come to work each day for the paycheck, but are you truly engaged in what you are doing? Stars tend to be internally motivated to begin with, but put that motivation together with truly being engaged in what you do and you have the formula for capturing the most “prizes” the organization has to offer—the most interesting work, the salary increases, promotions and possibly bonuses.