NYC Diaries: How to beat holiday stress

I don’t mean to sound like a Scrooge, but this holiday season hasn’t been a very welcome one for me. It’s my first Christmas as a full-time working woman, and I’m beginning to see how challenging it is to balance everything. As much as I love my job, I haven’t had much time to shop for presents or decorate the tree or even spend time with friends and family. When I was in college as a full-time student (I’m finishing my last semester online because of my job), I remember having a month off for winter vacation. This year, I have two days. That’s it — just Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. So what’s a 20-year-old girl to do when the whole world is carolling while I’m sitting in an office? Well, I guess my only option is to take a deep breath and just take in all the merry.

When you really think about it, the holidays are NOT about comfort and warmth, as people now seems to think. Whatever your religion or lack thereof, the holidays are about surviving struggles with a smile. Christians celebrate the birth of a Savior in a horribly uncomfortable stable because there was no room elsewhere. Those who are Jewish rejoice that light miraculously lasted for longer than expected and dreaded. And even if you’re not particularly religious, wintertime is not a very joyful period in terms of weather and and lack of sunlight. What’s so striking about the holidays is that they are not inherently happy; people MAKE them happy.
So maybe this season was a bit harder for me with my new time limitations. But maybe all I really need are those two days off to enjoy my friends’ and family’s company. I don’t need to spend a million dollars on presents or hours decorating a tree, but I get to spend a little bit of time with the people I love most. And that’s what counts during the holidays — celebrating the little joys amid the hardships.

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–By Caitlin from Stream of Caitlinness

[Photos via Brandi Reed]

NYC Diaries: 5 tips for starting a new job

Last week, I started a completely new job. I hold the same position — Social Media Coordinator — that I did while working at Oxygen, but I took a total 180 from entertainment television to news. It’s a big switch, but I love my job. But of course, any new job takes some getting used to. The first two weeks are typically a period of adjustment. So, what steps, you ask, can one take to ensure a smooth transition? Here are my top 5 tips…
 
Meet and greet everyone

And I do mean everyone, from your higher-ups to the janitor who empties your trash can after hours. Kindness is contagious, so make sure you’re nice and get to know everyone you’ll be working with.

Scout out all the good eateries

Unless you plan to pack your own lunch every day, it’s a good idea to learn where the best and most affordable restaurants are located. NYC is famous for its food trucks (in college, we called them

“grease trucks“), with ethnic cuisine and delicious hot meals. There’s also a Pret a Manger, which serves health foods and sandwiches, right down the block from me. And of course, there’s a Starbucks on every corner in the city.

Dress to impress
Whether you work in an office or in a store or in a school, make sure you dress at least one step up from whatever it states in the dress code. So even if your boss normally wears jeans every day, break out your best heels for at least the first week. This shows that you’re serious about your position and that you’re professional. After you get settled in and are comfortable in your new work environment, though, feel free to match the dress code.

Keep your personal issues private
We all have bad days, and there are events in life that are truly hard to deal with: Breakups, family deaths, etc. But any personal pain should be kept separate from the workplace and should not
interfere with the job at hand. And this is coming from a girl who used to suffer from severe panic attacks on a daily basis. So trust me — it’s possible.

Make your workspace yours

Your desk is just that: Yours. So pretty it up and bring in things that will inspire you and create a good working atmosphere. I have a photo of my little cousin hanging near my computer, and I write in a notebook that had Taylor Swift on the cover (seriously…don’t laugh). These things make me feel more at home in my new workspace.

So, there you have it! These are my tips on how to get comfortable in your new job and make the best out of a new situation. Good luck to everyone working or looking for a new job today!

Read my blog, LIKE me on Facebook and FOLLOW me on Twitter for more!

–By Caitlin from Stream of Caitlinness

[Top photo via We Heart It]

NYC Diaries: Falling in love with…myself

This topic was totally Melissa’s idea. She recently wrote a beautiful post about body image on my blog, where she talked about the top 5 things she loves about her body. I think that having a positive body image is so important, but it can also be pretty difficult when you’re working in NYC and bumping into gorgeous supermodels on occasion. So it helps to focus on the parts of myself that I love and that make me unique. Here’s my take on body image and what I love about myself…
 
Hair
When I was little, my grandmother used to tell me an old wives’ tale about how eating bread crust would make your hair really curly. So I spent years eating crustless sandwiches and using straightening irons in hopes that I’d just wake up with naturally straight hair one day. I didn’t. But I’ve definitely learned to appreciate my Taylor Swift curls now as an adult.


Legs
As useful as the transportation system is in New York, I find myself having to do a LOT of walking to get to and from the train station every day for work. And with all that exercise comes a workout that can rival even the most strenuous treadmill jogging session at the gym. My legs are very muscular and shapely as a result, and I love highlighting them in skirts and leggings. I’m proud of my athletic legs because they bear the signs of a long commute and a healthy body.

 
Smile
As a kid, I always envied my friends who wore braces and were allowed to pick different-color rubber bands to decorate them every month. Now that I’m an adult, I realize how fortunate I was that I never needed to wear braces or to feel the pain of getting them tightened all the time. My teeth are perfectly straight and won’t be needing any work done anytime soon.
 
Hips and thighs


I used to think that my ample hips and backside made me fat, but I’m far from overweight. I now see them for what they really are: A sign of femininity and an expression of my Latina roots. I’m tall and pale, so most people are shocked when I mention that I’m 100% Hispanic. I may act like a Taylor Swift, but my shape definitely leans more toward a J.Lo. And I’m cool with that.
 
Limb difference
This one hasn’t always been easy for me to love or even accept. I was born without my left arm just below the elbow and often wear a prosthetic to cover it up. I used to think my limb difference made me undesirable or unattractive to the opposite sex. But I realized how wrong I was and now see my small arm as capable and strong. I see it as something unique that only adds to my character. It doesn’t define me, but it doesn’t detract from who I am, either.
 
So there you have it — 5 things about me that have really taught me to love and believe in myself. I hope this post inspires you to look for all the positive things you should celebrate about yourself because, trust me, there are many. You can read my blog and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
 
–By Caitlin from Stream of Caitlinness

NYC Diaries: Lessons from Hurricane Sandy

I want my Internet back.
 
That thought kept floating in my head as I sat in the dim candlelight on a cold Thursday night. I’d been without any power or electricity for a few days, and I was growing bored and impatient. As a Social Media Coordinator, my job requires me to be online almost 24/7. And with the threat of a hurricane looming over the tri-state area, I was stuck working from home just outside NYC (where my office is located) the Monday that Sandy hit. Until the power went out. Without my laptop and the Internet, I couldn’t get any work done. So my mind went into a panic as the impatient and workaholic New York mindset took over.
 
The winds were violent and there was quite a bit of rain, which was to be expected, but the worst part of the storm was the destruction it left in its wake. Of course, I had no way of knowing what was going on because I was (quite literally) in the dark. I didn’t realize how dependent we are as a culture on the Internet and on electricity until I didn’t have it that week. Isolated from the rest of the world, I had no qualms about being upset over my situation. I whined about being cold and not having Internet and not being able to charge my cell phone. I complained about how I couldn’t make it to work because the trains and subways were all flooded and the office had no power. Needless to say, it was not a pleasant experience. But when I was later able to watch the news and check my Facebook account, I saw post after post about people who had it way worse than I did.
When tragedies and emergencies strike, it’s easy to focus on your own inconveniences. Admittedly, not having any phone service or power to work from home is a pretty big problem. But it was nothing compared to the pain of the people who lost lives, loved ones and homes to the storm. It was jarring to hear the real-life horror stories that came from Hurricane Sandy’s path of destruction. My heart and prayers go out to those who are still hurting because of Sandy’s devastating effects. But it was also beautiful and heartwarming to see people come together via social media networks and work for good. I heard about people using Web sites like Facebook and Twitter to organize clothing donations and food drives. These were locals who did what they could to help out their neighbors in need. New Yorkers have a reputation for always being on the go and on to the next thing without skipping a beat, so it was inspiring to see people reach out and help others as soon as they could log into their favorite networking sites.  
So I know now that I was being selfish complaining about everything I didn’t have, especially when there were people hurting so much more. But the storm certainly brought with it a lesson in patience, gratitude and paying it forward. Seeing people gather for good online also made me realize how important the Internet is in connecting people and creating community. And it showed me that sometimes, you just need to take some time out of a crazy/busy day to care and help in whatever way you can. So I have not uttered a negative word about the even-more-crowded-than-usual NYC trains or the fact that buses are still not running on the right schedule. Instead, I’m thankful that my family and I are okay after the storm and that people are helping their fellow New Yorkers because, at the end of the day, what matters most is how we love and how we act toward each other as a community.
 
–By Caitlin from Stream of Caitlinness