Month: November 2018

November 27, 2018 at 09:35AM When the net worth of celebs is constantly tossed around, it’s hard to think of the concept as having anything to do with your own personal finances. And when you do stop and compare? Cue the anxiety. Although crunching your own numbers can be a beneficial practice, you don’t have to freak out if your net worth isn’t where you want it to be (really). For proof, just look at Basu Ratnam, former financier and founder of INDAY, the buzzy New York City fast-casual restaurant empire. “As an entrepreneur, you kind of have to delink self worth and net worth as much as possible,” Ratnam says. “Because in the early days [of your career] and early stages of building your own business, your financial net worth almost inevitably—either in terms of cash flow or equity value that you’re building—is going to take a hit.” Below, we break down how to determine your net worth, what it really means for you, and why there are better measures of your current financial or life situation if you’re still figuring things out. Keep reading for an empowering lesson on net worth versus self worth—and a financially savvy pro’s strategies to give both a boost. Photo: Getty Images/ Anchiy How to calculate your personal net worth Your net worth is the sum of all your assets (cash, property, stocks) minus debt (think credit-card charges, student loans, home loans). But the number doesn’t paint a full picture of your financial situation

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November 27, 2018 at 07:43AM As much as I love a clean workspace, by the end of a busy, deadline-driven day, I’m going to be real: All of my sh*t is everywhere. My lunch is sitting next to me getting cold, I have a pile of papers I still need to get through, and everything that was once put away is somehow now spread out all across my desk. I don’t even know how it happens. While I look like a put-together human until about 2 p.m., after that all hell breaks loose—and according to a new study, if someone caught me during my weakest hours, that first impression could seriously affect the way they perceive my personality. In research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, 160 participants were randomly assigned to sit in different types of offices: one that was neat, clean, organized, and uncluttered, one that was either “somewhat” messy, or one that “very” messy. Afterward, they said which personality traits those in each office had. By their initial assumptions, they thought the person with the super-clean office was more conscientious than the person with the messy office—AKA someone who’s hardworking, goal-oriented, and thoughtful. And they thought the messy office owner was less agreeable and more neurotic, as well as careless and cranky. Now, based on personal experience, I’m not sure how defining this whole thing is personality-wise. Despite being a little messy, I’d say I’m pretty darn positive, super hardworking, and agreeable. Maybe too agreeable—just ask any

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November 27, 2018 at 07:20AM Thanksgiving is over, which means that we’re getting closer and closer to the official start of winter (December 21 this year, in case you were interested). And while winter comes with a lot of perks—soup and sweater season being top of the list—the shorter days and chillier weather can come with a major downside: seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder, more commonly known as SAD, is a form of depression marked by a recurring seasonal pattern—meaning that the depression happens specifically during a certain time of year. Most people with SAD are affected by the onset of winter (although there are some people who get it during the summer). The exact cause of SAD is still unknown, but lack of sunlight that comes with shorter days most likely plays a big role, says psychotherapist Alison Stone. “It disrupts our circadian rhythms, melatonin production, and certain neurotransmitters in the brain responsible for producing serotonin,” she explains. The resulting imbalance can trigger depression in some people—most often in women, people who live far from the equator, or people with a family history of depression. People often toss the term “seasonal affective disorder” around lightly, but the truth is that SAD is just as serious as other forms of depression. If you think you may suffer from SAD, here’s everything you need to know—and how to take action. Seasonal affective disorder symptoms are very similar to depression symptoms—with a catch Stone says seasonal affective disorder symptoms are very similar to those of

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November 27, 2018 at 05:20AM A few weeks ago, I got a text message from a guy who ghosted me last summer. I didn’t have his number saved in my phone anymore because I’m pretty quick to delete contacts who are no longer in my life. So I asked who he was (“Same phone, who dis?”), he answered, and I quickly decided I wasn’t interested in anything he had to say. Not only had he ghosted me after three dates, but about a week after my last text went unanswered, he started posting photos to his Instagram of him with another girl. The nerve. But this man must have had amnesia, because he started talking to me like everything was normal, as if there were no time-lapse of entire seasons between our last amicable interaction. He told me how much he admires me, how beautiful I am, and how he’d been following me on Instagram (since he ghosted me) and he’s “very impressed with me.” Well, since he’s impressed…JUST KIDDING. Condescending and a ghoster? Clearly, he needed words from a straight shooter, and I was up for the job. So instead of being polite, I let him know exactly how I felt about him: I told him that reaching out to me a year after kicking me to the curb was a shitty thing to do and reflects his gross sense of entitlement. I told him that ignoring me after we were together and then dating someone immediately wasn’t in

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November 27, 2018 at 03:00AM Ever been to a wedding, movie, or concert where one person’s emotional sniffles suddenly turns into an audience-wide symphony of waterworks? Well, I have—and it’s led me to wonder whether this phenomenon is mere coincidence or if crying may actually be contagious. The idea of “catching” feelings is something researchers have been looking into for years. Dubbed “emotional contagion,” it occurs when you’re interacting with someone who is feeling something strong that in turn causes you to take on that same emotion, says social psychologist Daniel Rempala, PhD. Crying may be more contagious than other feels, simply because the act is so noticeable—whether they’re tears of sadness, joy, or fear, says Dr. Rempala. But still, all emotions are susceptible to transference. Here’s why “catching the feels” is a real and true thing The process of catching an emotion comes from a concept that social psychologists call mimicry. “In conversation, people automatically and continuously mimic and synchronize their movements with the facial expressions, voices, postures, movements, and instrumental behaviors of others,” says Elaine Hatfield, PhD, an emotional-contagion researcher. She essentially likens it to “monkey see, monkey do.” You’re constantly reading cues from people around you and subconsciously mimicking their behavior, which in turn affects your emotional state. Essentially, you’re constantly reading cues from people around you and subconsciously mimicking their behavior, which in turn affects your emotional state. In fact, research on contagious crying in infants actually theorizes the occurrence to be an early sign of

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