Challenges In The Workplace

The Aspie Insiders met up this week to talk about the challenges they have faced in the workplace. From the issue of stress to the matter of prioritizing, our members had some incredibly introspective things to say about the professional world and offered their own perspectives on it — including many things that most people don't often consider.

During our discussion, it seemed the Insiders focused on only a handful of challenges in the workplace. These will be listed below along with the highlights of our discussion.

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• Stress

Stress can be an extremely debilitating factor that often negates a person's success in the workplace. It is silent, unseen, and affects everyone differently. Therefore, it is often a hard thing to deal with. The Insiders had some answers here, however, sharing their own tips for dealing with anxiety. Some members described their stress as being very physical in nature, and so they deal with it accordingly by using therapy balls or even a small trampoline to bounce on and get rid of that built up energy. Other members shared more conventional methods of managing stress, such as listening to calming music or exercising.

The trend over the past twenty years for most people in the workforce has been a drastic increase in productivity matched with income levels that have roughly stayed the same. As such, many in the workforce feel overworked and stressed out, handling by themselves what two or three people managed in the past. With this in mind, we concluded that stress is something that has to be managed. It should be an important part of any person's life and should be addressed on a daily basis.

• Boredom

Some of our Insiders expressed an interesting challenge they have while on the job — that of boredom. While many jobs present high-stress situations, there are also jobs out there that include lots of down time. To the aforementioned overworked individual, this might seem like a good thing, but as any person who has worked in retail during slow hours will tell you, it can truly be a nightmare.

One of our members prefaced our entire discussion on boredom by stating that he often seeks out things to do when things get slow at the place he works. By doing this, he said, he avoids boredom and shows his supervisor that he values his job and has a healthy work ethic. With the popularity of smartphones, I imagine this as an opportunity often overlooked. An employee cannot complain of boredom if there are still responsibilities to meet.

If, however, you find yourself bored to tears with nothing else to do, there are some things you can do. If it doesn't interrupt your ability to meet customers' needs, listening to music or audiobooks might be the way to go. One member said that he does just this at his job as a document processor. Speaking of customers, interacting with them is a great way to avoid boredom (and it shows a proper work ethic). And finally, you might consider making menial tasks fun in your own way: challenge yourself, get coworkers involved, inject some humor into the task. A little creativity can truly be a boredom killer.

• Multitasking

When this topic came up in discussion, one of our members made a very clear, decisive statement: "Multitasking is a myth." In researching this a bit since our meeting, it seems to be the case. From an article featured on NPR, this statement rings true: "The research is almost unanimous, which is very rare in social science, and it says that people who chronically multitask show an enormous range of deficits. They're basically terrible at all sorts of cognitive tasks, including multitasking."

The article can be found here.

• Prioritizing

If multitasking, then, is essentially a dead end, what are we left with? Basically, the Insiders determined that prioritizing rather than multitasking is the way to go. That, of course, can be a challenge in and of itself. Figuring out what tasks one has to complete is the first step, but then figuring out the order in which to do those things is the next one.

Making lists is always helpful. One member said that he lists out everything he can think of that he has to get done. Purging one's mind of those thoughts instantly reduces anxiety — you have gotten it "out of your system" — and it helps to see those responsibilities laid out. After this, ask yourself what requires immediate attention. You can work your backwards from here, deciding what needs to be done before the day's end, what needs to be caught up on, and what can wait. Essentially, designating a system for this is the way to go — it might take some practice to effectively gauge the order in which tasks should be completed, but this will go a long way in helping you make correct decisions.

BELOW, SHARE YOUR OWN CHALLENGES IN THE WORKPLACE. HOW HAVE YOU DEALT WITH THEM? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THOSE WHO ARE RELATIVELY NEW TO THE WORKING WORLD? LET US KNOW!

Simple Tips For Saving Money

With the Aspie Insiders, we often talk about the importance of "Executive Functioning" skills -- that is, such things as planning, strategizing, organizing, attention to detail, and time management. These are critical skills needed to grow up successfully and manage all the fine details of life.

While the idea of managing time is extremely important, we often talk about management of another necessity in life, and that is money. Being in control of money (rather than the other way around) is a challenge for many, especially given the troubling economic environment most have had to get used to within the past few years. With this in mind, check out the following video that offers some simple money-saving tips for any person to follow. While you might not find yourself saving up huge amounts of cash because of this video, it will challenge you to live more frugally.

BELOW, SHARE YOUR OWN THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TO SAVE MONEY AND GET BY IN A WORLD THAT CAN BE QUITE CHALLENGING WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCES. ALSO, FEEL FREE TO COMMENT IF YOU'RE ALREADY DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS!

Ahhhh, Memories!

Memories are powerful things. Whether it be in the form of a flashback or for the purpose of acing a test, memories have both function and purpose in our lives. And even though memories are very much the things that make up our lives and help define who we are, we hardly ever think about memory as something that can be trained.

The following TEDTalk gave a wonderful outline for just how memories are more than what they seem, and how the mind can perform even mundane tasks in wonderfully creative ways. Check it out! Then, let us know your thoughts on, well, your thoughts (or at least your memories). 

BELOW, LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE VIDEO! HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF MEMORIES IN THIS MANNER? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IT SAYS ABOUT THE WAY OUR MIND WORKS?

Cooking for the Ronald McDonald House in 2013!

Cooking the pasta

Last year, our Aspie Insiders cooked for the Ronald McDonald House twice, providing meals to people who greatly needed them. Not only did it offer us a great opportunity to help out in the community, it also helped us hone our cooking skills (specifically when cooking for a large number of people).

Recently, one of our members suggested we do another cooking donation, and so we let the idea roll around in our heads for awhile. Then, armed with some ingredients and recipes, we got to cooking! 

There is a subtle trick to cooking for large groups of people, a trick that is equally important for practically cooking of any kind. That trick is time management, a crucial skill for just about anything a person does in life. Being in a relationship requires time management, being a productive employee requires it... in fact, we use time management from the very moment we get out of bed!

When it comes to cooking, managing time is extremely important, as it keeps us from burning dishes (or serving them under-cooked). Equally important, though, is that time management can help us get the food cooked quickly. With our Ronald McDonald House cooking, we served up some chili mac and cheese, green beans, and cookies. In order to do that in enough time, we started right away. Here are some tips for getting food cooked in a reasonable amount of time:

• Use kitchen timers. If you have a timer, use it! If you don't have a timer, get one! While many cooks know exactly how long it will take for certain foods to be prepared, most people don't. Timers help keep a person on track and will provide you with a reminder when food is almost done.
• Separate your ingredients based on what you're cooking. Before you start, you might want to place your ingredients in different piles based on what you're cooking. For the cooking we did, we placed all the ingredients used for making the chili mac and cheese in one place, then placed green bean materials in another, and so on. This helps if you favor organization in the kitchen.
• Choose recipes with fewer ingredients. The green beans we cooked included garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, and a few other ingredients, all of which had to be prepared properly. If you know that more ingredients will slow you down, seek a recipe on the simpler side, at least until you've mastered the basics.
• Find the time to do something. If you could look inside a successful restaurant's kitchen, you would find a cooking team that doesn't stop. While one thing's cooking, they're preparing something else. Finding "pockets" of time like this will help you make better use of your time. If you're cooking and you find yourself standing around without anything to do, you might be using your time poorly!
• Avoid overdoing it! If you're not an expert at using a cutting knife, take it slow. It's better for you to start out with the basics and move forward from there than it is to force yourself and create a mediocre dish, or even hurt yourself!

Our final product: Chili Mac and Cheese

And... Green Beans!

We used large aluminum pans to store and transport our food.  This in itself was a little tricky since the heavy food had a tendency to stretch the pans.  We gave the food ample support by placing everything in cardboard boxes.  When we picked the food up and moved it, we were careful to keep a hand in the center of the bottom of the pan — otherwise, there's a chance the food will burst through.  We placed all of our food in a single car and drove it that day to the Ronald McDonald House for them to use the next day.

Everyone together now!

AS ALWAYS, THE ASPIE INSIDERS WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT ANY RECIPES YOU HAVE! LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

The Brain Matters!

Featured below are a couple of articles that show the importance of both nutrition and sleep to our brains. At first glance, one might wonder what these things have to do with social skills. After all, the first article tested for scores on cognitive tests; nothing about social skills was mentioned at all. But if we look at human beings as a whole rather than just on the basis of a test score, we might be able to bridge some connections. The second article argues for the importance of sleep, that it contributes greatly to our physical health. It also helps us solve problems and think more clearly. A person who is well-rested is also more capable of handling stress as well.

Focusing on the health benefits that proper nutrition and sleep can provide is wonderful. It helps us perform real-world tasks as best as possible and keeps us in tip-top shape for everything from our jobs to our friendships. And let's not forget, a large part of being a responsible adult means that we take proper care of ourselves. Without proper nutrition or sleep, one may feel too sick or tired to perform their responsibilities at work. Or one may forget about a commitment they made with a friend. Or... well, the list goes on and on!

The first article -- which you can find here -- showed the link between good nutrition and good cognition.  The researchers used biomarkers in the blood to correlate vitamin usage to brain health.  Here are some of the things they found:

• People who consumed higher levels of vitamin B (as well as vitamins C, D, and E) had higher scores on cognitive tests than people with lower levels of those vitamins.
• People who had higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids also performed better on these cognitive tests.
• Higher levels of trans fats was associated with a poorer performance in thinking and memory tests.  The researchers also found that higher levels of these fats led to more brain shrinkage.  Trans fats are found in junk foods like friend, packaged, and fast foods.
• Author Gene Bowman said that the team's findings "need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet."

The second article -- found here -- revealed the important role that sleep has for our brain.  Researchers again used biomarkers in the blood to reveal that sleeping has an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain.  The study also showed that people who have trouble sleeping are more at risk for metabolic syndrome.  Interestingly enough, it was also mentioned that sleeping on a problem is actually an efficient way to solve them.  According to the article, "During sleep, our brain's memory centers are busy consolidating recall for more effective memory when we're awake.  Sleeping well is an important way to improve your memory ability and may lower risk for cognitive decline."
With the importance of sleep explained, the article gave some tips for sleeping soundly at night:

• Stay up during the day. A daytime nap can be invigorating, but if you already suffer from sleeplessness at night, try not to nap so you'll feel more fatigued at bedtime.
• Avoid evening liquids. After dinner, try not to drink large quantities of water or other drinks. A full bladder can awaken you during the night and you may have trouble getting back to sleep.
• Stay mellow in the evening. Watching lively nighttime sports or an exciting movie thriller tends to hype some people up, making it harder for them to fall asleep.
• Avoid caffeine at night. Whether it's from tea, coffee, soda or even a chocolate bar, caffeine can keep us awake, so avoid it in the evenings. Try to skip coffee entirely in the late afternoon and evening.
• Maintain good sleep habits. It helps to get into bed at the same time each night. Try to skip watching TV, eating or even reading a book. Simply turn out the light and take a few moments to get settled. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something else until you feel tired again. Once you go back to bed, get settled, and give it another 20 minutes. Every time you get into bed to sleep, try remaining still and focus on slow, steady breathing.

DO THESE STUDIES CONFIRM YOUR OWN NUTRITION AND SLEEPING HABITS?  AND DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR EATING OR SLEEPING BETTER?  IF SO, ADD THEM TO THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

Insiders Grab Bag!

Included below is a healthy sampling of some of the more popular entries from our Through Aspie Colored Glasses blog. From learning how to make friends to tips on saving money, check them out! Remember that comments are always appreciated. And of course, don't forget to share this with someone if you think they'll find it interesting.

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Making Friends

An entry on those social skills vital to making new friends and maintaining relationships. While we don't cover everything a person needs to know to develop new friendships, our Insiders go into detail on what has worked for them and what they hope might work for you!

A Framework For Organization

Organization is tough for most, but don't lose hope! Our Insiders look at some proven techniques for turning any space from "ground zero" to a functional place to live, work, play, and so on. Our "framework" for organization provides a step-by-step process that any person can adopt to clean up even the messiest of rooms.

Perfect Planning

Planning, just like organization, is one of those Executive Functioning skills that helps us maintain order in our life. Without it, humanity would simply not get by. The Insiders chime in on what makes planning difficult, and they offer their own advice for any person who finds planning to be tough.

Social Recreation

Behind the seemingly simple idea of "hanging out" with friends, there are many skills that one must coordinate to do something like meet up with a group of buddies on a Friday night. There's planning, communication, organization... and this all before you even meet up with those friends! For some, this all seems like common sense, but for others it's not so easy. Our Insiders offer their own thoughts on what we've termed "social recreation," the practice of meeting up and hanging out with friends.

Insiders: On Money

Finances is a pretty big topic that covers a lot of different things. So rather than looking at advice concerning money, the Insiders sat down for a discussion on how they handle finances. While many good points were made, perhaps the most important one of all is that managing money successfully requires one's own custom strategy. What works for one person doesn't always work for another. If you check this entry out, don't forget to let us know what works for YOU when managing money!

COMING SOON, WE WILL BE DOING INTERVIEWS WITH SOME OF OUR VERY OWN  INSIDERS AND THOSE WITHIN THE ASPERGER'S COMMUNITY. AS OUR ASPIE INSIDERS BLOG CONTINUES TO GROW, WE ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM US! LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW, AND THANKS FOR READING!

A Framework For Organization

Ah, organization! A skill that can apply to our living space, schedule, goals, and even our mind...

"Man, you really need to clean your room," "Why don't you make some plans and we'll get together and discuss this project over lunch?" "I really, really need to organize my thoughts..."

Organization truly is the stitch that pulls together all of life's seams. Without good organization skills, life can feel messy, sloppy, lazy, and chaotic — all of which sound pretty bad. Being a good organizer has a surprising amount of benefits. People who are better organized often experience less stress. The ability to organize equips a person with the chance to control the outcomes in their life; rather than "drifting" through life without aim, organized people develop the habits that help them reach their goals. Even the practice of organizing itself has far-reaching benefits on other aspects of one's life. Having an organized working space, for instance, saves time. Rather than looking for items needed to perform a task, one can get to the task itself faster and easier.

As our Aspie Insiders discussed the big concept of organization, it became more and more clear that being organized has an exponential rate of effectiveness. The more organized a person becomes, the less time they have to devote to getting organized — makes sense, right? Well, it works the opposite way too: the less organized a person is, the more time they have to spend getting organized. This all sounds like common sense, but in practice things get a bit more complicated. With that said, here are some reasons people resist the organized life:

• In many cases, there's a feeling of hopelessness one experiences when faced with the daunting task of getting organized. Staring at a ridiculously messy room has an effective way of breaking that drive to become organized.
• Many people complain that they don't have the time to organize their busy life or cluttered space. For this, we refer back to the idea that getting organized saves time instead of eating it up, especially in the long run. If a big project will occupy 3 hours of one's time every week for 5 weeks, that's 15 hours of time total. If it takes 30 minutes just to get started on the project each time, that's 2.5 hours of wasted time. Even with 2.5 hours spent on getting organized, it's a break-even proposition (except it's really not, since any future projects will be done quicker as well).
• There's often a fear that presents itself with greater organization, the idea that a person will slip into old habits quickly and ruin the good habits they started. In many cases, using reminders can help out in this area.

In many cases, an effective strategy can help bridge a person from those fears to becoming successfully organized. Being prepared can help to ease fears, build confidence, and provide a visible framework for what needs to be done. With this, the Insiders worked to develop a step-by-step framework for successful organization, included below!

A Framework For Organization

STEP 1: With any clutter or items that occupy too much space, determine whether you want to keep it, trash it, or give/donate/sell it (Pro Tip: lots of things hold memories but still cause clutter; for these items, you can keep a memory with a picture, then let the item go by selling or giving it away)

STEP 2: For any space, decide what its function is (ex: this bedroom will serve as a laundry room, crafting space, and art studio). Then, take away everything that doesn’t serve that function. (Note: this might cause clutter elsewhere; in this case, go back to the first step and determine which items you want to keep, trash, etc.)

STEP 3: Once things are in better shape, maintain these three guidelines for any home:

1. A place for everything. (If the item doesn’t have a place, go back to step 1 and determine whether you want to keep, trash, etc.)
2. Don’t put it down, put it away!
3. If it will take you 2 minutes or less to do, do it!

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR ORGANIZATION, LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

Perfect Planning

For many people, Executive Functioning Skills are extremely hard to get good at. These skills are summarized by the following: Organizing, Planning, Strategizing, Time Management, and Attention To Detail. During one of our recent discussions with the Aspie Insiders, we highlighted "Planning" and took a look at how different people stay on schedule! Here are some of the ideas the Insiders had:

• For some, keeping things written down on paper seemed to do the trick. One Insider said that he keeps everything jotted down in his planner, which sits on his desk at home. The benefit to this technique is that it's tactile — rather than having your schedule on a computer (which you must access), everything is stored in a physical place. One might assume that this same Insider prefers physical books to an e-reader.
• Another Insider said that he keeps everything stored on his phone, which he carries with him all the time. He even uses a few apps to help him manage his schedule, and in our technology-driven world, why not? The benefit to this electronic option is one of space and accessibility. Unlike a physical planner, a phone is small and provides many different functions. And if you use the right app or program, your schedule can be accessed from your computer or even online (meaning that as long as you have internet access, you can see your plans).
• Our Insiders noted that when using electronic devices like phones to act as a planner, there exists a tendency to disregard one's schedule. Having everything stored in one place is nice, but the physical presence of a planner (or calendar, to-do list, etc.) demands one's attention. As such, someone suggested using sticky notes as simple reminders. It's an easy way to grab one's attention and help people stay on task.

The Insiders have discussed some of the other executive functioning skills, and one thing that stands out about all of them is that it takes some initiative to get better at them. Becoming a perfect planner might require time and practice, but even before that a person must be aware that they can improve in this area. Since our ability to make decisions and perform these skills is housed in our prefrontal cortex, a person can be in their mid-twenties before they feel they can successfully perform such tasks. Given that, the sooner a person can be exposed to the idea of executive functioning skills, the better.

 (A little too much planning perhaps?)

TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT PLANNING. WHAT TRICKS DO YOU USE TO STAY ON SCHEDULE? AND IF YOU'RE NOT THE BEST PLANNER, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HELP YOU TO GET BETTER AT IT? POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!