Tag: time

career

You’ve come a long way baby but have you got the balance right? 5 tips for balancing your career and time

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The slogan “you’ve come a long way baby” comes from a Virgina Slims cigarette commercial in 1968 and signifys the start of the womens movement in America. The advertisement showed an image of a confident, tall, slender, trouser suit-wearing woman, career getting female. Fast forward and women over fifty and their career pathway have come a long way from years ago. There are three times more women aged 50-64 working part-time than men (The State of Ageing in 2020) however despite a rapid increase, the employment rate for women aged 50-64 is still nine percentage points behind men (The State of Ageing in 2020). This is in part to pension age rise in 2011 and more recently the cost of living however it’s apparent that more and more women at fifty are still active within the workforce.

Many women in our network are also stepping into their best roles at board level or reinvigorating their careers and setting up their own businesses. Listening to you we know this extended career pathway is not without its challenges and comes with its own unique challenges. This is especially true for those of you in the sandwich generation, who need to juggle caring for children, or support university aged children, care for elderly family members, as well as their own professional ambitions, which can be daunting at times. In fact all a bit of a juggling act.

To help manage your busy lifestyle, here are five tips:

1) Prioritize your time wisely – When you’re trying to balance a career with other obligations such as parenting, older-age caretaking or any other responsibilities you may have outside of work, it’s essential to prioritize your time wisely. Set realistic goals each day and focus on what needs to get done first. Break large projects into smaller tasks that are easier to finish in shorter amounts of time.

2) Increase efficiency – One way to maximize your productivity is by becoming more efficient in how you use your time. For example, when possible try to consolidate errands or combine tasks that require similar steps; you’ll save yourself a lot of valuable time this way. Also look for ways to automate mundane tasks such as bill payments so that you can concentrate on the things that matter most.

3) Utilize technology – Technology can be invaluable when it comes to increasing productivity. Try using apps and automated software programs where applicable; this will help lighten your workload considerably and give you more free time during the day. Technology can also come in handy when setting up alerts or reminders so that important tasks don’t get overlooked or forgotten about altogether.

4) Ask for help – Don’t be afraid to ask for help if needed; friends, family members or even professionals can provide assistance with activities like childcare or elder care on an occasional basis if needed. Delegate to university aged children where possible and help them to be as independent as they can. Having reliable people available can make an enormous difference in terms of stress relief and peace of mind while allowing you to stay focused on your job performance without worrying too much about household tasks slipping through the cracks.

5) Stay organized – Staying organized is one of the most effective ways to manage a busy lifestyle since it allows all areas of life (job duties/responsibilities as well as personal obligations) to move along smoothly and efficiently without getting bogged down by chaos due to disorganization. Investing some time upfront into developing systems or processes (list-making/follow-up calls/filing systems etc.) will make life much easier in the long run so don’t overlook its importance!

Finally, don’t forget YOU, allow yourself time to eat well and exercise.Taking care of your body through exercise and diet is key for women. Staying physically active and eating well will not only improve and maintain your general health but increase concentration in the workplace thus allowing for a continuing successful career.

Author: Ciara Moore

Ciara is the founder of female leaders at 50. and an advocate for lifestyle medicine.

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Health & Wellbeing

Feeling run down and not getting any healthier? Here’s why you should consider Lifestyle Medicine.

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The importance of lifestyle medicine is that it provides evidence-based solutions to help prevent and manage chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. It also helps us maintain overall physical, mental and emotional well-being. The six pillars of lifestyle medicine focus on healthy behaviors like eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, maintaining supportive relationships with family and friends, reducing stress and quitting unhealthy habits like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption.

Staying healthy as a female over the age of forty is especially important due to the hormonal shifts that our bodies go through during this time. Our metabolism slows down while we gain more abdominal fat and tend to lose muscle mass – all of which can lead to an increased risk for chronic illnesses and health problems. To combat this trend it’s important to start improving your lifestyle now.

Reducing substances like alcohol and smoking is essential in order to protect your body from damaging toxins while maintaining optimal health. Sleep plays an important role in helping the body recover from everyday activities as well as promoting good mental health. Nutrition is key for both preventing disease as well as managing existing conditions. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables helps ensure proper nutrient intake for energy throughout the day and a strong immune system against infection or illness. Relationships are important for social support as well as providing accountability when trying to stick with new habits or accomplish goals that require dedication over time.

Exercise should be incorporated daily in order to boost energy levels and provide physical benefits including improved muscle tone, better posture, weight management and stress reduction. Finally, reducing stress is essential in order to stay mentally healthy by taking breaks from work or other difficult situations that may cause undue strain or anxiety.

The combination of these six pillars of lifestyle medicine will create a healthier version of yourself by establishing sustainable habits that you can keep up with long term in order to maintain your wellbeing now and into the future – no matter what stage of life you’re currently in!

Feeling run down and like you’re not getting any healthier?

Lifestyle medicine is a great way to take control of your health and well-being. It’s a comprehensive approach that focuses on implementing healthy habits and behaviors in order to prevent or manage chronic disease.

With the Healthy Active Women Lifestyle Medicine Programme, you will learn how to make lifestyle changes that will have a positive impact on your health for years to come. You’ll be given all the tools you need to make lasting changes and feel better than ever before.

Sign up today for our next 10 week programme You won’t regret it.

Ciara Moore

Ciara Moore a certified personal fitness trainer (ASFA) and a certified complete health improvement facilitator.

Contact CiaraMBmoore@outlook.com

career

Women in tech – the future is female

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Women in technology are often under-represented due to the fact that a lack of access to education and resources, gender stereotyping, and the historical dominance of men in this field. Women often face the challenge of having to prove themselves even more than their male counterparts; they may also experience unconscious biases within the industry. This can be discouraging and demotivating for young women considering careers in technology or digital change.

How do we ensure women are involved?

To ensure that women are involved in digital fields, it is essential to make sure that there is equal access to educational resources, mentorship programs, internships and job opportunities. Additionally, companies should develop protocols to monitor hiring practices for gender bias, create a safe environment free from harassment with clear support systems in place, and offer flexible working arrangements that allow female employees to juggle their roles as mothers or caregivers while still pursuing successful career growth. Training programs could also be created specifically targeting female professionals looking to enter digital fields; these would provide technical skills training along with an introduction into understanding the industry dynamics and culture.

We can further encourage young women’s involvement by creating awareness about the many opportunities available through campaigns that highlight successful female tech professionals as role models and mentors. How many can you name in your company? Are you in contact with them? Are they visible? Offering scholarships or grants specifically targeted towards women entering technological fields would also be beneficial. Furthermore, organizations such as STEM clubs could be utilized to give young girls exposure and hands-on experience with coding or other related technologies which could help spark interests in pursuing digital change or tech careers.

Staying ahead of the curve

In order for women in digital change stay ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation, it is important for them to stay informed and updated on new advancements by attending events like conferences or hackathons which can provide networking opportunities as well as valuable insights into current trends within their chosen field. Joining online communities such as online forums or groups is another helpful way for women in tech stay connected with other like-minded individuals who share similar interests while maintaining an active presence on social media networks is also a great way for them to build visibility among tech professionals both locally and internationally.

Keeping it personal

In addition to keeping up with industry developments and trends, it’s important that female professionals continue honing their personal skills by engaging in self-development activities such as reading books related topics or taking courses aimed at helping them improve their understanding of technical concepts.

Finally, seeking out mentors who can provide guidance from within the same profession can help increase knowledge base through sharing personal experiences within specific industries whilst providing valuable advice on career development journey.

Ciara Moore

Ciara Moore is a Digital Change & Engagement Director working in the NHS. she also is the founder of Female Leaders at 50

Uncategorized

Notes on an achievement- Ciara Moore

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I’ve just completed a 50k.

I trained but I didn’t train as hard or as much as I had planned or hoped. While I had hoped to run all of it, I ran half of it and walked the remainder.

What was brilliant about that crazy run/walk was it was done at my pace under my terms and as a result I felt wonderful for it.

I wanted to finish as strong as I started and I did. This became my mantra.

However, I’m already telling you about the tip of the iceberg when I should be telling you about the bottom of it and all that preparation to get to the tip to that sweet moment of success.

With the Covid pandemic and working in a busy NHS role training did go out the window Due to long days on virtual meetings. My walks or runs at weekends became sacred due to lockdown.

The focus on the 50 K helped me remain focused on something else during the pandemic. It was going to be a point in time to celebrate my daughters 16th birthday. With the race happening in Windsor at Easter. However due to the pandemic this was cancelled. The date now a day working in the hospital. An Easter Saturday weekend.

I really wanted to mark the day. In my imagined parallel universe I was completing that race . I wanted some positivity to come out of the spiralling pandemic that we were in. I sent a tweet to the world asking them to walk or run 1k for for me and tweet a picture of themselves running with their mileage.and it responded. I imagined I would probably get a few people responding the response was overwhelming. The response predominantly came due to Running Man Jones who through his followers helped create a wave of positivity on that day.. I even had a hash tag #1KforCiara.

I came out of work after that long day my Twitter feed was full. Full of wonderful messages, heartfelt and sincere with pictures of these wonderful people who had run 1 km from me. I cried as I read them with pride, for all of them and that positivity that they had created this wonderful thing. Over 500 km was clocked up and it truly was a worldwide event with posts from America, India, Australia, New Zealand and all over Europe.

The event by now was rescheduled, set for 12th of September which is my sons birthday. Sadly, again, cancelled. This time I wasn’t going to be working at the on the date and as I was raising money for charity I decided I would do the 50 K by myself around my normal running routes in Cambridge.

In the last month my training really picked up mainly as I had this date looming ahead and a target!. I was out running or training at least every other day for two hours at a time.

Oddly, the treadmill became my best friend and the treadclimber a close second. This second machine allowed me train for longer but with less effort on my joints. Helping me maintain that mantra finish as strong as you start.

I’m also conscious I’m 51 and body and bones are not as strong as they were in my 20s.

However I felt strong and that is what was really, really important.

But where to run and how to keep it interesting? I normally just go off running up through the fens but I was conscious that out on my own I had no back up and I need access to people in case anything happens. I started to map old routes and new around the city and the fens and cycling or walking miles, testing the distance.

Close to the day I still had not decided on tne exact route. I did a 32 km walk with my faithful hound Conall took my time as we paced out a route, got scared by several cows (twice) and delightedly realised I was ready for the following week.

The morning of the run before the sun rose my kit ready I got ready, ate a hasty breakfast and left the house. Not before passing the hound looking at me reproachfully for not taking him, past the pile of birthday presents for my son who was under strict instructions not to open them till I returned. My aim was to be home for lunch, and likely only an hour or so after the household woke up. I wasn’t going to be missed.

I started off taking the pace easy, enjoying the fresh cool morning and I ran steadily, each 5K I clocked up my heart excitedly flipping with joy. I managed my longest run of 25 km after thinking I could never do that distance in my life.

However it was never going to be a challenge without being challenging and so between 25k and 30k I struggled to keep running. By this time I was out on the fen trying to steady myself on the uneven ground, my legs wobbly.

Rather than force myself to keep running I reverted to jog, walk jog walk with the mantra in my head finish as strong as you started.

Stupidly, I didn’t bring sufficient water and started to dehydrate at about 35K. This slowed me down distracting me as hydration then became my focus.

A local pub in Fen Ditton kindly filled my bottle with orange juice and lemonade. I think I can honestly say it was the best drink I have had all year.

I finally completed the distance in my village, my legs tired but no injuries. I took a picture of my finishing point looking out across a field towards Wandlebury and I remember thinking now what? I felt almost a little lost.

I walked slowly home.

On arriving home I was straight back into celebrating a birthday with my boy. My race seen by the family as no more than my usual Saturday exercise. No celebrations, no balloons no medal, though I did afford myself one glass of champagne.

If I had allowed it I could have seen the end of the race as an anti-climax. If anything it has made me realise how capable our bodies are of doing things even when we are older that we don’t think we are capable of. It was the first time I didn’t stress myself out about being fast or slow or “ploddy.” The only person I was competing with was myself. I listened to my body, trusted my training and kept to my mantra “finish as strong as you start.” This didn’t necessarily mean run the whole 50 K (now that would’ve been amazing) It meant to finish in a positive, happy frame of mind. It meant being able to walk later in the day to celebrate a birthday with no aches and pains so as not detract attention from the birthday boy and it meant being able to go for a long walk the next day with my hound.

On a positive note I haven’t let up my training regime which I usually drop immediately after an event. I walk as much as I can and now the gyms are open I am finding new machines that will help me with sustaining and improving my stamina. It is difficult to know what to sign up for as a challenge next when all the challenges seem to be cancelled. However, what I will do in a few weeks time is test myself again on gently running 25K. Who knows I may even get to 30k …..finishing as strong as I start.