AARP » Dave Goldstein

Vacation: The new source of stress?

Dave Goldstein — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:34:42 +0000

Surf, sand, sunny beaches and stress – one of these isn’t typically associated with summer getaways. Yet a survey by global staffing firm Randstad reveals a surprising cause of employee stress – taking time off for a vacation.
When asked what they found difficult about taking time off from work for vacation, 84% of workers over 55 said the first day back was the most stressful, significantly higher than Gen Y, Gen X and Boomers.
So what can be done to alleviate some of the stress – tons of emails, a desk piled high with reports and paperwork and a full voicemail inbox – that comes with the first day back in the office from vacation? Below, Eric Buntin, managing director for Randstad US, suggests the following tips for making your first day back from vacation productive and stress free:

Get a Head Start – go through your email inbox the day before you return to the office. After deleting the junk mail, scan for emails from your boss, employees and clients, assigning priority for follow-up upon your return to the office. This will create a more focused environment once you arrive to work the next morning.

Ask for a Status Update – if you work on a team or have staff that reports into you, ask someone to send you an email updating you on your projects. By doing this before you get into the office, you’ll have a head-start on your first-day priorities.

Be an Early Bird – arrive before normal office hours to ensure you get some quiet time to prioritize your to-do list and review and return voicemail messages. Once co-workers begin arriving, chances are you’re more likely to engage in conversation and be met with distractions.

Take Your Boss To Lunch – taking your boss to lunch on your first day back gives you time to catch up on projects and discuss important matters in a one-on-one atmosphere.

Gas Up – be sure your car has a full tank of gas so you don’t have the added stress of stopping at the gas station on your way into work, which can sometimes alter your morning routine.
For more employment tips check out Randstad’s website here.

News To Know: Bad Symptoms For Health Care

Dave Goldstein — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:56:49 +0000

A couple of new reports show continued bad signs regarding the health of America’s health care system. First off, a study by the National Opinion Research Center found that out of pocket health care costs for those with job-based health insurance jumped 34% between 2004 and 2007. This is an enormous increase and a particularly troubling development for those who don’t earn a ton of money and people with expensive or chronic health troubles.
In a separate study, Merritt Hawkins and Associates found that wait times to get an appointment with a family doctor or specialist have spiked since 2004. In the past few years, people in major cities have had to wait, on average, an additional week beyond what they previously had. The study blames much of the increased wait on a lack of training for primary care physicians and some specialists. Experts say the government needs to take an active role in promoting the training of more doctors to address this glaring need. These are just two new signs of the troubles we face with our current health care system and they highlight the need for reform.

News To Know: Medical Tourism, Buyer Beware

Dave Goldstein — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:40:37 +0000

Traveling abroad for medical care, sometimes called medical tourism, has grown increasingly popular as Americans continue to seek alternatives to sky-high health care costs domestically. Another reason for seeking medical care outside of the U.S. can be to seek treatments that aren’t approved for use domestically. For example, many stem cell treatments that the F.D.A. hasn’t approved are being used abroad to treat diseases ranging from Parkinson’s to Lou Gehrig’s Disease and many others. However, the F.D.A. cautions Americans against traveling for these procedures as many haven’t been thoroughly reviewed. For many people in need, leaving the country provides some hope that can’t be found at home, but be careful and make sure you know what you’re getting into before committing.

News To Know: More Americans Turn To Non-Profits

Dave Goldstein — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:31:57 +0000

Non-profits such as the Peace Corps have seen a major upswing in applications recently. A big reason for the newfound popularity of these organizations is the rise of the second, or encore career for older Americans. Such careers are often undertaken after someone retires from their job. Encore careers can help pay the bills, especially for people who lost money in the recession. An equally important aspect of these second careers is that they allow people to give back.
Another factor credited for making non-profits hot again is President Obama. With his consistent message on the importance of service and his push for service legislation, President Obama and “the Obama effect” are cited as a big part of the reason for Peace Corp application submissions being up over 40% from a year ago. Whatever the reason, it’s good to see Americans increasingly looking to making a difference in their communities and the world as a whole.

News To Know: Possible Cancer Vaccine Offers Hope

Dave Goldstein — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:34:32 +0000

While it’s far too early to say for sure, the latest studies seem to indicate that the efforts to treat cancer through vaccination have taken a big leap forward over the weekend. New studies show that researchers may have found the key to creating a vaccine that would enable the body’s own immune system to attack and slow the growth of some cancers. Such a vaccine could reduce some of the powerful side-effects patients suffer from with current treatment methods such a chemo and radiation. Patients diagnosed with several types of cancer reported extended times between relapse when using the vaccine as compared to patients who didn’t use it.
This news does not mean that any sort of cure has been created, however it does show a big first step in an area where scientists have struggled to make progress for years.

Rating Best Places To Retire: A List Of The Lists

Dave Goldstein — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:45:18 +0000

I’ve spent a good amount of time here discussing lists of the best places to retire. There are many different sites to check out and they use varied criteria in assessing rankings. Here’s one list that actually compiles and compares the results of other rankings. You can see how each different study values aspects of cities and determine which methods best suit your priorities. Of course, you can also check out the list AARP put together on the subject. How do your experiences compare with these rankings?

Get To Know Ron Howard

Dave Goldstein — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:11:44 +0000

As you can see, director Ron Howard graces the most recent cover of AARP The Magazine. Howard offers up a mix of insight into his life along with his aspirations for the future in his interview. The director talks about some of his best known works, his family life, what he’s really like and much more. Also, Howard mentions that he’d like to direct films “’til he drops.” It’s great to see someone who is so passionate about his work.

News To Know: Are You A Polite Rider?

Dave Goldstein — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:46:12 +0000

When you’re on your daily commute, courtesy may be the furthest thing from your mind. Something about high stress and big crowds tends to make people forget some of the manners their parents hopefully taught them. In an effort to bring some of the civility back to public transportation, some cities’ transit authorities are working to enforce existing rules such as priority seating for older and disabled riders.
In Washington D.C. for example, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has begun a campaign to inform people about the rules on the Metro subways trains. They’ve even got this animated YouTube video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The goal is to increase awareness of the rules and help make transit systems a friendlier and more considerate place.
Are you good about giving up your seat to someone who needs it more? Do you find that other riders are generally considerate about giving up a seat when you need one?

Beware The Online Prankster

Dave Goldstein — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:49:49 +0000

For all of the great things the internet has to offer, a completely open forum will always have some vulnerabilities to pranksters looking for a laugh. For one of the most recent examples of high-tech trickery, check out the recent spike in sales of a certain T-shirt featuring three wolves howling at the moon. It might not seem like the height of fashion, but it is currently the hottest selling item on amazon.com.
But why would such a random item rise to such prominence? Well, it’s a prank. Multitudes of people have stormed the site with a combination of high ratings for the shirt and hilarious reviews of the product. These people were brought to the shirt by a well known comedy site that thought it would be funny to artificially jack up the sales.
Pranks on the internet aren’t limited to clothes however. The state of Nebraska was duped during an online competition for a new license plate design. Also, a recent online poll by Time was fooled with, resulting in a college student beating out famous entrants including President Obama as the most influential person.
This certainly doesn’t mean that active participation online should be avoided or a cause for concern. Just be aware that anything online can become a target for an ironic laugh.

How Is This Not Already A Law?

Dave Goldstein — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:38:27 +0000

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood went on television last night to announce his support for a law banning mass transit operators from sending text messages while on the job:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/30862637#30862637

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Despite recent collisions involving text messaging in Boston, San Antonio, and the tragic train crash in California last year, there has yet to be any national action taken to address this issue.
I for one have no idea how this isn’t currently illegal, but I’m glad the government may be finally looking into banning mass transit workers from texting at work.