The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.., states “When breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 100%. Early detection includes doing monthly breast self-exams, and scheduling regular clinical breast exams and mammograms.”

Women in their 20's and 30's should have a clinical breast exam about every 3 years and self-exams should begin even earlier, especially if there is a history of breast cancer in your family. In addition to performing self-exams, once a woman enters their 40's, it is recommended to have a yearly mammogram. Mammograms can detect tumors before they can be felt which is key to early detection.

Women are not the only ones affected because men get breast cancer as well. Last week Mathew Knowles revealed he is battling breast cancer. The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.., states “each year it is estimated that approximately 2,190 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 410 will die. While this percentage is still small, men should also check themselves periodically by doing a breast self-exam while in the shower and reporting any changes to their physicians. Breast cancer in men is usually detected as a hard lump underneath the nipple and areola.  Men carry a higher mortality than women do, primarily because awareness among men is less and they are less likely to assume a lump is breast cancer, which can cause a delay in seeking treatment.”
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Remember to always call your doctor whenever you have concerns.

You are happy where you work? You aren’t looking for a new job? Even if you said yes you should still be doing these 5 things. You might be asking why and it is really easy to answer. What are you going to do if you hear of a great opportunity that you don’t want to pass up at least looking at? Are you going to scramble and throw together a quick resume and cover letter? Are you going to remember all the projects you worked on when you worked and big achievements throughout your career? And let’s just say the worse case scenario you are fired or laid-off?

Keep doing these 5 things to be prepared.

Keep a list of achievements 
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This can be as simple as a word document you save on your computer and write down a quick and brief description of the achievement. No need to keep the list short by taking time to delete old ones. When it is time to update your resume or cover letter you can review this list to jog your memory.

Keep your Resume up to date 

Don’t let the dust settle on your resume. Every six months pull our your resume and see if it up to date. Did you move? Did you get a promotion and new title? Are your volunteer and associations up to date? Clean off old stuff such as your high school Treasurer for the Debate Club which is from over 30 years ago because you have worked for the same company after college.

Keep an updated Cover Letter Template handy 
I do not recommend submitting a generic cover letter when you send a resume but why start from scratch. A good portion of a cover letter will be used for the jobs you apply to but you will still want to tailor it to the job you are applying to later in life.

Updated Reference List 
Know don’t go crazy on this because I am not asking you to constantly reach out to the people on your list to see if they will still be a reference. But make sure when you do provide to a company you have reached out to them an email will suffice. If you have a person who you haven’t worked with or seen for 10 years may not be the best reference now. Also, I do recommend providing at least one personal reference when you give this list.

Social Media 
My biggest advice is think each time before you post to social media. Is it most likely going to be offensive to others then I recommend not posting it. Most likely when the time comes a prospective employer will check social media and it may bite you in the butt for that past.

At work most workers deal with some form of stress. Some factors may be concerns of job security, tight deadlines, a large number of projects, and fear of making mistakes. Add on top of that factors outside of the workplace such as family issues or health issues.

However, there are ways to help reduce your stress levels while at work. Here is a list of 5 ways to help reduce work related stress.

1. Meditate

Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and clear your mind for two to five minutes. Do this every two to three hours at work and it will help you relax, recharge, and refocus.

2. Take a walk
Spring has just arrived so during your lunch break take a short walk outside. This will greatly improve your mood and reenergize you for the remainder of the work day. Nature’s best cure is fresh air, movement, and sunshine.

3. Stretch

If you have a desk job sitting for long periods of time puts a lot of stress on your eyes and back. Every couple hours try some stretching and desk exercises. Check out these desk exercises.

4. To-do list

To do list can help prioritize and keep you on track. But a mile long to-do list can really stress someone out. Make sure your to-do list is specific, measurable, attainable, and includes time limits. Also, don’t start with the first thing on your list in the morning. See if there is something short and easy to do first because it is rewarding seeing things marked off your list.

5. Turn on music

Music on in the background can help reduce stress. Though be considerate to fellow co-workers and bring in headphones and crank up your favorite tunes. If you are tired then turn on a fast tempo song to reenergize.