Over Memorial Day weekend, I traveled from one area with very high COVID transmission rates to another. But despite the heightened contagiousness of the omicron variant going around, I was the only person wearing a mask when I visited stores, checked into my hotel and stopped for bathroom breaks on the road. It felt awkward, and I had to remind myself of the advice experts shared with us about how to cope when you’re the only one masking. If you, too, feel like you’re the only one, a re-read may come in handy! Bottom line: Experts say you’re right to keep protecting yourself and others, and you don’t owe anyone else an explanation.

Janie

Take Back Your Life

When you’re given a task outside of your job description or busywork that truly doesn’t matter, it may be time to set a boundary. So, how do you tactfully say “I don’t have time for this?” at work? It takes real skill to set a boundary and gracefully decline, especially when an assignment is coming from your boss or a critical higher-up. But it’s worse to stay silent, overwhelm yourself with responsibilities and burn yourself out. Here’s what experts advise.

Here’s how to say “no” at work

Deal With It

Americans are growing increasingly concerned about the possibility of a recession. Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates to slow inflation pressures, and during the first quarter of 2022, U.S. gross domestic product fell by 1.5%, the first drop since the second quarter of 2020. We spoke to four economics experts about recession fears, the state of the economy and what we can do to prepare for what lies ahead.

What you need to know about the economy

Pro Tip:

Last week’s school shooting in Uvalde was the 213th mass shooting of 2022, following a racist massacre at a supermarket in Buffalo that took the lives of 10 Black people. Even if you don’t have a personal connection to the victims, it’s normal to feel stressed and traumatized by such awful events. This is true for people while they’re at work, too, which is why the worst thing you can do after a mass shooting is nothing, according to therapists. Supporting each other begins with acknowledging traumatic grief, even in the office. Here’s how to do it.

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