Hard work can bring success, but taking a step back to reassess goals and to give yourself a break can provide perspective needed to proceed in a different way, without worrying about others' progress, marketing strategist Dorie Clark writes. "In fact, because so many people are re-evaluating priorities and expectations post-pandemic, this may be the perfect time to recharge, because fewer people will be 'outpacing' you on the traditional career track than at other historical moments, so stepping off the treadmill may feel less stressful to you as a result," Clark writes.

Hybrid work arrangements can lead to teams working within a bubble and failing to interact with other departments, say executives and workforce consultants, who recommend employers take measures to bring hybrid teams together and prevent micro cultures. "Organizations should ensure that managers come together to share challenges and share ideas on what is working in hybrid working -- breaking down the rivalry between teams," says Piers Hudson, senior director at Gartner.

Jill Stelfox, CEO of data storage company Panzura, attributes the company's success to maintaining a gender-balanced board, leading with empathy and encouraging employees to be their "weird" selves. "[W]hen employees are free to be their authentic self, they can get into this creative flow because their minds are clear," Stelfox says. "That's unstoppable. You can't teach it, and you can't train it."

Companies now facing the need for layoffs should give employees advance notice, try to limit the reductions to one round, announce layoffs in the middle of the week to give employees time to meet with HR and offer a severance package, HR leaders and other executives say. "Take accountability, recognize the problem, be more generous than you have to be and as transparent as you can," says Matt Hoffman, a partner and head of talent at M13.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which was approved by Congress last month and goes into effect in late June, will require employers to make accommodations for pregnancy-related conditions, attorneys say. Some of the accommodations may include moving the employee from tasks that involve strenuous activity, making additional chairs available and providing more break time.

Designing a long and satisfying life focuses on four principles: love, well-being, purpose and friendship, as well as sharing with and helping those around you, says industrial designer and author Ayse Birsel. "We never know how long we will live, but we are all wired to want to design our life and do something that brings us joy," Birsel says.

Shells have been an interesting muse for head-protection and absorption-impact researchers for years. But now the powerful potential of shells to serve as a material for helmets is being commercialized in the form of the "Shellmet," a combination of waste scallop shells and discarded plastic. Since the helmet is made sustainably, it would be interesting to see what potential secondary uses the product could have once it reaches the end of its useful life span.