5 reasons why side hustles can benefit your mental health

5 reasons why side hustles can benefit your mental health5 reasons why side hustles can benefit your mental healthNew data from Simple, an online banking company, shows that more American millennials have aside hustlethan ever before, while Google has shown a significant uptick in side-hustle-related searches over the last two years. Though side hustles likefreelancing, teaching, and driving forride-share serviceshave become popular ways to earn extra cash or indulge in yourentrepreneurial spirit, these independent jobs also provide hustlers with a bunch of unexpectedmental benefits. Scroll on for a handful of ways your hustle can help you stay happy andhealthy.1. Gain controlWhen you care deeply about your work, it can be frustrating when you arent able to call the shots or make an impact that leaves you feeling fulfilled. This might be especially true if you feel stunted in atoxic culture, are miserable as the result of abad boss, or are deckenfries in a situation where you simply dont have the freedom to do things the way you want to on the job. If youre familiar with any of these struggles firsthand, youve probably found that having a personalpassion projectthats totally your own can give you the decision-making powers you crave.2. Grow personally and professionallyProfessional learning opportunities are one of a jobs best perks, whether you have teammates who teach you new skills or enjoy access to books and classes through your company. Unfortunately, the information you need to know to do your job well might not always be of interest to you. Having a side hustle that challenges you in an area youre genuinely interested in is exciting and can give you a sense of purpose. Reading up on nights and weekends or enrolling indigital coursesyou can take at your leisure will allow you to expand your skill set while fueling yourpassion.3.Relieve stressDoing something that makes you feel energized, proud, and confident is a solid way to combat work worries. Thankfu lly, there are a number ofentrepreneurial endeavorsthat can provide this benefit. If you love car rides, signing up to drive for a company likeUberorLyftmight give you the opportunity to unwind by talking with passengers and listening to tunes. If you adore dogs and being outside, spending time with cute canines in nature as a dog walker could be the ticket. Or, if writing, designing, orcraftingis your jam, youre likely to find that dedicating time to yourcreativework brings you a much-needed mental break from day-job-related stress.4. CureboredomHave you been in your current role or at your company for a long time? Do you love what you do but crave more variety? A side hustle can help you explore skills or talents that you enjoy but dont get to use nearly enough. Keep things interesting by pursuing a side hustle thats a complete departure from your usual work routine. For example, if you sit in front of a computer all day, try working in a boutique or helping out at events around t own after hours youll exercise different parts of your brain and, as a bonus, youll come back to your nine-to-five feeling refreshed.5. Build new relationshipsYour day job might introduce you to plenty of smart people in your industry, but exploring an entrepreneurial pursuit thats different from your regular employment can help you makefriendsand contacts within a new community. Tap into these varied social circles by taking classes, attending local meetups or conferences, or volunteering at a festival to build meaningful relationships that leave you feeling connected, fulfilled, and happy.Thisarticlefirst appeared onBrit + Co.

Hundreds Drawn to NEMB 2014 for Speakers, Technical Sessions and Tutorials

Hundreds Drawn to NEMB 2014 for Speakers, Technical Sessions and Tutorials Hundreds Drawn to NEMB 2014 for Speakers, Technical Sessions and Tutorials Hundreds Drawn to NEMB 2014 for Speakers, Technical Sessions and Tutorials(Left to right) Dr. Rashid Bashir, NEMB conference chair Dr. Arun Majumdar, vice president of Energy at Google and Dr. John C. Bischof, program chair for the conference. The 2014 Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology (NEMB 2014), held Feb. 25 in San Francisco, drew 300 attendees from around the globe and featured 45 technical sessions, 40 keynote and featured speakers, as well as seven plenary talks and five tutorials. For the first time in the programs three-year history, webcasts of six plenary talks and two of the tutorials were transmitted live from the conference.NEMB 2014 opened with plenary speaker Dr. Paul Alivisatos of University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who discussed Studies of Colloidal Nanocrystals and Biological Micromolecules in Liquids Using the Transmission Electron Microscope.Dr. Arun Majumdar, vice president of Energy at Google and professor at Stanford University, delivered the conference centerpiece plenary, titled What Is Impact? Lessons Learned from 20th Century Science and Engineering. During his presentation, Majumdar noted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in the laboratory and office, adding, If you want to break down silos, mix disciplines up. Proximity matters, and you cant overestimate the impact of contact. He also offered advice to young engineers and students in the audience When people say your idea wont work, consider if it violates laws of nature, and if it doesnt, question that assumption.In addition to offering technical sessions covering nanotechnology topics ranging from diagnostics to toxicology, NEMB also featured tutorials including a primer on tissue engineering and an overview of the entwurf and applications of micro fluidic tools. Additional plenary talks included presentations by Mina Bissell of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Stephen Quake of Stanford University, John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Mehmet Toner of the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and Jennifer West from Duke University. (Left to right) Conference Chair Dr. Rashid Bashir Dr. Buddy D. Ratner, director of University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials Engineering Research Center and the Darland Endowed Chair in Technology Commercialization Christine Reilley, ASME program manager and Dr. Malisa Sarntinoranont, student awards coordinator. At the special NEMB poster session, 18 finalists who were selected from the poster session of more than 80 participants proceeded to a Lightning Round presentation, where five doctoral students garnered National Science Foundation-supported awards. Nasim Taheri from Rice University and Nikita Taparia of the University of Washington tied for first place in the competition, while Sean Lubner from UC Berkeley and Ehsan Sadeghipour of Stanford University tied for second. Liangliang Hao, a doctoral student from Northwestern University, placed third in the competition. Two Audience Choice poster awards were given to Christopher OBrien of George Washington University and Omid Khandan of UC Riverside. Attendee Caroline N. Jones, a biomedical engineer from Harvard Medical School, noted that the great lineup of speakers and the chance to network with mechanical and chemical engineers who worked outside of her field drew her to the conference.NEMB session chair Tony Dickherber of the National Cancer Institute, said NEMB is a target-rich opportunity, as the research presented at the conference is well-aligned with what the NCI is seeking to fund. Dickherber added, it was great fun to speak with all these creative, brilliant investigators and hear their ideas.Archived versions of the tutorial and plenary ses sions that were webcast from the conference - including the poster session Lightning Round - will be available by the end of the month on the NEMB 2014 web page, at www.asmeconferences.org/NEMB2014/index.cfmNEMB 2014 was organized by Conference Chair Rashid Bashir, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Program Chair John C. Bischof, University of Minnesota Steering Committee members Guy M. Genin of Washington University in St. Louis, Taher Saif of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and Malisa Sarntinoranont of the University of Florida and Honorary Chair Markus J. Buehler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.NEMB 2015 will be held next April in Minneapolis, Minn. For further details, contact Christine Reilley, ASME program manager, at reilleycasme.org. - Christine Reilley and Kyle Leigh Avery, ASME Engineering Research and Technology Development

Job Search and Career Development Resources For Veterans

Job Search and Career Development Resources For VeteransJob Search and Career Development Resources For VeteransAlthough Veterans Day is once a year, efforts to support veterans are year-round. Simply Hired and a number of likeminded organizations have put resources in place to help those veterans returning home find a job and start their post-military careers. Here youll find a list of the various resources to assist veterans with their job search.Job SitesJob sites are often thought of as just repository for job listings- classified pages for the digital age. But the job boards designed for veterans are a bit different. Here are a few veteran specific job boards.HireVeterans.comHire Veterans is similar to job sites like Monster or CareerBuilder. However, the site exclusively features jobs curated for veterans. The site allows you to search by security clearance, in addition to keywords and location. The site also lets users create email alerts so when new jobs are available an emai l notification is sent. Hire Veterans has a searchable database of resumes for recruiters.Veterans Job BankThe Veterans Job Bank features even mora specific search filters than Hire Veterans. With filters like type of service, branch of service, current status within the military and your previous military occupations, finding relevant jobs is easy. Veterans Job Bank is a great way to get highly personalized and specific results tailored to your experience.Simply HiredSimply Hired has a variety of resources useful to veterans. First and foremost is the veteran jobs filter. This filter allows searching for jobs exclusively at veteran-friendly companies. Also quite useful is the skill search tool. Specific skills acquired during time in the military can be entered into Simply Hireds keyword search box and only jobs that require that specific skill will be delivered.Career development resourcesThere are a variety of veteran career resources available for those new to resume writing, th e application process and job interviews. Each of these sites provides a range of different services that are extremely valuable to veterans starting their post-military careers.Department of Veterans AffairsThe Veterans Affairs website is loaded with great resources. It assists with drafting resumes, mapping out transferable skills and has job listings. If a veteran was disabled due to service, vocational rehabilitation services are available. The site offers veteran job seekers training and counseling on how to prepare for the next career step.VetNetVetNet.com takes career resources a step further, making them available from anywhere. The site features classes and tools for preparing for a post-military career. Classes and tutorials are divided into three career paths 1.) Basic (for those starting their career, includes tips on resumes, interviews, etc.) 2.) Career Connections (connects veterans with one another for advice, assistance) 3.) Entrepreneur (for assistance on starting a business). After selecting a path the site redirects to a Google+ page where video classes are available to watch for free from anywhere.Company pagesThere are a number of companies in the U.S. dedicated to helping veterans find work. Many of these companies have resources on their career websites worth checking out. Heres one example.Kaiser PermanenteKaisers career site is a great example of what employers can do to help veterans. The Transitioning Military section allows veterans to search for a new job with their previous military job title. By entering the military job title into Kaiser Permanentes website, job seekers can discover completely new jobs they wont even have known to look for. While Kaiser Permanente may be associated with healthcare, the hospital group also has a wide range of tech and IT jobs available.Read Related ArticlesLooking for Something Different? The Military Has a Job for You4 Reasons to Consider Hiring Veteran Candidates