All posts by Megan Grant

Megan Grant is a professional writer, editor, and social media manager living in Las Vegas, Nevada. She's an avid bookworm and aspiring novelist.

9 Beautiful Movies About Travel

We watch movies to laugh, to learn, and to feel something new. In large part, we watch them to escape reality. We experience something through the screen that we might not experience otherwise. It’s a glimpse into someone else’s life—a chance to put your own mind on mute while you live in another world for a few hours. And while nothing beats packing your bags and leaving on an adventure, an inspiring travel film comes in second. Maybe your schedule doesn’t allow a getaway; or perhaps you haven’t found something budget-friendly. Maybe you simply want to cure your case of wanderlust without having to get up off the couch. Whatever your reasons may be, if you’re looking for some of the most beautiful movies about travel, you’ve come to the right place.

1. Eat Pray Love

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) seemingly has it all: the career, the husband, the home. But after going through a rather painful divorce, she’s left feeling lost and isolated. She embarks on a journey around the world to rediscover herself, indulging in delicious food in Italy, learning the power of prayer in India, and finding peace and love in Bali. Eat Pray Love is not just visually stunning; it grabs a hold of your heart and doesn’t let go.

2. Into the Wild


Here’s something many of us considered doing at one point in our lives: After graduating from college, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) leaves behind all his belongings, gives his savings to charity, and hitchhikes to Alaska to experience and live in the wilderness. What makes this even cooler is that it’s based on a true story.

3. Wild


You’ll never forget Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Cheryl Strayed after the end of her marriage and her mother’s passing. Hopeless and self-destructive, Strayed embarks on a thousand-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail—alone. This movie makes you feel unlike any other film will, as you share in her journey of fear, finding hope, and ultimately, healing.

4. The Beach


This is certainly a movie of unpredictable adventures. While traveling in Bangkok, American backpacker Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) comes across a map that reportedly leads to an isolated island paradise kept a hidden secret from most. He’s able to make his way to this beach utopia but soon learns that everything is not as it seems. DiCaprio’s performance is, as always, unforgettable.

5. Under the Tuscan Sun


Similar to Eat Pray Love, this movie follows a woman named Frances (Diane Lane)—a professor and author—who has just found out that her husband is leaving her for the woman he’s been having an affair with. She escapes her home in San Francisco for a trip to Tuscany with the help of a friend, and in a series of somewhat odd events, ends of purchasing a run-down villa. It’s a beautiful story of heartache, healing, and remembering how to love yourself.

6. Lost in Translation

An unlikely friendship forms between aging movie star Bob (Bill Murray) and recent college graduate Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson)—both of whom are a little lost in life—when they cross paths in Tokyo. The movie portrays not just the isolation they feel being in a strange country, but also the obstacles they face in their own personal lives.

7. The Bucket List


Full disclosure: This one is a real tearjerker. But it’s hard to resist the touching story of Edward (Jack Nicholson) and Carter (Morgan Freeman)—two men from very different walks of life with one thing in common: their terminal illnesses. Together, they decide to ditch the hospital to scratch off the items on their bucket lists. While their adventures certainly brighten their days, it’s ultimately the friendship they form that gets them through their troubles.

8. Vicky Cristina Barcelona


Gal pals Vicky and Cristina are enjoying their summer in Spain when they meet and are immediately fascinated by an artist named Juan Antonio. While he finds himself attracted to the both of them, he’s still hooked on his ex-wife, who is quite the emotional (and also unstable) character. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy.

9. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants


Based on the book by Anne Brashares, this flick follows four best friends who spend the summer apart. While they can’t be together, a pair of jeans that magically fits all of them is passed between them, keeping them together in another way, and sharing in their adventures.

22 Summer Nail Art Ideas for the Warm Weather

Nothing makes you feel like a new woman quite like a fresh manicure, and it’s fun to switch up the design depending on the season or the occasion. With the warm weather arriving, why not celebrate with one of these summer nail art ideas? They’re fun. They’re colorful. They’ll make you want to slather on the SPF and head outside. Here are just some of the summer nail designs we’ve been eyeing on Instagram.

22 Summer Nail Art Ideas Perfect for the Season

Seaside nails #nails #nailart #seasidenails #summernails #starfishnails

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12 Reasons Why You’re Not Leaning Out

The human body is a tricky machine, and understanding what makes it tick — and how to control it — is a lifetime process. Many of us eat healthily and stay active with the goal of looking and feeling amazing, and yet we seem to fall short. Do you have your eyes set on better body composition? If you’re looking to lose fat and gain lean muscle but can’t seem to figure it out, there could be a number of reasons why you’re not leaning out.

12 Possible Reasons Why You’re Not Leaning Out

1. You’re Dehydrated

As many as 75% of us might be walking around chronically dehydrated, according to research, and it can have countless negative effects on our health. When you don’t drink enough water, your body can’t burn fat as easily, your metabolism gets sluggish, and you’ll feel the need to eat more.

2. You’re Sleep Deprived

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 33% of us don’t sleep enough, and you likely already know the consequences of a lack of sleep are detrimental to our health. For instance, one study found even a lack of just 30 minutes of sleep can increase your risk of not only obesity but diabetes. Plus, it raises your cortisol levels (the stress hormone), leading to some serious cravings. If leaning out is a priority, you might need to get more beauty rest.

3. You’re Not Exercising Enough

Even if you eat relatively healthy, a body constantly at rest can’t burn extra calories. Leaning out further will be difficult, if possible at all. Humans are widely sedentary. Some studies say we spend nine hours sitting every day! You already know sitting is bad for you, but did you also know it could be the reason you’re not leaning out?

sitting too much

4. You’re Exercising Too Much

On the other hand, weight gain, or the inability to lose body fat, can be a sign of overtraining. This is because overtraining can tell your body it needs to start burning muscle for energy and store more fat — obviously the opposite of what we want to happen.

5. You’re Eating Too Much

A lot of research agrees: weight loss, gain, or maintenance simply comes down to calories in and calories out. If you’re consuming too many calories and not burning enough, you will put on weight and keep it on.

6. You’re Not Eating Enough

Conversely, and very strangely, not eating enough can also make it difficult to lean out. Many people don’t realize you need calories to burn calories. When you deprive yourself too much, your body goes into starvation mode, your metabolism gets confused, and you can no longer burn calories.

7. Your Macronutrients Are Out of Whack

While it’s true weight loss and gain overwhelmingly come down to calorie consumption, it’s not 100% about that. The type of food you’re consuming also matters. Food is made of one or more of these three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. If you’re eating way more carbs than your activity level demands (even if they’re healthy carbs), you might find it tricky to lean out. Not consuming enough protein can also make it difficult to lean out. This is why many people find it useful to count macros.

eating too many carbs

8. You’re Too Stressed Out

Experts say chronic stress overload can not only make it difficult to lean out, but it can also add pounds to your frame. It comes down to your body thinking that because you were in a stressful state, you used extra calories to manage that stress, even though you really didn’t. Plus, there’s a rise in cortisol, the stress hormone we mentioned earlier, which once again explains those cravings for unhealthy food.

9. You Don’t Stick to Any Plan Long Enough

If you quit every two weeks and start a new fat loss plan because it appears nothing ever works, you’re going to be caught in this cycle forever. While you can sometimes see results within a couple weeks, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Being healthy is something you have to do every single day. There is no overnight cure.

10. You Rely on Diet Fads and Magic Fixes

Fit teas. Waist trainers. Detoxes. Low-calorie drinks. Fads, fads, fads, fads. The only reason these things lead to weight loss is that they’re almost always accompanied by a strict calorie cut — and as you know now, too much of a calorie deficit can backfire. These things aren’t the answer to leaning out.

girl drinking soda

11. You Have a Medical Condition Making it Difficult to Shed Pounds

You could put in all the effort in the world, and if your body is deciding to work against you, you won’t win until you address what’s at the root of the problem. For instance, hypothyroidism can lead to weight gain, according to the Mayo Clinic.

12. You’re Doing Too Much Cardio and Not Enough Strength Training

You know what the leanest people at the gym are doing? Lifting weights. So many women are scared to lift weights because they think it’ll make them “big.” Plus, it’s worrisome knowing that since muscle weighs more than fat, losing fat and gaining muscle could make the number on the scale go up.

The truth is, though, that doesn’t matter. It comes down to your health and how you feel. And the fact is this: muscle burns more calories than fat. Want to store less body fat? You need more muscle. You know how you get more muscle? Lifting weights.

Above all else, as you figure out what’s stopping you from leaning out, ask yourself this: Why do I want to lose weight? Is it to impress someone else or fit society’s (incredibly unreasonable and unattainable) standards of beauty? Pause and rethink! Something’s not right here. You have to do this for you, and for the right reasons. Do you want to shed fat to feel better? Have more energy? Keep up with your children? Improve your health? Those are all excellent reasons. Be healthy and happy!

Quads Over Abs: The Best Quad Exercises for Stronger, Leaner Legs

Raise your hand if you’re obsessed with getting abs! That’d be me. I know they’re in there somewhere, hiding underneath the layers of pizza and take-out. Can I give you a little advice, though? Instead of dwelling on your abs (or lack thereof), what you should really be obsessing over are your quads. Here’s why: you can’t get by without them. They’re involved in almost every movement of your legs, and strong quads are often related to a stronger core, because everything in your body ideally wants to work in harmony. Plus, you don’t need me to remind you (although I will) weightlifting helps you stay lean, since muscle burns more calories than fat. So, how can you grow stronger, healthier legs? Here are four of the best quad exercises.

1. Front and Back Squats

quad exercises

While properly executed squats indeed work other muscles (like the hamstrings), they are primarily a quad exercise. One of the reasons squats are so effective is because they’re compound movements, meaning they work multiple muscles at the same time — beneficial, considering the quads alone are made up of four muscles.

As an added bonus, squats also work the entirety of your core, front to back, and help you build a bigger booty. For these reasons, barbell squats are considered one of the best things you can do for your body in the gym. (Read: if you have a short amount of time to get your sweat on, squat!)

Helpful tip: master proper technique with a very light load before adding heavier weights.

2. Lunges

quad exercises

For these, you can use a barbell, kettlebells, or dumbbells (kettlebells or dumbbells, if you’re a newbie), and do them stationary or as walking lunges. Lunges have so much potential to build your quad strength because they’re technically a single-leg movement, meaning you work only one side at a time. This is good news because it means lunges can point out imbalances in your strength. Most of us have one side that’s stronger than the other, but many of us don’t realize how drastic this imbalance is because we never isolate each side. Lunge for serious quad strength and better balance and stability!

Helpful tip: The knee of your front leg should not pass your toes when you lunge, and your back knee should lightly kiss the floor.

3. Step-Ups

best quad exercises

You can use a box, block, or even stacked plates for these. Start with dumbbells or kettlebells, since they’re easier to control. If you want more of a challenge, progress to a barbell. You can also scale this by changing the height of your step-up: lower will be easier, higher will be harder. Like lunges, step-ups isolate each side and point out weaknesses.

Step-ups are a solid quad workout because you start off in a deficit (the bottom of the step-up), and have to work hard to get out of it. Don’t forget that’s only half the exercise. Stepping down from the box is also excellent strength-training!

Helpful tip: Don’t let your torso fall too far forward as you step up — this is cheating! If you have to do that, go down in weight.

4. Bulgarian Split Squats


To be clear, these are a total-leg workout. Bulgarian split squats involve propping your back leg up (by your foot) on a bench, chair, or another surface, and doing stationary lunges with the front foot. Bodyweight is already challenging, but you can make it more difficult by adding a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells. Take your time on these, and don’t rush in the down-phase or up-phase. These are a serious muscle-burner and undoubtedly one of the best quad exercises you can do.

Helpful tip: Like lunges, don’t let that front knee drift past your knees, and gently tap the back knee to the floor.

The Best Eats in NYC, According to @DontExpectSalads

My name is Megan, and I’m addicted to food porn. Ugh. It feels so good to get that out. I’ve lost an embarrassing amount of time I’ll never get back to scrolling through food pics in my Instagram discovery tab. Instagram is so sneaky about it, too. It’s all, “Come on, Megan. Just five minutes.” Three hours later, you’re watching a video about how some bakery in Bonnieville, Kentucky makes cream cheese churros. It’s a slippery slope. It was only a matter of time before I stumbled upon the viral Instagram page @dontexpectsalads, which chronicles some of the best eats in NYC.

I love New York and I love food; so it only makes sense to salivate over @dontexpectsalads several times a week. I was so moved (read: hungry) that I got in touch with Lindsey Metselaar, AKA @lindzmetz, the brain behind the foodie Instagram page. I found a kindred spirit who loves to talk about food just as I do; so I picked her brain about her past with food and more.

Beyond Words Magazine: What’s your favorite food and place to eat in NYC?

Lindsey Metselaar: My favorite foods in NY are bagels and pizza. I have yet to have better bagels anywhere other than Murray’s. My favorite pizza is Joe’s Pizza or Bruno Pizza, which I’m lucky to have nearby.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… of this bagel!!! @murraysbagels #dontexpectsalads

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Nothin like a make your own pizza situation @brunopizzanyc #dontexpectsalads

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Never not on point @joespizzanyc #dontexpectsalads

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BW: What’s the most daring food you’ve tried?

LM: Probably rabbit — which tasted just like chicken!

BW: What do you refuse to eat?

LM: I reuse to eat salads. They’re just so boring! So dry, and I feel like a goat eating them.

BW: What’s one food you’ve never had that you’re dying to try?

LM: One food that I’m dying to try is probably the famous prime rib burger from Four Charles Prime Rib. It became famous in Chicago at their other restaurant Au Cheval.

BW: Have you ever met a grilled cheese sandwich you didn’t like?

LM: I certainly have not! My favorite grilled cheese in NYC has got to be The Press Shop on Bleecker and Broadway. I love when it’s a combination of a lot of amazing cheeses and not just one.

Home is where the grilled cheese is #dontexpectsalads

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Slam dunking into Sunday #grilledcheeseandtomatosoup #dontexpectsalads

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BW: What food trend did you hate?

LM: I didn’t love the “chicken parm pizza” trend, or the “cookie dough” trend. Although some food may photograph really well on social media, those didn’t really do it for me in person.

BW: What’s your favorite cuisine, and why?

LM: I’m going to have to go with Italian or American. I have more of a simple palate, and as a result I love traditional pasta dishes, or American dishes like burgers and sandwiches.

BW: What’s your guilty food pleasure?

LM: FRENCH FRIES! I can’t get enough. I also loooove candy — sour straws, airheads, gushers, you name it!

Insane!! Have you tried @bouncesportingclub notorious BRG? Ingredients on their post #dontexpectsalads

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BW: Why do you think people are so obsessed with food porn?

LM: People are obsessed with food porn because it LITERALLY makes you salivate. It’s the best performing thing on Instagram other than girls in bikinis!

Keepin it classic with a little black and white swirl with rainbow sprinkles #dontexpectsalads

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The 5 Most Inspiring Twitter Accounts

As you get older, you realize inspiration isn’t always handed to you. Sometimes, you have to go out and find it. And in our current culture, you might be finding yourself having to look really hard. In a time when strangers say the most hateful things on the internet, remember there is still abundant inspiration and happiness waiting for you just a few clicks away. Want love? Peace? Motivation? Creativity? Positivity? Warmth? We’ve rounded up some of the most inspiring Twitter accounts. Check it out!

The 5 Most Inspiring Twitter Accounts

1. Simon Sinek


Simon Sinek (@simonsinek) is an author, motivational speaker, and consultant. You might have heard of some of his books, like Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last. While he speaks a lot to people in any kind of leadership position, his Twitter page is jam-packed with inspirational tidbits about compassion, self-improvement, and creating the life you want.

2. Jen Sincero


Jen Sincero (@JenSincero) is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, coach, and motivational speaker. A lot of her work centers on helping you become the very best you that you can be. She offers helpful advice for growing financially, professionally, and — oh yeah — kicking butt at everything else in life, in general.

3. Gabby Bernstein


International speaker and #1 New York Times best-selling author Gabby Bernstein (@GabbyBernstein) is a self-described spirit junkie. Even if you don’t consider yourself spiritual, her tweets about finding peace and happiness and filling your life with love will instantly warm your heart.

4. The Dalai Lama


Nobody knows inspiration like the Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama). In a time when hate fills the internet, his comforting words will bring you peace and hope in a way no one else can. His message is simple, really: live a life full of love, and the world will be a better place for it.

5. Lori Greiner


Lori Greiner (@LoriGreiner) of Shark Tank is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and humanitarian — and she also happens to be empowering woman across the globe. Her wise words apply to a lot more than business. Visit her Twitter page when you need someone to help reignite that fire inside of you.

Is Social Media Ruining Your Relationship?

If we’re being honest with ourselves, there are three things all of us love to do but will probably never admit: ignore text messages from people we don’t like and then claim we “totally didn’t see your message #facepalm,” call in late to work so we can go to Starbucks first, and wave our romantic relationships in front of everyone on Facebook and Instagram. In fact, what’s the first thing many people do once their relationship is “official?” Change their status, change their profile picture, and then post a string of hashtags about how #blessed they are because #bae loves them for their #innerbeauty. But hold that thought — have you ever wondered if social media is ruining your relationship? Because there’s a lot more to this than you think.

There is a great deal of research demonstrating that excessive use of social media can damage relationships, especially newer ones (shorter than 36 months long). It can increase jealousy, suspicion, uncertainty, relationship dissatisfaction, cheating, and the likelihood of a break-up. Not to mention it makes you feel like total garbage when you and your significant other are having a nice moment together and he/she grabs their phone “real quick” just to “check something.” So what do you do? Pick up your own phone to keep busy. Isn’t it so nice spending quality time together?

Kidding!

social media ruining your relationship

Even something as seemingly harmless as becoming “Facebook-official” could have detrimental side effects. Why? Because women typically feel that this automatically equates to exclusivity and a more serious relationship. Men, however, don’t frequently attach such a seriousness to it. The result could be confusion, a misunderstanding, a heated argument, or — worst of all — a break-up, where you end up finishing off a pint of Ben & Jerry’s while binge-watching the latest seasons of Girls. Think that’s an exaggeration? It’s been estimated that at least 20% of divorce cases have Facebook activity as a contributing problem.

Let’s not forget one other glaring problem regarding social media and relationships: People typically post their best moments online. They post about their perfect vacation or their killer workout or the amazing dinner they cooked. They’re not talking about how they threw up in the airline bathroom after too many cocktails in the VIP lounge or how they split their pants squatting at the gym or how they actually burned the first piece of chicken they cooked. What do you think they’re doing with their relationships? That’s right: They’re sharing the highlights reel. What results is the idea in your mind that everyone else’s life seems so perfect, but you have all these problems. What’s wrong with you? (Nothing. And BTW, studies have found that people who post too many intimate details online are actually liked less by others.)

social media ruining your relationship

Admittedly, I’m guilty of this myself. I’ll see a picture of a couple friends with their perfect relationship and new house and matching dish set. Then I look at my own life and the fact that my dogs smell and the floor needs to be washed and… and… WHY.

Similarly, social media can put you in a place where you’re nearly begging for likes and comments. Your motivation for portraying a beautiful relationship is completely superficial, because you’re only looking for the approval and admiration of your friends. Healthy? No. Not to mention it’s completely dishonest. If we were being real about this, we’d also post about how our boyfriends leave their dirty clothes on the floor and don’t wash their toothpaste chunks out of the sink.

Is the answer to completely abandon social media? Of course not. Most things are safe in moderation, and social media can be a wonderful way to stay in touch with people, share cool vacation pics, and occasionally give a shout-out to your SO for surprising you with flowers. But personal relationships are best kept just that: personal.

Why is Sitting Bad for You?

If you’re anything like me (and 86% of everyone else in this country), you spend most of your day sitting. You’re hunched over a computer and squinting at a screen all day, while your body cries for some movement. You’d think that allowing your body to “rest” so much would be good for it. However, taking it to such an extreme wreaks havoc. Why is sitting bad for you?

The Danger of Sitting

For starters, it kills your metabolism; but this goes beyond how many calories you burn and what you weigh. After just one hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that help burn fat declines by as much as 90%. Your good cholesterol takes a hit, and you’re at greater risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer.

Remaining sedentary slows down the oxygen and blood flowing through your body and to your brain, causing a number of negative side effects, like difficulty thinking and concentrating. One study reported on in The New York Times even found that for every extra hour of TV you sit and watch each day, the risk of death rises by 11%. In fact, physical inactivity has been named the fourth-leading risk factor for death. Too much sitting can actually be lethal.

why is sitting bad for you

But wait — there’s more. Spending too much time sitting can lead to poor posture, weak bones, and poor circulation. Other side effects include chronic back pain, overextension of the back and shoulder muscles, and disk damage. Add to that inflexibility, collagen build-up around the tendons and ligaments, and herniated lumbar disks.

No matter how much time you spend in the gym, exercising can’t undo the damage of sitting. That’s right: Even if you’re hitting the gym for heavy weightlifting, doing your workouts from home, or following along with some of the best fitness YouTubers, it can’t eliminate the harm caused by staying off your feet for prolonged periods of time. While physical activity can help decrease damage caused by too much sitting, the repercussions still outweigh the benefit of exercise.

We need no more convincing: too much sitting is not just bad for your health, but legitimately dangerous.

Take Control and Stand Up

Fortunately, there are simple ways to fix this problem — or at least make your situation better. If finding balance at work is the problem because you spend so much time sitting, you could invest (or ask your boss to invest) in a sit-stand desk. There are many kinds of sit-to-stand desks that fit a variety of budgets. You might think it sounds like a drag to work on your feet, but I can promise you that after sitting for too long, standing up while you tackle your responsibilities will feel amazing.

Another idea is to set a timer on your phone every half hour, reminding you to get up and move. Step outside for some fresh air, or do a lap around the office. Don’t forget about walking meetings, too, which let you take your business outside. Walking meetings have been found to boost creativity and energy, improve communication, and strengthen relationships between employees.

why sitting is bad for you

If you’re finding that getting out of your chair just isn’t an option when you’d rather be moving, try some easy yoga moves you can do while sitting. These are great for long hours at the office, cramped flights, and any other situations where you’re getting antsy.

We live in a culture of convenience, where so much of what we need is right at our fingertips. We can buy groceries, pick out a new outfit, and control the electronics in our homes without moving a muscle. While it might make life easier, don’t forget the downfall. Get up and move every now and then — humans weren’t meant to sit all day!

5 Times You Should Stand Up to Your Boss

Sticking up for yourself in the workplace can be ambiguous territory to navigate. Speaking up when you’re treated unfairly isn’t the easiest when you fear for your paycheck. While it’s safe to say many (if not most) of us put up with things we wouldn’t elsewhere, there is still a line to be drawn. Such is the case even when the offender is your own boss.

To be fair, our bosses are human; and maybe they don’t realize they’re doing something wrong. This means you’re probably going to have to (kindly) point it out to them. How do you know when they’re truly out of line, though? Here are five times you should stand up to your boss.

1. When They Repeatedly Disrespect Your Time

bored employee

We all run late sometimes — life happens. But has your boss repeatedly bailed on meetings, pushed back calls, not given you their undivided intention when you do meet, and then asked you to work nights and weekends, on top of it all? Not cool.

Yes, they’re in charge. But excessively disrespecting your time like that is not only rude and unprofessional, but it makes it harder for you to do your job as well as you could.

2. When They Don’t Provide a Safe Workplace

Every employee is responsible for contributing to a safe and healthy workplace environment. If someone you work with is disrupting this, though — maybe by acting inappropriately — it’s up to you to tell your boss, and your boss to ultimately fix it. And if they don’t? It’s time to have a chat with them. Nobody deserves to be uncomfortable at work.

3. When You’re Being Overworked and Underpaid

company meeting

Have you been at your job for a couple years? Do you go above and beyond, and cater to your boss’s every need? Do you sacrifice personal time for the sake of the job? Well, it might be time to cut back… or at the very least, get a raise. True, we like to go that extra mile to really impress our superior. But at some point, it’s not so much going the extra mile as it is getting taken advantage of. If you’re not being compensated fairly, say something!

4. When You’re Being Overly Micromanaged

If you can’t scratch yourself without your boss telling you how to do it, something’s not right. Okay, we all have a boss for a reason: to help guide us as we fulfill our responsibilities. However, you were also hired because you excel in that position, and you know things other people don’t. You should have the freedom to exercise your intelligence. If your boss is seriously cramping your style, ask for some wiggle room so you can kick butt at the office.

5. When You Don’t Have the Logistical Support You Need

employee and boss talking

Are you lacking basic materials like computer paper, binders, writing utensils, or other necessary office items? Is there a software or computer program you could really benefit from? Whether it’s due to a tight budget or illogically strict rules, when you don’t have the tools you need to do your job, you need to have a conversation with the boss about it. Sure, sometimes we all need to be a little resourceful; but even that has its limits.

8 Things to Stop Doing on Social Media Immediately

It’s a brand new year; and along with the 2016 presidential election and overlining our lips, there are a few things we all need to say adios to — including these eight things to stop doing on social media, like, yesterday. Let me be clear: I’m allowed to make fun of these social media faux pas because I’m guilty of nearly every single one. I don’t know when exactly we all started feeling the need to document every moment of our lives, as if they were that exciting. I mean, I know how much everyone loves seeing pictures of my dogs and videos of my workouts on Instagram, but it’s getting a bit excessive. Cell phone addiction is a serious problem; and even if it wasn’t, the mere thought of another year of over-the-top mirror selfies makes me want to cartwheel off a mountain.

So, without further ado, here are eight things we all need to stop doing on social media pronto.

1. Driving Selfies

Most people are bad drivers to begin with. I’m shocked to think that one day, someone actually said, “It’d be a really good idea to take pictures of my face while I drive.” I don’t know about you, but I have to take about 40 selfies to get just one viable image. It requires perfect positioning, flawless light, and impeccable make-up. Otherwise, I look like an alien. Do us all a favor: While you’re driving, keep your hands on 10 and 2, and save the selfies for your Starbucks drinks.

2. Duck Lips

things to stop doing on social media
There’s a secret to these chicks on Instagram who have enormous lips: It’s called Restylane and Juvederm, and it can cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000 a pop. Your lips are beautiful just the way they are. We can’t all be Angelina Jolie.

3. #Blessed

This is a big one with celebrities. They’ll post pictures of their chateaus and their car collections and their luxury vacations in Bora Bora, all with the hashtag #blessed. That’s a nice sentiment there, but you’re also just #rich and #successful and #youhavereallynicethings.

4. Gym Mirror Selfies

gym mirror selfie

Why, God? Why? Your workouts still count even if you don’t post about them. I know we love to show everyone how jacked and swole we are, and the occasional gym selfie here and there won’t harm anyone. But please, don’t abuse it. Now get back to your dumbbell curls.

5. Relationship Drama

I have Facebook friends I’ve never met and yet somehow I know the most intimate details of their personal relationships. How can this be? Call me crazy, but if there’s drama in my life, I tend not to share it with my 3,000 closest internet friends.

6. Passive-Aggressive Statuses

Scrolling through my Facebook feed every day, I find at least one status to the effect of, “I’m so done with toxic people.” “I’m a good person and I deserve more than this.” And my absolute favorite: “Why?” Listen. If you’re going to give us an inch, give us the whole mile. I want to know all the dirty details. Otherwise, zip the lips.

7. Checking in at the Gas Station

And the cleaners. And the grocery store. People don’t need to know you’re at CVS. Please refrain.

8. Overabundant Food Pictures

thing to stop doing on social media
I love food photography as much as the next person. If you’ve got one heck of a meal in front of you and you know how to take a good pic, go for it, so I have something new to drool over. But you don’t see me posting pictures of my toast and sweet potatoes, now, do you? No. No, you do not. Unimpressive.