Weekender Issue #106

Brainteaser of the day: You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again, you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?

Click here to see the answer.

🤔 Check out all of the October 2023 Weekender Brainteasers here.

🌶️ To A Hearty Chili Bowl
Warm up with a rich, savory chili full of flavorful ingredients and spice to fully embrace those fall vibes. Get the recipe here >

🎃 To Extending Your Jack-O-Latern’s Shelf Life
Lengthen the lifespan of your jack-o-lantern this season with tips on selection, handling and carving to keep your pumpkin fresh past Halloween. Learn the pumpkin tricks here >

💚 To 50 Self-Love Journal Prompts
Nurture self-acceptance and inner peace by exploring these thoughtful journaling prompts for self-love. Build confidence from within >

🧥 To Fall’s Trendiest Jackets
Upgrade your outerwear game with on-trend jacket styles in bombers, leather, sherpa and more. Get inspired with this season’s picks >

🛍️ To Better Holiday Gift Lists
Get a head start on stress-free holiday shopping with these helpful apps to efficiently manage your gift list and budget. See the 10 apps here >

Mindfulness Bingo

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Feeling overwhelmed and stressed at work lately?

Take a breath — it’s time to inject some mindfulness into your busy workday!

Bonusly’s Mindfulness Bingo Card makes it easy and fun to build awareness and presence into your daily routine.

Here’s what you get in this free Mindfulness Bingo Card: ‌

• 😌 Multiple work-specific mindfulness exercises.
• 💡 Unique ideas to help your team incorporate mindfulness into the work day.
• 👥 Activities that can be done solo or as a team.
• 💻 A PDF document you can easily share with others.

Get The Free Mindfulness Bingo Card

1. Expand from your parents’ health care choices – The insurance plan your parents chose likely doesn’t make the most sense for you, as they are likely on a “family” plan, which considers the healthcare needs of multiple people.
2. Focus on your specific needs – Think about healthcare needs you’ll need over the upcoming year, and while there will always be unknowns, look at how you’ve consumed healthcare in previous years (i.e. if you wear glasses and need to go to the eye doctor on a more frequent basis) as a starting point to make sure your coverage covers those basics.
3. Think about the total cost – Since this may be the first time in your life you’re paying for health insurance, consider the total cost – including premiums and cost of care. Willis Towers Watson estimates costs for employer coverage will go up by almost 7% this year, so keep in mind that price increases over time are also very common.
4. Consider a Health Spending Account (HSA), Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), and/or a Flex Spending Account (FSA) – If your employer offers these options, consider them as a way to save money as they are tax-advantaged vehicles that can help you pay for your healthcare needs.
   a. HSAs are sort of like 401k plans for your healthcare needs. As you age and potentially add dependents to your plan, an HSA account can help fund your changing (and likely) increasing healthcare expenses.
   b. An HRA provides employees with tax-free reimbursements for qualified medical expenses up to a fixed dollar amount per year.
   With FSAs, always start small since if you don’t use the funds, you lose the funds.
   c. Consider starting with an amount if you have planned health purchases each year that you can plan for (i.e. contacts).
5. Keep in mind key dates – Set calendar invites for yourself or reminders on your phone for all dates during open enrollment to avoid missing any deadlines. If you miss the deadline, you cannot make any changes to your health insurance plan choices unless you have a qualifying life event (have a baby, moving residences, turning 26 🤯, etc.).
6. Know the jargon: There’s a ton of jargon when it comes to health insurance, so make sure you understand terms like deductible, copay, and coinsurance. For more definitions, check out this health insurance glossary.
7. When in doubt, ask HR or go directly to your company’s health insurance provider – Your HR team and health insurance provider team are there to help you with any questions you may have, so don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Tired of messy whiteboard sessions and sticky notes littering your office during brainstorms?

👋 Say (or sing) bye-bye-bye to the chaos.

This handy concept mapping template brings effortless organization to your workflow. Visually map out projects from start to finish, keep all ideas in one shareable place, and align with teammates in real time.

From C.S. Lewis

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

Joanna’s Recs

Cameron’s Recs

📚 Staying in this weekend instead of partying for Halloween? Check out these thriller books to keep you company.