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Oh No! Where Did Medical Schema Go?
While working on implementing some schema markup for a medical clinic last week, I went to schema.org to see my available property choices, but when I went to the same page I’ve visited a hundred times before, https://schema.org/MedicalClinic, instead of the list of properties and their definitions I was expecting, I got this perplexing message:

After doing a little poking around on schema.org, I noticed their release notes mentioned the implementation of a new version of schema, Schema 3.0.

What does that mean for those of us who use schema on our websites? Well, not too much for most industries. Some new schema properties have been added here and there. You can see the release notes for a full list of schema updates. However, if you manage a medical industry website, then you should be aware of a fairly significant change. Schema has re-organized their site and created a new “extension” for Medical schemas. Medical schemas like “MedicalClinic,” “MedicalProcedure,” “Physician,” and even “Dentist” have been migrated to a new subdomain, https://health-lifesci.schema.org/. Most but not all pages on schema.org that used to contain properties available for medical schema types now show the same core vocabulary message. Some pages, like https://schema.org/Physician, still display their property types. There are new pages on the health-lifesci subdomain for medical schema types, so we can still mark up these schema types using the new URLs for these pages:
- https://health-lifesci.schema.org/MedicalClinic
- https://health-lifesci.schema.org/MedicalProcedure
Currently, Google has not followed suit—their structured data testing tool has not been updated. If you replace https://www.schema.org/MedicalProcedure with https://health-lifesci.schema.org/MedicalProcedure, Google doesn’t throw up an error; it just completely ignores the schema. This update raises some pretty big questions. Will Google update their schema validation, and will the old schema URLs be deprecated and invalid?

Another variable that makes updating your schema iffy is the information on the new schema extension page, “The terms defined in this extension may be considered moderately stable, but some changes are still likely (including renaming and restructuring) through ongoing community collaboration.” I also think that this may indicate that the restructuring may not be limited to just these schema types, and schema.org may start creating more extensions for specific schemas, rather than including them in the core schema language.

Right now all we can do is watch and wait. So long as Google is only validating the old schema URLs, we recommend continuing to use those, but stay on the lookout for some big changes yet to come.

Edited on 5-16-2016 at 3:24 pm:

“As of this afternoon, Google has already made updates to their validation tool so the new health-lifesci extension will now validate. The old URL for these schema types continues to work as well and does not produce a warning or error. Hopefully this is a sign that those of us with medical schema already implemented on our sites will not have to update the schema to the new format any time soon. Kudos to Google for the swift update.”

Feature image credit.
May 16, 2016
We Like to Bike: Search Influence Teams Up with Bike Easy

Whether they’re biking to work, the Fly, or Bayou Saint John, Influencers are big supporters of the city’s growing number of bike lanes. In our recent blog about ways to de-stress, Kiersten talked about her favorite biking destinations around the city. Bike commuters at Search Influence come to New Orleans from cities across the country and commute from neighborhoods all around town.

“I lived in Portland before and NOLA is definitely not as bike friendly, but it is flat and doesn’t rain as much. Biking in NOLA is getting better every week—bike lanes are being added and drivers are becoming more aware.” — Kristin

When the Search Influence headquarters moved downtown in July 2014, our CEO, Will Scott, began riding his bike to work. “It only takes a few minutes more at rush hour and it makes my day go much smoother,” he said. “Granted, in the heat of summer I have to add 20 minutes to shower, but it’s worth it.” Will is definitely energized by what he sees of the cycling culture in New Orleans, “From the Lafitte Greenway, to new types of businesses like the one opening soon at 601 Baronne — ‘Rouler’ — a bike destination offering coffee, adult beverages, bike repairs, and accessories. It’s an integration of New Orleans and biking in a really new way, and it’s just one instance.”

Community Involvement

Pictured from left to right are Dan Favre, Executive Director of Bike Easy, Angie Scott, COO of Search Influence and Will Scott, CEO of Search Influence.

Search Influence is also a Silver sponsor of the semi-annual Bicycle Second Line, hosted by the non-profit Bike Easy. Scheduled for Sunday, May 22, the next Bicycle Second Line appropriately falls near the end of Bike to Work Month. The team members at Search Influence, however, have found plenty of their own reasons for biking to work year-round.

“I started riding my bike because I was frustrated with the inconsistency and slowness of the streetcar line. I kept riding my bike because of the feeling of satisfaction I got zooming past all of the cars stuck in 5 o’clock traffic.” — Laird

Bike to Work Week

Search Influence has been a consistent participant (and runner-up for companies with less than 100 employees) in Bike to Work Week. We also made a strong showing last year. Partially because the week in April seems to coincide with the start of NOLA’s rainy season, Bike to Work Week brings special challenges, even for the more seasoned bike commuters.

“On the last day of Bike to Work week, I got stuck behind a train at the Bywater tracks for 20 minutes and then blew a tire half a mile from the office. If I was in a car, these two incidents would have tarnished the rest of my day. Instead, I was fortunate enough to spend some time talking to other bike commuters waiting at the tracks. Then, quickly replacing my tire and getting up and running again led to a modest sense of accomplishment. ” — Ray

Our Bike Rack is Famous!

Ultimately, our bike commuters enjoy a number of added perks besides the free parking that make Search Influence a great place to work. Our office building has a gym where we can clean up before work, and the secure bike rack area was even featured in a movie! That’s right—around the 38 minute mark of the movie Parallels, the characters emerge into the futuristic cityscape of the CBD.

Image 1 and 2 by Mary Silva.

May 11, 2016
13 Things We Wish We Could Tell Our Younger Selves: A Guide for Graduating Seniors

Life is hard, and the realization that hindsight is 20/20 truly resonates the older we get. From lighthearted life lessons to heavy-hitting hardships, 13 Influencers share the raw, real, honest, and wholehearted advice that they would give to their younger selves.

1. “My mother died when I was 17. It was about three weeks after Hurricane Katrina uprooted me from my freshman year down here at Loyola, and the combination one-two punch really traumatized me. The entire trajectory of the rest of my younger years definitely hinged on those two incidents. I’d love to be able to tell my younger self that it’s okay to get help when you need it, and that bottling up all of my anxiety just to release it as anger, while natural, isn’t healthy. Being stuck in a mental rut isn’t a weakness. It’s a chance for strength.” — Mattie, Web Developer

2. “I’d tell my younger self that she’s on the right path. Right after college, it felt like I dropped off into a pit of nothingness. I had planned out my whole life, and then when I got to taking the next step, it wasn’t what I wanted anymore. I took some time to reflect, took a big leap of faith, and it all worked out. So, I’d tell myself to keep passionately following whatever has caught her interest most recently. As long as you are moving forward, it’s all going to be okay!” — Shaye, Internet Marketing Team Lead

3. “Just go with the flow. Once I stopped trying to fit myself into a particular life path, I started to actually find out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be.” — Sarah Jane, Senior Internet Marketing Associate

4. “Don’t waste your time with people that don’t deserve it! Keep your goals in mind.” — Anthony, Senior Account Associate

5. “I once got some great advice from a teacher, even though I’m still working on following it: Don’t forget that the only person you’re really competing with in life is yourself. So your goal should be to grow stronger every day than you were the day before, and to make yourself proud!” — Aubrey, Internet Marketing Team Lead

6. “To my kid former-self: Never bully someone, and don’t sit idly by when you see it happening to someone else. To my teenage former-self: Don’t get hung up on the dumb stuff that happens in high school. It won’t matter in five years. To my college former-self: Prepare yourself better for adulthood. Loans are bad. Experience is imperative. And finally, just in general: Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone when you are young. You’ll be glad you did later.” — Chris, Senior Internet Marketing Associate

7. “Don’t be pressured by all those cute pictures on Instagram. I have found that women (especially) tend to negatively compare themselves against where their friends are in life — ‘If she is engaged, married, having a baby, etc. then I need to be doing that stuff, too.’ I implore you — DON’T RUSH THROUGH THOSE LIFE EVENTS JUST SO YOU CAN CHECK THEM OFF OF YOUR TO-DO LIST. People progress at different times. Fall in love at different times. It is ok to be a bridesmaid 10 times and an aunt two times. Wait for the right one and the right time for you. And, yes, it will come.” — Melissa, Marketing and PR Manager

8. “I would tell my younger self not to worry so much. Everything is going to work out. Just keep focusing on the goal. Let all the noise fade. #KeepCalmAndCarryOn” — Candice, Junior Internet Marketing Associate

9. “Always do your best to live in the moment and appreciate what you have!” — Erica, Production Manager

10. “If I could tell myself one thing, it would be DON’T devalue yourself! Whether that relates to relationships, jobs, or even smaller aspects of life, don’t forget that you are worth something. Look at your accomplishments, how far you’ve come since high school, and don’t discount your potential. Some people seem to be born with confidence, and others have to work at it. If I could go back to my younger self, I would tell her that she doesn’t have to stay in a dying relationship; she doesn’t have to accept a minimum wage job with a master’s degree, and she has the merits to go farther than she thinks possible. I’d also tell myself that you don’t have to compare yourself to others so much, which is a dangerous road to devaluing yourself.

That being said, it’s important to know your limits and stay humble, but if your lack of confidence means you’re shying away from opportunities that can only build you up, you’ve got to be reminded that you DO have what it takes to pursue your goals! These reminders are things I still have to tell myself, but I think it’s very important to worry about being the best YOU can be, not being who someone else already is. You’ve got this!” — Laura, Account Associate

11. “I would have been more patient upon graduating—taken some time for myself to truly figure out what I want to do and what my passions are. If that meant taking on a smaller intern role to figure things out, then I should have done that. I should have gotten my ducks in a line before entering the workforce. For example, I had various internships: event planning, internal marketing, etc., and I never took the time to evaluate which was the best fit for me.” — Caroline, Account Associate

12. “One piece of advice I would give my younger self is that life is not over after college. College may be the golden years that you will remember fondly, but there is so much to look forward to after college. While one chapter of your life is drawing to a close, it is really exciting to see what the next chapters will have in store (new job, grad school, meeting new people, moving across the country, etc.). There is plenty to look forward to!” — Jensen, Account Associate

13. “Make the choices that make the best stories.” — Josh, Senior Internet Marketing Associate

Life is messy, and oftentimes unexpected events throw unwanted curveballs when we couldn’t possibly be more unprepared. A particular song that I absolutely love by the band known as Bright Eyes comes to mind when I think about advice that I’d give to my former self. The lyrics to this song titled, “Cleanse Song,” go as follows: ‘Don’t forget what you learned; all you give is returned, and if life seems absurd, what you need is some laughter.’

May 10, 2016
Seeing Colors? Google Expands Paid Ads

Late last month Google changed the landscape of internet marketing once again. The latest update from Google expanded paid ads into two new areas, Maps and Local Finder. These two places were once a haven for those of us with beautiful, organic traffic, but we are set to be invaded by the strong-arm tactics of paid advertising.

Local Finder Ads

This change is likely to cause tears of both sadness and anger. In case you forgot, let our very own Amy Arnold explain how Google eviscerated the old Local Pack. In short, Google decided to reduce the number of local businesses displayed in the Local Pack from seven to three. Some of the default information displayed was also removed in an attempt to streamline the app. Many users found that the top three results were not enough, which compelled them to click that little “More Places” link in the search for more leads. After the most recent changes, ads are now displayed at the top of the More Places section, which is similar to how they are placed in the regular search results.

In addition to the new Penguin update, explained by yours truly, local businesses also have to deal with their information being relegated by potentially three spots. Even though it is possible to get your website higher by paying, it seems that organic content creators have been hit hard enough to cry.

Maps Ads

Google Maps also received an ads revamp and a new color coding. Purple ads are now showing up, and Google decided to fill us in on exactly why that’s happening. These ads are controlled by AdWords, and users who have the location extensions enabled and are still charged the standard cost-per-click rate whenever a user attempts to get location details and directions or complete a mobile click to call requests. In addition to having your business show up at the top of Maps search results, a nice purple icon is also added to the map on your business location. By setting the targeted area, advertisers are able to give some extra range to their map pin in addition to appearing at the top of the list. Of course, if you plan on buying ads and placing your business at the top of search results to pay-per-click, you better make sure your business information is up to date.

One thing you may have noticed from the above image is that the Enterprise Rent-A-Car is listed as both the top result and first advertisement. This would be an example of what not to do. A company may appear twice because it is already the top search result in this area. This redundancy happens a lot in regular search results, but the map ads allow you to select an area, allowing your ads to reach further than your search results normally would. This process is of course very confusing, but Search Influence’s expert Online Ads team is certified in Google AdWords and helps our clients gain maximum visibility. If this seems overwhelming, they’d be happy to take care of your advertising needs.

Image 2 credit: Brian Barwig

May 9, 2016
Search Influence Team Continues to Grow

Search Influence is pleased to announce its two recent new hires, Bryan Hoang and Casey Duplantis.

Bryan Hoang

Born and raised in Mississippi, Bryan comes to Search Influence with his Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of South Alabama. He recently moved to New Orleans, and what better place could there be for a self-professed “foodie.” For fun, Bryan runs a fashion and food blog and bakes in his free time. He has joined the Account Management department as a Junior Account Associate.

Casey Duplantis

Casey has been hired as the Manager of Technology and Development. A south Louisiana native, Casey studied both Computer Information Systems and Music Education at Nicholls State University. He brings to us several years of small business and enterprise IT experience in the financial, logistics, and healthcare industries. Previously, Casey worked as a Senior Manager and Solution Architect of Card Servicing at Capital One. In his free time, Casey enjoys spending time with his family, playing music, video games, and consuming anything tech.

Welcome to Search Influence, Bryan and Casey. We’re all excited to have you on the team.

May 6, 2016
Why Social Media Is Critical for the Growth of Your Business

If your business is not already harnessing the power of social media to build and retain its customer base, then you may be missing out. According to Pew Research Center, almost two-thirds of Americans regularly use social media sites for their personal and commercial needs.

But how exactly do you successfully market your business with social media to find more potential customers?
The key to leveraging the power of social media, when it comes to your business, is to focus on those attributes that make your business unique and to focus on prospective customers who look like your best customers. When I say “look like,” I mean demographically and psychographically. So if your best customers are poodle-loving, Jaguar-driving, octogenarians than that’s who you should try to target first. By focusing on prospects like the customers who already know and love you, your chances are much better of making a connection.

Your Customers Are Using Social Media

When it comes to social media, your customers are already savvy, regular users. Among adults who are online, 76% use social networking sites. You’re likely now wondering exactly which social media sites your customers are using. By an overwhelming amount, it’s probably not a surprise to learn that Facebook is, by and large, the most popular with 72% of online adults as regular users. Following up the lead are LinkedIn with 25%, Pinterest with 31%, Instagram with 28%, and Twitter with 23%. In one of our client’s compelling success stories, a non-profit group wanting to promote its annual fundraising event used Facebook to reach its goal of selling more event and raffle tickets. By using a branded Facebook landing page and targeted Facebook ads focused exclusively on tickets, the group met its goals and generated over $70,000 in online ticket sales.

The Social Media Tipping Point

To understand even more clearly how critical social media use can be for businesses, let’s take a look at what your competitors are doing. According to a recent survey on how small businesses are using social media, 53% are active users. In addition, more small businesses are investing in social media strategies with 25% of marketing budgets expected to be channeled to social media over the next five years. Meanwhile, your customers are increasingly influenced by what they see online with 57% saying they judge a business by the positive (or lack thereof) reviews that they see online.

Where and When You Should Post

Now that you understand the changing landscape of social media and how integral it is to a successful marketing strategy, it’s important to know what sites to focus on and when you should post. Facebook remains the clear winner in terms of the number of users. To break it down further and look at the gender and age preferences of that 72% of online adults who use Facebook, 77% of women online use Facebook versus 66% of men. In addition, 87% of 18 to 29-year-olds use Facebook versus 73% of 30 to 49-year-olds. Knowing who to target and when can be useful. It’s important to know that certain days of the week and certain times of the day can make a big difference. Posting on Facebook on Saturdays and Sundays from 12–1 p.m. can result in 32% higher engagement, with Thursdays and Fridays from 1–4 p.m. resulting in 18% higher engagement. The times to avoid posting are weekends before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.

It may seem overwhelming at first glance, but taking the first step and getting your business engaged in social media is not only worth your time; it can also create a ton of new customer opportunities. To help you make the most of this opportunity, and to learn more, check out this handy Social Media “Cheat Sheet.”

Image Credits:

Social Media Flowers Image – HTSABO
Facebook Graduation Image

May 3, 2016
The Diagnosis Is In: Your Medical Practice Needs Reviews

Yelp, Healthgrades, Google My Business, RateMDs, Vitals—the list goes on and on. More than three quarters of patients are browsing review sites, using the online reviews to decide on a new healthcare practitioner. It is now more important than ever for your practice to have a strong online presence with positive reviews on your own site as well as external review sites. If you need help generating more online reviews, here are five tips to encourage your patients to share.

1. Use Word-of-Mouth to Ask Patients to Post Reviews

Your source for positive reviews is from your frequent and satisfied patients. Never resort to review stuffing by asking office staff, friends, or family members to write a positive review. Fake reviews, usually long on descriptions and short on facts, are easy to spot. You need your happy patients to share the truth about their experience, and you should be encouraging them to post reviews. At the check-out desk, have a sign or a handout ready with your website or other review site URLs you use. Include words of appreciation and encouragement, and request—don’t pressure—patients to rate their experience.

2. Make It User-Friendly With a QR Code

Do your patients use smartphones? Statistics suggest that they most likely do. Even if you have a “no cellphone” policy in your waiting room, many patients may be checking their emails or Facebook newsfeed while waiting. Why not give your mobile-enabled customers immediate access to your business information with a QR code?

A QR code is a mobile-friendly barcode that brings users to a specific mobile landing page, such as your Google My Business page or Google Places business listing. You can print a QR code on business cards, mailings, and brochures, and your patients can leave a review with the click of a button. Even if patients choose not to scan the QR code, they may be impressed with how tech-savvy your practice is.

3. Reach Out on Social Media

If you already have a Google+, Facebook, or Twitter page, post links to your review sites and encourage patients to post reviews. Not everyone you ask in the office will write reviews, so you need to offer patients constant feedback opportunities. By maximizing review opportunities, you also maximize your feedback and develop a strong online reputation.

4. Be Open to Negative Feedback

The more open and welcoming your practice appears to be, the more comfortable patients will be coming to you instead of airing complaints on the internet. Encourage patients to contact your practice directly to voice concerns, and consider creating a paper or email survey to ask for feedback. You should try to hear from complainers before they make their grievances public.

If negative feedback does show up on a review site, respond to the criticism in a non-defensive manner. This will signal to potential patients that you listen and care about customer service. Remember to never discuss personal medical information, but focus on broader policies. And remember, always ask the patient to contact you to discuss his or her dissatisfaction. This shows others that your practice takes responsibility for patient satisfaction.

5. Deliver Your Best Service

The more satisfied your patients are, the more likely they are to write positive online reviews. Patients have high customer service expectations, so train everyone, including receptionists and the billing department, to treat them with kindness and respect. Always look for ways to improve your patient’s experience. Practices with the best service get the best online reviews.

Screenshot Credits:

Facebook Screenshot Image
Yelp Screenshot Image

April 26, 2016
SEO & Chill: Google’s Penguin Algorithm Will Sink Sites With Spammy Links

Every business owner who uses the internet to advertise or display their product (which should be every business owner) needs to know about the importance of Google’s Penguin algorithm. Penguin was introduced way back in April of 2012 as a way to combat some “black hat” SEO practices, such as link buying and link trading with very low-quality and low-authority links. Just like Chill Penguin, Google’s Penguin algorithm is a bit dated, with its last full, confirmed update being back in October 2014, but it was still very active in stopping spammy backlinks. Even before its launch, Google sent out warnings to users of its Webmaster Tools to get rid of their spammy backlinks. Those who heeded the tech giant’s words were rewarded with high rankings in the search engine result pages; those who didn’t ended up on ice.

Continuous Updates

The newest Penguin update won’t be an Earth-shattering update like its previous versions, but this version will have continuous updates that will affect searches. What exactly does that mean? That’s anyone’s guess, but only Google knows the true answer. What we can do is try to prepare. Re-evaluating the information we already possess is a great start. We already know that Google hates super spammy, low-quality links and that they love high-authority links. Using this knowledge, you can pretty much assume that having highly authoritative backlinks would lead to Google liking your website a lot more. As far as this update being continuous, that more than likely means that the algorithm will auto-update based upon information that ends up getting collected.

So What Are Good Links?

Here’s an analogy: let’s say Google’s Penguin algorithm is a real penguin, your website is the penguin trainer, and your backlinks are fish. Low-quality backlinks would be akin to spoiled mullet, whereas high-quality backlinks are more like freshly caught wild Alaskan salmon. Doesn’t take a marine biologist or an ornithologist to figure out that your penguin will like you more if you continue to feed it salmon. High-quality backlinks will eventually lead you to increased SERP rankings. Not having backlinks is similar to starving your penguin; it makes your page look as if it isn’t an authority on its subject, which is bad news.

Where Can I Start Getting Good Backlinks?

Our very own Mary Silva outlined a pretty good strategy of procuring high-authority backlinks. The process itself isn’t easy and requires some inherent knowledge of the internet and the ability to rummage through links extensively and identify what would be the best moving forward into the outreach portion. What it entails is auditing all of your backlinks and clearing out all of the weak and low-authority backlinks. Then comes the hard part: reaching out to other high-authority sources to link to your site is one part of the next step. The more high-authority sources linking to your site, the more likely you are to gain Google’s praise. Another way to link build is to create unique and engaging content so that others can share it and create backlinks for you.

If you don’t think you’re up for intense link building, Search Influence offers many different search engine optimization packages that can be custom tailored to fit both your budget and needs.

Image Credits:

Chill Penguin GIF
Penguin Trainer GIF

April 25, 2016
Successful Franchisers Do These 5 Things to Find More Leads Online

Ok, so you finally made that leap of faith and decided to franchise your business. And why not? You have a proven business model that works. Your operational systems are tried and tested. You know how you want to grow and the best locations for success. It is equally important to build and protect your brand. Trust me, I have seen what can happen when you blindly give your logo to someone with publishing software without brand standards in place. You will end up with ads like this.

As a franchise owner, you may have already seen the difficulties with maintaining brand consistency across all of your marketing. Before pushing into online advertising, take a deep breath and then read this blog or view this SlideShare that provides five tips that will help you land more leads online.

April 21, 2016
Bust Stress and Stay CHARGED: How 10 Influencers De-Stress In & Out of Work

Stress Fact:

Did you know that during high-stress situations, the pupils dilate similarly to how they react when you see someone you are attracted to? This dilation is a natural reaction our body makes when trying to gather more information about the situation.

Now you can practice your information-gathering ability by reading about the ways our Influencers deal with stress.

As April is Stress Awareness Month, we decided to survey some of our employees to learn their favorite ways of dealing with stress, both in and out of the workplace. While we received many unique answers, we discovered some overarching themes and therefore feel equipped to prescribe some foolproof activities you can do to relieve stress. Here are some of the themes we found:

Exercise

Courtney – Sports Leagues
“One of the best ways I’ve found to relieve stress is by joining the many social sports leagues around the city. It’s a great way to stay active while also meeting new people and keeping yourself distracted for a couple of hours. They say physical activity is one of the best ways to relieve stress, so why not do it while enjoying drinks and fun with friends?”

Jackie – Barre3
“Barre3 embodies ballet barre, pilates, and yoga. I have a difficult time disconnecting from work, even while I am out of the office. During the hour at Barre3, it is hard to focus on anything other than your muscles shaking and your breathing. It allows me to escape my thoughts for an hour each night and focus on working my body instead.”

Gabrielle – Running
“Given the city we live in and the pureness of a ‘go-cup,’ it would be hard not to say wine! My real drug of choice gets me high, frees my mind, and makes me feel invincible. I have a sign on my desk that says ‘Running, cheaper than therapy.’ You have no idea. When I run, I completely zone out. There’s this separation between mind and body, and at that moment every worry is erased. Somewhere between the self-inflicted pain, mental discipline, and solitude, running has taught me that I’m capable of so much more than I think. We all have bad days with unprepared meetings and condescending emails. You’re lying to yourself if you never thought ‘I’m not cut out for this’ or ‘I’m tapping out.’ Stress is meant to challenge you. Whether at work or on a run, there is no better feeling than overcoming what you thought you couldn’t do. Since stress will never get easier, you have to get tougher.”

The Arts

Mary – Glass-blowing, Painting, Photography
“I was really drawn to working in online marketing because of the very changing nature of the SEO environment, so my hobbies end up being sort of similar in that they are ever changing. I do glass blowing occasionally, but I’m mostly a photographer and painter outside of work. You can find my photography all over our website (banner photos, team building event photos, and headshots are all by yours truly). I like hobbies that keep me busy and learning. I do watercolor portraits of couples and portrait photography that focuses mostly on headshots and engagement sessions.”

Shaye – Illustration and Design
“I like to multitask and push myself to always do more. At the same time, I’m a high-stress person with lots of anxiety. It helps to come home and satisfy my need to be productive by doing something that I love. For me, that’s illustration and design. I draw doodles, just whatever I want really, and it’s relaxing because I don’t feel like I am wasting time (which often stresses me out more than being busy!) but I’m doing something I want to do—and it’s just for me. I really like making patterns especially because it can be kind of hypnotizing. Funny enough, people have started to notice my illustrations and design work, and they like it. So that’s just an added benefit. I really only do it because it makes me happy!”

“Biking”

Kiersten – Bicycling
“Whenever I’m stressed at work, I like to listen to really dramatic but upbeat music, like Tears for Fears or Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root 🙂 I’ll also grab a conference room to get away from people and really focus. I’ll go for a bike ride during lunch. Outside of work, I like to bike to the river or the bayou to de-stress.”

Shane – Motorcycling
“There is nothing better for stress relief than the wind in your hair, the world flying by with no frame and the exhilarating feeling of freedom you can only get while on two wheels. How do I de-stress? I ride my Harley as often as possible, generally every day year round.”

Media

London – Reading
“When I’m feeling a little overwhelmed at work, I make sure to take at least 15 minutes to unplug from everything and catch up on reading. I’ve been reading for fun ever since I was very young. (I was always grounded, and reading was the only fun thing I was allowed to do!) But even now, 20 years later, reading is the most relaxing and convenient way to de-stress.”

Rafiq – Music and Gaming
“The way I usually get rid of stress is by playing drums and video games. Drums let me get a good workout while I’m also creating music. With video games, it’s fun to dive into a world, learn the game’s story, and be challenged by whatever monsters or bad guys you meet. I also write, sometimes about video games and other times just for my own personal portfolio. This lets me channel my frustrations onto paper by building or developing characters and writing out interesting plots.”

Jared – Gaming and Music
“When stress and work pile up on me in the office, I like to tune in to some relaxing video game instrumentals to turn my work into a literal adventure. Outside of work, I can actually play some video games to unwind or kill time in between other activities such as reading and working out. Springtime air is enough to relieve anyone’s stress.”

Conclusion:

As you can see, our Influencers provided some great answers that contain overlapping stress-busting techniques. The ways they cope with stress reveal how eclectic and interesting these Influencers are! Some key takeaways we’ve learned are these: try anything, integrate multiple initiatives, and continue to be productive. Do things you LOVE in order to fight the stress from things you LOATHE.

And remember, stress is foreign to no one! We’re all in this together, and together we can beat stress!

Tell us: how do YOU fight the stress in your life?

Image Credits

Eye Dilation GIF
Crying Girl GIF
Video Game Image

April 19, 2016