The pride to be an independent person

It is a dark November Monday. I lit the candles and enjoy the free evening, a quite a rare occasion this time a year. While browsing through Social Media I came across advertisements for Singles’ Day sales. My first reaction was that “have they finally created a day to celebrate singles?”, although I quickly came to realize that the ad was purely commercial.

Why could we not have such a day, however? Here are some potential reasons, why it would be needed: 

• single house hold bares far more costs than those managed by couples
• the buried dream of becoming a mother/father (having neglected the possibility of taking full responsibility of an infant with a single parent’s salary)
• the (double) duties to take care of when dealing with it all by yourself
• the fact that you often do not get the invite to fun dinners if you do not represent a party to a couple
• the societal pressure of becoming a fully decent citizen only after you get married
• the sorrow you may carry inside the heart of not having found the significant other (and thinking it is probably due to some personal flaw)
• the scientifically proven fact that people in couples live longer and healthier lives than those who are single
• the fact that for someone who loves traveling, it is not that easy to leave due to budget limits of one person’s wallet
• the fact that perhaps you are simply just tired of being asked constantly whether you have met someone yet?

The list could go on.

I am not listing these points merely to make a statement. My point is that I do not believe that people should be categorized based on their marital or relationship status. We should all be equal as persons and treated the same way regardless of personal qualities, external circumstances or societal position. However, the world is not ready in this respect yet. Everyday I encounter thinking which does not align to these ideals. Human nature can be imperfect, greedy and selfish. It applies to all of us.

How would it be, if for one day in a year we would give credit to those who do not excel in every single area of their lives - most likely having nothing to do with their effort, personal characteristics, kindness, attitudes and attempt to make moral choices. Could we officially launch a singles’ day - or a day for equality, perhaps?

To end with positivity, it is fundamentally important getting to know yourself. One of the key reasons of enjoying a single life in my opinion is just this. Instead of trying to find happiness in people around you it may be just the thing to focus on the internal feelings and thoughts. Being in good terms equally with your strengths and flaws are the only alleys towards us becoming better and bigger persons.

Personally, I think our society needs people who are insightful, creative, open minded, brave and compassionate – and these qualities can be developed, whether or not you are single or in a relationship. If you are a person who has it all, perhaps trying to understand the other side of your situation could be a life savior to someone a bit less fortunate. Simply put, a small gesture (an invite to visit, an offer to have lunch together, to share some thoughts with people who are in a different situation) may open new possibilities for both parties. I can totally understand that it is important to build comforting routines and I am NOT saying we should interrupt them. What I am suggesting, is that it is possible for everyone to take 5 minutes' break now and then to ask the person next to you “how are you?”.

Naturally good deeds go both ways. Anyone's situation can change in any moment of life. It is a comforting thought that we could all believe that instead of creating competition around us, we could in fact build trust and support. At least in theory.

Getting the motivation back on track

October hits you hard. Darkness secretly takes over outside, and dozens of deadlines glooming ahead of you, it almost feels like it is darker inside your head, too! Fall comes every year, but still it is impossible to get ready for it. And you ask yourself, why did I not get enough rest in the summer? Why did I not prepare better for everything there is on my to-do-list?

Yep. I bet we all feel it. It is something in the air that changes, also at the work Place. The colleague that you saw smiling after summer vacations is no longer so cheerful when you meet in the hallway. Doubling the coffee amount might not be enough. It just feels like too much to get up early, these days!

This year I decided, that I would not let the "fall mood" get to me. I have read a great deal about motivation, and now is the time to take those pieces of advice to use. Here are a couple of tips, also you may like to be reminded of:

1. Be gentle on yourself. If you are ambitious like me, you probably have several goals you are working on simultaneously. When trying to reach those goals, it feels like you have to witness your progress to yourself every day.  Here's the catch. Many achievements take a long time to reach, and require consistence to reach. It is hence not possible to see the progress points daily, and sometimes not even weekly.

The solution is to keep believing that the hard work will eventually reward you. Even if you think that the 20 min. extra you put on top of your working day, it might be just as important to relax and keep relying on the process. When your mind is relaxed, you are more likely to succeed in whichever task you have at hand.

2. Remember to take care of the routines. When rushing, it not only feels difficult to take an extra break, but also it may be difficult to take care of the basics/ essentials. This is very simple, in fact: sleep, excercise and eat healthy. If you are like me, the rising stress levels make you grasp whatever (unhealthy) snack that comes your way before making it to the fridge. When getting home from work, slipping into your sleeping bag instead of your jogging shoes might feel more tempting, but trust me, leaving is hardest. When you are out there, fresh air actually feels really good! Also, you will sleep better during the night.

These tips are very simple. Only, it takes the effort to remember these two things to survive from this one more fall. Also, sometimes Netflix is just as good an option as doing the extra homework. Surely, studying pays off, but let's not overdo it.

Perhaps, then, when you least expect it, you may start to feel the urge again. The motivation, like efficiency, will be visible if we just allow that. Eventually most of us who get to work with what we love, are lucky, and just need some freedom to be reminded of it.

So with these words, I wish you (and me) good luck - we can do it!

The right to be humane

Evolution is the shaping force behind all living things we see around us. Natural selection, the mechanism by which evolution operates, is a process where the “strong” genes, or features, are selected at the cost of the “weak” genes. All organisms in the nature drive to survive, and processes have developed where they select the “fittest” partners to have the “fittest” offspring with, who will be able to cope best under the pertaining conditions. This is the law of nature.

Depending from whose angle you look at the process, it may seem very different. A pathogen may spread this way in a population, causing symptoms for the organism in which it lives. In nature, there is a constant battle between those who “have what it takes” to make it and those that do not. In simplicity, this means that eventually, the fittest will survive. 

Some diseases are “smart” this way, and can persist in the population. There are several examples still without a cure. A constant and on-going battle among researchers is to understand the causalities and to discover new functional treatments for obesity, mental illnesses and cancer. The medical field is advancing every second, but we are still very far from having the complete image of the underlying forces behind some currently unstoppable diseases.

Every family have their unique tendency for certain diseases. In a small country like Finland, some rare genes have become common in comparison to countries with more diversity. Variants, which elsewhere do not “show up” among the large quantity of other genes, may here create a phenotype in which a rare disease is expressed. In Finland, people are more prone to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases than in other parts of the world. We also have an overrepresentation of mental illnesses, such as depression, in relation to many places. Also, the worldwide trend is an increasing prevalence in obesity and mental illnesses.

Under constant pressure from governments to save money, there have been cuts in health services covering costs to treat certain illnesses. In the past years, we have decided to prioritize treating the illnesses that are easily curable. It is clear that economical growht is important, but this leads to the situation that sometimes there is a need to prioritize. However, I argue, that decision making which is driven by the needs of growing economy instead of the needs coming from humanity, are most times in contradiction.

Personally, I grew up in a family where my father suffered from depression when I was a child. In the circle of my close friends, someone in almost everyone´s relatives either suffers from alcoholism or another mental illness. We know that there is a genetic component to depression and other mental health conditions, and environment is also very crucial to determine if the illness is manifested or not.

I argue, that the way we think as a society, underlines the importance of economical growth. 

It is important to have a direction of growth in the way we live. We need to be positive and move forward. However, my concern is that we can easily become blinded by the way of economical thinking and we tend to forget the humane values. I already see this very clearly in my everyday life. There does not seem to be room to be ill in our efficient working culture, and at the same time people have more absences due to mental illnesses during these days than ever before. This is an alarming trend.

The reason I am writing this, is that I am concerned that we may be making the wrong decisions. Personally I am affected by economically- driven trends in my everyday life. I have experienced being ill, and felt pressure due to the expectations around me. I even got fired once, supposingly due to being ill too much. The overarching image from the media is that one should be successful at work, in private life, raise a family and be able to do this while being constantly positive, effective and brilliant. It is easily understood from expectations like that, that if you are sometimes sick, you have failed. It is a negative -feeding loop.

My question is, that should we let the natural selection just wipe this kind of people off the population? I do not think so. As humans, who have the unique capability to empathy, and the brain to solve extremely complex questions, we should be able to think beyond this primitive way of accepting that not everyone can make it in the society of today. By observing the truth and acting upon it, I am positive that wise decision making, we can build a society where also those of us with some illness can have a good life.  

Top 5 tips for making work routines easier

I have had more than 1 600 readers in my blog by today – thank you for being interested! I am so happy that you take the time to read my texts 😊. This week I picked a topic, which probably is relevant to most of us: tips to make the everyday working life nicer. To me, being a very work-oriented person, this topic is extremely interesting, and daily I keep wondering how I could improve my well-being at the workplace. Obviously, it is not meaningful, and not possible, to give any comprehensive answers in one text, but I wanted take the perspective of TOP 5 TIPS for more content and happier everyday routines!

1. Be ready to let go

I decided to start with the most demanding theme, but to me personally a very important one, which is letting things go on purpose. This is not easy for a control freak like me, who wants to have it all and now. I may plan my day this way: first I will go jogging, then I will do my hair and makeup and look stylish for work, but at the same time I will be in the office earlier than I was this week. At work, I will finish a few deadlines, make my boss and colleagues happy, come home and cook a delicious meal to friends, while also practicing for choir concert. Yep, exhausting! Hopefully you are wiser, and do not plan like this. But to be honest, I sometimes do. I have come to realize, that by repeating this pattern, where I am never satisfied, is very destructive. In real life, it is never possible to have everything, and it is never possible to have everything simultaneously. So, by clinging to this kind of thought, we are only making ourselves miserable. Only when you consciously let go of the idea that you can accomplish it all during a day, and only when you plan which activity to drop, the schedule (and your life) becomes far easier.

2. Help others

During a busy day at the office, it sometimes feels as if you are the most important person on the planet. You have so many responsibilities, yet you rock your tasks, ace all duties you are given, and you feel indispensable. At least I am guilty of thinking this way sometimes. When a colleague asks for a favor, it may seem easy to say no. A new idea, in the middle of your busy hour, may feel like a pointless task, which someone else could easily do, and it may even be difficult to understand why you are being asked. At this moment, it is important to consider another situation where you may need help. And trust me, this situation will come. So, instead of rudely dismissing the idea you were just offered, take a minute to think about it. Is it something you can do later, after you have finished the deadlines at hand? If yes, tell your colleague that you gladly help, however, you will do it right away when you get the chance. When you need something, it will be so much easier to ask a returning favor, than just asking. Also, it is always nice to make favors to others!

3. Do not overdo it

I am someone who always aims for perfection. I know I have a visual eye, so I love to make my presentations or posters look perfect. I love how it is these days possible to build colorful and detailed figures, and I do not mind sitting in front of my computer screen to finish just this one detail more… until, I no longer have that time. I realize that the deadline was there, it passed, and I never got to return my perfect presentation. Why do the others not realize? Yes, it is time to think again. What is the most important thing in this current assignment? Take the time to grasp what you are expected to deliver. Ask your boss if you do not know. Perhaps your novels can be written during free time and not the office hours, and at this time you are being paid for being effective, to the point and delivering the task. At least for me, this is something to consider. Everyday.

4. Do not fear challenges

It was not until relatively recently that I realized that I do not need to ask for permission from my supervisor to do everything I do. Instead of constantly going to his room, I can also be proactive, and solve problems the best way I believe they are solved. He will most likely not fire me for doing this, since I have the education needed for my job, and I am capable of far more complicated things than I even myself give myself credit for. This week I decided to go on with a challenging task, and only return it while I think it is completed (I have put all the thought I could in making it a successful application). When I went to tell my boss this, he was happy that I was doing it. He is busy doing so many things anyway. So perhaps, it is worth considering each time, is there something you can take initiative with. Most likely, our ideas are not stupid, and after all, there are always many ways of looking at things. Giving a project your personal touch may just as well make the subject be seen in a different way, which could be beneficial to all. 

5. Take time off

This fifth challend is of a kind I guess workaholics like myself may encounter on a weekly basis. I feel, that being irreplaceable at my work, and being so good at it, I need to be doing it all the time. Wrong. No one can be productive all the time. It is impossible to keep the great quality and quantity going 24/7 although it may seem like some people are doing this when you look at their Facebook feed. But guess what: it only SEEMS that way. We all need to relax, disconnect from the duties, and load the batteries. After even a short break, our mind is clear again, and we can innovate, create, solve complex problems and be brilliant at our workplace.

    This is me chilling in Vallisaari over midsummer.

Hope you will find these tips useful. I certainly made my own life easier when I realized these pitfalls, and when I started to focus on them more. 

Have a great end of the week! 

Changing the world is not that difficult

This morning I watched YLE interview (YLEn aamu-tv) with meat producers in Finland. Two representatives of the sector shared their viewpoints on the challenges in the production due to low consumer prices and global competition. During the ca. 10 min. talk, the climate impact in the discussion was minimal. It was mentioned (in one sentence) that meat production has climate impacts. It was not mentioned that meat production is one of the main causes of global biodiversity loss, climate change and depletion of water resources (IPCC, 2018). In order to decrease the rate of the depletion, we need to cut down meat consumption drastically.
 

As a Finnish person I am proud of our country. We are, in many ways, a forward-thinking society with extremely educated population. We are one of the only countries with free education, good social security system, and healthiest and happiest people. At the same time, I feel that we are not facing realities in the global climate talk. It strikes me every time, I encounter the situation like the one this morning, how disconnected from the reality we live when it comes to global ecological thinking. We – one may argue – represent a tiny fraction of the global population compared to China, India and U.S., so why should we do anything while they don’t?

When you analyze this argument, it sounds like children on the playground who sometimes end up in a fight “Mom, the other kids are mean – I do not want to play with them!”. However, they are kids. We are grown-ups, responsible, wise and thoughtful adults. It is up to us how we want the world to look like for our kids and for their kids. You may say: “I do not care, I will not be here to see it”. So, my second question is, how responsible does that argument sound to you?

This morning, overhearing the public talk on the topic disregarding the points we really should be thinking about, I cannot help but write about this immediately. The point we are missing, is that we are really digging our own grave here. Do we really want to live on a planet with extreme storms, no more birds or plants, and with lack of drinking water? Probably not. You may argue: “It will not be us, but it will be the poor who will suffer”. Umh, what to say to that.. Well, I will say that when we live on the 21^st century, there are unforeseen possibility to build an equal, sustainable, evolving society in a global way. Why should we be this ignorant when we really can change things?

Kolovesi (Photo: Metsähallitus)

The fact that Finland mainly lives on its forest technology, and us having a very producer- driven economy, relying on the lobbying of the sector, has one problem. When we do not question the ways in which we function, change is not possible. Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying that we need to start to stall our economy nor that we need to stop enjoying what we have gained, turn off the lights, live with less and give up our pleasures. There is another solution. We must explore the current way of thinking, face the flaws and develop new approaches to solve the problems. We need to start thinking bigger. Investing in sustainable innovations, is a global trend, so why could it not also be a trend in Finland? Do we want to sit back, and watch others solve the global crisis, while we carry on acting as we always used to act? Would it not be better to get involved by providing our expertise also in the innovation sector, finding the solutions for maintaining our resources for now and for later. There are ways to solve the problems, but that needs a good look in the mirror. (And yes, I am also referring to myself).

However, there is one more, and perhaps the most important thing, what we need urgently. It is the involvement of politicians and governmental initiatives on the matter. Small improvements can take place in the individual level, but to make this work, we need the support from our leaders. When given instructions how one can improve, it is much easier to reach goals. What I mean by this is that opportunities need to be given for new innovation technologies to be developed. The obvious way is to fund research and innovations. Another way is to train the people currently working at jobs which no longer are needed in the future, such as meat producers, for positions in which they can be contributing their knowledge and expertise in the sustainable way, instead of carrying on "as we always used to". 

When you think about it, this is a simple concept, but we need to re-investigate our approach. Let’s save the world together!

Have a great midsummer!

Building social networks

This week I had a conversation with friends, how us biologists can sometimes become obsessed with funny-sounding phenomena. That talk gave me an idea for this week’s blog post: ants - or actually, social behavior. And although my friends laughed, this time I am serious. To get my point, think about ants’ social structures, which are extremely fascinating. In a nest all individuals have very specialized roles (like we have in our cities). There is the queen (mayor), soldiers (experts) and workers (the “middle-class”) all serving for their specific purpose by performing a very specialized role. I will leave it to my brilliant colleagues specializing in studying the social relationships in ant colonies to update their newest findings on the dilemma concerning evolutionary costly altruistic behavior, meaning the behavior, common to some species, where individuals may help others at the cost of their own good. However, this comparison of us to ants, gives a good introduction to my topic.

Us people are just as much social animals as ants are. Although it may seem as we all become independent during the teen age years, becoming responsible for only our own actions and career, eventually we all still need others to survive. There is an entire field of psychology studying social relationships, and new biological theories are discovering how our genotype and the environment where we live define our social phenotype (Blumstein et al. 2010). According to new results, our sociality may directly promote our health through influences on our gut microbiota. In our gut, we may harbor up to 1.5-2 kg of bacteria, and the microbe composition has very extensive health effects ranging from autoimmune- and neurological conditions to chronic diseases.  In chimpanzees, for example, social interaction has been found to promote the microbial diversity within individuals and across communities. The transfer of microbial fauna through social behavior may even be the main factor shaping the gut microbiota of the infant chimpanzees (Moeller et al. 2016).

These findings give only some direction of how important sociality may be. Although I find this topic extremely intriguing, my purpose today is not to write a science project on this topic. Rather, I here want to give some real-life perspectives regarding the meaning of social relationships to me, and I want to share how I attempt to value such relations. Particularly, I want to write about relationships in the context of working life. In addition, I want to share how I have learned to appreciate such connections with people.

As adults, we may face a lot of surprising situations. A project you start may not deliver as expected, which may lead to not only you feeling as a failure, but also you may concretely lose a job opportunity. This has happened to me too. It is not always easy to look at yourself and realize that you must rethink the whole situation. The career plan you might have built for you may become destroyed for a reason or another. I know a celloist who injured her arm and had to become a teacher instead. I myself ended up in a situation with no way out other than changing direction from the originally planned path I had in mind. At the time, to be honest, I was not at my best. Some days I did not even see a way out. However, being confident in myself and relying on the right people, despite the gloomy-looking circumstances, I managed to find a new direction and found myself a new career path.

I am not saying here: “learn from my mistakes, never plan ahead too much or never say the truth what you really think and just stay out of trouble living a constant, boring and comfortable life”. Instead, I am saying, that if it wasn’t for people, I may not have made it. I was supported by honest and caring people who believed in me. I think we all have those friends who are genuinely there for us wanting to support us, it is just about letting them do that. And yes, there are also those who may not be thinking of you at every moment, especially at that moment when you are desperately in a need of a friend. People have also their own agendas, their own plans, and you just happening to be in the wrong place at the wrong time saying the wrong things, may cause a conflict situation in some way.

I believe that for career the rules are similar as what they are in the private life. We can probably all count with one hand those people who would be there no matter what happened. One point I want to make is that it is crucial to know who these people are. But here comes the other thing: it is up to you how your contacts range beyond that point. This may sound funny, but contacts do not come automatically. I have realized in my own life that getting the right connections and networks requires work. Obviously, you will make the effort for your friends. However, making the effort outside the normal circle of friends may pay off, as well. We all had colleagues at the previous workplace, or nice hangouts at a past hobby, or the class mates whose company was fun during school years. Getting in touch with these people and showing genuine interest in their lives, might just pay off some time in the future.

Building a network is not an easy task. At least when it comes to me trying, I am not always in the mood for it. Instead of active networking, I love to relax after my working days, mainly watching my favorite Netflix show while lying on the couch. I am not saying we should spend all our free-time networking. However, maybe the answer could be something simple? Perhaps just becoming aware of the fact that life is unpredictable, and that giving to others may some day turn the other way around, is enough. Maybe it is worth giving some thought to how we treat people around us, and who are those people and where are could those networks be located, which may one day become crucial to us. And perhaps occasionally putting in extra effort, by giving a call to that nice boss you once had, would not hurt.

Have a lovely and sociable weekend, everyone!

References used:

Blumstein, D.T., Ebensperger, L.A, Hayes, L.D., Vásquez, R.A., Ahern, T.H., Burger, J.R., Dolezal, A.G., Dosmann, A., González-Mariscal, G., Harris, B.N., Herrera, E.A., Lacey, E.A., Mateo, J., McGraw, L.A., Olazábal, D., Ramenofsky, M., Rubenstein, D.R., Sakhai, S.A., Saltzman, W., Sainz-Borgo, C., Soto-Gamboa, M., Stewart, M.L., Wey, T.W., Wingfield, J.C., Young, L.J. (2010) Toward an integrative understanding of social behavior: new models and new opportunities. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 4 (34). doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00034.

Moeller, A. H., Foerster, S., Wilson, M. L., Pusey, A. E., Hahn, B. H., & Ochman, H. (2016). Social behavior shapes the chimpanzee pan-microbiome. Science Advances, 2 (1), e1500997. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500997

Source of the image: 

USC University of Southern California (https://viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2017/10/usc-isi-lead-project-simulate-dynamics-online-social-behavior/)

Why please your colleagues instead of saying ‘please, help’?

This week I chose to write about a theme where I have been putting a lot of thought lately. The theme is working with your colleagues. During my career, I have been part of many research communities that are filled with people who are top researchers in what they do. Scientists in research institutes, universities and organizations are crème de la crème of the scientific community, possessing excellent skills in mathematics, analytics, data sciences or other areas in life sciences. It is fantastic to be surrounded by such talent!

Almost every day at work I have the chance to interact with these genius people. I get to reflect my scientific ideas, discuss difficult data and design complex and more complex experiments or models with experts who are skilled in slightly different areas from myself. It is very special and unique opportunity, and something to be very grateful for. However, scientific mind may not always be the most empathetic, friendly, approachable and lovable minds. So it may not always be easy to approach scientists, when in doubt.

I have been thinking about the role an individual has in such a community as a person, not as a scientist. What happens, when you (say as a young scientist) do not know the right answer immediately (or not at all)? What if I do not have experience in some analyses you are supposed to deliver on, or what to do, when you are given a subject by your supervisor, of which you have no previous experience about - and the deadline is tomorrow? There are only 24h in one day, and only two days in a weekend to catch up, and to meet the expectations.

I may be the only one seeing a potential challenge here, but I want to write about it, because I have felt it during my career not only once, but several times. It could be a personality trait, or it may have something to do with the fact I am a girl. Also, it may have something to do with the fact that in my family academics are not valued in the same way as some traditional professions. But what to do when you doubt your own skills, or when you feel like you have such complicated assignments that you do not even know whom to ask? 

To me the answer is obvious: turning to your colleagues. When you are working with complex theories and challenges, there may be people who know something you have not thought of, and who can support your ideas and your research. Luckily, I have had some of best colleagues one can imagine. They help even though they would not always have the time. And yes, that is a blessing - and yes, it is not a crime to ask for help! 

I wonder if we all have courage to ask for support. When you are a young scientist, it may sometimes feel like all problems should be solved by you alone. It may feel as a sign of weakness if you are not able to do that. And yes, I have felt the whole range of those feelings. What do I do? I try harder. I work day and night and vacation times, trying to make my analyses work. 

Wrapping up what I am trying to say here, is that maybe sometimes it is healthy to admit when there are times where it is OK to say: “I tried, but it does not work”. It may be OK not be a specialist in every topic, and it is OK to ask for help. With this, I challenge you, and myself, to do this more often.

Have a nice weekend!

(Source of the image: iStock)