Happy Friday the 13th. In honor of the second one this year, here are 13 ways to help yourself and others during these trying times.(There's another Friday the 13th in November, and the first one was my birthday.)

1. Watch the news, but don't dwell on it. Twenty-four hours of doom and gloom aren't good for anyone.
2. Exercise. Make sure that you're taking care of you.
3. Eat right. You need to stay healthy.
4. Keep your skills current.
5. Build your social network. Network with friends and family. Join social networking sites. If you need to look for a job, it's a lot easier if you have contacts within your field and your community.
6. Help others with job searches. Be part of others' social networks. Volunteer to assist with proofreading, writing, or editing resumes.
7. Read a good book. Visit the library. There are tons of great resources.
8. Watch a funny movie or TV show. Humor is more powerful that we realize.
9. Practice kindness. Take time to show kindness to someone else.
10. If you have extra time, volunteer in your community. Many nonprofits need help in order to accomplish their missions when budgets have been slashed and donations are nonexistent.
11. Spend time with family and friends. These are the folks who support you during the good and the bad. Be there for them too!
12. Spend time with your pets. They love you no matter what.
13. Take fifteen minutes for yourself to just be quiet. My days have been crazy lately. Fifteen minutes of peace help me sort things out and to calm down.

Today's Useless Trivia:
Paraskavedekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.