Amy Lindgren

We’re living in stressful times.

Is that an understatement? Hindsight will provide more perspective, but at the moment I think it’s safe to say the past month has been a stress-whopper, at least in Minnesota. Not that the last year or more were smooth sailing. Stress comes with change and as a nation, we’ve had plenty of that.

Job seekers have had plenty of change as well. In what feels like a nano-second, we’ve gone from a growing job market with abundant employment and generous hiring packages to an estimated 1.2 million layoffs in a single year, 2025.

So yes, there’s plenty to stress about if you’re a job seeker. I’d like to provide a few things not to stress about, just to balance the scales.

• The economy. OK, that’s counter-intuitive, since the economy is the big house we all live in. But you can’t control the economy, which means that stressing about it won’t help. What does help is staying informed enough to make logical decisions in terms of career paths, training and your choice of employers.

• Not hearing back from online applications. By now you’ve probably heard that online isn’t the most productive place to conduct your job search. People do get interviews and then hired from online postings, but not at the rate you’d expect from the endless array of want ads. Turns out some of those postings are fake, while others are sponsored by employers who believe that ghosting applicants is A-OK. None of this is under your control, except for the original decision to apply online. If you make this choice, find a middle ground for how much effort to put in. Then, let go of your expectations.

• Networking. I’m convinced people tumble into the cycle of applying for hundreds of jobs because networking feels even more stressful than being ghosted online. The stress points I hear seem centered on forms of rejection. Non-networkers worry they’ll be turned down for a meeting, that they’ll be seen as rude or pitiful for asking in the first place, that the person they meet won’t actually help them, and more.

This is a type of self-imposed stress, because none of these points are factual unless they actually happen. It may be hard to release these fears but that doesn’t mean you have to stress over them. Just accept that you’re uncomfortable, while recognizing that you’ll survive if people do reject you. Networking is one of those things that gets easier and more effective the longer you do it.

• Letting others know you’re unemployed. If you’re embarrassed or ashamed to tell others you’re out of work, you’re creating stress for yourself. Yes, some people might be heels but the majority have come to understand that being unemployed is a status, not a personality type. You can’t activate your network or find the unadvertised openings if no one knows you need a job. This is another stress you need to let go of, for your mental health as well as your job search.

Speaking of mental health, how’s yours? If it’s not super, you might need some proactive steps in addition to letting go of the stressors. Here are some tips that I frequently share with job seekers.

• 1. Take baby steps. Instead of chastising yourself for what you’re not accomplishing in your job search, break the tasks into smaller and smaller steps until you get to the size you can handle.

• 2. Revise your plan. If your transition is stuck, ask yourself: Does this need to happen right now? If it doesn’t, consider letting it go for the moment. Focus instead on ways to improve your career, such as training or networking, and pick up the job search later.

What if you can’t put off finding a job? In that case, consider going bold. Instead of trying for the “right” job, consider taking the “right now” job. Do this by asking yourself what job you could get almost immediately. If it would be better than nothing, take it and make it work, at least for the time being. Sometimes you just need to break the stalemate and move forward — because, to mix metaphors, a bicycle in motion is easier to steer.

• 3. Ask for help. The problem with mental health is that we don’t always recognize when we could use a hand. Sometimes we can’t figure out whom to ask, or what to ask for. This is a situation ready-made for internet research. By looking at trusted resources, you can gain understanding and then decide how to move forward. One place to start is the website for MentalHealthFirstAid.org. After you put that address into your browser, click the About section and scroll down to Mental Health Resources. You’ll find a well-segmented list of resources and ideas for different populations and issues.

Will these steps help? I hope so. We may be living in stressful times, but we can still find ways to reduce the stress we’re carrying. If these steps aren’t the ticket for you, keep working the problem until you find the ones that are.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.

TESERO, Italy (AP) — Frida Karlsson of Sweden won gold at 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics in the 20-kilometer women’s skiathlon Saturday at the start of cross-country skiing on energy-draining wet snow.

Top-ranked Jessie Diggins of the United States fell in the early stages of the race and struggled throughout to fight her way forward as the Swedes held onto an early advantage. Karlsson clocked 53 minutes, 45.2 seconds, ahead of fellow Swede Ebba Andersson by 51 seconds and Heidi Weng of Norway who pushed hard before the finish, ending 1 minute and 26.7 seconds behind.

The 26-year-old Swedish winner appeared unfazed by the snow conditions and performed a flawless ski exchange in the twin-style race, losing chasers early and lapping many at the back. Confident in her finish Karlsson grabbed a large Swedish flag before crossing the line, hugging her teammate seconds later, cheered on by a large group of traveling fans.

“That was when the moment hit me. I was like, OK this is for real,” Karlsson , who previously won bronze medal in the relay at the Beijing Games four years ago, said after Saturday’s race. “I just had so much fun out there today and I am really proud of my whole team.”

At Milan Cortina, both men and women are competing over an equalized 20 kilometer distance for the first time at the Olympics. Competitors cover half the distance in classic technique before a gear switch mid‑race to finish in freestyle. The cloud-covered race on a Dolomite mountain course familiar to World Cup competitors was on soft snow conditions in a relatively warm 5 Celsius (41 Fahrenheit).

“It was tough conditions out there with very wet snow,” Andersson said. “So you have to be tough with your head and just try to keep up the pace even though you are really tired.”

Jessie Diggins fell on a bend in the classic stage of the race, and finished in 8th place after a late surge, 2 minutes, 21.1 seconds behind the leader. Diggins, racing in her final season, tumbled together with Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen but said she was happy with the way performed in the second stage of the race.

“There’s a lot of the things outside of my control. It just didn’t work out for me today, but that’s OK,” Diggins said. “I was very proud of my heart and my grit and the amount of energy and commitment that I brought to, not just today, but every single day in the lead up to this.”

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At his introductory press conference Friday – a day after being dealt to Minnesota – new Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu was asked to best describe his game.

“I would say someone that competes on both ends of the court, get out in transition, use my speed, push the pace, get guys involved, very efficient,” Dosunmu said. “I take pride in being an efficient basketball player, getting to the line, making my open shots, being aggressive. Always being aggressive at every mark of the game and try to leave my imprints on the game.”

When can you start?

That’s exactly what a currently flat Wolves team needs, as proven again in Friday’s 119-115 loss to the lowly Pelicans – Minnesota’s third straight defensive dud that left center Rudy Gobert calling for extreme measures of accountability.

If guys aren’t going to hold themselves to certain competitive standards, Gobert suggested Wolves coach Chris Finch take matters into his own hands via benchings.

“(Accountability) should start with ourselves, but it seems like we don’t have that,” Gobert said. “It’s not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something that you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that, you just can’t be a winning team.

“Our best players, leaders, if we don’t show any effort, it doesn’t matter if you score 50, we’re not going to win. At some point, if we’re not mature enough to have that accountability ourselves, that might be a solution. And I guarantee you that when we come back onto the court, we’ll show effort.”

Friday was a rare night in which Gobert wasn’t much of a defensive solution for Minnesota. Zion Williamson dominated the game for the Pelicans – as he often seems to do at Target Center. The athletic phenom finished with 29 points on 11 for 13 shooting, with every single attempt coming in the paint. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch noted he wasn’t impressed with the team’s rim protection from Gobert or anyone else.

The general on-ball compete level wasn’t where it needed to be, nor was the game-plan discipline. New Orleans sharpshooter Trey Murphy made three triples in a 67 second span late in the third to pull the Pelicans back into the contest as Minnesota failed to take away his air space.

The Wolves are now 12-11 since Christmas. They’re surrendering 113.6 points per 100 possessions in that span, 15th in the NBA. What should be an elite trait for Minnesota is currently very average. In turn, that’s what the Wolves are as a collective.

“This is who we are as a team. We have to start understanding that,” Gobert said. “Our offense, of course it matters, but the barometer for success is our defense and our effort. And when we have that, we win almost every night. It’s insane how much like, when we just do that we win every night. So it’s crazy that we’re not able to just focus on that.

“The difference it’s straight effort, and it’s gonna be everybody. No one should get a pass for not playing defense.”

Even amid this milquetoast stretch of basketball, Timberwolves basketball boss Tim Connelly noted Minnesota still views itself as a team with a “puncher’s chance” of winning a championship. There is no runaway favorite in this year’s NBA, particularly given the league-wide swath of injuries.

So he pushed to make a move to improve the team at the trade deadline. Minnesota feels it got the perfect player in Dosunmu who can slide in as a bench scorer and, more importantly at the moment, an energetic defensive presence.

What the Wolves may need above all else at the moment is a shot in the arm. They’ll receive that Sunday when Dosunmu slides into the rotation against the Clippers.

“I’m really excited to have someone like that for us that just plays with energy, that just brings physicality,” Gobert said.

Opponents are shooting just 41.4% against Dosunmu this season – a mark that would lead the Wolves. Yet he feels he can be an “even better defender” in Minnesota.

“I think I showcased it some in Chicago, but I don’t think I showcased my full potential,” Dosunmu said. “I think I have definitely a lot more potential to be there and really becoming an elite two-way player, two-way guard in this league. That’s my goal.”

Wolves star Anthony Edwards knows Dosunmu’s defensive capabilities well. He’s been defended by the guard on numerous occasions.

“He’s super long,” Edwards said. “He don’t really jump at moves or pump fakes and stuff. He stay down and make you make tough shots over him. He’s super fundamental on that end.”

And he’s got an edge, something that can only help a Wolves team that currently lacks much bite.

“He’s from Chi-town, so he got some toughness to him,” Edwards said.

“We like that. We like competitive,” Finch said. “I don’t mind edginess. We definitely could use that. That’s what we want.”

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Margie Freed has always been in it for the fun.

The “about me” section on her bio on the US Biathlon website opens with the phrase “Hey Sports Fans!”

Highland Park’s Erin Moening, left, and Eastview’s Margie Freed, who finished respectively second and first, share a laugh after the girls race of the 2016 State Nordic Ski Racing Meet at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minn. on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

The Eastview alum – who won an individual Nordic state title in 2016 – first joined cross country skiing because her friends were in it. She first reached the state meet as an eighth grader, “which was a sign I had talent,” she noted. Her motivation for continued success was “so I could continue to go on ski trips with friends.”

Freed recalls going to an event at Mall of America that featured skiing stars Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall. She didn’t follow skiing much at the time, but took a photo with Diggins “because everyone else was doing it.”

“Now, it’s a great memory,” Freed noted.

Because the Apple Valley native is now an Olympian in her own right, as part of the U.S. Biathlon contingent. Biathlon competition opens Sunday morning in Italy with the mixed relay, as Freed and Co. look to secure the United States’ first ever medal in the sport at some point in these games.

“My dream would be for it to be in a relay,” Freed said, “so we can all share in the excitement.”

That’s what sports have always been about for her. Freed seems to possess an idyllically healthy relationship with competition.

It’s not out of the question, either. Freed was part of a US relay that placed fourth in a World Cup mixed relay race just two weeks ago, a performance that tied a fourth-place finish in 2015 for the country’s best-ever finish in a World Cup event

A star skier at Vermont, Freed’s interest in the biathlon was primarily fueled by a chance “to do something new.” That initial dabbling didn’t come with Olympic aspirations.

“I was more interested in hanging out with teammates and friends on the range,” Freed said.

She’d never even shot a gun prior to that point. Suddenly, she was pulling the trigger as sport. An initially steep learning curve flattened as she discovered the basics. As she’s fine-tuned her abilities, Freed noted improvements are “less noticeable,” while added she probably figured shooting out quickly compared to some.

Freed said picking up a new sport just a couple years ago has served as a “good learning process,” while also testing her ability to keep a smile on her face every day. Many of her original sports-playing friends have since retired from skiing, which has taken away from Freed’s experience in training and racing.

Margie Freed of Team United States looks on during a training session on day minus two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Anterselva Biathlon Arena on February 04, 2026 in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

But she’s still been able to draw on support from those close to her, and enjoys hobbies away from the sport such as sewing, line dancing and birding.

Anything to maintain the joy. It’s been a primary motivator for Freed since she got into sports as a kid. Yes, she skied in the winter and did some offseason training in the summer, but she ran cross country and track in the fall and spring, respectively, and played on a club soccer team throughout the year. She kept up with all of them until she graduated high school.

Freed said being a versatile athlete kept her injury free and excited for whatever practice was next.

“I credit a lot of my success to the instillation of fun in the sport,” Freed said.

She won’t let that go – not even under the Olympic lights.

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