The Office Workout

Posted on December 7, 2011 by R. A. M.

Office worker stretching At first, this topic seems perhaps better suited for a health and fitness discussion, but nothing is more important to peak performance at work than a smart and effective office workout.

You have some options as you plan and execute your own fitness regime at work. If your company has its own gym, you can come in early, use your lunch break, or stay late to get in a full workout. If this option isn’t open to you, you really need to rely on your discipline and ingenuity to stay fit and alert throughout the day. You really should do this even if you can work out in a company gym.

Sitting pools your blood and leads to a number of uncomfortable developments that can also point to future health problems. To avoid sore legs, hips and swelling feet, cross your legs under your desk and vigorously stretch and twirl your feet around at the ankles. Do this 10 times in one direction, 10 times in the opposite direction, then switch legs. Every two hours or so, stand up away from your desk. Center yourself as you deeply breathe and exhale. Next, role your shoulders forward three times, then backwards three times. Repeat this at least three times. Then allow your chin to fall to your breast. Slowly extend your chin to the right, then to the left. Do this 10 times in each direction for a looser neck and shoulders. Finally, stand far back from your desk and lean forward, placing your palms against the desk’s edge. Stretch out your calf muscles.

Ah! Doesn’t that feel better? Do these exercises throughout the day at two-hour intervals. You’ll feel better and work more successfully if you do.

Photo © Robert Kneschke – Fotolia.com

When Do You Quit The Bad Job?

Posted on November 14, 2011 by R. A. M.

-I quit- sign It’s a dreadful situation. You have been toughing it out for months now, putting up with situations that are literally making you ill. This morning you could hardly see straight through the migraine that’s been pounding you for two days. If you don’t do something, you feel you’ll drop dead.

Nobody wants that. Perhaps you need to take a few days off to reassess the situation. Talk to a counselor or your spiritual teacher. If you have one, discuss the situation with your partner. Most of all, don’t overreact and do something rash that you’ll regret almost as soon as you do it. Don’t yell and throw a tantrum. Don’t break anything. Don’t assault anyone, verbally or otherwise. Go somewhere and detox. Take deep breaths. Breathe into the blocked chakras and come to terms with your complaints.

Then, ask yourself how much you worry about being unemployed. If you think you can get a job quickly should you quit your current post, then you have one answer. If, on the other hand, you worry about that, then don’t be so hasty.

In this job market and economic crisis, we have to put up with a lot. In many cases, even a bad job is better than no job, if only you can hold onto it. Of course, if you have already been offered a new position, then that’s delicious. Quit tomorrow! But if not, stick it out and do what you can away from work to heal yourself.

Photo © Daniel Schweinert – Fotolia.com

How To Prevent Burnout

Posted on September 28, 2011 by J. L. Eisenberg

burn out While everyone knows the feeling of being under stress, a case of burnout is much less easily recognized. However, knowing the symptoms of impending burnout and what to do to combat it is an essential part of keeping healthy in the workplace.

Burnout differs from stress in that it affects you mentally more than physically. While stress can give you headaches, burnout makes you question your motivation for doing things you normally love, both on the job and off. This feeling of emptiness and not caring about whatever you’re currently working on, as opposed to being worried about it, is what signals that you’re approaching a burnout.

If you feel that these symptoms describe what you’ve been feeling lately to a tee, you must slow down. The only way to break the feeling of burnout is by removing the stressors that are causing it from your life, at least temporarily. Take some time to reflect on your life and the things that make you happy. When you’re ready, start returning to your normal activities. As you go back to each one, think about why you started doing it in the first place and why it still holds value to you.

By taking time off to reflect, you may realize that some of the things you are doing no longer make you happy. If this is the case, write down what it is about them that isn’t fulfilling. Once you pinpoint what it is that is making you unhappy, it will be far easier to fix it.

Finally, don’t isolate yourself as you’re dealing with burnout. Your boss, your co-workers, and your friends and family will all understand what you’re going through and want to help. Don’t underestimate the help they can provide—their support is crucial for you to make the changes your situation warrants. For example, your boss may be able to switch up your duties for a while to give you a fresh perspective on your work.

Above all, don’t just put it aside if you’re feeling burnt out. Choosing to ignore how you feel could put your health, mental and physical, at serious risk.

Photo © parazit – Fotolia.com

How To Exercise While At Work

Posted on August 30, 2011 by J. Widget

The flexible happy woman with the laptop on a white background If you have a barely used gym membership, and untouched fitness equipment at home, you’re far from alone. With today’s long hours and sedentary lifestyles, fitting exercise into your daily schedule can seem almost impossible.

The answer could be to exercise during the working day. There are more ways of doing that than you may have thought. And though these tips may not turn you into a super-slim fitness hero overnight, they can certainly help burn off some calories.

For example, you should start to notice tighter buns within weeks by squeezing your butt muscles, holding for 10 seconds and releasing. Do this at least 10 times each session to ward off ‘office chair spread’. The more you squeeze, the better the results.

It’s an obvious one, but don’t take the elevator – walk! If you work at home, have your office somewhere which forces you to go up and down the stairs several times a day. Wherever you work, how about using the bathroom on another floor?

Another idea, which admittedly you may want to do while no-one is looking, is the Funky Chicken. Place your fingers on your shoulders and raise your elbows before pushing them down to your sides, as though attempting flight. More discreetly, you can place your hands on your chair arms and just raise up your body. Repeat as many times as you can.

There are other things you can do. Walk to a colleague’s desk to discuss something or take a message or document, rather than relying on phone or email. It’s more sociable, too. Another tip is to take a pedometer to the office and set yourself a goal for the number of steps you walk in a day. Ideally, this should be between 6,000 and 10,000.

If you go to the shops at lunchtime, park somewhere that means you have to walk–or leave the car behind. Or if you have a headset rather than a standard phone, walk around while talking.

Be creative—use large filled water bottles as dumbbells for example—but make sure you get up and move around at least every hour. And, remember, any movement is better than none!