Give Your Company a Much Needed Breather: 7 Ways to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

There’s a lot of literature showing how workplace stress negatively impacts employee health, and unhealthy employees can greatly affect the company bottom line. Making matters even more difficult, the current economic crisis has forced companies to lean down, which has placed a larger burden on the existing workforce.
When employees are stressed, they are less engaged, less productive, and more likely to miss days at work due to stress-related illness.  Research suggests that stress weakens our immune system and increases inflammation which makes us more prone to illnesses ranging from the common cold to heart disease. In fact, some studies show that two specific types of workplace stress can take a toll on our cardiovascular system.

The first type of stress involves the physical strain of having to do more with less.  Taking on additional responsibilities and having to accomplish more work in less time is a common example. The second type of stress occurs when employees feel socially isolated and unacknowledged for their extra work.  Despite increased efforts, employees often feel their hard work goes unrecognized, and is unappreciated which leads to feelings of apathy, and as though they have little or no opportunity for career advancement.

Both types of stress cause a release of stress hormones; adrenaline and cortical, which if neglected can have deleterious affects on our health.  Recognizing the health dangers associated with workplace stress, here are 7 steps employers can take to help defuse stress in the workplace and create a healthier and happier work environment:

1. Frequently, acknowledge employees for their extra work, and make them aware of how valuable they are and how much they are appreciated. Failure to show appreciation for employee participation generates stress that endangers future efforts.
Solution: Daily, weekly, and monthly appreciation will help reduce stress and increase profits.
2. People want to know how they are doing, and whether they are meeting expectations. If you don't communicate your thoughts on their performance, they are stressed about how well they are doing.
Solution: Daily or weekly confirmation can help reduce stress significantly. Managers who wait until year end to explain job performance are about 51 weeks too late.
3. Encourage employees to take short time-outs. Rather than ruminate and stew over your workload, sometimes just taking short walk down the hallway can help us rejuvenate and refocus.
4. Meet regularly (weekly) as a group to discuss stressors in the workplace and come up with solutions to help mitigate the stress rather than sweep problems under the rug.  Even if the stressful problem is unavoidable, regular meetings will foster feelings of trust and improve team building.
5. Organize after work activities such as a walk or hike or a meeting at a healthy restaurant. Studies suggest that people tend to drink and smoke to mask the feelings of stress.
6. "Career and job ambiguity"
People want to know that their job is secure and know what is expected of them. Many employees also want to know about career progression and what they must do to advance.
Keep people informed of business situations, threats, and obstacles that must be overcome. They'll find out through the grape vine if you don't tell them. There is no such thing as a secret, so be right up front with everyone.

Rishi Arora
http://www.rifeindia.com

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Steps To Follow While Purchasing Ergonomic Products!

Ergonomic products are designed to reduce the pain or inconvenience, which occur in your body when you work in front of your computer for long period of time. You cannot expect which type of pain or problem may occur to you in the starting days of working with your computer. It all depends upon the time you spend in front of your computer, working environment, comfort levels, your position, etc.

Not all the ergonomic products are best ones! The recent studies have proved that not all the ergonomic products are suitable for all. Depending on your necessity and seating position, you have to select the right ergonomic product which is suitable for you.

Steps to follow while purchasing right ergonomic products which are suitable for you:
• Don’t feel like I don’t need ergonomic products in the starting days itself. In the starting days of working with your computer, you don’t feel pain at different parts of your body. If you take proper care in these days, you will not be affected with various pains in the long run.
• Unlike other computer accessories, the mind set here should not have to buy the cheapest one.
• Cheaper ones would usually lack on adjustments and lack of adjustment means that they cannot settle so well as your body would love it to be!! Hense no pint in having of such product!! Look for adjustment and adaptability in ergonomic products
• Find which type of materials or things are used in the manufacturing of the ergonomic product which you have selected. Estimate or know whether the things used in the manufacturing of the product are durable and helpful for you in the long run. Give preference to the durability while getting the product because durability makes the product to stay fine for long period of time.
• Comfort levels are also one of the essential things which have to be considered while buying the products. Check the comparability by using the product before buying it. Don’t compromise in comfort levels because uncomfortable position can create health problems to you.


Rishi Arora
rifeindia.com

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Stand Up & Move About, It’s Good for Your Health!

The evidence is mounting as multiple studies reveal that sitting too long contributes to major health risks, some life-threatening. In fact, research shows that prolonged sitting at conventional desks can cut as much as 2 years off an average lifespan. On the contrary standing improves overall health, helps you lose weight by burning more calories (while standing), reduces cancer risks by 30%, heart disease by 46%, decreases back and neck strain, reduces carpel tunnel syndrome and boosts overall mental clarity. While specific tasks may benefit from a particular sitting or standing position, overall physical health and mental acuity is substantially increased while a person stands.  Standing facilitates optimal blood flow, particularly in combination with occasional movement that naturally occurs when we stand.  The improved circulation carries oxygen-rich blood which, in turn, stimulates cellular activity.  And while this cellular activity boosts the functioning of major organs, it is the mind that achieves particular benefit, with an outcome of improved performance in the workplace. Research found some significant benefits in standing while working for a portion of each day.  It has been found that standing alleviates stress and strain on the back, engages enzymes that burn fat and significantly increases circulation.

Adjustable Height of computer desk - your health alternative.

Adjustable computer desk to create the best of both worlds. Adjustable work tables which allow individuals to raise or lower their desk and alternate positions throughout the day. Adjustable computer desks allow users to sit for periods of time and undertake tasks that may be more conducive to sitting and then adjust in height to enable user to stand and work for some specific task or, or to simply give their body a break. 

Adjustable Computer Tables have gained much notoriety as research has demonstrated the dangers of prolonged sitting. While sitting at a conventional desk doesn’t pose the same risks as working in an industrial environment may, sedentary work patterns have been documented to play a substantial impact on such physical ailments as undue weight gain, back problems, poor vision and cardiovascular disease, among many others.

Along with the negative impacts that have been discovered by lengthy sitting are some promising solutions however. Research has demonstrated that moving from a sit-stand position throughout the day reduces health dangers by activating and engaging some crucial body functions. No longer is the contemporary office professional mandated to sit in a stationary position that the original desk model computers necessitated. Instead, by using adjustable computer tables, one can significantly improve their health just by mixing it up and moving around.

Benefits of standing to counter Obesity

Obesity has been on the rise in the western world as the workforce increasingly has become more sedentary by using conventional sit-only desks. With the advent of recent studies, it has been shown that 40% more calories are burned while standing. With the average American sitting in excess of 14 hours per day, with 60% of us essentially inactive, we only put out 2.5 hours of physical exertion in a week! No wonder we’re obese. What’s more, it’s not surprising that, with the much touted increased calorie burn while using a standing desk, many have switched to them. And calories consumed are not even the only health benefit; there are others

Increased creativity while standing or pacing

All that oxygen generated from standing at an adjustable computer desk promotes greater problem-solving skills and stimulates the creative process.  Some individuals gain greatly from pacing near or around their workstation.  It is obvious that while the staff person benefits, so, too, does the company for which he/she works.  The pay-off for businesses is a healthier and more productive workforce which can’t be emphasized enough.

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Standing AND Sitting Is the Best Approach

So while there are associated benefits as well as associated risks to standing or sitting for protracted periods of time, which is best? Quite simply, doing both is the most rational approach to maintaining a healthy and balanced body. Choosing a height adjustable workstation, one that facilitates a standing desk position that can also be easily converted to a sitting position, is ideal. Some practitioners suggest continuous sitting and standing, each, to not exceed 4 hours in a day. In this way, workers can have the best advantages of both posture work styles while also minimizing any risks involved with doing either for too long throughout their day. Much has been made in recent years about the beneficial health aspects of ergonomic design in the workplace. More recently

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Never make these posture mistakes.

We all know the importance of maintaining a good posture to prevent workplace stress, strain an injury. And you may think that you are sitting correctly and maintaining a good posture for the most part in your work day, however it could be that you are making certain posture mistakes without realizing.

Make sure that you are not making these common posture mistakes –

1. Slouching is the most common posture mistake, which should be avoided since it puts the vertebrae under more pressure, also one must avoid sitting in a way that puts the body weight more on one than on the other side.
2. Sitting with the computer monitor to one side is also to be avoided. Even if you don’t spend all your work day on the computer, when you do work on the computer, the monitor should be to the front and not away to the side. This can cause you to twist the neck and torso at unnatural angles. Solve the problem by rearranging the desk or by using a long arm monitor stands.
3. Speaking on the phone with the phone receiver jammed between the neck and ear is really bad practice. Try speaker phone as small percentage of your calls.
4.  Craning the neck forward is also a no-no. avoid flexing the neck or extending the neck by keeping the monitor at the appropriate height and at proper eye level. Use adjustable monitor stands.
5. Avoid excessive reaching. The keyboard and the mouse should all be within reach; so prevent excessive reaching since this puts pressure on the arm muscles. Make sure that the mouse is close enough to prevent excessive reaching. Use adjustable keyboard trays and Drawers.
6. Improper position of the arms not using full arm motions while using the mouse and keyboard leads to compression within the arm, causing problems.
7. Gripping the mouse too tightly is also wrong-use a relaxed grip instead.
8. Avoid having the arms tilt up or down when using the keyboard and mouse – they should be parallel to the ground, with wrists straight.
9. The feet should not be dangling when one is seated; they should rest flat on the ground and if the chair is too high for this, make sure that a foot rest is used.
10. Static postures are also a big no-no, it is important to take frequent short breaks.

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Laptops are great but there is 1 thing wrong about them

If laptops are so great, what is the wrong  with them? Even laptop manufacturers provide warnings and information concerning the ergonomic issues associated with laptop use.

The main problem with laptops is that, since laptops do not have a detachable display and keyboard, there is no posture that is correct while using them. The figures below illustrate potential postures and their related problems.1

In the first position, the user has the laptop in the lap, which facilitates good arm position, but the user"s head is dropped, causing muscle tension in the back, neck, shoulders and chest. In the second position, the laptop is on a "standard" surface that is too low for comfortable viewing, and too high for upper body comfort while typing. Notice that the hands are higher than the elbows, the wrists are resting on the edge of the work surface, and the low back is not supported. This position increases risk for injury to the neck, back, elbows, and wrists.

If you observe someone using a laptop computer, you will likely see a variation of one of these postures. Any time spent in an awkward, forceful position pictured above will increase the likelihood of future chronic pain. Griffin1 points out that new environments where laptops can be used pose additional problems:

• The furniture in hotel rooms, trains, cars, or planes, and at home, is invariably inadequate for laptop use.2

• Lighting conditions are often not adjusted for computer(laptop) use. Therefore, glare, combined with improper viewing angle and lack of display adjustability, often results in awkward posture.

• The narrow viewing angle of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) is poorly suited to sharing, discussion, and collaboration with multiple people.

Another problem with the laptop is the small keyboard and pointing device that is awkward or less than optimal for the user. For many people, the small keyboard requires harmful hand positions.

If you use a laptop for extended periods of time, please use an external keyboard and mouse at the appropriate height.

Although the design of laptop computers has not changed to allow more comfort for the user, there are new devices being developed which make them less awkward and harmful in some environments. We will be discussing some ways to make laptops work better with your body in the next article.

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8 Reasons Why You Must ONLY Use An Ergonomic Laptop Stand - II

Here are the reasons why you should use an ergonomic laptop stand:
1. The ergonomic laptop stand straightens your wrists, significantly decreasing your risks of getting carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common affliction for those who spend long hours on a laptop, and is difficult to cure. Using an ergonomic laptop stand is the best way to prevent it.
2. Prefer a highly adjustable laptop stand , if portable, become your partner. The ergonomic laptop stand promotes good posture because it allows you to sit back and relax, while focusing on your work instead of constantly adjusting your seating position. You no longer have to lean forward and strain your neck to be able to see your screen properly.
3. You can use an ergonomic laptop stand no matter how tall or short you are. Your size doesn't affect the kind of laptop stand you have, and everyone from child to adult can use one. It adjusts to your height efficiently.
4. You can benefit from higher productivity levels, thanks to your ergonomic laptop stand. You no longer have to be bothered by your seating position and comfort while working, you can sit back and relax, and be able to focus on work. Even if you are using your laptop for recreational purposes such as watching a movie, your body will thank you for better posture and no more aches and pains.
5. You can bring the ergonomic laptop stand with you anywhere you go. They are lightweight and portable, so you can enjoy the benefits of using it just about anywhere as long as you have a surface to place it on.
6. They are made from strong and durable material that will last with you for a long time. They do not easily break or scratch, and require very little maintenance when it comes to cleaning.
7. You don’t have to worry about installation or technical manuals to enjoy its use and benefits. There is hardly any assembly involved and you can start using your laptop as soon as you get your laptop stand.
8. It’s good enough to fit laptops of all sizes, so whether you are using small portable laptops or larger kinds, the ergonomic laptop stand is for you.
Additionally, the best part is it’s very inexpensive. Considering all the health benefits you can appreciate, and the fact that it’s very portable and easy to use, there’s no reason not to start using one now.

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