Displaying All Posts tagged with stress

Desk Fitness: A Series of 11 Simple Stretches

lower back stretch

I spend an ungodly amount of time at my desk, staring at my large screen iMac. My body gets stiff, and sometimes numb. To help my muscles out, I frequently stretch at my desk. It not only makes my body feel better, but it gives my mind a break.

If you’re like me your shoulders creep up to your earlobes with stress during the day. I hold all of my stress in my upper back and neck. And while I prefer a massage, I can’t get one every day. But this series of simple stretches help, and I can do them in the comfort of my own office chair. Why not give them a try yourself?

1. Chin Tuck

To loosen stiff neck and shoulder muscles, drop your chin to your chest and stretch. I also like to roll my head from side to side to stretch the side of my neck and the backs of my shoulders. Take some time to relax and do this stretch—it feels so good.

2. Side Neck Stretch

You can also stretch your neck muscles by simply turning your head from side to side. It might sound simple (and it is) but if you think about how much of our day is spent facing straight forward at our computer screens, turning your head from side to side every so often doesn’t sound so weird. You can also stretch your neck by tilting your head from side to side from a face-forward starting position. Do your ears touch your shoulders?
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Awesome Links #28: Gift Ideas, Mac Automation Guide, Surviving Holidays

awesome_links

The final Awesome Links of the year brings some links that offer gift ideas (for those of you who’ve yet to pick up gifts for the holidays), a guide to automate your Mac – whether it’s something you received as a present or have had for some time – and how to get through this especially stressful time of year.
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How About a Mental Health Day?

How About a Mental Health Day?

I used to feel guilty taking a day off work to read a book or to play volleyball – but not so much after I had an anxiety attack in an especially stressful day at the office.  I ended up wondering what I was doing to myself…as I lay on my doctor’s examination table (to which I was becoming used to due to stress).

Soon after that, I changed departments and worked with a boss who allowed flexible schedules.  However, this and five sick days weren’t enough to keep other employees’ and my stress levels at bay so whenever I felt stress reaching a certain level I’d take a sick day – I called them “sick-of-my-job” days. Click Here to Read Article …



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What Would You Do If You Were Let Go?

What Would You Do If You Were Let Go?

The economic situation is tough right now; it really hasn’t eased up much recently nor does it show signs of doing so anytime soon.  No matter how productive you may be at what you do, you may find yourself out of work if the proverbial “house of cards” at your place of employment comes tumbling down.

If that was to happen, are you prepared?  Regardless of how you feel your position stands in terms of security, you just never know – so it’s good to make sure you’re ready should the need arise.

But let’s take it one step further.

If your job was to disappear tomorrow, are you prepared to do something else instead?

What would you do if you were let go?  Would you simply move on, or re-create your work like in some form or another?  Would you go it alone?  Let us know in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …



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What Do You Do To Relax?

What Do You Do To Relax?

Wow.  Another week is upon us…already.

The weekends seem to fly by without so much as a pause (unless you take the time to make the pauses happen) – and before you know it you’re back at the grind again.  Hopefully you’ve gone back to work with a fresh set of batteries, ready to take on everything that comes your way and have set yourself up for a very productive week.  The best way to do that would, of course, have handled all of the weekend stuff you have to deal with and then have taken the time to just…relax.  Whether its curling up with a good book, going camping or spending quality time with friends and family, relaxation is the key to gearing up for the busy times in your life.

So, what do you do to relax – weekend or otherwise?  Let us know in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …



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To Thrive or Survive – Working Under Pressure

To Thrive or Survive – Working Under Pressure

Have you ever heard someone say that they “work best under pressure”? It sounds like such a positive thing to say about your work habits. But, what if instead of “working best under pressure” they mean that they work only when under pressure, or that they even require pressure to get any work done at all?

Suddenly, it doesn’t sound like such a great way to describe yourself. Do you want people to get the impression that they need to pressure you in order to get you to increase your productivity? If so, get ready for an unnecessarily stressful work experience.

Instead of claiming to “work best under pressure”, consider the opposite: Present yourself as a “self-starter” who needs no pressure, prodding, babysitting, or queuing of any kind to get their work done. The term “self-starter” is just as clichéd, but at least it’s not suggesting to your peers that they have to nag you nonstop to get your best efforts.

Now if you truly do thrive under pressure, then by all means seek it out. But if not, do yourself a favor and find a tactful way to say, “I can handle pressure, but I don’t require it to excel.” Click Here to Read Article …



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How Much Sleep Do You Need?

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

In order to be productive, you need to be well-rested.  Breaks are part of the equation, but you also need to make sure you’re getting enough sleep.  There are plenty of different ways of making sure you’re getting enough “shut eye.”

One method is napping.  When you were a kid you probably had enough of them, but there’s an impressive list of people who couldn’t have achieved what they did without them.  The power nap is a popular way to grab some much-needed sleep during the day and leave you recharged to tackle the rest of it.  But some of us don’t have the type of job that allows for “naptime.”  It’s unlikely your boss would be impressed if they saw you catching some z’s in your cubicle during your workday.

Even if you do manage to get some sleep in throughout the day, you still need to get a good night’s sleep to keep at your productive best.  Which begs the question:

“What is a good night’s sleep for you?”

How much sleep do you need to stay at the top of your game?  Are you getting the sleep you need?  Let us know in the comments…before you “hit the hay.” Click Here to Read Article …



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What’s Your Favorite Motivational Quote?

What’s Your Favorite Motivational Quote?

Getting productive – and awesomely so – isn’t easy by any means.  Some people use music to get them going; some people use a combination of the aforementioned with a Diet Coke.

A popular way to get clear and then get going is through the inspiration that comes from motivational quotes.

Do you use motivational quotes to get moving?  What are some of your favorites? Click Here to Read Article …



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Find Your Inner Zen at Work

Find Your Inner Zen at Work

You may have tasted Nirvana at last night’s yoga class, but by 9 A.M. the next day you’re as tense as ever. If only there was a way to experience that kind of renewal and relaxation throughout the work day.

The good news is that you can. Try these yoga-inspired strategies to help transform your work day into a more positive experience. Click Here to Read Article …



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Handling Interruptions Realistically

Handling Interruptions Realistically

You’ve read the usual advice on career, productivity and self-development  blogs when it comes to handling interruptions at work. Firewall your attention. Don’t check email. Stay off of Facebook and Twitter. All good suggestions, but they’re tautologies equivalent to saying that the best way to avoid distractions is to be undistractable. We’ve read that the typical office worker is interrupted every three minutes, that it takes 15 minutes to recover from each interruption, that interruptions cost the country $12 trillion in lost productivity (the number fluctuates radically). We get it: interruptions are not welcome. Click Here to Read Article …



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How Not to Become an Overachiever

How Not to Become an Overachiever

There’s something to be said about being too productive, which my WorkAwesome colleague, Mark Garrison, alluded to in a recent article, I’d say that the old adage “less is more” is the best practical approach to any workplace situation.  We’ve all heard the quality usurps quantity time and tie again, yet it seems as if we’re always trying to do more…better.  The problem is, you can’t do “more” better if you first don’t learn to do “less” best.  The practice of doing more stuff adequately is classic underachievement.  You take on so much and even if you manage to pull it off and appease your superiors you know deep down that you’re capable of much better.

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Lunch Vacation: 5 Ways to Fully Enjoy Your Break

Lunch Vacation: 5 Ways to Fully Enjoy Your Break

In today’s economy, more and more people are trying to save money and be more responsible with their finances. One of the easiest ways to do this is to bring a bag lunch to work instead of going out to eat.

Now, if you’re like me, you’d rather not spend your lunchtime gabbing with the office gossip goose or even worse, work through your lunch break. So, what other things are there to do?

Luckily, there are lots of options to help pass the time and make your lunch the relaxing mid-day break it’s supposed to be.

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